Back to your regularly scheduled blogging...

So, I just wanted to let you know, I've made some new "PAGES" on my blog.
Why? Because I have this great need to organize things in my life and organizing my blog is MUCH more fun and satisfying than trying to organize my house...but alas, that must happen very soon as well.

The first one is a (tentative) BLOG SCHEDULE:

This is what I might be blogging about on a particular day of the week...

Monday Musings: whatever is currently on my mind...yeah, could be scary.

Tuesday Tips, Tricks, Tools, and Treasures: cool ideas about cool stuff

Wordless Wednesday: Special Photos; I want YOU to come up with the captions

Thursday Threads and Things: Crafts, Sewing, DIY stuff, etc.

Favorite Food Friday: I'll share a favorite recipe (or two) with you

Anyway, so if you're only interested in crafts or something to do with making stuff... read my blog on Thursdays... you get the idea, right? However, I've never really been good at sticking to a schedule... it's more of a guideline really. I'll try.

So I'm going to label this post: Tuesday Tools. There.

So this Blog Schedule created the need for me to make another "PAGE". This one is for "Favorite Food Friday" and it's just called "Recipes". I'd like to keep track of the recipes I post on here and of course make it easier to share them with you. :)

Also, if you read my post yesterday about giving myself a "NO SHOPPING CHALLENGE" for one year. I talked about not buying any clothing, jewelry, shoes, etc. I'm REALLY excited about this challenge. I think it will be a good way to practice using my word of the year, DISCIPLINE. Well, I would like to ADD to that challenge. I'm also going to include: NO i-tunes or other music purchases, NO books or movies (other than rentals), and NO home or holiday decor-type purchases (this will not include flowers for my yard -- I will limit myself to filling the existing pots on my porch.)

I've been trying to come up with a cute little icon or logo or something and I've asked Zeke to help me make a button for my blog for those of you wanting to join me on my "Uphill and Smiling 2012 NO SHOPPING Challenge" you can add it to your blog. You're welcome to modify the challenge any way you want for YOU -- I just want people to step back and look at their consumption and excess and what they can do to minimize purchases, use restraint in shopping habits, and simplify their lives. Basically, to try and "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."

This leads me to the other new "PAGE" I've created, "NO SHOPPING" Challenge. This is where I'm going to keep a running total of how much money I am saving by NOT buying things I want to.

I hope this helps you (and me) to better navigate my blog and therefore, (hopefully) enjoy it more. If you have any suggestions or ideas, please let me know...

It is such a beautiful SUNNY day here... very unusual for January in Logan, but I LOVE IT!

I dare you!

Okay, I know it's not unique for me to say I have been thinking about goals and resolutions the past week or so...

I also told you in my last post about my
"Word of the Year" idea from my friend, Tawnya.

The word I have chosen for 2012 is:

DISCIPLINE

For the month of January (especially after Christmas) I want to focus my discipline on our finances; specifically, my spending habits. Now, we don't have a lot of "extra" money or disposable income or whatever you want to call it, but we do have a lot of debt.
Student loans, car loan, medical bills, mortgage, etc.

I would really like to focus on paying down our debt as much as I can.
This is going to take DISCIPLINE.

I was standing in the shower thinking this morning (thank you, Jane's Addiction, it really is the best place to think.) I was trying to decide what to wear for church... I realized I had SO many decisions... the black and white flower skirt, the brown skirt, the red and brown paisley skirt, the purple and silver striped skirt (I know!), the green ruffle skirt...suddenly I had a thought,
"I am SPOILED ROTTEN!"
I realized all of these skirts I bought sometime in 2011...
and I'm only mentioning the "Fall/Winter" skirts!

Now, just to excuse myself a little, all of these skirts were purchased from a thrift store where none of them cost more than $4 each, but still! Does any person actually NEED that many clothes, let alone skirts? (I said NEED...) I realized when Zeke got his new job last October, my clothing obsession I've fought so hard to purge from my system instantly returned (mysteriously...). I've been trying to stick within our budget and ease my guilty conscience by shopping at the thrift store, but looking in my closet this morning, I realized I have a problem.

Isn't that the first step to recovery from any addiction --
admitting you have a problem?
Well, I'm admitting it.
(I'm also admitting that my closet is full to bursting)
I also was thinking about DISCIPLINE and how I can apply it to my (ahem) "problem" and also benefit our financial situation.

I love the quote, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."
Sometimes I'm good at this;
I can be really good when I have to, but other times...
I buy 3 pairs of shoes just because I can't decide which pair I like the best...
(Seriously, how could I choose JUST ONE? They were *only* $6.00 a pair!)

So I'm still in the shower, when I got an idea. An awful idea.

The "Shopaholic" got a wonderful, *awful* idea!

What if I make a goal not to buy ANY clothes, shoes, jewelry, scarves, whatever for myself for one whole YEAR!!

NOTHING FOR ONE YEAR.
Sounds crazy, huh? Well, I like a good challenge!
I really want to see if I can do it -- if I can discipline myself.
Now, I have allotted myself one "new" pair of jeans next fall and one new white shirt for layering -- those are things that actually need to be replaced, but other than that.... NOTHING!!!!!

Who's in? I DARE YOU!

The money I would have spent -- estimating what I spent last year and when I see something I like and "JUST SAY NO" -- sometimes I'll pick something up and audibly tell myself, "NO!!" and put it back on the rack -- yes, as a matter of fact, I do get strange looks all the time -- I'm going to put that money into a special savings account and see how much I have one year from today.
I heard a quote somewhere:
"Our success in this life depends on our ability to discipline ourselves."(ouch!)

I also heard a quote today at church that really struck a chord with me:
"If we are willing to do what needs to be done, it will get done."(OUCH!)
So pretty much, it's up to me...

I really want to make a HUGE dent in our debt this year and this is just one way I can contribute and practice controlling my spending habits.

Here's me and Beck on Christmas: Zeke got me a new hood/light for my aquarium... it was the only thing on my wish list! :) My other hood has been broken for quite a few years now. Yes, I'm a nerd! But I'm a going to be a debt-free nerd... now if I can just stop buying fish!