My Resolutions, October Update

It's been a while since I've done this. So much chaos in my life over the past couple of months. Just so much chaos.  But, here we are now!

1) Post 1 book review a month on my YA blog. 

I have posted 6 reviews.  SIX! I seriously need to get in and update this. I read enough Manga this summer, I really do have enough material to update this!

https://librarynut-booksforteens.blogspot.com/

2) Renovate the Master Bedroom & Bathroom. 

This is happening!!!!  Contracts have been signed and the house has been cleaned out! 

17 years after we first said this needed to be done, it is finally going to be done!

3) Find good homes for the books  

They have all been homed outside of my house.

4) Go explore 2 new to me places  

1) Oregon - for a little adventure!

2) Turkey Run Park in Virginia.  It's on the way home from my Mom's house.  Beautiful park on the banks of the Potomac River!

3) Dallas, Texas. I went for a funeral, but stayed an extra day to explore.

5) 40 Bags in 40 Days Lenten Challenge

These were kitchen size garbage bags full of stuff, along with several BIG boxes. I've since gotten rid of much, much more.  But the Lenten Challenge was a HUGE success!

6) Get together with 1 friend each month  

I don't think I should have to write this down, but you know, it's been a weird couple of years. I want to make seeing people we love a priority. Doing this after 2 years of COVID Restrictions is going to make this an extra special challenge.

January - Jim & Kathy! We had a fire outside in the fire pit and got to catch up over a couple of hours!

February -  Joe, James, Dan

March - Crissy, Gloria

April - This was the month we had Covid, so we saw nobody and went nowhere.

May - Vince & Suzanne, Judy

June - Sharon

July - Crissy and her Mom

August - Esther and Tim            

September - All of my cousins.

 

7) Another stamp in my National Park Passport

The Mission Trail in San Antonio!

OK, so that was back in January. I need to get another stamp.

8) Landscape Front Yard 

This has been on the list for several years now. I really want to get this checked off this year!

I don't think this will happen this year. With the renovations going on in the house, I want to wait until they are finished before I begin working on the yard. I don't want the contractors tearing up the new landscaping. 

9) Clean out the Garage

If you've read the blog for any length of time, you know that we bought this house 17 years ago from my in-laws. And you also know that they were borderline hoarders. We've made progress in the house, and while there is still clutter in the basement, I believe that we will have the last of it out by the end of this year. (See the 40 bags in 40 days challenge.) There is no longer any junk in our basement! 17 years later and we have finally cleaned out the house. Finally.

 But the garage is another story. 17 years, and we have not yet been able to park our cars in the garage because of the amount of stuff. Our goal is to be able to park a car in the garage by the end of the year. when we move back into the house next year.

10) Get the kayak out in the water once each month during May, June, July, August, September, and October.

Seriously, we have a kayak.  Why aren't we getting out in the water with the kayak more often? What is our excuse? The kids have moved out. We don't have to worry about finding a sitter or getting an extra kayak for them.

We didn't get it out at all. Something about clearing out tons and tons of stuff out of the house.

11) Get my Bike fixed and get out for some bike rides.

I bought my bike over 30 years ago. I rode it a lot before the kids got busy in high school. Now that everyone is out of the house, it is time to pull out some of the things I really used to love. The top of that list is riding my bike. In order to do that, I need to get the bike fixed. The tires are dry rotted, and I'm sure it's got a host of other issues going on.

12) Visit My Cousins in Texas (a trip postponed from 2020)

Done! We made it down over a long weekend in January! It was so good to see my cousins and my aunts and uncles!  I even posted a few pictures from the River Walk in San Antonio. It's been 10 years since I last got down here. I can't wait another 10 years to get back. Family is too important. And time is fleeting.

Breckinridge Park! We met up with my cousins at the same outdoor pavilion where I had my 5th birthday party! That pavilion is just off to the right from this picture.

Second Trip to Texas in September for a family funeral. I got to spend time with cousins from as far away as Japan. We really need to find a way to get together that does not involve funerals. I think this will be one of my goals for next year.

Other Goals:

I’ve got a couple of other goals I would like to accomplish this year, but I honestly don’t know if I’ll be able to get to them. If I do, I’ll be thrilled beyond words. If not? I’ll add them to the list of things I want to get to in 2023.

Goal #1

Get out to Kansas to visit Middle Child. 

Done! We went out earlier this month.

Goal #2

Get the large piles of brush out of the yard.

Done! The tree people are also taking out 3 dead trees!

2018 Resolutions - July Update

I love keeping track of my resolutions on my blog!  It ensures that I actually keep my resolutions!
Who knew that keeping my resolutions would be as easy as announcing them publicly?

I've been working at it.  I don't know that I'll meet all of my resolutions, but it sure is fun to try!

1) Participate in the NoSpenduary Challenge
No Spenduary helped to pay for the unexpected trip to Australia.  I'm not currently in a "no spend" mode - but I am actively saving money to pay to replace the roof on the house this fall.

2) 40 bags in 40 days
Well, this didn't work out during Lent.  I'm still working on getting boxes and bags out of the house.  Husband has been on a mission trip the last week in June, so I've actually gotten a lot of stuff out of the house this month! 

10 bags/boxes at the end of May
  7   bags/boxes in June

 17    Total Boxes/Bags at the end of June.  Just 23 more to go!  I hope I get this done by the end of the year!

3) Get Away With my Husband - TWICE
        1) Australia
        2) Where next?

4) Get One Big Debt Paid Off This Year
Working on paying off the Civic

5) Finish Daughter's and Husband's Quilts
Once again, no progress on this.  I hope to pull out the sewing machine, suck it up, and finish husbands quilt this month.  No excuses.  Just do it!

6) Get Out to Visit Middle Child this Year
HOORAY!!!!  We spent a long weekend with him over Memorial Day!  The entire family! 
HOORAY!!!!  I'd like to think I'll get out to see him one more time this year.  Maybe we'll make it for Thanksgiving?  I'm not sure - daughter is still in college, and her school tends to run classes through Wednesday.  We've got time on this one.

7) Replace the Roof on the House this Fall
 Working on this one!  The dream is to have enough cash to not only replace the roof, but also the gutters, and maybe add a front porch.  That's do-able, right? 

