January has sailed past and we're about to enter February in a few hours. I enjoyed January this year. It was relaxed and easy and we laid a lot of worries to rest as the month played out. But a new month means that this years is 1/12th gone and it's time to set my goals so that I can achieve the things that I hope to achieve this year. One little bite at a time is the only way to go.
So let's get started with planning.
I am longing to read and yet I put off reading every single day because it takes time. It.takes.time. isn't that ridiculous? I've grown so accustomed to the sort of instant gratification of a YouTube video (most are under 15 minutes) of late that to allot myself an hour to read seems spendthrifty of my own time. Well I'm going to factor in at least one solid hour of reading daily and hopefully more because I have set aside five books. I know that one I won't finish this month. It's a hefty thing, a biography of Harriett Beecher Stowe. The other books are The Other Alcott, about Louisa M. Alcott's sister, May. Henry James' Washington Square, Sarah McCoy's Marilla of Green Gables and Elizabeth Cadell's The Marrying Kind.
I need a Creative Outlet and while I feel completely frivolous at the moment saying my goals this month include reading and creative outlets, I'm just going to go right ahead and plan these things into my month because waiting until I think I have time to spare is obviously not working at all. So I'm going to allot at least one hour each day to a variety of tasks. I'm going to return to my previous attempt to learn to crochet, work on that yo yo coverlet I started years ago, embroidery, coloring or doing some other form of artwork, genealogy etc. Being the driven sort, I'll no doubt hit on doing these things simply because I've put them on my goal list and that's a good thing for me.
Now let's move on to other things. I want to try a new recipe for English muffins and to make up a batch of rolls for the freezer. I'd also like to make a batch of bagels and make some yogurt this month. I want to incorporate at least bagels and yogurt on a monthly basis. English muffins we eat less often but I do like them and would like to find a good recipe that I can use to make my own.
As of February I have a hard budget of $300/month for food. My goal is to stick to it! That might sound like a 'Duh' goal but it seems we habitually go over my goal amount. Here's the deal. We have plenty of food in the house at present and we should really be able to manage on that or possibly less monthly.
Plant peas. I can start peas in a plot or pot right now in my area. I had small success years ago with a measly four vines and I'm pretty sure I could do better with only a minor effort. A packet of seeds cost less than a bag of frozen peas from the grocery and should have a decent yield.
Get my latest capsule wardrobe set up and write a post about my experiences with this so far. I do have a few more insights I'd love to share.
Speaking of posts...I have a slew of posts in draft form at present that I've started and haven't finished. I would like to put out one new post each week in February, aside from my usual weekly posts.
I have a small amount of sewing to do and will check my clothes for any needed repairs or hemming that needs to be done. I want to make a pillow cover for sure this month, hopefully in this first week.
Continue with my math work. I have started the third chapter of Pre-Algebra 1. I have no idea how many chapters are in the first book nor how long to expect
I confess that I am really holding myself low on goals this month simply because I have yet to stop and really consider what all of my goals are this year. This month will also be my list making and planning month for goals for the rest of the year. I don't mind taking a restful couple of month in February for that purpose.
9 comments:
Your grocery budget is doable for sure. Would having it in cash help? One way I stay on budget is to sometimes stay in the car and let Hubby get what we need. Sam's club is one place I often stay out of because it is a real budget killer for me.
I have to start by healing from the root canals. I am still sore and exhausted. We will be away for a week at the lake which is our Valentine's tradition. Take a meal to a friend healing from breast cancer surgery. Spend time learning from our missions pastor on reaching our neighbors. February yard chores including cutting back miles of liriope borders. Be ready to leave for Florida on March 1 for a week.
I was looking at the picture of the housewife in the post just before this one and it reminded me of something I've always been stumped by. Magazine artists always portrayed housewives as dressed to the nines in their drawings.
Now, honestly, we can't really tell about the dresses, they could be rugged cotton that washes quite well and takes abuse, what they used to call a house dress. But, honestly, the high heels just slay me. Was there ever a set of women that stood for hours in the kitchen or scrubbed floors and hung clothes wearing high heels?
