Month One

[Lost-in-the-Day]

As a bit of a follow on from the New Years Resolutions thread I was wondering how people are getting along so far with their plans and goals for 2012. I've made a wobbly start with mine but it's starting to pick up at the weekends compared with 2011.

Eat less rubbish- Failing miserably so far.
Do more exercise- Sort of, though it is limited to digging at the moment.
Do more arts and crafts, starting with completing my many unfinished items- Umm, another sort of here, progress has been made on several pieces but nothing is finished yet.
Earn some money from my crafting- Nope, but I have made some money from selling a few of my baby giant land snails.
Grow more herbs and veggies- Still at the digging stage.
Start working on xmas presents in August so that I'm not still frantically making come new year- too early for xmas presents but there are always birthday and anniversary presents to be made....which I have not started.

So still plenty of room for improvement!

[Flo]

1. Take the camera out to more places using free bus pass and to carry my own food more often.
Not happened - I plead miserable weather for photography so far and sweating down the allotment on all possible days to get the place spring ready early whilst the weather allows. It's bound to turn rotten in March.

2. To be a lot more frugal. Other than buying compost for the allotment, to only buy the necessary food.
Sort of - this has expanded quietly to cover not buying clothes for a year because the wardrobe is stuffed and not buying stuff for the house because the house is stuffed. I've been going to the supermarket and carrying so the food bill has dropped to what I'm going to eat that week without lots of little added extras.

Not sure why the compost for the allotment got included there - but it has certainly been frugal this year as there was a particularly good offer on when I went down to shop for it. I managed to get more for less.

[Millymollymandy]

Found the thread

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... esolutions

ha ha that's good I didn't say anything on it.

[Zech]

I only had one resolution so it's not difficult to remember - Learn Welsh.

Hmm, haven't got very far with this one. I did have a look at the BBC's online course, only to discover that it had been replaced by one with lots of cartoony games (though apparently not suitable for children. So why take up my bandwidth with stupid graphics? They obviously didn't consider broadband coverage in the country they're targeting). I also meant to go to the library and see what they have there, but heard that the library is a) rubbish and b) in the middle of relocating, which put me off a bit. These are rather pathetic excuses, aren't they?

Thanks for the gentle nudge, I will renew my resolve and try to get started in February!

[merlin]

You want to be careful giving up alcohol. Everything in moderation, the benifits of alcohol are not to be sniffed at. Get shot of that sugar, thats the killer. Get out on that land and loose the pounds, increase your lung capacity, improve your staminer that's the way to do it .

Besides, giving up alcohol, well, you won't live any longer - it will just seem like it

[merlin]

I have promised myself that I will make a beter system for the broilers this year, we will see how it goes.

[Lost-in-the-Day]

I think my biggest improvement this month has been giving up alcohol - just because I can - and found I haven't missed it at all and have lost a couple of pounds to boot - win win, am thinking of keeping it up for another month to see where it takes me as I am generally feeling all round better than I would expect for January

Well done you! Three of the women I work with are trying to cut back on their alcohol and so far I think the best they've managed is two "dry nights" a week. The rest of the time they have anywhere from a glass to a bottle of wine a night. To me that sounds like an awful lot but I don't drink so am a bit fuzzy on how much is too much.

[Marmalady]

i didnt set myself any particular resolutions this year apart from my usual "lose some weight" and "stop wasting so much time on the computer" --with only half-hearted success so far!


For those of you who had Eat Less & Excercise More on your lists -- its not too late to join the Isher's Weight Loss Group for mutual support & encouragement on these topics:
http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... =4&t=25221

[Keaniebean]

I have no self imposed rules for this year, as I tend to find myself impelled to break them once set. I have the usual guidelines which seem to be the same as last year - oops.

Loose some weight - moderate success, it's generally heading in the right direction - ish

Get my gardening mojo back - well a good start to the year, although I haven't been out there for the past two weeks due to being ill. The seeds I started already are doing well though.

Get rid of the last bit of debt that has hung round our necks for the past 7 years - well mixed success but this is a long term goal and I have all but stopped spending on things that are not food or bills so this should be the year we see the back of it.

Get fitter - again a good start this year and once I'm well I fully intend to get back into the little routine I had going, which was making a difference.

[Zech]

You want to be careful giving up alcohol. Everything in moderation, the benifits of alcohol are not to be sniffed at.

I tried to fight back the old me who used to do this for a living, and failed. Sorry, but...

The benefits of alcohol are far outweighed by the risks. You're really not going to do yourself any harm by giving up alcohol.

OK, I've said it. I'll shut up now.

[boboff]

Alcohol is Evil.... Fact.

[becks77]

Having just replied to MKG about tea bag wine dont think giving up alchol is one for me but then I can only manage a glass of wine a week these days....Lightweight!
But I have embarked on wheat,dairy and sugar free diet, I have a sense of smell again! am just trying on giving up caffeine, this is really hard, and have suffered an immense "hangover type" symptom for about 5 days now,the headache is really horrid however I will try to keep going but am in danger of falling off the caffeine free wagon, someone catch me please!!!

[Keaniebean]

Becks you have my TOTAL admiration!

Caffiene free is certainly not on my agenda for a bloomin long time. I hope you get rid of those symptoms very very soon, I tried it last year just before Christmas and lasted a week, but I just couldn't get rid of the 'zombie' feeling and got nothing done so gave up.

[irigg]

i'm well into week 3 of not smoking