Time to bore you again with my resolutions update!
1. Keep up my exercise routine.
I'm changing this one to 'establish a new excercise routine'. My knee is finally better and I have been out walking a few times, but now I'm having difficulty finding a consistant time. My dh's schedule isn't condusive to walking it seems. Maybe I can find a good DVD.
2. Eat more.
Good. I can't wait for the local farms to open so I can get really fresh fruits and veggies!
3. Write in my journal once a week.
Still good.
4. Write in my blog once a month and once a day for one month.
Not bad for my first 30 days attempt; I only missed one day. It was fun and I hope my posts were interesting enough! I didn't do so well in my additions of blogging once a month on the family blog and posting on the LDS homeschooling Yahoo! group. Time to regroup for this month!
5. De-clutter one room a month.
I managed to finish organizing the choir music, but I still have a pile of stuff to get rid of. I had bad luck getting anyone from Freecycle to pick any of it up. :P I'll try Craigslisting it all next. Once it's gone, I'll choose a new room to declutter!
6. Find some service to do.
The best think I can come up with is crocheting leper bandages, so that's what I'll do. I'll work on it at least one night a week.
7. Say "I love you" to my children and husband every day.
Good!
Thanks for listening!
Showing posts with label resolutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resolutions. Show all posts
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Resolution Update
1. Keep up my exercise routine.
I am especially frustrated with this one. Because I injured my knee I have not been able to exercise much for the last month and a half and I am going crazy!! I've been doing some upper body weight training, but it just isn't the same. Thankfully, I think my knee is finally up to exercising again, if I take it slow. So starting Saturday, I plan to go walking for at least 30 minutes 5 times a week. Of course, that all depends on how my knee handles it.
2. Eat more.
I have really been making a concerted effort to buy and eat more fruits and veggies, especially veggies. So we are now eating more legumes, more whole grains, more fruits and veggies, and more things that are homemade (like tortillas, refried beans, hummus, and yogurt) and I'm working on eating more slowly. I don't know what more I can do!
3. Write in my journal once a week.
Going great! I'm almost done with my current journal (from my mission, 10 years ago, yikes!!).
4. Write in my blog once a month and once a day for one month.
Also great! And hopefully I'll be able to keep up the daily blogging this month. It's going well enough, that I'll think I'll add to this goal. So in addition I will blog once a month on the family blog and post on the LDS homeschooling Yahoo! group I'm in charge of (I've been really slacking on that). You won't get to see those posts since the groups are both private, but I thought some public accountability would help me there.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
I totally slacked off on this one for March. But the boy's room is already pretty organized, out of necessity. Anyway, it's a new month, so I get a new start! I'm going to change the schedule a bit. The living room really needs to be decluttered this month. I've got a pile of choir music that I'm organizing and cataloging before I return it to the church and a pile of stuff to get out of the house, either through Craigslist or Freecycle. So that's my goal this month.
6. Find some service to do.
Sighhh. Nothing here again. There must be a good way for me to do some service, but I'm really stuck. Any suggestions you have for me would be very appreciated!
7. Say "I love you" to my children and husband every day.
I think I'd like to add to this one too. I'm going to make "I love you" the first thing I say to my boys every day. I think it will help set the tone of the day for all of us!
8. 'Compact' participation (not perfection)
I'm still trying to reduce my junk mail load. Any ideas on how to stop them from sending me those annoying packages of local ads?
Thanks for keeping me motivated!
I am especially frustrated with this one. Because I injured my knee I have not been able to exercise much for the last month and a half and I am going crazy!! I've been doing some upper body weight training, but it just isn't the same. Thankfully, I think my knee is finally up to exercising again, if I take it slow. So starting Saturday, I plan to go walking for at least 30 minutes 5 times a week. Of course, that all depends on how my knee handles it.
2. Eat more.
I have really been making a concerted effort to buy and eat more fruits and veggies, especially veggies. So we are now eating more legumes, more whole grains, more fruits and veggies, and more things that are homemade (like tortillas, refried beans, hummus, and yogurt) and I'm working on eating more slowly. I don't know what more I can do!
3. Write in my journal once a week.
Going great! I'm almost done with my current journal (from my mission, 10 years ago, yikes!!).
4. Write in my blog once a month and once a day for one month.
Also great! And hopefully I'll be able to keep up the daily blogging this month. It's going well enough, that I'll think I'll add to this goal. So in addition I will blog once a month on the family blog and post on the LDS homeschooling Yahoo! group I'm in charge of (I've been really slacking on that). You won't get to see those posts since the groups are both private, but I thought some public accountability would help me there.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
I totally slacked off on this one for March. But the boy's room is already pretty organized, out of necessity. Anyway, it's a new month, so I get a new start! I'm going to change the schedule a bit. The living room really needs to be decluttered this month. I've got a pile of choir music that I'm organizing and cataloging before I return it to the church and a pile of stuff to get out of the house, either through Craigslist or Freecycle. So that's my goal this month.
6. Find some service to do.
Sighhh. Nothing here again. There must be a good way for me to do some service, but I'm really stuck. Any suggestions you have for me would be very appreciated!
7. Say "I love you" to my children and husband every day.
I think I'd like to add to this one too. I'm going to make "I love you" the first thing I say to my boys every day. I think it will help set the tone of the day for all of us!
8. 'Compact' participation (not perfection)
I'm still trying to reduce my junk mail load. Any ideas on how to stop them from sending me those annoying packages of local ads?
Thanks for keeping me motivated!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Resolutions Update
I've been at it for a month! Time to see how it's going...
1. Keep up my exercise routine.
Grrr. I dislike winter. I was doing pretty well, considering, until I injured my knee. Not sure what happened, but it was really painful. I stayed off of it for a week so it would get better in time for me to brave the airport alone with my boys. Thankfully it did, but that means I haven't been excercising at all for over 2 weeks now (no excercising in UT, brrr). And now I'm sick and don't feel like walking in the cold. I feel like a blob. But on the up side, it's starting to get lighter by 6am so maybe I can start running/walking everyday! Yay for spring!
