2025 – Week 1

That’s it. That’s all I have for a post title because I am not letting the fact that I can’t come up with a clever title prevent me from posting today.

They say, “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” Right? So, I’m here to blog even though it’s not gonna be perfect.

Looking back at this first week in 2025, it’s already been a doozy. Let me see if I can recap…

First, thankfully, Notre Dame won their bowl game. I say, “thankfully,” because The Husband is a huge fan.

I have more fun watching him than I do the game. Well, IF they are winning, that is. If they are losing, it’s no fun at all. If you are not a sports fan, married to a sports fan, you know exactly what I mean.

Training

This week at the gym was a great one! I finished the 4th week of my 8-week strength cycle.

I’m enjoying this cycle. I needed a break both physically and mentally from my Olympic lifting training. So, I decided to mix things up for a few months and focus more on strength.

Painting

I didn’t get in as much painting as I wanted this week, but I completed this tutorial from de Winton Paper Co. and loved the result!

Pasta Making!

I also made my first-ever batch of homemade pasta!

It was a little harder than I expected as I did everything by hand, but I couldn’t be happier with the result!

I decided to use my tagliatelle (can I call it tagliatelle?!?) and make Shrimp Fra Diavolo.

Why Shrimp Fra Diavolo?

Well, because it was Sunday, and The Husband and I made a Seafood Sunday resolution that’s been going strong for two years now!

Family Time

This week, we also played one of the games we got The Boys for Christmas—One Piece Monopoly.

Both kids are big fans, so it was fun for them to teach us about the One Piece Universe.

Monday morning, we woke up to the first snowstorm of 2025.

Both boys went out and shoveled the driveway and sidewalks and then played a bit. It was so nice!

They both had off school the next day, so my oldest drove my youngest to a local sledding spot while I was at work, which made my heart happy.

Raising two teenage boys is an adventure, to say the least. We’ve already had some challenges in the new year, but nothing I haven’t been able to handle…. yet!

The Husband snapped this pic of me wearing all my Christmas presents before we headed out to lunch one day.

I especially asked for a new hat and scarf, and my family knows I’ll never turn down a sweater. It’s really all I wear all winter.

Goal Tracking

So, the first week of the year was no different than any other week, of course. We had a few challenges, spent some time together, focused on some of our hobbies, and kind of got back to a routine.

As for my goals? Well, I’m already going strong.

1. Blog Weekly.
   • so far… ✔️
2. Paint More. Don’t overthink it.
   • so far…✔️
3. Make a new handmade pasta monthly.
   • Jan ✔️
4. Hike at least twice a month.
   • Jan ½
5. Perform one unassisted dip.
   • Training! Down to the blue band.
6. Perform five strict pull-ups.
   • Training!
7. Handstand walk.
   • Training!
8. Take at least three yoga classes a month.
   • Jan ⅓
9. Make homemade sourdough bread.
   • no progress
10. Take the kids to Iceland (planning is in the works!).
    • no progress
11. Fix the holes in my house (long story, lots of plumbing issues this year).
    • no progress
12. Continue my Spanish Streak on Duolingo (I’m on day 1,231!!).
    • so far…✔️
13. Take a Spanish class in person.
    • Researched options at the college.
14. Plan something special for The Husband’s 50th birthday!
    • no progress
15. Snatch 125lbs.
    • no progress
16. Compete in at least one weightlifting meet.
    • no progress
17. Walk a minimum of a half-mile daily with Marsh and, preferably, with the Husband, but I can’t base my goal on him.
    • missed one day due to snow. About to go out after I post!
18. Track my movie-watching on Letterboxd.
    • so far…✔️ – Click here to see!
19. Keep my citrus trees alive! (I have a lemon and a lime tree I named Laverne and Shirley. Laverne is not doing too well after a disastrous root rot issue this fall, but we are doing our best.)
    • so far…✔️ (They are doing great!)
20. Host an extended family dinner monthly.
    • no progress
21. Clean out and organize my closet and drawers.
    • no progress (but I did our mudroom this weekend!)
22. Thrift more and purchase no brand-new clothes.
    • so far…✔️
23. Take daily supplements more consistently.
    • so far…✔️ I only missed one day!
24. Reduce alcohol consumption to once or twice a month max.
    • so far…✔️
25. Cook one new recipe/dish a month.
    • no progress (unless you count the pasta)

I’m unsure if this is how I’ll track my goals moving forward, but I thought I’d try it.

As always, I’m just winging it here.