Blogging and Personal Goals 2012

I really struggled with post.  I really wanted to make these goals attainable.  Not so low that by January 3rd I am done.  But not so high that in a year I am writing a review and saying....see what a failure I am, AGAIN?

Plus, I don't want to just roll over the failed goals from one year to the next.  I mean, would I like to lose 20 lbs?  YEP.  But how many times can you say that before it just becomes that goal that you feel like you have to stick on the list because....well....you never achieved it (I did lose 32 lbs....and have gained 28 of it back....go me!).

No timelines for these.....they will be on-going.

Blogging

1)  Fix "the look".  I really don't know what this means.  But I know I am not there.  I started...but I need to see where it takes me.

2)  Enter and win 1 giveaway.  Technically, I won a giveaway once.  It was for a blog makeover (how is that for irony???).  But the woman who was doing the makeover flaked out.  So I didn't get very far.  But I would love to win a giveaway!!

3)  Increase followers to 175. I know my blog will never be a powerhouse, but who knows!

Personal

1)  Make-over "home office".  As I stated, my home office is technically in the room we call the playroom, which is technically the house's dining room.  It needs to be more organized and functional.  And pretty!

2)  Try 10 new recipes.  I get bored cooking the same things.  This will allow one new thing per month (and a little give for the crazy months!)

3) Continue to discover who I am.  Celebrating Yule was marvelous this year.  I plan on adding to the celebrations this year for Summer Solstice, and more.

4)  Create balance in our marriage.  This one will not really be one that I will discuss much here.  So you will just have to go with me on this one.


Again....nothing terribly original or exciting.  Well, maybe fixing the home office....my old file cabinet will look fabulous once I am done.  That is exciting.  It isn't that I don't want to have these goals....more that I am so much more driven by my Financial goals.   

Here we go!!!

A review of Blogging and Personal Goals 2011

Ok, so 2010 goals were super far off base.  And 2011...slightly better, but still need some work. 

Blogging

1)  Increase readership to 73 followers.   DONE!!! I crushed this one!!!  I was at 58 at the beginning of 2011, and I am at 132 now.  That is an increase of 74, or 127%!!!  You guys ROCK!

2)  Make $100.  DONE!!! I did make a few bucks, but not a ton.  Again, this blog was never designed to be a money making machine.

3)  Continue to re-work my "look."  Eh.  It got some changes, but not what I really wanted.  I need to figure out what it is I need to do.

Personal

1)  Clean out my closet and get rid of the old stuff!  I did start this...but it didn't get far.

2)  Have family portrait taken.  Um....no.

3)  Lose 20 lbs. Does gaining 20 lbs count for anything???

4)  Clean out attic.   Eh.  It was cleaned out fairly well when we did the yard sale.  But some of it ended up back up there.  And some of it just got messy.  It still needs work, but not a total fail either.

5)  Accept myself, and my husband for who we are.  WOW.  Again, little did I know.  I would say we have really made some progress in the past couple of months.  Things aren't perfect, but compared to where we were.......

I don't know what I expect.  Perfection comes to mind.  But that is so not realistic.  My 2012 need to be something attainable.  Any suggestions???

Adventures in Yard Sales - The Final Episode

We survived.  Can I just tell ya....there were a few moments in there where I wasn't so sure.  But we are alive.  I had a massive melt down the night before.  My anxiety level was really high.  We had marital counseling earlier in the day, it was a rough go.  The boxes and the clutter all around me at home...I was a mess.  My friend stopped by while out on a walk to find me huddled on the couch.

 This was the mess around me at the time (sorry they are dark again...I stink at photography using my phone):  

We left ourselves 3 hours to set up, which was just about right.  We had a few earlybirds, which was fine.  We were amazed at how much STUFF we had in general.  Some it looked like more than we thought....some of it I thought looked sparse.  But it was what it was. We ran the sale from 9am-3pm, but no one showed up after 1:30pm.  It took us about 2 hrs to take everything down, and by 5pm, we were wiped out.

