Goals for the Week 3/5

First a review of last week's goals.....

Health and Wellness

• Exercise 5 times and run at least once. I did it!  I did it!  I really did try to make exercising a priority and it worked!
• Lift weights twice.  Nope, I thought about it a lot though....does that count?
• Juice/Smoothies twice a day.  Check!

Kids

• Read with both kids at least once.  I'm really good at reading with A, but C typically reads before I get home and I just have not been able to do this. 
• Spend sometime on Sunday with each child doing something they would like to do.  We had a family game night and we all had a ton of fun!  I also got outside and threw some baseballs with them.  I am so happy I took the time to do this!

House

• Clean and organize one area of my own choosing.  Somehow, I never got around to this.  I have been organizing around the house a lot lately and I thought this would be an easy one to check off.  Darn it!
• Pay all bills and look at finances.  Set up a financial plan for March.  I'm  such a nerd.  I love doing anything related to our finances. 
• Clean the bathrooms.  I genuinely only did this because I didn't want to say failure here.  So thankful I have this list and some accountability to actually complete it!his stuff!
• Make one food item that can go in the freezer for a later time.  I made french fries and am hoping to make fish sticks today.
• Complete one survey and one mystery shop, with money to go into the gift fund.  Check!

School

• Grade two classes worth of papers.  I got a lot done, but not two classes worth.
• Write research plan.  Nope, not good!  I have to get this done.

On to this week.  Where to start.....it is going to be a really busy week.  I have something to do every single day this week after school and my in-laws are coming for a visit this weekend.

Health and Wellness

• Exercise five times.  Run at least once.
• Lift weights twice. (I'm not so sure I will have enough time for this, but at least this way I will try to make sure it happens.)
• Lose one pound :), wish me luck because I am going to need it!

Kids

• Spend quality time with each of them doing something that they choose.
• Play baseball with them once.
• Hold them accountable for picking up their room three times during the week.
• Make a chore chart.  Any advice on the best method to do this?

House

• Clean one area of the house a night so the house is presentable for the grandparents this weekend.
• Vacuum both sets of steps.

Work

• Get a T.O.N. done (How is that for a specific and measurable goal!)

Financial

• Keep the grocery bill under $100.  This will be interesting with my in-laws coming to town.  I never feel like what we have on hand is what they eat and then there are also two more mouths to feed at the end of the week when the groceries have started to run out.  Not that I am complaining though, I really believe I have the best in-laws out there.
• Complete four mystery shops and at least one survey.  I have a tendency to forget the mystery shops because they are phone calls and must be done in a specific time frame which is hard for me, but it can be done.  It would also mean almost another $30 for the gift fund. 

I hope you each have a great and productive week!

Goals for the Week 2/26

Wow, it is Tuesday and I still have not made goals.  I think you are officially starting off on the wrong foot when you can't meet your goal to set your goals! 

Here is how I did last week.....

• Exercise five times, running at least twice.  E.P.I.C. fail!!!  I think I only exercised once.  Life has gotten quite busy!
• Complete two mystery shops....I'm taking my mommy out to dinner on one of these :)!  Check :) and I had a nice dinner with my mom! 
• Grade one class's papers.  Thanks to my volunteering position, where I wasn't busy, I was able to get this done plus almost an entire other set of papers!
• Vaccum the basement - it desperately needs it!  I only did this because it was on the list, but I did it!
• No spend week for me - this is more of a requirement than a goal.  I didn't do to bad, but it wasn't a no spend either.
• Juice or smoothies in the morning.  Check
• Post once during the week.  Thanks to having last Monday off, I was able to do this, otherwise I'm not sure I would have been able to do it.
• Complete one survey.  Check
• Read to the kids or have them read to me at least once.  I have been having A read to me a lot, but not C.
• Return clothes to Kohls and Loft.  I did it!!!!
• Finish my mother's valentines present....yes, you read that right!  This was another fail!  What kind of daughter am I!

Seeing as though I have a problem exercising during the week, I am really going to attempt to focus on that this week (So far I have already exercised twice).  Exercising will be my number one goal throughout the week.  Hopefully this will make a difference, because it is so warm & beautiful here right now it is a shame not to get out and enjoy it.  Lets see what else I have....

Health and Wellness

• Exercise 5 times and run at least once.
• Lift weights twice.
• Juice/Smoothies twice a day.

