25 for 2025

tinkerbelluk

I was going to ask the same about the gift cards. Are you not worried about businesses going into administration? Would you not be safer popping the money into a savings pot in a bank and buying them all in December? 

PipneyJane

Good morning All.  

Hope you had productive and successful Januarys.  (I’m 100 posts behind.)  Here’s my update:

1. Read 25 books
2. Lose 7lbs - weight 3.1.25 9st 7lb, weight 21.1.25 9st.5lb 2lb lost
3. Exercise for 25 minutes 5 times a week for at least 25 weeks
4. Visit 25 new-to-me places
5. Knit at least 25 balls of yarn from Stash.  - 2 down
6. Save £2,500 - £700 saved in Monthly saver (January and February contributions)
7. Invest £1,000 a month  2/12 (February’s auto-invest is ready to go.)
8. Get into the habit of flossing and brushing my teeth every night - success
9. Make it a habit to wash makeup off before going to bed - success
10. Get my British citizenship 
11. Eat 30 different plants a week for 25 weeks - 4/25
12. Donate 25 items to charity (clothes, books, etc) - 1 box of 12 tubes toothpaste donated to homeless charity
13. Do 12 park runs
14. Entertain 12 times
15. Go to the cinema 10 times, to use up the free cinema tickets DH and I get from the bank
16. Meal plan for at least 25 weeks
17. Telephone far-flung friends/family 25 times
18. Cook 25 new-to-me dishes
19. Do the 2025 Fashion-on-the-Ration Challenge - 4/66 coupons spent
20. Complete the monthly Grocery Challenge and stay in Budget - January successful
21. Give up having sugar/sweetener in my tea/coffee - success
22. Blog 25 times
23. Do 25 minutes of tidying for 25 days
24. TBA
25. TBA 

DundeeDoll

loving everyone's updates. I had a nasty fall on black ice last Sunday so have been hampered on the four fitness challenges but will be able to catch up. I'm loving getting back to piano, clearly not so much decluttering 🤣

1) 25 * 25 per month piano: 22 for Jan

2) 2025 things decluttered: 73/2025

3) Workout programmes: 1.6/25

4) 25k steps in one day: 1/25

5) B&W films: 3/25

6) Ballet / opera: 2/25

7) Botanic gardens: 1/25

8) Celebrations: 2/25

9) Competitions: 2/25

10) Donations to food bank: 3/25

11) Egg recipes: 5/25

12) Evensong: 4/25

13) Just one thing: 1/25

14) Fish: 5/25

15) Foot soaks: 2/25

16) Graveyards: 1/25

17) Green in the title: 2/25

18) Lectures: 4/25

19) Litter picks: 4/25

20) Makes: 1/25

21) Malt whiskies: 2/25

22) Pasta book recipes: 3/25

23) Runs: 1/25

24) Simple things: 1/25

25) Translated books: 2/25

DundeeDoll

February's 'Simple Things' has arrived and here is the could-do list:
Get up early ad wrap up warm for a dawn walk
Learn an instrument (yes the kazoo counts)
Eat dinner by candlelight with a friend
Find the most niche museum you can and pay a visit
Bring some bulbs in the house to open up in the warm

Today I brought in some bulbs.

eltee2

Morning all

Updated list - more books read & films watched and been to see another local band.    Have also gone back to CS volunteering.      Almost reached 25 NSDs in January - might only get 20 NSDs in Feb as we will be away for a few days

We can but try...
Arthur Conan Doyle

• 25 books - 9/25
7. Love like Blood, Mark Billingham
8. The Year of Less, Cait Flanders
9. The Killing Habit, Mark Billingham

• 25 CS volunteering sessions - 1/25
• 25 deep clean/declutter sessions - 5/25
4. Deep-clean bathroom
5. Declutter/dust/clean/vacuum around/behind/under bedside tables & bed

• 25 films - 13/25
10. The Core
11. Fast X
12. The Portable Door
13. Star Trek: Section 31

• 25 live bands - 2/25
• 25 me-time activities - 1/25
1. Facial & back massage 👍

• 25 mins weekly meal planning - 5/52
• 25 gardening sessions - 0/25
• 25 new recipes - 3/25
• 25 NSDs per month - Jan 24/25 a good effort
• 25 post-SW WI sessions - 5/25
• 25lbs weight loss - 5/25

Rosa_Damascena

@Smudgeismydog - please share your Random Actos of Kindness with us?

@IrishRose12 - I bought a weighted hoop last year but haven't used it. I never actually got the hang of hoola-hooping but now I'm going to give it another go. If Grace Jones could do it at 62, I can at least make an effort!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSa5EvWqB7g&t=10s&ab_channel=TopTellyFan

Smudgeismydog

Rosa_Damascena said:

@Smudgeismydog - please share your Random Actos of Kindness with us?

