23 for 2023

YorksLass

@tinkerbelluk - I think "mindless entertainment" was the phrase I was looking for!  I'm much happier with a book to get my nose into rather than a film and have finished another one, so the score now stands at 5/23.

This one is called The Novel in the Viola by Natasha Solomons.  Presented as fiction, the core of the story is based on the experiences and recollections of the author's great aunt.  An affluent and bourgeois Jewish family in Austria endeavour to leave the country before the outbreak of war.  In 1938 the eldest daughter and her husband leave for America where they settle and make a new life.  The youngest teenage daughter is sent to England to work as a "mother's help" (in reality a house servant) where she finds her life changed, a far cry from her privileged and cosseted childhood in Vienna.  The parents and three elderly aunts are unable to leave and, as the reader might expect, their fate is inevitable.  The sisters never see their parents again but are re-united more than 30 years later when they don't recognise each other.  This is a thought-provoking novel with beautiful detailed descriptions of the Dorset coast/surrounding countryside, equal measures of happiness and heartbreak plus the occasional touch of wry humour.

I think my next read needs to be a little lighter!      

IrishRose12

Hi everyone.  Not been on here in a while but I'm still working away at my challenge. I'm trying hard, things have happened and I've had to prioritise things but I'm still chugging away at them.

1.   Read 23 books - 4/23 read - Just started my 5th book today

2.   Sell 23 things - 18/23 

3.   Watch 23 films - 4/23

4.   Walk for 23 minutes 5 times a week. - doing this on a daily basis now!

5.  Save 23 of each coin an note - Forgot about this one so going to do this this evening lol 

6.   Declutter 23 items a week from the house - completed

7.   Save an extra £23 a month - Put away already

8.   23 minutes of mindfulness a week. - I am struggling wth this one but trying my best.   

9.   Loose 23lb in weight - 6lb lost

10.  Donate at least 23 items to the food bank - this months 23 items will be going next week.

11.  Get rid of 23 bags of stuff that we no longer need in the house - 5 bags gone, and another 2 bags collecting bits for 2 different charities.

12.  Swim 23 miles - going to have to change this one as can't afford to go swimming at the moment  

13.  Listen to 23 different music albums - 3/23

14.  Have 23 no tech evenings - 5 managed so far

15.  Save £2023 over the year - I am putting money into the tin but not sure how much is in there atm lol

16.  Treat / do something for myself 23 times - Treated myself to 2 small legos sets and a starbucks last month. 

17.  Save £23 every fortnight towards Christmas 2023 -  Direct Debit set up for this. 

18.  23 gardening jobs - 3/23

19.  Make the 23rd of each month a "Me" day. - forgot about this one so have set a reminder on my phone lol.

20.  Spend 23 minutes a day decluttering - Not happening everyday, but I do "catch up" sessions 

21.  Make or bake 23 things instead of spending money on takeaways/bakery etc - 4/23 - need to do better with this one

22.  Have 23 no spend days every month. - 12/15  completed so far this month

23.  Make 23 extra payments to my debts - 10 extra payments made. 

I'm going to have to change the swim 23 miles one as I just can't afford the entrance fee for our swimming pool atm. I've started  walking around a local park recently and try to walk at least 2 miles per session so I think I'll focus on the walking instead.  I'll aim for 23 miles, so so far I'll have done 4/23

I'm off work for the nest 4 days for St. Patrick's Day so will get stuck in to some of these and make a bigger dent in some of them. 

YorksLass

Have read another book - The Best of Sisters by Dilly Court - score now at 6/23.  A bit lightweight and "fluffy", not my normal kind of read at all, but at least I finished it.  There's another one by her waiting to be read - it's a case of "will or won't I?" and has gone to the bottom of the reading pile.  

I've finally managed a laptop free day - more luck than good management though, since I was tired after a poor night's sleep and in a cba mood!      

March's NSD score is currently 14/23,

slm6002

Well another month gone and I think I am doing ok.

