2017 Goals Update

1.  Completely Finish the New House

I thought we had one project knocked off our list when we picked up the doors for the cabinet over our refrigerator.  W put them up and discovered that the doors were too wide and overlapped.  Ugh!  He will take the entire thing down and take it back to be fixed.  One step forward and two steps back on this one.

2.  Plan Ahead for Birthday and Holiday Gifts 

I saved a few books to my Amazon wish list as presents for February birthdays.  I will watch the prices and make a purchase decision within the next couple of weeks.


3.  Use the Garden to be More Self-Sufficient

January is a slower garden month.  I have planted garden pea seeds as well as kale, Swiss chard, and radish seeds in two of the raised beds.  I have started some pepper seeds in the house.  My plan is to work on a new layout for the garden over the next few weeks.

4.  Take One Class a Month
Since I am doing a pantry challenge this month, I opted to stay away from any cooking classes.  Instead I chose Create Stunning Birthday Cards.  This is a free mini-class.



This week I made a birthday card with a slot for holding a gift card.  It was lovely and quite easy.  I will make two more and use them for my older niece and nephews.  The card was made with materials I had on hand.

5.  Pack Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes on a Budget

While I had some leftovers from last year, I have decided to start the spending totals with the current year and will consider anything else as a donation.  I won a $5 gift card to a store where I do not usually shop.  Since I did not need anything, I bought 12 pairs of boy's socks for just 32 cents out of pocket.

6.  Boost Savings

I was able to put some money toward the credit card bill from our two side jobs.  I found a few aluminum cans and added them to the pile I plan to sell.  I know I will not get much but every bit helps.