what your YOUR goals for 2008?

[Momma Aimee]

Here is the list i am working on -- I am going to POST it by the computer and in the kitchen.

I am working on a monthly caladar with an extra colum so i can meal plan -- and also state my weekly goal -- so that THAT will be constantly in my face when i post it in the kitchen too.

I want to make monthly and weekly goals to "walk" me towards the big goals, otherwise we all know they will not be achieved.

here is what i have so far -- still being refined.

big goals (they are not all that big):

Peronal

• start reading a book a month just for me -- can be about kids or family but has to be for me.

cooking / family diet

• monthly mean planning each month, leanr to make grocey lists off that better. useing a lot of our freezer food (shot by Scott or bought in bulk at Sams)
• maybe a lot of crock pot meals, easy to cook things with two little kids.
• one new thing totally from scratch each month -- nothing fancy just learning to cook more from scratch.
• Carb based meals (the easy ones to make like pasta with meat sauce, pizza, ham and beans) no more than once a week.
• 2 new veggies a month (our "routine" veggie list is beyond patic)
• get out the cook boooks and try something new -- what 2X a month?

Family / kids

• art with Theo once a week
• find some way to make money here at home -- child care, website?
• make headway in establishing order -- my binders, get files caught up, get into the boxes in the beastement
• establish better bedtime routine with Theo, and Charles, and STICK TO IT (I had a great one going before i got so tired pregant ....)
• research home school pre-school -- read at least two books on pre-school learning and home schooling in general. Creat a plan to have some structured learning in Teho's day ( 30 minuets a day to start with) by Jan on 09.

It isn't done, i just typed that up this morning... still trying to think it all out.

so what are YOUR'S and HOW are you planning to achieve them???

[LilMama23]

Start cooking from scratch.
Feed my family more healthy foods.
Organize my house. And keep it that way.
Declutter - 2008 things in 2008.

[MonkeyPrincess]

Not so much "resolutions" but just putting into words what I've been working towards lately anyway:

(things could change as time goes on)

declutter 2008 in 2008, main focuses:
- purge and sort all clothes, pare down to 4 outfits, 2 pajamas, and appropriate seasonal gear, shoes and personal items for each person
- clear out basement
- when all clutter is gone, reorganize storage spaces

cooking:
- do once a month cooking and baking especially for quick things to grab

implement usable storage solutions - hooks and shelving for laundry problem areas

stay on track with budget and bill paying

purchases:
- mindful of where the items are made - support wahm co's/american made, stay away from big chain stores (except WF)
- pack snacks and drinks for outings
- borrow or check craigslist and freecycle for needed items before buying

kids/house/etc:
- 15 minutes one on one time daily
- weekly outings alone with each (for errands or appts, but make them fun to be together)
- library once a week - no more late fees!
- establish and maintain weekly family night (games, movie, picnic dinner, rent new video game to play together, whatever)
- would like to have something to look forward to with just dh (date night "in" would be awesome!) on a regular basis

[utopia760]

i also would love to PURGE BIGTIME

here is my list for 2008

cleaning
declutter - cut everything down to by 50% (excluding yarn-lol)
organize closets and keep them that way
go through file cabnet and toss the junk

simple cleaning:
do dishes daily
wash floors once a week
make my bed daily

homeschool
start preschool homeschool on jan 8th
research more about longtearm homeschooling

purchases/finances
buy better quality things so i dont have to re buy things or buy a few of the same
buy homemade make homemade
start a wah store online
stop buying things with only 1 uses or limited use

for the enviroment
figure out how to compost in my small no yard apopartment (for low cost)
stop buying disposable razors
when i print patterns do lose them and reprint (start a pattern binder)

this is just the beginning-



update- I JUST DID MY FILING CABNET!!!!!

[katheek77]

I purged a TON last year. I've really whittled down. My one vice is books. I had a whole thread on it. I can't bear the thought of them ending up in a dump...but, it's TOO many. So.....

1) Declutter books
Baby steps...I listed twelve on paperbackswap just today. I will put five more on each month. If they don't move after three months, I will remove them from my listing and donate them to our library (our library does book collection each month). I will not bring another book into this house without getting rid of at least two.

