January Wrap Up

Since I made a ton of resolutions, I had to break it down by the month.  This could be a long blog post, but I want to keep myself accountable, even if no one is all that interested in reading :)  Here's how I did:

FAMILY

• Family Date --did it....I SO need ideas for things to do as a family, but we went to the mall and walked around as a family on January 23rd....the boy had a fruit smoothie, the girl had dippin' dots
• Family Game Night --January 30, 2011
• Date Night # 1 -- turned out to be more of a date morning
• Date Night # 2 -- this was a big woo hoo...we went to a Bed and Breakfast which I wrote about here

HOME LIFE

• Weekly Get Organized Wizard Project
• week one, I filled up two huge bags of trash
• week two, I organized my purse
• week three, I organized our bill paying notebook (perfect timing...filed away 2010)
• week four, I re-thunk how I look at "freebies" and will try to evaluate them by the amount of physical and mental clutter they take up
• Begin listing for Project 333
• This project is harder than you think...first of all, I kept procrastinating.  Finally, I just took everything out of my main closet.  I told myself I could box things up because getting rid of it forever and always, amen, made me crazy nervous.  I came up with a trial 33 items for my closet.  Then, I have 43 other items in my closet hanging at a divider line in case I change my mind.  I boxed up a bunch in a HUGE box....added it to another box of clothes I put away some time ago (because they don't fit....they are my skinny clothes).  I have another closet that holds my winter clothes (with some "when I lose weight" clothes).  The clothes in my closet currently are mixed between short sleeves and long sleeves, and I included some "in home lounge wear" which technically does not need to be included.  While there is a ton of work to be done....I feel like I did take a giant step!  P.S.  do NOT even get me started on shoes.  I didn't include the shoes in my count at all.  

HEALTH

• 3 Easy Changes from Kitchen Stewardship
• The butter was a no-brainer.  I had already been buying it semi regularly since first reading Katie's blog.  It is just a matter of only using butter....but that's really ok with me.
• Whole eggs and full fat dairy.  I'm still nervous about the full fat milk.  I have been drinking skim milk for YEARS.  More than the fat, I'm nervous about the taste or texture.  Is that silly?  I mostly use whole eggs as it is.  I have been guilty of buying egg beaters, but I'm ok with just using eggs.  I'm even trying to buy more so I'll be sure to eat them more.  Thing is....I don't think about eating them for another meal besides breakfast.  Sure, I could add a hard boiled egg to a salad or just have them as a snack.  But other than breakfast, I don't think about eating them.  AND....I'm not a big breakfast eater.  I tried to make it a habit to have Katie's scrambled eggs.  I bought the spinach, cut it into chunks and froze it.  I even found a spoonula, like she recommends.  Granted, these are some good eggs.  But....can I eat these several days a week?  I have made the eggs a few times.  But, I would like to add more since they are so good for me.
• Eat more yogurt and beans.  So, the 32 ounce tub of yogurt has been a "staple" of mine for several months.  This was an upgrade for me (see Katie's baby steps) from the little cups of yogurt.  I dip some out and add some cereal.  I actually prefer eating my cereal this way now over using milk.  As I mentioned, I am not a big breakfast eater...but I try to have this MOST days.  I try to make a mental note to have it as a snack if I didn't have breakfast (such as the days I had the eggs).  Why is this so hard?  And the beans...we have had beans at least once a week....some weeks even more.  I am excited about a book Katie will be offering us in February.
• Lose 10 pounds--ummm.....about that....I am pretty sure you have to be actually doing something to lose weight.  I am not on any diet, per se, so I am not seeing the scale move much at all.  I am reading this book and journaling or doing the exercises.  This is slow going, but it is really good stuff!!!
• Start yoga class--money is the problemo here.  I ended up spending some money on the big date and wanted to stash some cash in the savings account (see below), so the yoga class kept getting pushed to the next week...

