Quarterly Check In

Can you believe it’s already April? I know there were like 1,000 memes floating around about how January was insanely long, but somehow it still feels like we’ve moved through 2019 at warp speed. Seriously though, is it just me that feels that way???

iPhone case + crossbody (c/o) + sunglasses

I figured since we’re three months in, it would be a good time to check in on goals for the New Year. This might even be a better time to make new goals than January 1 since we already have a few months under our belts. Maybe we need to completely change course in one department or make a slight change here or there, or maybe we deserve a little pat on the back for killing it so far.

As a refresher, you can read my goals for 2019 here! Here’s where I stand:

LANGUAGE: I went into 2019 wanting to practice French every day. Truth be told, it’s exactly as hard as I expected it to be. That is, it’s extremely hard. But I’ve been using DuoLingo every day and definitely know a lot more than I did in 2018– that’s a win, right? I even have a quick trip to Paris planned in early summer, so hopefully, I’ll get to practice some of my new words and phrases.

One unexpected part of learning a new language has been that I realized just how much Spanish I actually know. I took five years of Spanish between high school and college and didn’t feel like I learned that much. But now that I’m trying to learn French, I’m just constantly thinking about what the phrase/word is in Spanish. It makes French easier and harder at the same time, yikes.

I’d like to start French lessons with a tutor or at a class at some point. I’m thinking once summer is over I’ll be able to dedicate time to commit to an in-person experience of some kind.

CONTINUE WORKING OUT // I just finished BBG 2.0 (here’s my review on 1.0) and loved it even more than the first round. I haven’t done classes beyond a weekly yoga class at my gym. Still looking forward to taking a class or two with friends. OrangeTheory is at the very top of my to-try list right now. Wish there was one in Hoboken!!

My biggest realization has been that I need to work out. I’m just a better person when I do. I took off the month of December (partly to let my foot heal more and partly because I was busy, which is a terrible reason). I don’t think I realized just how bad I was feeling from not working out until I started BBG back up again. My mood instantly changed and I thought to myself, “I’m never taking this long of a break ever again.”

Will be sharing a more in-depth review of 2.0 though because it’s now my #1 most asked question in my Instagram DMs.

COOKING: I was great for a while and then I fell off the wagon. I was taking over our Monday or Tuesday night dinners and it was going just fine. Not exactly sure why I stopped, but I think it’s mostly a scheduling issue. Between my schedule and Mike’s schedule, sometimes we don’t know what days we’ll be home early and what days are totally not practical for dinner together.

I’m glad I’m doing this little check-in though because I think since I was out of the habit of cooking, I had just totally forgotten that this was an actual goal of mine for the year.

GOING GREEN: This has been the one area where I feel the proudest about. I talked in depth about why I was making this a priority for myself and now that I’m three months in, I’m even more on board. I still am not perfect and don’t imagine being perfect any time in my lifetime, but the more changes I make, the easier it becomes. I bring a tote bag everywhere with me for errands (especially now thanks to Hoboken’s ban on plastic bags!!!) and I have only used one disposable coffee cup– for the entire year so far. (It was late at night, we were traveling, and Mike and I split a Dunkin Donuts coffee. I felt really guilty about it and made a newfound pact with myself to be even better.)

I prefer using my Yeti now and sometimes if I’m getting coffee from my neighborhood cafe early in the morning and forget mine, I’ll even walk back to my apartment to retrieve it. My coffee stays hotter so much longer and I’m able to truly enjoy and savor every sip.

Just this one small change has opened my eyes to how much waste I produce myself. Again, I’m not perfect, but I’m making the effort. If you’re wanting to go greener, but feel like it’s a giant lifestyle change– I recommend picking one category to commit to. It’s so much easier than you realize and you adapt a lot quicker than you may anticipate.

Also an update on my menstrual cup use. I have told all of my girlfriends about it and I swear, it’s still just as life-changing as it felt when I first got the hang of it. And not producing unnecessary waste through plastic applicators feels good too. So, it’s a win/win. I will say though, that I switched to the Tampax one and think it works even better for my body.

READ 52 BOOKS: I just finished my 15th book of the year, so I’m slightly ahead of schedule to reach this goal. I kind of set this on a whim, but then I got swept into books right off the bat and it’s forced me to read every day. I can’t read 52 books a year without committing to reading at least for a few minutes every single day. And I love to read, so I like that I have this little carrot dangling in front of me.

I’m documenting the books I read each month on here (just shared my March reading list this weekend) and also saved as a highlight on my Instagram page.

MORE IPHONE PICS: I have and I haven’t been good about this. I have less of a fear of posting iPhone pictures, which is great and a huge relief actually. But at the same time, it blurs the lines a bit between work and not-work for me. I’m still trying to find that balance where I don’t feel the pressure, not to have perfectly posed & lit photos, but to just constantly post. I think that may have been the root of the problem all along. I don’t want to force friends or family to snap photos and I also don’t want to feel like every moment of my life needs to be documented. So yes, iPhone photos make life easier, but I don’t want the option to complicate my personal life. If that makes sense? I’m constantly evolving and working on this. Striking a perfect balance will likely never be possible, but touching base with myself and doing what feels right/good in the moment seems to work.

Some of my favorite iPhone Instas this year: skiing in Jackson Hole, a girls’ craft night, buying my first Chanel, and a post-workout mirror selfie.