8) Exercise Most Days During the Week.
I've done it!  I'm at 4 days a week now!  PLUS -  I am getting over there at 5:45 am now.  Holy cow! What a great start to my day!  (It's a really early start, but it's a start!)

9) Make some of my Christmas Gifts this Year
I need to get moving on this one.  What do I get kids who are grown and living on their own?  The boys are going to be a problem...  Maybe a sweater?  It's a lofty sounding goal....

10) Cut my Grocery Budget to $250/month
 Well, I've stopped keeping track. I'm giving up on this one.
I honestly don't have the time to keep track of everything I spend at the grocery store.  

11) Turn my yarn and fabric stash into something more... but what?
Graduation present for daughter's boyfriend.
Baby Blanket for a Co-Worker
Turned a spool of tulle and blingy sparkles into a Fascinator for the Royal Wedding.


I'm currently working on a shrug for myself with yarn that I purchased for that purpose 4 years ago.  It's a beautiful, sea green and blue yarn.  I've found a wonderful lacy vest pattern that I purchased online.


12) Take One Item Off my Bucket List
 I did it!  And it was a big one!  I went to Australia with my husband!

13) Have One Media Free Day per Week
Not been a problem.
 
14) Visit 12 Libraries I Have Never Been to Before

Laurel Public Library

Lawrence Public Library Truman Library and Museum
New South Wales Library
Central Rappahannock Regional Library Porter Branch

Laurel Public Library
Elkridge Public Library

I have a couple of professional goals I want to meet, too.  I'm not going to list them here, but they're in the back of my mind!


Professional Goals

1) PG #1

I had an article published! 

2) PG #2

2018 Resolutions - June Update

1) Participate in the NoSpenduary Challenge
We saved in February.  We're holding back on spending this month and next month, too.

2) 40 Bags in 40 Days
So, we were out of town for a good chunk of Lent, so I didn't get 40 bags of crap out of the house.  I'm still trying to get the 40 bags of junk out of the house.

The end of May count is 10 bags and boxes.  Just 30 more to go!


3) Get Away With My Husband - Twice
Australia was the big one!
I've got one more to go for this fall.  I am thinking we're going to head off to the place I thought we were going to go last year before my plans got turned upside down when I got that unexpected promotion.

4) Get 1 Big Debt Paid off this Year
The goal is to get the Civic paid off - or mostly paid off - this year.  I'm a good chunk of the way there now.  Less than $5,000 left now...

5) Finish Daughter's and Husband's Quilts
I've gotten daughter's quilt back out.  Hobbes really likes to play with the thread when I'm trying to quilt.  I'm not certain how I'm going to get around this.  It's not like I can haul my quilting frame and all the assorted supplies out to Starbucks and work on it...

6) Get Out to Visit Middle Child this Year
HOORAY!!!!  We spent a long weekend with him over Memorial Day!  The entire family! 
HOORAY!!!!  I'd like to think I'll get out to see him one more time this year.  Maybe we'll make it for Thanksgiving?  I'm not sure - daughter is still in college, and her school tends to run classes through Wednesday.  We've got time on this one.

7) Replace the Roof on the House this Fall
All of the money we put aside from the NoSpenduary Challenge is being set aside to replace the roof on the house.  If we can set enough money aside, I want to add a porch onto the front of the house.  We'll see how things work out!

8) Exercise Most Days During the Week.
I've done it!  I'm at 4 days a week now!  PLUS -  I am getting over there at 5:45 am now.  Holy cow! What a great start to my day!  (It's a really early start, but it's a start!)

9) Make some of my Christmas gifts this year.
Watching my daughter and her boyfriend exchange home made gifts has inspired me to think outside the box. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do, but I will do something.

Starting with fun and funky socks for the girl.
I really enjoy making socks!

10) Cut my grocery budget to $250/month.
Well this has gone down the drain.  I haven't kept track of groceries at all while we were gone.  I need to get back on the wagon and keep track of these numbers..  June is a new month, with all new goals to meet.  We have been eating out of the freezer a lot this month, so I have only been "doing" one big shop a month in addition to the $25 produce bundles from my favorite farm.

11) Turn my yarn and fabric stash into something more... but what?
Graduation present for daughter's boyfriend.
Baby Blanket for a Co-Worker
Turned a spool of tulle and blingy sparkles into a Fascinator for the Royal Wedding.
What's next? 


12) Take One Item Off my Bucket List
 I did it!  And it was a big one!  I went to Australia with my husband!

13) Have One Media Free Day per Week
Not been a problem.
 
14) Visit 12 Libraries I Have Never Been to Before
Lawrence Public Library
Truman Library and Museum
New South Wales Library
Central Rappahannock Regional Library Porter Branch

I have a couple of professional goals I want to meet, too.  I'm not going to list them here, but they're in the back of my mind!

1) PG #1

I had an article published! 

2) PG #2

2018 Resolutions - May Update

I missed last month.... so we've got a huge update this month!

1) Participate in the NoSpenduary Challenge
We saved in February.  We're holding back on spending this month and next month, too.

2) 40 Bags in 40 Days
So, we were out of town for a good chunk of Lent, so I didn't get 40 bags of crap out of the house.  I'm still trying to get the 40 bags of junk out of the house.  As of this writing, I've gotten 7 bags out of the house... just  33 more to go.

3) Get Away With My Husband - Twice

Emporer Penguin, Sydney Aquarium

First get away is done!  Now, to get another one planned for the fall!

4) Get 1 Big Debt Paid off this Year
The goal is to get the Civic paid off - or mostly paid off - this year.

5) Finish Daughter's and Husband's Quilts
I've gotten daughter's quilt back out.  I'm curious to see if I'll actually be able to quilt without too much interference from Hobbes.

6) Get Out to Visit Middle Child this Year
We're hoping he's going to be home the weekend we head out there.  I'd really hate to spend a weekend in Kansas and have him not be there.

7) Replace the Roof on the House this Fall
All of the money we put aside from the NoSpenduary Challenge is being set aside to replace the roof on the house.  If we can set enough money aside, I want to add a porch onto the front of the house.  We'll see how things work out!

8) Exercise Most Days During the Week.
It's a struggle.  I'm at 3 dedicated days/week.  I am struggling to get that number up to 4.

