Search Results for “cleaning” – Page 23

October No-Spend Month Challenge Day 10: Bathroom & Linen Closet Organization

Hello again, savvy savers! I hope you all are well rested, work-minded, and in the mood for cleaning and organization this week!

As you know, this last week, we focused the first part of the week on pantry organization, organizing food swap days, creating meals based on pantry staples, and then switched focus to alternative pantry re-stocking methods, and this morning we are going to scrub, dust, sort, purge, evaluate, and hopefully make a profit in the process! For the rest of the week we will be focusing on mini-areas within our homes, and today I want to tackle bathrooms.

So, today I am challenging you all to accomplish three tasks:

To tackle a one hour cleaning challenge: you will need to start by a visual decluttering and surface cleaning of your home.
To sort and purge from your medicine cabinets, makeup bags/drawers, and to clean out under your bathroom sinks.
To also clean out any linen closets and/or closets within your bathroom spaces.

A few tips to keep in mind today for your bathrooms:

All cosmetics older than one year, should be purged.
All cosmetic sharpeners, brushes, or curlers two year or older, should be purged.
All hair coloring products or kits, two years or older, should be purged.
All vitamins or supplement older than one year, should be purged.
All flue, cold, sinus, or allergy products older than two years, should be purged.
All essential oils three years or older, should be purged.
All first aid items, older than three years, should be purged and replaced.
All digestive aids, older than three years, should be purged.
Any fiber-based supplement, older than a year, should be purged.
Anything half-way or partially opened or consumer, than has not been utilized within the last months, should be purged.
Anything unopened that have in multiples, pharmaceutical or cosmetic, than you will not use in one season, should be moved to a stockpile area.
All expired medications should be purged in sealed Ziploc bags, with your home information blacked out with a sharpie.
Any nail lacquers that have been to separate should be purged.
All manicure and pedicure supplies, that are used, but have not been utilized within the last six months should be purged.
All paper or cotton products should be visible, organized, and easily accessible.
Purge your oldest towel set; towel, hand towel, and wash cloth.

A few tips for cleaning out your linen closets:

Bundle like sets of sheets together.
Keep necessity items, such as bathroom staples, in small baskets, labeled, and clustered on a single taller shelf together.
Corral cosmetics on servings trays for easy removal.
Any mismatched items should be donated.
Any fraying towels should be donated; animal shelters are a great place to send unneeded linens.
Prevent dust from covering linen sets, by placing them inside their coordinating pillow cases.
Antique linens are best to hang; install two hooks and a dowel rod in the bottom of a closet for hanging linens.
Store throw pillows and guest pillows in a top shelf basket.
Store towel sets in stacks for easy removal.
Store like items on like shelves; linens with linens, towels with towels, and the like.

Now, while this list seems extensive, depending on the size of your home, should only take a couple hours today, and in the long run should greatly help you not only today but in the future. This week is not only about creating long-lasting cleaning solutions in your home, but establishing routines that will help you not only keep your home cleaner and safer, but to shave the time it takes you to do so, in half!

Be sure to come back this evening for today’s cleaning recap!

Here’s to saving,

October No-Spend Month Day 6: 1-Hour Freezer Cooking Meals!

Hello again, savvy savers! For today’s October No-Spend Daily Challenge, as part of the #31DayLWSZ Challenge, I want to discuss my experience with today’s prompt, freezer cooking meals.

So, to begin. I’ve been making freezer cooking meals for several years.

Here’s how it started – After a few year of being married I began to become both a work-from-home legal position, as well as a full-time caretaker for my grandmother. This new season of life turned my ordinary world, my ordinary life into a busy chaotic whirlwind of facsimiles, schedule medicine sessions, cleaning, care-taking, all while trying to cook dinner for my family. Often times, when I had an especially busy exhausting day I would turn to fast food, or home cooked fast food for dinner like boxed Mac n Cheese, hot dogs, or dare I say cold cereal.

In my heart, I knew this wasn’t the food I wanted myself or my family to eat, but because of being mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted I took the proverbial easy way out. It was during this time I heard about easy freezer meals, meal plans where in under a few hours I could cook, prep, and freezer crock-pot ready meals in under an hour, which would yield a months meals. I decided to try it out.

