2017 Goals Week 5

1.  Completely Finish the House
For the next month or so I expect nothing will get done toward this goal.  W is preparing for a show at a local sporting goods store.  I will wait patiently until this is over so we can then focus on the house.

2.  Plan Ahead for Birthday and Holiday Gifts
I have decided on books for the younger children in our families for birthdays.  I ordered the first one from Amazon for a February birthday.  By planning ahead of time I was able to choose no rush shipping.

3.  Use the Garden to be More Self-Sufficient
I spent the weekend going through the seeds I already have and making a list of what I need to order this year.  I have been browsing the seed catalogs and am trying to keep myself from going crazy.  Those seed catalogs are dangerous!

4.  Take One Class a Month

I finished the first lesson of Designing Elegant Edible Gardens.  I am not sure that my garden will ever be described as elegant.  I am getting some helpful tips and ideas from the class.

5.  Pack Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes on a Budget

I bought some organza bags to hold the bracelets I already have for the girl shoeboxes.  I am tentatively planning to do 50 girl boxes so I will have leftover bags and bracelets for next year.  These are a bit of a splurge item, but I think they make the bracelets more special.

I also had a question about the wash cloths I crochet.  I have done a couple of patterns over the years.  I have settled on one I made up myself (light green one in the picture below).  I chain 27 stitches.  I do a row of single crochet, 17 rows of half double crochet, and one last row of single crochet.  It makes a nice size wash cloth.  I made one of these this week.

I spent an hour sorting through the items that I already have on hand.  It helps give me an idea of what I need to buy.  It will also help me when it comes time to pack the boxes as things are better organized.

6.  Boost Savings

I am still chipping away at the credit card debt.  I put some of the grocery savings from the pantry challenge toward the credit card debt this past week!