In case you are wondering why I am declaring my Autumn (Fall) goals now, I am not trying to be obstinate but I guess I kind of am - to me, the seasons start on the first of the month. So to me, right now, it is Spring in Australia on the 1st of Sept, which means it is Autumn on the 1st of Sept in the US. I understand that's not how you all do it, but my brain can only take so much new information before it refuses to take anymore, you know?
How'd I do in August?
- Make one new recipe. I did! Just the one, mind. Paige's stir fry - we do not keep or cook beef in the house normally, so I made it with chicken. I would even try it with chickpeas next time. It was delicious. We served it over rice noodles and used different veggies, but whatevs. Same thing.
- Sell a few things on eBay. I certainly won't make a million dollars, but I listed 5 things. If I list too much, I get overwhelmed and I burn out. Baby steps.
- Don't eat out for lunch. Oh hey there big fat fatty fail, nice to see you.
- Cross something off my 30 before 30 list. Not quite. I bought some fabric to make myself an article of clothing but I was fairly 'busy' each weekend. Hoping to get to it this weekend.
- Stick to my half marathon training plan. I struggled this month, both mentally and physically. Here's to next month.
Now for Autumn Goals (Sept - Nov)
- Run. No pressure, just run, and enjoy it.
- Try not to eat out for lunch that much. Try to eat healthy.
- Sell some more things on eBay.
- Clean up my photos. They are an absolute mess. Need to clean it up, organise what ones to print, make photo books etc.
- Make 3 new recipes. 1 per month, easy as pie. Don't try to make pie.
- Do something different in Louisville. Try a new restaurant, do something, anything, to get to know this city more.
- Lose weight.
- Give up soda again.
- Call my mum and Nana. At least once.
- Have a totally awesome Halloween party
- Set up a cleaning schedule. Not rigid, just an idea so Chelsea's hair doesn't take over the house.
That's all - probably a bit ambitious, but it works out to be about 3-4 goals per month which isn't too bad. Most people get the Summer blahs, I get the Autumn blahs because it means... winter is coming. Sigh.
Any cleaning schedule suggestions? I don't want anything crazy, I'll still do a deep clean once-a-when-I-want-to, but I want something to keep the house looking decent during the week.
That stir fry looks amazing! I usually cook everything with chicken instead of beef too. Ugh, I need to clean up my photos too. And print some off. I have empty frames around every where!
ReplyDelete<3, Pamela
Sequins & Sea Breezes
I love goals so I love reading your goals!! I need to get back to selling some stuff on eBay, my pay pal will thank me LOL! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston
ReplyDeletecleaning suggestions:
ReplyDelete1) keep all your cleaning supplies together. i have a batch for upstairs and one for downstairs so i don't have to run all around getting shit together before i start cleaning.
2) it's always easier to tidy up/maintain than actually clean....if you tidy up on the regular, you can just maintain the cleanliness. if you dont, then you have to put in more elbow grease to clean and that's always a chore/takes longer/fuck that.
3) to tidy up/maintain - take about 20mins every evening to pick things up off tables/counters etc. after each meal, wipe down the counters/cooking areas/tables etc. sweep the floor. or in my case, have a kitchen vacuum handy because fuck sweeping.
4) bathrooms - i use a mr. clean magic sponge to wipe down the bathroom sinks/counters etc during the week day. every saturday i use actual cleaning agents to clean everything.
5) everything has a place. i've instituted what comes in must go out, especially with kayla's crap. if there is no place for a certain thing, that thing gets donated or tossed in the trash. if we get a new thing (clothes, toy, gadget etc), then one thing must leave this house. this helps reduce clutter.
6) laundry - i do a load mid-week to avoid the mountainous horror on the weekend. i've also made it a rule that everyone puts their own laundry away, even kayla. it helps me with this awful chore because laundry sucks balls.
PS - in case it wasn't clear, i suggest a cleaning schedule daily ie. take a few mins to tidy up and spend an hour or two on a weekend doing a deeper clean ie. in the bathrooms/floors etc.
DeleteI love reading other goals because I try to make a few myself! Yes to a Halloween party, do it girl!
ReplyDeleteLinds @ Not A Mom
Running for fun, I needed to be reminded of that, my training is not fun right now!
