Phew – this week just flew by! I didn’t have a chance to finalize any of my draft posts for the week. And now? It’s the end of the month! February is going to go by in a flash because it’s a short one. Then we only have one more month of winter. Hooray! I’m already looking forward to April’s sunshine (or showers?). I’m so so tired of the cold! Heck, I’ve been tired of the cold since November!

Moving right along. I was reviewing some of my January posts, and my 2020 “goals” post had me reflecting on what I have/haven’t done with this list. Here’s the original post, if you’d like to read it. If not, here’s how I’m making out with my 20 things I’d like to do/see/eat/think about/read in 2020.

***

1.Complete the challenges that my family and friends set for me for my 40th birthday.

I’ve knocked two items off of my list: watching Annie Hall (I didn’t love it.) and 7 Days in Hell (so absurd).

2. Travel.

I don’t yet have a major trip planned. Singapore has moved down on my travel list on account of the Coronavirus. I did book a long weekend getaway to Kingston last week, so that definitely counts as travel!

3. Learn more about the Waterloo region.

I read (and actually couldn’t put down) Blackberry Town by Chuck Howitt. It was fascinating to learn (or be reminded of, in some cases) about the growth of tech – and Blackberry – in the Waterloo Region.

I also read a mystery novel – Murder as a Fine Art – by David Morrell. He’s a KW native and was the author behind Rambo! It was excellent. I’m looking forward to reading another one of his books soon.

4. Experience more art.

I did a lot in January, which made me very happy! I took part in a flamenco masterclass with Los Aurora and then watched their concert. I also went to the KW symphony (Mozart), and saw Rochelle Rubenstein’s show at the Robert Langen Art Gallery at Laurier.

5. Play more board games.

After spending New Year’s Eve playing Sequence, I went to Chapters-Indigo to grab my own game. I played it with friends when they came from brunch a few weeks ago. I’m eager to play it again!

6. Master my mom’s signature cake.

Take 1 is done! The cake turned out well, but I have a few tweaks to make for the next round.

7. Wear more dresses.

I’m doing okay with this one. Here’s one of my black dresses that is on nearly weekly repeat!

8. Consider adding more colour to my wardrobe.

Nope. I haven’t made any progress on this one. The only colour in my wardrobe these days is my yellow coat.

9. Save money.

While I drastically reduced my Starbucks intake in January (yay!), I spent a lot of money on travel, eating out, activities, etc (oops). This is still a work in progress!

10. Plan a major bathroom reno.

Zero progress.

11. Eat more vegetables.

I’ve upped my intake of salad this week. That’s about all.

12. Buy more fun socks.

Yes! I have two new pairs to get into the Valentine’s Day spirit!

13. Connect people.

I was able to do this twice in January. I’m not sure if anything will come of the connections that I tried to make, but I’ll keep at it.

14. Clean closets regularly.

Zero progress.

15. Trust my gut.

This is kind of like my daily affirmation.

16. Get a facial.

Zero progress.

17. Embrace soup.

I made Ana-Maria’s carrot and tomato soup recipe, and it was so good! I made a huge batch, so I froze a lot of it, and it was so handy to have soup on the go for busy nights. This reminds me that I should make another batch this weekend.

18. Clean up my shoes.

Zero progress. Instead of getting rid of some, I added another pair to the mix. Oops. But they’re from a new-to-me brand, Hogl, and they may just be the most comfortable pair of shoes I’ve ever owned!

19. Pass on my magazines.

Yes! I did this a couple of times in January!

20. Have fun.

Yes! I did a lot of this in January. I’ll definitely continue this in February!

***

So there’s my January review. I’ll aim to post another update in February if you care to follow along my progress with me.