2) Cooking - I'm *pretty* good at making from scratch, but I want to expand my repertoire. I'm going to try to bake our own bread products...I've made bagels, sandwich bread, sourdough, rolls, etc., in the past. So, once a week, at least, I will make a loaf/batch of bread/bread products. I'm also attempting my own crockpot yogurt...it's brewing now, so, we'll see. And hummus. DD and I love it, but it gets pricy buying it...I made some today and it's pretty decent.

3) Delete the stockpile. We're moving this spring/summer, so, I need to delete the stock pile of frozen and bagged/boxed goods, especially. I don't mind buying stuff we use anyway to use them up, but, I need to be more conscious of using what we have up...At least one meal a week PURPOSEFULLY utilizing an "odd" random ingredient/stockpiled ingredient.

As to the rest, mostly maintain. I'm getting good at keeping the clutter down, purging as needed, etc. I find the odd project here and there, but, mostly, I'm content.

ETA: Holy CRAP!!!! Someone wants one of my books already...about Stalin...that i had to read for college. That is boring as hell. Wow. I need to get some mailing tape....this is suuuu-weeeet.

[MonkeyPrincess]

Originally Posted by utopia760

for the enviroment
figure out how to compost in my small no yard apopartment (for low cost)

Oh yeah! I wanted to make a worm compost bin, too.

[sarah_bella1050]

For myself:

Lose the baby weight, so I can feel good again!
Go to Yoga twice a week
Walk or go to gym 1-2 times a week
Go sugar free

For my home:

Put away childrens clothes into rubbermaid contianers or spacebags
Organize crafting stuff
Finish my darkroom and start using it!
Keep up with the dishes (as actually have been for a couple of weeks )

For my family:
Start actively homeschooling dd1
Save up money for dh's nursing school
Trim grocery budget
Spend more time alone with dh and appreciate him more
Read parenting books and figure out how to deal with dd1

This past year has been mostly about just surriving and I need to get back to the women I used to be, I was much happier then. The weight that I gained with dd2 pg has been the biggest hurdle, my self esteem is wrecked and it's causing problems with dh and I, so that has to be the first to go!

[mamadelbosque]

I want to learn to bake my own bread - thats the biggie

Purge our clothes, some more

Get/use metal/glass for food storage,

Learn what 'other' plastic stuff can be recycled here (vs the standard stuff.. in Spain we recycled EVERYTHING)

Learn to make more of my own sauces (pizza, pesto, etc)

Cook more vegetarian

Learn what companies that produce in China actually do so ethically (the ones you hear about on Tv/magazines that are supposedly like college campus's..), and support them

Lose the last 10-15lbs of my baby weight

Thats what I have so far...

[Momma Aimee]

how is everyone planning to keep themselves on track

???

[katheek77]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee

how is everyone planning to keep themselves on track

???

Er...I just do it. I tend to do things "early" though....I already tossed eight more books onto paperback swap and found out when the library takes donations....I'll tend to aim to get the baking done on Monday...gives me four days to "make up" if I don't get it done the first day. Same with the stockpile.

Guilt doesn't work...just makes me feel guilty, not motivated...that's why I set realistic goals.

[MonkeyPrincess]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee

how is everyone planning to keep themselves on track

???

By posting here?
I'm a visual person. Seeing what I've accomplished is motivating, as well as seeing what others have done.

[Momma Aimee]

y posting here?
I'm a visual person. Seeing what I've accomplished is motivating, as well as seeing what others have done.

me too

charts, check lists, lists for this and that .... i know they seems to creat more work, but they make me feel ordered and as i mark things off i love that feeling

[dianna11]

They're mostly centered around home reno's right now (see my disgruntled post about laminate flooring!)

-by some miracle finish the laminate flooring
-build a new wall with shelving
-drywall the stair well
-install new doors to the front of the house to let more light in
-paint glow in the dark stars on DD's ceiling

Somehow finish all of that before the baby arrives in ..oh, 8 weeks

[EdnaMarie]

This is great. I am going to do a draft here and then type it properly in an Excel sheet with goals, objectives, and activities.