SELF

• Read 2 books--I read several books at once and this month, while I am close to finishing a couple books...I technically did NOT read 2 whole books this month
• Journal 3 times a week -- the first week, I only squeezed in two journal sessions but they were really good sessions.  The second, third, and fourth, I got three in
• "Me Time"--ok, so this is an interesting one!  I am participating in the 52 Weeks of Me Challenge.  I blogged something each week here, here, here, and here.  In the process, I started listing some ideas to add to my list.  While reading others blog posts, I learned that I am already doing some good things that would be considered "me time."  My date nights are kinda "me time," right?  And coming up with a quiet time, that is "me time."  Even though those things are not "me all by myself time," they give me joy and energy and that is what "me time" is all about....filling my cup back up.  And....and....I also have a habit of going to my local Starbucks on Sundays to read and relax and drink a warm cup of coffee.  I really enjoy the atmosphere of Starbucks.  This is kind of a regular habit; I've done it several weeks in a row...even throw in an additional time during the week here and there!  At times, I can miss a week or several weeks in a row...but overall....
• Map out a Quiet Time plan--wrote something out but haven't really implemented anything yet

PROJECTS

• Stow away $150 into the emergency fund
• YIKES!!  I spent extra money on the Bed and Breakfast with Hubs (totally worth it, by the way) and I didn't do some of my side jobs like I had planned, so no deposit into the fund at all this month but am going to raise the amount I want to deposit next month
• Make a list of things I want to save up for
• Done!  I want to keep adding to it, though....
• Explore PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Done!  I wrote up some ideas for my own personal development, including habits I'd like to add and those I'd like to get rid of

BONUS

--Now, I am not sure if I was just inspired by the way things were going or what...and at the risk of getting  overwhelmed by adding more....opportunities came up.  Some fit PERFECTLY with my year's worth of resolutions and a few were just extra but I should totally get bonus bonus points!!!--

• Kitchen Stewardship Monday Missions--I didn't plan to go head first into these.  I've been reading her missions for a while and have saved some.  I started with the 3 Easy Changes which was enough for me.  I mentioned earlier how I was trying...but Katie started a "Back to the Basics" series and I joined in.  Some of them were just reinforcing the 3 I was implementing:
• Reusable Containers for Restaurants--this was easy peasy!  I have a bag of a few containers riding around in my car.  (Note:  This was inspiring and easy....so I am working on making one for my husband's car....I also put reusable shopping bags in both cars)
• Make Homemade Yogurt--ok....I have been reading about Katie's beliefs and adventures with homemade yogurt for many months now.  I thought about it but really considered the 32 ounce tub to be "good enough."  But I thought I could give it a shot.  I made it on a smaller scale...or rather, I should say I attempted to make it on a smaller scale.  It flopped!  After all that I read from her, I just knew it was "fail proof."  I think I didn't cool the milk enough to the incubation temperature (it was to be between 90 and 120 degrees).  I think I was too impatient before adding the yogurt starter, thinking it was cool enough...so it killed the bacteria that multiplies in the warm milk.  Maybe I'll try again in the near future.  I was so disappointed in myself!
• Learn to Use Dry Beans--I am in between occasional bean user and canned bean lover on her baby steps list.  As I mentioned above, beans are doing okay in our weekly usage.  I could bump it up a time or two.  I need to keep it forefront on my mind.  Katie is coming out with a bean recipe book in February.  I printed out the recipe preview, and I will be getting her book. 
• Refocus on Healthy Fats--this one, again, was already rocking along okay with me.  I have butter in the fridge.  I have coconut oil in the pantry.  I already avoid trans fat.  I could eat more eggs, walnuts, and avocados....or, I could consider getting some tallow.
• Joined a Bible Study at my church.  Beth Moore's "The Inheritance".  My church usually has a nighttime bible study on Tuesday nights and I've been volunteering on Tuesday nights for the past three years.  I don't think it is any accident that this particular study is on Monday nights.  I think God really wanted me to join in....
• I purchased a will kit, which is number 8 on my ginormous to-do list.  Now, I gotta complete it....
• AND we snuck in an extra family time on January 29th and 30th....we had some frozen yogurt at a new local joint on Friday and had a "family camp out" (we drag mattresses and sleeping bags into the living room...watch a movie together....sleep in living room) on Saturday

EMM: Prepare for an Emergency

This week's action step is to be prepared for an emergency.  I have printed out a family emergency plan which I intend to go over with my family this week.  I also printed out an emergency supply checklist which I intend to begin gathering the items for some emergency kits.  Because I have two kitties that I adore, I will not neglect them during an emergency.

