April was an especially busy month, with birthdays, school holidays and some serious work on the allotment. This month I kept track of my progress against my goals a bit better. (A lot better actually, last month I didn’t write anything down until I wrote the roundup post!)
17 cupboards/drawers/storage areas sorted (8.5)
I’ve tackled a couple more areas I was putting off, including the very large basket of paperwork that we had kept ‘just in case’. We have new furniture coming for our bedroom later in the summer so all of the existing furniture needs to have it’s contents sorted. I also got a bit brave and removed the drawers from under my son’s cabin bed to retrieve all of the books and toys he’d dropped down there. It’s not a designated storage area (despite his protests) but I’ve included it in my count!
16 new recipes tried (6)
Appalling progress here I’m afraid. The family have had to put up with ‘same old, same old’ cooking. Better luck next month! (Yarn soaked in vinegar doesn’t count as cooking, sadly!)
15 minutes per day on household admin
Things in this department aren’t too bad; I’m definitely getting better at picking up things as soon as I notice them and dealing with paperwork more efficiently. I just need to try and keep on top of everything!
14 blog posts per month
April saw me write 19 posts! I didn’t realise the total was quite that high until I looked at the insights today.
13 tutorial posts in the year (5)
Still only 5 tutorials have been written, but there’s a long one on the way. I’m just trying to make sure it’s as good as I can get it and working on photos.
12 frugal things
April saw our creativity come out in force as we tried to organise a few things on the allotment cheaply. A swap with an allotment neighbour resulted in us gaining four rhubarb crowns in exchange for some pots we didn’t need. We also recycled the poles and joints from our old plastic greenhouse to use on the plot. So far we’ve used them to make frames for netting to protect our cabbages and redcurrants. We picked up a few car boot sale bargains, and ordered our new furniture (which is much needed), in a half price sale. Not necessarily very cheap, but we needed to replace our second hand furniture and we’ve never had much luck with cheaper flat pack furniture for some reason.
11 photos of the whole family (1)
Finally, we got one! Thanks to a very kind member of staff at the Lincolnshire Wildlife Park who took our photo in front of the big picture of a tiger.
10 comments/likes/both on other blog posts per day
I’ve worked through the whole list of blogs that I follow, as well as reading a good selection that have appeared in my WordPress reader daily. I’ve also tried to comment on as many as possible and at least ‘like’ them, as I feel that acknowledges that you’ve read them.
9 crochet projects completed (5)
I completed two more ‘big’ projects this month, the slippers and the baby blanket. I also made a couple of tiny things but I haven’t counted them in the total.
8 times more spent setting up photos than taking them
I’ve been experimenting with photos a bit more, trying to add in props here and there and looking at photos on instagram for ideas of how to stage shots, including backgrounds. However, I haven’t had Mr C’s camera out much. Maybe I need to focus on quality rather than quantity, and not rush to take photos on my phone. Or perhaps a compromise and use his when he’s here to demonstrate/supervise!
7 patterns written (1)
I’ve got another pattern on the way, hopefully next week. It’ll be a tutorial/pattern, which I really don’t want to rush. I might even test out the proper camera to take the photos!
6 new places visited (3)
We went to the Wildlife Park, which I had visited with the children before but we’d not gone all together so I’ll count that as a new place. We also went to a relative’s ice cream parlour when we went to see Mr C’s sister’s new house. The children all enjoyed playing together there, and of course the ice creams.
5 outings with friends organised (1)
I met up with one of my closest friends for a lovely lunch when the children were at school and I was still on holiday. It was a fantastic catch up. Hopefully we will manage a few more outings soon.
4 cards made per month
Erm, skip this one. I’m still not very organised, I really need to make more in advance. How on earth I made it into a list of top 100 card making blogs is beyond me after my performance this month!
3Β seasons of harvesting on the allotment
Weather (and allotment pests) permitting, this one is on! Only the seeds for some crops are in the ground, but all of them have to start somewhere. Our summer harvest should include carrots, beans, tomatoes, beetroot, onions, potatoes, strawberries, raspberries and courgettes. Autumn should yield pears, pumpkins, squash and in the winter we will hopefully have some cabbages and parsnips. (I’m sure I’ve forgotten something!
2 workouts per week
I’ve managed one workout a week, plus allotment duties so I’m happy with that. Beheading weeds is pretty tough work at times!
