Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

My Goals 2012

My Goals 2012


Every January 1st, I try to set some goals for the year.  These arent major life changes.  Just a reminder of some of the projects Id like to tackle in the coming year.  Im usually a little ambitious - I never get everything done.  But its important for me to see where I stand and have a plan.  Yes, that means new to-do lists.


Goals For My Blog

1) Revamp.  I have plans to make the pages easier to navigate, clean up the sidebar, and change up my header.
2) Add new features.  I am going to include posts about topics other than decorating - such as couponing, budgeting, and shopping.  And how I save money every day.
3) Introduce new blogs.  I know Im new here, but Ive been reading other blogs for a long time - and I want to share some of my favorites.  Some of them are huge and some of them are tiny - but there are some really great reads out there I want to share.
4) Host guest bloggers.  If you have a blog, Id love to have you over here for a day.  You can share a project, before and after, or just introduce yourself.  Contact me if you are interested - kmwerynski@gmail.com
5) Start a link party.  Im still on the fence about this one.  There are already a lot of great link parties out there.  But I really love looking through all of the projects so I figured I might as well just have everyone over here.



Goals For My House


1) Remodel the guest bath.  We did a mini-makeover when we first moved in.  Now its time to get er done.  Im really excited to start this project and Im even more excited to say goodbye to the blue toilet.  :-)
2) Update the laundry room.  I changed out the curtains and washer/dryer a while back, now its time to lose the dated wallpaper and add some charm (after all, Im in there all the time).
3) Tackle the living room.  This is the first room that I did - even before we moved in.  But it is still a very boring beige rectangular room.  With oddly placed windows and doors.  And Ive struggled to put it together - until now.  I finally have some ideas that will go a long way in adding some interest in this room.  Hopefully, well get going on it.
4) Continue working on the landscaping.  We tackle a little each year and we are almost finished.  There are still three large, nearly dead bushes that have to come out and a few new ones to plant in their place.  This is one of the most exciting projects for me because I have never liked the curb appeal of my house - and beautiful landscaping will go a long way to fix that.
5) Repaint some of the rooms that have gotten a little beat up over the years.  We actually live in this house - its not a museum.  So there is some wear and tear.  I would love to clean it up a little.
6) Tackle a few quick projects.  Heres a small list - install track lighting in the sun-room, change out the last of the brass doorknobs, move my office to the sun room nook, and remove the 60s unusable wet bar from the family room closet.  Oh the list is much longer, but you get the idea.


Goals For My Budget


1) Save more.  We have always lived below our means.  Its just how we are comfortable.  But as our kids get older, the expenses get bigger.  And I want to re-evaluate our budget and find ways to make cuts.
2) Earn more.  As a stay-at-home mom, Ive been lucky enough to enjoy and raise my kids full time.  I know just how lucky I am.  But I still want to find a way to help out a little.  I do contribute by finding ways to save - on everything from groceries to clothing to home renovation.  But I want to do more.  I want to add to our income.  Im not sure how this will happen just yet but I think about it constantly.  I know this blog could eventually bring in some money (that will take a lot of time) but I would like to do something while Im building this.  Maybe an etsy shop.  Maybe selling furniture that Ive painted.  This is a work in progress.
3) Have a garage sale.  I did this once before.  Not sure if its worth the effort because I dont know if I have enough to sell.  I dont have too much stuff that isnt used in the house.  I just dont like clutter.  But I have some time to figure out if this feasible (no one has garage sales in the winter in Buffalo..).
4) Sell some stuff on Craigslist.  We have done this before with success.  There a few things that I need to get on there now.
5) Spend $0 on Christmas.  I always get a little worried about spending money at Christmas time.  I love the giving part - just not the bill paying part.  So I have a plan to spend nothing this year - while still giving gifts.  Ill share more of the details soon (it will take the whole year to make this work).  Fingers crossed.


Goals For My Life


1) Eat Better.  While I dont have weight issues, I do have eating issues.  And at 42, I know that I have to clean that up.  Im already looking around Pinterest for healthy recipes.  And Ive found a few that look great. Sometimes, its hard to shuffle kids around every night and make time for a good dinner.  Its time to make it a priority.
2) Be more confident.  Not much to say about this.  I think most of us can relate.
3) Stick to my schedule.  As most of you know, I like my lists.  I have a master house to-do list as well as a daily to-do list.  I can have great plans in the  morning but find that its nearly impossible to get everything done.  Which makes me feel defeated at night.  So, this year, I am going to make more realistic daily lists -and stick with them.
4) Start a small garden.  I have always wanted to try this.  And Im slightly nervous.  So, this year, Im just planting tomatoes.  I need to plan this out a little as the neighborhood is full of wildlife (rabbits, squirrels, deer, wild turkeys, chipmunks, and foxes have all been known to inhabit my backyard).  For some reason, this project is at the top of my to-do list.  Im curious to see if I can really grow something.  Is that weird?
5) Get more organized.  I touched on this last Friday.  I tend to be a very organized person but I dont feel like Im really where I want to be.  I plan on tackling small projects and making my house more efficient.

And there you have it - a partial to-do list for 2012.  Do any of you have new goals for the new year?  New projects to start?  Or new things to try?  Or does everyone think I make too many lists?...