2. Eat more.
I certainly did that during the UT trip. ;) I couldn't find the books I wanted to read from the library, but I did manage to find some others along the same lines. My favorite was the Bean Bible. Tons of great legume recipes! I'm going to read some more books to see where our menus can be improved. I've started making tortillas from scratch (to avoid all the preservatives in the store bought variety); they are really good! We have also been eating more veggies, though not a lot more. They are hard to come by in winter in NJ. It is definitely easier to eat more fresh food in CA. Oh well, soon it will be spring, and maybe I can start my own garden!!! (assuming I have a house.)
3. Write in my journal once a week.
Not bad, though I did miss two weeks while we were in UT. But I'm not going for perfection here, so I'll just keep going. My boys write in their journals once a week as well. I love to read what they've written (or dictated)!
4. Write in my blog once a month and once a day for one month.
So far, so good. It's really fun! I've decided I'll need to choose a month to write every day before June when we will hopefully be moving into a house. I'm betting I'll be too overwhelmed after that to blog every day. So maybe April (or May) will be my blog every day month.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
I de-cluttered the 3rd bedroom and it looks great! My house feels so much cleaner/more organized, even though the rest of it really isn't. To be totally honest, some of the clutter from that room just moved into other rooms. Oh well, you've got to make a mess to get rid of a mess sometimes. Eventually it will all be organized or gone! For this month, my bedroom. I haven't started on it yet, but it shouldn't pose too much of a challange.
6. Find some service to do.
Why is this so hard for me? In my last ward we had a humanitarian interest group and the leader was great at finding service opportunites for us. There's nothing like that here and I'm not nearly as good at finding service as she was. Sighhh. Also, I just found out one of my friends is expecting, so the baby blanket may go to her instead of a hospital. Sorry! Maybe crocheting leper bandages will be the way to go for me.
7. Say "I love you" to my children and husband every day.
So far so good! I think I'll add 'be more positive' to this one.
8. 'Compact' participation
This is actually proving more difficult. I have stopped reading mailed (and emailed) ads and catalogs. And I have looked at used options for items we want to purchase. But it's really hard to buy something used when it only costs a few dollars less then new! Grrr. I've also stopped looking for used clothes for the boys. None of the stores have them in their sizes. And I can understand why, they wear them out faster then they grow out of them! Oh well. Like I said, participation not perfection. I think the next step I will take in this direction will be to cancel all the catalogs I get in the mail (except seed catalogs!). I don't know how they found me when I moved, but they did.
There it is!
1. Keep up my exercise routine.
Grrr. I dislike winter. I was doing pretty well, considering, until I injured my knee. Not sure what happened, but it was really painful. I stayed off of it for a week so it would get better in time for me to brave the airport alone with my boys. Thankfully it did, but that means I haven't been excercising at all for over 2 weeks now (no excercising in UT, brrr). And now I'm sick and don't feel like walking in the cold. I feel like a blob. But on the up side, it's starting to get lighter by 6am so maybe I can start running/walking everyday! Yay for spring!
2. Eat more.
I certainly did that during the UT trip. ;) I couldn't find the books I wanted to read from the library, but I did manage to find some others along the same lines. My favorite was the Bean Bible. Tons of great legume recipes! I'm going to read some more books to see where our menus can be improved. I've started making tortillas from scratch (to avoid all the preservatives in the store bought variety); they are really good! We have also been eating more veggies, though not a lot more. They are hard to come by in winter in NJ. It is definitely easier to eat more fresh food in CA. Oh well, soon it will be spring, and maybe I can start my own garden!!! (assuming I have a house.)
3. Write in my journal once a week.
Not bad, though I did miss two weeks while we were in UT. But I'm not going for perfection here, so I'll just keep going. My boys write in their journals once a week as well. I love to read what they've written (or dictated)!
4. Write in my blog once a month and once a day for one month.
So far, so good. It's really fun! I've decided I'll need to choose a month to write every day before June when we will hopefully be moving into a house. I'm betting I'll be too overwhelmed after that to blog every day. So maybe April (or May) will be my blog every day month.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
I de-cluttered the 3rd bedroom and it looks great! My house feels so much cleaner/more organized, even though the rest of it really isn't. To be totally honest, some of the clutter from that room just moved into other rooms. Oh well, you've got to make a mess to get rid of a mess sometimes. Eventually it will all be organized or gone! For this month, my bedroom. I haven't started on it yet, but it shouldn't pose too much of a challange.
6. Find some service to do.
Why is this so hard for me? In my last ward we had a humanitarian interest group and the leader was great at finding service opportunites for us. There's nothing like that here and I'm not nearly as good at finding service as she was. Sighhh. Also, I just found out one of my friends is expecting, so the baby blanket may go to her instead of a hospital. Sorry! Maybe crocheting leper bandages will be the way to go for me.
7. Say "I love you" to my children and husband every day.
So far so good! I think I'll add 'be more positive' to this one.
8. 'Compact' participation
This is actually proving more difficult. I have stopped reading mailed (and emailed) ads and catalogs. And I have looked at used options for items we want to purchase. But it's really hard to buy something used when it only costs a few dollars less then new! Grrr. I've also stopped looking for used clothes for the boys. None of the stores have them in their sizes. And I can understand why, they wear them out faster then they grow out of them! Oh well. Like I said, participation not perfection. I think the next step I will take in this direction will be to cancel all the catalogs I get in the mail (except seed catalogs!). I don't know how they found me when I moved, but they did.
There it is!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
2008 Resolutions
My motto for 2008 is "Participation NOT Perfection".
That means it is not necessary to follow these resolutions perfectly, just do something! It also means that if I happen to 'mess up' I don't give up, but I move forward and try again. So with that in mind, here goes....
