aims old and new!

At the end of last year I set myself some aims which I wanted to achieve through this year. 

I haven't looked back at the list for a while so thought I would revisit today and see how I am getting on. next to each aim I have added in red where I am at with the aims today.

 The aims set were

to finish decorating/ making our home our own Finished! well the painting side. I just have a curtain to hang at the front door and some pictures to put up and then it is done. Those are things I just need to do and stop putting off. By the end of this month I WILL do them!

to save for the future I did begin to do this, but then I needed to buy a new car, this has been readjusted to be to pay off the finance on the car!

to enjoy more family fitness We are more active than we were although always improvements available on this

frugal- I want to make what we have go further We are achieving this, I have only been shopping when we truly need something and where possible I have sourced items to be as low cost as possible, buying reduced/in the sales etc. I have also been selling things we no longer used to make more money for new things/experiences.

to fix things- I have lots of things around the house that need mending/ altering that I haven't got around to doing. I have fixed all that needed fixing in the house, and have up cycled quite a few things. I will continue with this aim as and when required.

to finish things, I have several craft projects started 2013 is the year to finish things I have finished all projects except my cross stitch project, I find this one hard to get into but I will do it.

These aims have become as I hoped that they would, part of everyday life, I look to see what I can fix, or if there is another way to do things before shopping to buy new. I have recently decorated the bathroom and my bedroom using just the paint I had in the shed, I made curtains using material from the stash, I am using yarn from the stash to knit Stephanie and me cardigans. I have a home full of things, things that with a little thought and imagination can be made into the things which we need. I am pleased with the aims for the year and how they are going, they are beginning to become the norm around here.

I keep seeing inspiring posts and lists about life aims/bucket list etc. I have decided I am going to make one there are lots of things I would like to do. If I make a list I might be inspired into achieving them, it will also serve as a reminder to me about what I can and have achieved. I am going to start a new page for the list to belong on here
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Aim update

At the beginning of this year I set myself some aims for the year. I haven't looked at them for a little while so I want to see how we are getting on.

The aims set were

to finish decorating/ making our home our own

to save for the future

to enjoy more family fitness

frugal- I want to make what we have go further

to fix things- I have lots of things around the house that need mending/ altering that I haven't got around to doing.

to finish things, I have several craft projects started 2013 is the year to finish things

1. I haven't done anymore decorating since finishing the kitchen. I need to do the upstairs bathroom and my bedroom. I am going to get on with this soon. I know what I want to do in each room it's just time to do it.

2. I am saving hard for the future. I have an end of year treat I am saving for in the short term. I have approx. half the money required for this. I am also saving to buy our first home I have £700 so far, a long way to go but it will happen. I want to save a bit more and then get some financial advise as to which method of buying is best suited to me.

3. We have been getting much more active as a family, especially since the weather has got nicer. I have been going out each morning before work to have a run and then after school I have been taking the children out on their bikes. Today we were accompanied by a neighbours 2 children as well.

4. I have been trying hard, had a few slips, at being more frugal. I am definitely spending less and saving more. So something is working!

5. I have got better at fixing things and not letting them pile up. I have not had many items sitting around for months waiting to be mended. I did catch up on the items from last year which needed mending.

6. finish things. This one is not so easy. I start new projects for various reasons and old ones get pushed back. I did finish the jumper I made Stephanie. I have also finished several other projects I began this year. I still have not finished the cross stitch I started before Stephanie was born. I am needing to do this in the holidays more as I am too tired to concentrate on it properly after work. It will be finished before 2014!

 

Today's bike ride, I didn't get a picture of Dylan as he was riding too fast! LOL

May aspirations update

Is it me or is time absolutely flying this year? I can't believe that tomorrow is the 1st June already. So here is the round up for this month lets see how I am progressing through my list for the year. On my original aspiration list for this month I had;

decorate my room - bumped as I am still trying to do the hallways

make curtains for my room See above

summer dress for Stephanie She has several already so I am reluctant to make anymore until she needs them

Knit school cardigan for Stephanie Does thinking about this count?

