18 for 2018 – June update

Happy Monday and welcome to July!

I feel like I repeat this every month but where did the time go? I feel like the time is just going way too fast, and half the year is already gone. I have tackled a few big goals this month though and I am very pleased about that!

18 letters sent to friends – 2/18
With the interstate move I would like to keep in contact with friends so I want to make the effort to send them handwritten letter throughout the year.

I feel like I’m failing miserably at this goal! But I have been keeping in touch with people more by text and Facebook so not all is lost. 

17 new recipes tried – 15/17
If you’ve been following me for a while you will know that I love cooking and baking so this should be pretty easy. Plus, the monthly bake-along will definitely help me with this one!

Three more recipes this month, I’ve been busy in the kitchen! I’ve made plain scones for the first time and then the Bake along made me try another recipe for sweet scones this time (and yes I am counting both as new recipes!). My best friend also sent me a recipe for oats biscuits and they were great!

16 painted units of miniatures – 4/16
My husband and I play a miniature game and one of the fun parts is to build and paint our own miniatures. I haven’t done much last year so I hope to catch up this year by painting more models.

No new unit this month but I did take a picture for last month’s finish! I think my two next units will be from the same army, so using similar colours. 

15 books read – 5/15
I’ve decided to tune down this goal from last year, as I don’t have a lot of time to read. But I feel like 15 would be a good number to reach this year.

I have re-read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix this month, it’s my least favourite of the series so it probably took me more time than it should have. I’m planning on finishing the series before the end of the year. I’ve also started re-reading the last book of the trilogy I talked about last time, and I think I’ll finish it this month. 

14 mitered squares added to my memory blanket – 1/14
I have started a knitted memory blanket using my scraps of yarn from previous projects (mostly socks) and I’d like to see it grow this year.

Haven’t added any square, I think I’ll tackle all the squares at the same time at one point. 

13 batches of baked goods made and eaten – 7/13
Again, with the bake-along this should be quite easy to accomplish!

Three more, which were also my new recipes for this month. 

12 pairs of socks – 2/12
We have real winters in Melbourne, so hubby and I will definitely need new socks, I thought one per month was a manageable goal.

None completed this month, but I have started a new pair (almost already finished actually) and I’m planning on making two more this month. 

11 new stitch markers made – 0/11
I have been playing with shrinking plastic lately and I’d like to make new stitch markers using some cute drawings.

Still nothing here, I’ve been more interested in my yarn than in shrinking plastic!

10 new movies seen – Completed in May
We go to the movies almost every week, so I think this goal will be easy to reach, but it will give me a change to blog about movies I see a bit more.

I have still seen 2 new movies this month, The Incredibles 2 and Jurassic World 2. I think both were enjoyable, I really liked the look of the new dino in Jurassic World and I thought the Incredibles 2 was just as good as the first one (which is pretty rare for an animated movie sequel).

9 amigurumi made – 2/9
I obviously love amigurumi enough to design some! I want to precise that those 9 amigurumi will be from other designers, I might even participate in another ami-along.

I am still working on mini-me and I’ve started Orbit the Dragon, which hopefully will both be finished this month. 

8 months cross-stitched on the snowblower diaries calendar – 2/8
This did not get worked on at all last year, so I’d like to finish it this year.

No motivation to cross stitch, all my stitching effort has been focused on my EPP this month. 

7 games of 40k played with hubby – 2/7
The good thing with painting miniatures is that I will definitely want to play more (I’m hoping anyway) and this will definitely be a fun activity to do with my husband.

No games this month, we definitely need to get back to it!

6 new designs published – 2/6
As you know I already have two new designs that I need to write up and publish. I have also started on a knitted shawl design using the beautiful yarn I got in NZ. Very excited about this one!

I still didn’t get around writing up my copepod pattern. I am thinking about new designs though, I was thinking of maybe releasing a sea creature collection next year that would include some freebies and some paid patterns. It’s still very early stages though so no promises!

5 k steps walked every day 15/30
I changed this goal. I am still trying to keep moving during my pregnancy to not transform into a couch potato! Hopefully this will help me keep healthy despite the weight gain.

I’ve been doing quite bad this month for this goal. Only half of the days I’ve managed to fit in my 5k steps. I do have to say I have been feeling very tired with the extra weight and I’ve shortened my walks with the puppy as a result. Last week I did go to the pool though, and I think that will become my main exercise as it is less straining to move in the water. 

4 LOTR squares finished – 2/4
Yes I know I’ve been making this for ages but 2018 is the year I get it finished!

I have finished Aragorn this month, yay! next is Arwen’s pendant. 

3 jumpers knitted – 1/3
Similarly to the need for socks, I will need more jumpers this year! I already have the yarn and a pattern for my first jumper so I’m hoping this goes smoothly.

I have finished my Arwen jumper, my beautifully soft and warm jumper. Very pleased with it and I have chosen my next pattern, which I will start when I come back home in a couple of weeks.

2 getaway trips – 1/2
We are trying to save money for a house deposit this year, but I’d still like to get a couple weekends away with hubby. We already have one planned, we will be going to the Bendigo sheep and wool show in July

Bendigo is in 3 weeks!!! I’m so excited and I am now meeting up some of the lovely ladies from my spinning class there. It will be a blast!

1 thesis submitted – Completed in June
I’m so keen to finish my PhD, so this is definitely my n°1 goal this year!

OH MY GOODNESS!!! I’ve started the submission process on Friday last week, so it’s officially done! Next step will be to wait for comments, fix the comments and then I will be a Doctor of Philosophy in veterinary immunology! How exciting!!! (yes I’m so excited to be finished, sorry about all the exclamation marks) 

Wow, what a productive month! And what a productive half year. I hope you guys have had a good one too, and if not, that’s okay too, as long as you’re proud of what you’ve accomplished!