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Sunday 19 April 2015

First Quarter Review

I have been doing a lot of blog reading lately, a selection of house renovations, books, sewing and a couple of baking ones.  I've noticed that quite a few of these have been doing first quarter reviews of the targets they set themselves for the year, and I thought that this would be a nice way to keep a check on my own progress.  So I decided to pinch the idea :)

So here are the resolutions that I set myself at the beginning of the year and where I'm up to or not up to as the case may be!

1. Take part in Water Wipeout.
Yay I have registered for this (a good start to reviewing my list).  It takes place in mid June, so I will let you know how I get on.

2. Do more running.
This ones not quite so good.  I started off with good intentions in January and then the man flu and laryngitis struck :( I did complete my first 10k of the year during the Bank Holiday weekend, it was hard going due to my lack of training, but I'm so glad I had a go :)  I'm back at running club now, just need to keep it up, my next outing is Race for Life 10k at Delamere Forest in May.

3. Put up my house planning board.
Done :)

4. Increase my core strength (should help my running).
I did buy a balance board earlier this year, I've been on it a few times but find it hard.  Balance isn't one of my strengths!  I'm about to give Boot Camp sessions ago, they are being organised by my running club, hopefully this will help.  I need to do something to build my strength for Water Wipeout.

5. Do more things that take my fancy.
This one is going well I went to a vintage fair earlier this year with my Mum & Dad and has a great time, have been to the Oxford Literary Festival for a talk and book signing by Diana Gabaldon, she wrote my favorite series of books - The Outlander series - this day was awesome and thanks to my Dad for driving a 4 hour round trip to have coffee and cake in the library and then queue for 2 hours in the cold for a book signing that he didn't have a book for (Mum and I had a great time) :)  Mr A and I went to the Home Building and Renovation Show at the NEC a couple of weeks ago, it was great to be able to pick the brains of people to see what would be required for some of ideas.  The outstanding item from the day was wireless speakers!  We have also been to a number of gigs so far this year, some big and some small, some outstanding, some great, some mainly focused on coughing and blowing my nose! and some not so good - Steel Panther - just saying!

6. Do a photo a day photo diary
I think this is going the best of everything that I challenged myself too. I'm currently on photo 108/365!  I originally wanted to use this to improve my photo taking skills, but it has ended up being more of a daily photo diary, but I don't mind as I like being able to see what I have been up to - check me out on Instagram (netty_armstrong).

7. Make my Vogue 1419 coat pattern.
Ooops - so far epic fail!!  I haven't even cut my pattern out yet - must try harder!

8. Finish unpacking the boxes!!
Also another epic fail, but in my defense it was on the to do list for my time off in Februry - cue man flu, laryngitis and lots of sleep!

9. Loose weight, we've got three weddings to go to this year and it would be good to look at the photos and think, I look nice!
Hopefully getting on to item 2 a bit more should help this.

10. Put up my year wall planner, I need this to stop me loosing my mind and so I know what's going on.
Yay, although I think it needs up dating!

11. Dress up more when we go out. I have a surprising number of dresses and tops, but never seem to wear them. I need to make more of an effort.
I trying!

12. Refurbish the Living Room
We have sorted most of the big decisions, there are a few things that we need to look into, but there is still plenty of time till the end of the year.

13. Refurbish the Master Bedroom
We have brought the paint (three different colours and a special little tin of magic), curtains complete with a separate black out lining (what can I say, I like my sleep), curtain pole and funky bedside lamps.  But you will need to wait for the details!

14. Get to grips with the washing pile!
This is endless as most women will know!  Hopefully as the weekends brighten up, I should be able to get more through the machines and dry outside.

15. Do a tour of the house on my blog ;)
Part 1 The Long Awaited Ground Floor Tour! is done and Part 2 the first floor is to follow soon!

16. Read for at least 1 hour a week.
This has been a bit hit and miss, it has probably evened out as when I have been reading its been for a couple of hours so should hopefully make up for the weeks I've missed.  I've also just started reading before I go to bed at The Hut, I always find this a dangerous balance as I'm good at convincing myself that I can't sleep if I'm enjoying a book!  On the plus side, I think it's helping me sleep better!

Currently reading:

Home Book - Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon
This is my third time reading, the latest book - Book 8 Written In My Own Hearts Blood - has just come out so I'm re-reading the series

Hut Book - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I had heard a lot of good things about this book and am really enjoying it, it's surprisingly funny!

17. Do more on my family tree.
Ooops!

18. Make a patchwork quilt.
I have two quilts in mind, the first is a quilt made up of band tshirts to add a little bit of funky to our current TV watching blankets.  I have a design that I like and just need to have a look through our tshirts to see which can be donated towards it, I already have one only 35 left to go!

The second is from Love Patchwork and Quilting magazine and it is made up of their Block of the Month's.  I have all the back issues that I need now, but I think I might do the tshirt one first.

Well that's my first review done!

If there's anybody out there, bye for now!

Netty :)

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