Happy Leap Year Day, poppets! Hope you are doing something fun or indolent with your precious extra 24 hours. Us? Greetings from Paris where we’ve jaunted off for a long weekend. It’s been a busy month and we’re in need of a holiday. Here’show the second month of the year is going in terms of goals: it’s been a mixed bag but wrapping it up on the continent isn’t the worst ending in the world.

Money

This month we paid off three out of our five credit cards in full – which feels fantastic. Next month we’ll finish off the fourth and then begin to direct the same totals to the final card and our remaining debt.

The month was also tame on personal shopping until the end when a pair of jeans and pair of black ankle boots both gave up the ghost irrevocably. I replaced them both but because they are replacements, they are not counting towards my 20 items in a year goal – plus one was a deep sale the other was a vintage shop find. I bought a nice bottle of whiskey as a gift for someone else while in Scotland and a body treatment for some self care. Otherwise my continued capsule wardrobe and spending challenges helped keep me on the straight and narrow…

Until the final stretch. Towards the end of the month and starting to look ahead to spring, as well as a Paris jaunt, I reviewed my closet and made a list of items I wanted to get for transition weather and I picked up an APC dress for 70% off its original price and two jumpers and a pair of trousers on deep sale at J. Crew. Then, horror of horrors, I found a Prince of Wales check blazer (which has been on my wishlist for over a year) and a pair of Frye casual boots on deep sale and at a vintage shop respectively. Reader, I succumbed.

Never fear, all of this was dutifully added to the tracker and I’m very comfortable with these purchases. I’m still eyeing a new white shirt for spring and summer, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet as I want to wait and see if anything in France catches my eye and is worth a coveted slot on my shopping inventory. And of course, we did book a trip and because we left it a bit late, travel cost more than I would wish. However, we are going to be able to pay that off and more next month given our financial progress elsewhere.

Relationships

After the first bout of Busy Season, we’re using this trip to Paris to spend some quality time together as a pair, and to connect with X who is there for work. Family and friends, and heaping glasses of wine! There is no substitute for time and Jeff and I are planning our time off more proactively through the summer to ensure we’re going on break and getting away.

Basic Bitch

Focusing on health was a bit tricky at the start of the month due to a lot of work travel which prevented me from keeping to a usual schedule and compelled a lot of eating “on the go.” I’m continuing to work with my doctor on a number of issues, physical and mental, and while I wasn’t as strict with myself about food as I was in January, I’m continuing to try and eat mindfully. Home cooking is still my best tool for this and because I wasn’t around as much, I wasn’t as consistent with it in February as I was in January and what I did make was far less healthy. I also haven’t felt able to exercise as an old knee injury flared up rather badly (and is one of the things I’m getting treatment for), so that’s having a negative impact as well.

In March my work team is participating in a health challenge, and I’m going to prioritize cooking again which will hopefully help reestablish a sense of balance and control.

Other

Got a tattoo

Continued baking up a storm

Continued to read armfuls of books

Went on a weekend holiday with friends (*waves from Paris!)

Finished another shopping challenge

Tried new recipes