Here is what it all looked like set up: 

 I think we priced things well, as most people just paid what the sticker said.  We had a few hagglers, which I expected.  Then there was the one lady who must have picked up 25 items of clothes, and offered me $5 (we were asking $1 an item).  She wouldn't go above $10...fine, whatever lady...just go away.


So...how did we do?  We didn't sell as many clothes as I thought.  We had tons of pregnant ladies, and I was sure that we would get rid of stuff...but some things were never even touched.  We did sell several larger items to our neighbor.  Kids books went well.  Home decor was not a big hit.

We made $88 from presale, and $193 from the main sale, for a total of $281.  I am trying to not be disappointed.  I sort of had $400 in my head as a goal....but whatever.  We netted $256 after we paid Sassy $20 and Bossy $5.

We are sooooo proud of Sassy.  She was up at 5:30am to help us, and worked her little tail off.  She hauled boxes, ran and got things for us.  She entertained little kids while their mom and dad shopped.  She had her bottled water station, and stayed outside with us for the entire day.  Her water station didn't do very well.   Only sold 2 bottles all day.  :( We felt she deserved more than just $2 for all her efforts, so we added $20 to her profit.

Bossy mostly stayed inside for the day.  But he was so well behaved.  He did come out from time to time, but he largely kept to himself and just let us do what we needed to do.

Unfortunately, we ended up putting things back in the attic for the moment until we can permanently get rid of them.  So no pics of the attic yet!!! I think I am going to bring the clothes and try and consign the nicer ones.  The rest will probably get donated.  Toys...don't know yet.

Would I do it again....probably.  But I think I would rather do 2 smaller sales than 1 large.  Especially with the clothes!!  We decided that the profits will go towards debt (although part of us is thinking of putting it toward the carpet in Bossy's room).

Thanks for all your well wishes!

Blogging and Personal Goals 2011

ETA (12/26/11) OOPS.  I somehow erased the original one that had my thoughts from last year.  Here is the basic outline that I had to recreate.

Blogging

1)  Increase readership to 73 followers.   
2)  Make $100.

3)  Continue to re-work my "look." 

Personal

1)  Clean out my closet and get rid of the old stuff!
2)  Have family portrait taken. 
3)  Lose 20 lbs.
4)  Clean out attic.  
5)  Accept myself, and my husband for who we are. 

A Final Look at Blogging and Personal Goals 2010

As I look back to my idealistic self from a year ago....all I have to say is "What the Heck was I thinking???"

 Personal Goals 2010

1) Lose 25 lbs. Does gaining and losing the same 3 pounds count????

2) Exercise 2x a week, for at least 30 minutes each session. HAHAHAHAHA!  I slay myself.

3) Wash the kitchen floor 1x per week. Floor definitely got washed more than it had, but 1x a week....yeah, no.

4) Categorize all the digital photos, and compile photobooks for each child, documenting ages 3-7. WOW, I really am ambitious!!!  HAHAHA!

5) Finish my recipe book, typing at least 1 recipe per day.  I can't believe that I actually wrote this.....

6) Continue my spiritual journey, and help my children learn with me. Closer to this one, but so far to go.

7) Find a daily skin care routine that I can actually afford, will do daily, and works!  I did try on this one.....just couldn't find one I liked and could afford.  But I will keep trying!

 Blogging Goals 2010

1) I have lots of ideas of how to set up my blog. No idea how to do it.....gotta learn how.  I did make some changes over the year, but it still isn't where I want. 

2) Instead of posting 5 blog entries at once...do it as they happen!  Better....but the problem actually became not blogging for a few days and running out of time.

3) Increase followers to 30 (which is double where I am now).  YIPPEE.....Busted this one!!!  You all ROCK.

4) Continue to be whole heartedly honest with you all.. I think I am honest with you.  I screwed up alot of things, and told ya all the sorted details!


I am a perfectionist...and I really feel like if I can't do it BIG, and PERFECT, then "I don't have time."  I think that is where alot of my goals went wrong.  Stay tuned for the 2011 goals.....MUCH more scaled down!

