16 for the 16th: January

How has 2016 been treating you so far?  No complaints here except I didn’t have a winning Powerball ticket last Wednesday.  El Nino hasn’t hit real hard yet in So Cal so I’ve had no weather related problems and thus far I’ve managed to dodge whatever cold/flu virus has been making the rounds (excuse me a moment while I look for wood to knock on).  I hope you are fairing well too.

If you read my goals for 2016 post then you know that goal 16 is to issue a monthly blog post that I would be calling 16 for the 16th of ” “ and this is the one for January. In this post, I will take a look back on the last month and share 16 new likes and discoveries as well as provide a progress report on goals 1 thru 15.  Since there have only been 16 days in 2016 so far, I hope you don’t mind if I reach back into 2015 for some of these highlights.

January’s 16 Likes and Discoveries

• Participated in a New Year’s Day group hike in local State historic park
• Was stopped by LAPD for a burned out break-light; the ‘like’ here is that I didn’t get a ticket or even a fix-it ticket, just a documented warning
• Took my first ride on my new bike that I had gotten for my birthday in October (my son went along for moral support); I haven’t ridden a bike in a very long time and found a few muscles I had forgotten about.

• I’ve been looking for tights with a flat seam at the toe and I finally found some at Uniqlo.  They feel soft and cozy, fit great with no weird pulling or twisting, and hold their shape.  I bought them in several colors and styles.
• Going to see a movie isn’t the same as it used to be; seems like you need to have bought your ticket in advance otherwise you’ll be getting up-close and personal with the movie screen
• Costco has an amazing soup called Cedar Lane Organic Chopped Vegetable & Barley Soup.  It’s low in calories, low in fat, and high in taste … delicious.
• I signed up with Grammarly and got my first ‘weekly progress report & tips’ email.  In summary, I was more active than 74% of other users, I was more accurate than 56% of other users, and my vocabulary was more dynamic than 75% of other users.  I love stats.
• Speaking of stats, blogger Adina of Blue Collar Red Lipstick posted a fascinating piece called Wadrobe Analytics Bonanza, 2015 Edition (wadrobe is not a type).  A self-professed stats nerd, Adina runs through a whole lot of  numbers on her wardrobe and shopping results.
• Another blogger, Catherine Summers of Not Dressed As Lamb shared a whole lot of blogging tips that I found very helpful and there are a lot more helpful tips on her blog as well as fashion.
• This month I launched a new link up called Powers the Flower (first week, second week) and I’ve gotten some great feedback on it.
• Baskin Robbins has a new flavor this month called Chocoholic’s Resolution.
• We’ve been watching a new TV show called Life In Pieces.  It is well written, the actors are great, it’s really funny, and I hope it lasts as long as Big Bang Theory.
• In the last two weeks, both of my kids both got their braces off.  It is so nice to see their beautiful new smiles.
• It’s been getting harder and harder to read small print so I finally got a bigger smartphone, as in one with a 3″x6″ screen.
• Style challenges I’ve been posted to; #wearwhatwherejanuary, #cotdstyle
• I tap dance (not gracefully but I know the difference between a flap and shuffle) so I want to share this youtube clip from the Late Show featuring a performance by Michelle Dorrance.  She is amazing.

As for progress on the 16 Goals, I will stick with the bullet format of the original list and provide stats or comments as appropriate.

1. Spend an average of 16 minutes a day attending to household finances and provide CPA with 2015 financial info by Feb 16
– work in progress; will report more fully next month

2. Be active for at least 16 minutes every day
– in only 8 of the past 16 days did I meet this goal even though my total minutes of activity divided by 16 is more than 16.  I need to get out of my chair more during the day at work.

3. Yoga, tap dance, swim, and/or otherwise “workout” at least 16 times every month
– 8 of 16 so far for January

4. Increase my 2015 total step count by at least 160%
– started out strong but have slacked recently. 160% of last year’s count means an average of 8,900 steps a day. So far my daily average is about 5,800; that means I have some catching up to do to get back on target.

5. Have 16 days during the year with a step count of over 16,000
– 0 of 16

6. Take 16 bike rides
– 1 of 16

7. Lose 16 pounds and then lose another 16 pounds
– weight loss since January 1; 2 of 16, 0 of 16

8. Get 16 massages
– 0 of 16

9. Try 16 new recipes
– 0 of 16

10. Attend, visit, or watch 16 cultural events, exhibits, or theatrical performances
– 0 of 16, but tickets have been purchased for two plays, one in February and one in March

11. 16 creative projects, four of each of the following; crochet, sewing, jewelry, and décor
– working on an afghan

12. Socialize with 16 different family or friend ‘units’ (unit = single adult or married couple and their children, if any)
– 1 of 16, lunch today

13. Spend at least 16 nights away from home (as in travel to the distant lands near and far)
– none yet but a 10 day trip to East Coast in early Spring has been planned

14. Publish 160 posts
– 4 of 160

15. Increase blog and Instagram followings each by 16 fold
– between WordPress, Instagram, Bloglovin, and email, I started the year with 20 followers so my goal is to have 320 by the end of the year.  As of today, I have 34 followers.

16. Issue a monthly blog post called 16 for the 16th of ” “ which would be a look back on a month’s worth of new likes, discoveries, and progress on these goals
– 1 of 12 done

What progress have you made on your goals for 2016?