9) Make some of my Christmas gifts this year.
Watching my daughter and her boyfriend exchange home made gifts has inspired me to think outside the box. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do, but I will do something.

10) Cut my grocery budget to $250/month.
Well this has gone down the drain.  I haven't kept track of groceries at all while we were gone.  I need to get back on the wagon and keep track of these numbers..

11) Turn my yarn and fabric stash into something more... but what?
Graduation present for daughter's boyfriend.
Baby Blanket for a Co-Worker
What's next?

12) Take One Item Off my Bucket List
 I did it!  And it was a big one!  I went to Australia with my husband!

13) Have One Media Free Day per Week
Not been a problem.
 
14) Visit 12 Libraries I Have Never Been to Before
Lawrence Public Library
Truman Library and Museum
New South Wales Library
Central Rappahannock Regional Library Porter Branch

I have a couple of professional goals I want to meet, too.  I'm not going to list them here, but they're in the back of my mind!

1) PG #1

I had an article published! 

2) PG #2

2018 Resolutions - February Update

A little late this month!  So sorry, this week has been crazy beyond words.  I'm sitting here on this lovely chill morning, having been to the gym and now attempting to recover before heading on about my day and tackling the massive to do list.  Anybody watching the Super Bowl tomorrow?  

I started keeping track of me resolutions online a few years ago.  It keeps me focused when I check back in on them once a month.  I make more progress when I do it this way.  If I make a list and put it in a drawer, I tend to forget about it by the end of January. So, here's my list for this year!



1) Participate in the No-Spenduary Challenge
That begins this month!  We're already spending less since we have fewer kids living at home right now.  It's going to be fun to cut back!  All of our spare time will be spent getting those 40 bags of trash out of our house!

2) 40 Bags in 40 Days
Lent starts on Valentine's Day, and that's the official starting gun for the challenge!  Ready, set, clean the house!

3) Get Away With My Husband Twice
What did I read in the back of Debbie MacCombers last book?  They've begun their "Adventure before Dementia".  It's time for us to do the same.  Time to start knocking some places off of our bucket list!  We've made a plan for this year. 

4) Pay off 1 Big Debt 
Working on that right now...


5) Finish Daughter's and Husband's Quilt
Trying to finish off daughter's quilt before I pull out the sewing machine again.

6) Get out to visit Middle Child this year
Kansas is a ways away.  When are we going to get out there?

7) Replace the Roof on the House
We're missing shingles.  This is a high priority for this year.

8) Exercise MOST days during the week.    
I'm stuck at 3 days per week.  I need to get that up at 4 days per week.  I made a spreadsheet to track my progress on meeting this goal this month.  Not as good as I'd like.  Look at that - 13 Days out of 30.  Not even half of the days in the month.  I really need to fix that.

Sun.	Mon.	Tues.	Weds.	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
82	29	30	31

9) Make SOME of my Christmas gifts this year.
In years past, I've hand made Christmas gifts for family members only to find that they threw out what I made.  From hand knit blankets and ponchos, to tote bags made with extra long handles and interior pockets, to quilts.... If you're going to give it away or throw it out, I'm not going to make it for you any more.  I've got to start thinking now about what I'm going to make for those who appreciate a hand made treasure.
 
10) Cut my grocery budget to $250/month.  
That will be a total of $3000 on groceries this year.

I didn't update this week.  I spent $25 on a produce box at the Farmer's Market on Saturday.  We ate mostly out of that box for this week.

So, for this month, this brings my total up to: $450
(over)/under budget for the year: (200)

11) Turn my yarn and fabric stash into something more... (but what?)
I took the dark red yarn and made it into a baby blanket for one of my co-workers!  I didn't have to buy any yarn, and I really like the pattern!  Even better, the yarn is one of those synthetic blends that can be thrown in the washing machine.  Always a plus when you've got something you're using around a brand new baby!

12) Take one item off of my Bucket List
A plan has begun to form in my head.  And it involves getting away with the husband.


13) Have one Media Free Day per week 
As I find myself having more and more problems with my laptop, this is getting easier and easier to do!  I'm going to have to replace the laptop soon, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying the laptop when it works, and taking advantage of the excuse to do other things when it doesn't work!

14) Visit 12 libraries I have never been to before 
Lawrence Public Library
Truman Library and Museum

I have a couple of professional goals I want to meet, too.  I'm not going to list them here, but they're in the back of my mind!

1) PG #1

2) PG #2

New Year's Resolutions - December Update

It's time for a look back at this past year.  What kind of progress did I make towards my resolutions for the year?  I have a list of things I hope to accomplish every year. While I don't always finish everything, I do manage to finish a significant portion of them!


1) Complete 12 Home Improvement Projects
This was a year of a LOT of home improvement.  Expensive home improvement!  I'm hoping that this next year holds no major plumbing repairs!  This month, we installed the shades in the kitchen windows.  Yes, we've been living here 10 years and never had shades in the kitchen windows.  Finally done!   The last improvement involved the work that the contractor never came back to finish up - despite my repeated calls to them.  Thankfully hubby is handy, so he was able to finish things up.  He installed the kick plates under the cabinets, and the laminate on the end of the cabinets.  He then installed a hardwood back to the empty space under the cabinet that covers the yellow tile and matches the laminate.  It looks very professional, if I do say so myself!  Actually, I'm really glad that I kept track of this one - sometimes it feels like we do nothing around here - it's nice to have an actual list of what we really do accomplish.


The list:
1) Recover the kitchen chairs.
2) Add the knobs to the cabinet under the kitchen sink.
3) Fix the sewer line out of the house, through the basement wall.
4) Replace the baseboard heater in the hall bathroom.
5) Replace the lighting in the hall bathroom.
6) Re-enamel the hallway bathroom tile.
7) Replace the light at the bottom of the basement stairwell.
8) Paint the cinder block wall in the basement where we replaced the pipe.
9) Fix the running toilet in the Master Bathroom.
10) Fix the leaking pipes under the toilets down in the basement.  (Copper Pipes)
11) Install shades in the kitchen
12) Finish out the portion under the cabinets in the bathroom that the contractor never finished.

2) Lose a few more inches around my waist.
Honestly, I wanted to lose 2-3 inches.  How hard can that be?
Difficult.  Very difficult.
It really does get harder as you get older.