My first experience: I cooked for a whole morning in my kitchen, finished 30 meals, and was no worse the wear for having done so. I felt so wonderful and the rest of that month I didn’t dread the dinner hour. The biggest change? My husband was so happy to have real cooking again, he began requesting freezer-ready meals be placed onto our month menu planning sessions; this in turn spurned my love of freezer cooking. So, you may be thinking, are freezer-ready meals great for my family?

Make ahead freezer meals for a month are great for people:

Who have busy lives and don’t always have time to cook a nice meal.
People who eat at fast food a lot but want better healthy meals quick.
Brand new mothers who just had a baby and need to rest or enjoy every precious minute of a new one.
Folks who are sick, elderly or injured and cannot cook.
People on a limited budget.

What can be frozen and what cannot:

There are a few items that don’t freeze well: Lettuce, cucumbers, bean sprouts, and raw potatoes .
Egg-based products: Hard boiled eggs & Egg based sauces like mayonnaise will separate and curdle.

What containers are good to use for easy freezer meals:

Gallon or quart sized plastic or re-usable freezer safe bags.
Aluminum pans, with crimp lids.
Lidded plastic containers.

Here is a list of my favorite freezer meals:

So, everyone I cannot tell you all how highly I recommend freezer cooking meals! So, if anyone has other great tips for freezer cooking, I’d love to hear about it.

Here’s to saving,

October No-Spend Challenge Day 5: Stockpile Shop With Rain Checks!

Hello again, savvy savers! Can you believe it, we are almost a week into this no spending challenge! As I have already mentioned “meal swapping,” and “eating out at home on my Day 3 post for this months #31DayLWSZ challenge, I though I would have a different turn today.

Today, I want to share with you one of my favorite ways to continue to “shop” for deals, particularly my weekend drugstore deals for my weekly scenarios, especially during my no-spend periods, and that is with rains-checks! Yes, rain-checks, a couponers best friend!

So, why rain-checks?

For me, participating in this months #31DayLWSZ challenge was so potentially difficult is that while a spending freeze helps me put needed funds into other planned savings ventures for my husband and I, it does pose the problem of not allowing me to continually add to my home coupon stockpile.

I do not buy groceries and goods on a weekly basis, instead I elect to buy goods below my price point, coupon shop on weekends, and use those staples to plan my weekly cleaning schedule, meal planning, and lunch preparations. I did not want to have to over budget for goods in November on missed deals in October, so with the help of rain checks and paired coupons, I can reserve my stockpile shopping trips until the end of this coming month, at my working, seasonal price points.

As well, not only is requesting a rain-check, for not-currently-in stock items a handy way to save money on much needed household and pantry goods, but when you are in the midst of a no spending month, rain-checks can help you lock in deeply discounted items to use in spending weeks, too!

It’s like shopping for goods on an extended time line; you can lock-in your savings, and shop later, on your schedule!

A few general tips on rain-checks:

Make sure that the coupons you are using on the item you need a rain check for won’t expire before the store gets the items back in stock.
Most stores allow you to use a rain check at a different location of the same store.
Rain checks are not redeemable at a different store.
You cannot get a rain check on Clearance Prices, at most stores.
When redeeming your rain check, be courteous of the checker and let them know you will be using one–BEFORE they start to ring you up; they are going to need to manually enter in the amount.

So, here is what I do:

1) As I live in a small town, I wait until the last day of the current sale week, or in my case, the end of the week when the hottest weekly deals, freebies, and offers are sure to be sold out during no-spend months, and then go to each store and ask for rain-checks for each and every one of the offers that I will still be able to redeem later; this means your rain-check window of opportunity is generally Friday-Saturday for drugstores, Saturday afternoons for grocery store deals which sale cycles renew on Sunday’s, and Tuesday evenings for stores that have new Wednesday sale cycles.

2) I ask for offers where I will be able to later pair with a coupon; if your paired coupon will expire by the end of your no-spend month period, skip that deal!

