Success! This will actually make post number 4 for January. Granted, if I do a post for Peter's month-by-month growth and a 15 in 2015 monthly review, I'll meet this goal every time.
2. Read 5 books.
Book #1: After seeing the movie, I read American Sniper by Chris Kyle. I have a lot of thoughts about this book, but I'd rather discuss them in person than via a blog post. There is too much controversy and debate surrounding this story already and I'd rather not add to it without the benefit of human conversation and dialogue.
We're doing really good here! I have probably consumed more vegetables in the past two weeks that I did in all of 2013. My recent grocery store trip was 85% produce (which annoyed the cashier who had to ring it up...yes, he was annoyed he had to do his job) and we've been doing a lot more cooking than eating "convenience foods". I took this picture half-way through dinner one night to send to my mom. There's nothing really good about the photography, but I just needed her to see I am FINALLY eating and enjoying my veggies, 29 years later. I'm really determined to help Peter learn to like them much earlier in life.
4. Spend less time on my phone.
I've had some really good days and some really bad days on this one. I have allowed my battery to run down a time or two which has been really good because then it's not even a temptation to pick up my phone and mindlessly scroll through app after app. I'm trying now to leave my phone on the kitchen counter instead of carrying it with me throughout the house. It's still centrally located so I can hear it if it rings, but allows me to do other things with my time without it in my hand all the time.
5. Find creative ways to save and/or earn money for our family.
I've heard of Ebates a few times before but I finally signed up for the first time this month. It's a great website which pays you cash back for shopping online through selected merchants that have contracted through them. I do a fair amount of online shopping since we live in a small town without many of my favorite stores, so it's great to get some money back for purchases I would make anyway. You get $5 just for signing up, so if you do any online shopping, I'd encourage you to click the link above and it will take you to the website to register. I've earned $7.76 so far in 2015.
I also downloaded the Walmart Savings Catcher app which allows you to scan your Walmart receipts and then it searches local stores to determine if anything you bought is advertised for a lower price elsewhere (just like price matching they do in store). If it is lower at another store, they send you the difference on a gift card. I've only done this once and it takes 3 days to get your results so I don't know if I'll get anything back yet, but I know people who receive a couple dollars a month this way. It all adds up!
6. Keep up with my One Line A Day journal.
There have been a few times I get behind by a few days, but I can always catch up quickly. I'm caught up as of today.
7. Purge our home of 300 unnecessary items.
I got a really good start on this goal in January. So far, I've donated, trashed, or sold 136 items from our home. I'm keeping the bag pictured below but donating the contents. I'm not really showing the items in these bags because some of them are possibly gifts (but not necessarily!) and I don't want any feelings hurt because I'm getting rid of something I was given. If you are wondering if I'm donating something you gave me, I'm not. It's all stuff someone else gave me. :)
8. Spend time outside.
I've done ok, but not great at this goal. However, it is January, so that's my excuse for now. We've been on long walks several times this week when it was sunny and mid-60s, but now that it's back in the 40s and low 50s, I haven't done as well to get out of the house besides running errands.
9. Learn how to use our new camera.
I haven't really messed with the camera much this month, so I'll try to focus on that more in February.
10. Run a 5k.
I haven't started running yet but I did download the Nike+ app again to start recording my workouts.
11. Complete 6 crafty/house/Pinterest projects.
I didn't complete any projects this month.
12. Try 12 new recipes.
Well, I was doing really well at the start of this list, but I'm not doing so hot anymore. Truth be told, I forgot I was supposed to be finding new recipes to try. I have been doing some cooking lately, but it's all been tried and true recipes I already knew we liked.
13. Lose 20 pounds.
I'm working on it. So far, it's mainly been a change in my diet but the exercise part will come also.
14. Organize and file our stacks of paperwork.
I got all of the paperwork on my computer desk filed last week. Now, I need to go through the files themselves and purge some old paperwork that we no longer need to keep as the file box hardly has room for any more papers.
15. Plant a garden.
I made little newspaper seed pots which I will use to grow plants from seeds indoors next month. We have a perfect window for this in our master bathroom so that's where the vegetables start out. This picture is a cuter version of mine from HGTV.
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