101 in 1001 Update 7
Guess who completely missed update 6!? That would be me. We got so caught up in life that I’ve completely neglected anything to do with my blog, goals, and well… anything really!
Since May we’ve had a full on summer with the boys, began a garden transformation (hello totally underestimating how much wood chip we’d need to create a play space for the kids!), spruced up the dining area with a new table and bench, bought a new sofa (yet to be delivered), had many family days out, Bertie started a new school, I moved into a different area of teaching, we hosted a Halloween party for 10 kids, and probably a load of other things I’ve already forgotten!
Organisation continues to be an area we’re working on, but we have made some changes and have some routines in place which are helping. Still waiting for an appointment for my teeth though!
Onto the progress update on my 101 in 1001 challenge…
Updates on my Aims
2. Make a realistic cleaning schedule
We’ve finally started on this! We’ve tweaked the washing schedule to reflect Bertie’s new uniform colours (we no longer need a separate red wash for school jumpers – yay!), and have made a draft cleaning schedule which will work well around this. Bertie’s even offered to wipe, mop, and hoover so he’s going to have his own chart of things to do to help out.
6. Donate/sell 101 things
I’m not sure why I ever thought it would be a good idea to put a number to this. We’ve recently sold some of the kids old Christmas clothes and some toys they’d outgrown. We ended up donating a lot of books and DVD’s as we didn’t have time to upload it all. I’m pretty sure we’ll have hit 101 things by now so I’m claiming this as achieved.
9. Put ring doorbell up
Feel like a broken record. Still isn’t up. Probably entirely outdated technology now. Meh.
16. Stay within weekly calories for a month
Did really well with this for about 2 months! Then hit a stressful patch and returned to stress eating. Planning to get back to proper meal planning and calorie counting in the new year, but I definitely achieved this!
52. Go to the theatre 5 times
We haven’t been back to the theatre yet, but I was offered free tickets to the panto which we’re super excited about! So by the next update that will take me up to for!
65. Take lunch for a month
I’ve smashed this a couple of times now. Meal planning is the way forward! By taking left overs 90% of the time it’s really easy to just grab and go. I’ve saved so much money by not running to the shops everyday!
Other Completed Goals
4. Buy a new sofa
We’ve bought it, just waiting for it to be delivered! It was supposed to be due at the end of November, but it keeps getting pushed back. As long as it’s here before Christmas I’ll be happy.
12. Buy fresh flowers for myself 5 times
I’ve treated myself a few times over the recent months (sometimes Bertie has been a huge enabler!). It makes me happy to see fresh flowers in the window. Next year I want to change our small patch of grass at the front into a cut-flower meadow so we can have free fresh flowers all the time!
30. Host a play date
Not sure if it’s specifically a play date, but inviting 10 kids over for a Halloween party is definitely qualifying me for completing this goal! It was an absolute blast, and despite the stress of getting organised, I can’t wait to do it again!
41. Have the boys grow sunflowers without killing them
We absolutely grew sunflowers this summer! And peas, carrots, and tomatoes. The cabbage, sprouts, and broccoli did not go to plan because I didn’t get around to putting any netting up. The sunflowers weren’t the biggest as we grew them in pots, but we saved the seeds for even more sunflowers next year!
58. Read a book originally written in a different language
When is a book, not a book? I’m claiming graphic novels and manga in my reading challenge on StoryGraph, so why not in this challenge too? I’ve read 6 Alice in Borderlands (originally Japanese), Battle Royale: Angel’s Border (originally Japanese), and 5 Snowpiercer graphic novels (originally French). Oh, and my friend and I did a shared read of Fredrik Backman’s My Friends (originally Swedish) which was incredible!
62. Take 3 online or in person CPD courses
I joined the Pre-School Autism Summit and Child-Led Autism Summit through the summer holidays which were both packed full of short CPD videos (although largely American, I did learn a lot!). I also went on an Autism course – I thought it would be boring and nothing I didn’t already know, but it was really interesting to hear how the neuroaffirming movement is moving forward in the UK.
92. Buy a new car
This was so needed! My car was 13 years old and had been run into the ground! We got pennies for it from the scrapyard, and bought a new (to us) car that we absolutely love. Suits our families needs so much better.
Aims for Next Update
I may not have achieved all five of the goals I set last time, but I’m changing them up a little and focusing back down on goal setting! After the Christmas madness of this month, it’ll be the new year which always feels like a perfect time to create new habits.
I want to work towards having annual, biannual, monthly, and weekly goals to drive me towards creating the life I actually strive for. So what can I realistically achieve before the next update in March?
5. Complete a decluttering challenge
I’m going to try to do this in the run up to Christmas so we have a nicer clear house ready for festivities. If not, I’ll aim for January and a nice fresh start the year.
26. Take vitamins every day for a month
Another new year initiative. I’m so sporadic with my vitamins – I’ll be really good for a few days then forget about them for weeks at a time! I’d love for vitamins to become part of my daily rhythm and routine to help me to be healthier.
43. Make a pie
Maybe a Christmas leftovers pie? Or a nice steak pie to warm us up during that strange, cold period between Christmas and New Year. Either way, I know Bertie will be desperate to help.
56. Read 5 new books per year
In 2024 I read 11 books, so far in 2025 I’ve read 34 and am aiming to end the year at 48 (my goal was 24 and it would be pretty cool to double it!). I reckon I can easily read 5 books between January and March to cross another goal off my list.
64. Submit paperwork 1 week in advance at least 3 times
I have 8 annual reviews of EHCP’s due between January and Easter so I need to really keep on top of my paperwork deadlines!
Conclusion
Accidentally skipping an update means I’ve had a fair bit to update about! 10 goals completed and checked off – that might be a record! With 76 goals to go and only 301 days to go, I’m pretty sure I won’t be ticking everything off, but I’ve had a lot of fun and it’s been great reflecting on how much we actually achieve.