Those are baby steps for being prepared.  If you want to do more research, there are some great sites and blogs out there.  Here are a few:

• Food Storage Made Easy--their emergency preparedness is more than just a few days
• The Survival Mom has some ideas about 72 hour kits
• Here is a list of 90 menus for using 3 months of food storage

To learn more about Every Monday Matters where we can make a difference with small ideas each week, head over here!

ME! Soaking My Cares Away

It's time once again to share what I did this week to take care of me!  As a counselor/social worker, I ask folks ALL THE TIME what they do to reduce their stress or to nurture themselves.  Ladies OFTEN tell me they take a hot bath or a bubble bath.  And I know, at least for ladies, how relaxing this can be.  I've even known ladies who take a hot bath almost every night.  I even put as #18 on my whopping to-do list to take monthly bubble baths.  AND....I happen to know the last time I took a bubble bath before this week!  That would be ON my birthday (August 13) in 2009.

This week, I decided to take a hot bath, threw in some bath salts, and I read a book.  If I could make this more of a ritual....you know, do this more often...I think I'd like to get some bath accessories to make the experience even more enjoyable, like a bath pillow and reading tray.  And I think next time, I will read a paperback that I don't worry too much if it gets wet with a few drops of water.  I did enjoy it.  What I don't understand is why I set out to do it once a month....and have had one twice since November of 2008.

So....this year on February 9th, it is read in the bathtub day and I celebrated early!

Recap for January ME! Challenges:

• I painted my toenails
• I got a haircut
• I bought some earrings
• and....I took a hot bath

Check out the ME! Challenge headquarters here!!!

Hope

Over at the JAM, the word focus is HOPE!  I don't think it is any coincidence that this word comes up and I get to write about it.  In April of 2009, Hubs lost his full-time, professional job.  This was YUCKY news.  I have a full-time, professional job....but we are goldfish, ya know?  We grow to the size of our bowl and he without a job means bills go unpaid.  I was unshaken when it happened.  Twice before, in similar circumstances, he had lost a job and found another....God provided something both times BEFORE we went without a paycheck.  As the month went on, I believe God talked to me.  I even blogged about it here.  Then....the waiting begins.....

Dr. Seuss wrote about "The Waiting Place" in one of his greatest books.  "The Waiting Place....for people just waiting."  The waiting is crazy.  In April of 2009, I  heard God LOUD AND CLEAR as he told me to get my hopes up.  Proverbs 13:12 tells us that "hope deferred makes the heart grow sick."  Ladies and gentleman, I am here to tell you....there is so much truth to that passage.  I believe I mostly slept walk through 2010.  I might have been jostled awake for a moment toward the end, but I was asleep most of it.  I had found myself in a slump....and "unslumping yourself is not easily done."

But, there's a stirring....an itch....coming from within.  I feel like something has shifted.  I BELIEVE 2011 is going to be different.  I BELIEVE it already is.  I can see things all around me as God is working.  Still....no full-time, steady job for Hubs....but at this moment, I feel as if I have hope again.  I do believe I lost it....couldn't see it....was building resentment....getting bitter....  Bad stuff, guys!  Hope deferred makes the heart grow sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.  I have LOTS of longings....so who knows which of my longings will be fulfilled.  But I know that God has not forgotten me.  I've found many blessings in this journey.  My deepest longing right now is security.  And if you would have told me that God would fulfill my needs for security "but it might not look the way you want it to,"  well....honestly, I would've had to fight to keep from punching you in the stomach.  I did NOT want to hear that.  But our God is a good God, a gentle God....he never rubbed it in my face that my ideas of security were askew.  I don't even know that last statement to be true.  He cares about what I care about, no?

