Current progress

Haven't updated in a while, so this post covers my progress so far.

Better person part of blog

Books read:
Energy Addict: 101 Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Ways to Energize Your Life by Jon Gordon
Falls the Shadow by Sharon Kay Penman
Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott

Bought book journal. Need to put sticky notes in the pages to organize it from A to Z, and number the pages.

New recipes tried: baked eggplant casserole, cider pork roast

Healthier person part of blog

Exercise? Haven't really done any, but I'm determined to start soon. I have been taking walks with the baby but they don't really count.

Drinking water has been going well. It helps that I'm nursing so I'm thirsty a lot.

Better mother part of blog

I read Molly a book most every evening. Sometimes we skip it but I'm pretty good about it.

Good news - I successfullly held off on feeding Molly solid food until she was exactly six months old! I'm proud of myself. And so far she had only eaten homemade baby food, so that's another thing on my list I'm doing well.

Creating and sending invitations for Molly's baptism will have to be done soon, as the baptism is Nov. 2! Note to self - get cracking!

I've been good about taking Molly on walks and doing something new with her every week. Something new can mean singing a new song to her, or playing a new game, or letting her play with a new toy, or anything - just keeping it simple but trying to stimulate her mind.

Better wife part of blog

Yeah, all of these I need to work on. I did buy the journal but haven't started writing in it yet. I want to number the pages and see if I should put each thing on a separate page or not. This month's "thing I didn't want to do" was go shopping on the day I took off when Molly had her six-month shots. I really didn't want to drag Molly around town when she might not feel well, but I did it anyway because he wanted to.

Better employee part of blog

Since I was out of town last week, I had a very productive week. This week... not so much. Working on that.

Healthy and happy family part of blog

My progress on buying healthy, natural, and organic items when grocery shopping is going well. I'm going to try to not buy anything in which I don't know what the ingredients are. All the produce with which I'm making Molly's food is organic. Today I'm going to the Whole Foods market on my way home to pick up some healthy snacks.

We did eat dinner at the table instead of the TV once, but Molly still seems to nurse while I'm eating dinner so the TV is just easier (and she's not looking at it.) Her high chair is at the dining room table away from the TV, and as she transitions to being in it at dinnertime that will be easier.

Better finances part of blog

I'm having trouble saving money right now, and haven't started any of the funds I've wanted to start. Will have to work on this.

Better organization part of blog

Yeah, this needs a lot of work.

Better Christian part of blog

Haven't been good about reading my Bible, but I've been good about praying and attending church. I keep forgetting to pray before meals. Incidentally, I combined #74 and 75 from "say prayers before meals at home" and "say prayers mentally before meals out" into just "say prayers before meals" and turned #75 into "Get more involved in my church." We're trying to do this by attending a class on the basics of the Cathedral every Wednesday. I'm also interested in joining the choir and thinking about talking to the choir director about it.

Fun part of blog

Tried a new restaurant - Shane's Rib Shack. I liked it.

Good impact part of blog

Bought three fabric grocery bags! Remembered to take them to the store and use them once.

If I could make my list 102 items, I'd add "begin using all natural environmentally friendly cleaners and cleansers." We're going to try to replace a lot of our cleaning products with things like vinegar, baking soda, and ammonia.

I'll be out of town next week

I'm visiting my parents next week for work, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have to complete the tasks on my list or to update this blog.  I'll be back for the week of 9/21.

This week's progress: 9/7 - 9/13

Daily tasks:

• Drinking water at work: Good
  
• I bought a blank journal in which to write one thing I love about Mark every night.  Haven't started filling it in yet, though. 
  
• Read a book to Molly every night: Good
  
• Making an effort to counter negative thoughts with positive thoughts: Poor
  
• Told Mark I love him every day: Good
• Called Mark whilst leaving work every day: Good
  
• Eating dinner at the table instead of the TV: Breaking this habit will be a process and I think it will be easier once Molly starts eating solid food.
  
• Praying at least once a day: Excellent
  
• Pre-meal prayers: getting into this habit will also be a process.
  
• Work productivity: So-so.
  

Weekly tasks:

• New recipe tried: Naan pizza
  
• New pictures taken of Molly: Excellent
  
• Walk taken with Molly: Yes
  
• New activity/game played with Molly: No
  
• Romantic thing done for Mark: No
  
• Vacuumed: No
  
• Bible chapter read: No
  
• This week at the grocery store, I bought organic mushrooms.
  

Long-term tasks:

• I have bought two fabric grocery bags!
• I washed the sheets last weekend.

By the way, I completely acknowledge that this blog will be very boring to everyone but me.  I'm really using it as a tool to mark my progress through my list.  So don't feel like you need to read along every week.

