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Look Back, Look Ahead: March


Happy March! I’m feeling energized by a new month, and excited to look ahead to what’s next. I fell off of some routines in February with all the sicknesses/injuries/visitors/travel, so I’m looking forward to resetting a bit this month. I made progress on some goals from last month including decluttering the entryways and scheduling a babysitter (although we ended up canceling due to sickness), prepping for the overnight trip, and adding to our 1 Second a Day App. We also went on a fun date to a new restaurant that was delicious!

I definitely lost momentum on some key habits including reading and strength training. I continued reading, but didn’t have a lot of memorable reading experiences. So far March is off to a better start, and I’m willing to buy more books on kindle this month to help get out of a reading rut. I also took a break from exercising while recovering from a bad cough, and I’m looking forward to getting back into a routine.

Here’s a look at the month ahead.

Big Events:
*Joel's dad and stepmom visit this weekend
*No School March 9th for my older daughter--looking forward to 1-on-1 time with her
*My cousin’s bridal shower
*A weeklong work conference for Joel in Philly. We'll meet him there for the kid's spring break.
*My mom’s visit-she offered to come for a few of the nights Joel is away and drop us off at the airport for our trip. I’m grateful for the extra help and excited to have a few days with her.
*Spring Break trip to Philly for Passover--I haven’t planned much but looking forward to celebrating with family (Passover is in April, but the trip starts in March!).

March Goals:
*Declutter Living Room--main focus
*Declutter my clothes
*Declutter A clothes
*Declutter M clothes
*Get Quotes for Roof Repairs--scheduled 2 so far
*Plan Q2 + set Goals
*Get Babysitter & Plan March date--Already scheduled
*10 strength sessions--short is ok!
*Have a fun reading month

Some new things I want to try: shorter workouts 2x a day. I’m trying the Daily 10 series from Heather Robertson that I think Kae mentioned. It feels like a doable way to move every morning (and they are hard even though they are short). Then most weekdays, I’m trying to do a second short workout during M’s naptime. This can be strength or cardio, but I’m hoping it helps me to have more energy in the afternoon. I also have bigger decluttering goals this month. I’m prioritizing the living room since this is by far the most utilized space in our house, followed by clothes. Lastly, I want to reexamine my news consumption habits. With the war in Iran and terrible news generally, I've found myself checking my phone a lot to look at news. I'd like to focus instead on listening to favorite news podcasts and checking on my laptop to read more in depth stories instead of quickly scanning more often.

What're you hoping for the month?
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Comments

  1. SarahMarch 5, 2026 at 10:04 AM

    I have been reading the NYT app every morning and also listening to Up First from NPR-- these are both ok for me even in the wake of all the horrible. I cannot say enough good things about the Apple Fitness + app. You can search workouts by time, and there are SO MANY excellent 10-minute workouts. I do 20 minutes of weights and 10 or 20 minutes of yoga most days, but I have tried HIIT and dance for cardio and done several core and pilates videos-- it's totally worth the monthly fee, IMO.

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    Replies
    1. SamMarch 6, 2026 at 6:08 AM

      I will definitely check out Apple Fitness+ app--maybe after I finish the Daily 10 series. I tend to like to mix things up periodically, so it's good to have something new in the queue!

      Delete
  2. Lisa's YarnsMarch 5, 2026 at 1:54 PM

    That's great that your mom is coming to stay for part of Joel's trip. Having an extra adult around when solo parenting is a life saver! It will be nice to be dropped at the airport, too!

    March starts off quiet for me as I have a 2-week break from travel. Then I travel 2 weeks in a row, and after the second trip, I'm home for 1 day and then Paul and I fly to DC to visit my sister. So the back half of the month is going to be a bit intense... But the trip to visit my sister will be pretty low key overall!

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    Replies
    1. SamMarch 6, 2026 at 6:10 AM

      How fun to have a 1-on-1 trip with Paul to see your sister! I'm also glad the first few weeks of March are easier for you to regroup a bit after all your February travel.

      Delete
  3. NicoleMarch 6, 2026 at 5:20 AM

    Oooh you have lots to look forward to this month! It's our anniversary, our older son's birthday, and our dog's birthday, all on the same day. And also on that day one of my oldest (longtime, not age) is driving through on her way to the coast, so I'll get to visit with her. Yay and also, could we spread things out a bit?

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    Replies
    1. SamMarch 6, 2026 at 6:11 AM

      Seriously, that's a lot to pack in one day!

      Delete
  4. Mom of childrenMarch 6, 2026 at 8:21 AM

    Hi Sam, thanks for the reflection. I love to read “look back, look forward” posts! They motivate me.
    Cough…. Not this year, but maybe two years ago, I had a cough that was SO bad, lasted for SO long, and made me pee my pants each time I coughed. Funny, not funny…
    March looks good, spring break in So Carolina (hopefully, and some time and space to sit and think creatively :)

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  5. ErnieMarch 6, 2026 at 12:02 PM

    I never did strength workouts when the kids were little. I walked and that was about it. I applaud you for squeezing that in. I like Sarah’s idea of that app.

    This month I’m looking forward to spring break. We’re driving to Florida. End of March! Enjoy the visit with your mom.

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  6. JMarch 11, 2026 at 7:52 PM

    That’s a lot of decluttering, I applaud you! Throwing in an extra quick exercise session sounds like a really good idea. I’ll bet I could throw in some pushups and crunches somewhere, especially since I work from home.

    The news is a lot. I listen to NPR in the morning, and that’s about all I can take.

    ReplyDelete

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