I've lost 1 inch.  ONE INCH.  It's progress, and I'll take it.  But I really wish I'd lost more.

3) Get away with my husband - TWICE - this year.
Done!
The first trip was a long weekend to visit our oldest child at school.  (OK, that's a maybe..)

Second was the long weekend we spent in Princeton - he was up there for business, and I went up there for a long weekend at our own expense at the end of his official business.

We did get in a third trip - out to Denver for a Memorial Service.  We enjoyed ourselves, and had a great time catching up with family from all over the country.

4) Lenten Cleaning Challenge
 Done!  40 bags in 40 days!  I'm looking forward to doing this one again next year!




5) Post at least 12 book reviews on my Books for Teens Blog
I've been reading a lot of YA fiction this month!  Almost everything I've read has been a hit. 
You can see my blog here:
https://librarynut-booksforteens.blogspot.com/



6) Finish the Hallway Bathroom

9 years after the long nightmare began, we now have 2 working bathrooms in our house!  While the contractor wasn't everything I expected, we have working bathrooms!
  

7) Participate in the NoSpenduary Challenge
The moratorium is over!  We still don't wantonly spend money, but our savings account is back up where it should be, tuition has been paid, and we're plotting our big home improvement project for next year.  Hopefully, that one doesn't cascade into a larger project like this year's project did.

Who am I kidding?  It's a home improvement project on a 48 year old house.  OF COURSE it's going to be more involved than we want it to be.  We need to add an emergency cushion onto the funding for that project when we start planning it out.

8) Learn another language.
This one was a great thought, but it never has gone anywhere.
 
9) 100 Things Every Marylander Should Do
I've done a few!  Maryland is a beautiful state!  I might not have done as many as I wanted, but it's nice to have seen a few of the items on the list.

10) Daughter's Quilt
Progress!  I am making big progress!  It won't be finished before the end of 2017, but it will be finished before the end of the school year!

Luna REALLY likes the quilt.

11) Clean Out Closet and Dresser Drawers

Done!  And the stuff I no longer need has been sent to Goodwill. 

12) Clean Out the Little Room in the Basement and Make it Usable
A little progress has been made.  I moved the wooden shelves out and into another room.  I put oldest child's stuff on those shelves.  These are the boxes of stuff that he wants to keep long term but just doesn't have the space for in his current apartment.


13) Work on Landscaping the Front Yard
Well, since our next big project is going to be replacing the roof and adding a front porch to the house, I'm not going to do anything with the landscaping until after the porch is finished.  This one will be a no go for this year.

14) Take at Least One Class through the ALA 
I finished the class!  !  Hooray! Now to get the other 2.8 CEU's I need to renew my certificate before June of 2019.

2018 Resolutions

I have big plans, big things I want to accomplish this year!  How much will I actually manage to get done?  There's a lot of change coming in the next year, and so many things I want to do.  Hopefully I can get them all done.  I've found that by keeping track of my resolutions on the blog, I actually manage to make most of my dreams happen!

1) Participate in the No-Spenduary Challenge
I've done this several years now, and every year I find that it has been well worth my time and effort.  Money is saved, debts are paid, and home improvement projects are done with the money that is saved.  Traditionally done for the month of January, you can find more information here: http://www.frugaldebtfreelife.com/main/2015/1/1/starting-the-new-year-with-a-no-spenduary-challenge.html?rq=nospenduary

2) 40 Bags in 40 Days
The idea is to clean out 1 bag of "stuff" out of the house every day during Lent.  It's a great way to get junk out of the house!  I'm looking forward to doing this one again!  You can find the challenge here:  White House Black Shutters.

3) Get Away With My Husband Twice
What did I read in the back of Debbie MacCombers last book?  They've begun their "Adventure before Dementia".  It's time for us to do the same.  Time to start knocking some places off of our bucket list.

4) Pay off 1 Big Debt
Gotta get it done!

5) Finish Daughter's and Husband's Quilt
I need to close the edges of husband's quilt.  I've repaired the quilt top made by my Mother in Law before he went to college. I put a new back and new lining in, and I retied all the layers together.  Now,  I just have to sew the edges together now.  Daughter's quilt needs to be finished - it's over half quilted now.  I need to finish quilting it and then sew it together.

6) Get out to visit Middle Child this year
Since he now lives halfway across the country, I want to get out to see him at least once this year. 

7) Replace the Roof on the House
We're missing shingles now.  Husband got up on the roof and did a temporary repair - but it needs to be professionally fixed.  I'd like to get a front porch added when we replace the roof. 

9) Exercise MOST days during the week.
This has been more of a challenge than I'd like to admit since I've gone back to work full time.  I'm going to define MOST of the week as 4 days.

10) Make my Christmas gifts this year.
This one is tough.  I've made Christmas gifts for my extended family in the past, but I quit when I found out that my relatives gave away the hats, scarves, etc. that I made for them.   Kind of disheartening when you realize that the $40 worth of yarn I spent weeks making into a felted hat was thrown out.  For them, I go with gift cards.  I'm thinking more about my very close friends and co-workers.

11) Cut my grocery budget to $250/month.
So, now that we're down to just me, my husband, and the youngest child.. . I need to cut down our expenses.  I've been a little out of control over the last six months of the year with middle child home and having gone back to work full time.  So, I'm going to keep a closer eye on our spending this year on keeping this under control.  With only  of us living at home, we can easily keep our expenses down if I really put an effort into it.

12) Turn my yarn and fabric stash into something more... (but what?)
I've got a lot of yarn, and a lot of fabric.  What am I going to do with it all?  This will be the challenge of the year!

13) Take one item off of my Bucket List
Which one?  Where to begin?  What to do?

14) Have one Media Free Day per week
There is so much noise going on in our world... and so many distractions.  And my job demands constant media exposure and knowledge.  One day a week, I'm going to shut them all out and spend the day in peace with just myself.  Who knows what great things I'll accomplish on my day off from the media?


15) Visit 12 libraries I have never been to before
I know, I work in a library.  But, I absolutely love visiting libraries!  I want to go to 12 libraries I haven't been to before and then post pictures.  How about you?  Would you be willing to share your library photos with me?


16) Get Away With My Husband - Just the two of us - Twice
After last year, I'd like to add the caveat that it not be for a funeral.  I'd like to just get away and spend time away from home being just us.

