January Goals

Normally I'd recap our New Years Eve, but we went to a party at 6:30 that we didn't even leave for until 6:40 and were all in bed by 9:45, me being the straggler so I could watch an episode of Gilmore Girls and sit on the heating pad. Wild New Years Eve! We did have fun at the "party" we went too. By party I mean, 6 adults and 4 kids and the adults all talked about how tired we were and how much we could not care less about watching the ball drop lol.

So! Something I used to do is post my monthly goals and in an effort to stay on top of my life this year since I'll be adding another tiny human to the mix, it's time to bring monthly goal setting back to the table. I am far more productive and ahead of the game when there are lists. Confession: I've bathed Tucker before simply because I wrote it on my to-do list, even though I really didn't feel like it. I've found that having a paper planner has helped me with that and the Plum Paper Planner works best for goals and lists. And they are cute. The left one is 2016 and the right one is 2017.

I'm writing my goals in my planner and then writing them on here. Maybe that way if I put them out there I'll be too embarrassed to not follow through. Plus it's crunch time on baby prepping so I really need to stick with them! Also, we are not getting baby stuff ready fast enough for Tucker's preference. He cried real tears yesterday because I wasn't ready to work on goal #2 yesterday.

1. Get Charlee's room cleaned out - I wrote this one down in mid-December when I was writing in my planner for the year. This is actually 90% done! There is a picture hanging on the wall that is Tucker's, a tote of Danny's old t-shirts and some miscellaneous things in her closet. When Danny works up the patience to hang something else in Tucker's room (most of our house is plaster walls so it's annoying and creates a mess and some foul language) he will move the picture.
2. Charlee's dresser - The dresser is out of my brother's barn and in our garage. We bought paint on Friday and I'm going today to buy sand paper, brushes and a couple trays or container of some kind. I need to find hardware of the drawers too. Tucker is itching to get started, so he and I will start sanding the drawers tonight or tomorrow. This is also my craft/project of the month to go along with one of my resolutions.
3. Danny's firefighter wall - All of his firefighter stuff is in the garage, but recently he's received a couple of really cool gifts that need to be on display. His career is a big part of our life and deserves a spot in the house. We have the perfect wall in our living room to create a gallery of his things. I was originally going to surprise him with it and have his best friend come hang the stuff up, but I spilled the beans already. I think his BFF is going to come help though. Tucker and I will leave the house because that room is also plaster and since Tucker is in the phase where he repeats EVERYTHING, he should not be present.
4. Photo Ledges - Those damn ledges I bought the materials for last year. I literally have everything to make them sitting in the garage.

It's a short list, but each task is pretty extensive. The dresser is top priority since I need that done before I can wash her clothes and get a better idea of where we are at on clothing this child.

Resolutions for 2017

As most people do, I spend the last couple of weeks of the year thinking about what I want to work on in the  new year. I've nailed down what I think is a pretty awesome list and I can't wait to see what I can get done!

I want to look at my 2016 goals and see how I did. I honestly did not revisit this list enough throughout the year and I'm hoping that is something I can improve on in 2017.
1. Take more pictures - I don't think my picture taking increased from the year before at all. I did however get all of the pictures off of my phone every few months so there's that!
2. Give up pop - I did really well for the first few months. It unfortunately picked back up after I got pregnant. What a horrible time to start drinking pop again lol.
3. Take care of myself - I was a little better at self care this year than the last 2. I realized a couple of months ago that even though showering at night is more convenient, showering in the morning makes my hair look better. As shallow as it is, when my hair looks good I feel great. I didn't have as many late nights and I had some success at keeping my skin moisturized too. I would say this resolution was accomplished even though this pregnancy hasn't been the portrait of health that I would have liked.
4. Move my body - Great first half of the year, but a pretty bad second half. I blame pregnancy and restrictions. I can't wait to start working out again!
5. Stay organized - There is room to improve on this. I had a feeling when I got pregnant and had to stop taking my Adderall that my organization would fall apart. I don't feel like a complete hot mess, but its not pretty over here haha.
6. Quit biting my nails - I have quit! As long as my nails are painted most of the time then I'm not tempted. I honestly can't remember the last time I did it.