A couple weeks ago, I was journaling....and it hit me that I need Jesus.  Hear me on this....I don't mean I don't have him.  I know he's always been here, and I never stopped believing in him.  In my darkest moments, I believed he'd forgotten me or didn't find me and my "problems" worthy of his time.  He was always there.  I just wasn't listening to him or for him.  He's quiet sometimes.  Unfortunately, I have some BS ideas about who Jesus is from some crazy things I've been taught.  THOSE were getting in the way.  I didn't want to be told what I had done wrong or hadn't done right....  I didn't want to be told what my husband had done wrong or hadn't done right....to find myself in this situation.  See, that's what I thought Jesus would say if I listened in.  When I was journaling, it hit me....Jesus would care about me and what my fears were.  He would not look at me in judgment but in love and concern.  He would gently put his hand on my arm and say "breathe."  I would want to ask questions.  I would want to say, "but...."  And he wouldn't let me finish.  He would say "breathe."

So I've been breathing.  I've been believing.  And with this, I have hope.  Jesus can be so personal, so perfect!  He knows what we need and he cares about what we want.  Fear is the arch nemesis of hope.  Our God is not a God of fear....  Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:34 not to worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself....each day has enough trouble of its own.  Wow!!  How true is that?  I can tell you that I've borrowed tomorrow's troubles often....and nothing good has come from that.  Live today, right?  In the last year and nine or so months with Hubs out of steady, full-time work....nothing I feared about tomorrow has come to pass.  When I look at TODAY and see that I'm okay today.....those todays add up to all this time that has passed.  TODAY I am okay....TODAY I have hope!

Amber Alerts Still Going

Back in August, I wrote about this and signed up to get texts of Amber Alerts.  That took no time at all to sign up.  And since then, I think I have received 3 Amber Alerts.  They are nice enough to follow up with additional texts telling you when it is over.  I believe they even say something like "child is back home" if that is in fact the case.  I only remember that text once, so I am not sure that this is always the case...but they do tell you when the Amber Alert is over.

I mentioned in previous posts that I am repeating myself so I can be caught up with the newsletter that Every Monday Matters sends out, as they seem to following along with the book.  This is the last repeat....I apparently got stuck on next weeks, so here's to getting unstuck!

ME! Shopping

This week I really wanted to start my Yoga class, but I didn't have the money.  I really wanted to get a massage, but again, I didn't have the money.  I really am committed to coming up with a way to treat myself once a week, and not always break the bank.  So, I started brainstorming something that might be a bit cheaper.  I gave myself a $10 price limit and believed I could find a pair of earrings for around that at one of my favorite shopping locations.  I decide to go a little out of my norm and got some larger earrings.  The earrings pictured above are the actual earrings...not sure if you can gage the size of them....I usually go smaller.  These are still very tasteful and I like them!

I've really been exploring this idea of taking care of yourself....and how I can make sure I have rituals in place to continually nurture myself in all areas of my life.  This challenge is good for me because I am pushing myself to see what I am doing and what I can do that is about me.  Find out more about this challenge here.

Scatter Joy

I'm joining in the  JAM.  The Faith Barista serves up a topic and we blog about it on Thursdays.  The topic for this week is Joy.....is it easy or hard for you?  You know my immediate reaction is it is hard.  I struggle with feelings of blue and depression....and have for most of my life.  I work hard to fight that.  Low energy, low motivation.  That doesn't sound like joy to me.  Even saying "out loud" on this blog that I struggle with being blue or depressed is hard for me.  Not because I want it to be a secret so much as it sounds like I'm surrendering to it....  And if you have ever struggled with depression, surrender is the enemy!  Surrendering to depression sucks!  I don't mean that word as a colloquialism but as a metaphorical expression of what happens!  It sucks the life out of you....what strength, what energy you had left disappears!