ReplyDeleteI wish my husband would make it a goal to not eat out so often. He spends so much money on Chick-Fil-A and other restaurants. Sigh. I don't really think I have a goal... I guess just to keep on reading! ;)
ReplyDeleteJessica | Pyreflies.org
I'm a fan of reading goals, so thanks for sharing yours and good luck! You did pretty good last month girlie! I also feel like working them out you find what works best for you and can mold the goals to be more attainable!! Loved the "don't make pie" part bwahaha!
ReplyDeleteOh I love the idea of goals. I need to do this..maybe next month lol. Instead I have little post-it notes all around that tell me things I need/want to do and it's very unorganized. As far as cleaning goes, I just try to stick to a weekly routine where I break it up into days. Like every Friday I know when I get home from work I will vacuum and swiffer the floor. Or on Thursdays I know I clean the bathroom. I wash the bedsheets and towels on Sunday. Then it makes it not seem like sooo much, like if I were to try to do it all in one day. Just an idea though ;)
ReplyDeletex. Morgan
I love your running goal!! Just run and enjoy it! Maybe try some new routes to change things up and keep it interesting. Good luck on the rest of your goals!
ReplyDeletei see the running goal is working, based on your snap this morning! i wanna come to this amazing halloween party! my goal is to not make pie either! ;)
ReplyDeleteSetting up a cleaning schedule is such a good goal to have! My husband and I are both notorious for letting junk piles accumulate and then frantically picking things up before people come over to visit. I've seen a few on Pinterest where you vacuum one day then sweep one day. I'm sure you could find a pretty easy one there!
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking about goals last night and how I feel like I haven't accomplished anything since Stephanie's Adventure challenge ended. There are so many things on your list that I need to do also. I'm really afraid to write it all out. I know it will overwhelm me.
ReplyDeleteThese are awesome goals, I love the new recipe one! I need to do that, I get in such a rut with cooking because I don't really enjoy it. But maybe I would if I learned some new recipes I love!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing monthly goals :) I read a book called the 10 minute declutter and it had some great ideas on how to keep a house clean. Every day at the same time, set a timer for 10 minutes and focus on cleaning a room. That's it! They also suggest never putting off easy tasks that take less than a minute (like hanging up your jacket when you get home or washing a dish after you're done). I'm working on doing that every day but it is a great system!
ReplyDeleteThat stirfry looks DELISH! And you've got this gurlie with the running and the eating out less for lunch. Once you get into a habit of bringing in leftovers and stuff it gets so much easier ;-)
ReplyDeleteCheers to a fabulous week/month <3
I hear you on the 'winter is coming' blahhs... it's the worst. Just thinking about snow and coldness gives me anxiety right now! And I desperately need to clean up my pictures, too. If you figure out a good system, let me know!
ReplyDeleteI have a cleaning schedule I can send to you if you want. In order for a cleaning schedule to really work in my opinion you need to be committed to 20 minutes of daily maintenance - wiping down counters and toilets, picking up around the house, spot vacuuming and sweeping, etc.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to figure out my fall goals this week!
The stir-fry looks tasty!! I like reading people's goals. I'm not feeling the oh no winter is coming yet, so maybe SD cured me of that...of course it is also quite HOT here currently and it's hard to think Winter when you are sweating :) The picture clean up is forever on my to-do list. Cleaning tips...make the husband do it :) LOL. I've tried a few things but it's hard for me to stick to a routine with it. One was clean a room a day, but I did it for a week and felt like the house was never exactly clean. I don't know, plus when it comes to the floors they have to be done all at once. I hate cleaning, but I like a clean house :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe love! I bet it'd totally be good with some sort of bean too. Really, any veggie and any protein source! That's the way I love to cook - everything is flexible. And if you were closer, I'd so invite myself to your Halloween party! I also love that your goal is to just run and enjoy it. That's a GREAT way to position a goal.
ReplyDeleteOrganizing my photos is always a monthly goal for me, yet someone I only get s bit accomplished. And I love how you didn't make your running goal specific. Just enjoy! :-)
ReplyDeleteI was a big fat fail on not eating lunch out this month too, I just couldn't keep it homemade.
ReplyDeleteTHAT STIR FRY. Yum. I've given up on giving up eating lunch out. It's never going to end for me.
ReplyDeleteI should probably start making monthly goals list too. I think it will make life a lot easier.