1. Keep up my exercise routine.
2. Eat more.
3. Write in my journal once a week.
4. Write in my blog once a month and once a day for one month.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
6. Find some service to do.
7. Say "I love you" to my children and husband every day.
8. 'Compact' participation (not perfection)
The Details
1. Keep up my exercise routine.
That means running 3 miles at least 3 days a week. It will prove to be more difficult this semester. My dh will leave for work at 7am, so I'll need to go running at 6am! Early! Dark! Cold! But the alternative of exercise DVDs is not a good one for me. Boring! I'm not sure how I'm going to do it....
2. Eat more.
Healthy stuff, that is! I resolve to eat (and serve) more fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole foods. To help me do this, I plan to get (check out from the library) two books, "Country Beans" and "Whole Foods for the Whole Family". I've also been thinking about joining a co-op for the fruits and veggies, but it is rather expensive. We'll see how our finances are!
3. Write in my journal once a week.
This seems to be my max at this point in my life, so this resolution won't change. I'll write in my journal once a week on Sunday afternoons.
4. Write in my blog once a month and once a day for one month.
I'll keep up with the once a month thing, but for one month this year I will write something on my blog everyday. I haven't decided which month yet.... I hope it will be a fun and challenging creative outlet for me.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
Once again, this is necessary for my sanity. You'd think I wouldn't have clutter yet since we just moved recently, but you'd be wrong! I think the problem comes from having less storage space in our current apartment than our previous one. So it's time to get rid of stuff and find homes for everything else! I'll start with the third bedroom (jan), then my room (feb), the boys room (mar), kitchen (apr), living room (may), bathrooms (june), move (july).
6. Find some service to do.
A quote that captures my intention with this; "you can't do everything for everyone everywhere, but you can do something for someone somewhere." I'm not sure what I will do; I'm hoping opportunities will present themselves if I'm looking for them. To start with I will make a flannel baby blanket with some fabric I've already got and donate it to a local hospital. It's not much, but it is something I think I can do pretty easily. I'm not setting a hard deadline, but I plan to finish it within the first half of the year.
7. Say "I love you" to my children and husband every day.
This is probably the easiest but the most important resolution this year. I think I'll give them hugs too!
8. Compact participation
I can't do 'the compact' perfectly this year, but I can do my part to reduce my consumerism! Here are my rules that will allow me to participate without worrying about perfection. Do not look at ads or catalogs. Cancel newspaper, delete inbox ads, recycle mailed ads. If there is an item(s) that I need to purchase, check used options first. When giving gifts, choose homemade or 'experience' gifts first. For homemade gifts, use materials on hand first. I will also try to do a 'no spending streak' at least once this year.
There it is! Wish me luck! The best thing about posting my resolutions on my blog is it gives me an extra level of accountability. Lots of 3rd party viewers to keep me honest and a place to 'return and report', as it were. I hope you don't think it's too boring of me to do this because it really helps me a lot! Thanks!
That means it is not necessary to follow these resolutions perfectly, just do something! It also means that if I happen to 'mess up' I don't give up, but I move forward and try again. So with that in mind, here goes....
1. Keep up my exercise routine.
2. Eat more.
3. Write in my journal once a week.
4. Write in my blog once a month and once a day for one month.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
6. Find some service to do.
7. Say "I love you" to my children and husband every day.
8. 'Compact' participation (not perfection)
The Details
1. Keep up my exercise routine.
That means running 3 miles at least 3 days a week. It will prove to be more difficult this semester. My dh will leave for work at 7am, so I'll need to go running at 6am! Early! Dark! Cold! But the alternative of exercise DVDs is not a good one for me. Boring! I'm not sure how I'm going to do it....
2. Eat more.
Healthy stuff, that is! I resolve to eat (and serve) more fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole foods. To help me do this, I plan to get (check out from the library) two books, "Country Beans" and "Whole Foods for the Whole Family". I've also been thinking about joining a co-op for the fruits and veggies, but it is rather expensive. We'll see how our finances are!
3. Write in my journal once a week.
This seems to be my max at this point in my life, so this resolution won't change. I'll write in my journal once a week on Sunday afternoons.
4. Write in my blog once a month and once a day for one month.
I'll keep up with the once a month thing, but for one month this year I will write something on my blog everyday. I haven't decided which month yet.... I hope it will be a fun and challenging creative outlet for me.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
Once again, this is necessary for my sanity. You'd think I wouldn't have clutter yet since we just moved recently, but you'd be wrong! I think the problem comes from having less storage space in our current apartment than our previous one. So it's time to get rid of stuff and find homes for everything else! I'll start with the third bedroom (jan), then my room (feb), the boys room (mar), kitchen (apr), living room (may), bathrooms (june), move (july).
6. Find some service to do.
A quote that captures my intention with this; "you can't do everything for everyone everywhere, but you can do something for someone somewhere." I'm not sure what I will do; I'm hoping opportunities will present themselves if I'm looking for them. To start with I will make a flannel baby blanket with some fabric I've already got and donate it to a local hospital. It's not much, but it is something I think I can do pretty easily. I'm not setting a hard deadline, but I plan to finish it within the first half of the year.
7. Say "I love you" to my children and husband every day.
This is probably the easiest but the most important resolution this year. I think I'll give them hugs too!
8. Compact participation
I can't do 'the compact' perfectly this year, but I can do my part to reduce my consumerism! Here are my rules that will allow me to participate without worrying about perfection. Do not look at ads or catalogs. Cancel newspaper, delete inbox ads, recycle mailed ads. If there is an item(s) that I need to purchase, check used options first. When giving gifts, choose homemade or 'experience' gifts first. For homemade gifts, use materials on hand first. I will also try to do a 'no spending streak' at least once this year.