But now my post has become about depression and not joy....and how does faith impact all of this?  My VBS answers pop into mind.  "True JOY" comes from God!  This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).  I've got the joy, joy, joy , joy down in my heart.  But this doesn't FEEL real to me.  And I know if I could tap into THE SOURCE, perhaps I could get joy overflowing.

Seriously, I have struggled with my faith lately.  I do know things are changing but even when my heart swooned for Jesus and we were tight....I still struggled with depression.  I think sometimes you gotta do things counterintuitive to how you feel.  Project some joy outward.  Push yourself to find some joy.  Do some self nurturing to fill up your cup and give yourself some joy.

Soul Resolution

So, I was reading this blog about one word soul resolutions.  I've seen the one word resolutions throughout the blogosphere over the last couple of years, but I hadn't really embraced the idea until I read this post.  Not so much because I wanted one but because I think one has been given to me.  At the end of 2010, I found a journal  that was purple and had the word BELIEVE on it.  It was marked down and really jumped out at me.  I have no idea why.  I have journals and notebooks galore, WHY would I need another one?  But, I got it anyway and began journaling in it.  Every time I pick it up, it tells me to believe.  And already in 2011, I feel like things are shifting in my life.  Already, I feel like I can believe again.  I don't think I totally stopped believing, but I think I just became numb and was sleepwalking through life.  I think this year, my SOUL is starting to believe again....more!

I am not sure how I came across Faith Barista, but I loved the idea.  Being the coffee lover that I am, I just really liked how their tagline is "sometimes you just need an extra shot of faith."  Check them out....it is good stuff....even if you don't like coffee (wink, wink).  What is your soul resolution?

Bed and Breakfast Dates

I mentioned last week that I was hoping that the next date night would be a little more special-er....because I had something up my sleeve.  The kids were going away for a couple of days with a church event, so we took advantage and stayed at a Bed and Breakfast.  This is a little joy that Hubs and I like to partake of on occasion.  We have hoped and planned to go twice a year when we first set out to enjoy these little gems.  However, I am not so sure we have followed through like we'd like.  Partly because of life situations (especially financial binds here and there)....  See, Hubs birthday is in February....what else is in February?  Valentine's Day....  My birthday is in August....and our anniversary is in September....  So, we figured we would try to go once around February and once around September each year.  Alas, I think we started this about 10 years ago....and well....we stayed in our 8th Bed and Breakfast last weekend.

So, the picture on the top of this blog is an original by moi!  I love staying in old homes....generally mansions that allow us a "taste" of history and beauty.  This past Friday night, we headed to Nacogdoches, Texas.  It was a little over an hour drive.  Since this was a last minute whim, we didn't plan a whole heck of a lot....we didn't plan anything really, except WHERE we would stay.  Friday night, after we checked in....we headed out to eat.  We had spied a Fuddruckers restaurant on the way in.  We don't have one of those in our hometown, so that was the choice....

Then we came back to the room and did an exercise for another one of the 10 Great Dates and just talked and enjoyed undivided attention....connecting with each other.  The next morning, we headed across the street for breakfast.  Our experience with B&Bs are a mixed bag.  You really have a different experience at each one.  Usually, they serve a nice, fairly elaborate breakfast....however, this one gave you a voucher for breakfast at the historic hotel across the street.  We walked across the brick street to Hotel Fredonia inside their cafe.  This hotel was built in 1955 and we felt like we stepped back in time.  In fact, I think the hotel might be a nice place to stay if we were to go back.  Or if we stayed at the Jones House again, we might enjoy some of the events at the hotel....heard they have "Jazz on the Patio" and saw a sign for a comedian on the 24th of this month.  So, this was truly a wonderful date night with Hubs.  "Technically,"  according to my goals, I am good on the date nights...since I set the goal of 2 date nights per month.

For posterity, here are the other Bed and Breakfast locations we have enjoyed:

Summer of 2001, we went to The Woldert-Spence in Tyler, Texas.  This was our first bed and breakfast experience.  It was nice.

