Tag Archives: 24 Before I’m 25

eightynine: twentysix before i’m twentyseven

26 Before I'm 27
I started to work my way through my list to check off what I’d achieved and actually I really have failed this year. Some goals I’ve achieved but in comparison there were so many others still to do. I’m in two minds about writing a list for next “year” – in the last three years when I’ve done the lists I’ve never managed to achieve all the goals that have been on my lists.

I think part of it was juggling being a working foster mum to a teenage and trying to cook more balanced meals and things like that. When Our Sidekick came to live with us I was 25 and a bit so prior to that it was my own motivation that sucked and meant that I didn’t achieve my goals. Following that maybe I use it as an excuse. I’m sure it’s possible to achieve what I want to, work and be a foster Mum but clearly I haven’t managed that balance just yet. Maybe this will be my year but for now we’ll just leave it – I might still write a list.

This is this years list and how far I am up to:

1. Finish The Host by Stephenie Meyer.
I have read and finished it, and I even have a date in the diary to go and see the film with my Twilight Buddies (aka my cousin and my auntie!!)

2. Read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.
I started it but it’s still in progress – according to Goodsreads I’ve read about 72 pages which makes it around 20%.

3. Complete The Sketchbook Project 2013 (by January 2013)
I signed up, I started and then my book went walkabouts. I found it but about two weeks after the deadline when it was too late to send it in.

4. Read 30 books in 2012 (Ends December 2012) (10/30 at present)
Again going by the total on Goodreads and a blog post I made it to 29 books in the end. Now it’s always possible that number 30 did sneak in but wasn’t on Goodreads – that has happened in the past. (So far I’m on 6 for 2013 – it’s bad, very bad!)

5. Take a photo everyday (3/365)
This one didn’t really happen. Well having checked on Flickr I’m about two thirds through the year. Still not a whole year but it’s more than I thought. You can check them out here

6. See 20 new films (ones I’ve not seen before).
I’m pretty sure that I did achieve this but I failed to keep a list! I know I definitely went to the cinema a couple of times. I saw Pitch Perfect, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part Two and The Hobbit. I also saw Priceless on iPlayer. I also saw Hope Springs, Couples Retreat and Untouchable. That’s six films – I’m sure there is more too. 

7. Cook 1 new recipe a month. (0/12)
This didn’t exactly happen but I did get into cooking more so I made more cakes and tried to make more meals at home. 

8. Go to a comedy night.
Back in June, Rich and I went to see Dave Gorman live in Cambridge. I wrote about it here and here.

9. Complete The Green Sand Ridge Walk.
This didn’t happen – I had meant to organise it with my Dad and then before I knew it the summer had gone and it was too cold or too wet.

10. Sign up for a bible plan (to read the bible in a year).
I signed up and at first I was really focused and determined but then I got distracted. Need to try better next time!

11. Read the bible in a year (3/365)
See above – it kind of worked at first but then didn’t happen……

12. Write a guest blog post for a friend (and be proud of it).
I wrote a blog post for Kaitlyn’s blog about how I’d like to be a QI Elf

13. Give up caffeinated fizzy drinks for 3 months (or longer!).
This one did happen but some days I fail and have one or two cans of Diet Cola – on the whole though it’s been a tiny proportion of all the fizzy I drink.

14. Plan more date nights (at least 12! That’s one a month).
We had a few more but not as many as I really hoped to have. 

15. Save up £100 a month (That’s £1200 by my 27th Birthday)
This didn’t happen. I wasn’t very disciplined about this. 

16. Organise a girlie date night with Lil Sis once a month (or more!) (0/12)
We haven’t had one a month but it is getting better and I’m determined that we will have more in the next few months. 

17. Organise a “craft night” with my Mum.
We had an afternoon rather than a night but it was still good – and quite a few more have happened. 

18. Complete Harry Potter Years 1-4 on iPhone.
I ended up deleting this from my phone and didn’t get all the way through it. 

19. (Finally!) Meet Ellefie in person (Twitter/Blog).
We haven’t managed to meet up so next year it will have to be! When I was in London, Ellefie wasn’t free and then when she was free I was back in Bedford. 

