My New Year

This is my den/guest room. I moved things around again. My desk is going to be my new quiet time space.

I've manage to squeeze a bed in this room but it is very cozy. I also keep reference books and binder in this room. The walk in closet is where I keep my office supplies and extra pantry items and now some of my Christmas decorations.

 This year I moved my laptop off of my desk. It's not ideal, but I'm using what I have. I like having my desk free for other things. I don't take my laptop all over the house. I like to have it in one spot along with the printer. I always use January to set up my files and booking for the new year.

I've taken down most of my decorations. I still have to do the tree today. I'm in a moving furniture mood, so I'm going to do some experimenting. I love to move things around, it makes it feel like a new room.

I've been thinking about goals for the new year, but really I'm still working on the same ones, lose weight, declutter, do a quiet time, get more exercise. For the last few years I haven't started the year with any great motivation to do something new.

Amanda on Always Amanda addresses it as a new chapter in her continuing journey. I like that and that is how I feel.

I don't do much for new years. I might stay up and watch the fireworks on tv and I might just go to bed with my book. lol. But Happy New Year to you all.

Linda

More of My Favorite 31 Day Writers

Lori at LA Ramsey is doing
 31 Days of Discover Who You Are in Christ This has become one of my favorites.

Here is another one on intentional life-Our Front Porch is doing 31 Days to Living a More Intentional Life

Linda

4 More 31 Day Blogs of Inspiration

Gospel Homemaking 31 Days to a Routine Ordinary Day I like this one so far, this is her first post and the following ones are at the bottom of the post. She talks about having a quiet time.

I've already given you the link for Living Well and Spending Less, but I thought todays post was brilliant,
 Learn something new without spending a dime.

Clean Mama is doing 31 Days To a Clean House I like this one because she shows you how to do each chore and so far they are things that I don't often do, the first one was cleaning edges and corners.

Townsend House 31 Days of Intentional Living- Last time I gave you another link on this subject. I'm fascinated by the term. I've been trying to work out what I think it means. It seems to me to intend to do something is a little iffy, but I know they are using the term in the same way you would say goals or plans. I think I do lived pretty intentional but one area I was thinking I could be more intentional is in my Christian walk.

So these are some of the 31 Day blogs that are inspiring me this week and there are lots more too. Enjoy your weekend.

Linda

Goals For the Fall

I've been slow to get into the fall swing. I guess because we really aren't there yet, but I'm usually ahead of the season. I do have a few things though.

1. Stop spending money, unless you really really need it.

2. Find a fitness program I can do inside.

4. Lose another 5 lbs. by Christmas.

5. Make 1 Christmas gift each week. (I don't know if I'll actually do this one, but I want to.

That's it so far. I probably will come up with more.

Have a great holiday weekend. I'm going to Pt. Townsend today.

Linda

A New Habit

On organizing Your Way they had a post about "Starting a New Habit" I really didn't do any resolutions this year. I felt like I had several projects I wanted to work on and that was enough. However, I've been neglecting my diet and I know one reason why I haven't been eating well is because I haven't been in the kitchen cooking enough. My mornings fly by and then I'm tired so my new habit is something I was doing until I got off track and that is to do prep work for my meals later that day and maybe even later in the week. I decided right after breakfast is the best time while I'm already in the kitchen.

She wants you to make yourself accountable so I'm posting on my kitchen blog as a way of doing that. I posted today about the pot roast in the picture above.

If you check out the link she has some other ideas about how to stick with your new habit.

Linda

2010

I'm not making resolutions this year. At least not so far. I have a lot of projects I want to do like sewing.

I don't use my machine much and so I don't feel very confident with it, so I want to do more machine sewing and get use to my machine. Mine is very basic. I just made another apron and as usually I hand sewed most of it because I'm more comfortable with hand sewing. I am looking for projects that don't cost a lot or use what I already have. I have a lot of quiting fabric from the days I quilted. Like knitting it is something I do a little of every now and then but never get beyond the basics and sort of have to relearn every time I want to do it. So I'm hoping to use some of that fabric.

I'm also in the mood to declutter, deep clean, reorganize and rearrange my rooms. Yesterday I tried rearranging my guest room, but I'm not through with it. I'll take a picture when I'm done. I'm trying to lighten up my rooms and get rid of some of the stuff. Taking apart a room and redoing it is one of the ways I get myself to declutter and clean. I don't go in my guest room much and so it gets kind of neglected. It does stay orderly, but gets a little dusty.

I want to work on new recipes. I eat better when I'm cooking otherwise I tend to eat snacks. I posted on my kitchen blog that I'm taking a cookbook "The Perfect Recipe" by Pam Anderson and cooking from it for a while. My first recipe I'm making is a stir fry that uses a lemon sauce. I don't think I've ever had a lemon sauce with a stir fry before. It has sugar in it. The stir fry has chicken, mushrooms and pea pods, but the store I shopped at didn't have any so I'm using peas. I'm sticking with low carb and cheap recipes.

The first thing I usually do every year is get my budget book and files ready for the new year, but I have the month to do it.

My dd and I were talking about my living room. I'm feeling that I always go with subdued colors and that it is looking a little too beige, so I want to make some pillows and look for some things to bring in some pops of color. I don't want to spend much so it would mean shopping trips to look for bargains or some creative solutions like paint. I'm not very crafty so we'll see how that goes.

So these are just some of the things I hope to be working on this year. I guess I do have goals I just hadn't written them down. They were evolving in my head.