1. Loose 23lb in weight - Still not quite started this yet
2. Donate at least 23 items to the food bank - 8 /23
3. Enter 23 competitions a month - 3/12 months completed with at least 23 each month
4. Spend 23 min on 'me' each week - Still doing well on this one and have completed this each week
5. Listen to 23 books - only the 1
6. Watch 23 new films - 7/23 - This month I have watched at least 2 (Seven & Murder Mystery) but think maybe it was more
7. 23 sessions of crafty making things for fun - 3/23 - cross stich
8. Save £23 each month - 3/12
9. Get rid of 23 bags of stuff that we no longer need in the house - 4/23
10. Swim 23 miles - yet to start this one
11. Try 23 new or forgotten hobbies - only the 3/23 so far - this month cross stich and riding a bike
12. Help friends / family 23 times - 12/23
13. 23 fun family days - 1/23 - We have a few things planned for the Easter holidays so hopefully this will climb next month
14. 23 hours of sorting paperwork - 4/23
15. 23 surveys a month - 3/12 months with at least 23 surveys.  Nice little stash of vouchers building from them 
16. Buy second hand 23 times rather than brand new - not really bought anything this year as yet
17. Drink 23 glasses of plain water a week rather than the fizzy I normally drink - always improving but not 23 glasses a week
18. Walk rather drive 23 times - 8/23 only 1 trip to add this month, but its rained most of the month
19. 23 random acts of kindness - 4/23 - rescued a young lad who was being chased.  Took him to his home for safety reasons
20. 23 fruit and veg a week - not every week so far but getting close - Still the same for this one
21. Enjoy 23 fun and free activities - 2/23 - cycling course
22. Send 23 letters to Postpals children - 4/23
23. 23 early nights to get a proper nights sleep - 16/23 - doing really well with sleep at the moment

I think I am still doing ok, although there are a few I am still to start properly

YorksLass

March update:

1.  Donate 23 items to CS - 7/23

2.  Enter 23 competitions - 1/23

3.  Choose 23 CDs from our collection and listen to them - 2/23

4.  Read 23 books - 6/23 - Latest one was The Last Juror, John Grisham

5.  Make the 23rd of each month a "Me" day - Done

6.  Shave 23p a day off the already reduced grocery budget ( = £83.95 at the end of the year) - Total to date £20.70

7.  Watch 23 films that I haven't seen before - 4/23 Latest one was Deja Vu (can't even remember what it was about!)

8.  Make 23 items from my crafting stash (knit, sew, cross stitch etc) - 2/23

9.  Donate 23 items to a Food Bank - 2/23

10. Spend 23 minutes a day clearing a shelf, drawer etc to help with decluttering - Done, but it's not making a noticeable difference yet

11. Walk 23 ups and 23 downs of the stairs a total of 23 times a week - Done

12. Have 23 no spend days every month (not including DDs for bills etc) - 24 this month

13. Walk for 23 mins twice a week - Done

14. Socialise 23 times (visit, phone, email) - 3/23

15. Complete 23 things on my To Do List - Oh dear, a massive fail here!  It's as long as ever.  

16. Have 23 portions of F&V every week - Done

17. Have 23 days away from the laptop - 1/23

18. Decorate the kitchen for £23 or less - Still on hold

I'll keep plugging away.

IrishRose12

April update so far

1.   Read 23 books - 6/23 read - About to start my 7th this evening.

2.   Sell 23 things - 20/23 

3.   Watch 23 films - 6/23

4.   Walk for 23 minutes 5 times a week. - still doing this on a daily basis!

5.  Save 23 of each coin an note - Have got 2 of each coin and note atm, not sure how this one wil work as my hours have been dramatically cut at work so big chnages ahead  

6.   Declutter 23 items a week from the house - about to start this weeks bag

7.   Save an extra £23 a month - will put this away on Friday when I get paid.

8.   23 minutes of mindfulness a week. - Have finally managed to get into a routine of doing this

9.   Loose 23lb in weight - 8lb lost now!  I'm just under 15 stone for the 1st time in years!! 

10.  Donate at least 23 items to the food bank - done this on Saturday

11.  Get rid of 23 bags of stuff that we no longer need in the house - 8 gine so far this year with another one currently being filled.