Summer of 2002, we went to Roseland Plantation in Ben Wheeler, Texas (near Tyler).  We stayed in a cabin on the plantation.  I remember the owner giving a tour and sharing the story and history of the place.  That was a nice touch!

March of 2003, we stayed at Oaklea Mansion in Winnsboro, Texas.  This is a fairly small town.  Memories include going to the dollar store to buy some play-doh and other kiddie games to enjoy playing together.

March of 2004, we went to Jefferson, Texas, and stayed at  White Oak Manor.  Jefferson is a quaint little town with TONS of history and feels like stepping back in time....at least downtown.  It has lots of stories of ghosts around town.  We took the Historic Ghost Walk....lots of places are within walking distance here!

March of 2007, we stayed at the Wisteria Garden Bed and Breakfast in Marshall, Texas.  This particular occasion, we purchased a romance package.  It included dinner and massage, as well as the lodging and breakfast.

March of 2008, we visited Dowell House in McKinney, Texas.  This entire stay was quite memorable.  Hubs wrote about it here.

In 2009, after Christmas but before the New Year, we stayed at Durning House in Van Alstyne, Texas.

Revisiting Television (EMM)

Since I am going along with the book and newsletter, this week is about turning the TV off.  I wrote about this back in August here.  Turning the TV off has been something I have been trying to do.  I do have a really bad habit of watching "mindless television" at night as I'm trying to get sleepy.  But especially for the last several weeks, I have been trying to not automatically turn the TV on.  We do have DVR so I can record the shows I'd like to watch and watch them on MY schedule.  And we as a family watch a few television shows through Netflix, so we tend to watch a couple hours at a time.  I'm not sure that this is a good idea, but it does limit the consumerism exposure, huh?  We also can watch a movie or two every week or so....this adds up to some serious time in front of the tube.  I do know I can zone out when I plop on the couch and turn the TV on....

Anyway, I need to keep this in mind and come up with a way to seriously limit my television time to probably 5 hours or less per week...

ME! Getting My Hair Did!

Ok, I painted my own toes last week and called that "me time."  And for seriously, I got my hair cut....not really all done up like I led you to believe in the title.  AND.....I am calling getting my hair cut "me time."  But, I don't really know when I got it cut last.  It's been in the last few months, but I don't take care of myself (in this respect) like I should.  I do remember getting my hair cut back in the summer.  I got a different hair cut than normal, which I loved when I left the salon...but it never fully looked as good when I fixed it.....so....I think I got it trimmed somewhere in between then and now, so....every 3 months?  That just doesn't sound right to me.  What do y'all do?

Head over to this blog to read more me time ideas or read all about the 52 Weeks of ME Challenge here.

Revisiting Date Nights

It turns out the original website/blog that hosted Project 52 for date nights ended that at the end of 2010.  My own personal project of dating my Hubs was reignited when I came up with my goals.  So I will still keep up with my own personal "Project 52" even though I am not aware of a Mr. Linky to link it up to AS WELL AS the fact that my goals were only for 2 per month.

And to muddy the waters even more, our date "night" was for breakfast :)

We actually grabbed a cheap breakfast at a drive thru....then headed to Starbucks.  Hubs works there part-time but in addition, I have a little love affair going on with the place.  I love my Joe!  But nobody makes my Joe like Starbucks, plus it is a great hang out!

So....just hanging out would be cool.  BUT, Hubs and I are trained facilitators with Family Dynamics Institute.  When we went through our training back in March of 2009, we won the book 10 Great Dates to Energize Your Marriage.  Family Dynamics encourages lots of marriage resources, including that book.  We worked through the first date.  It was pretty much going down memory lane.  It had a little questionnaire for each of us to fill out then talk about.  It was fun.  It was also totally interesting that he and I struggled answered the same questions.  Neither one of us could either really remember much about when we first started talking about getting married, nor could we remember much about our first anniversary.  Now the first one isn't that big a deal....but you would think that first anniversary would have been memorable.  Truth is...we have had our share of struggles (understatement) and it is quite possible that our first anniversary was amidst one of those first struggles.  We moved something like 12 times in 6 years....the moves DID slow down.  I think we are in our 14th place together....and we've been married 18 years....