ReplyDeleteI love them! :) KC and I have been trying to do a cleaning schedule. And I have basically determined that it wasn't possible to do ANY more than what we did Jan-July 31st. SO, we're getting back to it. Here is what we had thought of originally: M: Laundry - this coincided with a funny TV show, so folding during that worked well. Tu: Wash cat dishes, sweep, clean bathroom. W: Get groceries. Thurs: Do laundry as needed. F: Pickup from the week, put away clothes/jewelry, dust. Sat: Plan menu, clean out fridge. Sun: Groceries, recycle, vacuum. We have been moving these things now to fit a new schedule. But in general no one day is too overwhelming. Which I like. :) Good luck! XO -Alexandra
ReplyDeleteSimply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
I should try selling stuff on eBay. I have a lot of clothing/shoes that are in almost new condition that I'll most likely never wear again. And resale shops only buy them if they're within a certain time period. Dumb!
ReplyDeleteFunny you mention giving up POP again bc I actually just got back ON it! lol
I have been trying to stick to a cleaning schedule but with the weather being so nice I haven't done so. It's too nice to not to be outside enjoying. And let's be honest, it doesn't last very long so I need to enjoy it before it's over. I find making a to do list every day helps me stay on track of my goals.
ReplyDeleteoh man your goals looks so similar to mine, especially the house cleaning one. My parents came to visit last weekend and before they arrived I had planned to do a deep clean and realized it just wasn't going to happen so I hired a cleaning company to come out. Ahh it was so nice, I could really get used to having someone else do that work for me but $is of course the hindrance. It wasn't too terribly expensive since I live in a one bedroom apartment but I don't have room for it as a regularly occurring expense in my budget. But it has motivated me to keep my apartment cleaner as a result because I remember how nice it COULD be if things were clean. My best advice for cleaning though is to find a podcast you like and commit yourself to cleaning the whole time while you listen to it. This way your mind is somewhere else while you clean. Do it 3 or 4 times a week and I'm sure you'll notice an improvement in your house without feeling like Cinderella. And if you need extra motivation, remember cleaning burns calories ;)
ReplyDeleteOh man. If you figure out the cleaning schedule thing, please hook a sistah up! I need help. I can't keep up with it all, and we just live in a small apartment!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try to (once again) start eating healthy. Why does it have to be so hard sometimes?
AND I'm going to try to workout more, and run again.
Good luck with all of your goals.
Those are great goals! :) I also want to get back into running and stop eating out lunch so much. It's hard!
ReplyDeleteLoving the idea of seasonal goals and running just because you want to get some fresh air in your lungs. I know it's two months out, but I can't wait to see what you have in mind for your haunted Halloween party! Don't convince yourself that Fall always means winter, though. Fall means scarves, boots and books!
ReplyDeleteGreat goals :) I really need to clean up my photos, too.
ReplyDeleteI go with what Kathy said above for cleaning! She is the master at that shit! I use makeup remover wipes every day and when I am done with my face, I use it to swipe out the sink to get any hair/gunk then I throw it away. That helps my bathroom sink stay "tidy" all week. I do daily "small" chores and Gabriel has his chores, that he can do whenever he likes... but if they aren't done by Sunday I get to henpeck him about them.
ReplyDeleteEating healthier (and not out as much) is a great achievable goal! Your stir fry looks yummy. I'm hungry! As for your photos, I love using Adobe Lightroom to organize my folders with tags and "collections". It's a paid-for software, but I couldn't live without it! As for cleaning, I do monthly cleanings and sweep every now and then to keep the crumbs off my barefeet. That's my barometer for floor cleanliness ;). I dust when it starts to bother me.
ReplyDeleteOOK - so I just said on my blog that we have tumbleweed hair balls in my house too. I need that cleaning system you get down :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's a good idea to do seasonal goals instead of monthly. I did monthly August goals and wasn't able to accomplish everything. My next batch for September will be smaller - I don't want my goals to stress me out.
ReplyDeletexo, Carly - soak and simmer
Don't try pie LOL!!!!!! One of my 40 by 40 things is to make pie from scratch. I have got to make that happen this fall and I am terrified! I think you have a great list for fall!!! I need to check in on my summer goals and get my fall ones figured out here in the next week or two. Cant believe it is finally here!!! Your stir fry up there looks good. Mmm noodles. LOL! It's only like 5 hours in to today and I am already wanting grains. Stupid grains.
