Healthy Pony the New Year

[Shatyr]

This week has been, well, flat for me. On the one hand, I did get some work done at home. On the other hand, I was out of work for 2 days due to office flu, which means I've been gone for 4 days straight and the sheer amount of catch up I'll need to do tomorrow is daunting. Somehow, even with the flu, I gained a pound this week? I don't think that's how it's supposed to work...

Spoiler

I'm in the middle of meal prep for the week. The paleo breakfast muffins are baking, the chicken is on the grill, and veggies are steaming. I'll have to do another batch on Thursday and I want the dishes clean and away before bed.

I migrated another large bin of ponies into 3 smaller bins and put 2 more playsets into the larger storage bin, which cleared up more space in the living room. The plastic bins I've been using aren't large enough for the last 2 playsets in the living room, so I'll have to find some larger cardboard boxes for them. Slowly (very slowly), the apartment is starting to look like a Responsible Adult lives here instead of an 80's hoarder.

I haven't done any cello this week and cancelled my lesson on Saturday. I had a fever and flu symptoms Fri-Sat afternoon, but I still feel like I could have practiced earlier in the week. I'm trying to schedule some makeup practice time this week, but with all the extra work I want to get done, it could be tight.

My work for the Dedicant Path has suffered as well. I wanted to get out to the State Park across the street to do a nature walk, but our overdue winter finally hit and there's a good half-foot of snow out there. We need the snow, badly, but spending an hour in nature while the snow is coming down when I'm recovering from the flu seems a poor choice on my part.

This week is our week, right? Respawns all around? I'd rather not have a repeat of last week. In fact, last week is a pretty good motivator for me. "Not again" could be next week's mantra. 

[Miniature Sheep]

Well, today didn't quite get off to a roaring start because I got woken up at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep, just stubbornly hunkered down in my blanket-cave and ran through story ideas until the alarm went off. :/
Still, within 2 hours of having gotten up, I learned two new finger picking patterns and a scale on the guitar, did some reading and called about the job I had my eye on, which has apparently already gone (then why leave the advert up?!) Looking at the job postings today, there doesn't appear to be much despite thorough trawling, so I may just come back to that tomorrow.
After that, I cleaned the house, sorted out the recycling, made lunch and put in some violin practice (definitely seeing some improvement!)
So it's been kind of a balance of ups and downs, but I'm still feeling positive anyway.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

WE CAN DO IT, EVERYBODY! 

I don't know if I'm out of the mindfog yet, but I am trying to struggle forward with house chores.  I feel like sunlight is a huge part of it.  If I hang the laundry outside, then it just makes dealing with all the other chores easier.   I have a similar points system going on like Crowning_Glory but I don't want to redeem it on snacks and treats... I'm kind of waiting until the budget gets easier to handle and then I have something in mind...

[glitterball]

WE CAN DO IT, EVERYBODY! 

I don't know if I'm out of the mindfog yet, but I am trying to struggle forward with house chores.  I feel like sunlight is a huge part of it.  If I hang the laundry outside, then it just makes dealing with all the other chores easier. 

Yes! So true - glorious sunshine so helps lift my day!
Foggy grey clouds have loomed over us these past few days but when the sun broke through briefly yesterday, oh it made me smile! 

Spoiler

Still clearing stuff at the old house - a bigger job than I expected (I thought I would be done in 1 week but here I am in week 3!)
Things are organised into piles, though. What takes ages is carefully filling my car + travelling to the tip to dump it all, ah well. When alone, I have to lock-down the house, then re-open it when I return for round-2 of tip. Ideally, I need someone there while I am out.

Today - day 3 of waiting for a "potential" gas man visit as there have been some gas works done and the old house has accidentally been cut off  which leaves me loathe to leave the place when I do my tip-run, in case I miss him + he drives off. Hoping my Dad turns up just to be around in case the gas guy arrives.

I waited there yesterday, changing my routine to move big furniture + sweep and wipe-down 3 rooms in the actual house - but no gas man arrived... at least the house itself is done - all that remains there is confirmation of house sale/move-out date so that I can get the local charity to collect the nice house furniture in their big van.

Old-wood pile needs dumping - but it has become tedious when going to the tip and having to explain AGAIN that the bits are OBVIOUSLY broken-up household furniture and not DIY planks - as they now CHARGE you to dump this  I saw the dump technician guys approach someone else holding a bit of furniture and they said the same thing    still, it will help clear space, needs must, assertive-face must be worn!

Dad will bring down his trailer to load unbroken (yet trashy) wooden furniture, not sure if that is today, though.

Then next job: separating the sprawling metal pile into copper/steel/alu/brass - there is a LOT of it. We used an angle-grinder yesterday to cut some of the bulkier stuff up. My Dad got £90 for some random copper scraps that he would otherwise have dumped, so it is worth the effort! He's retired, so he can do this bit at his leisure. May involve putting it all in his trailer for him to take home and do there.

I  have been so busy that I have not had time to play with my new unicorn cutting-dies - only got a chance to cut out a few felt shapes to see how they looked (rather lovely!) but no chance to sew + make bunting (yet). 

My life is currently: school-run, old-house, school run, sneak in some laundry, shower, cook evening meals, take kid to club activities, sneak some washing-up, reading with kid, settling kid down for sleeps, sleeps for me - with a bit of laptop browsing to catch up on life + news either before anyone wakes up / late at night!

Our house is a mess, husband works long hours... once the old house is done we can get our lives back!! 

[Dreamer]

A lil' quick update here, my exams are finished and I'm starting school again next week.