There it is! Wish me luck! The best thing about posting my resolutions on my blog is it gives me an extra level of accountability. Lots of 3rd party viewers to keep me honest and a place to 'return and report', as it were. I hope you don't think it's too boring of me to do this because it really helps me a lot! Thanks!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
2007 Resolutions Recap
Happy New Year! Hope you all had a great 2007 and are looking forward to an even better 2008!
It's resolution time! Posting my resolutions on my blog last year went so well (for me anyway, I'm sure all 2 of you were bored stiff by them) that I'm going to do it again. But first....
2007 Resolutions Recap
1. Keep up with my exercise routine.
Pretty good, though I lost my walking companion to Japan halfway through the year. :( Moving didn't help either. But I've managed to keep up a fairly regular routine and I even picked up the pace. Today I ran my whole route, about 3mi! (I use the term "ran" loosely; I'm averaging just over a 10 min. mile, so we're not breaking any speed records here.) It's a major improvement for me, esp. considering that a year ago I could barely run a mile.
2. Eat more legumes.
Good. I've even managed to get my kids to eat more by hiding them in some of their favorite foods!
3. Write in my journal once a week.
I missed big chunks during vacations and moving, but I wrote a lot more than I did last year, so a definite improvement.
4. Write on my blog once a month.
Perfect! In the first week of each month even! Well, except Aug. but that was the month we moved so I'm going to excuse myself. ;)
5. De-clutter one room a month.
It didn't go quite as I'd planned since we had to move in the middle of everything. But I get bonus points for de-cluttering the whole apt in 3 weeks while we packed!
The Compact
From Feb. to July we did really well. Then we moved and suspended it, and never really picked it up again. It was a good experience and I will definitely try to do it completely again, but probably not for a while since we're hopefully buying a house this year! Though in the meantime I'm not abandoning it completely (more on this later).
There it is! Much better than my previous resolution attempts! And I'm really excited about my resolutions for 2008....
It's resolution time! Posting my resolutions on my blog last year went so well (for me anyway, I'm sure all 2 of you were bored stiff by them) that I'm going to do it again. But first....
2007 Resolutions Recap
1. Keep up with my exercise routine.
Pretty good, though I lost my walking companion to Japan halfway through the year. :( Moving didn't help either. But I've managed to keep up a fairly regular routine and I even picked up the pace. Today I ran my whole route, about 3mi! (I use the term "ran" loosely; I'm averaging just over a 10 min. mile, so we're not breaking any speed records here.) It's a major improvement for me, esp. considering that a year ago I could barely run a mile.
2. Eat more legumes.
Good. I've even managed to get my kids to eat more by hiding them in some of their favorite foods!
3. Write in my journal once a week.
I missed big chunks during vacations and moving, but I wrote a lot more than I did last year, so a definite improvement.
4. Write on my blog once a month.
Perfect! In the first week of each month even! Well, except Aug. but that was the month we moved so I'm going to excuse myself. ;)
5. De-clutter one room a month.
It didn't go quite as I'd planned since we had to move in the middle of everything. But I get bonus points for de-cluttering the whole apt in 3 weeks while we packed!
The Compact
From Feb. to July we did really well. Then we moved and suspended it, and never really picked it up again. It was a good experience and I will definitely try to do it completely again, but probably not for a while since we're hopefully buying a house this year! Though in the meantime I'm not abandoning it completely (more on this later).
There it is! Much better than my previous resolution attempts! And I'm really excited about my resolutions for 2008....
Monday, July 16, 2007
Final CA update!
AAAAA! We're moving in 2 weeks! There's no way I'll get everything packed by then!
Whew, sorry about that, just a little panic setting in.
Here's an update on things.
Resolutions:
1. Keep up with my exercise routine.
Slacked off during the Utah vacation, but I'm back walking, sadly without my friend! I hope she is enjoying her stay in Hawaii. Walking is very boring without someone to talk to.
2. Eat more legumes.
This one has kind of gone on the back burner because we've scraped the 4-week rotating menu for these next two weeks in favor of a menu that will use all to food in the fridge and freezer. We'll start again, probably in Sept. when we're finally settled.
3. Write in my journal once a week.
Once again, vacation interfered with this, but I plan to write until we move. After that, who knows!
4. Write in my blog once a month.
Still good here, even more than once a month! I probably won't be posting the first week in Aug. though.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
This month it's the whole house! I hope I can do it!
Compact:
The compact has been suspended until Sept. 1st in light of our move and the great possibility that we may need to buy new stuff in the process. C'est la vie. On the bright side, it has given me a chance to think about making some purchases with future Compact adherence in mind. For example, I want to buy some cloth shower curtains. They look much nicer than plastic ones, last longer, and when they get dirty, I can throw them in the wash (in my very own washing machine!) instead of in the trash. I also want to try some rechargeable batteries. I've had bad experiences with them in the past, but it's been such a long time ago surely they must have improved. And I'm tired of buying so many batteries, even if we do recycle them.
There it is! I can't guarantee that I will blog again this month, so if not....
See you in NJ!
Alberta
Whew, sorry about that, just a little panic setting in.
Here's an update on things.
Resolutions:
1. Keep up with my exercise routine.
Slacked off during the Utah vacation, but I'm back walking, sadly without my friend! I hope she is enjoying her stay in Hawaii. Walking is very boring without someone to talk to.
2. Eat more legumes.
This one has kind of gone on the back burner because we've scraped the 4-week rotating menu for these next two weeks in favor of a menu that will use all to food in the fridge and freezer. We'll start again, probably in Sept. when we're finally settled.
3. Write in my journal once a week.
Once again, vacation interfered with this, but I plan to write until we move. After that, who knows!
4. Write in my blog once a month.
Still good here, even more than once a month! I probably won't be posting the first week in Aug. though.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
This month it's the whole house! I hope I can do it!
