And suddenly it’s March! February was a wonderfully exciting month. I went through a breakup that only made me feel happiness and relief, and this steadfast assuredness that singleness is right where I want to be. I became an aunt for the second time, and my brand-new nephew is squishy and adorable. And I celebrated Valentine’s Day with one of my favorite gal pals, complete with DIY pizza, Clueless, and manicures. All in all, I can look back on February with lots of fondness.
Here’s a look back on the goals I set for last month and the progress I made with them:
> finances: start using a cash budget system for groceries and extra expenses
I attempted this but did not follow through as I should have. Early on in the month, I came to the conclusion that using a cash budget for my groceries just doesn’t work for me. But I really do want to get better at using cash for any extra purchases – toiletries, meals out, shopping, etc. I need to be stricter with myself and learn that when my cash is gone, I can’t just supplement with my debit or credit card. (Duh, Steph!)
> nagging task: clean out and declutter the screened-in patio
Success! Cleaning out the screened-in patio has been the epitome of a nagging task. My mom and I have been talking for months about how we need to clean it out, but we just… don’t. We set aside some time last weekend and cleaned it out. We got rid of so much stuff: two bikes, a heavy toolbox, three beach chairs, a painting that we never hung up, and tons of other odds and ends. I am so glad to cross this task off my list! Here is the before and after:
> health: start using a food journal to track what I’m eating and how I’m feeling
Yes! I originally started by using a paper journal and tracking down what I was eating and how it made me feel, but I quickly realized that method wasn’t working for me. I didn’t feel good about it. So I switched over to MyFitnessPal, which I know works better for me. Calorie counting isn’t ideal, but it does work and it helps me with portion control. I just gotta be consistent!
> exploration: visit the zoo
I didn’t get around to visiting the zoo this month. The day I had planned to go wound up being my nephew’s birthday! 🙂
> personal habit: turning off the computer and TV by 8:00 p.m.
I am not doing this all the time, but I am doing it more often than not. And I feel so good when I do shut everything down by 8pm, take a long and hot bubble bath, and settle into bed to read for 30-45 minutes. It’s the perfect way to end the day!
Three out of the five goals achieved! I am very happy about that because I crossed off some really big goals. Here are the goals I’ll be striving for in March:
> finances: utilize a cash budget system for toiletries, eating out, and other entertainment
> nagging task: launch a new blog theme
> health: eliminate soda completely from my diet
> exploration: enjoy Savannah and eat at Olde Pink House
> personal habit: buy an alarm clock and stop using my phone right before bed and right as I wake up
What is one goal you’d like to accomplish in March?
Good job on accomplishing 3/5 goals! The cash system would be really tough. I don’t think I could do that for groceries but I think it would be great to do that for those extra purchases that aren’t necessities.
I don’t have specific goals for March but I would like to increase my running mileage as it’s been pretty low and I need to kick it up a notch since I have a half at the end of April!
Nice job accomplishing the majority of your Feb goals! I think that tracking your food is a great way to keep yourself accountable, otherwise it’s too easy to cheat. However, it is also tempting to cheat when entering things into the app! The other thing I noticed is how much bigger the portions are that we give ourselves than the app’s “portion”. That was really an eye opener for me!
I don’t have any monthly goals, but I always have yearly ones that I want to accomplish. This month I would like to ramp up my running, as I was sick in Feb and did not do as much training as I had originally planned.
I love the Dutch photobomb 🙂 I’m going to be tracking on MFP this week – I overate a bunch last week and I am curious if I’m under eating during the day. I hate counting calories but I can’t seem to handle ‘knowing’ if I’m eating the right amount. I have to admit Cancel the Wedding made me want to visit Georgia so badly! I started the book two weeks ago but only got about 20 pages in. I spent 3 hours on Saturday reading it cover to cover and it was SO good. Definitely the best book of 2015 so far. I loved the characters and the storyline and even though it had a cheesy ending, it was perfect. I miss Olivia and Elliot! I cannot do a cash budget system, it has never worked for me. I use my Disney visa for everything and I am diligent about paying it off every week so I don’t pay any interest. I get rewards dollars to use in Disney and in the last 10 months we’ve earned $250 that will go towards our trip next month. I’m also hoping to get an alarm clock this month. Way to go on crossing off 3/5 goals – that’s great! I am excited to see your new theme this month!!
I love it when a space is clean after being, well, not so clean! We did that with our basement storage shelves last month and it was such a relief to get it cleaned up.
My goal this month… get the girls signed up for 2 of their summer camps and start contacting babysitters for this summer, too. Personally I’d like to workout a minimum of 25 times, read another 5 books and clean out my closet (started this last night but I know there is more I can do.)
I think my one goal for March will be to eat less junk! February was full of sweets (candy, cake, chips, whatever!) and my body is definitely telling me to knock it off. Pregnancy doesn’t make it any easier, but I’m trying!!
I’ve also been contemplating replacing my phone with an actual alarm clock for beside my bed. My phone used to live in the kitchen at night but somehow worked its way into the bedroom, and like you, I find myself on it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up. Let’s hold each other accountable and get this done this month!!
Congrats on cleaning out your patio! As you probably read from my blog post, I cleaned our my patio storage this month, too, and it felt so good to get it done! Yay for clean closets!
I like your idea of turning off electronics by a certain time. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is check social media on my phone and I HATE IT.
I’d be curious to know why the cash budget system for grocery shopping doesn’t work for you? Do you regularly pop into the grocery store at random so don’t have the cash on you maybe?? Just curious because it’s been such an effective system for us!
Great job on the porch — it looks sooo good!
That’s awesome about shutting down the computer and TV by 8 PM – and LOVE your before and after pictures of the screened-in porch! I’ve been “nesting” a lot lately and last night’s project was organizing our linen closet. Now every time I walk past it I have a grin on my face!
Honestly, my goal for March is to enjoy it while at the same time getting through it. I want Lemon to keep growing and be healthy but I am getting so close to being “done” with this pregnancy – I just want to meet him already! So I’m looking forward to little milestones – some pregnancy-related, some not: Ben’s birthday (already passed), my sister’s birthday, my next few doctor’s appointments, a work baby shower, maternity pictures, brunch with friends, etc. Hopefully March will fly by!
Love the goal to turn off devices at 8 p.m. I honestly don’t know if I could do that! Kudos to you! I’m sure your nights feel more relaxing.
Ahhhh! Savannah again! Jealous. I want to move there! Olde Pink House is absolutely amazing. Eat everything! xo