Now for 2017...
1. Decorate all room in the house - I'm going to do this room by room. The mudroom should be done next week and then I'll start with Charlee's room for obvious reasons. We've decided to stay put and not move, so I want to make it pretty!
2. Run in 2 5K's - Running was the most efficient workout after Tucker was born and I'm sure it will be the same with 2 kids. I was able to leave work and get a quick run in before picking him up most days, so I'm hoping I can do the same. To save my back, I'm going to pick PiYo back up at some point. Probably before I start running again.
3. Get wills done - I am embarrassed to say that I do not have one done. As a mother and a business owner, this needs to get done pretty quickly.
4. Consistent contributions to our kids' education fund(s) - Right now there is just one fund until we are sure we are done having children. I put money in periodically and there is quite a bit in there considering I've maxed out my retirement fund for the year, Danny's is done, my car is paid off and we pay extra on our house. I'm hoping to do a better job this year.
5. Have friends over for dinner once a month - I'm keeping this one for later in the year, like July through December since the first part will be spent preparing for and adjusting to 2 kids.
6. More quality time with Danny - It's not secret that life with 2 kids will be stressful, but I want to make sure our marriage gets attention too. More attention that just sitting in the same room and listening to the same TV show. Regular date nights, at home or out, need to be a priority.
7. Do 1 craft of DIY project per month - This one kind of goes with #1. I have a few décor projects in mind and I have some ideas for Christmas gifts for next year.

The list is pretty random, but I can't wait to get started on some of it!

Weigh-In Wednesday: 3/25/15

Weighing in on Wednesdays takes a bit more effort now than it did last week. I gotta  hobble or crutch to the bathroom, take my boot off, step on the scale, then put my boot back on. Despite all the extra work for a 20 second event, I did it anyways! And I'm glad I did because it gave me motivation to set some goals for the next couple of months while I recover.

Last Week: 157.8 lbs

This Week: 159.0 lbs

Change: +1.2 lbs

That's my first gain in a month, and I'm still in the 150s so I'll take it. I was a little lax with my eating this weekend. Mentally, I think I automatically go to "I'm doing a Whole30 in a couple weeks, so its okay to eat 6 Oreos right now" and I need to cut that out. I've worked hard to get back to the 150s and I don't want to see all of that go to waste because of my food choices. I can't control that I can't exercise right now. But I can control what food I put in my body. Oreos, French fries, breaded tenderloins (seriously, come to Indiana and get one), and Tucker's leftover French toast every morning isn't going to keep me where I'm at or help me get to where I want to be.

Let's talk about these goals. I'm trying to keep them realistic since the only form of exercise I get now is using crutches. Seriously though. My arms and shoulders have been on fire since Saturday.
1. Complete the Whole30 - This is going to be crucial. And I'm pretty pumped for it. Since I have more spare time now, I have been planning hardcore. I have a color-coded calendar made up for what days I have to have meals prepped in advance since Danny is doing this too and will need to take food to work. Plus he is taking a class on Monday and Wednesday nights during this, so that's another 2 days that food has to be prepped in advance. I've got a Word document with meals and links to the recipes started and its broken down by breakfast, lunch, dinner and sides. Plus, I ordered some Whole30 approved sauces from Tessemaes and of the 2 we tried last night, I enjoy them both. I might have to hide the Chesapeake Mayo from Danny until the Whole30 starts. I've also been prepping my taste buds. I can now tolerate coffee with a splash of coconut milk. That's it. I knew coffee would be the toughest change (peanut butter being a close second. Almond butter sucks so I'm just going to have to go the whole 30 days without) so I wanted to get a head start.
2. Stay in my 8s - Other than when I was pregnant and the months following Tucker's birth (so from August 2013-July 2014), I've worn a size 10 jeans since I was in like 7th grade. I briefly wore 12s in college, but that was for like a year then I got my shit together. I am now comfortably wearing 8's and it feels pretty damn good.
3. Love Handles Challenge - I was scrolling through my Motivation board on Pinterest the other day looking for SOMETHING I can do while I'm in this boot. Not exercising is getting to me I think. I'm kind of cranky and I'm tired. And having worked so hard the last 5 months, it's kind of terrifying to completely stop the physical part of it. So, I found this.

I believe I can safely do each move while recovering.  I'm going to wait until April to start, maybe a week or so into my Whole30. 

Those are my 3 goals for the duration of my boot time. I think they are doable.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday. Today SHOULD be our camper day. We shall see though!

Goal Check-Up: Organization

I'm hoping the goals I have set for this year will be different than other goals I've set in the past. Typically I will think about what things I want to accomplish, write a definitive list, post them, and then not revisit them until it's time to come up with the next year's goals. Not this time, baby! I'm hoping to give myself a check up every once in a while to make sure I'm on task.

Today's check up is on the organization goal I set for myself. In the first 2 months of this year, I think I've done pretty well.  I've made a bill book to help me keep track of what bills we pay, when they are due, and what dates they are paid. There is a monthly bills section as well as a variable bill section. I'm hoping at the end of the year, I can at least set some sort of budget for us. We tend to fly by the seat of our pants and it's worked so far since we try to live well below our means and build in some cushion by paying extra on our house, my car and the mower. I don't have a picture of the actual book, and trust me it's not anything fancy so you aren't missing out. But here is a small glimpse into what's inside. They are the templates that are on my computer. The book has actually been used :)

 

I got the idea from HERE and just made a very slimmed down and less pretty version.

