Still, I have been quite busy you know.

11. Teach myself to sew

This was my April personal challenge. I pretty much did, and have since made a skirt for Little M out of an old pair of jeans and am in the process of making some cushion covers. Because I can’t knit at the moment (see 86), sewing is fast becoming my creative outlet.

24. Have a kid free weekend

I had one in April when Mr TOPP took the M’s down to the seaside to see their Granny. This wasn’t really what I meant by a kid free weekend though. While I enjoyed the novelty of having a lie in and being able to shower without someone walking in asking for help getting Kwazii to sit in his Gup it would be quite nice to have a kid free weekend with Mr TOPP. Maybe one day.

34. Teach the kids to swim

Because we are rubbish and have spectacularly failed to take the M’s swimming on a regular basis, we have signed Big M up for swimming lessons. She starts next week. If she gets into it then that might make us get up earlier our arses in gear more likely to go as a family more regularly. Pfffff.

86. Teach myself to crochet

Given that my wonky arm is still wonky, and is likely to be wonky for the foreseeable future, anything to do with knitting and crochet is unlikely to happen any time soon. Sad face.

87. Use up some of my stash before I buy any more

See 86.

100. Find out more about our family history so I can tell the kids as they grow up

Over the last month or so I have become like a woman possessed. I have taken it upon myself to research my dad’s family tree (my mum is in the process of doing her side). On one branch of the family I have managed to get back to my 11x great grandfather who was born in 1535. It’s slightly addictive, and something that should not be done when drinking wine. I may or may not have married my granny off to the wrong grandpa…

Anyhoo, way back at the beginning of April I set myself the challenge of learning to sew. I hunted around for some easy sewing patterns/tutorials. Then I got a bit scared what with all the technical jargon, so I asked twitter instead. Several people suggested bunting. Our bunting in the garden was old and faded, so I decided that I should do it. Also, given that bunting is not worn, and ours will go in the garden, it doesn’t need to be perfect, and is therefore an ideal first project.

A couple of Saturdays ago when Mr TOPP was working, the M’s and I headed off to the charity shops to source fabric. I decided we would hunt down some red, white and blue stuff to chop up for our bunting. We came home with a t- shirt and two shirts. A friend at school also donated an old red t-shirt.

There are loads of tutorials and videos on t’interweb. I used this tutorial which was really easy to follow.

I chose not to do one long string of bunting, instead I made three 2m long. These are just long enough to fit a fence panel. It’s almost as if I planned it. I didn’t.

We are now ready for summer. Whenever it deigns to show up.

And now it’s over to you. How did you get on with your personal challenge for April? Link up and let us know.

Want to join in? Come back tomorrow with your personal challenge for May.

Let’s see if we have crossed anything at all off this month:

11. Teach myself to sew

This is my personal challenge for this month, so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out about this one. Oooh, I am SUCH a tease.

30. Practise the piano and learn to play at least five songs properly

I recently got a new keyboard at school, and I love it. I now play in singing practise every week and also in lessons. I think this may count, even though it’s not technically a piano…

34. Teach the kids to swim

Having not been swimming since last summer for a while, we took the M’s a few weeks back. Big M loved it. Little M screamed the place down until she got out again ten minutes later. Because we are good parents, we took her back to face her fears the next week, and the week after that. While she still won’t let go of me, last week we actually managed to get her armbands on her, and she didn’t cry once. Not even when I washed her hair in the shower. In the meantime, Big M is actually able to mover herself doggy paddle style through the water. I think we’re getting there.

55. Find fun, cheap days out within an hour’s drive from home

When I was 11 and my granny died, my dad bought my siblings and me life membership to the National Trust. At the time I didn’t really appreciate it, but now? Oh my goodness. My membership allows me to take in two adults (including me) so that’s me and Mr TOPP sorted. As yet we don’t pay for the M’s. At easter we went on an easter egg hunt around a local National Trust property and had the best fun.

We have also been exploring local parks a bit more, and not just sticking to the one on our doorstep. I forget that there are three or four parks within a twenty minute walk of our house. We are so very lucky.

56. Win the lottery

I still haven’t bought a bloody ticket…

95. Remember to use the coupons we get sent, rather than leave them stuck to the fridge door

Little M is two in two weeks *sob*, so we are now officially “out” of all the baby clubs that sent us the coupons I always forgot to spend. I am therefore crossing this one off by default. Or because I am a cheat. Whatever.

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So, there we have it. Only five months left to go to Dublin, Scotland and France and finish the decorating. Best get a wriggle on then.

I kind of need March to bring good weather for this month’s challenge. For those of you who have read my blog for a while and/or follow my witterings on twitter, I have been running for a while now. Not long after I started last August, I signed up for the Sport Relief Mile. Only, for some unknown reason, I decided I would go for the 6 mile option.

SIX. MILES.

What was I thinking?

