Quarterly Update

Back at the start of the new year, I did a blog post on potential....read it here.  I thought since we are into March now might be a time to revisit the goals I had set....

Here they are....

1. Improve physical fitness with strength training and stretching  (Starting Bikini Body Mommy again on Jan 5th)

• Bikini Body Mommy and I did not hit it off this time.  I REALLY wanted to love her as much as I have in the past.  I did not.  I have since gotten a kettlebell and workouts from a friend.  I like kettlebell.  It makes me feel strong but I haven't fit it in as much as I'd like.  

2. Continue to "eat clean" after a time of detox from holiday junk food (I'm eating a frozen snickers bar as I type this-sigh)

• Well, this hasn't gone particularly well either.  But I'm continually trying to improve.  Easter was horrible.  I ate so much candy despite the fact my mom made really good and healthy food.  I had a serious sugar hangover yesterday (we had easter dinner Saturday night).  So yesterday I started a 21 day no junk food detox....I expect to be fairly grouchy for a few days.....but then feel much better

3. Get debt free!  (This is a HUGE goal for us!)

• YES!  As of last week, we paid off all our loans apart from our mortgage.  It feels SO great to be debt free.  And to know we can do some upgrades we'd like to do around the "homestead" and pay cash straight up to do them.  So thankful!!!

4. Remodel the kitchen!!  (Oh please let this happen!  PLEASE!)

• Since we are in fact out of debt we are progressing on this goal.  We've done some shopping at Menards and are looking at the same ideas.  We are on the same page.  So we are working towards this big project this summer.

5. Break wood in taikwando.  (still have to work through 2 more belts before I get a chance to try.)

• Last weekend we all tested and passed to our purple belts.  We plan to test again in June for red belts at which point we will be starting with board breaking.  I really should get those kettlebells going because I think they will help with this goal as well.

6. Daily Bible study both alone and with the kids.

• This one is hit and miss.  I try to get up early and read alone.  Some days it works and some days it doesn't.  I've done lots of Bible studies with the kids with marginal success and this year we started reading the actual Bible.  We started in Matthew.  We read a section (usually half a chapter) aloud all together and they pick a verse or section of the story to illustrate.  It is going very well.  

7. Improve my calm parenting skills and be a happier mom.  (class starts at the end of January-Woot Woot)

• Class was 4 weeks long and great!  I am so happy to have been able to facilitate it.  And I'm thrilled with the number of parents who participated.  As far as how its going at home.  It all depends on the day.  We are trying....hard.  Some days are just better than others.  :)  (I'm not sure that will ever change)

8. Continue to declutter the house (think I'll try this calendar)

• Totally not using the calendar.  But I have donated or thrown out several garbage bags of stuf.  Any chance I have to declutter something I do.  I wish I could just get it all done in a big swoop but slow and steady is gonna have to do.

9. Have a booth at one craft show with knit and sewn items....with a friend or two.

• not yet.  I was offered one but had to turn it down because I was already double booked for that day....seriously!

10. Keep track of menu plans and good recipes so I can remember them and don't have to reinvent the stinkin wheel every month.

• I'm not keeping track of menu plans very well.  Frankly, we've been chasing our tails so much that they aren't working all that well anyway.  What I am doing differently is when we find a new recipe we really like I write it on a card and put it in my vintage recipe boxes....that way I can find it again.  So that makes me happy!

11.  Less facebook and more facetime (actually real life facetime-not facetime on the ipad-HA!) This one will be harder than I 'd like to admit and I need to make it more concrete....but I gotta work it out.

• Yeah.  Not doing well with this one.  Maybe a little better....but I really just need to turn it off altogether for a while and I just don't wanna.....

12. re-implement and actually use a weekly cleaning schedule.

• HA!  Totally not happening.  Although I know it would be better if we could make it happen cause I've done it before and it was totally great!

So there we have it.  A quarter into the year and things are moving along.  I didn't expect to get them all done right at the start and although I wish I were improving faster on a few of them....I am pleased with the successes we have had.  Potential is still there....Gonna harness it!!!