Author Topic: Monthly Goals - December 2022  (Read 772 times)

Raenia

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Monthly Goals - December 2022
« on: November 30, 2022, 10:52:15 AM »
Wrapping up the year of monthly goal threads!  The end of the year is always busy, but let's finish strong :)

1. Read 8 books
  a. 4 from TBR
2. Spend time outside 20/30 days
3. Yoga - Finish "30 days of Yoga" and "Foundations of Yoga"

Creativity:
4. Handmade Christmas Gifts
  a. Cat Toys (5)
  b. Candied Ginger
5. Sewing
  a. Skirt Alteration
  b. Red Brocade Top muslin
  c. Red Brocade Top
6. Christmas Baking
  a. Ginger Molasses Spice Cookies
  b. Snickerdoodles
  c. Traditional Sugar Cookies
  d. Lemon Bars
  e. Barfi

Social:
7. Bring Cookies to IT Staff
8. Bring Cookies to Library Staff
9. Bring Cookies to Neighbor J
10. Give Cookies to Food Delivery Staff
11. Finish Christmas Shopping
12. Decorate for Christmas/Yule
13. Celebrate Birthday
14. Celebrate Yule
15. Celebrate Christmas
16. Celebrate Boxing Day

Serendip

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Re: Monthly Goals - December 2022
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2022, 10:41:53 PM »
Alright @Raenia --let's do this! :)

December Goals

-winter is here, work those legs!  hike or nordic/alpine ski 3-5 days/week

-continue with any amount of my daily's (meditation, yoga, breathwork, language app, drawing)

-put $1000 into RRSP
-pay $1000 tax instalment
-keep groceries under $100/week, shop the pantry & freezer

-prep for low-buy Xmas with my family--keep it festive but mostly free/thrifty/crafty
-perhaps bake some ancestral-inspired dishes?

-retrieve photos from my old laptop, figure out how to transfer them
-research options for a show in a local art gallery, apply if they open up applications
-finish & sell at least 1-2 pieces of art

-write an old friend who I haven't responded to for unknown reasons


« Last Edit: December 04, 2022, 09:51:50 PM by Serendip »

Serendip

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Re: Monthly Goals - December 2022
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2022, 09:44:40 PM »
I know we are only a few days in but I like to update on Sundays when I remember to :)

December Goals

- hike or nordic/alpine ski 3-5 days/week , off to a faltering start due to cold & lack of snow

-any amount of my daily's (meditation, yoga, breathwork, language app, drawing) need to catch up on my drawings but doing ok with the others. Haven't been doing yoga on busy work days

-put $1000 into RRSP: $600
-pay $1000 tax instalment: YES! Wuhoo for payday and staying on top of things
-keep groceries under $100/week, shop the pantry & freezer: haven't been to the store all week...so quite successful

-prep for low-buy Xmas with my family--keep it festive but mostly free/thrifty/crafty:nothing to update
-perhaps bake some ancestral-inspired dishes?: nothing to update

-retrieve photos from my old laptop, figure out how to transfer them : nothing to update
-research options for a show in a local art gallery, apply if they open up applications nothing to update
-finish & sell at least 1-2 pieces of art nothing to update

-write an old friend who I haven't responded to for unknown reasons: YES, finally sat down and wrote a proper letter with photos...I've been meaning to for months so this was a good prompt
« Last Edit: December 04, 2022, 09:53:14 PM by Serendip »

Raenia

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Re: Monthly Goals - December 2022
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2022, 09:29:32 AM »
Bit late posting, it's not been a great month so far so I was putting off my update.

1. Read 8 books - 5/8
  a. 4 from TBR- 2/4
2. Spend time outside 20/30 days - 6/11, it's been gross out and I've let it slide
3. Yoga - Finish "30 days of Yoga" and "Foundations of Yoga" - 4/4 on the first, 0/18 on the second

Creativity:
4. Handmade Christmas Gifts
  a. Cat Toys (5)
  b. Candied Ginger
5. Sewing
  a. Skirt Alteration
  b. Red Brocade Top muslin
  c. Red Brocade Top
6. Christmas Baking
  a. Ginger Molasses Spice Cookies - x1, but DH ate them all so I need another batch
  b. Snickerdoodles
  c. Traditional Sugar Cookies
  d. Lemon Bars
  e. Barfi
  f. Candied Ginger

Social:
7. Bring Cookies to IT Staff
8. Bring Cookies to Library Staff
9. Bring Cookies to Neighbor J
10. Give Cookies to Food Delivery Staff
11. Finish Christmas Shopping - Last things ordered, waiting for delivery to finish wrapping
12. Decorate for Christmas/Yule
13. Celebrate Birthday
14. Celebrate Yule
15. Celebrate Christmas
16. Celebrate Boxing Day

Serendip

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Re: Monthly Goals - December 2022
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2022, 12:56:36 PM »
December update--I'm well behind on updating, and haven't accomplished much on the list but ...that's how it goes sometimes!