Summer skirt for me

plant seeds  I have planted all sortrs of seeds this month, some are growing nicely in the green house, others have already been demolished by snails! GRRRRR

I also set myself a target of taking more exercise, I have not done as planned and been swimming and cycling. I have however began running I have been getting up and running before work for the past few weeks, I have been using the NHS couch to 5k pod casts. I am due to start week 7 tomorrow.
I also finished the swoon quilt.
I am still working on the Henry the eighth cross stitch I am optimistic of showing you the completed thing in the next couple of weeks.
Decorating the hallway- I have began this the banister has been painted as has the ceiling. I am trying to find someone to borrow a ladder that will enable me to paint the top part o the wall above the stairs- does anyone have one I can borrow?

So aspirations for June are

• Knit school cardigan for Stephanie
• summer hat and dress for Stephanie - I think I my alter this to just the hat as she has lots of dresses
• Summer dress for me
• plant seeds
• harvest

I also want to add;

• finish Henry VIII cross stitch
• decorate hall way
• Organise allotment, it is looking dire again! I am struggling to keep up this year!
• Sell unwanted stuff to raise extra cash

New year aspirations update

I think I may have forgotten my round up post last month, so will roll March and April's together. I have copied and pasted the lists from my aspirations page and my last update post you can see what has been achieved by the strike throughs, or excuses in italics! The plans for them both were to;

March

• Make summer dresses for Stephanie this isn't completely struck through as I want to do more
• Work on Mum's crocheted blanket
• decorate kitchen - Bumped I NEED to find time to do the hallway before I can contemplate this.
• begin work on the allotment
• swim- removed for now as a money saving measure, I need to find a free exercise
• cycle I'm wary of cycling in the rain and every time I have 5 Min's it rains!- my excuse and I'm keeping it

April

• plan any making required for Stephanie's birthday planning done and much of the making is underway Achieved and enjoyed (see previous post for results of this)
• Decorate upstairs bathroom- see note on hallway above
• Make curtain/ blind for bathroom again see above
• exercise- one day I will, although tenuous link does digging the allotment count? thought not
• plant seeds done, will be doing more but need more space/ less frost so that I can start getting them in the ground- All potatoes are in the ground and I have planted pea seeds directly in the ground unsure how they will fare yet. Green beans have been transplanted, just hope they survive

In my round up post for February I set myself

Make summer dresses for Stephanie I made 2 dresses for her birthday

Work on Mum's crocheted blanket started this already, need to buy some more matching yarn so I can complete - I need to dig this back out, I managed to buy matching yarn but have not picked it up since.

decorate kitchen - see above excuse logical reason

begin work on the allotment done this already, still more to be done but it is started  Looking much better, still some to go but it looks like an allotment again now

swim - see reason above

cycle - as above

I also plan on adding;

• decorate hallways, they are looking VERY tatty so are higher priority than the kitchen now.- Still need to do
• finish swoon quilt/picnic rug- the top is done just needs quilting now
• finish Henry VIII cross stitch about half way there with this

February round up

I just realised it is March and  I've not shown you what I have acheived in February, it's not that impressive but I have acheived a few things.

My original  aspirations list had these as my aims

knit waterfall cardigan for Stephanie - not started

Sew curtains/blinds for kitchen -delayed until I have been able to plan decorating so I know what I want to do

varnish kitchen unit - started but not finished

swim at least 3 times - managed to go 2 times in half term

use bike - technically I used it, although only round the block once, after Dylan helped me to fix it

continue to buy fruit/veg from farm shop- not been to the farm shop have bought from local market though

go for family walks/bike rides- we haven't done this, but did have a couple of days out in London

plant any seeds for this month- lots planted. I have some devastating news, the high winds blew over my little greenhouse last night. I think I have lost all seedlings I need to try and get home during daylight tomorrow so I can sort this out. 

plan work for the allotment. Work planned and begun.

Considering the list like this shows I have acheived more than I thought. So feeling quite pleased with that. So what do I have planned for this month?

Make summer dresses for Stephanie

Work on Mum's crocheted blanket started this already, need to buy some more matching yarn so I can complete

decorate kitchen

begin work on the allotment done this already, still more to be done but it is started

swim

cycle

I also plan on adding;

• decorate hallways, they are looking VEY tatty so are higher priority than the kitchen now.
• finish swoon quilt/picnic rug
• finish Henry VIII cross stitch