Monday, February 3, 2014

January Goals Update

So far, so good!  I've made a lot of progress this month!  Some of my goals won't get crossed off until December, but that's okay, I really want to work on perfecting those.  Here's what went down in January...
Household:
  1. Prepare a Nursery!  (this will probably have several update posts along the way) - We worked quite a bit in the nursery this month, progress post coming soon.
  2. Do a Deep-Spring, and Deep-Fall Clean in March and November.  As well as keep up with my weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly cleaning chores. - Not there yet.
Family:
  1. Give birth to baby Rogers, and be the best mom I can be! - Not there yet.
  2. Try every day to be a loving wife.  Some days this is harder than others. :) - I tried really hard this month to not nag the way I usually do about the house.  It was really hard, but I think Joe appreciated it, and a LOT got done in the nursery too!  Also, I made sure to keep some kind of sweet treat made every week for Joe.  This he really liked; he has such a sweet tooth!
  3. Take a trip to Maine in June with the hubby, and the baby. - Not there yet.
  4. Get together with family at least once a month.  (probably for dinner) - Since we were just together with everyone several days in a row the week of Christmas, we decided to take this month off, and I'm okay with that.  February has two birthdays, so we'll be getting together to celebrate those :)
Blogging:
  1. Have 2 Freezer/Pantry Challenges (January and July), post updates on the blog, and defrost the chest freezer - One down, one to go!
  2. Post my Menu Plan, Aldi Deals, and Weekly Spending Report every week, along with at least 1 other post per week.  This may be an update, a reveal, a recipe, a shopping trip, or a frugal find. - I did really good with this one.  I did my regular posted every week, plus I posted a Tempt Your Tummy Tuesday recipe post every week, and posted several shopping trips throughout the month.
  3. Plan and execute a 31 days post for October. - Not there yet.
Health:
  1. Lose at least 20 lbs (I did accomplish losing 20 lbs in 2013 as well, so it seems doable) - Not even starting this until after the baby is born in April
  2. Drink plenty of water, eat healthy, and do exercise of some kind everyday. - I drank plenty of water, ate a LOT of veggies and salads, and did my hip physical therapy exercises everyday but 2.
Financial:
  1. Do at least 6 Flea Markets throughout the year, and list at least monthly on Amazon. - first one isn't until Feb. 1st.  I did list on Amazon this month though.
  2. Earn Swagbucks everyday by completing the daily poll, toolbar log-in, and NOSO offers daily. - did this every day, plus started using the SBTV to earn additional Swagbucks.  I earned 3-$5 Amazon Gift cards!
  3. Set a monthly budget, and coupon and deal shop as needed to stay within our budget. - I did a great job this month, and I blogged about it here.  It was really tight though, and I had to dip into our Christmas money, and gift cards.  I'm glad to be back up to $200 for the month in February!
  4. Pay off my credit card by June, and start putting extra onto Joe's credit card every month.  We won't have his paid off this year, but we'll be on the right track to have it paid off within the next year or two.  :) - Still working on this.
Hobby-Related:
  1. Catch up my scrapbook.  I'm only about 8 years behind, but I think once I get rolling on it, I should be able to push through and get it done by the end of the year. ;) I also want to start one for the baby, and work on it monthly. - Haven't started this one yet, and probably won't until we get the nursery finished, first thing's first.
  2. Try something new at least twice a month and blog about it.  I have a LOT of new recipes and crafts I want to try, and this is the year! - January I tried 2 new recipes, and blogged about them here and here.
Linked to Money Saving Mom!

Menu Plan Monday: 02/03/2014

We awoke this morning to more snow on the ground, so I was very glad I ran my errands yesterday.  I have a lot of projects that I want to accomplish this week since I only have 10 weeks left before the baby arrives, I need to get my butt in gear and get back to crossing things off the list.  I have a couple of new recipes picked out for this week, as well as a few simple, easy meals for the days I'm planning on being busy.  Here's what's on the menu for this week...

Breakfasts: Chocolate Chip PB Muffins for Joe (*new recipe), Yogurt with Granola and Special K Bars for Me

Lunches: Leftovers, Sandwiches

Dinners:
Sunday - Nachos
Monday - Fried Pork Chops, Crock-pot Baked Potatoes, Steamed Vegetable
Tuesday - Orange Chicken (*new recipe), Jasmine Rice, Steamed Broccoli
Wednesday -Ground Sirloin with Mushroom Cream Gravy. Egg Noodles, Steamed Vegetable
Thursday - Homemade Pizza
Friday - Working at Joe's Grandfather's House, so probably Chili's with him

Extras: Homemade Brownies (*new recipe)

For more AWESOME Menu Plans, visit Org Junkie!