20. Finish The Hobbit.
I managed to finish reading the book slightly after the film came out and I had seen it. It was an interesting book but had taken me a little while to get into it. 

21. Read Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.
This one on the other hand, I started it but I’ve still not finished it. 

22. Learn how to crochet
Not only have I learnt to crochet but I’ve made two blankets for other people and I’ve also taught a couple of people to crochet as well. I love seeing the pictures of the things that other people have created. 

23. Make something by crochet
See 22.

24. Play at an Open Mic Night (not hosted by Church or The Fountain)
I’ve played or sung at a couple of them and my friend Al is awesome and regularly plays while I sing along.

25. Read the 7 Chronicles of Narnia books (1/7)
I managed The Magician’s Nephew and got part way through The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe but haven’t got through any more than that

26. Start my sideline business for proper! (29/06 – In progress)
This is still an in progress thing. I had been trying to do it in my evenings but between finishing work and then just feeling really drained I couldn’t get motivated about it.

So now the challenge is to write my goals for next year……27 before I’m 28.

Day 90: 24 Before I’m 25 – Final Update

To do

Watch a Ballet or Opera.
Look! I’ve got one goal left to complete – and although there probably is time to do it – my birthday is getting closer and I don’t think it’s going to happen – If I were to adapt it so it was “Watch a Ballet, Musical or Opera” then I could tick this off my list but it kinda defeats the point because musicals are my favourites and so tend to be more accessible or higher up the list of things to go and see.

The other goals that I’ve completed recently are:

Read Angelology by Danielle Trussoni.
I finished this the other night, it then turned out that Becca was also reading it. I tweeted about finishing the book and Becca replied – the following day we got a reply from Danielle – how crazy is that! I did really like the book but the end was a little anticlimatic – it kinda built up to a point but then took a twist – maybe it was because I wanted a happy ending and it kinda wasn’t there but then again maybe that’s just my opinion. Danielle is very descriptive in her writing – and often I needed a dictionary in the other hand to keep up with what was going on.

Complete 30 Days of Lists
This finished yesterday – there are a whole heap of posts. If you click here it will filter the categories and you can find the posts there or if you go here to my Flickr Photostream there are lots of pictures there of my lists. I started in my Moleksine notebook but in the end moved to the notes section in my filofax.

Buy/Borrow and watch Gone with the Wind.
Originally I was going to buy a copy of Gone with The Wind to watch it – in the end my Aunt had a copy that I could borrow which was really cool. I did like the story line but really wanted to give Scarlett O’Hara a “Gibbs-Slap” (Do you watch NCIS?) she’s really spoiled and kinda irritating. She gets a sort of reality check when she losses everything but at the same time it just makes her more defiant to succeed. As much as Rhett is a bit of a scoundrel – Scarlett gives as well as she got so actually I find it hard to feel sorry for her. I’ve seen the iconic scene at the end but I didn’t realise how much happens in the middle to get them to that point. I didn’t realise that they have a daughter and that she dies in an accident.

Completed

  1. Read Angelology by Danielle Trussoni
  2. Complete 30 Days of Lists
  3. Buy/Borrow and watch Gone with the Wind.
  4. Watch Superbowl 45 (February 2011)
  5. Watch It’s A Wonderful Life.
  6. Volunteer at Children in Need.
  7. Meet up with an old school friend.
  8. Watch Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1.
  9. Have a Father/Daughter Day.
  10. Make 25% of my Christmas cards by hand.
  11. Finish my NaNoWriMo story.
  12. Buy The Nightmare Before Christmas on DVD.
  13. Watch The Nightmare Before Christmas.
  14. Go for cake and drink with Brains
  15. Be included in the Christmas Performance at Church
  16. Meet @Beccaspeaks
  17. Write part/whole play.
  18. Complete 100 Films goal for 101 Things.
  19. Complete Alphabet of Films goal for 101 Things
  20. Complete a photo a day for a month (31 photos) (Jan 2011)
  21. Have friends round for dinner.
  22. Buy Miracle on 34th Street (Remake) on DVD
  23. Watch Miracle on 34th Street

30 Days of Lists: Day 30

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Day 30

30 Days of Lists: Day 30

Today is the last day of 30 Days of Lists, kinda sad in a way about it but also excited because that means April is just round the corner and another 30 day challenge is starting (yes as if one wasn’t enough). You can partially blame it on The Daily Post – the interweb challenge to blog everyday for the whole of 2011 – I’ve already partially failed as I missed some days in January but I figure 95% or above is classed as a pass. That is 347 out of the 365 days – that’s alot of blogging.

