January's Top Ten

Last year I started trying to set up my monthly goals rather than annual goals.  It seems to work better for me.  I thought I'd try that again this year and see how it goes.

1.  Keep grocery purchases to minimal and work on using up what is on hand.
2.  Utilize my planner to help keep things organized.
3.  Do my best to keep Sunday's free from school work.
4.  Purchase or make Valentine's Cards to mail for next month.
5.  Finish the skull shawl I am crocheting.
6.  Inventory my freezer.
7.  Continue with my 12 Days of Pintos recipe share.
8.  Menu plan for the month.
9.  Try at least one new pressure cooker recipe.
10.  Don't stress myself by insisting on perfection -- go with the flow.

August is Here

I can't believe it is already August and fall is just around the corner.   July's Goals are here. 
 I'm excited to say I managed them all except perfecting baking in the sun oven.  We've had more rainy and cloudy days (at least afternoons) than I was expecting, but that is okay.  August is a new month.  We also managed to do very well at eating from our storage last month and I intend to kind of continue on with that minus the first week.

 August plans are pretty simple. 

 1.  For groceries for Week 1 -- Family visiting.  I'm expecting to grocery shop this week because we will be doing some larger meals and some special requests.  However, for the rest of the month my goal is to limit to a few fresh items, milk, and eggs.  

 2.  Continue my research and online course.

 3.  My daughter starts at university this month and I am hoping to just get the household schedule adjusted to her new schedule.

 4.  Clean out my closet.  I have some "office" clothes that I no longer need.  I'm going to pick a few nice pieces and do something with the others. 

5.  Work on some handwork projects that I have going.

 6.  Try to keep the electric bill below $200.  I'm guessing this will be my tough month because even with the a/c turned up it is running as I type.

 7.  Get serious about making a Christmas gift list.

July Goals and June ReCap

I just realized I didn't formally write down my July goals or recap my June.  I'm blaming it on not feeling well, but in part I've just been busy, too.

 June -- I didn't finish the blue and white cardigan....I am close, but still not there.  I didn't keep to the food budget due to life changes.  I didn't sew the dress....I know, but I have been productive...lol.  What I did do was pack for road trips, keep the electric bill down, and finish my library book.   At first, I felt like I hadn't accomplished a lot.

In hindsight, I did do a lot of things that were not on my list.  I did some canning.  I traveled with my family.  I attended some events.  Celebrated birthdays.  

However, I have a project in the works.  I managed to complete the reading and notes on 7 research books.  That is where a lot of my time went.   I pretty much did all the things listed 4 days a week because this is the month that my husband has Friday's off....and I've spent every weekend with him.  So while not perfect, I am call June a success.  

 July's goals are pretty simple:
 1.  Try to keep the electric bill down as much as possible and still have air conditioning.
 2.  Continue to do some selective canning and dehydrating.
 3.  Work on using the freezer storage down.
 4.  Celebrate two birthdays -- my daughter's and my husband's.
 5.  Continue my research and the online course I am taking.
 6.  Continue to perfect using the sun oven.

Easy Meals

In keeping with my June goals, I am aiming for meals that use up what we have on hand.

I didn't photograph everything we've had.

Forgive my wonky looking hot dog buns -- it was a new to me recipe and the texture of the dough was different.  I just wasn't sure how much working it would take without getting tough.

However, despite their look the taste was fabulous.

We used half the buns for BBQ sandwiches, which let me use up the last of the pork loin and some of my homemade sauce.

We ate the hot dog buns with chicken hot dogs.

I forgot to photograph it, but I made pressure cooker Cajun beans and rice for a meal and we had leftovers the next day for lunch.

I used rice from food storage, a pint of my home canned beef, a pint of my home canned beans, and seasonings from my supplies.

I went ahead and baked in preparation for our Saturday picnic -- buttermilk bread...I'll share the recipe soon.

I fried Spam for our sandwiches.  We don't want to have to drag the cooler along and the saltiness of Spam will let me make sandwiches in the morning and them keep well in a backpack.  I baked brownies for our dessert.  

We're carrying grapes and popcorn for snacking and a thermos cooler of tea.

Another easy meal was caulilfower mash -- cauliflower, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, a little chicken broth, and a tiny bit of crumbled bacon.  The rest of the buns were buttered and sprinkled with garlic powder for a quick "garlic toast."

