2012 Goals - An Update

Its the last day of the month so I was thinking it was time to do a review of where I am at with some of my goals:

1. Start and maintain a blog.
2. Eliminate caffeine from my diet.
3. Teach my oldest to tie his shoes.
4. Switch to natural cleaners. I have started to use e-cloths instead of windex or pledge but plan to switch my toilet cleaner next.
5. Spend $300 less each month. (could be a tall order) We
   switched to a cash-only system and so far so good. We are still within budget for the month at least.
6. Maintain my current weight (at least not gain more). So far so good.
7. Eat more fruit and vegetables each day.
8. Teach my youngest his colors.
9. Go on a weekend trip with just my husband.
10. Reduce the sugar consumed by my family. Have eliminated pop from the house and trying to not bring in any outside junk food. I will never eliminate baked goods. We all need some treats.
11. Begin biking again.
12. Finish the first two years of each of my boys scrapbooks.
13. Read, read and read some more.
14. Expand my garden.
15. Help my husband finish the trim work in the house.
16. Make homemade marshmallows.
17. Incorporate lentils into our diet.
18. Go to adoration.
19. Set up a more regular learning time with my oldest. Did buy a few resources to help with this.
20. Try brussel sprouts.

As you can see, I was able to mark two things off. I tried a great new recipe for brussel sprouts and loved them. The boys were unimpressed and Jason, well, he said they were better than what he had growing up. I think the secret is to shred them instead of eating them whole. I also tried red cabbage and chard. Again, I loved them but all my boys did not. Thankfully Jason is one who likes most of my cooking but decided the "cooked roughage" was just too much for him. Its too bad as those are some of the healthiest veggies we can eat. I get an organic produce delivery every other week so I will just make these foods when they are in the produce pack. I will not go out of my way to buy them if I have to eat them all by my lonesome.

The cash only system is going well. I bought an app for my I-pad that allows me to create a grocery list with prices so I can track how much I am spending before I even go into the store. Also, it makes me much more cognizant of what I am going to throw in the cart. We also created a rule that we cannot charge to the credit card without telling the other first. Again, this has helped because it makes me think about a purchase first. I love Groupon and so before I buy one, I wait till Jason comes home and most of the time I have talked myself out of it by then.

7 Quick Takes Friday

1. Joy. What a simple thing that can do so much good. Why do we not take more time to be joyful, share joy and encourage joy? I have been reading about the subject in two different books (Between Heaven and Mirth by James Martin, SJ and Small Steps for Catholic Mothers) and had never really thought about the impact of my joyfulness on both my spiritual life and that of others. Just the simple act of always having a smile on my face. One day I was encouraged to try to smile all day. It was actually hard which I decided was very sad. It should not be that difficult. What in me was making it that tough? Since then I have tried to look at each situation as how it could go differently if I smiled. We are talking simple things like discipling a child, paying for groceries at the store, waiting at the stoplight. Just having others see you as joyful makes them wonder, why? And what a witness it is for them to find out its God. WOW!

2. I was joyful about something simple today. A new favorite yogurt - AE's almond creme greek yogurt. I am going to freeze it next time and eat it for dessert. It is sort of healthy for me, right?. Hey, its gotta be better than Cold Stone Creamery. Hmmm...wonder if I could smash some cookie dough into it. Wait, wasn't I talking about healthy?

3. I am already in a slump when it comes to my 2012 goals when it comes to eating more healthy. Not dieting but trying to fit in more fish, fruits and veggies. I am bored with lunch and breakfast and am really trying to find some new inspirations. I did find one this morning. I made an egg white, spinach, sundried tomato breakfast sandwhich with turkey on whole wheat. Oh and with dill. (How can I come up with a short name for all that?) Seriously, it was good and it had to be good for me with the veggies, protein and whole grains.

4. Who needs snow? This week my boys and I had an indoor snowball fight and snowflake storm. Logan thought it was the best invention ever. We get to stay inside and be toasty warm but still throw snowballs (crumpled up paper balls) and we even used laundry baskets as our snow forts. For the snowstorm, we cut up paper snowflakes and laid them in Logan's blankie and then tossed them in the air. They fall down ever so softly. To make it educational, I wrote numbers from 10-20 and had Logan identify them as we placed them back in the blanket. So much fun!

5. Hot water. Yes, its back and I have taken 2 very long showers to make up for it. Maybe a bubble bath is in order.

6. I am a nerd. I am addicted to Ken Burns documentaries. I watched The War in December and am watching The West right now and have Prohibition on my shelf. I cannot believe what I did not listen to in school. Or maybe I am just old and have forgotten it all.

7. I have entered the world of couponing but I would not define what I do as extreme, maybe just enhanced. Today I was excited to buy a 12 pack of play-doh for $8 when its usually $15. Its the simple things that make you smile. (At least until I see the mess they will make with all the play-doh).

Check out Conversion Diary for more quick takes.

Count My Blessings Wednesday

Wednesday can be a tough day of the week. Its half way to the weekend but you still have half a week left. So I am going to start counting my blessings on hump day to remind myself how good I have it and to give me the jumpstart I need to look forward to Friday!

1. I have a husband that comes home for lunch almost every day. You would not believe how much that means to me and brings me light (and a break) to the middle of each day.