I have a couple of professional goals I want to meet, too.  I'm not going to list them here, but they're in the back of my mind!

1) PG #1

2) PG #2

It's a long list!  I didn't knock them all out last year. Can I do it this year?  

What about you?

New Year's Resolutions

Every year, I make a list of resolutions.  I check back on my list monthly, so that I am keeping myself honest about my progress towards my goals!

This year's list was somewhat ambitious.  I know I'm not going to accomplish everything on my list, but I think I'm going to get to a majority of them before the end of the year!

1) Complete 12 Home Improvement Projects

New LED fixture at the bottom of the stairs.

Husband spent much of the weekend on the roof.  He added a fan to the hallway bathroom.  (Evidently, back in the 70's, nobody needed to remove moisture from the air in bathrooms.)  The final step involved him cutting a hole in the roof to vent the fan to the outdoors.  He finished the job yesterday afternoon - leaving a long, thin strip of leg hair on the roof when it got caught in the adhesive he was using around the vent and the shingles.  You know, there are easier ways to remove unwanted hair!
 
The list to date:
Recover the kitchen chairs.
Add the knobs to the cabinet under the kitchen sink.
Fix the sewer line out of the house, through the basement wall.
Replace the baseboard heater in the hall bathroom.
Replace the lighting in the hall bathroom.
Re-enamel the hallway bathroom tile.
Replace the light at the bottom of the basement stairwell.
Paint the cinder block wall in the basement where we replaced the pipe.

2) Lose a few more inches around my waist.
Honestly, I wanted to lose 2-3 inches.  How hard can that be?

Well, I signed up for the dreaded Pilates class.  I am enjoying the class, and I am finally beginning to see progress.  I am down another clothing size.  I'm close now - so very close - to my final goal.

3) Get away with my husband - TWICE - this year.
Done!
The first trip was a long weekend to visit our oldest child at school.  (OK, that's a maybe..)
Second was the long weekend we spent in Princeton - he was up there for business, and I went up there for a long weekend at our own expense at the end of his official business. 

We did get in a third trip - out to Denver for a Memorial Service.  We enjoyed ourselves, and had a great time catching up with family from all over the country.

4) Lenten Cleaning Challenge
 Done!  40 bags in 40 days!  I'm looking forward to doing this one again next year!

5) Post at least 12 book reviews on my Books for Teens Blog
 9 Down!  I need to catch up.  I've done a lot of reading this month, but none of it has been from the Young Adult collection.  I need to see what I can do about that this month.

You can see my blog here:
https://librarynut-booksforteens.blogspot.com/


6) Finish the Hallway Bathroom
9 years after the long nightmare began, we now have 2 working bathrooms in our house!
  
7) Participate in the NoSpenduary Challenge
The moratorium is over!  We still don't wantonly spend money, but our savings account is back up where it should be, tuition has been paid, and we're plotting our big home improvement project for next year.  Hopefully, that one doesn't cascade into a larger project like this year's project did. 




Who am I kidding?  It's a home improvement project on a 40 year old house.  OF COURSE it's going to be more involved than we want it to be.  We need to add an emergency cushion onto the funding for that project when we start planning it out.

8) Learn another language.I have become ridiculously addicted to Telenovelas.  I understand less than 1/3 of what they're saying (colors, names, places), but I manage to pick up on more through context clues. 

9) 100 Things Every Marylander Should Do
Finally got one!

98) Drive Charles Street from Downtown Baltimore to the County Line

It's a beautiful drive, and shows the diversity of the city.  It would be nice to say I had taken this on purpose, but I was lost and saw Charles Street.  "Oh hey!  I've been meaning to take this all the way out!"  And so, I traveled the length of the street AND I found my way to a road I recognized so that I could get home again!


10) Daughter's Quilt
Progress!  I am making big progress!  It won't be finished before the end of 2017, but it will be finished before the end of the school year!


11) Clean Out Closet and Dresser Drawers
done!  And the stuff I no longer need has been sent to Goodwill. 


12) Clean Out the Little Room in the Basement and Make it Usable
No progress this month. 

13) Work on Landscaping the Front Yard
Now that fall has rolled around, I need to look at adding some bushes around the foundation of the house.

14) Take at Least One Class through the ALA 
I finished the class!  I submitted two of the lessons that I wrote, and they have been approved as library programs for this summer!  Hooray!  It's going to be a great summer!  Even better?  I got a few more CEU's to add to the total number of hours I need to renew my teaching certificate.


How are you doing on your resolutions?

2017 Resolutions - September Update

Middle child is home and searching for a professional job now.  Until he finds that job, I'm paying him to do odd jobs around the house.  Finally, things are beginning to happen that have need to be done for quite some time now!

1) Complete 12 Home Improvement Projects

New LED fixture at the bottom of the stairs.

This month?  Middle Child repainted the cinder block wall in the basement around the water pipes where we had the big leak over the summer.  Husband went after the very moldy walls in the master bathroom with bleach.  We need to completely tear out that drywall and replace it - but that's a couple of steps down on the repair list from where we are right now.

The list to date:
Recover the kitchen chairs.
Add the knobs to the cabinet under the kitchen sink.
Fix the sewer line out of the house, through the basement wall.
Replace the baseboard heater in the hall bathroom.
Replace the lighting in the hall bathroom.
Re-enamel the hallway bathroom tile.
Replace the light at the bottom of the basement stairwell.

2) Lose a few more inches around my waist.
Honestly, I wanted to lose 2-3 inches.  How hard can that be?  As it turns out, pretty darn hard!
I think I've lost almost an inch.  I'm keeping a record, but I'm quietly ignoring it this month!  My clothes are a little loose on me, so I think that's a good sign!

3) Get away with my husband - TWICE - this year.
Done!
The first trip was a long weekend to visit our oldest child at school.  (OK, that's a maybe..)
Second was the long weekend we spent in Princeton - he was up there for business, and I went up there for a long weekend at our own expense at the end of his official business.  We've got one more week coming up.. sadly, it's to go out to a Memorial Service in Colorado, but we're going to enjoy spending time alone and with family.

