#13in13: February Review

I was thinking earlier that it's seemed like ages since I provided an update for my #13in13. I then realised that I accidently missed a month out! Oops!! Sorry guys! 

Here is the latest. 

Goal One: Be More Adventurous In The Kitchen

Update: When I say work in progress, what I really mean is that I've yet to properly start. I did try Quinoa though. It was quite tasty after I mixed peppers, mixed beans and sweet corn. I also combined it with bulgur wheat. If I'm honest, it tasted just like cous cous but more expensive! 

Plan for March: I'd like to try some recipes from around the world. So if you live outside of Britain and have a dish you recommend me to try, email me it! 

Goal Two: Save Money For A Holiday

Update: I've just been paid so I put some money into my tax-free savings account and I will keep putting money aside whenever I am paid. Fingers crossed for a bonus! Yeah rightttt, I wish!!

Plan for March: I will be researching and ideally I will then set up a separate account where I can put holiday money into it via direct debit. That's my goal for this month.

Goal Three: Make My Own Lunch For Work

Update: I've been really good with this. Most days I have made my own lunch and 9/10 times it's been pretty healthy too because I've included a lot of fruit and vegetables. There have been the occasional day I have bought food at the staff restaurant but I think I actually prefer my own cooking. 

Plan for March: Continue making lunches every day for work. Make good choices.

Goal Four: Drink More Water

Update: I started off drinking lots of water but the weather has got colder again and I started drinking more tea and coffee. I've decided to stop drinking coffee, not because it's bad for me but because my friend put irritable bowel syndrome powder in my coffee jar for a joke. So I now have none and won't be buying anymore! Thankfully I caught him doing it so I wasn't a victim of a prank. I will get my own back though! :)

Plan for March: Pre-plan when I should drink the majority of my water. Set an alarm on phone and reminders on my PC calender at work to drink.

Goal Five: Run Tim Run

Update: I was about to start running and then I got the flu. Getting the flu kept me off work and in bed for a week but once I got better I started running in the mornings. I have a problem though. I hate running. To get around this, I've started playing football again. This involves running but also involves my favourite sport. Win-win! 

Plan for March: Keep playing football regularly as well as continue running in the park. Try and run at least 3 times a week minimum.

Goal Six: Focus More On My To Do List

Update: I ticked off #49 - Visit The Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland.

Plan for March: I'd love to tick off another item from my 101 to do list. I'm not sure what yet - any recommendations?

Goal Seven: Go To Bed Earlier

Update: I started off okay for a few days and then it went back to normal. I seriously suck at this. I need ideas and help on what I should do to.

Plan for March: During weekdays when at work, turn off PC/TV by 11pm. Get minimum 7 hours sleep. 

Goal Eight: Raise Money For Charity

Update: Yet to start this but it's something I think about often. When I finish my 15 million steps challenge, I'd like my next challenge to be linked to a charity.

Plan for March: Think about ideas for next challenge.

Goal Nine: Take Up A New Sport.

Update: Breaking news. I have just booked tennis for next week! My task for March from Rebecca, the host of #13in13, was to try something new. Well I managed to get 3 other friends to join me in a game of doubles at a tennis club near my work. We booked the court for an hour for £9.25 ($14) which I thought was pretty reasonable considering it's an indoor court and between 4 people, it's not very expensive at all. I just wish there were more free courts around. There are hardly any free sports facilities anywhere. No wonder Britain is the fattest nation in Europe.

Plan for March: Play tennis and have fun. I need to remember to hold onto the tennis racket when hitting the ball and not make a fool of myself by throwing the racket at my opponent. It's been done before. It was an accident. Oops!! 

Goal Ten: Make More Friends

Update: Well I haven't lost any friends yet, so that's a start. I did meet up with a new bunch of people at 5-a-side football (soccer) recently. I don't really know them yet but I'm playing again tomorrow with them. Seem a good bunch.

Plan for March: Keep being me. 

Goal Eleven: Random Acts of Kindness

Update: I did quite a few such as helping a lost Chinese man. I gave money to a homeless person, who then asked for even more money - the cheeky bastard!. I bought my friend lunch - he then returned the favour and bought me lunch.  I lent money to friends/family in need. I bought biscuits (cookies) for my work colleagues. 

Plan for March: I want to organise my blog giveaway and I also want to get more people doing random acts of kindness.

Goal Twelve: Attend More Live Events

Update: Today I went to see Nicholas Crane - a British explorer, writer and TV presenter (Coast, Map Man to name a few). This was fantastic. He spoke about his life, his incredible  adventures and errrr triangulation. 

Later this year I am going to the NFL football match between San Francisco and Jacksonville Jaguars when the NFL returns to London as well as seeing a couple of English (real) football games too. I also bought tickets to see British Comedians Sean Lock, who I find hilarious, and Milton Jones, who I've heard of but have never actually seen before. Friends of mine from work organised to go and invited me. 

Plan for March: I managed to get a ticket to watch Southampton verses Queens Park Rangers in the English Premier League. Later today 30,000 passionate fans will be packed into the stadium to cheer the two teams on in a must win game. It's a huge match and I'm excited to go support my home town club. Next week I will be travelling to London to watch Millwall verses Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup quarter finals in a hope to see my team (Blackburn) get through to the semi finals at Wembley Stadium.

The Big One: Climb Mount Snowdon

Update: I've done nothing so far. It's cold.

Plan for March: No plans at all. If I climb Mount Snowdon then it will more than likely happen in the summertime. 

In other news....

• I have finally passed 12 million steps. I only have 3 million more steps left until I complete my 15 million steps challenge, which I began in January 2011.
  
  
• My friend Erin at www.smallerintime.com is hosting a game on DietBet. Basically you join a game and each game has a pre-set bet amount and lasts for 28 days. If at the end of the 28 days you lose at least 4% of your body weight then you get a split of the total money in the pot, which is made up of all of the bets. For more information on how to join, check out her website!