@IrishRose12 - I bought a weighted hoop last year but haven't used it. I never actually got the hang of hoola-hooping but now I'm going to give it another go. If Grace Jones could do it at 62, I can at least make an effort!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSa5EvWqB7g&t=10s&ab_channel=TopTellyFan

Hello Rosa_Damascena, 
My random acts of kindness so far are;
I saw a dog walking by itself near a fairly busy road, couldn’t see anyone with it, so approached it. He was very friendly, and luckily had a collar on, so I called the number, told the owner where we were, and waited for them to arrive.

I was waiting in the woods car park for my friend to arrive for our walk (I was early, and she was running late). An older man had just finished his walk and was parked next to me, he was on his own and I felt he wanted a chat. He explained he really enjoys walking and the outdoors, but his wife doesn’t, so he always walks alone. I asked him about his hobbies, where he walks, his family etc, and suggested a couple of local volunteering activities that he might be interested in. Bless him, he was very appreciative of our chat.

Finally, a friend said she had been waking early for a few morning feelings anxious about her pensions (or lack of them), and asked if she could pick my brains (we are a similar age, and she is aware I have an interest in pension planning). We arranged a time, and she opened up and told me all about her imminent divorce and financial settlement, her work arrangements and potential for pension contributions. I was able to listen and make a few suggestions, she said she was feeling much calmer as a result.


I suppose it’s down to what we might each interpret as a ‘random act of kindness’. My view is that it can often be easier not to stop and help, or do something, particularly when everyone is so busy that they might not have the time. If I can give some of my time, or try and make a difference to someone’s day, then I’ll count that as a random act of kindness. 

DundeeDoll

25 just one things - last week was balancing on one leg, this week is a square of dark chocolate every evening (and tonight's episode was green tea so that'll be next week's just one thing)

StickyTheStickInsect

Hello :-)

My update for January, it's not been a great month and I haven't managed to read at all or eat enough fruit and vegetables but other things like volunterring, sticking to a meal plan and decluttering things seem to be going okay. I also need to read with my children more and try and put more time aside for family things. Hoping for a better February!

Read 25 books	0/25
25 days in a month of sticking to a meal plan	✓
Earn £2,025 from a side hustle this year	£58.80/£2,025
List 25 items a month on eBay or Vinted or Facebook marketplace or Shpock	X
Volunteer for 25 days	4/25
Walk 25 miles (accumulatively) every six months	0/50
Save £25 a month in premium bonds	X
Make 25 extra payments to debt	0/25
Go on 25 family walks	0/25
Complete 25 things on my to do list every month	✓
Have 2 or 3 admin days a month	✓
Read with my children 25 times a month	X
Reduce my text message/whatsapp backlog by 25 messages a week	✓
Have 25 National Trust days out (to justify having annual membership)	0/25
Eat 5 portions of fruit and veg, 25 times a month	X
Declutter 100 bags	7/25
Go to the library 25 times	4/25
Save £25 a month for Christmas	0/12
Do 25 things for me	0/25
Delete 25 emails a day	✓
Research family history 25 times	0/25
Play board/card games 25 times	0/25
Increase my touch typing speed by 25 wpm (test 12/01/2025 41WPM)	X
Have 25 date nights	0/25

thechubbyunicorn

Week 5 update....
A really good week, I worked towards 14 of my goals, super pleased with that! I spent time last week writing a plan of what I wanted to do and when and that really helped to get me a bit more organised...

4. Go to Slimming World - Went this week 
5. Walk 2025km - 45.89km
6. Buy 25 gift cards for Christmas - One4all 
7. Save £2025 - £10.87 
8. Try 25 new recipes - stewed sausages 
10. Create (25 positive!) habits - Brush my teeth for 2 minutes every morning & night (I was brushing my teeth twice a day but not always for 2mins but now I make the effort to do it a bit longer) / Take my meds every morning & night (This was definitely not consistent before but I've been making a real effort with this one). 
12. 25 things that make me look / feel better - Eyebrows threaded and tinted 
14. Try 25 new restaurants / cafes - Sweet Jane Bakehouse, Troon 
15. 25 solo days out - Troon - beach, hot chocolate and a mooch around the charity shops 
16. Post 2025 photos to Instagram - 11
17. Watch 25 movies I've never seen before - The Hate U Give 
20. Walk along 25 different beaches - Troon 
23. Try 25 foods I've never had before - Cruffin 
25. Save 25 of each coin / note (£1 to £20) - 1x£20 

I buy the gift cards to spend in December on gifts or food shopping. I did it last year and it was a success so trying again this year. I'm could just transfer the money to a savings account but this way feels more real as I can actually see the cards as oppose to squirreling it away and forgetting about it.