This week's progress: 8/31 - 9/6

Daily tasks:

• Drinking water at work: Excellent
  
• Still need to get a journal in which to write a good thing about my husband every day. Once I get it, I will catch up by writing a good thing for every day starting 8/24.
  
• Read a book to Molly every night: Good
  
• Making an effort to counter negative thoughts with positive thoughts: Poor
  
• Told Mark I love him every day: Good
• Called Mark whilst leaving work every day: Good
  
• Eating dinner at the table instead of the TV: Breaking this habit will be a process and I think it will be easier once Molly starts eating solid food.
  
• Praying at least once a day: Excellent
  
• Pre-meal prayers: getting into this habit will also be a process. I've done it twice this week.
  
• Work productivity: So-so.
  

Weekly tasks:

• New recipe tried: panko-crusted pork chops
  
• New pictures taken of Molly: Excellent
  
• Walk taken with Molly: Yes
  
• New activity/game played with Molly: Yes, we played "peek-a-boo."
  
• Romantic thing done for Mark: No
  
• Vacuumed: Yes
  
• Bible chapter read: No
  
• This week at the grocery store, I bought organic tofu and passed up the cheaper ice cream for an all-natural brand. I did buy tartar sauce containing high fructose corn syrup, but only because it was thrust upon me by Mark.
  

Long-term tasks:

• Did this month's thing Mark wanted me to do that I didn't want to - visited his parents' campsite Saturday.
• Made a fabulous dessert: sticky toffee pudding.
  

This week's progress: 8/24 - 8/30

I'm going to edit this post as the week progresses. I'm sure more will happen on the weekend than during the workweek.

Daily tasks:

• Drinking water at work - I've been good about filling up my water bottle frequently or drinking hot herbal tea in place of water.
  
• Still need to get a journal in which to write a good thing about my husband every day. Once I get it, I will catch up by writing a good thing for every day starting 8/24.
  
• I have read Molly a book every night so far this week. The exception was the night of my Girls' Night Out when we were out for the evening.
  
• I am making an effort to counter negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
  
• I have told Mark I love him every day. I have called him whilst leaving work every day.
  
• I have not yet succeeded at eating dinner at the table instead of the TV. Breaking this habit will be a process and I think it will be easier once Molly starts eating solid food.
  
• Successfully praying at least once a day.
  
• I have only said one pre-meal prayer so far. Getting into this habit will also be a process.
  
• Work productivity = excellent.
  

Weekly tasks:

• New recipe tried: chicken curry with coconut rice, also Dijon Beef
  
• New pictures taken of Molly: a whole bunch yesterday.
  
• Walk taken with Molly: poor weather all week did not allow for a walk.
  
• New activity/game played with Molly: "Itsy Bitsy Spider"
  
• Romantic thing done for Mark: yes
  
• Vacuumed: today. Better late than never!
  
• Bible chapter read: today.
  
• This week at the grocery store, I bought organic tofu and a can of organic fire-roasted tomatoes.
  

Long-term tasks:

• Clean out and reorganize kitchen cabinets - started. One set of cabinets and three drawers have been reorganized.
  
• Worked on cross-stitch a little this week.  This will also get easier once Molly stops nursing and I have two hands free in the evenings.
  