ReplyDeleteI need to make some fall goals. Fall is my favorite and it is actually when I am the most productive. I would take Steph up on her cleaning schedule she is a cleaning champ! ;)
ReplyDeleteYes to getting to know your city better, I love exploring my local area and finding cool and unique places.
ReplyDeleteThat stir fry does look delicious. Good luck with all your goals.
ReplyDeleteGirl, you totally can nail these goals! As far as cleaning goes, I try to accomplish one thing a day and do a load of laundry a day (if necessary). Then come the weekend, everything already is finished!
ReplyDeleteI need to implement a cleaning strategy in our household considering the fact I seem to be the only one who likes to clean......and when I say like I don't mean that.....I mean the only one who does ;)
ReplyDeleteThe recipe you made looks delish! i need to make a list like this and also cut out eating out for lunch. It's so tempting compared to the boring food I pack. lol
ReplyDeleteCan I copy this exact post and use it for my own? I love the goals on your list. I think they are all reasonable and you totally will have this done before November :) *fingers crossed*
ReplyDeleteTrish - tales from trish
Making pie is the worst. I wholeheartedly agree with your goal NOT to do that.
ReplyDeleteI have a similar goal to your Louisville one to start taking more advantage of what we have in Delaware. I mean, it's not much but there's some stuff and it's good to get to know where you live. Even if you've been there for roughly 19 years...
I'm all for changing the calendar so that the seasons start on the 1st. I refuse to accept that 3/4 of September is actually summer. Just no. Fall starts tomorrow, the end.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way with eBay. I actually just donated a bunch of stuff I probably could have made a decent amount of money on just because there was so much of it and I didn't want to spend the time or energy listing it.
My digital photos are a nightmare too. I was just thinking the other day, digital photos are obviously convenient and all but I kind of miss the days when you just had to take a shot, hope it came out right, get it printed, then stick it in an album. I think I have 10 different shots for every photo I take and they're all just sitting on my computer. I never print them or do anything with them. I wanted to make a photo book for every year with them but I've been saying that for like 5 years and yet I've never even made one. I also want to make photo books for specific events (like trips and stuff) but that hasn't happened yet either. Every time I try to clean up the mess I get frustrated and discouraged by how much of a cluster it is and I just quit. Plus ain't nobody got time for that.
Please let me know if you get any good advice for cleaning schedules! Every time I make one it's a huge fail because the caveat is you actually have to follow them to make them work haha.
Awesome goals Kristen. And I need to get cleaning too. Everything goes stale for me too on winter. Here is for more spiced lattes though!
ReplyDeleteI think we should have our seasons start on the 1st as well! That would certainly make it easier. And I'm right there with you on the cleaning schedule!! I need to keep it in line. I hate the way I've been doing it which generally results in a huge deep cleaning that eats up one full day of my weekend, I want to reorg it.
ReplyDeleteWe made stir fry with chicken this month too, and it was so good! We prefer chicken over beef too. I need to set up a cleaning schedule too-with hardwood floors the dog hair is so obvious.
ReplyDeletenot eating out is soo hard so i dont blame you for breaking that one. thanks again for the reminder to sell some things on ebay! i really need to get on that. xo jillian - cornflake dreams
ReplyDeleteThese goals sounds like a lot of fun and a lot of good will come out of them. Good luck!
ReplyDelete~Ashley @ A Cute Angle
acutelifestyle.blogspot.com
YES to me fall starts on September 1st too! I'm glad I'm not alone in this thinking. Haha.
ReplyDelete1 and 2 for the win and then just have me over to clean! hahaha Way to go with your goals, you got this!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on that whole eat healthier lunch kick. One suggestion that my nutritionist made (and I followed all last week): when you cook dinner, make enough to take as leftovers for lunch the next day. Or...cut the portion size at dinner and leave enough for lunch the next day. I did this, and I felt pretty good about it.
ReplyDeleteThat stir fry looks delicious! I need to find a good cleaning schedule too...I usually try doing everything in one day, and then just getting overwhelmed! I'm guessing I wouldn't have that problem if I just cleaned one thing each day, or something like that!