The Italian chicken sausage was an Aldi special from a few weeks ago.

When we get back from our day trip, we will have leftovers and a salad.

Having the leftovers on hand means I won't have to rush in a prepare a meal, which makes it easier for me to make sure we don't stop and grab takeout.

June's Groceries -- Week One

My daughter had a dermatologist appointment, so I picked up groceries while we were out. 

 I have challenged myself to round out our meals for $50 a week.  I did pretty good.  I came home with lemons, limes, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, bagged garden salad, sandwich cheese, 2 cartons of soy milk, 2 cartons of lactose free milk, 5 lbs of red potatoes, yellow squash, ice cream sandwiches, 2 boxes of Stevia, a bottle of marinade to try, and a box of cereal to snack on.  Oh! I got a watermelon, too, but forgot to photograph it.

I spent $44.55 of my alloted $50.

I don't know that I will share photos of 3 meals a day, but I will try to share photos of the big meals.

We often eat leftovers for the next day's lunch.

The fruit is pretty much open to snacking on.

The citrus fruit is to flavor water with.

I've found myself opting for less nutritious drinks because I wanted flavor so I am hoping this will encourage me to drink more water.

June's Goals

June is shaping up to be a busy month.  

 We have two doctor's appointments scheduled, a vet appointment for our new kitten, and a meeting at the university my daughter will attend in the fall.  Every weekend has something planned as well.

We are also attending a Renaissance Fair, a Summer Festival, my husband's 40th class reunion, an orchestra event at the Town Commons, and Father's Day festivities.  

 So with this in mind my June goals are:

 1.  Continue to knit on the fall cardigan.  Ideally I'd like to at least finish the collar band.

 2.  Pack a picnic for the Renaissance Fair and pack snacks for all of the other road trips.

 3.  The freezer and pantry are full.  I'd like to try to keep grocery expenses down to $50 per week for things like milk, cheese, eggs, and incidentals.

 4.  Continue to hang laundry to dry and to work to keep the electric bill down.

 5.  Sew the dress I have cut out.

 6.  Finish my library book before it is due back.

Looking Back over May

I can't believe it is already the end of May.  I've spent the last four days down -- sick with the cold my husband had the week before.

 I thought I'd take the time to recap how I did on my May goals and try to decide on my June goals. 

For May I only really had four goals because I knew it would be a crazy month.

 Goal 1 was to sew four garments for myself.  I managed to sew a dress, a gown, a cardigan, and a pair of shorts.  I also sewed a shirt for my husband.  I cut out another dress for myself, but haven't been able to sew it yet.  

 Goal 2 was to work on a fall sweater.  I am pleased to say that I am to the point I am working on the collar band.  After I finish that portion I will have to do the sleeve ribbing.

 Goal 3 was to finish a book I was reading.  I was able to do this and find a second novel to start.

 Goal 4 was to continue to hang clothes, work on the grocery budget, and maintain my houeshold binder.  

 I've done a little drying of clothes in the dryer because we had one weekend where we were traveling.  I needed to have the laundry ready to go with my husbnad in an afternoon's time.  

 On the grocery budget, I went slightly over my $500 projected....coming in at $534.  However, that included my daughter's graduation party and some items that went into the freezer that will be consumed in June.  I'm fine with that total.

 On the household binder -- I did okay.  Not perfect, but okay.  Everyone's schedule has gotten really busy and I finally gave in and purchased a calendar to use for scheduling.  I was able to get one from May of this year through June of next and it was on sale.  Having all appointments, etc in one place and in an easy to carry along format is nice.  I have however kept up expenses, etc in the household binder.

 On the overall electric bill -- I stayed within a few dollars of the previous month, so I am happy about that.  

 Budget wise -- we went over our entertainment budget, but the expenses were alloted for future events.  We've purchased tickets to a Renaissance Fair.  I will pack a picnic to offset some of the cost of this day trip.  We also purchased tickets to attend a symphony in November.        

So all in all I consider the month of May to have been a success.

Sewing for my Husband

I've never made a man's button up/down shirt before -- or hadn't until now.

Even though this isn't on my sewing challenge, it is in keeping with my desire to learn new skills. In addition to being the first try at this, I also practiced some other new skills.

