Lifestyle

2020 May Goal Reflection

Jessica
2020 May Goal Reflection

In an effort to actually maintain my 2020 goals, because they are in fact good for me, I figured I would blog about them. This seems to be a good medium for reflection and accountability for me. Soooo let’s see how I did in May, shall we?

1. Find a morning prayer routine

So I actually took away the Morning Offertory prayer I was saying & switched to this. Why don’t you keep both you ask? Cause I wasn’t feeling it, that’s why.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

I am, however, trying to incorporate other daily prayers and novenas into my list (currently doing the Pentecost novena). I love the format of Kendra Tierney’s booklets & check out her blog HERE.

2. Travel internationally relatively cheaply at least once

Well me and everyone else is on a travel ban right now. . .sooo nope! But I have some quarantine blog posts reminiscing about travel:

3. Finish our master bathroom renovation

We accomplished nothing with this goal this month in the rush to be done with the school year.

4. Work out at least twice a week

Week 1:

  • There was only 2 days in this “week” so…no

Week 2:

Week 3:

Week 4:

  • Sunday, May 17: Nike Training App – Smoldering Shoulders (25 minutes) + TWO walks around the neighborhood
  • Monday, May 19: LOSE MORE FAT BY TRAINING THIS MUSCLE GROUP (that’s the actual name of the workout lol all caps too) (26 minutes)
  • Friday, May 22: 1-hour walk in the woods with a friend
  • Saturday, May 23: short walk around the neighborhood after dinner

Week 5:

  • Monday, May 25: short walk around the neighborhood before breakfast & BodyRock HiitMax Sexy Core & Six Pack Abs (13:54)
  • Tuesday, May 26: simple workout exercises while watching PD videos + a walk around the neighborhood
  • Wednesday, May 27: Nike Training App – Smoldering Shoulders (25 minutes) + a walk around the neighborhood
  • Thursday, May 28: my weekly hike was cut short by your Florida afternoon thunderstorms (but we still got an hour and a half in)
  • Sunday, May 31: BodyRock How to do Ab Exercises with Bands (28:24)

5. Build a bookcase for our library

I’m really starting to think I was crazy putting this on the list, but hey a girl can dream, can’t she?

6. Do not purchase new clothes unless I get rid of something first

I successfully did not buy any new clothes this month! My sister-in-law did try to tempt me with pictures from the clearance rack while she was at TJ Maxx but I am doing my best to stick clear of unnecessary trips to stores right now.

7. Reduce our grocery bill by $100 a month (it’s like $800 right now!)

*Note: the coronavirus outbreak & us working from home has changed our food buying patterns a lot

Week 1:

  • Saturday, May 2: $4.19 at Publix (Will wanted to make homemade “Crunchwrap Supremes”)

Week 2:

  • Any groceries this week Will bought for my surprise social distancing birthday party so I’m not counting it here, it’s part of my gift! #loophole
  • We bought no “regular” groceries (wooohooo)

Week 3:

  • I was so determined this week not to go grocery shopping and YOU GUYS I DID IT!!!

Week 4:

  • Sunday, May 17: $296.89 at Aldis (after not going food shopping for so long we were desperate lol)
  • Friday, May 22: $164.35 (I was only supposed to go in to pick up my prescription. . .)

Week 5:

  • $120.37 (I realllyyy tried to make it to June 1st but we’re having a Zoom brunch with friends & we didn’t have OJ or champagne so I had to go to the store lol)

Grocery TOTAL for May: $585.80

Restaurant TOTAL: $50.33

*We’re trying to do take out at a local restaurant at least once a week to support the local economy.

**We’ve ordered pizza 3 times this month lol (part of my birthday gift, Mothers Day’s social distancing gift to my MOL, & a few days ago).

8. Finish decorating the living spaces in our home

So Will and I are currently batting this a bit. He does not want to spend ANY money on anything for literally the foreseeable future & I know that is unrealistic. But as school starts winding down he has begun to engaged me in conversations of “wouldn’t this look nice….” 🙂 Check back in June. . .I’ll wear him down I’m sure.

