Goals check-in: June

Here's my end-of-the-month wrap-up regarding my 2013 goals:



Self-Care
Still reveling in summer reading. I completed 15 new books in June.

Purposely went to bed an hour earlier than usual for a while, to see how it would improve my morning routine.

Used my comp day (for working July 5th instead of taking a company holiday) to chill with my love and go to the movies.

Sharing something that moved me:

Also Audra McDonald in concert... she is an amazing performer with the most beautiful voice (and she accompanies herself on piano in this one!).

And then there's this new TV show: The Fosters. Looking forward to seeing how *that* plays out, as it reflects more of my life than most television I see.

Minimize
2 garbage bags of trash (aside from our usual household output)
1 small box to Out of the Closet; 1 for Congolese refugees

I swapped out most of my T-shirts (usually unisex, with messages) for solid-colored tops, rather than keeping both.

I tidied up most of the study, as it had become rather full of crap storage.

Spend Time and Money Wisely
I've been trying this thing where I budget based on 2 minimum paychecks (paid on the 15th and last day, so the total will vary depending on how many days in a month and how many working days in a payroll cycle) and slough off any extra income into savings. It's meant sending a big ol' snowball to the adoption fund at the end of the month.

Visited my family (parents, aunt and uncle, grandfather).

Joined church choir for the Pride Concert and the next week's service.

Notable transactions:

• Booked a few nights in wine country for our first anniversary in October
• Increased "professional wardrobe" with my first suit and a few other pieces that are more "grown-up" (I spent more on clothes over a weekend than I'd spent in the last year -- eek!)
• Chicken breasts 5 (2-pound packages) for $25 sale

Keep Learning
I learned a bit about female spies, military personnel, and civil servants in England during WWII. (Coincidentally, I started series 1 of Wish Me Luck at the same time that I cracked open Code Name: Verity. Both recommended!)

I learned that "chum" (UK slang for close companion) may be a derivative of "chambermate" -- which explains why it's always a "school chum" (someone with whom you shared a boarding school dormitory or university flat).

I learned that RAF pilots were some of the first to use ballpoint pens when they were invented in the 1940s.

I learned when my parents' anniversary is! 

I learned about the baker's percentage formula.

I learned that, in French (at least), a plural noun referring to a group of mixed genders takes the masculine form.

I learned what Tejana means; I'd seen it applied to various public figures, and kind of figured it referred to an ethnic type from some area in Central America. Oops.

I learned the difference between square miles and miles squared (the visual helped!).

I learned a lot about producing Cottage Food for sale.


Try New Things
Bought a gig from Fiverr.

Went 5 consecutive days without using my laptop at home.

Grew some strawberries and tomatoes in an upside-down hanging planter.

Reached out to a distant connection about finding some time to learn from her about urban gardening.

More cooking, menu planning, and some new recipes! (Even if one of them was tater tot casserole, which is dead easy. I had free frozen tater tots.)

Crossed off 1 thing on my 101 List 

Track Accomplishments
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May