#34 – Read 50 books.

Since last report, I’ve finished ten more books. The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone, The Razor’s Edge by M. Somerset Maugham, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, Devotion by Dani Shapiro, The Last Place by Laura Lipmann, Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin, The Bhagavad Gita, Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hahn, The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, and Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. That’s 42 books read.

Month 14, 15 & 16 Roundup

Clearly I’ve been slacking on the updates on my 101 progress. I’d like to believe it’s because I’ve been so busy living life. I guess time will tell as I write out this update.

The Weeklies:

#44 – Turn off the TV at least one evening a week. Still doing this most weeks.

Monthly Things:

#12 – Do my self-breast exam every month. Done.

#62 – Save monthly in a long-term savings account. Still doing this and I actually started another savings account where I’m building up a short-term emergency fund, too.

#63 – Pay off my car. Still working on this one diligently.

#65 – Pay off my credit card every month. Done.

#76 – Plan a “me” day at least once a month. I’m going to try harder to consciously plan a “me” day for the month of May. I really need one.

#80 – Send 33 cards or letters. I sent out at least one card or letter each month.

#87 – Buy myself a gift or flowers on the 5th of every month. I don’t always do this on the 5th, but I try to do it once every month.

#90 – Compliment a stranger 33 times. Still going…

#100 – Track my 101 progress monthly. I’m keeping track…that’s what matters, right?

Other Things:

#1 – Lose 25 pounds (or get back into a size 10). I’ve been making some serious forward progress on this goal. I’m twelve pounds down and I managed to squeeze into my size 10s, although they’re not wearable quite yet.

#11 – Pick 10 slow-cooker recipes and try them all. I’ve made 5 slow-cooker recipes so far. I’m expecting to make several more this summer. The slow-cooker is the perfect way to make hot meals without heating up the kitchen.

#34 – Read 50 books. I finished The Help, Certain Girls, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Size 14 is Not Fat Either, American Girls About Town, Gifts From the Sea, Ghosts of War and Writing Down the Bones over the last three months. That’s 32 read toward my 50.

#99 – Meet a blog-friend in person.

Over the weekend I attended FitBloggin’10 and there I met Mel from Mel’s Box of Chocolates, who turned out to be just as awesome in person as she is on her blog and Twitter. I had a great time and loved getting to know her better, as well as meeting so many other awesome fit bloggers.

#18 – Go to 3 writing conferences or retreats.

I registered for the MWA Writer’s Conference again this year (happening in April) and I also attended FitBloggin’ last weekend, which I suppose isn’t really a writing conference, but definitely inspired my blog writing. Looks like I can scratch this one off my list.

#5 – Practice yoga 3 times per week for 8 weeks in a row.

I was doing really well on this one until last week, when I managed to totally skip out on yoga for the entire week (except for the few minutes before bed that I do yoga stretches most nights). I’m getting straight back into it this week, though. 0/8 and counting…again.

#34 – Read 50 books.

I’ve been on a reading rampage the last few months. OK, maybe not to some of you, but definitely for me. Since last report, I’ve finished Size 14 is Not Fat Either by Meg Cabot and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. I enjoyed both of them, but I really liked “the potato book” as the girls in my book club have taken to calling it. That’s 30 books read and plenty of time to get in the remaining 20. I’m seriously considering upping the challenge to 70 books, but I think I’ll wait to see how this progress plays out over the next few months.

#34 – Read 50 books.

Finished Ghosts of War by Ryan Smithson (see my review here) and Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. That’s 28. It looks like I might need to up the ante on this goal again…

#11 – Pick 10 slow-cooker recipes and try them all.

Being snowed-in for 10 days has its advantages. I put the slow cooker to good use and made slow-cooker beans, red beans and rice, and a vegetable stew. That’s five slow-cooker recipes down.

#34 – Read 50 books.

I’m up to 26. I just finished American Girls About Town, a collection of short stories by American chick-lit authors. I also finished Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, a collection of essays about womanhood originally written in the 50s, but still surprisingly applicable to women today.

Month 13 Roundup

I didn’t get around to doing a December roundup, mostly because I wasn’t making much headway on my 101 at the end of 2009. But I’ve got several updates for January’s progress, so here’s the scoop.

The Dailies:

#9 – Take my vitamins every day for 45 days. Yahoo! I’ve finally finished this one. I’m in the groove now and hope to be able to stick with it for the foreseeable future.

The Weeklies:

#44 – Turn off the TV at least one evening a week. Now that I’ve renewed my commitment to building my business, this one is getting easier.

Monthly Things:

#12 – Do my self-breast exam every month. Done.

#62 – Save monthly in a long-term savings account. Done. I’ve even increased the amount I have automatically transferred every month.

#63 – Pay off my car. Still working on this one diligently.

#65 – Pay off my credit card every month. Done.

#76 – Plan a “me” day at least once a month. I have a hard time purposefully planning “me” days. I do spend days alone, enjoying my own company, though. Usually, I’m writing and/or reading.

#80 – Send 33 cards or letters. I sent plenty of cards out for the holidays and in January I started writing letters to my best friend every week or so.

#87 – Buy myself a gift or flowers on the 5th of every month. I skipped December on this one, but in January I bought myself my favorite lunch (it was my birthday, after all).

#90 – Compliment a stranger 33 times. Still going…

#100 – Track my 101 progress monthly. I’m keeping track…that’s what matters, right?

Yearly Things:

#2 – Participate in the CSA each year. I signed up for my membership, and even upgraded to a full share.

Other Things:

#1 – Lose 25 pounds (or get back into a size 10). My 2010 goals to build a regular yoga practice, exercise at least 90 minutes per week and limit my evening snacking are all contributing to this 101 goal. So far? Five pounds down!

#11 – Pick 10 slow-cooker recipes and try them all. I made my second slow-cooker recipe this weekend: Spicy Black Bean Chili from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker.

#17 – Take a writing course. I signed up for an online essay writing course that started in January. I also won access to an online Trade Magazine writing course that started the same day. Needless to say it’s been a busy month, but I’m learning a lot.

#19 – Review and update my website at least once every three months. I’ve picked out a few templates to work with for my new business site. My current site will be for creative pursuits while my business site will focus on freelance writing and client needs.

#34 – Read 50 books. I finished My Life in France, Julie and Julia, Passing for Thin, Size 12 is Not Fat, and Plain Truth over the last two months. That’s 24 read toward my 50.