Weekly Goals, September 30, 2013

Last weeks goals and the progress I made...

Goals for September 23, 2013

1) Money Management Check (Pun Intended)

Daily checking the accounts and balancing the checkbook and staying on task with our spending.

2) Daily Devotions  Done

I have been forgetting a lot the last few weeks so it's time to refocus!

3) Walk 3 Times  Done

4) Clean Kitchen Cabinet Doors  Done

5) Autumn Decorations  Done

 

 

 

1) Create New Goal Outline

 

My seasonal job will end this week and I have a mass amount of goals and ideas swimming through my head.  I need to take some time to write them all down, sort them out and organize them.

 

2) Walk 3 Times

 

3) Clean off Patio

 

 

 

Wonder why you don't see some goals on here anymore?  I try to implement goals for about 4 weeks to create a new habit, like doing a load of laundry everyday, going to bed every night with the dishes clean, etc.  Once I have developed the new habit, you won't see it again unless I notice that bad habits have returned.

Week Four of the Spending Freeze Challenge

Four weeks have passed since my husband and I agreed to stop any and all unnecessary spending.

WE  C H A L L E N G E D  O U R S E L V E S  T O  A  S P E N D I N G  FREEZE

Our mortgage fell through about a week before we were supposed to close on a home.  While the timing was not something we caused, the reason it happened belonged to us.

I'm not sure what the future holds but the last month has been a real eye opener for us.



We decided to give ourselves a minimal grocery budget of $100 per week and stopped any and all extra driving to help keep fuel costs to a minimum.  The only spending money that was allowed was $1.00 for each of the boys to spend at the weekly soccer games.

This week, I spent $90.13 for groceries.  I saved the $9.87 for the following week so that I can get coffee.  I have a Kurig Vue and allow myself one cup of coffee per day and a package of Vue packs lasts me a little more than 2 weeks.  It's one luxury that could be cut out if needed.  Thankfully, it's not needed yet!

The biggest thing that made a difference this month is not eating out.  We have not bought any family meals at restaurant for the month of September.  (I bought a meal at McDonalds for myself earlier this month.)  This is a huge accomplishment for us.  Huge.

We usually nickel and dime our way to having no money.  Swipe the debit card here.  Pay a couple dollars in cash there.  Rationalize this purchase by using a coupon.  All of these small purchases leave us behind on bills and living paycheck to paycheck.  This month was drastically different.

I just paid our first October bill on September 27.  That's right, four days early. 
(Can you tell I am super excited!!)

We're officially caught up and ahead on things.

My husband and I discussed how successful this month was and I asked him what he felt we needed to do to save the money needed for a home purchase.   He suggested another Spending Freeze month and I quickly agreed. 

The only difference for October's Spending Freeze is that we're going to budget in a small amount of cash for each of us to spend.

I'm a little nervous about October.

It was easy for me to be on a Spending Freeze while I was working.  (Maybe not easy, but easier.)

Starting October 5th, I'll be home with our two children and some old habits are going to have to be thrown out with the trash.

Let's see if I'm up to the challenge.  :-)


To read more about our Spending Freeze challenge, click on this link: Frugal Living

Caterpillar Update: Chasing Butterflies

We had finally reached the last two caterpillars for the season.  They made their chrysalis and my job of collecting milkweed for 2013 was done.

 

 Diego and Teddy

 



 

 

Teddy

 

 

 

 

Diego

 

 

 

Diego landed in a tree in our backyard and while we were watching him, we noticed another monarch butterfly on a neighboring branch.  The boys got all excited and said that it must be Teddy.  So, Teddy and Diego are out there having a wonderful time together.  :-)

 

 

 

And our cats, Streaky and Stormy, are happy to have free reign on the sun porch.

http://seekhispurpose.blogspot.com/p/nature-study.html

 

Homemade Tortillas

Part of my job as a preschool teacher is to eat meals with the children.  It provides a level of quality in our care, plus it saves me lots of time and money.  This season, our cook has been phenomenal!  She really cares about the food she makes and it has made our season very yummy.  This woman makes most of her food from scratch and that includes homemade tortilla shells.

 

Now that I have tasted her tortilla shells, the ones I buy in the store taste like wood.

 

So I begged and pleaded until she gave me the recipe.

 

Then I came back and yelled at her (not really) because she was keeping a key ingredient hostage.

 

Homemade Tortillas

 

Ingredients:

 

3 cups of flour

 

3 Tbl. of butter, softened

 

1 tsp. of Salt

 

1 tsp. of Baking Powder

 

Up to 1 cup of Steaming HOT Water

 

 

Hot water is the key here.  If you use cold or warm, you won't be able to roll out the tortillas.

 

Mix the dry ingredients and then add the butter until it is crumbly.  Slowly add the water until the mixture is dough like.  It needs to be slightly sticky.

 

I used my Kitchen Aid and that made it super easy to make.

 

 

 

 

Let the dough rest for approx. 20 minutes.

 

 

Then divide the dough into 12 pieces and shape each piece into a ball.

 

 

The first one I rolled out stuck to my cutting board.  I sprayed my cutting board one time with non-stick spray and it was good for all 12 tortillas.

 

Using a rolling pin, begin rolling the ball outwards, almost like a fan.

 

 

 

 

Roll it until you are satisfied with the size and shape.

 

 

Just be aware- they get thicker as the cook!