 1. French seams -- not as hard and as mysterious as the name implies, but the extra edge stitching and seaming adds a lot of extra time to the garment.  However, the finished result is nice.

 2.  I also had to add length to the shirt because of my husband's height.   I am thinking about naming my seam ripper, because she and I are now on friendly terms.  I've apologized for what I said when I had to take the collar off.  It took me two tries with it, and I think it still isn't perfect.  I really didn't want to ruin the fabric by taking it on and off repeatedly.  It is more than fine to wear...just a flaw I see. It is in need of a good pressing, but all in all I am pleased with the results.

 (The lighting isn't great, but it is actually a peach color more so than a pink.)

 Oh, this one was pretty frugal, too.  The fabric, thread, and buttons were all from my stash.  (Well, frugal if we don't try to figure up a cost per hour kind of thing.  It took me a long time, but since it was my learning experience I'm okay with that.)

May's Goals

It is officially May, and I've tallied the month of April, moved my sheets to the back of the binder, and looked ahead.  I've been trying my monthly goals -- as opposed to New Year's resolutions -- and I think I much prefer this method.  It allows for the flow of life.

 May is shaping up to be another busy month.  We have birthdays, events to attend, a family reunion, and my daughter's community college graduation.  Knowing this is going to be the case, I've decided on setting some totally selfish goals.

 1.  I want to sew four garments for myself.  I have the patterns, the fabric, etc.  One is more complicated than the others, but three should be relatively quick and painless.  I just need to take the time to do them.  Each of them has some element that I want to learn more about.

 2.  I want to continue to knit a few rows a day on the sweater I am working on.  I'm hoping to have it as a fall addition to my wardrobe.

 3.  I want to finish reading a book I started back in early February.  I'm thinking I'll start over at this point, because I just wasn't very far into it.

 4. I want to continue to hang our clothes, watch the grocery budget, and use my household binder.  I'm expecting the electric bill to go up because it is a/c time here, but the other things I can control. 

That is it!  If I can accomplish those things this month I'll consider it a productive month.

Goals for April -- Review

April is a kind of nutty month for me.  Even with that I did manage to at minimum partially accomplish almost everything on my purposeful living goals for the month.  

 1.  Patio container garden -- roma tomatoes, basil, some flowers, bell pepper, oregano, cilantro.  I have my basics ready and I'm picking up potting soil tomorrow afternoon so I can finish up.  So this was a partial success.  We had so much rain last week I didn't even pretend to plant.

 2.  Sewing summer wardrobe and using supplies on hand -- I was half and half on this.  I did finish a few items (like my capris).  I did sew up some simple dresses for my niece using things on hand.  I also used up several partial spools of thread.  However, I did buy patterns.  We also had errands several towns away and as a treat my husband took me to JoAnn's.  I bought a couple of yards of various fabrics.  All but one were on discount and all were for set projects.

 3.  Using on hand supplies -- I did pull a free sweater pattern from online and yarn from my stash.  I've finished the back and one sleeve.

 4.  Christmas gift -- I didn't work on a single one.  Sad, but true.  

Gad About

Right now I feel like we are on the road a lot.  

We had errands and meetings most of yesterday.  We had quite a to do list, but we were able to get everything accomplished.  We're continuing to prepare for retirement and almost all of our errands and meetings centered around that.  We're feeling better about our plan so that is good. 

 I did pick up some fresh fruit and veggie top offs while I was out.  Walmart Neighborhood Market was on our route so it was an easy in and out. I came home with strawberries, pineapple, bagged lettuce, mushrooms, white onions, carrots, bell pepper, cucumbers, lemon, 3 cartons of soy milk, a cake mix, and a candy bar for my daughter.  

One of my jars of sweet potatoes didn't seal, so I heated them up (added cinnamon but no sugar) for a side.

Made a quick garden salad.

I seasoned some ground turkey, made up patties, and cooked them in the air fryer.

While they were going I sauteed some onions, mushrooms, and bell pepper in a tiny bit of olive oil.

My family loved the turkey cooked that way so I'll remember it for the future. (Quite easy and little mess to clean up.)

Today is another crazy day.  I have an appointment at the Heart Center midday, and then my daughter has a meeting I am supposed to attend tonight.  I'm kind of hoping to get a few odd jobs around the house done in between the two.