My mom wore her worst clothes in the house and I do, too. :D
Mom was always dressed nice when I grew up but when she got to my age she kept wearing stained and old clothes even going out even with clothes with the tags on them still in her closet. Mom never wore high heels but I can tell you that I have even cleaning and so has a couple of my daughters. When you wear them daily at work, they don't seem to bother you as much when cleaning. Tennis shoes kill my feet even now.
$300 for groceries is doable for us IF I use cash in envelope method. I've started putting it on my credit card(or I forget to use it completely ) and a post it note of what I charged on what day attached to the card.
Okay. My hat is off to any woman who ever cleaned in high heels.
I'm looking at you Mrs. Cleaver.
My husband's maternal grandmother wore high heals everyday but she had servants to do all the work.
I remember my Mom wearing the dresses and flat shoes or even canvas sneakers at home.
I confess I've never known anyone to dress that nice for cleaning nor to where heels. My great grandmother wore a dress and stockings but sensible flat shoes and was the most nicely dressed of family members. Granny wore pants or shorts and blouses and Grandmother wore dusters then dressed for the day after housework. I wear what I call house clothes. I try to keep them nice looking and stain free but really really really need to make it a habit of wearing my aprons. I even made myself a pretty vintage looking apron to wear...
Thank you for the list of books you are planning on reading. I am always looking for good book ideas. I also have gotten to the point in my life when I have to set aside time for reading and creative projects. Otherwise I just don't make the time! Love your blog! Shirley
Great idea to plan for creative projects.
Funny about the dresses and high heels in the pictures.
Terri, I think it is so nice to take your time and not rush in the season of winter. Nature needs a rest and so do we! There is so much to do in the other seasons that I let myself have more time to do what I want or just rest and look out a window at the snow falling (or melting today). I really admire you for studying algebra! I really had to pay attention to my math classes and it didn’t come easy for me. Thank goodness my husband is very good at math so once our homeschooled boys got past the first few weeks of algebra, I hand the math teaching off to him!
Planting peas usually brings a nice harvest in. We put up a cattle fence for our peas to crawl up on. We use the sugar snap to eat fresh and the snow peas to freeze for future stir fry. We always have more to give away too. I keep thinking I will save some for seeds, but am so distracted by everything else in the garden that I never do it.
This month I will try hard to finish the deep cleaning in the kitchen as well as some other areas (vents, light fixtures) that must be tended to. I want to read more and just placed an order from Thrift Books so I am excited to read in the afternoons! Thank you for all your book suggestions. I write down the ones I’m interested in and look for them on the site. When I have some room in the budget, I put the order through.
I also have a bit of sewing to do. I put my sewing machine on the table, which reminds me to sit down and do it. I have to do a seed inventory and then place an order for seeds by the end of the month. I ordered 4 elderberry bushes from Nourse. I have been buying a lot of dried elderberries to make medicinal syrup and they aren’t cheap. They will be planted on the back of our lot as they grow big. I have decided to order some hardy rose bushes to replace ones that died a couple of years ago when we had a very cold winter. I am either going to get The Fairy rose or Bonica. They are both supposed to bloom all summer, but aren’t fussy. If these roses don’t work for me, then I am switching to hydrangeas to go along the front of my porch!
I will get two batches of soap made this month (each batch makes 52 bars). Right now I have some almond and also mint grapefruit soap that needs to be cut. I really love this hobby and I always have gifts at hand to give away.
Other than that, we are usually going up to Green Bay every other weekend to see my ill father-in-law. He was at home with 24-hour care (he had long term care insurance), but had another fall and possible stroke and was in the ICU for a bit. He is back in the nursing home. It’s especially hard on my husband. I wish we were closer.
Enjoy your February and the coming of the new baby! Let us know how you like your books! Hugs and love to you.
Btw, I do clean in a skirt, but always wear an apron and either slippers or barefeet. I wear skirts more than pants. I just feel more feminine. I should have been born in an earlier era!
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