I kind of lost my running mojo over Christmas and have been trying very hard over the last few weeks to get it back. I’ve been going three nights a week for the last few weeks, but for some reason I cannot get past 3 miles. I think it’s purely psychological, and I have a new training plan and route to try and kick my ass start my training.

The fact remains that I have three weeks and three days to be able to run three whole miles further than I can right now.

Pffff.

I need a lie down.

Want to join in? You are very welcome. Just set yourself a goal for the month – your very own Personal Challenge. At the beginning of the month, decide what it is that you want to achieve over the next thirty days. It could be anything: losing a couple of pounds, getting the weeding done, making something, learning a new skill. Whatever you like. Putting my management hat on for a second: make sure it is something you can actually achieve in a month. Be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based). Write a post about what you want to achieve and why. If you link back to my post then others can join in too – you can use the badge if you like (the code is over on the right there).

Make sure you put the link to your post on the linky list at the bottom of mine (it’s open for two weeks). Use the opportunity to seek advice from/help out/support fellow bloggers. Then spend the next month attempting to achieve your goal. At the end of the month I’ll be back to let you know how I have got on with my personal challenge and there will be another linky for you to share your success. So come back and tell us how you got on and we can all give you a pat on the back.

Anyhoo, I digress.

A whole 29 days ago I set my personal challenge for February. And I know you are all on the edge of your seats waiting to hear whether I was successful or not. So without further ado…

I had earmarked the half term holiday to do the deed. On the Sunday we duly cleared the dining room and completely turned the rest of our house upside down in the process. Big M thought it was hilarious that we would be eating in the sitting room. Little M was just cross about it.

Turns out though, she wasn’t cross just because of the chaos caused by our impending DIY. As we breakfasted in the sitting room on Monday morning Little M decided to throw up in her weetabix. Nice.

No nursery for her then. I still had to pick up the wallpaper stripper I had booked, even with a toddler in tow. Apparently it isn’t safe for small folk to help with DIY so I had to wait until Little M had her nap.

In the end I managed to get the room done over two days while the M’s slept. And in the process we have kind of decided that our dining room will become our sitting room. We’ve also decided to get the boiler done which involves taking up the floor to find pipes etc. All further DIY has been put on hold until after the boiler has been replaced next week.

We’ll just have to get used to bare plaster walls for a while.

And now it’s over to you. How did you get on with your personal challenge for February? Link up and let us know.

Want to join in? Come back tomorrow with your personal challenge for March.

Given that this round up should contain two whole months of achievements, you’d expect it to be chock full of things I can cross off my list. I hope we’re not sorely disappointed…

*deep breath*

2. Use our slow cooker at least once a month

Having found a recipe that is easy, everybody eats and involves no frying of onions before work, we are getting back on track with this one. There’s something odd about leaving the house at 7.30am and smelling you tea cooking though…

10. Buy a sewing machine

A couple of weeks ago my aunty asked me if I still wanted a sewing machine as she had found my granny’s old one in her loft. I may or may not have squealed. Mr TOPP may or may not have rolled his eyes.

Either way, I now have a sewing machine.

11. Teach myself to sew

I haven’t had time yet but given that I aim to decorate at least one room this year, I feel I may dabble into the soft furnishing world in the near future.

56. Win the lottery

I guess you need to buy a lottery ticket to be in with a chance of this one. Fail.

60. Decide which school we want the kids to go to

We applied at the beginning of December. We had two schools to choose from, one that pushes academically, one that is a bit more relaxed but still gets results. My gut feeling was with the second one. So, it turns out, was Big M’s and Mr TOPP’s.

We have to wait until April to find out. Fingers crossed.

61. Use my evenings more productively

Bear in mind that when I wrote my day zero list I was heavily pregnant, and pretty much surgically joined to the sofa. Now, nearly two years on, I spend my evenings running, working and/or flopped on the sofa. Much more productive. And now I have a sewing machine to help fill those evenings too…

67. Make a reusable, non chocolate filled advent calendar that can become part of our family christmas tradition

I totally did. It rocked.

80. Learn to delegate more

If there is one thing I learned during the run up to Christmas it’s that I have to delegate more. I nearly broke myself trying to organise and prepare for three concerts. I have people around me who are willing and able to take some of the pressure off me. I just have to trust them and mostly myself to let them do it.

89. Get a good photo of the four of us

Last October our entire family went for a photo shoot that we had bought my mum for her 60th birthday. There were 9 adults, 4 small people and a bump. We had photos taken in various combinations, and for Christmas we were given a copy of the photo of us four.

********

Not bad, all things considered.

Now I only have eleven months to complete the rest of the list. Easy, right?

Hmmm. What to do?

I did the only obvious thing: I put it on my Day Zero list. And then promptly did nothing more about it. I do that a lot.

I kind of assumed that I would teach myself to sew (see 10 and 11 on my day zero list) and that I would fashion something out of vintage fabric in true domestic goddess style. But so far I have failed spectacularly to even look like crossing 10 and 11 off the list.