3) I then file my rain-checks by store!

4) At the end of my no-spend challenges, I will use earned store rewards, as most will last a full month before expiration, and then will go to the stores when able, and buy goods at my convenience!

When requesting rain-checks I keep the following guides in mind:

Nationally, most grocery and market chains will offer rain-checks, without limit of goods.
Grocery and market chain store rain-checks will normally have only a 30-day window to redeem rain-checks; this applies to stores such as Vowell’s Fresh Market, The Fresh Market, Publix, Kroger, and Winn-Dixie.
Walgreens rain-checks will also have only a 30-day window to redeem rain-checks.
Rite Aid and CVS do not have redemption windows, and their rain-checks can be tucked into your coupon binder, for use as “filler deals” as needed!
Catalina Deals cannot be combined with rain-checks.
Sam’s Club, Target, and Walmart do not offer rain-checks!

So today, I challenge you to look online at your local stores sales guides and weekly fliers, compile a list, and head out to your favorite stores and “rain-check shop” for savings deals today!

Here’s to saving,

October 31-Day No Spend Challenge Day 3: Pantry Clean-up Recap & Monthly Meal Planning Menu!

Good morning, savvy savers! I hope you are all well rested and ready for a new No-Spend Month daily challenge!

Yesterday I focused on my kitchen pantry, cupboards, and stockpile as part of the #31DaysLWSZ Challenge. I clean my kitchen pantry is under two hours. While I discarded two boxes of goods, I still had two boxes of donations, and found enough quality food to last my family three #31DayLWSZ challenges!

I also focused on one of the most neglected areas in my home, and perhaps yours, my couponed stockpile. Yes, the cave of Frugal Wonders! My stockpile, housed in my homes basement, though it’s well lit, houses many built-in shelving features, the area still seems to always be in need of rearranging, sorting, and cleaning! The one saving grace of this area, the exhilarating feeling I get each time I am able to gaze over my shelves, from the bins filled with shampoo to the well stocked baskets of paper products, and then proceed to “shop from my home!”

My stockpile, though hard earned, is an immense blessing to my home. And as they say, to whom much is given, much is asked, and this rule equally applies to my stockpile!

While stockpile saves my family thousands of dollars a year, and allows me to give generously to my local food pantry and women’s shelter, I must admit it is one of the most neglected area in my home. So, in order for me to be able to adequately access all that I have within in my home, singling out what I will not need to purchase this month, I will be giving my stockpile a much needed Fall Cleaning this afternoon.

Here are a few tips to get you started, for those who have not finished yesterday’s challenge:

1) Rotate your stockpile. “Rotating your stockpile” means rotating your stockpile per season. You will need to place goods in order of expiration date, my seasonal usage, as well as keeping climate into consideration; you may need to start storing it in one location for summer and another location for winter, in terms of baking tools, cans, chemicals, etc.

2) Long Term Storage: If you plan to store any item for longer than a week or two, you need to know its long-term storage requirements. Some items will only last months or longer if stored in a cool, dry place. Some items must be stored in a refrigerated or frozen environment in order to last longer. Make lists, and create sub-areas in your stockpile; examples are canned goods, cosmetics, paper products, etc.

3) Take Note of Patterns: Start a list of your product usage, this will allow you to see what you need, will use in a years time, and what should be donated accordingly. Unused goods are cash wasted.

4) Last Forever Items: Nothing lasts forever. Even goods such as bottled water, start to have an altered taste after a decade, so keep this in mind.

5) Canned and Preserved Goods: Keep inventory and note the dates of home-preserved items; a rule of thumbs is to only keep items no longer than two years.

6) Pests: Pests love your stockpile, almost as much as you do! Be sure to check goods monthly, especially in Summer, and any goods that look altered, chuck immediately!

7) Dehumidifier: Humidity can alter and mold many goods, so consider running a dehumidifier twice weekly.

Mind you, part of deep yesterday’s challenge was to clean out my home freezer and deep freeze. I am still working on this task today. I plan to be done with this task this afternoon as the entire family, sans me, has gone to a robotics workshop today which leaves me plenty of time to KonMari my freezer into shape!