ReplyDeleteOhhhh, I like all your goals! And you've given me the idea of needing to organize my pictures. Granted iPhoto keeps them all grouped together, but I would like to print out a few small coffee table books covering our last 5 years of adventures and travels.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe it's time I make a goal list. God help me. Lol!
I actually think that goal posts are very entertaining. It's always interestin to see what others want to accomplish and do accomplish. That stir fry looks amazing and I need to try it. I also think I need to start my own goal posts. Maybe I'll actually stick to them more!
ReplyDeleteI actually think that goal posts are very entertaining. It's always interestin to see what others want to accomplish and do accomplish. That stir fry looks amazing and I need to try it. I also think I need to start my own goal posts. Maybe I'll actually stick to them more!
ReplyDeleteSuch a great way to keep yourself accountable! "Stop drinking soda" needs to be at the top of mine, but but but...
ReplyDeleteGreat goals Kristen! I seriously need to add "phone mum" to my goals for September. I am terrible at initiating phone calls and keeping in touch - something I really must change! I'd love to sell some things on ebay - I've considered it before but just thought it'd be too hard and too time consuming - but I like the idea of just listing a few things and going from there - baby steps, as you say! :) x
ReplyDeleteThat looks delicious!!!
ReplyDeleteXO Ellen from Ask Away
www.askawayblog.com
These are awesome goals! I want to try some new recipes too, especially that stir fry, I love those things. I really need to cut back on tasty treats such as ice cream, because summer's over and I gotta be able to fit into that wedding dress. Lastly to keep reading more books because I've got a few waiting for me!
ReplyDeleteI'm shaving the cat this weekend. I can't take it anymore. The hair IS EVERYWHERE CONSTANTLY. I can sweep in the morning and walk into a house covered in fur that evening. Over it. I like your "run without pressure, just enjoy it" one. I might have to steal it.
ReplyDeleteI for one love reading goal posts, so keep them coming. I'll read 'em all! I think this is a good list for the fall especially since you have a few months ahead to start and progress through them all.
ReplyDeleteAs for cleaning, I generally do a big clean once a week, usually Saturdays if I'm home. Of course, I live in a much smaller place and it's just me so I have less to clean and clean up after than you and KC do, so that might not be helpful. I'm sure you can find a good chart somewhere with daily and weekly and monthly cleaning schedules. A good rule of thumb is the "5 minute rule" (or 1 minute, or 3 minutes, or whatever): if there's a task you can do in X minutes or less, like open/sort the mail, throw something in the trash, wash a pot, turn over the laundry, etc. do it now rather than let it pile up for later.
Your stirfry looks amazing!! Good job! I'm sure you've gotten a ton of cleaning tips from all the comments I'm seeing, so I won't give you anymore! lol! I do like the idea of putting clothes on eBay, is it easy to keep track of? We have a garage sale planned for a few weeks which is always a lot of work just to make a measly $100, maybe I need to consider eBay instead!
ReplyDeleteSelling things on Ebay and Amazon is great! Until you forget that you listed something forever ago and you are on vacation and all the sudden someone buys it, ha! Not that that has happened to me or anything... ;)
ReplyDeleteAlso, your stirfry looks delicious!
What's wrong with pie? I'm going to make pie? I think you should make pie.
ReplyDeleteI've still been sticking with monthly goals, but I still need to come up with some for September. Whomp whomp.
ReplyDeleteI think these are all excellent goals, and several are things I should probably be doing (but may or may not commit to this month).
I love the idea of getting to know your city better. I feel like I try to do this, but I've lived in Omaha for almost exactly 6 years now, and there are still plenty of places I'm completely unfamiliar with.
I have the same recipe goal! I also want to learn to make clothes for myself, too. My mom was supposed to teach me to use her sewing machine before I left, but didn't... Booo. I think making seasonal goals is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteI think your blog hates me today-- it keeps refreshing when I'm in the middle of typing out my comments, so sad! haha. Anyway, have you tried Poshmark for selling clothing items? I tried to set up an ebay account and was too overwhelmed. I don't know how Posh compares as far as fees and everything go, but it's super easy because they take care of the shipping costs and you just print out the packaging slip and drop it at the post office. That stir fry looks so good! We had a phase where we were eating it like 2-3x a week, usually always with rice. We've been doing Blue Apron for the past month or so now, but with fall I need to start dusting off some recipes again. Did you start drinking soda again?!
ReplyDelete