2. Water. Our water heater went out this week and we spent 2 days (still counting) without hot water. I am just so thankful that we have water right now even if it is ice cold.

3. My children go to bed between 7:30 and 8. This does mean that they are up early in the morning (6 am) but those quiet hours between their bedtime and mine are so precious. I relax, read, get caught up on the computer and most of all, spend time with my husband.

4. My church. Catholic churches can really differ when it comes to activity. I am blessed to have one that has Bible studies, couples' groups, speakers and so much more that help my family and I grow in our relationship with God.

5. Blogs. I have blogs that I read for recipes, parenting advice, spiritual inspiration and activities for my kids. I am not sure what I did before blogs.

...without grumbling or questioning

Phillipians. A beautiful book with a great verse on doing without grumbling or complaining. That little nugget hit the spot today. I was overtired (my own doing) and everything seemed to go wrong. Also, my two precious boys were in their own fesity moods (probably because I was tired and grumpy) so needless to say by about 2:oo, I was exhausted physically, emotionally and spirtually. I am working on an Acts study at my church that referenced Phillipians. I came across Phil 2: 14-15.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.

This is a slightly different translation than my Bible but it just really reminded me that my sufferings are so small and to truly do everything for God. Because if you are working for God with joy in your heart, what is their to complain about?

Being the light of Christ

Just wanted to share something that really inspired me today. I absolutely LOVE the prayer book, Small Steps for Catholic Moms by Danielle Bean and Elizabeth Foss. These faith-filled women cover 12 important areas for moms over 12 months and each day they break it down into think (a quote or verse), pray and act (a suggestion on how to put that prayer into action). Today the prayer seemed to sum up how I have been feeling. I am trying to be a better example to my children and a witness to others of Christ's love simply through my actions and how I treat others. This simple prayer summed it up nicely:

"I know the Good News, Lord, but help me to really know it. I want to feel it in my bones and exude it from every pore in my body. Fill my heart and soul with such overflowing joy that it reveals itself to everyone I meet."

Looking back at 2011

So I have been trying to think of more things to add to my goals list and I am up to 20. Thinking of all my goals for 2012 has helped me realize all that I accomplished in 2011. Thanks to the good Lord, I made a lot of positive changes last year. The biggest and best is that my relationship with my Savior grew and flourished. I joined the Acts study at my church and have learned so much about the birth of the Church. Its been inspiring and really helps me to understand my Catholic faith better. I also have a more regular prayer life and I try to spend at least 15-20 minutes each day enhancing my faith in some way. I have read some terrific books this year but I think I will save that for another post.

I started a regular workout schedule that I am pleased to say, I have kept up for a whole year. I usually only get about 30 minutes but its better than nothing. I mainly run on the eliptical and watch shows or movies I don't usually get to see. Its a great incentive.

Most of my accomplishments focus around doing things more regularly. Eating better, playing with my kids, cleaning, cuddling with my husband. Before last year I was trying to do everything perfectly. Now I know its better to do a little bit of a lot things then perfecting them all. I have a lot I want to do but I can't get it all done in one day. In the new year, I will still be bringing that one to God.

Here is a list of other things I accomplished in 2012:

1. Implemented a cleaning schedule.
2. Created a weekly meal plan that is coordinated with my grocery list.
3. Started using coupons more effectively.
4. Created a budget but still trying to stay within it.
5. Started using NFP with my husband (about time, huh?).
6. Became a blog addict. (Not sure if that is really a good thing or not).
7. Planted my first garden and actually ate food from it.
8. Started date night with my husband.
9. Tried to live by the thought that less is more.
10. Cooked a lot of great, healthy recipes.

I am sure I am forgetting some but so many of us dwell on what we want to change for the new year that we can get caught in the negatives. Its smart to take time to look back and see what God has done in your life or helped you accomplish. Its probably more than you think!

2012 Goals

Splash!!! I did it. I finally made the big jump into the blog world!

This ambition of mine has been stuck in neutral for over a year now. I have just been a big chicken about that whole thing. I worried that I wouldn't be any good at it and that no one would read my blog. I feared that it would be one more thing I started and didn't finish. But as I was thinking about what I wanted to accomplish in the new year, I thought why not blog about what I want to do. What a better way to stay accountable and to track my successes and failures. I love to write but I don't think its my best skill but who cares. No one will probably read it but again who cares, at least I will have tried. And isn't it more for me anyway? So here is my first post - my to-do list for 2012. (I am working on a better title.) I want to accomplish a lot more but I needed to create the post before I dragged my feet any longer. Its a start.

1. Start and maintain a blog.
2. Eliminate caffeine from my diet.
3. Teach my oldest to tie his shoes.
4. Switch to natural cleaners.
5. Spend $300 less each month. (could be a tall order)
6. Maintain my current weight (at least not gain more).
7. Eat more fruit and vegetables each day.
8. Teach my youngest his colors.
9. Go on a weekend trip with just my husband.
10. Reduce the sugar consumed by my family.
11. Begin biking again.
12. Finish the first two years of each of my boys scrapbooks.
13. Read, read and read some more.
14. Expand my garden.
15. Help my husband finish the trim work in the house.
16. Make homemade marshmallows.
17. Incorporate lentils into our diet.
18. Go to adoration.
19. Set up a more regular learning time with my oldest.
20. Try brussel sprouts.