Onto today’s challenge! Starting earlier this morning, I utilized the #31DayLWSZ Pantry and Freezer Inventory Sheets to help me compile a month of meals, using the discovered on-hand goods logged on my inventory sheets.

So, aside from this challenge, why menu plan? I generally consider menu planning a staple in my home budgeting arsenal, but for those who may now, here are three key points to keep in mind, in terms of both this challenge, and going forward:

1) Your Health: Your health should be one of your main concerns, as with most people, and one way to ensure your health and well being is in good working balance, is healthful food preparation. Having a menu plan in place helps you avoid sodium and fat-laden take out and fast food, and instead opt for a more balanced and nutritious diet.

2) Budgeting: Groceries cost a lot, period. Even with coupon shopping and app rebate deals, constantly going to the store can negate all of your best budgeting plans. Save yourself some financial stress by planning your meals in reverse; shop for cyclical deals, plan meals around what you have on hand, and essentially plan “pantry-ready meals.” By shopping in reverse, I generally spend $30.00 or less per week, for a family of four on groceries.

3) Time Management: Your time is important. Whether you work outside the home, from a home office, are a busy entrepreneur, or you’re a stay-at-home parent, we all juggle an endless task sheet on a daily basis. While planning a menu in the first place takes a bit of time, it will save you double that amount of time in the end. For when you have planned, purposed meal lists and ingredients on hand, you essentially eliminate the need to run to the store for a last minute item, saving you both time and money in the process.

With a plan in place, all you have to do is to look at your proposed weekly menu, prep, and serve!

So, today I came up with:

13 Breakfasts
13 Lunches
13 Snacks
13 Dinner Options
13 Desserts

Here are a few tips I used to plan my monthly menu:

1.Each option will be eaten twice for the remainder of the month, as the entire month will be rotated bi-weekly.

2. No-spend months are a great time for 5-can soups, dump cakes, casseroles, and pot pies.

3. This is also a great time to consider “Food Swapping,” with family, friends, and neighbors, where you will prep meals and then exchange the meals accordingly.

4. This is also the time to consider menu streamlining; eating the proper amount of meals, as well as small snacks throughout the day, as well as cutting your dependency on carbonated beverages, and instead eating healthier options all around, will not only fill you up more, stave off food cravings, which will ultimately end up costing you less the month over.

5. Consider using “Meatless Monday,” food options; you can save up to $240.00 annually using this method once a week!

6. If you have saved gift cards to local restaurants, calendar cards (such as from Chick-fil-a), or the like, this is the time to use those cards. I’ve planned dinner on Saturday’s out, which will be free including tax and gratuity, using gift cards (and coupons if applicable) I’ve earned from Viggle, surveys, or calendars.

7. My best tip for today’s challenge? Use “Rollable Meals,” or meals that leftovers can be made into different meals using the same ingredients; for example on day 1 you make double the amount of hamburgers and a pan of brownies for dessert. On day two, you can take one patty, broken up and make breakfast tacos, and as a beef topped salad(s) for lunch, and using your additional reserved patties, make crock pot beef patties and gravy for dinner, and using your leftover brownies you can make two additional desserts to last the remainder of the week, brownie parfait cups, brownie flurries, or brownie and berry trifle!

To get started:

Make a boxed grid; 11″x 8″, divide into a calendar, with seven boxes across, and four boxes down, and there you go!
I also list our families meals on a meal plan chalkboard, in our kitchen, so everyone will know what to expect for dinner, and when.
I also use my home recipe binder, with index, to browse through clipped, copied, and stowed away recipes I’ve put back for rainy days.
Have odds and ends you aren’t sure how to combine into meals? Check out sites like SuperCook, where you can add the ingredients you have on hand to their database, to find recipes to suit your stockpile of goods!