Kids

• Read with both kids at least once.
• Spend sometime on Sunday with each child doing something they would like to do.

House

• Clean and organize one area of my own choosing.
• Pay all bills and look at finances.  Set up a financial plan for March.
• Clean the bathrooms.
• Make one food item that can go in the freezer for a later time.
• Complete one survey and one mystery shop, with money to go into the gift fund.

School

• Grade two classes worth of papers.
• Write research plan.

That's all folks!  Have a great week!

Goals for the Week

It was quite a busy week around the Simpler Life household....it wasn't very simple that's for sure.  But anyway let's see how I did in terms of goals.

• Complete research plan for work.  Well, I presented it, but when I got into creating there were some problems and questions that I just couldn't answer.  So, I did as much as I could.  What the heck, let's call it a success.
• Grade two class's papers.  I graded one, class's but not two.
• Cut both kids' hair.  Check, and the best job I have done to date (I'm not sure how much that is saying though!).
• Do our taxes.  Check!  We can't wait for that refund!
• Exercise five times this week and run two of those five times.  Fail on the five times and fail on the running.  I did get out a couple of times, but there was too much to do this week :(.
• Stick to a grocery budget of about $50 again this week.  I spent $60, Not too bad.
• Complete at least one survey for Pincone or Synovate.  Money to be deposited into Christmas fund. Check!
• Complete two BestMark shops and sign up for one additional shop if possible.  Money to be deposited into Christmas fund.  I did a phone call mystery shop and an oil change.  I loved the oil change because in the end I got a free oil change, plus earned $15. 
• Juice or smoothie for breakfast and lunch.  Check
• Read with the kid's at least once this week. Failure, can you believe it!?!  Probably one of the easiest on my list and I couldn't get it done!  I did have "A" read to me and he is doing so well!
• Cut back on sweets (so far today I haven't had any!).  I did pretty well here :)!
• Put up a post for "Going Green Tip of the Week."  Fail, I did not post at all during the week - Sorry!

Now onto this week.....

• Exercise five times, running at least twice.
• Complete two mystery shops....I'm taking my mommy out to dinner on one of these :)!
• Grade one class's papers.
• Vaccum the basement - it desperately needs it!
• No spend week for me - this is more of a requirement than a goal.
• Juice or smoothies in the morning.
• Post once during the week.
• Complete one survey.
• Read to the kids or have them read to me at least once.
• Return clothes to Kohls and Loft. 
• Finish my mother's valentines present....yes, you read that right!

Have a good week!

Goals for the Week

A quick review of last weeks goals.....

• Exercise 5 times this week and run one of those times at least.   Completed!!!!!
• Juice in the morning and smoothie for lunch throughout the work week. Completed!
• Make it a "No Spend" Monday - Friday.  I did spend a bit during the week, but overall I would call this a success!
• Only spend $50 at the grocery store on Friday. As above, not a 100% success, but I only spent $7 extra dollars and considering it could have been $125 I count that as a success.
• Clean up the ceramic pots on the deck that broke because I left them out in these low temperatures :(! I truly only did this because I didn't want to write on here that I didn't do it!  Public accountability!!!!
• Grade one class's writings.  Check!
• Oh, here is the kicker, eat only one sweet food item per day!!!!  If I fail, this will be where.  I believe there was some foreshadowing here, and this is my one and only fail and boy was it a big one.  Each day I woke up and told myself it was a new day and I could do it and each. and. every. day. I. FAILED.  Most days it was by more than one sweet too!
• Put one more post up here this week.  I actually put up a couple, lets keep this trend going!
• Complete one survey from either Synovate or Pinecone and put that money in our Christmas savings.  Completed.  I actually did one for Pinecone and one for Synovate.  The Pinecone one yielded our family 3 full size samples.  I'm not allowed to say more than that as part of the contract, but did you see the part about THREE FULL SIZE SAMPLES!!!!
• Complete one internet mystery shop for BestMark with pay to also go in Christmas savings. Only one, but I keep checking back for more and there aren't any.  I will be getting a $10 check soon and can add that to our Christmas savings. 

