The 2014 List - March Update

I always have these big plans to do things throughout the year, and then I never actually do them, because, you know...January was a loooooooong time ago. I've slept (and not slept, as the case may be, given the two rotten kids I live with, but whatever...) since then, and I forget things, so I like to try to revisit my list once a quarter, just to see where I stand on everything I wanted to do.

(Spoiler: I have not done a very good job on anything other than reading these first few months of the year. I have some work ahead of me.)

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1) Send more mail...thank you notes, birthday cards, and 'just because' messages. - I don't think I've sent a single one this year. Onwards and upwards, I guess.

2) Be nicer, in general, to my husband and family. They deserve a much less crabby me than the one they were stuck with for most of 2013. - I don't think I've been too successful at this one, either. Things are moving for me on the job front, though, so maybe there's still time to turn it around.

3) Make more of an effort to communicate with the long-distance people in my life. I got away from facetiming with my sister on a regular basis, and I miss it. Plus, now that she's making me an aunt, I think it's even more important that we get back into the habit of seeing each other every week. I do not need her new baby asking 'are you SURE you have more than one sister?', just because Aunt Mary lives in Indiana and Aunt Tara lives all of the way in Georgia. - No, I haven't done a great job on this, either. But I'm going to see my sister and niece in Indiana next week, so maybe we can get back on track with this one, too.

4) Call or email or even text my friends from college more than I do now, which is hardly at all. Just because we can pick up after not talking to each other for months like no time has passed at all does not mean I should keep letting all of those months pass without the talking. I'm afraid the picking back up can't keep happening in a friendship like that. - A little? Maybe? Some...

5) Do one fitness/health related challenge each month. - You know all of those '0 to 1,000 sit-ups in just 30 days!!' kind of schedules that pop up on Pinterest all of the time? I'm going to start doing those. One each month. Fifteen minute plank? I'M COMING FOR YOU. I'm also throwing my meat-free/sugar-free/alcohol-free months in this category, as well. - Nope. I tried the planking in January, and I did it every day of the month, but I never could get past something like 30 seconds before I needed to take a break. February, I did nothing. For March, I had a push-up challenge planned, but when Caitlin and Brigid got sick, then gave that sickness to me, it all fell apart. Weak sauce, Tara. WEAK. SAUCE.

6) Run another organized 5K. - It was so much more fun than I expected. Minus the running up a hill part, anyway. - My SIL and I had plans to do this, but I haven't had the time to train. So...up in the air, I guess.

7) Renew my vows with Steve, in Vegas, by Elvis, for our 10th anniversary in October.

8) Create an art wall somewhere in my house. - Not yet.

9) Organize a workspace for me - Not yet.

10) Attend The Blathering in Seattle. - Charleston was such a great time, I'd love to make it back for the Seattle trip. -  I'm going to need them to announce the dates, first. 

11) Read at least two books a month. - I have actually read MORE than two books a month! Here is one I'm actually winning! Woo! I discovered the eBook section of my new local library, and hoooooooo BUDDY! I have enjoyed it, immensely.

Tales of a Hollywood Housewife - Betty Marvin (I have NO IDEA who Lee Marvin was, but I like inside Hollywood stories, so I enjoyed it for that.)
Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout (The book was interesting. I liked it, but I'm glad I got it from the library, if that makes sense.)
Attachments - Rainbow Rowell (This was my favorite of the three (Eleanor & Park, Fangirl) Rowell books I've read, probably because it focused on adults instead of kids. Not that I disliked the other two, it's just harder to relate to YA stories sometimes.)
Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn (Wow. Gillian Flynn does dark pretty well.)
Dark Places - Gillian Flynn (Seriously. Where does this woman's inspiration come from? This was probably my favorite of the three books I read...)
Seriously...I'm Kidding - Ellen Degeneres (After so much Gillian Flynn, I needed something lighter. It was definitely lighter, but only ok.)
Someday, Someday, Maybe - Lauren Graham (Cute. It was cute.)
Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella (I loved her first couple Shopaholic books. But the last few in the series have just gotten ridiculous, and the other books I've read from her lately have had the absolute most ridiculous and kind of terrible plots around. I think it might be time Sophie and I break up, sadly. We'll always have early Becky Bloomwood, though...)
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel -  Deborah Moggach (I really, really enjoyed this book. I think it has almost NOTHING to do with the movie, which I haven't seen, but did google the storyline, but it was just a great story.)
I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella (It wasn't as terrible as Twenties Girl. But I really only read it because my library had it available, and I still think the break-up is necessary...)
Heads in Beds - Jacob Tomsky (Interesting, and maybe kind of scary, look at the hotel business.)
Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris (Funny, entertaining, relatively quick read.)
Life After Life - Kate Atkinson (I adored this book, but I'm not sure I'm smart enough to understand exactly what I read...)
Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls - David Sedaris
When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris (What can I say...my library had a lot of his books electronically...)
The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt (Interesting story, but not one of my favorites. It was so very depressing and so very VERY frustrating. I wanted to kick multiple characters, multiple times.)
This One is Mine - Maria Semple (My library doesn't have Where'd You Go, Bernadette, which I've heard great things about, so I got this one instead. Meh...)

