Earlier this summer, I posted a bucket list on this blog – a list of things I’d like to accomplish by the end of summer.  It went pretty well… I accomplished many (but not all) of the items on my list.  Did you finish everything on your summer bucket list?  Why or why not?  Share in the comments!

Pay off four of my student loans.

I did it!  Four loans down, seven to go.  On to the big ones now… the smallest remaining loan is 7k and the largest is 20k. Ugh.  These ones are going to take a lot longer to pay off, but it will still be a relief to see my principal balance decreasing each month (instead of having the majority of my payments go to interest only).

Go on a road trip with friends.  Eat healthy and work out on this trip.

A couple weeks ago, I went on a road trip with friends to Iowa and had a blast.  For the eating healthy and working out…well… I did a good job with the healthy eating but not so much with the working out L I ate a lot of veggie wraps, veggie sandwiches, and fruit.  My biggest “cheats” were a chocolate covered banana and a chicken Caesar wrap (I normally eat a vegan diet).

As for the exercising part, we went for a 4 hour walk at the Iowa State Fair (in 90 degree weather) the first day we were there, and after that I wasn’t feeling too motivated to do any real workouts.  We did do a ton of walking though!  The good news is that I didn’t gain any weight on the trip.

Try at least five group fitness classes.

I am fortunate to work for a company that offers free gym memberships, which includes fitness classes.  When I posted my bucket list on this blog, I had already tried yoga, Zumba, and Piyo and was planning to try two other classes.  I did try spin!  It was pretty tough and a great workout (I definitely need to do it more often!).  I’ve never stood up on a bike before, so that was interesting.  Technically I haven’t tried any other classes this summer, but we did have a substitute instructor for Piyo who made the class very different (much more emphasis on the Pilates aspect of the class instead of yoga and strength training).  I didn’t really enjoy Pilates, so I think I’ll be sticking with yoga.

Cook one new (healthy, vegan) recipe per week.

I’ve been sticking with this one (except for a couple weeks when I was feeling lazy) pretty well.  I’ve tried paella, pasta with garlic cauliflower sauce, zucchini/tomato pasta, and creamy avocado pasta. Are you noticing a pattern?  It might be time to branch out and try something other than pasta.

*Side note: I’ve been making the pasta with spinach noodles, quinoa noodles, or edamame noodles for healthier meals. 

Try roller skating.

I went roller skating for a friend’s birthday in June.  I hadn’t gone roller skating since I was a little kid, and needless to say, I was pretty terrible at it.  Still, it was fun to try something new and at least I didn’t break a hip ;)

Have at least five pool or beach days.

Yeah… nope.  I’ve still only had two pool days and one beach day.  In my defense, it’s been very rainy on the weekends.

Attend at least two events that help animals.

In May, I attended the Walk for Animals (for the Animal Humane Society) and I recently went to “Pug Stock” – a fundraiser event for the Midwest Pug Rescue.  I adore pugs and it was so much fun!  I’ve never seen so many pugs in one place.  I can’t wait until the hubby and I can adopt a pug (or two…or three) in a few years after we pay off our student loan debt and move out of my parents’ house.

pugs

pug

cutepug

Have a garage sale.

We had one in June and didn’t make much money.  We brought the leftover items to charity.  It was nice to get rid of clutter, but next year I’ll probably go straight to the thrift store.  The amount of time and work that goes into a garage sale really isn’t worth it when you hardly make any money.

Sell old items online.

Nope.

Create 40 blog posts.

Nope…I’m getting close though!  I hope you’ve enjoyed reading!

 

Other stuff you might like:

My Summer Bucket List
How to Eat Healthy (On a Budget) While Traveling
5 Unexpected Results of Adopting a Plant-Based Diet
7 Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Started Grad School