That's me and it's 2014! I see a driven person...right now anyways.
It's that time of year. A time to organize, do things we said we'd do all year...you know, the resolutions? Well I like to jam pack them into one month, or try...or plan to try...okay...I just make a lot of To Do lists and notes I paste all over for the month of January...
I actually decided for this year to be a good year and enjoy every minute and be happy with everything along the way. I guess this year that's not necessarily a resolution but rather a path. Today wasn't overly productive I did manage to fight a migraine and flu like stomach feelings to get laundry done, go through my closet and bag up clothes that either don't fit or I don't wear any longer, transplant our ivy that we've had since before we got married (I've been meaning to do this for over 2 years now), and get Kiedis a new attractive crate that doubles as a side table...which we did. I also cleaned Viggo's cage....oooh and hubby put a new toilet seat in the kids bathroom and the girls went through their closets and dressers too. Time to grab my pen and cross stuff off my To Do list....YAY!
Living in a house full of pets comes with struggles all around...constant hair/fur to clean, feathers & seed, cage cleaning, poop scooping, litter changing...brushing, bathing....you name it. Speaking of hair....I also gave Kiedis a hair cut, which was past due and both Thunder and Kiedis nail trims. We all pull together to help care for our zoo. As 2 of our 3 dogs are crate trained we've had 2 crates in our living space for years. One is huge and the other not so much. So I wanted to find a way to incorporate at least the smaller crate into the home in a decorative type fashion and free up a floor space. After all Kiedis being a small dog and only 7yrs old still has many years to be with us. This new crate will double as a side table in the dark wood we have and can hold a lamp or whatever and won't stand out like a sore thumb.
Kiedis loves his new crate, so much so that he's passed up on laying on the couch to be in it. I assume it's because the crate is actually in the living room by the couches so there's no need now to be on the couch. I love this and as we are in 2014 and starting anew...we are being sticklers for keeping the dogs off the couch. Thunder cannot get up on the couch any longer in his old age, Kiedis is now in his crate instead, so it's just Bella that we have to nag now to stay down...and she's being persistent.
While I sit and think ahead at what I'd like for 2014 to hold for us and begin my mental budget to accomplish such I have written off this month to get things accomplished (pot, crate, toilet seat). I am hoping to get blinds and carpets done as well although I may wait until spring so I can open windows. In any case it's also a time to book the kids into camps, look at spring sports ect. So let's throw our money away in excess this month haha. January is a month to organize life and the year ahead. Nothing is set in stone but planned foot steps are made for each month enabling us to easier plan when our agendas are always over loaded.
And actually I won't be throwing money away...to any extremes. I will be organizing the upcoming months however into meal plans, budget plans, home maintenance plans, and organizing what needs to be done or should be done when. So in reality this will save us money, especially since I have printed coupons to go with planning for things like furnace and carpet cleaning.
Being organized for me feels really good...this comes from my past of being seriously OCD. I've had to adapt and allow things to slide in recent years. When my girls were babies my home was always immaculate. Now...with running a day home and finger prints on the walls, windows, mirrors ect I have relaxed. The house remains tidy but I'm not scrubbing, wiping and driving myself completely mental with exhaustion trying to keep up and on top of everything. Finger prints will not kill me, ruin my life or cause others to judge me in a bad way.
In staying on my organized path I printed calenders for the next 3 months today because it was on my mind and took two seconds so I could meal plan in advance. I haven't really started planning but rather preparing for the process of sitting down and mapping meals out. So basically the tools are waiting and ready. That got me to thinking..."What's for dinner tonight?" New year...trying to be healthy I dove into the fridge and freezer...we're limited, time to do another grocery run. Veggie burgers, veggies, pork loin, chicken....I decided on doing something with the pork loin. I had no recipe, no idea what to do except that I really wanted to have beets and wanted a one dish meal. So out came the crock pot and in went the frozen pork loins along with 2 large beets peeled and cubed, then 5 sliced carrots. What came next was an inventive grouping that turned out wonderful! BBQ sauce, maple syrup, Kraft Mango Chipotle salad dressing and Jamaican Me Crazy spice (the one with the pink lid). Oh my goodness! 8 hrs later we were eating a tender mouth watering meal. I was super impressed with this toss together miracle of a mistake. The beets were my favorite part, so buttery and sweet. So I have to post a bragging picture. Sadly in the process of this heavenly meal my crock pots lid broke....crock pot casualty! My hubby is happy though as he said it now means that he gets the crock pot with the locking lid he had been eyeing. (We love to crock pot cook if you couldn't tell!)
Life is completely about living, learning, adjusting...it's about going down an ever changing path and learning what works and doesn't, how to cope and so much more and each step frames who we are and become. My path has changed many times over...I myself have changed, those in my life have changed through the years and will all change again...and I look forward to it all...living I mean and learning and growing.
I planned a lot in this blog in 2013 and to be truthful I didn't complete or finish my intended goals. As I sit here I can recall the 52 week Money saving challenge. I really want to do that, but didn't complete it last year. I think in looking back that by putting funds away each week is what set me up to fail. I need to do it at pay day at the start of the month in full for the month. Additionally, I had 30 day challenges that I did not complete. I may or may not do things like this in 2014...and if I do, I intend to do one in a month, not 2-4 things. I'm happy though that I did complete the yoga :) Tell me I can't...and I will show you...(for the most part anyways)
I am really thankful for all that I am, have become and have in my life and I look forward to 2014 with great enthusiasm as should we all.
Today my name is.... Thankful
No comments:
Post a Comment