***This was written before the birth of my son with minimal edits and no updates for context or the passage of time. I hope you’ll pardon any confusion from its tardiness.***
Post to the blog at least twice a week
—>Seeing as this is the last full month of “freedom” I’ll have in a while, I figured I’d go “out” with a bang and be as good about posting as I possibly could. I think I did all right.
More music: listen to more music generally, try out at least one new artist every month
—>Artists discovered:
- Dark Dark Dark (I know it’s an old album, but it’s new to me!)
- Lucius
- Patrick Watson
Artists remembered (which sounds morbid, I realize, but I wanted a way to acknowledge things I listened to again after forgetting how much I like them):
- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (I don’t even know what to say about the fact that it’s the 10th anniversary of that album…)
- Pretty Lights
Knit more, at least 20 minutes a week
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Bake more, at least twice a month
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Do more signature things, for parties and holidays and birthdays and so forth; more thoughtful gestures
—>I should come up with some kind of deprecation policy. This goal would definitely be struck from the list.
Go exploring more, at least twice a month
—>See above. “Deprecated”
Exercise every day, at least a little
—>Still yoga-ing and ballet-ing as energy and schedule permits. Also doing the “three sisters” from Spinning Babies several times a week at minimum.
Take better care of my skin: take off makeup regularly; mask at least once a week
—>I think I’m doing better at this. And I’ve also been on a bit of a mask kick. Since I’m pretty sure makeup will go by the wayside for a while, I’m trying to get my skin in the best possible shape before I won’t have a chance to do anything about it. So the second half of this month took a very all-masks-all-the-time turn.
Take better care of my body: drink more water and eat more produce
—>Keeping the water consumption up as much as heartburn will allow. Produce has taken something of a hit as we go into fall and berries aren’t quite so readily and cheaply available.
Keep in better contact with people, regular emails and phone calls sort of thing
—>Came up with the idea of the Friendsheet. It’s still in its fledging stages, but the basic idea is that it’s a spreadsheet to keep track of the time and nature of the most recent contact with friends. That way, I can see just how long it’s been since I called so-and-so or had dinner with blah-de-blah. The timing of this might be more of a joke than anything, but I think it’s a good idea and when things settle down post baby, it seems like a good way to manage this sort of thing.
Read more, at least two books a month
—>
Books read:
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane
- Your Baby Is Speaking to You
- What to Expect When You’re Expecting (which, to be fair, I’ve been reading in chunks since the beginning of my pregnancy)
Books started:
Keep home tidy every day
—>
More reflection/journalling
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Look for and keep track of sources of inspiration, big and small
—>Again. Deprecated.
Get and stay organized
—>For once, I feel pretty good about this.
Set schedules/routines and stick to them
—>The time chunking I came up with last time has been working pretty well. I don’t necessarily follow it exactly, but it’s been a useful guide for structuring my days.
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