- hike or nordic/alpine ski 3-5 days/week better this week, have been skiing quite a few times

-any amount of my daily's (meditation, yoga, breathwork, language app, drawing) things have fallen apart--I lost my precious notebook of daily drawings and have fallen a bit behind on everything else too. All good..will do what I can with the time I have left in the month, and just sent an email followup, trying to locate my notebook

-put $1000 into RRSP: YES --just paid this!
-pay $1000 tax instalment: done, with an extra $500 to booT!
-keep groceries under $100/week, shop the pantry & freezer: ha..nope. December is a silly month to try to do this, in my world

-prep for low-buy Xmas with my family--keep it festive but mostly free/thrifty/crafty:yes! have some lovely little things to gift
-perhaps bake some ancestral-inspired dishes?: nothing to update

-retrieve photos from my old laptop, figure out how to transfer them : nothing to update
-research options for a show in a local art gallery, apply if they open up applications nothing to update
-finish & sell at least 1-2 pieces of art nothing to update

-write an old friend who I haven't responded to for unknown reasons: YES
« Last Edit: December 16, 2022, 01:04:00 PM by Serendip »

Rosy

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Re: Monthly Goals - December 2022
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2022, 05:07:09 PM »
Let's wrap up this year - I've had to engage help this month with getting the house back together and re-organized.
That turned out to be a good decision because it made me feel better, and not so overwhelmed. Also, it motivated me to step up and deal with some of the uglies as well as motivate Mr. R. to tackle some necessary projects.

BATHROOM - deep clean and re-organize and make it sparkle for the season. I had help from Mr. R., resealing and help with tackling some mold issues.
DONE! and DONE!
Like removing and then adding new silicone around the bathtub, sink, and window.
There is no more satisfying feeling than three days later...yup, it took me that long to clean and organize everything even with help...

I lit a scented candle and added fairy lights to a winter decor hurricane glass to bounce and reflect the light off shiny, sparkling white tiles.

LIVING ROOM - deep clean, re-organize and decorate for the holidays. - DONE!
New Gallery Wall - DONE!
What sparks my joy is not minimalism but a lovely display of my Holiday china - and yes, dammit, I do use it. - DONE!
Decorating and deep cleaning is finished - got about twenty more books to sort is all. DONE!
All the cabinets are cleaned and sorted inside and out. YAY!

BEDROOM - is good enough. I worked on it the first week of December - so I'm calling it DONE!
Parts of it are now deep cleaned and everything else is clean and orderly.
I finally found the flannel sheets I wanted and my jewelry collection and shoes are sorted. Nice win!
Clothes closets will have to wait until January to be deep cleaned, sorted and reorganized, and/or donated.

KITCHEN - is still moving right along.
Only two tasks remain - WOW that sounds unbelievably good actually.
1. Three more drawers to sort - all of them the deep and difficult, overstuffed kind:). It can wait until January.
2. Re-paint some of the cabinets - I'm actually looking forward to that, but it will not happen until Jan/Feb 2023.
ALAS
I wish to add a #3 - which is to add lighting and either paint or do other things to make it more attractive on the inside or do something with the large glass front.
It will be a fun, creative project for FEB 2023.

DONATIONS GALORE - about ten boxes, YAY, and several trash bags of paper clutter.

THE HALLWAY BOOKCASE finally made it to the top of the list. It was a dirty beast! We conquered the beast! DONE!
Three boxes of donations and a trash bag full later I now have two partially empty shelves and one almost empty shelf. The other three shelves are filled but not overcrowded.

CREATIVE PROJECTS - Drumroll please - THE GALLERY WALLS PROJECT
1. The gallery wall in the dining area is DONE!
It looks fabulous, totally makes me happy just looking at it!
2. The gallery wall in the living room is DONE!
3. The gallery wall in the study is still in progress.....