Home
Finish re-installing our double-paned windows (they are ongoing now)
Move to another country
Buy land
Start building eco-friendly, energy-efficient, low-cost home
Immediately obtain chickens, goat for milking
Start kitchen garden even if it is only one thing (which should be tomatoes)
Can less jam, more veggies
Brand-free cleaning supplies, 100%

Money
Start up my own onling money-making scheme, possibly by day-trading
When we get to America, buy all clothes but two outfits at consignment, and buy the two outfits totally ethical, i.e. local, organic, etc.
Start monthly budget

Layloh
Art once per week (I stole that one from someone else on here)
Get back into reading every night and 2x per day total
Get outside every day

Personal Growth
Do not go insane
Do not kill any family members
Do not send e-mails or text messages to DH when I am in a bad mood
Start up yoga again, seriously
Post here less. Maybe limit myself to one post per day.

[Momma Aimee]

any one else

I should add this one

Do not send e-mails or text messages to DH when I am in a bad mood

but i have a question ...

Do not go insane
Do not kill any family members

I would have to put them on the list EVERY YEAR ...

[CariOfOz]

Personal
- spend less time on the computer
- get back into my cross stitching/sewing
- learn to knit!
- get out of the house, by myself, at least once a week (NOT including grocery shopping dammit!)
- be more mindful of what I am eating and why.. I would like to lose 10kg by my birthday in May (more to go, but that's a start)

cooking / family diet
- buy less store bought convenience snacks
- bake them instead
- get my planned veggie garden in and make it a success!

Family / kids
- work on being a more patient mum
- say NO less often and say why not!? more often
- work out a routine with homeschooling my 6yo

Home
- work on garden! (also in diet/cooking
- create a compost heap so the mass amts of veg/fruit scraps, coffee grounds & egg shells don't go in the rubbish bin!
- seriously thin out the kids clothing & donate what they don't wear

I think that's a pretty good start for the year I will keep track by popping in here & there to update my list as I do things, or add to it

[CandyApple]

Random list tonight - I'll clean it up tomorrow!

1. More veggies for all of us
2. Earlier bedtime routine - means earlier dinner and more snuggle time!
3. More water, less diet pepsi (me only)
4. Playtime before housework, including dh (see #6)
5. Pay off debt by Feb, save before spending post Feb
6. Get pregnant in the "right" months for school
7. Save enough for long mat. leave
8. Be more open and less critical of others and myself
9. Connection before correction (stole this from someone here)
10. Survive and enjoy sister's, BIL's and my good friend's weddings this summer - we're in all 3! :

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

1.) Get a cleaning routine and stick with it
2.) Budget money
3.) Work on becoming debt free
4.) Get back in touch with my spiritual side/find a church
5.) Exercise more
6.) Recycle more

[DTmama1]

Here are our goals for 2008

Business (my home daycare)
Get second Daycare house set up (currently we have a contingent offer on a house , waiting for zoning approval)
14 fulltime Daycare kids enrolled (about 11 currently including my own)
Have circle time, art, and outside time a daily part of daycare routine
Have two quality employees (one awesome one, one more to go!)
Plan menus and stick to them!


Financial
$20,000 in Emergency Fund (15K currently)
Pay down 20% of both houses to get rid of PMI(about 15K more)
Open Roth IRAs and put in equivalent of one full contribution
Make will or living trust was on our list last year and never got done

Family
Kids brush teeth twice daily simple but I always forget
Go camping at least once
Use more gentle discipline

Me
Finish CDA plus 2 classes
Stop biting nails

DH
Read more material related to school subjects of study
Purchase quality computer

Home
Completely finish upstairs remodeling
Finish fence and play structure
Start composting
Start small garden

[rachelagain]

Stick to my cleaning routine (Flylady)
Spend less on groceries and misc. stuff.
declutter 2008 in 2008 (dh is making a chart for this-- 2008 squares for me to fill in. lol)