Yes, it's only January...

But I've got a bad case of Spring Fever!

It was 60 degrees today! Oh my goodness, it was beautiful. I did some yard clean up and sat daydreaming. Thinking of everything in bloom.

So, when I came back inside, I did what any normal person would do. I logged onto YouTube and watched homesteading/gardening videos. I just love to watch the video blogs. It makes me long for Spring. I start planning my garden. I look through gardening catalogs. I don't think of the 4 months or so of cold weather still ahead of me.

I also spent time cleaning out my files and my desk today. All of that shreded paper will be composted. I sprinkled it all over my garden. The melting snow helped to keep it from flying away. In the Spring, it will be turned under with the tiller.

Oh, Spring. Will you please hurry up?

2011 recap

To follow up on my sidebar goals...
2011 personal goals:

Financial:
Pay extra on mortgage: goal ($1200) $667.36 poor planning and over spending prevented this
Pay student loans goal ($15,636) $13,073 and this from happening
Pay extra into savings $2330 {goal- $1200} got it!
Pay extra into IRA $440 {goal- $600} so close...
Personal:
20 minute workout every day I will get this this year!
eat out only once per month we did spend less than the previous year!
expand veggie garden done!
preserve more foods from garden even though we lost the garden in a storm, I was able to replant and harvest some!
spend more time with friends did this!
new grocery budget...$525.00 per month! This remains a challenge, but it is far better than the $400 that I started the year out with!
Spritual:
20 minute devos daily: I need to prioritize and make time for myself daily, I am starting a new daily devotional today. I can do this!
read the Bible in a year: I finished with just about an hour to spare in the year!! Yay me!

I have really enjoyed this blog. I love how it makes you accountable. Someone is going to read your goals and wonder how you are doing. Its so awesome when someone comments. That makes my day.

I plan to work up new goals for the year and I think I will try to have monthy goals as well. I will try to post a few times per week. I love reading blogs, but can confess to not making time for my own.

I plan to increase my health. I want to lose those stubborn 5 pounds and increase my energy. I want to run up those stairs or ride my bike without being too winded! I can do this!

Happy New Year!

January wrap up

I think if I really want to achieve the goals that I set for myself, then I should probably hold myself accountable for them.

So far for the year:

*working out 20 minutes per day- not doing as well as I initially hoped, mostly every other day.

*20 minute devos everyday- I am reading the one year Bible plan. Although I must confess to not reading every day. I sometimes do 2 readings the next day. which leads me to:

*reading the Bible in a year- as previously stated, I'm not getting my reading done daily, but I am keeping up with the plan.

*gardening- well, it's below freezing today. Not much happening there! ;0)

*hanging with friends- I have 2 "mommy play dates" this next week. Yay! Seeing friends is awesome!

*debt repayment- well, we had some major financial blows this month. Darn furnace. Stupid radiator! I didn't get as much in savings, IRA's, extra mortgage payments or student loans. There's always next month!

*grocery bill- I did go a bit over on this. I found some great stock pile bargains.

*cooking all meals- did pretty well here. We did get take out once and went to a sit down restaurant once. We did go a bit over the budget here as well.