Hi, friends! It’s been a while since we’ve had a 101 Things in 1001 Days update (not since last December, yikes!). So today I’ll be sharing with you some of the progress I’ve made in the last five months and those goals I’ll be focusing on over the summer. If you need a reminder on what my goals are, you can check out the fully updated list here!
Ok, let’s get right into it then! No better time than the beginning of a new season (summer!) to take another look at our goals for the year.
Recently completed goals and/or recent progress:
16. Go gluten free for two weeks. I finally gave this one a go to see if it would help with some of the digestive issues I’ve had since I was younger. And while I found myself feeling much more regular and healthier overall after going gluten-free, I think it was more about what I was putting into my system (better choices!) and less about what I was cutting out. For instance, cutting gluten out of my diet meant that a lot of the snacky foods I was used to munching on while studying were off limits. As a result, I learned to swap these junk foods for healthier alternatives such as fresh carrots, salted nuts, and sweet prunes for dessert. And believe it or not, I still prefer to cook with the brown rice pasta I discovered while on my two week gluten free trial. I will say, however, that I cannot live long without pizza! (Domino’s thankfully makes a garlicy gluten free crust that tastes surprisingly normal if you’re ever in need!).
23. Run one 5k per month for one year. (2/12) I really struggled to get this one started, but I’m happy to report that I’m already two 5k runs in and can’t wait to keep the momentum going! Allen and I ran the first 5k together in late-April at the Boulder Dash and Dine. And while I wasn’t a huge fan of running in the sleet and snow, it was so much fun to run side-by-side with Allen the whole time! And I just completed my second 5k race at the Steel Pier Classic this past weekend in Virginia Beach along the boardwalk. Can you say dreamiest running location?! And guess what?! I even cut off a whole minute from my previous time! (Probably from the altitude change, but I’ll take it!)
26. Read 10 books. (4/10) I read the entirety of The Magnolia Story in a 1.5 day span (woah! even surprised me!) while we were visiting a cabin in Crested Butte. It was so good and compelling, and I’d highly recommend it if you are a fan of Fixer Upper on HGTV! Another book I would highly recommend is The Curated Closet. It’s actually more of a workbook with great advice and action items on how to make your closet more intentional and practical for REAL life. (Remember that talk we had in this post about having a real, attainable, practical closet?) And also ways to identify and find your personal style too, if you’re in the market for that! In fact, the book recommends to keep an outfit diary for 2 weeks to identify which outfits work, which ones don’t, and elements that contributed to each working/not working….and I ended up documenting my outfits for over a month! It was such a helpful exercise and taught me so much about my personal style. In fact, any pieces I felt uncomfortable in during the day went straight into the donation pile after work. So it was a great exercise in pairing down my wardrobe as well!
42. Find a skincare regimen that works for me. If you didn’t see it, I did a whole health post on my daily habits, including my tried and true skincare regimen. For a quick recap, I use one of two moisturizers with SPF protection in the morning–either the Aveeno’s moisturizer + SPF or this moisturizer by Kiehl’s. At night, I use the Cetaphil Daily cleanser to wash off any residual dirt or oil after taking off my make-up with these Aveeno moisturizing wipes. And finally I put on Cera Ve Moisurizing cream before bed. I also will occasionally use this Kiehl’s Clay Cleansing Masque or Tumeric & Cranberry Energizing Masque to remove toxins and rejuvenate and brighten my skin in the evenings. (It makes me feel like I’m at the spa!)
67. Figure out beers. While I’m not sure I can say with complete certainty that I have ‘figured out beers’, I do have a good idea of what I like. In generally I enjoy wheat beers or flavored beers (raspberry wheats are a favorite), dark ales or oatmeal stouts, and any beer carbonated with nitro (it’s like a milkshake!!!).
80. Visit Seattle. This past spring break, Allen and I took a week long trip to explore Seattle and Vancouver. I’m not sure why, but Seattle has always been at the top of my list of places to explore! And I’ll actually be doing a full recap on our trip next week (hopefully!). So stay tuned to hear about all the fun things we did!
Upcoming goals:
7. Connect with 10 blogging friends in person. Since I’m living in a new state for the summer, I’d love to put my feelers out and meet new bloggers in the area! Blogging has definitely been a great way to meet girls in the Denver and Boulder area, so I’d love to keep it going here in Virginia and all along the East Coast while I’m here!
19. Stretch and foam-roll each day for two weeks. Since starting physical therapy on my back, I have realized the importance of stretching each day. I’d love to incorporate more of a structured “stretch and foam-roll” period of time into my morning or early evening routine.
29. Present at my first technical conference. A few months ago, I submitted my first abstract to an international astronautical conference taking place in Australia, and I just recently received word that it was accepted! I am far from being done with the research that goes into the paper, much less writing it, but I am so so excited for this opportunity to present at my first technical conference in late-September! P.S. I’ve actually presented at an engineering education conference before, but never a technical engineering conference!
49. Stick to a budget. Finally cracking down on my bad spending habits and only spending money when necessary. It’s helped a lot since becoming more mindful about my wardrobe!
59. Go one month without shopping. While I have cut down significantly on the number of clothes I add to my wardrobe each season, I have yet to go an entire month without purchasing anything. But this summer, I’m committed to making it happen! Want to join me one month and encourage each other?!
92. See ten classic films. Last summer, I really got into watching classic films while I was on my own in Houston. Being in Virginia on my own again this summer, I’m hoping to find some more good ones to watch this time around! Have any recommendations?! I could definitely use some!
Updated Count: 44/101 goals in 730/1001 days
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