And for anyone curious, here’s what we will be having:

Monday
Breakfast: Meatless Monday low-fat Mozzarella and Spinach Omelette, with Green Tea.
Lunch: Almonds, Cheese Crackers, Cheese rounds, with celery, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Almonds, and Gala Apple Slices.
Dinner: Crockpot Three Bean Chili, cooked with Boca Crumbles, with Diet Cola.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Green Tea, Coconut Milk, and Strawberry Smoothie; made with Truvia.
Lunch: Freezer Cooking Chicken and Dumplings, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Frozen/Thawed Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Taco Roll-ups; in lieu of taco shells I use Romaine Lettuce Sheets.
Dessert: Gluten-Free Brownies.

Wednesday
Breakfast: Baked Frittata Cups, with Unsweetened Almond Milk.
Lunch: Taco Salads, with crystal light.
Snack: Grapes and apple slices.
Dinner: Crockpot Chicken Curry, steamed peas, and crystal light.
Dessert: Homemade Gluten-Free Truvia brownies.

Thursday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt, with fruit cup, and Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Tossed Salad with Turkey, light vinaigrette, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Grapes and apple slices.
Dinner: Grilled Turkey Burger Patties, sweet Potato Fries, with Crystal Light.
Dessert: Brownie flurries with leftover brownies; we use Edy’s Sugar-Free Ice Cream.

Friday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt, with fruit cup, and Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Tossed salad, with homemade Greek Yogurt dressing, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Strawberries and two pieces of Sugar Free Chocolate; candy is used as melted drizzle for berries.
Dinner: Barbecue Pork, Steamed Green Beans, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Diet Coca-Cola slushies.

Saturday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt, with fruit cup, and Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Chicken Salad, and Crystal Light.
Snacks: String Cheese and grapes.
Dinner: Gift Card to local restaurant.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

Sunday
Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs, and Toast, with Unsweetened Almond Milk.
Lunch: Grilled Sausages, Steamed Broccoli, Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese, with Crystal Light.
Snack: Grapes and walnuts.
Dinner: Crockpot Orange Chicken with Almonds, Steamed Peas, and crystal light.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

Looking for meal ideas for this months #31DayLWSZ challenge? Be sure to check out my Weekly Menu Section and Pinterest Menu Idea Boards!

Be sure to check Instagram tonight for today’s review!

Here’s to saving,

October No-Spend Challenge Day 2: Pantry Organization

Hello again, savvy savers! As many of my readers and online friends may know, I am always juggling several projects, business opportunities, scholastic goals, and home projects at any given time. With so much constantly going on, it’s sometimes easy to forget one of my main passions, and antithesis for this blog, the ability to save money, while live a better live, in hopes of having a “whole living blog,” to help me have a better run life. So, for 2015 I have decided to take an old-school approach to spending, and so for every other month this year, for the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December I will be participating in a NO SPENDING month cycles!

Why this crazy idea? Well, a month of NO spending is an awesome way to both reset your spending patterns, as well as to either kick-start your budget or revamp and make changes to any existing budget you or your family may have. This is also a great challenge for personal responsibility; you can track what you have been spending your hard earned funds, and keep yourself on track, in terms of responsible spending thereafter.

I will be blogging daily about my NO SPEND struggles, victories, and suggestions from the previous day, and will be posting easy-to-follow daily challenges for my readers during my no-spend months. As well, each Sunday will share what I’ve learned, saved, and gained from this challenge as part of my Weekly Goals & Reflections Posts. I hope that many of you will join me in this challenge, as we can all you use more ways to save around the home.

The rules are pretty simple:

No spending on anything beyond absolute necessities.
Eat from your pantry & freezer as often as you are able.
And make changes to the way you purchase and consume goods, services, and commodities in your home.
The idea of the challenge is to keep up with your daily activities,, but the main goal is simply to stop spending.
This challenge can be a life changing experience, as you may just be amazed at how your mindset and perspective will change after just a month of seeing how you can enrich your life, without spending more!

So today’s challenge centers on my home kitchen, and specifically my pantry and food inventory. I should warn you from the get-go: my challenge is going to be geared around a lot of cleaning, organizing, self-and home inventorying this month! This is done in an attempt to re-wire our spending habits to include less conspicuous consumption, and finding more contentment is the ability to live off of what we currently have, and moreover, can afford! This is a spend less, dig deeper kind of month!