I can't begin to tell you how much pleasure I derived from this project and yes, originally it was only supposed to be in one area of the house but took on a life of its own. I've been planning this for over two years. Extremely time-consuming and satisfying. I'm still putzing with it and left room for additions.
It's been a process of elimination and change. I discovered new favorite artists along the way which was exciting.

I learned how to frame and re-frame thrifted frames, tricky business - surprisingly my nearby Goodwill was a gold mine. I'm not much of a thrifter but I was all over the half-off Senior Day and lucked out with some great scores.
It was difficult to find contemporary frames on Amazon of decent quality that looked good and mixed well with fine art frames. I'd forgotten how much of a difference the right kind of frame can make.
I now have prints, canvas, and printable art downloads, objects d'art, vacation pics, mementos, and special interest "cool stuff" that I want to combine into vignettes all over my small study and into the hallway next. FUN!

This too will have to wait for Jan-Feb - but I'm fine with taking my time. I found a cohort to help with hanging and arranging the art and concoct those little artsy vignettes, a photographer which also reawakened my interest in photography. Oh boy!:)
In the New Year, I plan to finish one of my colorful glass bead projects and maybe do a little Macrame to keep things interesting.

GARDEN - ongoing
I decided not to do any true fall gardening since I needed to concentrate on the house's exterior and interior.
So I had some help with finishing outdoor projects and cleaning up the yard to get it ready for spring gardening.
GAZEBO -
cleaned up and decorated for Christmas complete with an archway flanked by two big candy canes (lights). DONE!
So fun to sit outdoors in the evening and enjoy the Christmas lights, listen to the fountain, and sip or munch on something.
SECRET GARDEN - cleaned up the furniture, blew out leaves, and did some cutting and maintenance. DONE!
Still enjoying the new-ish swing chair and the wall of lights and the refurbished fountain.
The recent storm did some damage and created more work, ugh!

POTTING AREA -
1. Clean-up - hopefully, next week
2. Reorganization - maybe next week
VEGGIE GARDEN -
Clean-up re-organization - in slow motion - progress:)!
Hoping to plant two or three tomatoes soon...

KITCHEN PATIO - ALMOST DONE... or maybe I'm just being too optimistic:).
I had some help in creating a new paved area alternating with gravel. This needs to be reworked and changed and mosaic work repaired.
It's on the list after the veggie garden but I may get Mr. R. to tackle the veggie garden while I work on the patio mosaic and lay a small new path through the gravel since the kitties really hate to walk on this new gravel area.

BAKING COOKIES - yup there will be cookies and I already have the tins and baking supplies.
Old-time Butter Cookies - that will keep a few weeks in a tin (4-6 weeks) and just get better and softer.
Chocolate chip cookies - for Mr. R. - the recipe on the baking soda box is amazing - who knew?
A few decorated Christmas cookies with sprinkles - for Mr. R.

Coconut Macaroons for everyone - us, the neighbor, family, and friends.
A hundred-year-old French recipe that I found in an old German baking book is everyone's favorite.   
It is actually rather easy but takes a little time. Gifted in a cool tin, chosen with the recipient in mind, each macaroon sitting in its own festive cupcake  (paper cup) looks impressive. 

Scheduled for Wednesday next week!
Thinking of baking an old-fashioned Bacardi Rum Cake on Thursday - if not I'll do it for New Year's Day.
Possibly a spice cake and or apple pie this weekend we'll see.

STUDY
Paper clutter - ORGANIZING and I've been hunting for a bookcase of some sort and/or something that can support my printer. It is a tricky corner with poor access and electrical wires, outlets, and boxes. But I may have found a solution...utilizing a different cabinet that I already own and adding simple open, but sturdy metal shelving in that inaccessible corner.
Also working on the gallery wall art, frames, and decor.
It already ate up a lot of my time, but I still have little to show for it.
For the remainder of the month, the goal is to deal with the paper clutter and organize/clean up the glass cabinet, then next year, rearrange and purchase new furniture in early January.

Oh, @Serendip - I do hope you get your notebook back. I once lost my designer project notebook with special info and phone numbers at Ikea and it was gone for good.

Raenia

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Re: Monthly Goals - December 2022
« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2022, 07:55:25 AM »
Still generally in a slump this month, between some personal/health things and holiday prep, but trying to keep moving and keep positive!