My Goals 2012

Friday, October 7, 2016

How am I doing on my goals for 2012

How am I doing on my goals for 2012


At the beginning of January, I put out a list of goals that I hoped to accomplish in 2012.  After one month, I thought it would be a good idea to see how Im doing.  Some things are going well, and others not so much.  Lets take a look -


My Blog - 

1. Revamp - Im doing well here. Ive redesigned my header, designed and installed a button, made and installed a favicon (that little picture up in the tab - Ill talk about that more next week), cleaned up my "Where I Link" and "Featured" pages, and rearranged some stuff on my sidebar.  I still have some work to do - I want to make my page links a little prettier, add social media buttons, etc.  But Im pleased with the progress so far.

2. Add new features - again, Im on track.  I have included some cleaning tips, money saving tips, and  shopping tips.  I even started another blog, thrifty house just to share more of these tips.  Its a new blog, and Im still working on it (yes, there will be a new header soon), but I hope to develop it into an overall resource for thrifty living.

3. Introduce new blogs.  Ive kinda done this one.  I love finding new blogs - and new ideas!  So Ive been doing some features titled "I Pinned it - and Did It".  I think it helps to know if some of these new ideas actually work.  So far, Ive had a lot of success, but I will definitely share the failed projects/tips too.  And hopefully, you find some new ideas and blogs through this series.

4. Host guest bloggers.  So far - not one.  Sad.  I would love to host a blogger over here.  If you are interested, please send me an email - kmwerynski@gmail.com.  I am completely open to anything here - new projects, old projects or household tips.  And if you have never been a guest blogger, I can walk you through the process - its not difficult!  I hope to get some of you talented people on my blog this month!  I dont want another F in this section!

5. Start a linky party.  Nope.  Havent done it.  I still havent decided if Im going to add this to my blog.  I love searching through the projects on other blogs, so I think it would be fun to host.  But, so far, I havent gotten to it.


My House - 


Ok this part will be quick - not as much progress as I had hoped this month.  Many of the projects I listed in January (guest bath, laundry room, and landscaping) were really meant for summer projects.  I have shared a few smaller projects, and Im in the middle of a big one (I hope to share it next week - fingers crossed) but its always really busy at this time of the year with kid activities.  And this year is no different.  We knock out a lot of our bigger projects in the spring and summer.  So, Im not too worried about the lack of progress here.  But if I dont see more check marks in September...


My Budget - 

1.  Save more.  We did this.  I declared a no-spend January.  Yup.  And we did our best to honor it.  Its amazing how much everyone jumps in when you set a goal.  It didnt go perfectly - we had a car repair bill, my son needed boots, and a few other things popped up - but overall, it was a success.  When we set the goal, we wanted to reach it.  Every purchase was given more thought.  And we didnt buy the extra stuff (well except that $1.49 lamp - but how could I resist such a deal).  Now we are going into no-spend February...

2. Earn more.  So far, not much.  But I have won a couple of things from other bloggers.  Does that count?  And Im still working on ideas for an etsy shop, a garage sale, and some craigslist listings.  Hopefully, Il do more in this category.

3. Spend zero on Christmas.  Ive talked about this a little.  I really need to do a more in depth post soon.  But so far, Im happy with my start.  I have some gift cards in my Amazon account - $55 worth.  And I earned them all from Swagbucks.  I started saving them up at the end of last year and added $10 in January.  If you are interested in joining - click the link below.  Its a great way to earn gift cards for searching the web. There are more ways to get that dollar amount up quickly - playing games, taking surveys, and watching videos.  Ive been using Swagbucks for years (I explained it in my How Im Saving and Earning Money post). Im hoping to have a few hundred dollars saved up by December.




What else am I doing to make my free Christmas a reality?  I take surveys.  Its really easy.  And yes, Ive been doing this for years.  I have a couple of the survey sites I use on my sidebar.  These are hit and miss.  Ive tried some sites that I didnt really like and some that I love.  And I havent made too much on them - but they also havent taken too much time. Im close to getting a $25 gift card on one of them.  And Ill probably be able to earn two more by December.  That will help me reach this goal.

And Im not sure if this counts, but I tossed all of my coins into the coinstar machine and received a $31 gift card to Old Navy.  Im saving this for my Christmas adventure too.

Im happy with my progress on this goal - well see how it goes.


My Life -


1. Eat better.  Ummm...not sure if Ive improved any.  I want to add better habits.  I still have some work to do on this one.  

2. Be more confident. I dont really know how to measure this.  I dont know if Ive improved or not.  Ill keep working on it.

3. Stick to my schedule.  I know I havent done well with this.  And its driving me crazy.  Ive had so many little things pop up this month.  I need to make new lists (its an illness...) and get reorganized.

4. Start a small garden.  Well, its a little early for this one.

5. Get more organized.  I guess I confessed to my lack of organization in #3.  I have organized some kitchen cabinets (Ill share that with you soon) and cleaned out a couple of closets, but I need to get much more organized in every day life.  Im working on it.

So there you have it - my progress so far.  Some success and some failure.  Its a great to see where I stand - and what I need to keep working on.  So far, so good.




How am I doing on my goals for 2012