I bought a second hard drive and I'm copying the information from the previous one to it (in other words, a back-up for my back-up!)

I would like to go back on working on a few custom ponies I left behind for like, 1-2 years!  But first I should finish my pending art piece for this month.

tailrustedtealeaf, good luck on your art goals!  love to see another artist here

Crowning_Glory13, good luck on your tasks! I know how self-defeating can be to only be able to accomplish one or two tasks in a day, but those are still accomplishments!

[Crowning_Glory13]

Good luck Glitterball. Sigh I dotnt have much to report. I have been getting extras, and not being good. So if I want to reach my average 2 point goal this week, I need to be diligent.

I am however giving you all a challenge this week. Wednesday to Wednesday  (or when you see this) you need to post a positive of your progress. I am hearing boo good, and I think if we get some positives going it would help. If you can post daily, great, if not , you can post a few days together.

My positive today is I could have had a second cup of coffee, but I opted for water instead:) might get more as it's morning for me, so the day has just begun.

Stay positive everyone;)

Also artists I really do like pictures.....please:D

[glitterball]

My positives today:

even though it poured with rain (making loading the car a no-no) I did manage to find some other, sorting work to do. I have filled 5 glass sweetie jars with vintage glass beads! Yaay! Twinkling beads!
 
I left 2 hours early (no gas man, no call to say he was on his way, so stuff it!) + did a quick grocery shop + now have a wholesome dinner planned, even finding some cheeky frankfurter sausages for my kid (she loves them!). 

Had builders at our home earlier today to fix the bit of cladding that blew off last week. Worry gone and job done! 

Husband is working at home today, so I will give him a cuddle when he is off the phone! 

Nylon ponyhair arrived from Retrodolls UK for Cherries Jubilee! Woo-hoo! Still awaiting my US Dollyhair order for Honeycomb. Can't wait to start re-hairing them - I may start by preparing the knots over the next few days in the evenings. 

And now - a few minutes "me time" to relax with a brew! 

[Pokeyonekenobie]

I'm still forgetting to post, but I read everyone else's.   

I have made some progress on some art pieces, but they're not done enough to get pictures of.  I hope to get some done by this weekend, but we'll see.  We're having a Writer's Conference at the library where I work so I have to work Saturday (it should be fun, though) so I might not have as much time to work on my pieces as I would like, but that's okay.  I've gotten my room a little better organized by removing art projects that are in progress to another room.  It helps me to focus on ONE piece at a time instead of trying to do them all at once.  I've been trying to walk on the treadmill more.  I'm still not back in the habit of it but I'm getting there.  Progress is happening.   

[Safflower]

That's good news glitterball!
As for me, I got a new sketch book, so I drew a lot. Plus a little Gaelic I will have to get pictures on the weekend, maybe sooner, but I'm not sure. Hopefully pics will come soon!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Positives:  I have sewn a pair of shorts and a shirt for my DD's Barbies, and I have upcycled two pairs of her leggings into another longer pair!   

I hope to finish upcycling a pair of her shorts and a too-tight LaLaLoopsy shirt into a bigger shirt for her by tonight...

when I get in a moodfunk, I seem to really love getting out the seam ripper and deconstructing too!   

[Crowning_Glory13]

Wow that all sounds like fun:)

[tulagirl]

I have decided I am going to start a new goals list since I am having problems completing my artistic goals due to shoulder, arm and neck issues.   Just popping in for a short comment.  More later gotta run.  Hugs to everyone. I hope you guys are doing better than I am with your goals.  Boy what a mess of a mess lol.

[Shatyr]

I've had 3 days this week (it's Wednesday, right?) of three full meals, all breakfasts and lunches were Paleo.

I met my hydration goal yesterday and still have time to make it today.

I've made some good progress on my 3D printing plans and have all of tomorrow to work on cleaning.

I kept myself busy at work and tackled 3 issues that other people were avoiding. As it turned out, they were not all that difficult (just time consuming) and I notified another team of an inventory issue on their side. I also showed someone the special cutlery drawer in the dishwasher. I love that thing.

Tomorrow I'm planning on doing a big workout and cleaning as much of the front room as I can. I found some empty cardboard boxes that can work as temporary 80's storage until I find large enough plastic bins. Depending on how dedicated I can be, I might be able to run my first 3D print tomorrow afternoon!

[Miniature Sheep]

Today has been a bit of an odd one; I was all set to give myself a day off let my hair down, but I kind of half did that but half kept up with goals as well.
I was in a duff mood yesterday, didn't get much sleep, woke up equally snippy this morning, but the sun came out briefly and I think that dropped some motivation in my lap. I learned something new on the guitar, practised what I already know on the violin (going back to learning new things next week, so I can attempt to improve my atrocious bowing technique in the meantime) and dropped some bits and bobs off at the charity shop. Also gave into temptation and got a bizarre, very tiny vase for 50p; it's really weird but pretty, with psychedelic-looking patterns in muted colours. (Its so kitschy that it's kind of strangely tasteful!)
In terms of trying out some different food, I got some salt and vinegar rice cakes for a light bite and tried another different kind of soup, which is a bit lacklustre. There's half of it left, which I'll finish tomorrow, but it hasn't earned a regular place in my cupboard. Next week, I'm going to make an effort to mix it up in more ways that just soup...
My last task for today is to get some more jobhunting done, then just to relax for the rest of the day.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Household goal achieved:  I went and bought enough toilet paper for the household for the rest of the YEAR!  As well as the downstairs tenant's supply too!