The prompt for today is Today’s To Do list.

1. Update 24 Before I’m 25 list (completed items)
2. Finish washing (unload machine, load dryer)
3. Finish last two squares of @fancybiscuit‘s blanket
4. Write to Becca S
5. Write Bond 2 + 3 reviews
6. Write Cinema Paradiso review (DVD rental service not the actual film)

When I took the picture, I’d done number 6 – this was emailed off to the people who had comissioned the review because I wanted to check some stuff over with them – at the moment I’m waiting for the CEO to get back to me – my issues were that bad it would seem lol.

That was the only one that was done at that point.

EDIT: By the time I went to bed last night, Number 1 was in progress – I finished it at lunchtime (Well in the amount of break that I got today), Number 2 didn’t happen, Number 3 I’d finished one square and number 2 had been cast on – hopefully I should be able to finish it tonight or tomorrow – then go ask my Mum on Saturday to help me sew them all together – then get it into the mail early next week. Number 4 – I had started but again didn’t finish. Number 5 – Didn’t happen.

So all in all probably not that productive but the fact that I got Number 3 almost out of the way was good.

30 Days of Lists: Day 28

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Day 28


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30 Days of Lists: Day 27

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Day 27


30 Days </p>
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30 Days of Lists: Day 26

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Day 26


30 Days </p>
<p>of Lists: Day 26

30 Days of Lists: Day 25

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Day 25


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<p>of Lists: Day 25

30 Days of Lists: Day 24

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Day 24


30 Days  of Lists: Day 24

This was one day with a short to do list – somedays it hits 40 items – by then I need a lie down in a dark room!

30 Days of Lists: Day 23

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30 Days of Lists: Day 23 by hannypants
30 Days of Lists: Day 23 a photo by hannypants on Flickr.Today’s prompt was Guilty Pleasures.

Guilty Pleasure: something pleasurable that induces a usually minor feeling of guilt. Something that brings pleasure but is considered taboo, unadvisable or lowbrow. First known use, 1907.

(Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary)

So today’s prompt was guilty pleasures – I’m not sure what mine are but these are the things that I tend to do only to then feel really bad after doing them lol.

Chocolate

Profiteroles

Maccy D’s Strawberry Milkshake

Grande Hot Chocolate (from SBUX or Costa)

Skittles

Fudge

Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream (Cookie dough! woot woot)

New Handbags

 

 

Day 81

Hello there

I feel like I haven’t written in ages – I’ve posted pictures of 30 Days of Lists, Music Monday and Blogger’s Wednesday but that’s the only thing that’s been happening. I’ve been knitting a heap and that’s kinda to a deadline so I’ve been working on that rather than writing. I also got some crazy idea about publishing my NaNoWriMo novel on Amazon Kindle (Even if it’s rubbish and no one downloads it lol) so I started editing that – I think I gained 4 words in the first paragraph only to lose like 8 in the next – I might also have to cut out chunks if I repeat myself which would make sense given that I was on quantity not quality drive back in November. Will I do it this November? At the moment, no I am not going to do it but on the other hand I might – we’ll see what else is going on by that point.

So what have you all out there been up to? I keep reading lots of other blogs and beginning to get a little downhearted that I’m writing and no one responds but then I give myself a kick in the butt and tell myself to be grateful for the readers that I have got in the first place. I keep thinking of new names (there is a blog out there called My Little Corner of The World and I figured it was kinda too close to my name so ideas please!)

 

These are Days 21 and 22 images for 30 Days of Lists

30 Days of Lists: Day 21

Day 21

30 Days of Lists: Day 22

Day 22