9. Read and/or listen to at least 30 books

I do a big book review at the end of the year but these are the books I have read or listened to in May:

10. Blog at least once a week (or 52 times over the year)

I successfully blogged 11 times this month:

  1. UNESCO: Archeological Site at Delphi
  2. UNESCO: Acropolis, Athens
  3. Pestilence & Prayer: Madonna della Misericordia (7)
  4. Reality vs Planning: 2019 Athens & Aegean Cruise Trip
  5. Travel Tips: Visiting the Acropolis
  6. Pestilence & Prayer: Vita of St. Christopher (9)
  7. Reality vs Planning: 2018 Andalusia Spain Trip
  8. What Education can Learn from “Emergency Teaching”
  9. Pestilence & Prayer: St. Christopher in Art (10)
  10. 2020 Summer Plans
  11. 2020 Summer Book Swap

11. Transform part of my backyard into some kind of garden

I just want to say I started this COVID-19 “Victory Garden” trend lol I have proof! I made this list in December 2019 way before everyone started quarantine gardening. I wish I could have convinced Will to jump on this sooner so I could have capitalized on the below 90 degree weather and boredom BUT I think I’ve convinced him to build our raised beds this summer. 🙂 Stay tuned for an update.

12. Practice yoga at least once a month

Here are the following times I practiced yoga:

13. Cook a meal 100% out of my pantry at least every other week

If you follow my Instagram stories you can see my daily pantry creations! (shameless plug)

14. Apply to (& get accepted) to one summer program

#1. Pretty much all in-person summer programs are cancelled BUT since I applied for a Gilder Lehrman summer institute (that I was going to have to say no to because of my now-canceled Oxford trip) they are now offering online PD for us. Online is not my prefered method but I always take an opportunity to continuing education! They asked us to pick our top two choices so I choose:

  1. Women and Politics in 20th-Century America by Linda Gordon, New York University
  2. American Immigration History by Vincent J. Cannato, University of Massachusetts, Boston

#2. I was told by a colleague of another short summer online PD opportunity! No application needed, I just sign up and, if I finish by June 15, I get $150. 🙂 It is put on by the Institute for Curriculum Services and called “Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict with Primary Sources.” I’m excited I get to continue learning about this fascinating topic that I just brushed the surface of during my Dimensions of the Middle East Institute at Duke last summer.

#3. I got re-accepted as an AP Art History Reader for their online essay reading week. Staring at a computer for 35 hours grading essays sounds daunting but I am glad for the PD opportunity and the extra income it brings!

#4. Will & I are actually teaching PD this summer for our district, very new for me! I am leading a session on building group collaboration on a virtual platform and Will is teaching one on creating on-demand teacher videos. We both love being teacher-leaders, making extra summer money, pushing ourselves academically, and having fun ways of connecting with peers. 🙂 This summer we are getting to check all the boxes!

15. Host someone over for dinner at least once a month

Will planned the perfect social distancing birthday for me that doubled as hosting people for dinner: we had a surprise lunch delivery from my sister, made homemade cannolis (what an adventure!), he picked up 3 boxes of pizza & had friends (6 feet away) around a fire. Highlight of my month. 🙂

Also, my cousin stopped for a night on her drive back up to Washington, D.C. and we had a lovely dinner or spring rolls, edamame, dumplings, and sake. Then Will made omelets for breakfast & mimosas! I love reasons to celebrate at home.

16. Write a letter (& mail it!) at least once per month

I sent ONE postcard!. . .as a joke to someone who said they never get fun mail. Soooo technically this is a win but my postcard had one sentence soooo…not sure it should count.

17. See at least 5 artworks from the AP Art History 250 Curriculum

Not anymore!, but I’m blogging about the AP Art History 250 . . .so close lol so close. . .

18. Have a cheap date with my hubby at least once a month

I don’t even know what counts anymore and what’s cheap. lol Eating take out in the car? Does that count? Or weekly neighborhood walks? Naps on the hammock? Sure. . .I’m out of ideas now.

19. Get at least a 65% pass rate for my students in AP World History

Well our AP Exam was on Thursday, May 21 & we received their essays digitally on May 26th. Although I’ve had a chance to flip through my kids responses (no one has to take the make-up!!!) you never know what the “curve” will be (yes lol Trevor Packer said “there’s never a curve”. . .ok man…suuuure). I’m not going to pretend to guess, hopefully my kids did their best, that’s all I can ask. We’ll find out later this summer. *fingers crossed*

20. Vote Trump out of office (!!!!)

Sadly, the man is digging this country into a *literal* grave. I hate hate that innocent people are being duped by him, suffering (both physically & economically!) and dying. I hope the moderates in this country wake up and kick him to the curb! Those crazy anti-vax, protesters with guns are beyond hope & honestly beyond my care. I’m not trying to convert those wackadoos; the masses, however, need to realize he has never and will never do what is best for US as people.

JMF

By Jessica

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