2015 Hottest Year On Record!

Yesterday, NOAA reported that 2015 was the hottest year on record breaking the previous record of 2014 as the hottest year on record. Global warming is becoming more and more of a threat but it saddens me that so many politicians just ignore global warming as a threat at all.

I understand that there are other pressing issues at hand but we shouldn't ignore this long-term threat and do as much as we can - each and every one of us. I'm guilty of this too - My carbon footprint is probably quite high and I don't recycle or re-use as much as I should.

But I'll make an effort to do so from now on. I'll start with 2 small ways:-

1. Reduce my use of paper towels and switch to cloth napkins and re-use the paper towels I can when they are used
2. Recycle paper and gallon milk plastics

2015 Was Hottest Year in Historical Record, Scientists Say

July Goals Update

July was a busy month mostly spent with family and some travel to NYC & NJ. I didn't get a lot done but was still a fun month with spending lots of time with family. My sister and her kids are visiting us for last 3 weeks and it's been great having them here. We did a road trip to NYC and NJ and visited family. It was hectic but fun. We also spent a significant amount of time planning for my daughter's birthday party which was so much fun!

1. Lose 12 lbs: *sigh* This goal has gone completely to pieces. I'm 140 pounds now - I've put on weight since my parents are here visiting me. Over the next 5 months, I'm going to have to try harder to lose weight. 
2. Learn swimming: On hold for now
3. Read 12 books this year:  Got a little more light reading done this month - Read the  "The Heir - Windham Book 1" and "The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy". 
4. Do 12 craft or knitting activities this year: Went for a Girls' Afternoon Out with my friends to a graffiti paint bar, which was a fun experience and something I would definitely do again. 
5. Introduce a new experience to AGirl once a month: We went to NYC and NJ and saw the Statue Of Liberty. That was fun! And she had loads of fun playing with her cousins!

Parenting Goals:

1. Potty Training: This has been going well and over the next few days, I'm planning to start pushing it just a bit more. 
2. Teach her to recognize ABCs: Not much progress on this.
3. Drinking milk from a cup: Not much progress on this. 

How has your progress been on your goals?

Success, Blogging and Other Tips

Daniel Norris Code Of Success :- I wish I could adopt some parts of this - like reading more, playing outside more and travelling a lot. Sounds great!

How to Start a Successful Blog Today: 27 Tips:- This was a great, in-depth article on how to start a blog and make it successful. I plan to use some of the tips here to try to make my blog better - mainly, focus on content & making it more visible.

5 ways to keep your financial information safer from hackers:- I'm guilty of not following a few of these but it's something I'm working on.

June Goals Update

June was a fun month for me with travel to Disney and preparing for my parent's visit. They arrived in the 3rd week of July and life has been really busy since. I didn't get a lot done but was still a good month with spending lots of time with family. My husband switched jobs and that's been a change in our routine that we're still adjusting to. I also caught Conjuctivitis and had to wear glasses for a week which gave me massive headaches.

1. Lose 12 lbs: *sigh* I'm still at 136. However, as per my 30-day walking challenge, I'm trying to hit 10k steps. 
2. Learn swimming: Honestly, I'm not sure if I can do this. I'm too nervous about getting my vertigo back again. But l want to do this - so I'm going to try. 
3. Read 12 books this year: Was so busy with Disney trip and preparing for and visiting with family that I didn't read much. I read Family Fun May 2015 magazine and a lot of online reading but that was it. I need to do better this month. 
4. Do 12 craft or knitting activities this year: Lots of time on gardening and not much other than that. 
5. Introduce a new experience to AGirl once a month: DisneyWorld was quite an experience for her and with my parents visiting, she's been a little overwhelmed. So we decided not to do too much this month. 

I'm starting a new section below for my parenting goals. I'm hoping the accountability will inspire me to do more.

Parenting Goals:

1. Potty Training: Been going well. I'm seeing some progress - most days, she goes in the potty in the morning and night when I ask her to. At daycare, she's been peeing more in the potty. While she's still not fully ready yet, she's beginning to get there. 
2. Teach her to recognize ABCs: More progress on this too - I would say she recognizes about half of the alphabet and numbers from 1-10. I've given her foam letters to play with in the bathtub and have been teaching them to her in the bath. 
3. Drinking milk from a cup: Not much progress on this. 

How has your progress been on your goals?

What I've Been Reading Lately

How I Keep My Email Inbox To Fewer Than 5 Emails :- Basically, unsubscribe ruthlessly, use delete liberally, use (gmail) filters to push emails out of inbox, deal with email immediately. I've tried multiple times and succeed for a few days and then fall behind a bit and then off the wagon completely. I will try following these steps to see if they help.

4 Tips On Doing What You Don't Want To Do :- The core idea - You don't want to do it. Do it anyway. Take the first step. Keep the momentum going. It's not as hard as you think it is. You'll feel great afterwards.

Mother's Day Thoughts

Being a mom can be hard sometimes. Some days it can feel as though the world is against you. Some days it can feel as it you give and give until there's nothing more to give anymore. Some days it feels as if your body's not your own anymore - it belongs to your kids and your family.

And some days can feel wonderful - when you feel so loved. When your daughter comes running to you and hugs you. When she says "I love you mama". When you hold her soft warm body in your arms and think "This is heaven".

And some days you may be worried - doubting yourself - are you a good mom? Are you providing her with everything she needs? Are you raising your daughter well?

Some days, you just need a break. You want to shut out the world, take your body back, take your mind back and just breathe.

This Mother's Day I made a promise to myself. I promise to take better care of my health. I can't take care of my family if I don't take care of myself. I promise to take some time out for myself at least once a week and to make that a priority.

Simple words to live by for busy moms!

I got this in my email from The Abundant Mama and this really touched my heart. Words to live by! It's hard but I think making the effort would be so worth it.

What I've Been Reading Lately

The One Thing I Stopped Doing to Improve My Marriage:- After reading this article, I really thought about it. Sometimes, I do treat my husband like a child and micro-managing him.

Age-Appropriate Chores List :- Now that my daughter's 2.5 years old, I think it's time for her to start doing some chores around the house. There are some more suggestions here for now and once she's older too.

Getting Lost in Just Doing :- There are times when I've done this unconsciously and it really does help you.