Compact:
The compact has been suspended until Sept. 1st in light of our move and the great possibility that we may need to buy new stuff in the process. C'est la vie. On the bright side, it has given me a chance to think about making some purchases with future Compact adherence in mind. For example, I want to buy some cloth shower curtains. They look much nicer than plastic ones, last longer, and when they get dirty, I can throw them in the wash (in my very own washing machine!) instead of in the trash. I also want to try some rechargeable batteries. I've had bad experiences with them in the past, but it's been such a long time ago surely they must have improved. And I'm tired of buying so many batteries, even if we do recycle them.
There it is! I can't guarantee that I will blog again this month, so if not....
See you in NJ!
Alberta
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Updates
Sorry, this is a boring post. It's for my own record, but feel free to read it if you like. I have more interesting stuff to post, but it will have to wait until later!
Resolution Update:
1. Keep up with my exercise routine.
So far so good, but I lose my walking partner next month! :(
2. Eat more legumes.
Good. I have succeeded in adding legumes to all the soups on the menu and I even cooked some in the crock pot and froze them for later. It was so cheap and easy, why didn't I do it sooner?!
3. Write in my journal once a week.
Not as good but not terrible. My Sunday's tend to get swallowed up in primary stuff. I do think journal writing is important, though, so I plan to keep trying to keep my resolution.
4. Write in my blog once a month.
Still good, though my first post this month was a recipe, not really content rich. But, hey, it still counts!
5. De-clutter one room a month.
So the porch didn't go so well. No one on Freecycle wanted my trike or shop light! And I kind of lost my momentum after that. Oh well. I did finally Freecycle the gigantic bookcase that was eating up all the space in my bedroom though! Yay! It looks so much nicer! For May (which is already half over) the de-clutter room is the kitchen. It shouldn't be too bad. As part of the de-clutter, I would like to find a place to put some water storage.
Compact Update:
I can't seem to get my dh or dss to sit down and help me make up an exception list for the compact! We're still following it, it just would be nice to have it in writing so it's not so easy to forget (or cheat). We probably also need a specific 'forbidden' list for things that might qualify, but really shouldn't.
Here's my rough draft of our exceptions (so I don't lose it!):
Food ;)
Underwear/socks (non-fancy)
HP7
School supplies
Craft supplies (ie markers and paper for the boys)
Fabric and notions (but only if I can't use what I've got)
NOT yarn!
Clothes for the boys (mostly my older ds)
Running Shoes
1 (maybe 2) articles of clothing for the adults
Option of 1 new item per person at Christmas
Health and Safety purchases (ie medicine and tires for car and bikes etc.)
This is not really part of the compact, but we're also trying a "no out-of-pocket spending" streak. So far our longest stretch is 6 days in a row! After 20 days (not necessarily consecutive) we will go out to eat. We're up to 9 days. It's been fun and challenging so far. I think it will help keep our expenses down by keeping us from being "nickled and dimed to death".
Later!
Alberta
Resolution Update:
1. Keep up with my exercise routine.
So far so good, but I lose my walking partner next month! :(
2. Eat more legumes.
Good. I have succeeded in adding legumes to all the soups on the menu and I even cooked some in the crock pot and froze them for later. It was so cheap and easy, why didn't I do it sooner?!
3. Write in my journal once a week.
Not as good but not terrible. My Sunday's tend to get swallowed up in primary stuff. I do think journal writing is important, though, so I plan to keep trying to keep my resolution.
4. Write in my blog once a month.
Still good, though my first post this month was a recipe, not really content rich. But, hey, it still counts!
5. De-clutter one room a month.
So the porch didn't go so well. No one on Freecycle wanted my trike or shop light! And I kind of lost my momentum after that. Oh well. I did finally Freecycle the gigantic bookcase that was eating up all the space in my bedroom though! Yay! It looks so much nicer! For May (which is already half over) the de-clutter room is the kitchen. It shouldn't be too bad. As part of the de-clutter, I would like to find a place to put some water storage.
Compact Update:
I can't seem to get my dh or dss to sit down and help me make up an exception list for the compact! We're still following it, it just would be nice to have it in writing so it's not so easy to forget (or cheat). We probably also need a specific 'forbidden' list for things that might qualify, but really shouldn't.
Here's my rough draft of our exceptions (so I don't lose it!):
Food ;)
Underwear/socks (non-fancy)
HP7
School supplies
Craft supplies (ie markers and paper for the boys)
Fabric and notions (but only if I can't use what I've got)
NOT yarn!
Clothes for the boys (mostly my older ds)
Running Shoes
1 (maybe 2) articles of clothing for the adults
Option of 1 new item per person at Christmas
Health and Safety purchases (ie medicine and tires for car and bikes etc.)
This is not really part of the compact, but we're also trying a "no out-of-pocket spending" streak. So far our longest stretch is 6 days in a row! After 20 days (not necessarily consecutive) we will go out to eat. We're up to 9 days. It's been fun and challenging so far. I think it will help keep our expenses down by keeping us from being "nickled and dimed to death".
Later!
Alberta
Monday, April 02, 2007
Life in SoCal
It's the season of vacationers! My dh's sister and her family visited us last week and some of my family are visiting us this week. Whew! And I'm sure our primary will have many visitors on Sunday, though not as many as if we were still at the 11am block. And, of course, our dizzyland passes are blacked out for the next two weeks because of vacationers. So it seems that everyone is on vacation except us! Actually, I don't want a vacation so much as I want to MOVE..... but that's a post for another day.
We actually took our vacation a month ago to Utah, and while we were there my bil asked about my favorite bread recipes. I thought I'd post my favorite here. It's for my bread maker and he doesn't use one so I'll just post the ingredients without instructions.
"Bran Bread"
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. butter
3 3/4 flour (divided however. I like 2 cups whole wheat, 1 3/4 cup white or white whole wheat)
1 1/4 cups bran flakes cereal (Kashi "Good Friends" or AllBran "Buds" have the most fiber)
2 Tbsp dry milk
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast OR 2 tsp. bread machine yeast
I also like to add a 1/4 cup or so of flax seed meal for flavor and texture.
