Goals Update #4

Well, we've been spending so much time outside the last couple of months that I started to lose track. The main point of that goal was to get outside, and that habit seems to have been formed! So I'm giving myself grace to not worry about the time spent and just enjoy our time outdoors. G could live outside if we let him. This kid might be the catalyst to get me to go camping after all...

Meanwhile I found some more things to sell which was good. These items bring my grand total to $363.

• Cocktail fountain - $10
• Wicker basket - $2
• Easel - $5
• Crockpot - $10
• Two xBox controller - $20 & $25
• Decorative bags - $3
• Blender - $10
• Twin bed frame - $7

Also, just as an aside. G turns two-years-old tomorrow! We're having a waffle party in the morning :)

Goals Update #3

I realized I had forgotten to put in the total outside time in my last goals update. So for January we had a total of 8 hours outside. But I found a weekly prayer walking buddy, so I'm hoping that'll help motivate me for more time outside. Plus it's hard to go out for too long when the temperature dip into the single digits.

For selling things I added one more thing to the list:

• Giraffe head picture frame - $2
• So we ended January with $271 in. I'm feeling a little antsy about how I will find over $1700 more worth of things to sell, but I'll just keep plodding along one month at a time. 

In other news, it's February now which means it's time to get those seeds planted and under the lights! How did that happen already? Unfortunately my Permaculture Design Course and the Abundant Michigan Permaculture Ypsilanti group have inundated me with tons of ideas! Now I'm feeling a bit stuck like, uh.... maybe I should just observe instead of haphazardly planting things and eating the results... But as one of my PDC instructors pointed out - that is a way of observing. So I think I'll start with planting some herbs that I know I need to do regardless, like basil. Then take some notes and finish this permaculture garden book I've been reading and then do a sphere and zone map of the yard to get some ideas. I'll post the results :)

Goals Update #2

I sold several more things! It feels amazing to be making a little cash and getting rid of things we haven't been using. I love knowing I'm no longer storing someone else's stuff! ;) I have several more things posted. Here's what's gone now!

• Flower ring that was a gift from an ex-friend. $2
• Two large picture frames that we purchased circa 2011, never opened b/c we couldn't get the panoramas to print well. No more denial that I'll use them someday! $20
• Nightstand/end table I inherited from my great-grandma's house in 1999. $7
• Two fancy picture frames that appeared in our house one day. They're not our style. $5
• Metal canopy bed frame I got in 1999. It served us well, but I'm looking forward to having just a platform bedroom, no headboard now! $50
• The curtain that I cut for the canopy bed. No more washing of those! $5
• Total now is $269. Not bad for our first month of the year!

What are you selling? I'd love some more inspiration!

Goals Update #1

Hours spent outside last week: 1... it was in the single digits.

2015 Total for Hours Outside: 2

Sold some more stuff!

• $5 for three rings that are now too big
• $20 for an air purifier
• Total for 2015 to $180

What are your goals for 2015? Comment below! I'd love to hear them!

Goals for 2015

January is culturally a time of setting (unrealistic) expectations for ourselves in the coming year. I like to think that my goals are more centered in reality, but being an "NP" (INFP), they're probably not :) I'm OK with this because goal setting always helps me move forward. And sometimes I surprise myself, like reading a four-book series by Charlaine Harris in six days so I could pass the books along to another friend of the books owner.

So here's some goals for 2015 and how we're coming along on them as of today!

1. Produce 75-pounds worth of harvest. This will be an increase over the 50+ pounds we harvested from our garden last year. We forgot to weigh the last couple of harvests as we were closing down the garden for the season, so this shouldn't be too hard to accomplish. 

2. Sell $2000 worth of stuff. The decluttering process continues 19-months after taking the Voluntary Simplicity Vow. In order to ensure I'm not getting lax in my efforts, I'm tracking how much we make from the sale of such things I've been holding onto "just in case" or have just outgrown. This amount will not include donations or things which I'll give away for free. That's just too numerous to count! Here's how we're doing so far: 

• $20 for a TI-85 calculator from my high school days... it was a hot item. If you have one I suggest starting the bidding at $25.
• $20 for one of Shaun's Fossil watches from his high school days. It was the watch he wore when we met in 1998.
• $10 for one of Shaun's Fossil watches he wore while working in retail, so it was pretty beat up.
• $10 for a B.O.B. stroller carseat adapter. Since we don't plan on having any more infants in the house, and we no longer have that Graco carseat, this was an easy sell. 
• $75 for some storage containers we had
• $20 for a wireless Xbox 360 controller
• Totally $155 so far.

3. Learn to play five hymns well enough I can sing along. There's a piano teach in hOur Exchange Ypsilanti (time bank) so I've begun taking piano lessons again with the hope of playing hymns :)

4. Spend 1000+ hours outside. After following a local mom's blog  I feel inspired! Total so far is 1 hour...