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Things to Do Before 32: The Final Update
So today is my birthday!!! On April 11 of 2016 I turned 31 and around that time I created a post about the things I’d like to do before my next birthday. This list consisted of a wide range of goals including trips with the family, school goals, and friends goals. You can find that post here. Back in July, I posted my first update at a quarter of the way through the year and in October I posted my progress at the halfway point. January marked the 3 quarters point. Now here we are a full year later.
Things to do Before 32: Update 3
So on April 11 of 2016 I turned 31 and around that time I created a post about the things I'd like to do before my next birthday. This list consisted of a wide range of goals including trips with the family, school goals, and friends goals. You can find that post here. Back in July I posted my first update at a quarter of the way through the year and in October I posted my progress at the halfway point. Now here we are closing in on the last 3 months before 32.
Goal Setting to Help You Get Organized
The new year will be starting in just a week and a half which means we are at the time of year where people are reflecting on the past year and making resolutions for the future. Did you set resolutions last year? How did you do with keeping them? Many times we set a resolution or goal for New Years and we make a big punch to reach it in the month of January and then our efforts slowly fizzle out. Or we write them down on a piece of paper that we never look at again until a year later when its time to set a new set of goals. Then were run around all year feeling super busy but with no direction and therefore accomplishing far less than we could.
Things to do Before 32: Update 1
So on April 11 of this year I turned 31 and around that time I created a post about the things I'd like to do before my next birthday. This list consisted of a wide range of goals including trips with the family, school goals, and friends goals. You can find that post here.
Now that it's been about 3 months since that initial post, I thought I'd update you on the progress through my list.
1.Make 5 recipes from Pinterest - OK, so I haven't started this one yet. My excuse is that I have a newborn. At this point I feel accomplished if I remember to defrost the meat for dinner at all. Hopefully, we can try something soon!
2. Go to the zoo at least 3 times - We have gone to the zoo once so far since I made my list. I don't think this one will be an issue. We plan to go at least once more over the summer and we always go in the fall for their Halloween event, Boo at the Zoo. Our membership makes this a lot easier. you can read my tips for zoo trips. here.
3. Go on a real vacation - This one might have to take a back seat for a while. We had wanted to take a family vacation in the fall. However, with all of the medical expenses from Hailey's diagnosis not to mention her constant doctor's appointments I don't think it's in the cards. We can revisit that in the spring and see if things have changed.
4. Read 2 inspiring books - So far I read Eat That Frog which I talked about in this earlier post. So that leaves one book left!
5. Rent or sell my house - Well we had to put this on hold what with the baby being born and all. Therefore, we had taken it off the market for a while. However, last week we signed with a new realtor and we hope to get things back on track.
6. Move to new home - We're currently looking at houses to move into. Since we can't float 2 mortgage payments, moving will likely have to wait until this home is sold.
7. Get back in shape after baby - I am officially in training mode. I relaxed initially and let my body heal, but I recently started to get the itch to get my sweat on, so I did. I haven't officially weighed myself yet but next week we will have a weight and progress picture update.
8. Perform in 2 dance productions - Well I'm still working on the get back in shape part, so we'll see about the performing part...
9. Finish writing my book - In all honesty, I haven't worked on this in a while. I haven't had a break from grad school since Christmas time. The summer semester began immediately after the spring semester ended. I hope to work on this during my month off of school between the summer and fall semesters.
10. Start creating vertical images for blog This is one of the first things that I started working on. I haven't changed every image, but I have changed most of them.
11. Do 3 DIY projects from Pinterest - This is just as stagnant as the recipes one. My problem is not lack of time per se but instead not knowing when I will have time or how much, so I don't pick out projects or have the right supplies. I will work on this.
12. Declutter - We are doing really well with this one. We organized Tyler's room, the living room, the downstairs closet, and have made progress with the basement. The next major room will be our bedroom!
13. Plan a T and mommy date at least once a month after Hailey is born -Having a newborn that breastfeed a made this difficult the first 2 months. The boys had one on one time out of the house, but Tyler and I didn't. I'm looking to have a lunch date with him next week, which is my last week off before I go back to work.
14. Complete 27 credits of grad school - I have now completed 18 credits. Next week I will finish my second summer class and if all goes well, I will be up to 21 credits. Then 2 courses in the fall will bring me to the 27 credits. Then just a few more classes and requirements and I will be a Math Master!!
15. Have consistent date nights with the hubs - As I said, this is super hard for us because I work days and my husband works nights. We set a goal of 2 dates a month. So far, we are doing well for July. This past Sunday we went to a concert together and we will be seeing Guns N Roses on the 24th. Next month I don't think the dates will be so fancy, but we definitely intend for them to happen.
16. Complete cookbook for my nonprofit - Before I had Hailey, I presented the idea of doing a cookbook to my board. I had explained that with a newborn I would not be able to take the lead on this project. However, a cookbook would be a lot easier than organizing and holding photo shoots for the calendar. We have done nothing to gets his project going.
17. Have a couples game night - Well my husband got me cards against humanity. Now we just have to invite people over to play....