For more great bread recipes visit breadworld.com and join the "Bread Brigade"! Once a month they'll send you an email with four recipes to try, one for each week.
Resolution Update:
1. Keep up with my exercise routine
I did okay. I missed several days due to visitors, but that's pretty typical of my routine. ;)
2. Eat more legumes.
Great! I added beans to all the soups and they were very good. The best was the green garbanzos in the broccoli cheese soup. They thickened the soup nicely and added a vibrant green color. I am right now cooking some garbanzos in the slow cooker to freeze and add to soups later. Next I want to find this book so I can hide beans in my meals and the kids will actually eat them.
3. Write in my journal once a week.
Very bad! I missed three weeks in a row! But I did write yesterday, so this month is starting off right.
4. Write in my blog once a month.
Perfect! I even had an extra post last month.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
Last month's room was easy. I cleaned and organized the cupboards under the sinks and even found some stuff to get rid of. I've started Freecycling it too. For April I'll be organizing the porch. Yikes! It's a mess out there. But it's a good time since I've been thinking about using my grow light to start some seeds and it's sitting out there. There are also two of my younger ds' old bikes out there that need to be freecycled. Unless any of you want them!
As far as "The Compact" is concerned; I still haven't completed our official exception list but we have done very well at not buying "stuff", even things that could be considered exceptions. It has not been easy, but it's easier then I thought it would be. And actually liberating! But then I don't like shopping in the first place. I may actually buy some stuff this week. The boys are growing out of their Sunday clothes and I figure sales will be good for Easter. (Kids clothes are on the exception list, within reason of course.)
And finally whale watching pics! They are still sitting on my camera! Sorry! Maybe I'll do a mid-month post....
It's all good,
Alberta
We actually took our vacation a month ago to Utah, and while we were there my bil asked about my favorite bread recipes. I thought I'd post my favorite here. It's for my bread maker and he doesn't use one so I'll just post the ingredients without instructions.
"Bran Bread"
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. butter
3 3/4 flour (divided however. I like 2 cups whole wheat, 1 3/4 cup white or white whole wheat)
1 1/4 cups bran flakes cereal (Kashi "Good Friends" or AllBran "Buds" have the most fiber)
2 Tbsp dry milk
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast OR 2 tsp. bread machine yeast
I also like to add a 1/4 cup or so of flax seed meal for flavor and texture.
For more great bread recipes visit breadworld.com and join the "Bread Brigade"! Once a month they'll send you an email with four recipes to try, one for each week.
Resolution Update:
1. Keep up with my exercise routine
I did okay. I missed several days due to visitors, but that's pretty typical of my routine. ;)
2. Eat more legumes.
Great! I added beans to all the soups and they were very good. The best was the green garbanzos in the broccoli cheese soup. They thickened the soup nicely and added a vibrant green color. I am right now cooking some garbanzos in the slow cooker to freeze and add to soups later. Next I want to find this book so I can hide beans in my meals and the kids will actually eat them.
3. Write in my journal once a week.
Very bad! I missed three weeks in a row! But I did write yesterday, so this month is starting off right.
4. Write in my blog once a month.
Perfect! I even had an extra post last month.
5. De-clutter one room a month.
Last month's room was easy. I cleaned and organized the cupboards under the sinks and even found some stuff to get rid of. I've started Freecycling it too. For April I'll be organizing the porch. Yikes! It's a mess out there. But it's a good time since I've been thinking about using my grow light to start some seeds and it's sitting out there. There are also two of my younger ds' old bikes out there that need to be freecycled. Unless any of you want them!
As far as "The Compact" is concerned; I still haven't completed our official exception list but we have done very well at not buying "stuff", even things that could be considered exceptions. It has not been easy, but it's easier then I thought it would be. And actually liberating! But then I don't like shopping in the first place. I may actually buy some stuff this week. The boys are growing out of their Sunday clothes and I figure sales will be good for Easter. (Kids clothes are on the exception list, within reason of course.)
And finally whale watching pics! They are still sitting on my camera! Sorry! Maybe I'll do a mid-month post....
It's all good,
Alberta
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Here there be whales!
Hello March! So far it's come in like a Lamb. Does that mean it will leave like a lion? I actually hope so; we could use some extra rain.
Resolutions Update: (really, this is mostly for me so if you find it boring, feel free to skip it!)
1. Keep up with my exercise routine
We actually went walking in the rain one day. Now that's dedication! (In SoCal anyway, in UT it would have to be snow.)
2. No buying sugary snacks.
Okay, story time. I decided that this resolution was setting up a bad relationship with food for me. Have you ever tried to NOT think of something? Try it. It's like when someone says "Don't look!" what's the first thing you do? Look, of course! So I found with the no buying sugary snacks resolution, I spent more time thinking about snacks so I actually ate more. Therefore, I'm scrapping this one. However, I will replace it with another. I seem to respond better to positive goals, so this one will be changed to "Eat more legumes." Right now we have two dishes with beans in our menu rotation, hearty vegetarian chili and minestrone soup. So to begin with, I will add beans to two more dishes, making one dish a week that includes legumes. I could easily add beans to the chicken and salsa soup and I could use pureed green garbanzos to thicken the broccoli cheese soup. For ease in starting off, everything will be from cans (except the lentils and the frozen green garbanzos) but once the menu is established, I'll start cooking dry beans in the crock pot and freezing them for later use. So there it is. I'm actually pretty excited about this change!
3. Write in my journal once a week.
This month was great! I wrote every week on Sunday. The difficulty will come next week when I'm in Utah. I think maybe I'll give myself a vacation.
4. Write in my blog once a month.
Not as good as last month, but still within the first week!