1. Read 8 books - 7/8 (counting 1 DNF)
  a. 4 from TBR- 3/4 (counting 1 DNF)
2. Spend time outside 20/30 days - 11/16, better this past week
3. Yoga - Finish "30 days of Yoga" and "Foundations of Yoga" - 4/4 on the first, 2/18 on the second

Creativity:
4. Handmade Christmas Gifts
  a. Cat Toys (5)
  b. Candied Ginger- Moved to the baking section
5. Sewing
  a. Skirt Alteration
  b. Red Brocade Top muslin
  c. Red Brocade Top
6. Christmas Baking
  a. Ginger Molasses Spice Cookies - x1, but DH ate them all so I need another batch
  b. Snickerdoodles?
  c. Traditional Sugar Cookies
  d. Lemon Bars
  e. Barfi
  f. Candied Ginger

Social:
7. Bring Cookies to IT Staff
8. Bring Cookies to Library Staff
9. Bring Cookies to Neighbor J
10. Give Cookies to Food Delivery Staff
11. Finish Christmas Shopping - All delivered and wrapped, now just the homemade stuff remaining
12. Decorate for Christmas/Yule
13. Celebrate Birthday
14. Celebrate Yule
15. Celebrate Christmas
16. Celebrate Boxing Day

Good luck @Serendip, I hope you find your notebook!

Serendip

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Re: Monthly Goals - December 2022
« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2022, 11:27:25 AM »
Thanks @Raenia --the notebook has been located, now the difficulty is that the hotel won't mail it to me so I need to find another way to get it shipped home! Strange but glad it's been found :)

Sorry to hear you've been in a slump.
The year is almost up, I think we need to focus on celebrating what we've accomplished and keep moving forward, even if slowly.


December update--likely the last since I won't get anything more done this week except plans for next year and work a few shifts.

- hike or nordic/alpine ski 3-5 days/week it's been a pretty awful month weather-wise...we went from arctic conditions to rain

-any amount of my daily's (meditation, yoga, breathwork, language app, drawing) Things CONTINUED to fall apart. Holiday travel and time with family put self-care on hold..but it will be at the forefront of my goals for next year

-put $1000 into RRSP: YES
-pay $1000 tax instalment: I thought I had made a payment, which it turns out--I didn't. So my excited update that I had paid $500 over was a mistake. I've only paid $500 of this but will put the remaining amount in today so hopefully it goes through before year end
-keep groceries under $100/week, shop the pantry & freezer: no idea!

-prep for low-buy Xmas with my family--keep it festive but mostly free/thrifty/crafty:Was a very successful thrifted/re-gifted Xmas..highly recommend
-perhaps bake some ancestral-inspired dishes?: no

-retrieve photos from my old laptop, figure out how to transfer them : no
-research options for a show in a local art gallery, apply if they open up applications no
-finish & sell at least 1-2 pieces of art SOLD one!

-write an old friend who I haven't responded to for unknown reasons: YES
« Last Edit: December 27, 2022, 11:35:27 AM by Serendip »

Raenia

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Re: Monthly Goals - December 2022
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2023, 07:13:53 AM »
Well I stopped tracking a few things in the busyness of holidays, but might as well do an end of year update to wrap up.

1. Read 8 books - 14/8 (counting 1 DNF)
  a. 4 from TBR- 5/4 (counting 1 DNF)
2. Spend time outside 20/30 days - Lost track, but probably missed due to the extreme cold
3. Yoga - Finish "30 days of Yoga" and "Foundations of Yoga" - very little progress, wasn't feeling it at all

Creativity:
4. Handmade Christmas Gifts
  a. Cat Toys (5)
  b. Candied Ginger- Moved to the baking section
5. Sewing
  a. Skirt Alteration
  b. Red Brocade Top muslin
  c. Red Brocade Top
6. Christmas Baking
  a. Ginger Molasses Spice Cookies - x2
  b. Snickerdoodles
  c. Traditional Sugar Cookies
  d. Lemon Bars
  e. Barfi
  f. Candied Ginger

Social:
7. Bring Cookies to IT Staff
8. Bring Cookies to Library Staff
9. Bring Cookies to Neighbor J
10. Give Cookies to Food Delivery Staff
11. Finish Christmas Shopping
12. Decorate for Christmas/Yule
13. Celebrate Birthday
14. Celebrate Yule
15. Celebrate Christmas
16. Celebrate Boxing Day