12.  Listen to 23 Audiobooks - 2/23 listened to - I'm not a fan of audio books I've realised lol.  

13.  Listen to 23 different music albums -5/23

14.  Have 23 no tech evenings - 10 managed so far

15.  Save £2023 over the year - Can't see this happening now due to wages being cut, but will try my best.

16.  Treat / do something for myself 23 times - Haven't treated myself to anything in a while.  

17.  Save £23 every fortnight towards Christmas 2023 -  Direct Debit set up for this. On target still.

18.  23 gardening jobs - 6/23 - soil ordered to come this week so hopefully get this number up

19.  Make the 23rd of each month a "Me" day. -  will have to plan somethng for this month.

20.  Spend 23 minutes a day decluttering - getting there with this one lol. 

21.  Make or bake 23 things instead of spending money on takeaways/bakery etc - 6/23 - made apple crumble at the weekend.

22.  Have 23 no spend days every month. - I'm actually doing really wel at this now!  so far this month I've had 8/10 NSD's

23.  Make 23 extra payments to my debts - unfortunatley no more made so far due to dramatic change in wages this is going to be a problem I think. 

My wages have changed dramatically this past 6 months and come next week my hours may be getting cut again, I'm off for Easter break this week but it's all unpaid "holidays" so i'll only et 3 weeks wages next month.  I've a few big decisions  to make this week regarding my job of 20 years and my financial situation as I simply can't afford to live ATM but I have to put my mental health, and my familiy duties in front also.  Tough times ahead for me, hopefully I come out of it in a better situation soon. 

YorksLass

April update:

1.  Donate 23 items to CS - 7/23

2.  Enter 23 competitions 1/23 - Not really my thing!

3.  Choose 23 CDs from our collection and listen to them - 2/23

4.  Read 23 books - 8/23, last was The Brethren by John Grisham

5.  Make the 23rd of each month a "Me" day - Done

6.  Shave 23p a day off the already reduced grocery budget ( = £83.95 at the end of the year) Total to date: £27.60

7.  Watch 23 films that I haven't seen before- 5/23, latest one was Meet The Parents

8.  Make 23 items from my crafting stash (knit, sew, cross stitch etc) - 3/23

9.  Donate 23 items to a Food Bank - 2/23

10. Spend 23 minutes a day clearing a shelf, drawer etc to help with decluttering - On track

11. Walk 23 ups and 23 downs of the stairs a total of 23 times a week - Done

12. Have 23 no spend days every month (not including DDs for bills etc) This month 24/30 - getting good at this

13. Walk for 23 mins twice a week - Done

14. Socialise 23 times (visit, phone, email) This month 0/23 - dismal failure

15. Complete 23 things on my To Do List - 0/23 - another fail!

16. Have 23 portions of F&V every week - On track

17. Have 23 days away from the laptop - 1/23

18. Decorate the kitchen for £23 or less - Still on hold

Clearly some categories need more work!

slm6002

slm6002 said:

Well another month gone and I think I am doing ok.

1. Loose 23lb in weight - Finally started 2/23
2. Donate at least 23 items to the food bank - 10 /23
3. Enter 23 competitions a month - 4/12 months completed with at least 23 each month
4. Spend 23 min on 'me' each week - Still doing well on this one and have completed this each week
5. Listen to 23 books - only the 1
6. Watch 23 new films - 7/23 - This month I have watched at least 2 (The second Murder Mystery, Just like Heaven) but think maybe it was more
7. 23 sessions of crafty making things for fun - 6/23 - cross stich & macrame
8. Save £23 each month - 4/12
9. Get rid of 23 bags of stuff that we no longer need in the house - 6/23
10. Swim 23 miles - yet to start this one
11. Try 23 new or forgotten hobbies - only the 4/23 so far - this month I went on a macrame course
12. Help friends / family 23 times - 15/23
13. 23 fun family days - 3/23 - Hopefully as the weather improves these will increase
14. 23 hours of sorting paperwork - 7/23
15. 23 surveys a month - 4/12 months with at least 23 surveys.  Nice little stash of vouchers building from them 
16. Buy second hand 23 times rather than brand new - not really bought anything this year as yet
17. Drink 23 glasses of plain water a week rather than the fizzy I normally drink - always improving but not 23 glasses a week
18. Walk rather drive 23 times - 9/23 
19. 23 random acts of kindness - 4/23 
20. 23 fruit and veg a week - not every week so far but getting close - Still the same for this one
21. Enjoy 23 fun and free activities - 3/23 Went geocaching
22. Send 23 letters to Postpals children - 8/23
23. 23 early nights to get a proper nights sleep - 21/23 - doing really well with sleep at the moment