5. De-clutter one room a month.
I did awesome with this one! I'm so happy with how the boys room is organized now, and it stays much cleaner. I should post a picture! I moved all my stuff to the less accessible side of the closet and put the boys craft shelf inside the closet. Then I added another small bookcase for all their games and I got more plastic storage for some of their new Christmas stuff. The only things left to do are to get rid of the pink plastic Ikea chairs and the gigantic bookcase that is sitting in our room (sighhhh). This month I'll organize the bathroom. That will mostly involve clearing out the cabinets under the sinks and throwing all the old stuff away. Hopefully not too difficult.
Whew! Not bad. Of course if we end up moving, it's all off!
I've decided it would be better to have a specific list of exceptions for the compact rather than a few all purpose, free for all exceptions. I don't have a good list made up yet, so I'll have to post it later, but it will definitely include HP7!
Tomorrow we are all going on a two hour whale watching excursion on a tall ship! I'm so excited!! I'll post pics next month.
Hope no one falls overboard...
Alberta
Resolutions Update: (really, this is mostly for me so if you find it boring, feel free to skip it!)
1. Keep up with my exercise routine
We actually went walking in the rain one day. Now that's dedication! (In SoCal anyway, in UT it would have to be snow.)
2. No buying sugary snacks.
Okay, story time. I decided that this resolution was setting up a bad relationship with food for me. Have you ever tried to NOT think of something? Try it. It's like when someone says "Don't look!" what's the first thing you do? Look, of course! So I found with the no buying sugary snacks resolution, I spent more time thinking about snacks so I actually ate more. Therefore, I'm scrapping this one. However, I will replace it with another. I seem to respond better to positive goals, so this one will be changed to "Eat more legumes." Right now we have two dishes with beans in our menu rotation, hearty vegetarian chili and minestrone soup. So to begin with, I will add beans to two more dishes, making one dish a week that includes legumes. I could easily add beans to the chicken and salsa soup and I could use pureed green garbanzos to thicken the broccoli cheese soup. For ease in starting off, everything will be from cans (except the lentils and the frozen green garbanzos) but once the menu is established, I'll start cooking dry beans in the crock pot and freezing them for later use. So there it is. I'm actually pretty excited about this change!
3. Write in my journal once a week.
This month was great! I wrote every week on Sunday. The difficulty will come next week when I'm in Utah. I think maybe I'll give myself a vacation.
4. Write in my blog once a month.
Not as good as last month, but still within the first week!
5. De-clutter one room a month.
I did awesome with this one! I'm so happy with how the boys room is organized now, and it stays much cleaner. I should post a picture! I moved all my stuff to the less accessible side of the closet and put the boys craft shelf inside the closet. Then I added another small bookcase for all their games and I got more plastic storage for some of their new Christmas stuff. The only things left to do are to get rid of the pink plastic Ikea chairs and the gigantic bookcase that is sitting in our room (sighhhh). This month I'll organize the bathroom. That will mostly involve clearing out the cabinets under the sinks and throwing all the old stuff away. Hopefully not too difficult.
Whew! Not bad. Of course if we end up moving, it's all off!
I've decided it would be better to have a specific list of exceptions for the compact rather than a few all purpose, free for all exceptions. I don't have a good list made up yet, so I'll have to post it later, but it will definitely include HP7!
Tomorrow we are all going on a two hour whale watching excursion on a tall ship! I'm so excited!! I'll post pics next month.
Hope no one falls overboard...
Alberta
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Resolutions Revisited
Yay! I'm actually keeping my blogging resolution! Here's an update on my 2007 resolutions so far:
1. Keep up with my exercise routine.
No sweat. But that's only because it's too cold! (haha) This is my easiest resolution ever! Though I could probably stand to add another 1/2 mile or so to my walk.
2. No buying sugary snacks.
Not as good. I messed up in the first week by buying doughnuts because I forgot! But since then I've been really good. Of course I allow myself the exception of ice cream as long as I eat it at the store. I just can't give up my Stricklands! (I don't get it that often, especially in the winter.)
3. Write in my journal once a week.
I started out alright, but then I started forgetting. Last week I forgot to write on Sunday, but remembered on Monday. So far this week I haven't written, but I hope to remedy that tonight! You'd think this wouldn't be so hard! Trouble is I try to do all my Primary stuff on Sunday so I have the rest of the week for my kids, and it overruns journal writing time. Plus I can never seem to get it all done on Sunday so it spills into the week anyway. Sighhhhh. I think once I get used to the journal writing schedule, it will be easier to remember.
4. Write on my blog once a month.
100%! Wahooo! On the first day even!
5. Declutter one room a month.
I made a really good effort on this one, but I think I choose a bad room to start with. My room is the repository for everything that doesn't have a place, so no matter how hard I try it never seems to 'declutter'. Oh well, I'll get another chance later this year! On to the boys room! I think this one will be easier because everything HAS to have a place or it won't get put away. Since Christmas, there are some new toys and things without places so it has been very hard for them to keep it clean. But I have a plan that I hope will help! Hmmm, I'd better write it down someplace...
There it is! Not too bad, if I say so myself.
In other news, Harry Potter 7 has a release date! Finally! I'm severely tempted to preorder it from Amazon. We'll see what my dh says.
I almost forgot! February marks the beginning of a year long consumer "fast" for us. I got the idea from a group called "The Compact". Basically you refrain from buying anything new for a whole year. Of course there are exceptions, like food and shampoo. To get items you need you borrow, barter, or buy used. (You can read the details here.) We probably won't be as strict as the original folks (they probably didn't have kids!) but we're going to make our best attempt! Today is our 'kick-off' day. I'll let you know next month how it's going!
Here's hoping nothing big breaks this year!
Alberta
1. Keep up with my exercise routine.
No sweat. But that's only because it's too cold! (haha) This is my easiest resolution ever! Though I could probably stand to add another 1/2 mile or so to my walk.
