You guys may or may not remember this project of mine:
It was a modified New Year's Resolution - designed to make me healthier, more well-read, and more adept at sewing. It was a really great idea, and I still did a lot of good things, but I also got pregnant, which changed my plans a lot.
I'll summarize what I did get done here, and then give a more general life update below.
1. New Meal/Side Dish - Every month, I intended to try a new non-dessert/snack recipe. Whether it went well or not, I'd count the effort. I made smashed potatoes (more of a fail than a keeper), pizza pockets (keeper, plus it's also something my brother likes in his school lunches), and chicken pot pi(e) (very good!). Those three were all featured here, so you've seen them. After that, I had morning sickness and didn't feel up to trying new things. And when that got better, I had completely forgotten about this project. And when I remembered again, I was too tired to try new things. But, I did get two good recipes out of this particular goal, so I think it's still a win.
2. Health Goal - At first, I made pretty good progress by losing 7 pounds. Then I got pregnant, and my only goal was to take good care of myself and our baby. I've tried to stay mildly active and I've eaten mostly healthfully. Despite gaining more weight than is usually recommended, I still feel like I've done a good job here. I don't feel like I eat more than I'm hungry for and when I want a snack, I make healthy choices. Now is not the time to be concerned about losing weight, so I'm not.
3. Sewing Project - I've probably done the most here, although I got off to the slowest start. I made the plastic bag holder, a picnic bowl cover, and my perfect purse. I've also made a few nursing covers (more on them later), plus I'm working on a quilt for our baby. I've also mended a few pairs of pants and sheets, which I think totally counts. Finally, I've also sewn several Christmas presents; these will all be shared here eventually, but I can't let you in on them yet!
4. House Project - Where to even start with this one? Because of our almost-move, we did a ton of projects really quickly. I had also already done several. This year, we've: re-organized the kitchen cupboards, cleared stuff out to donate to my sister's garage sale, painted the fireplace, re-organized my bookshelves (twice), organized the yellow room (twice, and approaching a third), touched up paint all over our house, painted our entryway, painted our other 'front door', painted the floors in our basement and breezeway, mulched our front gardens, trimmed our front 'landscaping', finished our backyard cinder block garden, and I'm sure there are several other things I'm forgetting. We didn't do all of those things by ourselves; we had a lot of help! (However, they still got done, so I'm still counting them.)
5. Book Challenge - My goal was to read a book each month that had either been on my To-Read list for a really long time and I just kept putting it off OR a book that I wouldn't normally read (i.e. a biography). I managed to actually keep doing this one throughout the year so far. Here is how I would rate them:
Disliked:
A Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
March by Geraldine Brooks
Longbourn by Jo Baker
Okay, but Not Great:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham (very predictable)
Liked:
Nothing Daunted by Gloria Repp (a biography recommended by Chloe)
God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew (another biography recommended by Chloe)
The Great Typo Hunt by Jeff Deck and Benjamin D. Herson
Loved:
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
If you have any questions about why I feel the way I do about these books, feel free to ask me. I have a lot of opinions. :)
Now that we're all up-to-date on the 5 Monthly Goals project, I feel that I can officially retire that project for 2015. Maybe I'll come back to it next year or in a few years, but I'm done for this year.
Now, in my last life update, I mentioned having a lot of free time. One month later, and that feels like a joke. I'm due in 3 weeks and still have so much to do. Plus, since I'm 37 weeks pregnant, I get tired very easily, limiting the amount I can actually accomplish in a day. I'm sure if I had more energy, I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed by my to-do list. Then again, if I had more energy, I wouldn't be 37 weeks pregnant and my to-do list would be very different.
So, I'm taking it one day and one thing at a time. And some days, I have to ban myself from doing anything productive the rest of the day. Even if it doesn't feel tiring (like sewing), it usually is, and I need to use my energy wisely, and not steal it from tomorrow. Let's just hope baby stays comfortable in her current abode until all the essentials are ready for her.
My sister and my friend threw a baby shower for me a few weeks ago, which was really lovely, actually. Only one person felt the need to share her horror stories, and with polite but non-committal commentary, they were quickly over. Everyone was very generous and gave us beautiful gifts (although I think the bear suit is my favorite of all). The games were fun (we played Name the Baby Animal!) and the food was beautiful and delicious.
This weekend is the Michigan Competing Band Association State Finals in Detroit. Chloe and Jacob's school's marching band (of which they are both members) is currently ranked 5th in their flight, so we're all crossing the state to attend and cheer them on.
And that's about all.
Love and Yarn,
Leah Joy
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