18. Plan and have a girls brunch - With baby being born almost exactly a month after my birthday, I haven't had time to plan this one yet. Plus one of my friends had their baby about a month after me. Hopefully soon we can all get together.
19. Participate in 2-3 charity walks - I am already registered and started fundraising for the diabetes walk. That one is close to my heart. I'm looking into the Autism Speaks and St Jude, and Lupus Walks in the fall. These all, however are on Saturdays which conflicts with T's dance class.
20. Run a donation drive - I'm looking to do this closer to the holidays. I will possibly be doing a book and pajama drive again.
So that's my progress so far on my list on things to do my 32nd birthday. I've made pretty good progress on most of the items, there are just a few more to start working on. Mainly the ones involving Pinterest. Hopefully I can make some headway there for next time!
Do you have big birthday goals? Tell me about them in the comments.
Have a great weekend!!
Cheers,
Emily
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Things to do Before 32
Yesterday was my 31st birthday. We spent it quietly at home since the day before was Hailey's baby shower. I was inspired by this post over on my friend ShannEva's Blog to create a list of things to accomplish in the coming year. I decided to name my list: Things to do Before 32, because it rhymes and its catchy. The plan is to regularly update you guys on my progress through the list as the year goes by and hopefully you guys can help keep me accountable!
1.Make 5 recipes from Pinterest - How many times have you pinned a recipe that looks super healthy or delicious only to never look at it again? I want to make at least 5 of those recipes this year.
2. Go to the zoo at least 3 times - T loves the zoo and we have our annual membership so we want to make the most of it. Plus, we will have to introduce Hailey to the zoo as well.
3. Go on a real vacation - Our family hasn't been on a vacation where you fly somewhere and stay for a week and then come back since our honeymoon. It has all been road trips and often times for another purpose, like pageantry. This year I want to take a vacation where we just relax and enjoy being away with each other.
4. Read 2 inspiring books - With work, grad school, and now 2 kids, reading time is at a premium. I hope to make time to read 2 inspiring books this year.
5. Rent or sell my house - We have really outgrown our current home. It is a small 2 bedroom and with Hailey coming, along with my husbands abundant collections of toys and movies, we have just run out of space. It is time we move on.
6. Move to new home - Well, the clear consequence of selling our home means we have to move to a new one. I hate moving but if it means more space for my family, then I am all for it. This is a top priority for the coming year.
7. Get back in shape after baby - If you have been following along, then you know that I am a dancer. It is important to me to get back to dancing and performing once Hailey is born. That means getting back my dancer's body. This is also something that I plan to document on the blog as I make progress towards my goal.
8. Perform in 2 dance productions - So in order to have motivation to get back to working out, I want to perform in at least 2 productions before I turn 32. That means I have to be in dancer shape with enough time to perform twice. I have every confidence that this can happen.
9. Finish writing my book - I have been making super slow progress in writing a book on the best apps for busy moms. These apps cover all aspects of mom life from health, food, money, shopping, travel, and more. I want to finally get this done, so it can actually start helping people and I can move on to a new project.
10. Start creating vertical images for blog - I know how important this is for Pinterest and I know the websites to use to make this happen. What I haven't done is actually sat down to do it. It is high time this got done.
11. Do 3 DIY projects from Pinterest - Along the same lines as the Pinterest recipes, I want to actually make more of the awesome DIY projects that I pin.
12. Declutter - I think this is self explanatory. We just really need to go through our stuff and get rid of what we don't want and don't need. Our plan is to go room by room and just purge.
13. Plan a T and mommy date at least once a month after Hailey is born - Now that I am going to be a mommy of 2, I want to make a point of having alone time with T. Whether it's a simple pizza date or a trip to the park, I want to make sure that we still have some one on one time.
14. Complete 27 credits of grad school - I am well on my way to this goal. By the end of this semester, I will have completed 15 credits. I am signed up for 2 summer courses and 2 in the fall which would bring me to the 27 credits. Then just a few more classes and requirements and I will be a Math Master!!
15. Have consistent date nights with the hubs - This is super hard for us because I work days and he works nights. On top of that he has plays to perform in and I have dance performances, or I will after Hailey is born. But in order to keep our relationship on course this is super important, so we are making this a priority.
16. Complete cookbook for my nonprofit - As you may know, I founded a non-profit to support youth dance called, I Hope You Dance, Inc.. Last year we created a calendar as our major fundraiser which is still currently on sale. This year with the new baby, I will not be able to run photo shoots over the summer. Thus, we are looking to do a dancer's cookbook as this year's fundraiser. The plan is to compile the recipes from various dancers and then print and create the book.
17. Have a couples game night - This has been a goal of mine for forever, but it just never seems to come to fruition. It WILL happen this year!
18. Plan and have a girls brunch - I have been feeling the need to reconnect with my girl friends for a while. We see each other at events, but we haven't just hung out as a group in forever. This needs to change! ASAP.
19. Participate in 2-3 charity walks - My brother is a diabetic and in recent years he has had serious complications as a result. Currently, he is legally blind, has had several fingers amputated, and is in kidney failure along with numerous other ailments. He will be turning 33 this year. So I will definitely be participating in the diabetes walk again this year. I also plan to do the March for Babies and possibly the Autism Speaks walk.
