Small Goals // July 2020

Another month of quarantining over. Let’s see how I did on these goals (now that I’m back in the habit of making them).

1. Educate myself. This is, of course, ongoing, but I will mark it complete (and keep going). Michael has been really helpful here recommending some speeches and Yale lectures. I’ve also been doing a lot of reading and listening (the 1619 podcast was very good). I’ve committed myself to elevate BIPOC voices at work through stories, product recommendations and highlighted businesses. I’ve also been diversifying my feeds online—unfollowing people and companies that don’t align with my morals and finding new creative folks to follow instead. A few of my favorite new follows are @arley.cakes and @the.mocha.gardener.
2. Be diligent about maintaining the garden. Done! The garden is looking really good. Roses are blooming, tiny cucumbers are growing and the tomatoes are starting to turn red.
3. Sew the Charlie Caftan. I made it, but unfortunately, the view I made just wasn’t right for me. The shoulders were so big that it looked silly. I haven’t given up hope—I’ll just wait until my mom can help me fix it.
4. Be active 25 out of 30 days this month. Done! I even did some workout videos.
5. Do my best to celebrate a milestone anniversary at home. Done. I won’t lie: Trying to make staying in all day special is challenging (especially when we had envisioned celebrating five years in Ireland). But we did up the day with all the bells and whistles we could. I got us breakfast and good coffee at Colectivo and we dined on Tenuta’s at night. I also managed to have a very good wood anniversary gift delivered in the afternoon: a new walnut desk for Michael.

5/5. It’s incredible how achieving home-based goals is easier when you have literally nothing else to do. But not everything this month was homey. I feel good about what I accomplished.

As far as learning and working to be a better ally, it’s something I’m seriously committed to. I won’t continue to list it as a goal here because it’s not something I should be patting myself on the back for over and over again. But I do want you to know that I’m not sleeping on this.

As far as July goes, it’s going to be a lot of homey goals still. We’re still playing it really safe. Honestly, it’s really hard to keep secluding ourselves especially as more and more of our friends and family expand their bubbles. I think that having some goals here might take my mind off another month of isolation.

1. Make a popover dress. I made one of these from Gertie Sews Jiffy Dresses last summer. I ordered some fabric from Z Fabrics for another a while back and it’s time to put it to use.
2. Try five workout videos. I have a hard time working out without an in-person class. Those scheduled times and places help me commit to more challenging work like lifting weights. I’m going to try to make a schedule for myself this month and workout along with some vids a few times. So far, I’ve had the most success making it to the end of the class by muting the video and listening to a podcast. Why Won’t You Date Me is a good one for this because it’s funny and exuberant—kind of like the podcast equivalent of a pop song.
3. Clean the carpet. I bought a carpet cleaner back in May to clean our very old Kermit the Frog green carpeting. Do not come for me on this carpet. I like it. I’m not ripping it up. For whatever reason—laziness, stress, choosing to do dozens of crossword puzzles instead—I didn’t even open the box. It’s time to do that and give the carpeting a deep clean. Boring goal, I know. That’s quarantine!
4. Get canning supplies. Last year, I dabbled in pickling for the first time and I think it went well. Time to learn how to preserve some stuff for the long haul—not just refrigerator pickles.
5. Making something from Heirloom Kitchen: I came across Heirloom Kitchen while doing some research at work and ordered it immediately. I’m really looking forward to getting this one in the mail!

Thanks for staying tuned for this very long goals post. I hope that you’re all staying well and keeping occupied. And please wear a mask when you’re in public.