The second thing that I've accomplished is a cleaning check list.  Getting the routine cleaning done is something that our house needs help with. I'm a list person. I like to have something to look at to tell me what I need to do or buy, and to show me what progress has been made. There is too much going on in that head of mine to just keep track of it mentally. I threw out the idea of designated chores (he do dishes and clean the bathroom, I get all the laundry and the kitchen kind of set up) to Danny and he didn't like it. Every once in a while he will get the urge to clean and I'll come home to a spotless house. It would be wrong to take the joy away from him, and from me. So, I came up with a list of things that need done on a weekly basis and also on a monthly basis, aside from the daily laundry and dishes.

These are things that we felt were important for our house and what I would like to see get done. I used my Heritage Makers points to create 12x12 sheet that would fit in a frame to set in our kitchen. I left a blank space at the bottom of the monthly list to fill in with the extra job I wanted to get done that month. If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll write in 2. Now, I just found a place for this thing last night so I can't really say whether or not it's actually working, but I have some pretty good expectations for it. I'm not sure how much Danny will actually use it, but it'll help keep me on task.

That's where I'm at on my getting organized goal. I think I'm off to a good start so far.

How are your 2015 goals shaping up? Have you made any progress?

2015 Goals

2015 is just days away and I've been thinking pretty hard about my goals for the year. For some reason, I just like the word goal more than resolution.

First, let's take a look at what I had down for 2014. I'm satisfied with how these turned out given a couple of hiccups throughout the year.

1. Keep my house clean - This one will rollover into 2015. It was only embarrassingly dirty a handful of times, but there is a TON of room for improvement.

2. Lose the baby weight - I am at my pre-pre-pregnancy weight, which means I've lost about 40 pounds since Tucker was born. I've talked before about how I lost 15ish pounds before I got pregnant. Literally in the 2 months before. So, I have a pre-pregnancy weight and a pre-pre-pregnancy weight.

3. Double the size of my insurance business - This one didn't happen. It definitely grew, but not as much as I would have liked.

4. Pay off the Jeep - We got this one done in July. And then in October, 2 days before we went on vacation, we bought a GMC Acadia. So, we went a few months without a car payment. While that was nice, having enough room for all of our crap is just as nice.

5. Find a hobby - Blogging counts as a hobby. And I enjoyed running enough to count that.

 

All in all, 2014 went pretty well considering I was navigating my first year of motherhood as a working mom with a husband who couldn't walk without crutches for 2 months.

 

Now for my 2015 goals.

 

1. Get organized and stay organized - Like I said, keeping my house clean will carry over into the new year and falls under this category. But this will also include our finances/bills, meal/grocery planning, and our schedules. I basically want to stay ahead of things rather than on top of them. I've already made a slimmed down version of this bill book which also includes a tracking sheet for charitable contributions (Danny's resolution for the year) and gifts so I can birthday and Christmas shop in advance. I figure if we are going to spend some of our weekends camping this year, I need to stay extremely organized throughout the week.

 

2. Keep losing the baby weight - I would LOVE to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight within the first few months of 2015, which is about 15 pounds away. I have 3 weeks left of T25 Beta Round, then Danny and I will be joining the YMCA sometime soon so I can start lifting weights. Now we all know that "abs are made in the kitchen" and the food part of losing weight is the biggest struggle for me. I found this awesome (and depressing) monthly challenge on Pinterest the other day. I'd like to try it at least one round through. After I complete it, I may do it again depending on how it goes.

 

3. Get rid of at least one rental property - My brother and I have 3 houses and 2 commercial buildings that we own and manage. One house is under contract and will hopefully be sold by the end of January. We have one more that we would like to get rid of this year along with one of the commercial buildings (we work out of the other one). We've come to realize they are way more stress than they are worth. It's time to simplify.

 

4. Start thinking about retirement - Hopefully the new year brings new business in both insurance agencies. With that new business, I need to start throwing money into my future. Boring, I know, but my 60 year old self will thank me.

 

5. Host more family and friend dinners - I LOVE hosting things. Sure, its kind of stressful, but there is something about watching a few hours of hard work and chaos come together over a table of chatter and laughter amongst family or friends. Some good friends of ours may be moving to Portland, Oregon (him in May, her in July) and we need to take advantage of them being in the same state (or freaking region for that matter) while we still can. Plus, I really enjoy whipping up a good meal or dessert.

 

And there are my goals for the New Year! I'm anticipating a great year for my family and me. Who knows what it will bring. The last 5 have been interesting. (Dad passed in 2010, we got married and I graduated in 2011, Danny graduated and we bought a house in 2012, business about tanked and we had a baby in 2013, and in 2014 business got stressful again and Danny broke his foot. Oh and we had an infant) Needless to say, a smooth year would be ideal, but I'm sure there is a roller coaster ride ahead.

 

I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year!