1 Slimming World Target certificate
Only a couple of pounds off, I need to pull my socks up. This won’t happen before the summer now, but hopefully it is still possible by Christmas.
0 unnecessary craft purchases
I think I’ve done well, with yarn purchases for specific projects and only essentials picked up (such as header tape for the curtains I whipped up for Mr C’s parents). My birthday is in May and the corset may be loosened slightly as far as craft purchases go…
Now we’re a third of the way through the year it’s becoming clear which of my goals are realistic and which are not. It’s certainly food for thought! I think I might have been a bit overambitious in January when I set them, but at least I’m aiming high. Reviewing them monthly is quite helpful as it means I can plan and prioritise for the next month.
How are you getting on with your goals? Have you completed some already? Are any of your goals looking hard to achieve right now?
You’ve been very busy! π Great round-up!
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Thank you, I have been super busy! π
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I think I am doing ok in my reading goal. You have certainly been busy.
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Thank you, I feel like I’ve been busy!
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Sounds like you’re doing great on your list. Me, not so much, other than reading a few books – oh, and the biggest one, getting another job!
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Thank you, and well done on getting a new job. The other goals will happen in time. π
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Great list you have been super busy.
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Thank you, I have! π
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Congrats! That all seems very good π I remember having a cabin bed like that! The number of times I dropped my glasses down there…
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Oh no! He thinks it’s a game to drop things there, especially if he wants me to go back up there after bedtime.
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It’s strange how one’s own goals seem beyond reach a third of the way through the year, whereas it looks as if others are doing brilliantly and worrying unnecessarily. You are doing great, and will decide the next goals you want to concentrate on and go for them.
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Thank you, I shall. Also, some of my goals are not the kind I could achieve at some times of year, we’re more likely to visit places in the summer holidays than school term time!
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Well – as a list – that sounds like one busy busy month! Congrats on the zero unnecessary craft purchases. I can’t say I have had such self control. A couple of purchases weren’t exactly necessary but I will use them one day ! he he
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We all have our little indulgences!
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Please don’t misunderstand me – reading my comment doesn’t sound exactly as I meant it to sound – What I meant was, written as a list, it looks a very busy month. It obviously was a very busy month. Sometimes I think I haven’t done much at all but when I write it down it looks loads – as yours did on your blog post. x
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Don’t worry, I got what you meant. π It was busy whichever way I look at it! x
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Not too shabby lol! I think the only goal I have is to read through more blogs and drink less diet coke lol!
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Great goals ππ
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A third of the year has gone?! That is frightening. I think you are doing very well with your targets. I need to go tidy something…
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Great progress going on , am sure soaking yarn in vinegar counts as cooking if it was in the kitchen ! I have been making some progress finishing up some projects that have been lurking in various craft bags , so just need to narrow down next project and finish it !
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That sounds like a good plan. My son’s comment on the yarn was “it’s the worst smell I’ve ever seen” so I don’t think it went down well. π
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Haha, I always feel like that! π
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That sounds like an amazingly busy schedule!! Kudos to you!
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Haha, thank you. π
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WOW.. I am more than impressed Mrs C… You are as someone said to me the other day… But I think you are far more worthy of the title than I.. Wonder Woman.. π lol.. I am tired out just reading lol haha.. <3.. ππ·
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Haha, bless you, thank you for the lovely comment. I do indeed have a pair of wonder woman pants from my student days πππ
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Haha…. lol… hehe… Big SMILES..
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unnecessary craft purchase: that’s my sin…I hope I do as well as you this month.
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Good luck! It’s tough resisting though, especially if it’s a bargain (or just really pretty!)
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I know, and if it’s shiny! I’m like a magpie.
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Can you imagine what it might be like in 2050 if this “n for 20nn” thing becomes a tradition? Seventeen is a lot but every year you would have to add one. Your goals are indeed ambitious and you’re achieving your goals which is super cool. Then you mentioned rhubarb. I miss rhubarb. And parsnips. Can you imagine living in a country where they grow the parsnips only to sell them to the UK and other countries without keeping a few to sell domestically. Same goes for rhubarb I’m afraid! Congratulations on all your headway!
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Haha! Thank you. I am looking forward to my parsnips most of all!
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