4) Lenten Cleaning Challenge

 
5) Post at least 12 book reviews on my Books for Teens Blog
 9 Down!  You can see my blog here:
https://librarynut-booksforteens.blogspot.com/


6) Finish the Hallway Bathroom
9 years after the long nightmare began, we now have 2 working bathrooms in our house!

7) Participate in the NoSpenduary Challenge
The moratorium is over!  End of May, and we can spend money on unnecessary things again.  For now, that means I can pay for some plants for landscaping in the front.  Bigger picture, I am saving again in order to build our emergency savings fund back up to where I like to have it.

8) Learn another language.
So, I've got the CD's in my car, and I've been listening to them.  I'm watching Sesame Street in Spanish.  I don't know if I will ever be fluent, but at least I'm trying.

9) 100 Things Every Marylander Should Do
I was hoping to knock off a few of these this year.  Not all 100, but maybe five more of them?  I really need to get my act together!  Maybe if I ever get more than one day off of work this summer.

10) Daughter's Quilt
Progress!  I am making big progress!

11) Clean Out Closet and Dresser Drawers
I really need to get back to this.  I've been trying to pack up oldest child's stuff and move it down into the basement so that middle child can move into the room - and LIVE in that room - until he saves enough money to move out on his own.

12) Clean Out the Little Room in the Basement and Make it Usable
I've made very little progress on cleaning this out over the past month.  I don't know how much progress I'm going to make on the actual remodeling of it considering how much money we've already spent this year.  I'm going to add cleaning and painting this room to the list of jobs for middle child to do.  (BTW, I am paying him for the work he's doing.) 

13) Work on Landscaping the Front Yard
Sadly, I got a head start on this when the plumber pulled out one of the big bushes in front of the house.  Now, I have only 4 overgrown bushes to take care of in the front yard.  I've got Tiger's Memorial Garden in the back yard, and I'm not planning on doing any more landscaping until Fall.

14) Take at Least One Class through the ALA 
I finished the class!  I submitted two of the lessons that I wrote, and they have been approved as library programs for this summer!  Hooray!  It's going to be a great summer!  Even better?  I got a few more CEU's to add to the total number of hours I need to renew my teaching certificate.

2017 Resolutions - August Update

In the confusion of the past month, I forgot to do my update for the month of July.  So, this is the July/August update!

It's been a crazy couple of months.  We've had hours available at work, and I've taken as many as I can.  We just remodeled the bathroom, and I really would like to build that savings account back up as soon as possible. 

So, here's the update:

1) Complete 12 Home Improvement Projects

New LED fixture at the bottom of the stairs.

Recover the kitchen chairs.
Add the knobs to the cabinet under the kitchen sink.
Fix the sewer line out of the house, through the basement wall.
Replace the baseboard heater in the hall bathroom.
Replace the lighting in the hall bathroom.
Re-enamel the hallway bathroom tile.
Replace the light at the bottom of the basement stairwell.  

View of the farmer's market.

2) Lose a few more inches around my waist.
Honestly, I wanted to lose 2-3 inches.  How hard can that be?  As it turns out, pretty darn hard! 

3) Get away with my husband - TWICE - this year.
Done!
The first trip was a long weekend to visit our oldest child at school.  (OK, that's a maybe..)
Second was the long weekend we spent in Princeton - he was up there for business, and I went up there for a long weekend at our own expense at the end of his official business.


4) Lenten Cleaning Challenge

5) Post at least 12 book reviews on my Books for Teens Blog
 7 Down!
You can view my blog here: https://librarynut-booksforteens.blogspot.com/

6) Finish the Hallway Bathroom
9 years after the long nightmare began, we now have 2 working bathrooms in our house!

7) Participate in the NoSpenduary Challenge
The moratorium is over!  End of May, and we can spend money on unnecessary things again.  For now, that means I can pay for some plants for landscaping in the front.  Bigger picture, I am saving again in order to build our emergency savings fund back up to where I like to have it.

8) Learn another language.
This is haunting me.  Every month, I write it down, and every month I have to admit I haven't made any real progress on this challenge.  I'm disappointed in myself.

9) 100 Things Every Marylander Should Do
I was hoping to knock off a few of these this year.  Not all 100, but maybe five more of them?  I really need to get my act together!  Maybe if I ever get more than one day off of work this summer.

10) Daughter's Quilt
Progress!  I am making big progress!  It's more than 1/4 quilted now.  I don't think I can safely say it's 1/3 of the way done, yet.  I'd like to have it completely finished by the end of the year!

11) Clean Out Closet and Dresser Drawers
I really need to get back to this.  I've been trying to pack up oldest child's stuff and move it down into the basement so that middle child can move into the room - and LIVE in that room - until he saves enough money to move out on his own.

12) Clean Out the Little Room in the Basement and Make it Usable
I've made some progress on cleaning this out over the past month.  I don't know how much progress I'm going to make on the actual remodeling of it considering how much money

13) Work on Landscaping the Front Yard
Sadly, I got a head start on this when the plumber pulled out one of the big bushes in front of the house.  Now, I have only 4 overgrown bushes to take care of in the front yard.  I've got Tiger's Memorial Garden in the back yard, and I'm not planning on doing any more landscaping until Fall.

14) Take at Least One Class through the ALA 
I finished the class!  I submitted two of the lessons that I wrote, and they have been approved as library programs for this summer!  Hooray!  It's going to be a great summer!  Even better?  I got a few more CEU's to add to the total number of hours I need to renew my teaching certificate.

How are you doing with your resolutions this year?

Resolutions

As many of you know, I began keeping a list of my resolutions on my blog a few years back.  It helps to keep me on track.  I make these promises to myself that I'm going to do these "things"  every year, and then I was forgetting them come the middle of March.  I started keeping a list online, and "wham" I am keeping all of my promises to myself  - ok, I'm keeping MOST of my promises, not all.  It's been a great thing!  This has been a crazy month.  Husband has been out of town for the better part of a month, and keeping an eye on spending for both of us has been something of a challenge.  I'm glad he's back home now!  I really missed the guy!

1) Complete 12 Home Improvement Projects in 12 months

After.

Bathroom tile before.

Recover the kitchen chairs.
Add the knobs to the cabinet under the kitchen sink.
Fix the sewer line out of the house, through the basement wall.
Replace the baseboard heater in the hall bathroom.
Replace the lighting in the hall bathroom.
Re-enamel the hallway bathroom tile.
Add knobs to the new cabinets in the bathroom.