Now, for next week I would like to:

• Complete research plan for work.
• Grade two class's papers.
• Cut both kids' hair.
• Do our taxes.
• Exercise five times this week and run two of those five times.
• Stick to a grocery budget of about $50 again this week
• Complete at least one survey for Pincone or Synovate.  Money to be deposited into Christmas fund.
• Complete two BestMark shops and sign up for one additional shop if possible.  Money to be deposited into Christmas fund. 
• Juice or smoothie for breakfast and lunch.
• Read with the kid's at least once this week.
• Cut back on sweets (so far today I haven't had any!).
• Put up a post for "Going Green Tip of the Week."

Wish me luck, especially with the sweets!  Have a good week!

Goals for the Week

So, I really like the idea that many bloggers have of making their goals public and I am going to join them and hope that I will be more accountable as a result.

• Exercise 5 times this week and run one of those times at least.
• Juice in the morning and smoothie for lunch throughout the work week.
• Make it a "No Spend" Monday - Friday.
• Only spend $50 at the grocery store on Friday
• Clean up the ceramic pots on the deck that broke because I left them out in these low temperatures :(!
• Grade one class's writings.
• Oh, here is the kicker, eat only one sweet food item per day!!!!  If I fail, this will be where.
• Put one more post up here this week.
• Complete one survey from either Synovate or Pinecone and put that money in our Christmas savings.
• Complete one internet mystery shop for BestMark with pay to also go in Christmas savings.

I will come back next week and let you know how I did.

Summer Goals Review

My summer is winding down.  On Aug. 3 I have to go back for my first professional development and that is where I mentally end my break.  I have to go back to paid work on the 9th of August, but there is a huge amount of unpaid work that takes place before that.  So, as of right now I only have about two weeks left  of summer vacation (insert huge frowny face here).  I have enjoyed my summer immensely and so have the kids.  But before it is too late, I wanted to do a quick review of my goals and see how I was doing.  In some areas I have excelled and in others I haven't even begun. 

• Create and abide by a schedule for the kids and myself.  Please don't ask what the schedule is, I really haven't gotten there yet!!!! 
• Well, lets see, sometimes we have a schedule and sometimes we don't.  I have slacked a little as of late.
• Exercise and run a 5k in July, Aug, & Sept.  I have never done the one in July.  The heat has always discouraged me, but I'm going to do it anyway this year. 
• Gosh darn it I skipped the July 5K again (in my defense I was having fun boating with the kids), but I have been running a little.  I should be ready for the August and September ones.
• Tackle one house project.  I'm not quite sure what it will be: maybe paint the bedroom, maybe paint the bathroom, or maybe something else.
• I still haven't done this.  I don't know what I want it to be.  I suppose that is a good thing, since it means I don't have anything terribly in need of repair here.  There is a first for everything, huh!
• Read with the kids on a regular basis.  This will be part of our schedule.
• I get a C here.  I have been reading with them, just not daily.
• Do at least one fun thing with the kids a week.
• A+, we have had a good summer.  Zoo visits, swimming, boating, movies, lots of good stuff. 
• Set up a new website for my classes.
• I need to do this.
• Read some good books - some for fun and some for educational/self improvement purposes.
• I have excelled here and am L.O.V.I.N.G. it.  I have read James Patterson and Kay Hooper for fiction.  A psychology book called Brain Rules, an awesome non-fiction called the Bookseller of Kabul, and am currently reading The Happiness Project.  I love to read and it makes me so happy to actually be able to do it.  I have really been trying to read at least 20 min. a day and on most days it has worked. 
• Nurture my tomato plants and plant a fall garden with lettuce.
• Tomato plants are doing great!!!!  I haven't done much with the lettuce though.
• Learn how to create a "hot house".  I'm not sure that is the right term, but what I want is something like a tiny greenhouse that will allow me to grow lettuce and spinach into the colder months. 
• Haven't done a thing here, I need to get to work on it.
• Set up a new budget.
• Well, I set it up!  I haven't done very well following it though.  This is always a big spending time of year for me.  I never buy clothes or shoes or accessories or any of those types of things, so this is when I splurge.
• Make homemade yogurt.
• Not yet.
• ENJOY LIFE!!!!!!  ENJOY LIFE!!!!!  ENJOY LIFE!!!!!
• Some, ok a lot, but I need to be a better mom and spend more time at home focusing on my children.  This is a goal that always brings me down.  It is the nagging, goal that is always there, but I always put it on the back burner because there is always something more pressing. 

How has your summer been going?