A New Year, A New Me

I am looking forward to 2011. Like a new journal, the new year promises a fresh start. Each day I have a blank page in which to write of my adventures in living. I anticipate this year to be one of growth, change, and learning.

My goals for 2011 are:

1. Lose 30-35 pounds and re-sculpt my body.

2. Radically declutter & reorganize. Tackle home improvement projects as time & money allows.

3. Pay off as much debt as possible, save $1,000 and build up my Christmas Club account.

4. Enjoy each & every day of my life, for we only get one shot at this thing called living.

Wishing you a wonderful new year filled with possibilities!

Changing

The days are passing by so fast! I am only working one job now (the other was seasonal work & only one day a week) but between home and work I stay busy. I have to admit I am enjoying it just a bit and the extra money does help. 

On my off days I have been tearing through the house like a hurricane - decluttering, cleaning and reorganizing - with hopes of having a yard sale this Spring. I am all about simplifying my life and home as much as possible at the moment. And it is so freeing to get rid of tons of things I don't need anymore. 

I believe my personal style is evolving, too. I was definitely a frilly pink frou-frou girl. Now, I am drawn more to a quiet elegance and earthy colors. There will be changes coming to my home in the way of paint, fabrics, and art work....frugally done, of course.

I haven't had a whole lot of time to journal or read lately, but I started reading "Love Letters from LadyBug Farm" last night and I am loving it! I will be so sad to end this book because I have grown to love the characters and hearing about their restoration project of the mansion, farm, and vineyard. The author, Donna Ball, has a blog if you care to check it out: 

LadyBug Farm Charms  

Life is pretty darn good at the moment and I expect 2011 will be even better. May it be so for you as well!

Christmas is but a memory....

...kept forever in photos.

December 18th - We had dinner with Alfred's three sisters and their families, watched a Christmas Story, laughed way too much, and exchanged gifts.

Christmas Eve night - We went to Mama's and enjoyed visiting with her and all of my siblings.

Christmas Day we spent in the comfort of our own home.

Zeus is 32 weeks today!

From my memory-capturing heart to yours,

Gratitude

This week I am thankful for:

 ~ A $20 Christmas bonus which is better than nothing and will go into my Christmas Club account fund.

~ Good food, laughter, and family memories.

~ Sharing in my children's Joy and watching them Shine.

~ Our warm cozy home that shelters our physical bodies from the elements.

~ Celebrating!

What are you thankful for?

From my grateful heart to yours,

Christmas Day

The gifts have all been opened and though it wasn't a big Christmas, the children all loved their gifts. I even received gifts this year: a pair of jeans, a pink sweatshirt, pink plaid fleece pajama pants and a CD player/radio that can be mounted on the wall! I wanted a radio for the kitchen while I am cooking and such.
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Soon Alfred and I will begin cooking Christmas dinner together, as is our tradition. (We cook together on Thanksgiving and Christmas only as a general rule.) We are having a glazed ham, mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, green beans, cranberry sauce and buttered rolls. A simple dinner, but delicious. :)
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Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
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From my heart to yours,

Christmas Eve

Wishing all of my friends and readers a very Merry Christmas!

xx,

Thinking Ahead

I apologize for my lack of posting, but life has been....well, busy, between working and trying to keep the house running relatively smoothly. Thankfully I am now off until Monday, so I can spend several days at home enjoying the last bit of the Christmas season with my children.

Monday, I opened a Christmas Club account so I can put back money for Christmas 2011. I want to sit down before the end of the year sometime and work on my budget for 2011 and set some money goals. I am hoping to pay off several debts in the coming year and have an emergency fund set aside.

In January, I will have a couple weeks off from work because Alfred has some Army training to be done out of state and we are a one-car family. I plan to use that time to give my home a thorough scrubbing and also do a radical declutter. I was thinking about having a yard sale this Spring and pricing everything at around a quarter - clothes, books, knick-knacks, etc. What isn't sold will go to charity and the money we do earn can be split between savings and debt repayment.

I do not want to work forever. However, I want to eliminate as many of our debts as quickly as possible which will make more options available to Alfred career-wise and will ease the stress level on both our parts and give us breathing room.