Anyway, it was kinda fun.  I SO LOVE hanging out with my hubby!  I know that I know that I know that he's the right one for me!  And connecting (at least for us) HAS GOT TO BE intentional!  I am crossing my fingers that the next one is a little bit special-er!!!!  ;-)

Every Monday Matters

Back in the summer, I started blogging about Every Monday Matters.  I would like to revisit, starting with week one so I am "in tune" with the newsletter that they send out.  


As I mentioned here, the first week is about making a list of priorities.  I listed them before, but I think they are still the same....so here they are again:

• My Faith
• My Husband
• My Family (as a whole)
• My Kids (individually)
• My Career (keep my current work fresh, but also plan for my future)
• My Health (physical, emotional, and intellectual)
• My Finances (seems weird to make it a priority, but it is a very real part of our lives and it needs some focus)
• My Social Circle (although, it is not at the top of the priority list, I would like to develop more meaningful relationships....life just goes by so fast)
• My Creativity (I think this one could use some exploring...it used to be huge for me to express myself creatively....but not so much anymore)
• My Giving Back (I want to be more purposeful in giving of myself and my time....I currently volunteer and so often feel like my career is me giving back....but still, I want to keep it fresh and hopefully this project will help me to be more charitable)

ME! Week One

I mentioned earlier that I planned to come up with some "Me Time" ideas and try implementing them once a week.  I struggled to come up with something this week.  How come this is so hard?  But, since it is winter, my toes get neglected.  A pedicure would be a nice way to take care of me, right?  Well, I didn't get them done at a salon, I painted them myself.  And as a special extra, I painted my daughter's toenails as well.

I am going to get busy coming up with more ideas....maybe I'll find some over here where I'm linking up with the 52 weeks of me challenge!

January Goals--Breaking it All Down

Since yesterday's post was for the whole year, I need to break it down into monthly goals.  So, without further adieu, here are my goals for the month, broken down into 5 main areas!

• FAMILY
• Family Date
• Family Game Night
• Date Night #1
• Date Night #2
• All of these simply need dates plugged in for the month, then we proceed...
• HOME LIFE
• Weekly Get Oranized Wizard Project
• Begin listing items for Project 333 (will get inspiration here and here)
• HEALTH
• Implement 3 Easy Changes from Kitchen Stewardship --already went shopping today and bought real butter and eggs.  I've been eating yogurt mixed with Kashi cereal all week.  I bought a big tub of vanilla yogurt last week, so I bought another.  I've been reading the Kitchen Stewardship blog for a while now, and yogurt was an easy step that I "got stuck" on.  She emphasizes baby steps, and I had stepped up from the little cups to the bigger tub.  I also plan to have beans for at least one meal this week; they will likely be part of several!  Another change that I am working on is switching to full fat dairy.  Honestly, this one is hard for me.  We have switched from skim to 2% and I don't get the fat free yogurt.  I'm trying to get used to the full fat idea myself...
• Lose 10 pounds --I really don't know how to do this...I want to be healthier physically and emotionally without becoming obsessed with food or food restriction.  Ten pounds may be a tad high since I am not "really" doing anything...
• Start yoga class--plan to call tomorrow to get the schedule and sign up for the 6 week beginner's class at a local yoga studio
• SELF
• Read 2 books
• Journal 3 times a week
• List "Me Time" ideas and get started doing something at least once a week--actually plan to blog on Fridays of what I did and link it up with the 52 Weeks of Me Challenge
• Map out a Quiet Time plan
• PROJECTS
• Stow away $150 into the emergency fund
• Make a list of items that I want to save up for
• Explore PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

New Years Resolutions

I've been spending some time over the last week or so trying to organize my accumulated ideas into manageable ways to implement change into my life.  Using a few resources from the Internet, I've come up with several and have already broken things down for the month of January.  I found this list inspirational and informational and plan to link this post over there.