20. Run a donation drive - In the past I have organized a Coups for Troops drive where we collected coupons for military families and a pajama party where we collected pajamas and books for children. I hope to run another drive along these lines this year.
So that's my list. Some of these are major, and some not so much. Many are things that should be done all the time, but we never seem to make time for because we always think it so simple, we can do it any time. Then any time never comes. Other than performing a few times, these goals are mainly oriented around family and friends. I have decided to make that my priority this year.
Do you set goals for the year at your birthday? Have you been able to follow through? Let me know in the comments. Feel free to write some of your goals in the comments and we can keep each other accountable!
Cheers,
Emily
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7 Tips for Getting Your Workout In
As a busy mom, sometimes its hard to take time out for yourself. We have so many other obligations and priorities that we sometimes put ourselves last. Other times, the way that we treat ourselves in not the best or healthiest. Our "me time" becomes have a sugary or salty treat in front of the TV after the kids are in bed. But, in order to be our best selves and the best possible mom, we have to put our own health as one of our top priorities.
Exercise can give you a high and give you energy to start your day. It can help you clear your brain and enable you to focus. It can give you the strength and endurance to get through a long day. It keeps you healthy and your heart pumping. It boosts your mood. If nothing else, it helps you shed unwanted lbs. So here are 7 tips to help you ensure that you get your workout in!
1. Have a goal of working out everyday - but don't be hard on yourself. On average, you want to work out around 5 days a week. Some people schedule their rest days. I'm not one of those people. I find that if you schedule your rest day and then something comes up another day that prevents you from working out, you beat yourself up for missing an extra day. I make my goal to work out daily and if something does come up or I'm not feeling well, I count that as my rest day. This enables you to have a lot less guilt.
2. Workout in the morning - I find that the best time to workout is before anyone else gets up. This means I'm up at 6:00 am, have a protein shake and start my workout. I generally don't have scheduling conflicts at this time and things don't generally come up. Therefore, it is a whole lot easier for me to make sure I get my workout in. I also have the living room to myself (aside from the dogs) so I can spread out and make as much noise as I want.
3. Workout at Home - Going to the gym is nice, but it requires a lot of effort and planning. You need someone to watch the kids, you have to pay a membership whether you get to the gym or not, you actually have to take the time to go there and come back on top of your workout time, and you have to wait for equipment or come early to make sure you get your spot for class. At home, these things are not an issue. A 30 minute workout will actually take 30 minutes. Once you have your equipment, there is no additional cost. And, no babysitter is required.
4. Have your equipment easily accessible - Set aside a space in your home where you will workout. This might be your living room or your basement or the garage. Have all of your workout out equipment all together, easily accessible in this room. I workout in my living room, so in one corner I have my weights, my stretch band, my ball, my yoga mat and my fold away elliptical. I also have one location for all of my fitness DVDs. When I want to workout, I just grab the equipment I need for that workout and I'm ready to go.
5. Be selective when purchasing DVDs - Have you ever purchased a DVD and then never used it because you didn't have the time or the right equipment? Do your research up front so that when you get a DVD, you are actually able to use it. My first requirement when buying a DVD is length. I want to be able to get my workout done in about 35 minutes, 40 max. That way I have time to get a quick shower in before waking up T. So, if a DVD doesn't meet the time requirement, I don't get it because I know I will rarely, if ever, use it. Next I look at what equipment is required. Generally, I go with DVDs that either come with the equipment required or makes use of equipment I already have. If you get a kettle bell workout and don't have a kettle bell, well you not going to be able to use it until you get one...
6. Get your kids involved - If you have a teeny guy or gal, do baby wearing workouts where you do exercises while wearing your baby in their carrier. The baby is your weight and you move up in weight as your baby gets bigger. This is actually fun for the baby too and some good quality time together. For bigger guys (depending on how big) you can still use them as your weight. Toddler chest presses and over head presses anyone? How about a plank with a toddler on top? Squats while carrying your little guy! Workout with your hubby and get everyone involved. For even bigger kids, get a couple light weights and encourage them to join in. It's never too early to develop a healthy lifestyle.
7. Set a workout goal - When you have a goal to achieve you are much more motivated to do the work it takes to get there. Decide you want to be able to do 60 squats in a minute, or drop a dress size in 4 weeks, or get through the whole workout DVD without having to hit pause. Wherever you are fitness wise, there is always a new goal you can set. Make your goals specific and achievable. Not easy, but achievable. You want to obtain your goal, not be depressed when your deadline comes and you fall short.
In the end, working out is super important to being the best mom you can be. You have energy to chase and play with your kids. You model a healthy lifestyle. And you will definitely feel accomplished when you finish a good workout. Try to add workouts to your routine little by little and you will definitely notice the difference in all aspects of your life. In fact, with that extra boost of energy you may find you actually save time in your day because you are able to accomplish things faster and more efficiently.
Here's to healthy, happy mommies!!
Emily
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