So today, we are going to start by taking stock of exactly what we have on hand. And if you are a couponer/stockpiler like me, you probably have more than a few forgotten packages hidden in the recesses of your pantry, and it’s time they come out to play!

Here’s a few tips for cleaning up your home pantry:

Clear your kitchen counters, kitchen islands, and table before you begin to allow you so you have adequate work space.
Empty your pantry.
Put like items together; all like items should be grouped separately into piles.
All open containers need to be grouped separately.
Any items that you will not be eating in the next six months, discard.
Any items that will expire in the next three months, that you will not eat, group separately and donate.
Wipe down and sanitize cleared shelves.
Take a sheet of paper and create an inventory of what you currently have in your home pantry.
Keep in mind, when placing items back into your pantry, arrange items closest to expiration, nearest to the front of your shelf, and those items farthest from expiration towards the back of each shelf.

A few additional tips to keep in mind:

All shelved goods should be checked and rotated seasonally, and this is a task that should be placed on your calendars accordingly.
Place all unopened containers in your pantry in like areas; cans with cans, boxes with boxes, jars with jars.
Open snacks, cookies, and candy should be taken out of the pantry and placed in other areas of the kitchen so that they can be easily consumed.
Be sure to wipe down the front of your pantry; this includes cabinets, panels, knobs, etc.
Take a well needed break, for a job well done!

Stay tuned for my end of day report updates, which will be reported to Instagram!

Here’s to saving.

How to save with Freecycle.org!

Hello again, savvy savers! Today, I wanted to share with about one of my favorite sites on the internet, Freecycle.org!

I love Freecycle. When I say I love Freecycle, I mean it, truly! Freecycle.org is a website, run through Yahoo, that connects people looking to get rid of household items, with people who need certain items; this method helps keep belongings out of landfills, and puts it in the hands of those who truly need, or want, the items! One great bit of advice I give friends is that if they are looking for furniture, craft materials, building materials, toys, clothing, uniforms, or some other needs, try Freecycle first! I thought I’d share some tips on Freecycle etiquette that I’ve picked up in my time using five freecycle groups in three cities here in my area.

Here’s how to start using Freecyle in your own home:

Start a Freeycle.org account; sign-up for an account, find the group closest to your town, and once your account is approved by a group moderator, make sure that the organizations emails are secured as safe-senders in your email accounts.
Post an offer. With any free site, its always best to start terms off with your best foot forward, and this case its by posting an offer to give away a free item you can part with; with Spring cleaning on the near horizon this should not be a hard endeavor! Be sure to start your ad with the following ISO (in Search Of), INO (In Need Of), or VES (Very Eagerly Seeking), followed by a colon, and then the desired item in question.
Be considerate and realistic. Be sure to ask for things you truly need; asking for outrageous, egregious, or expensive items will cause your account to be suspected, or possibly deleted by group administrators.
Ask for an item. Once you have given an item away, or made arrangement to do so; once you receive your item, always be sure to post a group note stating it has been taken, and while on the site post your first request!
If someone offers you an item, be prompt in making arrangements to pick the item up, and after doing so always remember to shoot the sender a thank you email, as well as to return to the site and list the item as haven been received!
Keep up with Freecycle.org emails. Be sure to check back often, and if you are able to do so, offer items to wanted ads, and never be too proud to ask for items from others!
You will never receive a blessing with a closed hand, or mind! Be sure to think of your fellow group members before throwing out household items, as you would be surprised in what others may be in need of.

With all of this stated, I wanted to give you all an example of one set of items I received recently. There is a lady in my local group. She and I have exchanged items several times, and as she knows that I coupon and upcycle furniture, she often writes me to take things off her hands. This past weekend she wrote and offered me a pair of perfectly fine, white rocking chairs! Why was she getting rid of them? She felt that my husband and I, as a young couple, should have a place to sit and converse with one another! Is that not amazing? In addition to this, over the past year I have received antique mason jars, fabric, buttons, end tables, trunks, and other fun items!

I highly recommend this site, and hope you will use it soon!