2) Lose a few more inches around my waist
1/2 an inch is good.  I've worked hard for that half inch!  I'd like to lose another inch, but any progress I make at all is good progress!

3) Get away with my husband twice.
One was a visit up to visit oldest child for a weekend.
Two was a trip to go pick him up from New Jersey.  We stayed a couple of extra nights after he was finished before we came home. Fortunately, we weren't near a state beach and weren't impacted by the state shut down.

4) Lenten Cleaning Challenge
What a blast!  I got lots and lots of stuff out of the house!  This is the page from my journal where I kept track of my progress.  

5) Post at Least 12 Reviews on my Books for Teens Blog.
Hey!  It's coming along!  Not quite 12 yet, but I'm making progress!

My reviews for June:
My Fairy Godmother is a Drag Queen
Flame in the Mist

This brings my total for the year up to 6!
I've enjoyed every one of the YA books I've read this year!

6) Finish the Hallway Bathroom
It's funny how life goes.  The bathroom remodel is finished.  Or so we thought.  I got home the other day, and the pocket door between the sinks and the toilet/shower area had fallen off.  We hadn't replaced that in the original reno budget because we thought it was in good shape.  Of course, husband was out of town when it happened, and he hasn't gotten to it yet.  He's got the really long list of things that accumulated while he was gone.  Maintaining a 50 year old house is constant work!

According to the box, it can flush an entire bucket of golf balls.  You know, in case if you ever feel the need to flush golf balls....

7) Participate in the NoSpenduary Challenge
Finished!  We're still saving, as we're building our savings back up again for the next big home repair, but at the moment, this is not the priority.  We have built our emergency savings back up where we like to have it after we dipped into it to replace the plumbing line out of the house.

8) Learn Another Language.
Yeah, this one might be a lost cause.  I'm not even sure I can handle my first language at times!

9) 100 Things Every Marylander Should Do
I really need to knock one of these out this month.  I see a problem, though.  We had a librarian promoted at work, and I've picked up extra hours until the replacement is hired.  So, nice paychecks for me, but minimal time for other fun stuff!

10) Daughter's Quilt
I'm back to working on it again!  I think it's safe to say that I have about 1/3 of it finished.  I really would like to finish this before the end of the year!

What do you mean "I'm in your way? Quilt around me!"

11) Clean out closet and dresser drawers.
I need to get back to this.  I've got one dresser left.

12) Clean Out the Little Room in the Basement and Make it Usable
I've made some progress on cleaning this out over the past month. The room itself is cleaned out.  I've swept, and swept, and swept some more.  We have drywall that is going to need to be replaced.  We had a flood in the basement several years ago, and husband thought he had gotten all of the drywall taken care of.  Nope.  Move that last bookshelf out of the way, and I see more damaged drywall.  (Add this to the massive list of things husband needs to take care of in all of his free time....)

13) Work on Landscaping the Front Yard
Sadly, I got a head start on this when the plumber pulled out one of the big bushes in front of the house.  Now, I have only 4 overgrown bushes to take care of in the front yard.  With the heat of summer upon us, I'm not going to do anything just now.  Once September comes along, and the weather cools off, and we get more rain, I'll put in some new bushes.

There was a bush right there in the middle.

14) Take at Least One Class through the ALA 
I finished the class!  I submitted two of the lessons that I wrote, and they have been approved as library programs for this summer!  Hooray!  It's going to be a great summer!  Even better?  I got a few more CEU's to add to the total number of hours I need to renew my teaching certificate.

How are you doing with your resolutions this year?

2017 Resolutions - May Update

What a month May has been!  Graduations, kids moving home, a wedding, the list goes on and on.  I've enjoyed every single minute of this past month.  These are Once in a Lifetime Moments, and I'm so glad I've been able to fully participate in each and every one of them!  Life is good!

1) Complete 12 Home Improvement Projects in 12 months:

Recover the kitchen chairs.
Add the knobs to the cabinet under the kitchen sink.
Fix the sewer line out of the house, through the basement wall.
Replace the baseboard heater in the hall bathroom.
Replace the lighting in the hall bathroom.
Re-enamel the hallway bathroom tile.
*If you're keeping count, that's 6 to date.  Only 6 more to go!

2) Lose a few more inches around my waist.
I'm not at my goal yet, but I am steadily working at it.  I really would like to lose more inches, but as long as my doctor is happy with my blood work, I am going to take my time losing the inches.  I have lost inches this year.  Just not as many as I want! 

3) Get Away With My Husband - TWICE - over the year.
We've gotten away once.
Second trip is planned!

4) Lenten Cleaning Challenge

My list from the challenge.

5) Post At Least 12 Reviews on my Books for Teens Blog


6) Finish the Hallway Bathroom
Look for posts on this later this week!

That's our new bathroom floor!

7) Participate in the NoSpenduary Challenge
The moratorium is over!  End of May, and we can spend money on unnecessary things again.  For now, that means I can pay for some plants for landscaping in the front.  Bigger picture, I am saving again in order to build our emergency savings fund back up to where I like to have it.

8) Learn Another Language.
I don't know if I'm going to get back to this one.

9) 100 Things Every Marylander Should Do
I was hoping to knock off a few of these this year.  Not all 100, but maybe five more of them?  I really need to get my act together!

10) Daughter's Quilt
I've taken a break from this over the past month.  I HAVE finished tying a quilt. The denim quilt my Mother in Law made when my husband when off to college years and years ago.  I'll post more about that adventure on another day.  Right now, I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to bind the damn thing.

Ties - hundreds of them!

11) Clean Out Closet and Dresser Drawers
I really need to get back to this.  I've been trying to pack up oldest child's stuff and move it down into the basement so that middle child can move into the room - and LIVE in that room - until he saves enough money to move out on his own.

12) Clean Out the Little Room in the Basement and Make it Usable
I've made some progress on cleaning this out over the past month.  I don't know how much progress I'm going to make on the actual remodeling of it considering how much money

13) Work on Landscaping the Front Yard
Sadly, I got a head start on this when the plumber pulled out one of the big bushes in front of the house.  Now, I have only 4 overgrown bushes to take care of in the front yard.