Not doing too badly still

tinkerbelluk

Glad to see everyone's doing so well and I'm really sorry to hear things are tough at the moment @IrishRose12 as you said, your own health and family need to come first xx  Also loved the Brethren @YorksLass - I've just started reading the Steve Cavanagh books if you're looking for something similar?

tinkerbelluk

So I realised I missed March totally! Lots going on at home and starting a new job tomorrow where I'll be working for myself, so lots of changes but at the moment, things are starting to look up 

Still plugging away at this and doing better on some than others!

April

1. Answer 223 journal prompts of self-discovery and awareness  - 9/223 - I'm avoiding this one like mad! I need to stop putting it off and put my big girl pants on and get some done this month!
2. Build 23 Lego sets  - 3/23 - Lack of time has stopped this the past 2 months but hopefully I'll have a chance to make a start on a big set this month.
3. Complete 23 things of master to-do list - 2/23 - Progress (although these both relate to sorting out holidays for this year 
4. Do 23 things with family and friends - 10/23 - Not bad but again, I've been slacking on meeting people so need to pick this back up this month
5. Donations to charity - 8/23 - On track with this one, but we have a bog clear out sorted for next weekend so I'm hoping a load of bags to the charity shop
6. Enter 23 competitions per month - Got to be honest, absolutely smashing this and really enjoying it. I've had a few good wins to so that's keeping me motivated
7. Go for 23 walks or bike rides over 30 mins  - 1/23 - Ummmm..........let's say I'll be better at this, this month now the weather's picking up 
8. Have 23 date nights – In or out!  - 1/23 - So at least progress has started!
9. Have 23 fun family adventures - 3/23 - I feel this is a bit of a tricky one, as I'm classing a week in Disney Paris as just a single item, but on the flip side it encourages me to look for more things to do that don't cost the earth!
10. Have 23 no tech evenings  - 10/23 - On track with this one
11. Learn / Try 23 new things - 2/23 - I ate at a completely vegan restaurant (must admit it wasn't as bad as I thought and I've started a cross stitch pattern)
12. Listen to 23 new albums - 7/23 - Doing ok with this one
13. Listen to 23 podcasts - 0/23 - Need to make a start on this, so if anyone has anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them
14. Lose 23% of my body weight - Made a start on this, in April I managed to lose 3.78% of my total weight, so happy with that 
15. Make 23 new meals - 1/23 - Not doing great with this one, so need to pull my finger out!
16. Play 23 board games - 0/23 - Again, we have plenty here just need to find the time!
17. Practice 23 mins of mindfulness each week - 17/52 - Bang on track with this one
18. Read 23 Books - 16/23 - Absolutely flying with this.  Did a few about Foster carers in April which was a fairly tough read.  Onto Steve Cavanagh now which are right page churners.
19. Save £2023 over the year  - £472.68 - Doing ok with this thanks to a £200 comp win and Swagbucks
20. Sell 23 things on ebay / booty sites  - 1/23 - Planning a clear out next weekend so that'll motivate me as I need to get stuff gone one way or another!
21. Spend 23 mins each week organising photos - 0/52 - The less said about this the better as I really need to make a start on catching up before this becomes impossible!
22. Treat / do something for myself 23 times - 5/23 - Some cross stitch stuff and a lego set along with some personal treats   
23. Watch 23 new to me films / documentaries / TV shows  - 10/23 - Again, more than on track with this one.
    

Let's see if I can make some progress on the tricky ones I'm putting off this month!