With the economy still uncertain, I want to be as prepared as I possibly can be. 

Gratitude

This week I am thankful for:

~ Christmas shopping is done.

~ Family get-togethers.

~ Laughter.

~ Sleep.

~ Our warm, cozy home.

What were you thankful for?

{{RIP}} CryBaby

Our dearly beloved CryBaby, who we adopted into our family when we moved here back in February was discovered under the house today. He had passed away....all alone, as animals tend to do. We thought he had run away, but no, he was home all this time.

CryBaby, we loved you as one of our own. You were a big, sweet, loving tom cat who stole our hearts and made us smile. We love you. We will never forget you....

Christmas Decorating

Since I started working, I haven't had near the time I'd like to spend on my homemaking or baking goodies. The Santa cupcakes were easy to make and delicious.

We usually decorate the weekend following Thansgiving, but this year we waited a bit longer due to a lack of time. On the upside it enabled me to be more mindful and to enjoy the process more.

O' Christmas Tree.....

I made this wreath for our front door. I already had the ivy garland which I gathered into a wreath-like shape. I bought the ribbon from the dollar store for $1 and fashioned a big bow from it.

Wa-laa!

Atop the tv.....

The end table between the couch and chair.....I still *love* that towel!

Santa door hanger..... Zeus likes to ring the bells to let us know he needs to go out.

A dollar store find last year...

Christmas Cardinal pillow...

Thanks for visiting!

Gratitude

This week I am thankful for:

~ My first paycheck....finally!

~ The glow of candlelight.

~ Reading in bed.

~ Good surprises.

~ Being mindful.

What are you thankful for this week?

Home Today

I am off work today and have been puttering and cleaning house. I made a pitcher of sweet tea for Alfred so he could have some with his lunch (leftover lasagna). I am thinking about making some chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight as it has been mighty cold here for us southerners.

All is quiet here right now except the hum of the washing machine and my fingers tapping on the keyboard. I have no where to go today. It is sheer bliss!

Later, I plan to read The Doll's Christmas and A Corgiville Christmas, both by Tasha Tudor, with the girls. I hope to get to a little reading of my own. I have a stack of books on my nightstand waiting for my attention.

Wishing you a day filled with cozy homemaking!

Winter-like

Old Man Winter has arrived a wee bit early this year. The temperature was 29 degrees this morning when we awoke and there's been a biting wind all day. I need to run by the store when I pick Alfred up from work to buy powdered milk so I can make hot chocolate mix. We need it on days and nights like these!

I worked today. It was super busy for it being a Monday. I've been told I'm a fast learner, but I don't have it all down yet. I'm not as tired today as I was last week. I suppose I am beginning to get acclimated to working. I still feel like I am juggling too many things, but I will find a away to make this work.

As president of the FRG (Family Readiness Group) for Alfred's Army NG unit, the FRG hosted the annual Christmas dinner for the soldier and families. The picture above is our family photo taken at the event. All I can say about that is I am glad it's over! :)

I have a number of things to do around here so I will close for now. Hope you are staying warm and cozy!

Gratitude

This week I am thankful for:

~ Twinkling Christmas lights.

~ Good magazines and books to read.

~ Christmas music playing 24/7 on a local radio station.

~ Bayberry Spice spray by Glade because it smells like Christmas!

~ The Christmas Spirit.

What are you thankful for this week?

This and That

We finally got the Chrisytmas tree decorated last night, though I am sure I had more decorations. I am thinking I left them at Mama's when we moved back in February. I need to call and ask her if she's found them.

It has been cold here at night and in the early morning hours, but usually warms up quite nicely in the afternoons. A light jacket is needed if you're to be in the shade. We did not run the heat last night though it was around 40 degrees. The house is fairly comfortable without it so far. I hope to see it reflected in our utility bill!

I started my new job yesterday and it went fine. There is a lot to learn and I hope to pick it up quickly. Today I work at Charlotte Russe from noon until 5pm. Then I work job #2 Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. At least I am getting hours. I'll be glad when I start getting paychecks! LOL

I better close for now so I can get things done here before I go to work. Hope your day is a blessed one!