Here’s to saving,

My Week in Review: 08/31-9/06/15!

Hello again, savvy savers! I wanted to end my weekly posts by bring the week to a close with a post about the reflections on this past week. This week found my home very messy, but very productive!

This past Monday, August’s No Spend Month ended. I was able to save my family several hundred dollars for the better! I was also able to list several under-utilized household items on several Facebook local groups for sale, organized my pantry shelves, and preform a much needed clean out my bedroom closet, too. This week saw a continued commitment to my current cleaning schedule, the MotivatedMoms app, and will speak more about the review of this new schedule and app in the weeks to come!

This week also saw the finish of my dining room re-do project, and with the exception of purchasing a new dining room table, the room looks speculator! Daniel and I are very excited about the room and its usage later this year for the holidays.

This week comes to an end with a little much needed yard work, reading, and of course.. blogging!

My highs for the week:

Trying to expand my family!
Organizing my kitchen; somehow purging this one room seems the most drastic for me.
Continuing a daily devotional.

My lows for the week:

With the outdoors being so humid its hard to breath outdoors; I have seasonal allergies and asthma.

My quote for the week:

“Though she may be small, she is fierce.” -A Midsummer Nights Dream, Act 3, Scene 2; William Shakespeare

My inspiration for the week:

My husband, Daniel; educator, teacher, friend, provider, and goof ball. He’s awesome!

What I’m most grateful for:

This past month, my beloved husband, friend, and confident, Daniel, safely returned to school.
I lost an additional two pounds, as part of my healthier lifestyle, and am hopeful to lose more!
I am having continued success with my ETSY shop, and am loving all of the positive comments, conversations, likes, and favorites!
I have finished up my holiday shopping for this holiday season, and came in under budget!
Finally, I am grateful for my three overgrown puppies, Sassy, Roxie, and Lady.

As well, my goals goals for the coming week:

Walk 3 1/2 mile daily.
Finish my Motivated Moms Planner Chores daily.
Read for 1 hour daily.
Prepare three recipes and a freezer cooking session for the blog one day this week.
Finish an upcycled projects to post to the blog.
Cement a “meeting time” for the new motivation group.
Finish ten product reviews.
Sleep eight hours a night.

Also, my continued goals for this current year:

Marriage

Spend 1 hour a week having coffee with Daniel, and discussing out goals, dreams, and weeks with one another.
Write at least 1 love note to Daniel each week in his lunch.

Motherhood

Continue with my PCOS diet to help with expanding my family.
Continue tweaking the rooms of my home in preparation for a family.
Finish stockpiling the items needed for nursery by Fall.

Myself

Read a devotional daily.
Finish my Motivated Moms planner sheets daily.
Read 1 fiction book per month, for myself.
Work on my crafting for 1 hour per week.
Begin working on the manuscript of my book.
Paint 1 hour per week.

TheLadyPrefers2Save.com

Write 1-2 personal posts per week.
Be more proactive with linky parties and networking.
Start new coupon classes locally (slated to start this spring).
Revamp my social media accounts.
Replace 10% of national deals with more local/regional deals weekly.
List 10% more DIY posts, crafts, and upcycling posts to the blog.
Start my new weekly YouTube video series, on savings and DIY tips.

ETSY & Shadow Cat Crafts:

Attend & Set-up Booths at 1-2 Craft fairs locally.
Launch Shadow Cat Crafts Website & Facebook Group.
List 1-2 new crafts on ETSY per month.
Increase regional advertising for ETSY for 10%.

Money

Eat out of pantry, freezer, and utilize Meatless Monday-fair for 75% of weekly menus.
Start funding for our first family joint venture, Rental House #1 Savings Account.
Donate 25% of couponed stockpile to local homeless pantry and women’s shelter in 2015.
Snowball and pay-off last 15% of debt in 2015.
Earn rewards cards, gift cards, and/or use cash for holiday purchases in 2015 only.
Start hideous spending months (post to come) in February, April, June, August, October, and December.

What are YOUR goals for this week, as well as thus far in 2015? I’d love to hear them below in a comment!

Happy Sunday!

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