12) Take Brigid camping. - I'm amending this to read in our backyard. I've decided I have no desire to camp, especially when Steve started talking about spending weeks with the girls in a tent on the Appalachian Trail. It's better to just nip that in the bud completely.

13) Find a yoga studio and start taking classes regularly. - There is a yoga studio near my house that I drive past every day. That totally counts as progress, right?

14) Write something, anything, not blog related. - I barely write things that are blog related at this point.

15) No spending money on new clothes this year. Using gift cards and rewards points are fine, but I need to get out of the habit of spending money on new stuff, just to make myself feel better. I swear, shopping is my addiction, but the high I get from buying a new sweater probably isn't enough to justify the amount of money I spend on clothes I don't need. - I'm better-ish, although I'm starting to think my obsession has switched from clothes to make-up and stuff for the house, so I still have some work to do.

16) No buying anything at all unless I absolutely need it. I have a bad habit of stocking up on things at sales (candles, lotions, make-up, beauty products), even if I have a cabinet full of the same stuff already at home. I will use the cabinet full of crap before I add more crap.- I'm making a dent in my supply cabinet (if you don't count my make-up drawer, that is...).

17) Be more consistent in updating my family blog, because my parents give me a hard time when I let it lag, and my personal blog, because I'm not as happy with myself when I let it lag. - It depends on the week.

18) Find a general practitioner and get a physical. - Nope. But! I did find a dentist. So I'm taking credit for that.

19) Post at least one picture a day on Instagram, to get myself into the habit of taking more pictures of my sweet girls, since I find entire events have passed where I've forgotten to photograph said events. Like Christmas. Sadly. - It's not happening every day, but it's gotten better.

20) Get a haircut. - You can laugh at this one, if you must, but I did not get one single haircut in 2013. In fact, I haven't had a haircut since before Caitlin was born in November of 2012. I do not even know how this happens, but I know it must end. Soon. I think a Locks of Love kind of donation might be in order. My hair, it is long. - My hairs, they were cut. Or trimmed, anyway. 

21) Make an effort to get to know the neighbors. - I tend to not get dressed/leave the house on the weekends, and this extends to not fraternizing with anyone who lives near me, because I'm afraid people will judge me for my make-up free, sweatpants clad weekend laze. I should probably get over that. - My next door neighbors are probably the NICEST people on the planet, so that hasn't been hard. And just last weekend, when I just wanted to keep the girls in to get ready for bed, I made an effort to go socialize when they asked us to come roast marshmallows with them. I consider that progress. Plus, the little girl two houses over is constantly inviting herself over, so I really have no choice BUT to get to know her and her family.

22) Write more thank you notes. - I am terrible at writing thank you notes. I should not be so terrible. - Still pretty terrible.

23) Buy new rugs for my new house. - The sunroom and foyer, in particular, need something fun. - I have one for the foyer, not for the sunroom.

24) Be more fearless in forming and maintaining relationships. - There are many times where I think of something I want to send to someone, whether it's an email, text, card, or what have you, and I don't, because I'm afraid I've maybe overestimated whether we have the type of friendship where I can do something like that. I don't want to worry about stuff like that anymore. - A little better, yes.

25) Put together an Advent/Christmas activity calendar for Brigid and Caitlin. - I did that for Brigid when I was home on maternity leave after Caitlin's birth, and it was so much fun. I didn't get the chance to do it this year, and I feel like I missed out on some part of the excitement of the season. I'm bringing it back.

26) Institute a once-a-month date night with Steve. Or date lunch, I guess, if necessary. - Oh, goodness. We've had one date this year. ONE. Even our lunch dates are few and far between at this point.

27) Institute a once-a-month girls' night, whether it be with my old college roommate, my SiLs, or the neighbors. I should get out of the house at least once a month with people who do not live in my house. - Nope.