To ensure another year doesn’t pass without me getting off my arse and making it, I decided I should probably do something about it. And so my personal challenge for November was set. For obvious reasons I had to think of something that I could make that did not involve sewing.

And then inspiration struck.

Once I had all the supplies it was really rather straight forward.

I even got to use the glue gun I got for Christmas two years ago for the first time. That was very exciting, not least because I was unsupervised. I am not allowed to use tools without Mr TOPP being around since I managed to make a 10cm hole in the wall with a 4mm drill bit. I am naturally talented.

Fortunately the glue mostly stayed were it was supposed to be and I still have full, independent use of all my fingers.

It’s not perfect, but I reckon that just adds to its rustic charm.

I can’t wait for the M’s to see it tomorrow.

And now it’s over to you. If you set yourself a challenge for November let us know how you got on using the linky below.

And if you want to join in with a challenge for December come back tomorrow to sign up.

Anyhoo, I don’t think I have been work-avoiding this month. Far from it in fact…

4. Keep on top of the laundry

We have two laundry baskets. You can usually put the lid on both of them. I am taking this as a win.

Although, I do have a habit of losing socks…

25. Decorate at least one room in the new house

We haven’t decorated anything this year. 2012 is SO going to involve paint and rollers. I can’t wait.

45. Knit a winter hat/gloves/scarf for the kids before it gets so cold their hands turn blue

Little M’s hat is finished. Go me! I have decided that I can’t do mittens for teeny people, so we bought some. I still need to sew on the elastic though.

46. Sew gloves onto elastic so all that effort doesn’t go to waste

See 45.

60. Decide which school we want the kids to go to

I can’t believe my baby is big enough for school.

64. Take my kids to a firework display

Mr TOPP was in America for bonfire night. I think this was a cunning plan on his part because he doesn’t really like fireworks. The M’s and I invited some friends over and we had sparklers in the garden.

Big M liked the idea of fireworks but when it came to it she wasn’t that keen. Maybe next year.

67. Make a reusable, non chocolate filled advent calendar that can become part of our family christmas tradition

This was my personal challenge for November, so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out about this one.

82. Learn to pick up a dropped stitch

Earlier this month I taught year 9 to knit. Inevitably there were a few dropped stitches. Given I was the “expert” I had to sort it out when it all went pear shaped and I finally learned how to pick up a stitch. We all learned something that day.

*******

Given that I am currently preparing for three (possibly four) concerts in the next two weeks I think that November has been really rather successful. And there’s still my personal challenge to go.

I failed last year. I blame the sleep deprivation.

But this year? I am FULL OF BEANS.

Pfff.

At least, I am usually getting a full nights’ sleep, so this year there is no excuse.

A couple of months ago I had a genius idea, and have acquired the first part of the advent calendar. I still have to get some other bits and bobs, splash some paint on and get the glue gun out. And it has to be ready  for December 1st.

Best get my skates on then, eh?

Want to join in? You are very welcome. Just set yourself a goal for the month – your very own Personal Challenge. At the beginning of the month, decide what it is that you want to achieve over the next thirty days. It could be anything: losing a couple of pounds, getting the weeding done, making something, learning a new skill. Whatever you like. Putting my management hat on for a second: make sure it is something you can actually achieve in a month. Be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based). Write a post about what you want to achieve and why. If you link back to my post then others can join in too – you can use the badge if you like (the code is over on the right there).

Make sure you put the link to your post on the linky list at the bottom of mine (it’s open for two weeks). Use the opportunity to seek advice from/help out/support fellow bloggers. Then spend the next month attempting to achieve your goal. At the end of the month I’ll be back to let you know how I have got on with my personal challenge and there will be another linky for you to share your success. So come back and tell us how you got on and we can all give you a pat on the back.

The only thing that has put a shadow on the whole thing has been my Wonky Arm. At first it was diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. I went back the doctors two weeks ago and asked for my entire arm to be chopped off. I was re-assessed and the diagnosis has been changed to trapped nerve. I have been referred for physio and have some seriously badass pain killers to keep me going.

So, why oh why did I decide that it was a good idea for my personal challenge to involve knitting this month? I have little to no feeling in my thumb and first two fingers of my right hand, and shooting pains up my arm. Sometimes I am unbelievably dumb.

Last weekend my arm was feeling considerably better. And/or I was drugged up to the eyeballs. Either way I decided to have a go, mostly because Little M has no hair, and it’s autumn. Casting on was a mahoosive challenge, but I did manage it eventually. I even managed to knit a few rows before I had to stop. I was able to do a few more rows the day after too.

Since then I have hurt too much to do any more. And it has been approximately a gazillion degrees centigrade out there (if the teaching doesn’t work out I could totally be a weather lady).

I know I have technically failed this month, but do you know what? I’m not going to class it as a failure because at least I tried. If it wasn’t for the Wonky Arm I would totally have done it. No, really I would.

And now it’s over to you. If you set yourself a challenge for September let us know how you got on using the linky below.

And if you want to join in with a challenge for October come back tomorrow to sign up.