April's Goals

Making monthly goals for 2017 has worked pretty well for me.  I think the shorter term mentality makes it easier for me to zone in on things to focus on.  Reviewing them every month also helps me stay on track.

 April is always a kind of crazy month for me.  We hit the end of tax prep season, which I always look forward to seeing go...not because of clients or work, but it just gets crazy by the beginning of April.  This year my husband actually has the week after Easter off and I am not sure what we are doing.  I do believe our grandson is going to spend that week (or at least part of it) with us.

With those things in mind, I am making a shorter list this month.

 1.  Start a small patio/container garden.

 2.  Continue to work on sewing my spring/summer wardrobe.

 3.  Continue to use up craft supplies/sewing supplies I have on hand.

 4.  Keep up the master planner and continue to use up pantry items and eat from our freezer.

 5.  Work on at least one Christmas gift.

 That's it.

  I'm thinking #4 will be easy because it seems to be becoming a habit.  I can hopefully combine 2, 3, and 5.   The container garden is a joint project with my husband so I think we can get that done the week after Easter.

 Does anyone else have "plans" for the month of April?      

March Goals Review

It's that time of month again.  I'm trying to mentally review the month and see if I came close to meeting my goals.  You'd think I would do this mid-month, too.  I don't though...lol...so the end results are always a bit of a surprise to me.

 1.  I did continue with the master planner.  It seems to be working well for me.  I can go back to that one notebook and find what I am looking for.

 2.  I think I did pretty well on working on the rotation.  I am actually seeing items used up.  The freezer meals have been a blessing, too.

 3.  I pretty much did the once a month major stock up.  I even made out the menu.  However, sticking to it has been hit and miss.  I've stuck to the meals, but I haven't stuck to any form of order.  I find it easier to look at what we have the night before and just plan the next day based on our schedules and wants.

 4.  I did finish my nieces birthday gift.  I mailed Minnie Mouse and a dress -- and I was even early!   

5.  We did have a girls' night out.  We live the high life here -- we went to Hobby Lobby for fun, giggles, and craft shopping.  My daughter wasn't here for that trip, so she and I went to see Beauty and the Beast together.

6.   The downsizing and the organizing have been going well.  In fact, my craft room is now totally usable and I've managed to get in a lot of good sewing time.  

7.  I was able to rework some curtains at no to low cost so that was nice.  I picked up a couple of little pieces on clearance at Hobby Lobby.  I also did some shifting things around.

8.  The exercising was a bust.  I was doing great -- getting up to 7 or 8 miles a day walking in....then BOOM!  My blood sugar (I have reactive hypoglycemia) went berserk.  I was bottoming out in coma ranges.  I've cut back to just light activity and I see the doctor in April.

So all in all, I would say March was a success.  

March -- Purposeful Living Goals

My goals for March are similar to those of the previous months.  

1.  Continue with my master planner.  This seems to be working well for me.  

2.  Continue to rotate things in the pantry and freezer.  

3.  Try to carry the once a month major shopping through March and stick to a monthly menu.

4.  Make my niece's birthday gift.

5.  Girls' night!

6.  Continue downsizing and organizing...my poor craft room is next.

7.  Continue to work on my redecorating and stick to my budget.

8.  Do better at consistent exercising now that I have been given the all clear by the doctor.  

February Goals -- How did I do?

February has flown by so quickly!

As a recap -- This year my "resolution" was to live purposefully.  Each month I am sharing my goals and then toward the end of the month I am sharing how the month went.

January's Goals
February's Goals

How February went:

1.    I did manage to stay on track with the master planner.  I found menu sheets that I added and I am loving them.  The expense sheets are up to date and so is the appointment planner.  I really think having everything in one binder just makes my life easier.

2.  I didn't keep bread baked up and in the freezer....unless we want to count sweet breads....in that case, I did bake bread for the freezer.

3.  I did work down pantry supplies.  Despite not baking extra bread for the freezer, I managed to use up all the wheat flour we had ground.  This tells me we made plenty of bread.  I also used up some bits and pieces of opened items from the pantry, the freezer, and the refrigerator.