In no particular order:

1. Lose 25 pounds....while this is not HUGE, I don't have any real plans other than trying to heal emotionally and implement healthier habits.  This gives me wiggle room for the whole year.  I've been reading this book and doing the activities to heal emotionally.  I find it quite helpful, but after weighing myself this morning, nothing is "magically" happening yet--LOL!
2. Increase emergency fund to $1,000.  Number  59 of my giant to do list was to stash 2 grand in there.  Well, life has been hard while Hubs has been without steady full-time work and sadly, it is WAY DOWN!!!  Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps tell us we need $1,000 in that emergency fund and I am committed to getting that back in there....
3. Read 20 books.  I love to read and love it so much that I often get in over my head buying books and wanting to read books that I get overwhelmed.  Hubs has often made fun of me for reading several books at once.  But, I do it anyway....but I need to get focused to finish them.  I read several this past year, but I didn't keep up with it.  This year, I am...
4. Date nights with Hubs!  I want to get back on board with Project 52.  I talked about this back in July and actually stuck with it for 4 dates.  Well, the plan is to commit to 2 per month.
5. Family "dates."  I have two kiddos.  For about 3 years now, we have set a little money aside each month to do things together as a family.  We had fun last night doing some of these activities.  The plan is to have monthly family dates.  One month, we do something all together.  The next month, we have one on one dates....Hubs with one kiddo, me with the other.  The next month, we flip the one on one dates.  This is number 9 on the big list.
6. In addition to the dates, I want to have a family game night once a month.  Last night, we played Mille Borne.  I really enjoy playing games and hopefully this will not overwhelm and frustrate the family but remind us to have fun together.
7. Schedule regular "me time."  This is a project for me to come up with what I need to do to take care of me.  I don't know if this will be daily, weekly, or monthly....but I want to not forget to nurture myself!
8. Journal 3 times per week.  I really believe in journaling.  I will often go on streaks of journaling several days in a row.  But I want this to become a habit.  I figure 3 times per week is manageable!
9. Learn 6 new things.  Continuing on in the spirit of 12 New Things that I cannot find on the blogosphere any longer, I want to add to the new things I've already learned....just on my own.
10. Create some sinking funds.  This post explains them well.  It seems everyone in my family is saving for something.  I want to get into that mentality....when I want something that is a bit pricey, I want to create a sinking fund for it!
11. Implement some Monday Missions.  I love Kitchen Stewardship!  She teaches so much about health and food and cooking and being green.  She also offers small steps so we can each determine what we can do to work toward change. 
12. Simplify!  Starting with Project 333.  Over the next 3 months, I am going to pare down my wardrobe and find the 33 items that are my essential wardrobe!
13. Design my personal fitness plan!  I have found that I enjoy Zumba.  I also have several video games on the Wii, including this Christmas gift.  In addition, I have several Yoga DVDs and really will take a yoga class soon (#49 on my to do list).
14. Create a home maintenance routine.  I'll leave it at that!  It is self explanatory, huh?  -sigh-
15. Declutter and organize using tools from Get Organized Wizard!
16. Create rotating meal plan!  Again, I think this is self explanatory.  Why is it so overwhelming?  I don't enjoy the stress of meal planning and grocery shopping each week, and I know that if I would take the time to create this....it would simplify this activity and help it become less stressful!
17. Using resources from Get Organized Wizard, I will focus on one area each month.  Personal development is the one for January :)
18. Focus technology time!  I need a strategy for my online activity (such as Facebook), as well as one to limit the time watching television.  In addition, I want to come up with a plan for blogging more!
19. Quiet time!  Where did this go?   I used to have DAILY time in the morning and it seems to have disappeared!  I want to get it back, including time to pray daily, have regular Bible study, and memorize Scripture!
20. Keep working on goals and habits...tweaking them, adding to them....this is so good for me to focus on and work toward!!!