14) Take at Least One Class through the ALA 
I finished the class!  I submitted two of the lessons that I wrote, and they have been approved as library programs for this summer!  Hooray!  It's going to be a great summer!  Even better?  I got a few more CEU's to add to the total number of hours I need to renew my teaching certificate.

How are you doing with your resolutions this year?

2017 Resolutions - April Update

April has not been the best of months.  My beloved Tiger, cat with the heart of a Lion passed away.  After 15 years with our family, he tried his hardest to stay with us, but it was his time.  I really am going to miss that cat.  I've tried to capture in words what he meant to me - but I just can't.  He was there for me through thick and through thin - the kids going off to college, my Dad passing away, and the slow loss of all of my Dad's siblings.  New jobs, promotions, sleepless nights, and wonderful news - he was there for it all, purring and gently reminding me that my job was to scritch his ears.  

Once you get past that, this has been a great month for my resolutions!  I've met a lot of goals this month, including a long term goal we've had on the list for YEARS now!  I am so excited!


1) Complete 12 Home Improvement Projects in 12 months.
This month's project was an unexpected one.  The pipe that runs the water out of the house and out to the septic tank exploded - right where the pipe goes through the basement wall.  Not a planned fix, but the value of having waste water go out of the house can't be underestimated. 

2) Lose a Few More Inches Around My Waist
1/2 inch so far.

3) Get Away With My Husband - Twice
It happened once back in February.  It's going to happen again in July!  Who-Hoo!  Hopefully, this time I won't get sick while we're there!

4) Lenten Cleaning Challenge
Done!  40 Bags, boxes, dump runs - it has been finished!  There is noticeable improvement in the level of stuff in the house!

5) Post At Least 12 Book Reviews on my Books for Teens Blog
I was a little behind! I've caught up this month!
Every Falling Star: http://librarynut-booksforteens.blogspot.com/2017/04/every-falling-star.html
Strange the Dreamer: http://librarynut-booksforteens.blogspot.com/2017/04/strange-dreamer.html

6) Finish the Hallway Bathroom
In progress.  I am so excited to knock this one off of my list!
So far, we've replaced the baseboard heater, and husband has been re-enameling the wall tile (not the tub surround.)  Replacement of the tub, tub surround, vanities and toilet is scheduled for later this month.

Re-enameling the wall tile!  What a stink!

7) Participate in the NoSpenduary Challenge
 For the first three months of this year, we spent no unnecessary money.  This was the money we used to finance the bathroom remodel and pay the plumber to come in and fix the pipes so our water runs out of the house and not directly onto the floor of our basement.

8) Learn Another Language
I think I might have to give up on this. I am just not applying myself to this the way that I should.

9) 100 Things Every Marylander Should Do
I wanted to do a few more of these - the quintessential Maryland experiences.

My plan for today is to drive Charles Street from downtown to the Baltimore County Line.  Look for pictures later this week!

10) Daughter's Quilt
I've been working on it.  I hope to have it finished before the end of the year!

Luna "helping" me quilt.

11) Clean Out Closet and Dresser Drawers
I've been working on this.  I've cleaned out my closet, and the tall dresser.  I still need to get at the low dresser.  Somehow, I need to arrange to have more time in my week!

12) Clean Out the Little Room in the Basement and Make it Usable
I need more time in my week!

13) Work on Landscaping the Front Yard
The weather is warm enough.  However, after the death of Tiger, I am working on a Memorial Garden.  It's not going to be in the front yard, but it will be in the back yard, in one of the spots where Tiger liked to spend his time engaging in academic bird watching.  I've already planted a Rhododendron and a Holly Bush.  I've got more plans in the works....

14) Take At Least One Class Through the American Library Association
I finished the class!  I submitted two of the lessons that I wrote, and they have been approved as library programs for this summer!  Hooray!  It's going to be a great summer!  Even better?  I got a few more CEU's to add to the total number of hours I need to renew my teaching certificate.

2017 Resolutions - April Update

I don't know about you, but March just flew by!  I feel like I didn't accomplish much of anything but reading for an upcoming book camp at work.  Hopefully, as I work on this, I'll see that progress has been made.

1) Complete 12 Home Improvement Projects This Month

While we didn't do anything this month, we DID meet with a contractor who is coming in this week to give us an estimate on the cost of remodeling the hallway bathroom.

2) Lose A Few More Inches Around My Waist

1/2 inch.  It's progress, and I'll take it!

3) Get Away With My Husband - Twice

We did the first one.  I came down with the flu while we were gone, so I'm not sure that it counted as a weekend away, but it is what it is.

4) Lenten Cleaning Challenge

Progress continues with this challenge.
Goodwill bags to date alone!

5) Post At Least 12 Reviews on my Books for Teens Blog

I never actually got this one published last month.  It's been a crazy month!  I'll have to post 2 reviews this month!

6) Finish the Hallway Bathroom

Since The Property Brothers have never answered my repeated pleas on my blog to help us with the multiple issues we have facing us in this house, we have gone ahead and found a contractor to work on our bathroom.  We've got an estimate coming this week!

7) Participate in the NoSpenduary Challenge

Three months down, three months with no discretionary spending.  We have much more money in our remodeling account than we had hoped to have.  Can't wait to see how this comes down!

8) Learn Another Language

I've let this one slide this month.  I'm not really making the progress I would like on learning another language.

9) 100 Things Every Marylander Should Do.
I'm looking forward to experiencing a few more of these once the weather warms up!

10) Daughter's Quilt
Quilting continues.  Will I finish before the year does?  Only time will tell!

11) Clean out the Closet and Dresser Drawers in the Master Bedroom
I really need to tackle the top of the short dresser.  Ignoring it isn't making the problem go away....

12) Clean Out the Little Room in the Basement and Make it Usable
Almost cleaned out.... almost!  I should have it cleaned out by the end of the month!

13) Work on Landscaping the Front Yard
Warm weather is coming!

14) Take At Least One Class Through the American Library Association
I finished the class!  I submitted two of the lessons that I wrote, and they have been approved as library programs for this summer!  Hooray!  It's going to be a great summer!  Even better?  I got a few more CEU's to add to the total number of hours I need to renew my teaching certificate.


How about you?  What kind of progress are you making on your resolutions for the year?