25 Goals for 25, er, 23 Weeks!

This post is somewhat late, as we now have a grand total of about 23 weeks maximum till the baby is here. But I came up with a list of 25 things I'd like to accomplish in the next 25 23 weeks, and I'm sticking to it.

At least I hope I can!

BUDGET

#1: Get a handle on our flexible expenses. This includes grocery bills, gym memberships, entertainment funds, the running budget (all those races and shoes add up!), etc. In general, we're hoping to live more simply and do more with less. I hate the perception that simplifying has to mean bad sacrifices. We're looking at it more as a challenge to think smarter. Note: We got rid of our gym membership ($65/month) and are looking into different cable options (could save up to $100/month). Otherwise, we've written a detailed budget we're hoping to stick to starting in January.

#2: Save $X. Or as much as possible. We have a number in mind that we won't share on the blog. But saving money is a top priority. Note: We got close to our goal number, but baby expenses continue to mount. Thankfully, we have a good chunk of emergency dough in Baby A's bank.

HOUSE/ETC.

#3: Organize the attic. And everything else. During our attempt to sell our house, we stashed stuff EVERYWHERE. And by everywhere, I mostly mean at my parents' house and in our attic. We need to go through everything and do the whole keep, toss, donate drill.

#4: Create a laundry space. We have a washer and dryer. But I'd love a folding station. I'd also like this area to be clean and, dare I say, FUN to spend time in? Our basement is sort of icky, but if we plan on cloth diapering . . . I'll be spending more time down there. Note: OK. This one isn't 100% done, but we now have a large table beside our dryer stocked with lots of detergent. Beside that, we have clotheslines to hang our cloth diapers.

#5: Wash our cars inside and out. We're not the best at car-care. Especially when it comes to clutter and dirt. I want to wash, wax, vacuum, shampoo, and shine every inch of both our cars. And KEEP them relatively clean. While we're at it, we should probably get everything in the house, too!

#6: Paint our bedroom. I had painted it this washed-out grey a couple years ago (you can see it on the house tour). I've hated it ever since. We'll be spending much more time upstairs when the baby comes, so I'd like to LOVE this color. Suggestions?

#7: Develop a Chore List. I get this idea that it'll be a free-for-all when the baby comes. I've been told I'll be groggy and forgetful. So, it'd be nice to develop a list of things that need to be done each day, week, month to keep our place running smoothly.

#8: Learn how to make our own cleaning supplies. Including laundry detergent, specifically. Non-toxic cleaners that are also easy on the wallet.

FOOD

#9: Improve our kitchen. We may not be able to do a bigger overhaul that we ideally want (we wrote about all our woes in this post). Even a cheap one. We'll see. But I would like to at least install more shelving and get some type of dishwasher. Note: We won't be able to redo anything for a while. The dishwasher is going to be a tremendous help in its own right.

#10: Develop a pantry list. This item, of course, goes along with expenses. I feel strongly that if we had a more organized system for buying food, we'd eat better and spend less. Our needs will change when the baby gets here, but basics are basics.

#11: Learn how to can. I know pretty much nothing about how to do it. I like to make applesauce, and I'd like to stock up on it. I'd also like to can other stuff. Like tomatoes from our garden. Note: We, instead, are learning how to FREEZE.

#12: Buy a small freezer. We had one that died in an unfortunate keg-o-rator experiment gone wrong. And along with learning how to can, I want to freeze efficiently. Mostly to save time. Make tons of batches of garlic knot dough, for example, and have it on hand!


PERSONAL

#13: Run a 15K. But not a race. I haven't had any running goals since the half marathon. Not that I need them, but I've found it difficult to run with nothing in mind. We typically run the Boilermaker 15K each year, so I'd like to plan my own route, run it, and then celebrate the rest of the day.

#14: Strike a better balance. Or at least make steps to move in that direction. I bet this will be a hard one. But right now I feel like my life is too stressful, and there's little way out of it. I know we all deal with stress, but eventually we need to take ACTION. I'm still searching for answers.

#15: Develop an after-pregnancy fitness and wellness plan. It will involve how I plan to get back into shape -- as well as how to eat well, sleep well, and de-stress. Oh, and it may involve beauty stuff, too. I keep hearing all my hair will fall out after delivery. I may need to pick out a short haircut?

#16: Learn to sew. I already wrote all about my new obsession with sewing. My mom's planning on teaching me. We'll see how it goes!

MARRIAGE

#17: Take a babymoon. This goal is already planned (I talked about it in our 15-week video post). In just 15 days, we can cross it off the list!

#18: Go to the movies. And on other dates. We've heard there isn't much time or spare cash for this kind of stuff after the baby arrives. So, we're soaking in some summer flicks and going out more on weekends to bank some alone time. This weekend: Super 8. Next? Bad Teacher.

#19: Discuss how to get couple time once the baby comes. It all goes along with striking a balance. We just need to chat about how life will change and what we're planning to do to make it fun versus awful.

BABY-SPECIFIC

#20: Complete the nursery. Of course we'll complete it. But I feel like having it on the list will help speed the process along!

#21: Take a cloth diapering class. There are lots of classes I want to take -- including all the usuals -- but cloth diapering is the one I'm looking all over for. Oh, and breastfeeding. Note: We took lots of baby classes. Never specifically a cloth diapering one, but we've done tons of online research -- here's our current plan.

#22: Figure out a childcare plan. Nothing is off the table at this point. But I keep hearing if we decide on outside care, we need to get our name on a list now-ish. OMG. I think this item brings me the most anxiety and overall upset-ness.

#23: Create a binder of all mom groups/family activities/free activites/etc. in the area. I'd like to do the work ahead of time so I'm not hunting around when I don't have the energy to do so. I know there's lots to do in our area, it's just sort of here, there, and everywhere. Slowly, I'm accumulating some info, and we need to organize it.

BLOG

#24: Build up posts to eliminate interruption. Or solicit guest posts. I don't want to go all MIA on you, but I imagine we'll be busy those first couple weeks, months. Don't worry, it's on our minds now. We'll figure something out!

#25: Make progress on new blog. WHAT?! Don't fear. This project is in the beginning stages, but I'm thinking of taking the blog in a slightly new direction. Well, not new or different, really. Just more cohesive. Way more on this item in the coming months. It's overwhelming!

Can you think of anything we're forgetting? Do any of these items surprise you? Are some too ambitious? I'd love your feedback and wisdom!

So, along with this post being a bit late, we've shifted the video post -- again -- another day. But it'll be up before you know it! Heck, I only have a couple more days left in my 16th week, I sort-of HAVE to finish it soon! In the meantime, you can check out yesterday's post on how I decided on which half marathon to run . . . and whether or not to run it on the main site.

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