Tuesday, May 1, 2012

2012 Goals Update




Erin's 2012 Goals:
Get an organized book list in one location and get it fully "entered"
          * DONE!  I decided to use one app called GoodReads.  The best part is, you can use it on a phone, tablet, or computer.  I highly recommend it.  And if you are on GoodReads, look me up!

~ Make homemade laundry detergent - I have wanted to try this for a few years now, so now it is officially on the goal list.
     * Not yet.

~ Make homemade hummus.  I have only recently come to enjoy hummus.  Now that I have, I want to try to make my own.
     * Almost had the opportunity this month but we ran short on time.

~ Improve my sewing skills.  My ultimate goal is to learn how to quilt.
     * I cut out a pattern for a new purse/bag but have not had the chance to move forward.

~ Lose 20 pounds.
     * We are regularly going to the gym and meeting with our trainer.

~ Pay off my credit card.  Enough said.
     * Plugging away at this.

~ Walk 10 miles per week.
     * This hasn't been perfect this month.  Hopefully May turns around.

~ Run a 5K.
     * I have discovered that I am not a fan of running so this is getting put on the back burner.

~ Read 24 books (I have chosen 12 books to read individually and I will read 12 books through my book club).  

Here is what I have read so far:
          Individual Books                                                             Book Club Books
Jan:       Your Money or Your Life (Joe Dominguez)               Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins)
Feb:      The Girl Who Played with Fire (Steig Larsson)         Carnal Innocence (Nora Roberts)
March:  The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (S. Larsson) * No Book Club this month
             Red Rabbit (Tom Clancy)
April:     Noble Vision (Gen LaGreca)                                    City of Veils (Zoe Ferraris)

Books I plan to read:
* Cutting for Stone (Abraham Verghese)
* The Dirty Life (Kristin Kimball)
* The Millionaire Next Door (Thomas J Stanley PhD & William D Danko PhD) - won off a blog, want to finally give it a go
* Joy for Beginners (Erica Bauermeister)
* Change of Heart (Jodi Picoult)
* Folks, This Ain't Normal (Joel Salatin)

And if I don't reach my goal with this list, plus book club books - don't worry, I still have a "Want to read" list that keeps growing every day!

Joint Goals.  Dr Bob and I hope to:
~ Learn to can food - My parents came to visit so I made my Dad show me how he cans, YAY!  We now have 11 jars of strawberry jam that I can't wait to try.  And now that we have seen how easy it can be, we are ready to give it a go by ourselves....so excited!

~ Try a sweet new recipe per month
     March: Flan
     April: Basbousa - To go with our Book Club's Saudi Arabian theme, I asked a Saudi friend to send me some recipes.  This turned out pretty good.  Hopefully I can get the recipe typed up soon in case you want to try a new dessert recipe.

~ Try a savory new recipe per month
     Jan:  Neither of us can remember what we made.  =)
     Feb: Crock pot enchilada's
     March: Queso
     April: Kofti(e) which is a traditional spiced meatball (another recipe made for Book Club)

~ Explore Asheville, North Carolina

~ Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~ Post 2 blog entries per month
     * Doing good so far!

~ Try a new restaurant per month - we live in such a Foody area
     Jan:  Yeah Burger, Chris' Pizza, Matador Mexican CantinaAgave Restaurant
     Feb:  Community Q BBQFront Page NewsCafe Sababa, and I went to the Melting Pot for the first time with some friends.
     March: Capozzi's
     April: I can't believe this but we actually didn't eat out much this month and none of the places were new. Wow.

~ Try a new hike per month - this has not been happening so I am going to officially take this off the goal list.

Other than that, I have been getting used to the new job which has been tiring but GREAT!  I am so thankful for this employment.

That's all she wrote folks!

How have you guys been doing with your goals??