January update for my 52 list

Nearly one month down for the year already! I’m a broken record when I say how fast time is going, but it really does fly by! I’ve had a good start on my 52 list, which means it’s time for a recap!

Take Luca swimming

I couldn’t wait to get this one done. I have been really looking forward to the little man being old enough to go swimming, and it was everything I hoped for. He loves the bath at home, and he loves showers as well, so I felt relatively certain he’d be OK in a pool. And sure enough, he was. He happily floats around with us, and has even done the odd kick here and there!

You can read my post about the water familiarisation classes we’re doing with him here.

Visit the library

This was a pass, but I can’t say the typical goal was achieve i.e borrow a NEW book to read! In a nutshell:

• I got there and signed up (good thing)
• The book I had reserved wasn’t on the reservations shelf (not a good thing)
• Luca decided that the silence in the library was a good time to make loud grunting noises (not a good thing, but freaking hilarious). I couldn’t help but laugh, and try and say “shhh” like he knew what that meant
• Because of his grunting I was getting flustered when looking for a different book to take home instead
• The book I ended up getting, was because I picked a random aisle to choose a book from. I chose “The Girl in the Spider’s Web”, which clearly I was attracted to because I’d already read it! I got home and within two pages knew I’d made a mistake. Next time I will consult my GoodReads app to see if I’d read it.

Ah well, I did manage to sign up at least. One of my goals though was to find out when they have Rhyme Time, something I want to take Luca to. I’m hoping he’ll love to read as much as I do as he grows up. I did that, so at least that goal was achieved!

Use a sewing machine

This year I really want to learn how to sew. The goal is to eventually be able to make some clothes for myself, but most importantly, be able to repair clothing. I’m expecting that as Luca grows there’s going to be some work for me there, not to mention the odd hemming for myself and the hubby.

So far I’ve made a bag (which I sewed the handles on wrong and had to redo), and a headband. Right now I’m in the middle of trying something a bit more complex, and will share some photos when I’m done. In the meantime here’s my bag that I made, which reminded me of Year 8 Home Economics.

A post shared by Kelly Sofia (@kelsbells) on Jan 21, 2018 at 3:19am PST

and with the handles corrected:

A post shared by Kelly Sofia (@kelsbells) on Jan 24, 2018 at 2:50pm PST

I’m getting there slowly! I’ve had tons of thoughts on the challenges of learning to sew, which I hope to one day write a post about. It hasn’t been easy so far, only in the sense of trying to find resources for an absolute beginners  if you know how to sew, I’d love to hear any tips!

Organise the top of the walk-in robe

We’ve organised and decluttered the whole thing, woohoo. In fact, Mario and I went through the entire house recently and decluttered every room. We had so many things to donate to charity, a full ute-load in fact! I’m still working through other areas of the house, tackling more clutter and organising.

I do have a before photo for this, but I don’t have the “after” photo yet. I feel like I’ve only just begun! As it stands right now, it’s organised (and nearly empty thanks to the cluttering efforts!) I’ve joined a Facebook group dedicated to home organisation, and the ideas I’m getting…! *rubs hands together* Watch this space!

Go for a bike ride

The hubby and I managed to sneak out for a short ride around the local area, just under an hour, while the in-laws looked after the little man. It was great fun, and so nice to get out again! It was the first ride on my bike since giving birth so we took it easy. My muscles are still regaining strength

Once the little guy is a bit older we’re planning on buying a trailer to attach to Mario’s mountain bike. We want to go for some more family rides – I can’t wait!

Visit the markets

I wanted to use this one as an excuse to find some new markets and go exploring. So when I saw a sign that there were markets at Mooloolaba Beach on the last Sunday of every month I was super excited, and couldn’t wait to try it out!

Alas, I was bitterly disappointed.

Thinking about it now, I don’t know what I was expecting. It felt like a market that catered more for tourists than locals. It was small too, within 2 minutes I had walked to the end and back. It felt like there wasn’t much creativity – it was the same stuff that you see at ever market. The same style of clothing, or jewellery, or the lady selling her cleaning cloths that are cleaning version of tupperware. Where was the unique art? Or the unusual street food?

My hunt for an amazing market continues.

Catch up with a friend I haven’t seen for more than 6 months

Thanks to Australia, my same-sex friends had the opportunity to get married earlier this year. It was brilliant, and I couldn’t have been more proud!

And at the same time I had the opportunity to catch up with a friend who flew from Western Australia for the wedding. For those who live abroad, that’s a 5.5hr flight from one side of Australia to the other. In some places that would take you to a whole new country (we can fly for hours and still be in the same state here).

Since the friend moved across, we’ve had numerous virtual dinners. Basically the group of friends and I all jump on a video call, have dinner and chat together. It’s become a tradition now, including a secret santa swap at Christmas time. But it doesn’t beat seeing her in the flesh. Love ya Bel!

So where are we now…

Right  now I’m at 45 remaining tasks, which means not a bad effort to knock 7 out of the way in the first month!