 

 

 

 

I used a non-stick skillet to cook mine.  I did not have to use any non-stick spray.

 

Cook each side for a minute over medium heat.

 

 

 

 

Homemade Tortillas

 

Yum!

 

(My entire family approved.  Even the picky eater.)

 

My tortillas still don't taste as good as hers and they will probably never look as good, but she's got over 30 years of tortilla making experience. 

 

They might not be AS good as hers, but they're still 100% better than the ones I buy at the store.

 

You can also freeze them.  Just place a piece of wax paper between each shell, place it in a freezer bag and freeze.

Update:  February 18, 2014

I haven't purchased tortillas since September of 2013 and I've learned a few more things that may help you make this recipe.

1) You can mix 2 cups of all purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour to make a healthier version.  The tortillas taste delicious and are hubby and child approved!

2) Letting the dough sit for longer than 20 minutes makes it even easier to roll out.  I  have been leaving them for 45 minutes... unless I get distracted and forget.

3) Cook the tortillas on medium/high heat.  You have to watch them closely but it makes them a nice golden brown.

Weekly Goals, September 23, 2013

Here's something that I realized yesterday about why setting goals are good for me.  When the mass amounts of never ending tasks are screaming at me, I just go to my list of goals for that week.  I will never have everything done, but having goals and checking them off helps me to feel like I have accomplished something.

Goals for September 16, 2013

1) Continue managing our money.  Another successful week!

2) Decorate for Autumn  I got the box out of the basement but that's as far as I got.

3) Organize Playroom  Done

4) Walk 3 Times  Walked Twice

5) Begin Gathering Pictures for Our Butterfly Album Not done, but a friend invited me to a scrapbook gathering and I'm going to save this for then. 

Goals for September 23, 2013

1) Money Management

Daily checking the accounts and balancing the checkbook and staying on task with our spending.

2) Daily Devotions

I have been forgetting a lot the last few weeks so it's time to refocus!

3) Walk 3 Times

4) Clean Kitchen Cabinet Doors

5) Autumn Decorations

Week Three of the Spending Freeze Challenge

I'm happy to say that my husband and I are still working together on this.  It's challenging and I find myself having to say no to a lot of things.  Keeping the goal of home ownership in mind gives me strength to stay on task.  This week I celebrated paying all our bills current and some early.  I can't remember the last time this happened but I know it's been at least 3 years.  I'm super-crazy happy over this not-so-small-to me success!

Here's an overview of week three...

1) Over the course of a week, we spent $106.97 on groceries.  This exceeded our grocery budget by $6.97 but I had forgotten to get ingredients to make a dessert for a carry in and needed to buy the ingredients for a tonic I make for colds.  I had a nasty sinus infection and the $2.89 I spent to make it was way cheaper than going to the doctor's.  This was also the first week where I felt like we had enough food.

2)  Matthew's shoes had come apart, the fabric was no longer attached to the soles of his shoes, and he needed new shoes.  I gathered some items that Liam had grown out of, took them to the consignment store and ended up paying 48 cents for 4 pairs of new-to-us shoes.

3)  I keep forgetting diapers at the grocery store!  Not good when my youngest is not potty trained.  :-(  I took several of my Thirty-One bags into the consignment store and got enough to buy a large box of diapers at Sam's Club.

4) It's nearing the end of the season for my job and everyone is exchanging gifts with their secret pal.  I politely turned down the instructions to participate and kindly repeated my answer when they tried to make me feel guilty.  It's a fun end of the season activity but our future home is going to be worth it.


To read more about our Spending Freeze challenge, click on this link: Frugal Living

The Woman Who Fears the Lord #9

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

 

A Study of Proverbs 31

Verse 18

 

"She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night."

I wonder when our friend, Mrs. Proverbs, sleeps.  This is the second verse that talks about her working at night.  Verse 15 says that she gets up while it is still dark and now in verse 18, she's still working while it is still night.

I don't know about you, but I get grumpy when I haven't had enough sleep.  I am currently finishing up the last 3 weeks of my work season and am still having to fight to make sure I get an adequate amount of sleep each night.  (Not verbal or physical fighting.  Mental fighting to resist doing a few more things before bed and a constant discipline to either not turn on a screen or to close one.)

Mrs. Proverbs gets up early and stays up late.  She gets the job done.

In her era, I think working or being productive while it was still dark was a admirable character trait.

In the 21st century...

We have electricity.

We have energy drinks.

We have a never ending to do list.

How then, can this verse apply to us?

Mrs. Proverbs is using her resources to make a profit.  She's probably trading her veggies, fruits, livestock, handmade clothing, etc. for goods that her family needs or for money.  She's making money or saving money.  Very profitable.

She gets her jobs done, even if she has to work into the night.

This leaves me with 2 conclusions.

She is a woman of her word

and

She gets enough sleep.

There is no verse in Proverbs 31 that talks about Mrs. Proverbs getting enough sleep.  Yet, she is an awesome wife, mother, homemaker, business woman and member of her community.

All that awesomeness requires sleep.


You may find yourself bringing in an income for your family or doing some of the other awesome things listed in Proverbs 31.

Let's use this verse to remind us,

To follow through with what we say we're going to do

and

To make sure we get enough sleep.


Because being a woman who fears the Lord takes a lot of energy and to be truly awesome, you're going to need your rest.

The link to the series "The Woman Who Fears the Lord"