A Light Bulb Moment

Sometimes things are staring you in the face, and all the pieces are there, but you just can't QUITE see the forest through the trees.  And then the grand epiphany happens, and you hit your head and say "Duh.:

This happened to me last night at Weight Watchers.

First of all, I am happy to report that I am happily back on medication and feeling MUCH MUCH better.  I lost 3.0 lbs this week, for a total of 29.2 lbs since I started in January 2009 (this is important....)  I had hoped to hit 30 lbs before my birthday in May, but obviously that didn't happen.  So now, I am trying to hit it before our vacation in 2.5 weeks.  I think 0.8 lbs is doable in that time!!

Anyway, we were talking about maintenance of weight (which in WW land, is staying within 2 lbs plus or minus of your goal weight).  Now, my goal is still pretty far off (about 40 more lbs).  But once you hit goal, and maintain it for 6 weeks...you are considered "lifetime" and you don't have to pay anymore.

Duh!  I knew this.  But again, really didn't put it all together.  I pay $43 a month for Weight Watchers.  And debated stopping this for the sake of debt repayment.  Decided my health was worth it.  But each time I am not following the plan....I am not only cheating myself of health benefits, I am giving WW my money!

An older woman commented that she has been lifetime for 2 years, and struggles, but she said "I just don't want to pay for this anymore."  DUH!  The longer it takes me to lose this weight, the more money I am paying!

I joined in January 2009....or 18 months ago.  43x18 = $774.  Since I have lost 29.2 lbs, that averages out to $26.50 per pound!!!!  If something was $26.50 per pound, there is no way I would buy it.  DUH!!!

So, here I am.  Totally and completely back on the wagon.  Wouldn't it be cool to not have to pay $43 a month anymore, and be healthy, and have a rockin' bod????  I think so too!

How are you doing on your goals, one week in?

Me....eh. Haven't exercised yet (but in my defense, I have been fighting a cold for 4 days now). Kitchen floor isn't washed (but today is the 7th, so TECHNICALLY my 1x a week goal still has time). The big financial talks with G-man will start tomorrow. We are both home from work, kids at school....so we have time and quiet to think, discuss, whatever.

So far, we have sold $25 of "stuff" toward our $350 goal for the month. Another $25 should happen today...and possibly another $50 or so next week. Slowly but surely.

I think the one thing that I am happy about right now is that we actually have a basic plan (albeit a crude one) and I am hoping that with some hard work, it will fully form. The unknown still scares me...the move in particular. But I can only account for the past....not the future.

With some positive energy, it will happen. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Personal Goals 2010

These are in no particular order, just as they popped into my head.

1) Lose 25 lbs. Heck, if I am paying $43 a month for Weight Watchers, I better make this a goal! I lost roughly this much in 2009....should have been more, but shoulda woulda coulda. My health is worth it.

2) Exercise 2x a week, for at least 30 minutes each session. OK, we all know it should be at least 3x a week....ideally 4 or 5x. But I am setting myself up to fail if I think that I am going to go from zero to 60 in 1.5 seconds. I will settle for my 1 hour per week until I am further along and have made this part of my normal routine....not something I am "adding" in.

3) Wash the kitchen floor 1x per week. I am good at sweeping....not as good as washing. I need to let go of perfection and thinking that washing the floor = hours on my hands and knees scrubbing. Washing means some type of liquid cleaning solutions sloshed over the floor.

4) Categorize all the digital photos, and compile photobooks for each child, documenting ages 3-7. Once we got a digital camera....I got really bad about printing pics and having a record of this stuff. I found a site that is offering one photo book FREE per month....so c'mon, I have no excuse!!!

5) Finish my recipe book, typing at least 1 recipe per day. I have tons of recipes that I have been re-keying and printing on large index cards. Mostly stuff I have pulled from magazines.

6) Continue my spiritual journey, and help my children learn with me. This one has soooo many pieces to it....that would be a whole other blog.

7) Find a daily skin care routine that I can actually afford, will do daily, and works!


If you would like to read my Financial Goals or Blogging goals....scroll around, or click the links!!