18 for 2018 – 2nd Quarter Update

My 18 for 2018 is now half over so it is time to see the progress that I have made, or not made.  This quarter has been a pretty good quarter, aside from taken into account progress made, but just thinking about the energy and health I have had and the freedom of no longer studying and being able to get away for a few vacations.  So here is where I stand.

1. De-clutter the house and organize the garage.
   • In the past three months we have made more great progress around the house.  We have all the large furniture set up and ready in the guest room/nursery and have made a few more trips to Goodwill to get rid of things hanging around the house.  We had made a ton of progress during the first quarter that has allowed us to worry less about this of late.  We got the yard all prepped for us to enjoy this summer which was another big project, mostly accomplish by Bryan.  We still have some clutter in the workout room and will of course have to find places for the baby goods that will be coming in the next month or so.  In addition, this past weekend Bryan installed the window AC unit for our bedroom to keep us (really me) cool this summer.  It works really well.  And my garden pots are continuing to grow, albeit not that quickly.
     

     The new AC unit

     

     Basil and squash

     

     Peas and zucchini
2. Cook 20 meals at home every month.
   • Our average for April – June was 19 meals/month and that is even with the very low number of 13 meals in May while we were gone for a full two weeks to Europe.  We still have FareStart a night every week and still do take out from time to time, especially now with the childcare classes early on Wednesdays.
3. Revamp my wardrobe, making it easier to pick out outfits by getting rid of what I don’t like and storing away seasonal stuff. Focus on buying quality pieces in the store versus cheap items online.
   • Wardrobe has expanded at the same time it has diminished.  I have essentials that I can wear now that I am at 33 weeks pregnant, so what I fit into and is comfortable is rather limited.  However, this has required purchasing a bit more clothes as of late to add to what I can wear right now.
4. Visit my grandaddy.
   • This trip is planned for November with baby.
5. Buy a family car.
   • Bought a car!  My first car ever.  And bought a brand new and nice one too.  After much research (by Bryan) and two weekends of test driving, we made our pick…and I’m happy to not have to do that again for some time.  It’s smooth, comfortable, has great technology settings and features, and now Bryan has decked it out with new floor mats and cargo protector mat for the trunk and well as we have bedazzled it.
     

     The front

     

     The new bling
6. Prepare with organization and structure for the SE exam. Prioritize this for the first three and a half months of the year.
   • I am still debating whether or not I will be taking the test this fall.  I’m really uncertain how much time I will have to study for it, yet, at the same time, thinking that having something to put my mind towards while being at home with baby could be a good thing.  Rather than looking at Instagram all day…
7. Have fun learning guitar.
   • Need to do.
8. Make at least six girls nights happen.
   • We’ve had a measly one.  I’ve tried organizing a few others but none have worked out for various reasons.  We have our second planned for this upcoming weekend though and my baby shower will more or less be another one…I’m counting it as one.  Total (after two more weeks) = 3.
9. Maintain a healthy skin routine.
   • Have been doing an okay job with this.  Still a work in progress.  Pretty regimented about using face wash and toner and now have incorporated Clarins Double Serum to the mix.  I think my skin has been looking pretty good, few breakouts on the chin which I blame on increased pregnancy hormones.
10. Re-learn our lindy hop choreographed dance from the wedding.
    • Need to work on that.
11. Pack five picnics somewhere.
    • We’ve only done the one in Discovery Park back early in the year.  Now that the weather is nice and I’m starting to look for more low key ways to spend time outside, I imagine we might have a few more in the next few months.
12. Work through my devotional book and pray nightly with Bryan.
    • Definitely slipped on this.  It is something that I would like to get back but I have had books to read for our childbirthing classes and have been spending much of my free time at home doing my cross stitch project.
13. Read ten books for fun or learning.
    • I’ve successfully read two books for fun while we were traveling or on vacation.  I imagine in the next few weeks I will be finished reading the three on babies to total five.  That isn’t too shabby.
14. Swap reading/music/puzzles for TV one night a week.
    • Not too good with this still but I am at least working on my cross stitch project while watching TV.  Plus we have been busy on many nights.  And we are trying to listen to our relaxation music when going to bed instead of falling asleep to the TV on a nightly basis.
15. Cross stitch something.
    • Yes!  I have started it.  There are three pieces that all go together that I plan on finishing before baby and so far I love it!  I forgot how much I enjoy cross stitching.  It is so therapeutic and for some reason just so much fun to me.  Similar to my enjoyment with coloring.

      

16. Make at least two recipes from three different cookbooks.
    • I really haven’t opened a cookbook in a while.  But we have cooked.  Some kit meals from various delivery companies but I think that I am already transitioning to cooking more time-friendly meals (i.e. spaghetti, tacos, etc.).  I have branched out a bit for a few potlucks but definitely want to break open my cookbooks at some point.  Although I am proud of myself getting several freezer meals prepared during the dreary weather this past weekend.
      

      Three sheets of lasagna and one of spaghetti sauce

      

      Two sheet pans of chicken enchiladas and another of just enchilada sauce.
17. Travel to visit a friend.
    • We will be visiting Grandaddy in November and then Amy in April.  Don’t know if those count, probably not, but maybe something else will come up.  We could always go to Italy for Marika’s wedding (which I would love to do)…
18. Dine at five new-to-me restaurants.
    • Marine Hardware, Rumba, and Outlier were all new restaurants to us that we dined at during the first quarter.  I’ve tried a ton of new restaurants using my MealPal lunch subscription including Mamnoon Street, Mr. D’s Greek Delicacies, Chip and Drew’s Filling Station, Athena’s Street Food, Sprout Salads and PokeAlice.  Bryan and I also tried a Middleeastern place in Capitol Hill for take out late one night after class and I also made it to Bent Burger for the first time (Bryan had already been).  And we took the intern to lunch at Lowell’s Seafood in the market which I had actually never been to before.

So far there has been progress for the first half of the year.  The second half will sure be interesting as we finalize our preparations before baby and then begin our lives as parents.  One of our goals as parents is to still be ourselves and still do the things we love to do, just now introducing those things to baby.  We don’t want to go cold turkey on things we currently love…at least, not in the long term.

Chelsea