Category: Family Life

Below is an update on my 2020 goals.  I am actually making progress!

1. I was recently diagnosed with VERY high blood pressure.  Until November, it was always normal.  Out of nowhere, it has gone up a lot.  I am now under the care of a cardiologist who has put me on medication and he is starting a round of tests to try figure this out.  So, my number one goal is to get my pressure back to normal.  Several of my goals have been set to help bring it down with the help of medication.
   • I continue to be in the normal range since early February.
2. Lose 20 pounds.  Truth be told, I could stand to lose more than 20.  But, small goals are best and 20 seems like a good start.  When I hit that, I will add 10 more to lose.
   • This needs work
3. Continue to get 10,000 steps a day in.  This has never been a problem for me.  But now, more than ever, I need to keep this habit in my daily routine.
   • I was doing such a good job at this one.  In my defense, we had some really cold and snowy days.  Honestly, I am probably exceeding this with my treadmill use, but I don’t count my steps on the treadmill.
4. Go to the gym 3 days per week.  I need my daughter to hold me accountable with this one.  She is so good about getting herself to the gym on a regular basis, I need to follow her lead.
   • This I am doing
5. I have spent a lot of time reading about the causes of high blood pressure and what I can do to bring it down.  Eat more fruits and vegetables.  I eat a lot as it is, but it’s time to add more, especially potassium rich produce.
   • This is another goal that continues to be a success.
6. I downloaded the Simple Habit app to encourage meditation on a daily basis.  I keep hearing that meditation helps calm the mind.  I do meditate, but not daily.  Time to start trying to meditate at least 2 or 3 days per week.
   • Yeah me!  I am doing this as well
7. Get back into the yoga habit.  Several years ago I went to yoga 3-4 days per week.  I was in great shape, but I fell out of the habit as my kids got older.  Since they are now adults, I probably shouldn’t continue to use them as an excuse for not going.
   • 3-4 days a week hasn’t happened, but I am doing yoga again.
8. Cut down on the alcohol.  I really don’t drink very much. I have wine with dinner some nights and enjoy a cocktail when in a restaurant.   But, until I get my blood pressure under control, I need to eliminate alcohol.
   • I drink wine on weekends only.
9. Now on to other goals.  Pay off the house.  We had every intention of paying it off December 31.  A couple of unexpected expenses put that on hold.
10. Read 110 books in 2020.  I sign up for the reading challenge every year on Goodreads.  I don’t think I have ever missed my goal.
    • 21 books read so far
11. Read 3 classic books this year.  I am starting small because in all honesty, I don’t always enjoy the classics.  But, my mom and I agreed to start with Call of the Wild in anticipation of the movie.  It seems easy to add 2 more to 2020.
    • Call of the Wild – read
    • Dracula – read
12. More dates with my husband.  In the past I told myself we would have a date night once a week.  That proved to be difficult to achieve some weeks, making it easy to just forget about it.  Date night once a month seems easier.
    • We consistently had a date night once a week in February.
13. We have a membership to the Milwaukee Art Museum that I plan on utilizing a lot more this year.  I really do need to spend more time taking advantage of the cultural activities my city has to offer.
    • We didn’t visit the art museum, but we did visit the public museum.
14. Spend more time outdoors.  It’s not always easy in the winter to be outside.  But in the spring, summer and fall, I need to spend a lot less time indoors.  I recently read an article that encourages 1000 hours per year which is about 2.5 hours per day.
    • I think I mentioned the cold, snowy weather.
15. Throw away 20 items per day.  We have too much stuff in this house and some of it needs to go.
    • Pretty sure I am averaging more than 20 items per day.
16. More no spend days.  These are so easy to accomplish and the benefit can be seen in your checking account.
    • This has actually been my easiest goal to achieve this year.
17. Spend more time with my friends.  This is another one that I am pretty good about following through on.  I enjoy meeting friends for lunch, dinner and potlucks.  In 2019 I reconnected with several old friends that I have spent time with.
    • I am consistently meeting with friends at least twice per week.  It has been so niche to catch up.
18. Finish a knitting project I started in November and start and finish another.  I learned how to knit in 2019 and really enjoy it.  I hope to find more time in the coming year to year improve this skill.
    • I am almost done.
19. Learn how to can!  We usually have a prolific vegetable garden (2019 was a failure).  My husband is the one who usually preserves the bounty.  But, more job responsibilities means that I should take this one over.
20. Go on 2 weekend getaways with my husband.  A full blown vacation is not going to happen, but a couple weekends away should be attainable.
    • We are planning something this spring

How are your 2020 goals going?

Today I officially drank the kool aid and decided that it would be best for me to follow the advice of the many news sources out there and prepare for the off chance that my house gets hit with coronavirus.  I chose to do this for a few reasons.  First, my husband stocked up on two weeks worth of non perishable foods several weeks ago for this reason.  He never reacts to stuff like this, ever.  He is honestly the most even keeled, non reactive person I know.  If he thinks that this virus is worth stocking up on canned vegetables, I better take notice.  I will mention that he bought 12 cans of canned peas which I will never eat.  Not ever.  So those will likely be donated to a food pantry at some point.  Honestly, who eats canned peas?

Reason number two I decided to stock up, H1N1 (swine flu) did actually hit my house in 2009, so I know that it is possible for a pandemic to effect my family.   Two of my three kids were sick for about 10 days each, back to back.  Yes that’s right, I missed close to three weeks of work at that time.  I worked in retail and while I never got sick, the last place I needed to be was at a mall passing the germs on to others.  My manager politely told me to stay home.  Thankfully, I had sick time, so I was paid for those lost work hours.  Those two kids have never been sicker than they were at for those weeks.  I felt so bad for them.  But, we got through it, which is why I felt it unnecessary to jump on the bandwagon.  After all, we survived swine flu!  But, everything I have read seems to practically scream at us that this will be far more devastating and if a family member gets it, self imposed isolation is the only choice.  In 2009, those of us who were not ill did not self isolate for those weeks.  My husband went to work, my youngest went to school and I ran errands as needed.  Twenty days of swine flu required a lot of ginger ale. My husband has already made it very clear to me, as soon as there is a confirmed case in Milwaukee, he is isolating himself.  The benefits of having a job that allows you to work from home.

The third reason I gave in, it just seemed like the adult thing to do.  I rarely have OTC medication on hand.  I am far too cheap to buy things like that on the off chance we will need it.  But, I remembered back to 2009 and my husband driving to Walgreens at 5:00 am when it was clear our daughter had a serious case of the flu, for medication I did not have on hand.  I do not want to be caught off guard this time.

So today, after work, I went to Walgreens and stocked up on the items that I have read we should have on hand.  Good news, I had $10 in rewards, so I even saved money.  Obviously I hope that we are not effected by coronavirus and that everything I bought will be able to go to college with my daughter in the fall or be donated to our local food pantry.  But, if one of us, or all of us gets sick, we are prepared to the best of our ability.  But like I said, I am never eating those peas.  What are you doing to prepare?

Look at all that single use plastic, another reason why I never buy stuff like this.