My list of 101 tasks

Because I want to be a better person

1. Read 50 books (3/50)
   
2. Start a book journal and write date, title, author, and one-sentence review of each book I read
   
3. Learn Welsh at a beginning level
   
4. Take a cake decorating class
   
5. Complete at least two rough draft chapters of my novel (0/2)
   
6. Try a new recipe once a week (5/143)
   
7. Design and create a web page
   
8. Complete the cross-stitch I'm working on
   
9. Learn how to change the oil in my car
   
10. Learn how to change a tire by myself
    
11. Learn to knit something more complicated than long rectangular scarves
    
12. Learn to drive a manual transmission vehicle
    
13. Make 10 recipes including an ingredient I’ve never used before (0/10)
    
14. Give up gossip for a week, 4 times (0/4)
    

Because I want to be a healthier person

15. Exercise at least once a week for 40 weeks (0/40)
    
16. Exercise at least twice a week for 40 weeks (0/40)
    
17. Exercise at least three times a week for 40 weeks (0/40)
    
18. Drink enough water at work that I have to refill my water bottle 4 times daily
    
19. Eat something with oats in it every day for thirty days (0/30)
    
20. Give up sugar for one month
    

Because I want to be a better mother

21. Breastfeed until Molly is 1 year old
    
22. Keep Molly away from the TV and computer 98% of the time
    
23. Read Molly a book every evening
    
24. Learn some baby sign language and teach it to Molly
    
25. Take 3 new pictures of Molly every week (5/143)
    
26. Do not swear or curse in front of Molly
    
27. Make homemade baby food for Molly
    
28. Do not feed Molly solid food until she is 6 months old
    
29. Write a letter to Molly every year on her birthday (0/3)
    
30. Create and send invitations for Molly's baptism
    
31. Take Molly for a walk around the neighborhood at least once a week, weather permitting (5/143)
    
32. Do not let Molly watch TV until she is 2 years old
    
33. Do a new activity or play a new game with Molly every week (5/143)
    

Because I want to be a better wife

34. Counter every negative thought about Mark with a positive thought
    
35. Tell Mark I love him every day
    
36. Go on a date once a month
    
37. Call Mark every evening when I leave the office
    
38. Every day, write down one thing I love about my husband
    
39. Do something romantic for my husband at least once a week (3/143)
    
40. Once a month, do something Mark wants me to do that I don't want to (i.e. see a movie I'm not interested in, go out when I'd rather stay in) without complaint (2/33)

Because I want to be a better employee

41. Stay "internet-slacking" free at work for a week four times (1/4)
    
42. Get a promotion at work, or move to a different company
    
43. Have 100 internet-free days at work (0/100)
    
44. Spend at least one hour per workday either doing productive work or (if no assignments) learning something to improve my work

Because I want a healthy and happy family

45. Each time I go grocery shopping, replace one regular item in my grocery cart with an organic item
    
46. Do not buy anything containing high fructose corn syrup
    
47. Buy nothing containing partially hydrogenated oils
    
48. Eat dinner at the table instead of in front of the TV
    
49. Call my aunt once a month (0/33)
    
50. Send my grandmother a letter or postcard twice a month (2/66)
    
51. Send Christmas cards every year (0/3)
    
52. Make it to work by 7:00 (so I can leave by 4:00) three times a week for 10 weeks (0/10)
    

Because I want to have my financial situation in order

53. Save enough money to take Mark and Molly on a vacation to England in September 2010
    
54. Save a "maternity fund" to cover six weeks of expenses for my next maternity leave
    
55. Create our wills
    
56. Stick to a budget
    
57. Start a mutual fund for Molly and make a monthly contribution (0/33)
    
58. Go for one week without spending money except on one trip each to the grocery store and gas station, 4 times (0/4)
    
59. Have 200 no-spend days (2/200)
    
60. Have 20 below-budget weeks (0/20)
    
61. Hold a monthly financial/budget meeting with Mark (0/33)
    
62. Stick to my list whilst grocery shopping, without purchasing any impulse items, 10 times (0/10)
    
63. Pass up something I don't need but was going to buy just because it was on sale or I had a coupon, 10 times (0/10)
    

Because I want to be organized

64. File all papers that need to be filed
    
65. Establish a better system for filing papers and keeping them from piling up
    
66. Clean out and reorganize kitchen cabinets
    
67. Organize and purge my book of printed-out recipes
    
68. Organize the books on the bookshelves and get rid of unwanted books
    
69. Vacuum once a week (2/143)
    
70. Wash the sheets once a month (1/33)
    

Because I want to be a better Christian

71. Read at least one chapter of the Bible a week (0/143)
    
72. Pray at least once a day
    
73. Attend church at least 3 times per month (3/99)
    
74. Say prayers before meals
    
75. Get more involved in my church
    
76. Give up something every year for Lent (0/3)
    
77. Buy an Advent calendar and start a tradition of reading a scripture each night of Advent
    
78. Follow a Lenten Devotional every night of Lent
    
79. Buy a book of five-minute devotionals and do them
    

Because I want to do something fun for myself and my family

80. Complete Canada/New England cruise scrapbook
    
81. Visit a Rennaisance Festival every year (0/3)
    
82. Find a Scottish Highland Games and visit it
    
83. Plan a trip longer than a weekend to visit my brother in Atlanta
    
84. Try 5 new restaurants (1/5)
    
85. Attend a play or show three times (0/3)
    
86. Make a new fabulous restaurant- or bakery-worthy dessert 15 times (1/15)
    
87. Wear a skirt once a week for a month (0/4)
    
88. Put my hair up or back once a week for a month (0/4)
    
89. Plant a container garden of vegetables and herbs and keep it healthy
    
90. Visit St. Augustine on a weekend day, 3 times (0/3)
    
91. Go on a hike
    
92. Visit 3 new museums (0/3)
    
93. Have a picnic
    
94. Plan a trip to England for September 2010
    
95. Get myself a locket and put Molly's picture in it
    

Because I want to leave a good impact on the world

96. Buy and use reusable fabric grocery bags
    
97. Complete organ donor registration
    
98. Put together a shoebox every Christmas for Operation Christmas Child (0/3)
    

Because I want to hold myself accountable for completing these tasks

99. Give $5 to church for every uncompleted thing at the end of the 1001 days
    
100. Create a new 101 list after 1001 days
     
101. Create a blog and document my progress at least once weekly