November's Goals Update

November was another very full month - we visited with family, survived Black Friday shopping, went on our first no-Howard date since he has been born, I served a tea at work, and we started our Christmas decorating as well.  This month I didn't do as well with my weekly to do lists, two weeks went great, and two weeks, didn't go well at all.  I think this was partly due to receiving some additional duties at work, and no matter how hard I try to make more there are still only so many hours in each day.  There are some goals that I have come to realize are not going to get done until I am off from work in the winter, they are marked in blue, and will be carried over to next year's goals list.  Here's how the goal area has played out so far this year...

Household:

1. De-clutter the whole house in January, February, and March -- Done!
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. -- Done!  I didn't do as deep of a fall cleaning as I would have liked, but it got done just the same.  I also managed to stay caught up on all of my cleaning tasks, as well as the laundry!  Now if I can just get the Christmas tree up...
3. Paint the Windows/Sills/Trim in the Kitchen and Nursery. 

Family:

1. Write a 'love letter' to Joe each month - This month Joe and I exchanged a love letter text message, it doesn't seem like much, but it was ongoing throughout the month.  This was nice because it was a more consistent way to share how I was feeling, instead of just a once a month letter.
2. Take a trip to Maine in June with the hubby, and Howard. -- Done!
3. Take a Trip to Ocean City in August -- Done!
4. Get together with family at least once a month -- We got together with my family and Joe's family on Thanksgiving.  Dinner required a LOT of prep work, but I am getting better at doing things ahead of time.  Wisdom comes from experience you know.  But it is always nice to be able to spend time with the people that you love.  Howard and I also spent the day with my one sister and niece black Friday shopping.  And, that same sister, and her husband baby sat Howard for us while we went on our date to see Bill Engvall.   I am looking forward to seeing them all again in December!
5. Plan and Execute Howard's 1st Birthday Party -- Done!

Blogging:

1. Have 2 Freezer/Pantry Challenges (January and July), post updates on the blog, and defrost the chest freezer -- Done!
2. Post my Menu Plan, 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, some Aldi Deals, or a frugal find. -- In November, I posted my weekly spending reports faithfully each week, and linked them up to a few other blogs as well.  I posted my monthly budget report here, as well as a frugal finds post here.  I even managed to post a menu plan one week!  It doesn't seem like much, but it averages out to about 2 posts a week, and that is awesome for such a full month!
3. Plan and execute a 31 days post for October. -- Done!

Health:

1. Lose at least 20 lbs -- I have kept that 20 lbs off, and I am so excited about this.  I am not really trying to lose anymore until after the holidays, I just want to maintain where I am for the rest of this year.  Then in January I plan to add some more regular exercise in, which should help some more pounds fall off.
2. Drink plenty of water, eat healthy, and do exercise of some kind everyday. -- This is something that I have been able to check off each month.  I have also been doing more walking with Howard, so that is definitely exercise in my book!

Budget/Income:

1. Do at least 5 Flea Markets throughout the year, and list at least bi-monthly on Amazon/Facebook Yard Sale. -- We are done with flea markets for this year, but I still haven't managed to find the time to list anything online yet.  This is probably something that will not happen until January when I have some time off from work.  Unfortunately this is something that requires nap-time quiet, and that is usually when I'm at work.
2. Earn Swagbucks everyday by completing the daily poll, toolbar log-in, and NOSO offers daily.  (Try to earn $10 a month) -- I 'm almost up to another $25 gift card -- I was right, having the phone app makes a HUGE difference!  I just let it run during the day when I'm working or cleaning, and then check it periodically to make sure it's still running.  These SB's really add up!
3. Set a monthly budget, and coupon and deal shop as needed to stay within our budget. -- I was able to stay under budget again for November; I posted my budget update here.  We stocked up on quite a few items including toilet paper, diapers, and soup.  We also got to d a little thrifting, which I shared here.
4. Put at least an extra $100 a month on Joe's Credit Card starting in May -- We put a little over $100 towards the credit card this month.  I am happy that we are plugging away on this and I really would like for it to be gone next year, but I know that realistically it will probably take two years to finish paying it off.  Every little bit extra helps though!

Hobby-Related:

1. Scan the huge-a** box of photos we have had since my mom died three years ago, and get them sorted to give to people, as well as put the ones I decide to keep in albums.
2. Continue to work on Howard's baby book  -- Done!
3. Try something new at least once a month and blog about it.  I have a LOT of new recipes and crafts I want to try.

How have your goals gone so far this year?