2. No buying sugary snacks.
Not as good. I messed up in the first week by buying doughnuts because I forgot! But since then I've been really good. Of course I allow myself the exception of ice cream as long as I eat it at the store. I just can't give up my Stricklands! (I don't get it that often, especially in the winter.)
3. Write in my journal once a week.
I started out alright, but then I started forgetting. Last week I forgot to write on Sunday, but remembered on Monday. So far this week I haven't written, but I hope to remedy that tonight! You'd think this wouldn't be so hard! Trouble is I try to do all my Primary stuff on Sunday so I have the rest of the week for my kids, and it overruns journal writing time. Plus I can never seem to get it all done on Sunday so it spills into the week anyway. Sighhhhh. I think once I get used to the journal writing schedule, it will be easier to remember.
4. Write on my blog once a month.
100%! Wahooo! On the first day even!
5. Declutter one room a month.
I made a really good effort on this one, but I think I choose a bad room to start with. My room is the repository for everything that doesn't have a place, so no matter how hard I try it never seems to 'declutter'. Oh well, I'll get another chance later this year! On to the boys room! I think this one will be easier because everything HAS to have a place or it won't get put away. Since Christmas, there are some new toys and things without places so it has been very hard for them to keep it clean. But I have a plan that I hope will help! Hmmm, I'd better write it down someplace...
There it is! Not too bad, if I say so myself.
In other news, Harry Potter 7 has a release date! Finally! I'm severely tempted to preorder it from Amazon. We'll see what my dh says.
I almost forgot! February marks the beginning of a year long consumer "fast" for us. I got the idea from a group called "The Compact". Basically you refrain from buying anything new for a whole year. Of course there are exceptions, like food and shampoo. To get items you need you borrow, barter, or buy used. (You can read the details here.) We probably won't be as strict as the original folks (they probably didn't have kids!) but we're going to make our best attempt! Today is our 'kick-off' day. I'll let you know next month how it's going!
Here's hoping nothing big breaks this year!
Alberta
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Resolutions
Hi everyone who is still checking my blog in the hopes that I will post (all one of you). To you I say, sorry! I was/am so overwhelmed with Primary stuff, I had to let some things go, and this was it. But I think I may be able post again to a limited degree. Plus, it's 2007!
So with that in mind, here are my 2007 Resolutions:
1. Keep up with my exercise routine.
2. No buying sugary snacks.
3. Write in my journal once a week.
4. Write on my blog once a month.
5. Declutter one room a month.
I usually don't make resolutions because they are so hard to keep and why resolve to do something you know you won't! But I think these are ones I can keep. Besides, I plan to give myself a lot of leeway, and if I happen to mess up, that doesn't mean I get to throw them out. I'll just pick it up the next time around.
Here's my plan in more detail:
1. I go walking most every weekday morning at 7am with a couple of friends in the ward who also live in my housing complex. The key is someone else is counting on me to show up, so it's harder for me to flake. It's worked well for over a year now, so I resolve to keep it up! (I know, it smacks of cheating, but at least I have one resolution I know I'll keep!)
2. This doesn't mean I can't eat sugary snacks, I just can't buy them. And if I do get a craving for, say, chocolate, I have to make it from scratch, which will be healthier anyway. So homemade snacks like cookies etc. are okay. I think this one will be the hardest to keep!
3. I don't write at all now. I know, terrible! But setting a goal of writing every day seems impossible to me right now, so I figured if I could get to the point where I write once a week, on Sunday, it would be doable.
4. I'll post at the beginning of each month, within the first week. If I happen to miss a month, I'll post the next! No pressure!
5. I go crazy if I have a cluttered house. Really. But I live in a small apartment with two kids and a husband and not enough storage. This resolution is for my sanity, so I this is the one I most want to keep. I'll start with my bedroom (jan), then the boys room (feb), the bathroom (mar), the porch (apr), the kitchen (may), and the living room (jun). July I'll take a break then start over. Anything that hasn't been used in the past year goes to DI or freecycle.
There it is. I'll use my monthly blog to review my progress. And thank you to my one reader for sticking with my through this long post!
Happy New Year!
Alberta
So with that in mind, here are my 2007 Resolutions:
1. Keep up with my exercise routine.
2. No buying sugary snacks.
3. Write in my journal once a week.
4. Write on my blog once a month.
5. Declutter one room a month.
I usually don't make resolutions because they are so hard to keep and why resolve to do something you know you won't! But I think these are ones I can keep. Besides, I plan to give myself a lot of leeway, and if I happen to mess up, that doesn't mean I get to throw them out. I'll just pick it up the next time around.
Here's my plan in more detail:
1. I go walking most every weekday morning at 7am with a couple of friends in the ward who also live in my housing complex. The key is someone else is counting on me to show up, so it's harder for me to flake. It's worked well for over a year now, so I resolve to keep it up! (I know, it smacks of cheating, but at least I have one resolution I know I'll keep!)
2. This doesn't mean I can't eat sugary snacks, I just can't buy them. And if I do get a craving for, say, chocolate, I have to make it from scratch, which will be healthier anyway. So homemade snacks like cookies etc. are okay. I think this one will be the hardest to keep!
3. I don't write at all now. I know, terrible! But setting a goal of writing every day seems impossible to me right now, so I figured if I could get to the point where I write once a week, on Sunday, it would be doable.
4. I'll post at the beginning of each month, within the first week. If I happen to miss a month, I'll post the next! No pressure!
5. I go crazy if I have a cluttered house. Really. But I live in a small apartment with two kids and a husband and not enough storage. This resolution is for my sanity, so I this is the one I most want to keep. I'll start with my bedroom (jan), then the boys room (feb), the bathroom (mar), the porch (apr), the kitchen (may), and the living room (jun). July I'll take a break then start over. Anything that hasn't been used in the past year goes to DI or freecycle.
There it is. I'll use my monthly blog to review my progress. And thank you to my one reader for sticking with my through this long post!
Happy New Year!
Alberta
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