4.  While I didn't truly do "once a month" shopping, I did do all my big shopping at once.  I had to do a few fill in runs and I did buy chicken, but all in all I consider this to have been a success.

5.  I did finish Eeyore for my nephew.

6.  I feel like we practiced simple entertaining and I was also able to give the neighbors some fresh bread.

7.  I did continue to downsize things....I organized the pantry, the kitchen cabinets, the freezers, the linen closet, the bathroom cabinets, the laundry room, and the master bedroom closet.  (The closet still needs a little more, but it is getting there.). In the process, I donated right many things to Goodwill.  I also gave some away.

8.  Sigh - we didn't manage a girls' night.  Everyone was sick at different times and then I was gone for almost a week.

9.  I did work on redecorating on a budget.  I love the couch and loveseat set.  I also made a table runner using supplies I had on hand.  I gathered candles from around the house and created a simple table centerpiece, too.

Eeyore -- The Finished Product

Eeyore is a pretty big guy.

He has 274 strands of hair (more or less) in his mane.

I love the details -- a pink bow for his tail, a tack to "hold" his tail on.

He's just adorable.

Patience Pays Off

One of my "resolutions" for 2017 is to buy second hand whenever possible.

Last summer when my son moved, I gave them our couch.  Long story short, due to the layout of their new home it was the piece that would work best.  I took their love seat and we made do.  

(It was a piece that I had previously had for years.) 

On my home improvement list was a new couch for the living room.  

I knew I wanted a couch and possibly a matching love seat.

I knew I didn't want to pay a lot.

I knew I wanted something with a print because our home layout is open and all the walls are neutral.

I've been faithfully watching my areas online yard sale site.

A few weeks ago, I was a little sad because I thought I had missed a piece I might would have enjoyed.

However, as life often does, I found this set this week.

The bonus was that not only is it print, but it is floral.

I love floral prints of any kind.

And not only is it floral, but it is in colors I love -- a burgundy, tan, and navy with hints of green in the leaves.

It goes perfectly with my burgundy recliner.

Guess how much I paid?

The family selling it was originally asking $100, which I was more than willing to pay.

However, when they took it out of storage they found two rips on the arms.

She dropped the price to $60 -- without my asking -- and that price included delivery.

Upon careful inspection, I decided that I could easily cover the rips.

I decided to go to my craft room first and look through my fabrics.

I pulled out several pieces that I thought would work and finally decided on a creamy and tan print.

I cut my strips, basted them in a contrasting thread, and pinned them to the arms.

At that point, I knew sewing them on would be a little tricky.

I pondered it for a bit and remembered that I had been given a bag of sewing supplies that included some curved quilting needles.

Armed with those and a matching thread, I set about sewing the strips on.

All total it took me about two hours from start to finish.

By matching the two strips, they look as if they are meant to be there.

Bonus -- I have enough of the fabric left to do several throw pillows to add to the couch.

So I paid $60 for a personalized couch and loveseat that I love.

2017 Goals

We actually kind of went over these a few days into 2017 because I was in full recovery mode (read that as filled with pain medicine) and I was totally unproductive.

Our "big" goals in general:

1.  Plan one large family vacation.
2.  Do some redecorating and repairs on our home. (It's time.  We will have to pay someone to do a lot of the painting because of the open foyer.  There is no way I am climbing scaffolding over open stairs.  If I were to fall, I imagine the medical bills would far outweigh the costs of a painter.  We also need a new stove and to do some general light repairs.  Now that we are down to 1 child at home we are also going to rearrange some things.  I will also be replacing the living room furniture.  The pieces I am using now will go to our other place, where we need living room furniture.)
3.  Get our daughter enrolled in the local university.  (She will finish at the community college this summer.)
4. put a raised garden bed along the edge of our home

Our usual little goals:

1.  continue to tweak our budget
2.  work on better organization

My personal goals:
1.  continue to use up craft supplies on hand (My goal is to only purchase supplies if I am using them at the moment and I have run out of what I need.  For example, I had everything for my current quilt but basting pins and quilting thread.  I picked those up -- using coupons to off set costs.)
2.  streamline my wardrobe and sew more of my own clothes
3.  work on handmade birthday gifts for my youngest nieces and nephews
4.  utilize the library more often
5.  return to my charity knitting, crocheting and sewing

So those are our broad stroked plans.