101 in 1001 Update!

Well well well. A month has gone by and we're now 31 days into the 101 in 1001 challenge. That means only 970 days to go! This challenge has been fun for me so far, but looking over my list, I can see I've only actually completed two items. Two! Yikes. I've gotten started on a few more, but many will take almost the entire 1001 days to finish. 

Now where are we? via Agadabout

Anyway I won't post the entire list again (see it here), but after the jump are some of the things I've been up to this month:

 

*Purple items are in progress, Blue are complete

Kindness and gratitude - I clearly need to work on this

7. Complete two random acts of kindness per month (2/66)
 This one is surprisingly tough! I thought opportunities to drop quarters into strangers' parking meters and help little old ladies cross the street would appear if I looked for them, but not so much. I guess I need to work on seeing opportunities to be kind (if anyone has any ideas, please let me know!).

What I did in January: left my brand new InStyle magazine at the gym so other people could read it, and babysat a newborn so a new-to-the-country-and-don't-know-many-people couple could go on a date night.

More thank-yous and a fewer naps! via Suicide Blonde

Settle - in progress

 12. Buy a home
Adam and I sat down and figured out exactly when we want to move and how much cash we need to make that happen. We've decided to wait another year, because we love our cheap rental apartment and we figure saving up a bit more couldn't hurt. This one is "in progress" because we've communicated and got that plan in place.

Adventure! - or in my case, eating 

32. Try three new restaurants in the city (1/3)
This one is so tough! Not. We went to The Teahouse in Stanley Park for my birthday and it was delightful. Set on a cliff looking over Burrard Inlet, you can see the stars, the mountains, the city and the ocean all in one gaze. I had pork with fig sauce. Yum.

Fitness and health - the goal being less Kate, more Blake

Bad Kate! via Making Magique

45. Complete the 100 push-up challenge 

I'm one month into this six-week challenge and I've gone from being able to do 7 push-ups in a row to 20. Plus, I'm back in sleeveless tops. I highly recommend this program and I'll probably repeat it when I'm done. (Ed note - link added: click here if you want to try the challenge!)

48. Try a Zumba class - complete!

One of the easier tasks, this item took 80 minutes to complete. Still. It took me two years to get up the guts to go (and now I'm not sure why). The amount I sweat was surpassed only by how much I laughed. Will definitely be back for another round of this class.

50. Hold a high plank for 1 minute - complete!
Thank you, 100 push-up challenge! Couldn't hold this for 10 seconds in December and now it's no big thang.

54. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight

This is an ongoing process for me. I haven't really defined what weight I want to be at - I basically just want to be able to go on long bike rides and hikes with Adam and be able to keep up. Anyway, this is in progress because I've cut back on booze and I'm exercising a lot more.

Go Blake! via Wildly Gorgeous

Professional - needs work (ha!) 

 72. Keep maintaining meticulous financial records via Google docs
I've been keeping this spreadsheet for about a year and a half and my goal is to continue. Basically I keep track of my chequing, savings (short-term), RRSPs (long-term savings), emergency fund, ING Direct balance, credit card debt (if applicable), and any other loans (from say, a friend or from my parents). Then I fill it in every Wednesday so I can keep track of how much I'm saving and how much I owe. It definitely keeps me accountable.

Prrrofessional! via Sterling Style Love

Family and friends

82. Have dinner with my parents once a month (1/33) and 83. Call or visit with sisters at least once a month (1/33)
See birthday.

I simply must call my sisters via Stupid Strawberry in Her Hair

Joyful - why is it so hard to do things that I know make me happy?

97. Go swimming at least once a month (2/33)
I have to say, swimming sheds pounds off of my body and makes me feel strong and lean like nothing else. I'm so glad to be back in the pool!

To do in Feburary:

14. Read The Beautiful and the Damned
59. Find a favorite poem and frame it
49. Swim 1 mile (64 lengths)
51. Try a Pilates class
62. Leave a romantic quote somewhere public a la Amelie

How are you all doing on your lists? Any advice for me?