4 Weeks of Semi Success!

Budgeting...

To report back, budgeting so far has been a major success!  Although I have had to rob Peter to pay Paul and switch money from envelopes a few times! I'm also in the mindset that it's ok if every month we do not have money to set aside for the home or my dd's college.  But the fact that we already have little nest eggs started for these goals and consider them when paychecks arrive is a start and more than what we were doing last year.  I even started an additional savings plan, called the 52 Week Save Money Challenge.  I find it to be more like a game.  This money will be set-aside for a future DISNEY vacation.

Organize & Declutter...

Last week I had a four day weekend, one day where my DH and DD were conveniently absent and guests coming over to craft another day (which sparked my DH's interest in helping me clean).  I can proudly say that I have stuck to my cleaning schedule this week and as a plus, the laundry baskets are pretty close to empty!  It does feel so good to come home and be able to enjoy a clean home.

Reading...

I haven't begun reading any books yet, but because I'm bringing my lunch to work everyday I'm going to use that time to read...starting this week!

My three new goals of the year have been a miss.  Although I did show off a few moves I learned from Apollo & Phaedra on Real Housewives of Atlanta --- and boy did my thighs feel it!! 

Today and tomorrow I plan on breaking out the cricut and crafting a few things to get my shop started on Etsy. I've been doing the business planning, but haven't executed any products yet.  I have found that I really do enjoy financial planning, boy did I major in the wrong subject in college!

And as for blogging, you are currently reading my second post of the year, so not too shabby!!!

New Years Resolution (Year 2)

From the header, you can probably tell I am going to take a whack at the same New Year's Resolutions from last year.  I'm narrowing it down to three this year though:

• Budget Better & Save
• Organize & De-clutter 
• Read 6 Books

 Budget Better & Save
I started off this morning by discussing with my husband our budget plan for the year.  We pretty much agreed to a basic envelope system with three categories: gas, groceries, and fun money.  Now we just have to get to the bank to start and also create our home organizing system, which leads me to...

Organize & De-clutter
To organize and de-clutter I'm going to try my best and follow the same 52 Weeks To An Organized Home.  So tomorrow on my to-do list I will be to print my daily lists and resolutions, as well as purchase (already not following my budget!) materials for a Menu Board, Family Control Center, and a Family Calendar.  In addition, I will be attempting to completing my daily cleaning goals.We shall see how this goes this year!

Read 6 Books
I have had the Twilight book series for at least 3 years now.  I'm being much more modest with my goal so I can break into this hopefully habit slowly.  So I'm going to start with the first book Twilight, this week and see if I can finish the series and another book or two in the next year!

Oh! And this will all be on top of trying to blog more regularly, my NEW goal of making crafts (maybe some tutorials) and selling through my Etsy Shop to earn at least $520 this year, and trying my best to implement a daily low-key exercise routine.  So really, six resolutions if you are counting!

Wish me luck and happy new year!  I'm off to start dinner, empty the dishwasher, wipe the counters, sweep, pick up baskets, knock-out one load of laundry, clean windows & mirrors, exercise and start reading!  bahaha! At least there are at least 6 hours left in my day!

So much for my new years resolution!

Well this year blogging didn't go as planned!

• I did organize under my kitchen sink after my "Ambitious Sunday" post...but that was nothing to write about!  

• I have also read five books so far this year.  One YA. One I started last year. And yes, the Fifty Shades trilogy.  I have SIX books to read before the first of the year, yikes!  (Better get to reading after this post!)

• Last weekend (11 months after my "Ambitious Sunday Blog") I finally got to organizing my pots & pans cabinet.  I will say, I am very excited about not having to dig, push, pull, and wiggle to get the pan I need out!  I simply added two stands to my bottom cabinet and left enough room to stand up cookie trays, cupcake pans, and cutting boards.

• Monday I found proper storage containers for my daughters Barbies and they have a much nicer and more accessible home in scrapbook storage containers and an organizing tray that surprisingly, are perfect for storing all those little accessories Barbie needs.  Plus! My daughter now enjoys playing and putting away her Barbies more!

With that in mind.  I am going to continue to be optimistic that more of my goals will be accomplished!

Tonight, with holidays and crafting in mind, I did find some inspiration to begin blogging again.  This weekends project is making four t-shirts. Two for a birthday and one for a baby shower.

 

Ambitious Sunday

So far this new year, I have accomplished one thing.  Breaking in my new pillow!  After a week of being sick, I woke up this morning thinking BRING IT ON and ready for the day.  Determined to at least get a couple of loads of laundry done, the Christmas tree down, the floors vacuumed, and to get started on catching up with my goals for the new year!

My home is tiny and storage and organization are huge issues.  I have found another blogger with an outlined set of goals for having an organized home in 2012 that I am hoping to follow to transform my home this year.  Since I fell behind last week, I'm going to focus on two of the goals for the coming week.  Kitchen organization: counter tops, cabinets, and sink. Pins/blogs that have given me ideas and inspiration: a family control center, tabletop organizer, cookware organization, underneath the sink, clear up a drawer, cutting boards, pots and pans, and finally pantry products! Lofty goals! Yes!  These may trickle over a couple of weeks.  And I hope to post pictures of my accomplishments in the coming weeks!

As of today, there are dishes in my sink, clutter on my counter tops, and mass chaos behind my cabinet doors!  By next Sunday, I hope to start to have a system in place and order restored to my kitchen!

New Blog, New Year, New Resolutions!

The problem with resolutions is that we aim big and lose motivation quickly!  I don't know about anyone else, but I need someone to hold me to my goals.  And if they aren't measurable and I don't allow myself to slip up every once in a while, then I am setting myself up for failure!  Heck!? Why wait until Sunday!  If I'm going to be serious about this, I better start now!

New Years Resolutions:

• Complete 1 goal a week
• Read 1 book a month
• Don't hit the snooze button!
• Budget and stick to it
• Dinner out maximum once a week 
• Limit TV to 1 hour a day 
• Date night with DK once a month

Each week I am going to have a goal for myself to complete, on top of my overall resolutions.  From parenting, loving, organizing, decorating, crafting (those last few were thrown in for my sanity) and accomplishing tasks that I have been putting off.  Hopefully this blog will keep me motivated, energized, and passionate along the way!