It's the New Year. The time for renewal, for setting goals, for a new start.
A new start is what I'm going for here.
Not so long ago, I sat in a meeting with a group of coworkers when one of them mentioned my blog and how much she would like to see me start blogging again. And I thought, "Oh yeah, that blog I started with such ambitious goals until life seemed to side track me."
Since leaving off with the blog I have managed to complete my Masters Degree and graduate. I can now add M. Ed. after my name. I probably won't, but I could if I wanted to. I've also gotten a better grasp on teaching second grade since being blind-sided with the change in grade levels days before school started. I don't have it perfect, but then again, I am of the firm belief that the minute I think I have teaching perfected is probably the time I need to hang up my hat. Nothing is ever perfect.
So I have decided on a new start here to go along with the new year. And just as I came up with that idea and decided on a few projects to share...I got sick. Starting New Years Day. And I still haven't gotten over it yet. Two visits to the doctor, untold prescriptions, and stupid bronchitis. My kryptonite.
And thus my new start will start with baby steps. Most of the Christmas decorations are put away (But not the tree. Hey it's only the second weekend of January).
One of my biggest goals in life is getting organized. I know that this is true for many people and I'm one of them. I remember telling a friend that I am just not an organized type of person, and she admitted to me that she wasn't either, but she told me it doesn't mean we can't be, it just means we have to work harder at it. So organization is key to this New Year New Start.
Emeals.com
The hubby and I decided to try meal planning using emeals.com. We have been meal planning with little success for the last year. It all starts good and then we are too tired or lazy to cook and so it turns in to takeout or fast food or something. We saw emeals.com advertised on TV and saw that it was endorsed by Dave Ramsey, the financial guru. We have been following Dave's Baby Steps to financial freedom and decided to give it a try. You get a 14 day free trial which we are still in the midst of. You can choose from numerous plans from Low Fat to Kid Friendly. We started with Low Cal, but the recipes just weren't our thing. So we switched to Kid Friendly and the recipes seem more spot on with what the kids (and we) are willing to eat. We also adjusted our size from Family which feed 3-6 to For 2, since our little ones don't eat a lot and the other recipes were just making too much food. You can also download the app which lets you choose which meals you want to make and create a grocery list you can use while shopping. I'll let you know how it goes as the year progresses (and once I feel more like cooking).
2016 Home Organization Challenge
If you have never checked out Toni Hammersley over at A Bowl Full of Lemons you should. This lady is Type A like I have never seen the likes of (and you should see my mom). Her home is impeccable and she has all sorts of information about organizing your household and your life. Every year she seems to do a 14 Week Challenge to help people declutter and organize their homes and their lives. She provides a schedule and checklists with each area of the home to help with the process. This year I have convinced the hubby to join with me to combat the clutter that continually builds up in our home. I swear, each time we moved to a bigger home I would think, "What are we going to do with all this space?" and the answer is fill it with more stuff, of course. So look for updates as we tackle the mess, purge, and organize. But bear with me, because of course this kicked off just as I got sick, so we may move slower than previously anticipated.
30 Day Happy Teacher Challenge
I saw plenty of memes show up on Facebook as teachers counted down the last days of freedom during Winter Break. I know that there are people out there who think that teachers have it easy because they have so much time off and then there are others who know what we deal with on a daily basis. I have worked in the "real world" and teaching and I'll tell you, teaching ain't easy. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't done it or hasn't done it right. So in order to help with the grumpy factor of returning to work, I decided to do the 30 Day Happy Teacher Challenge. The blog post is a couple months old, but the goal is still the same. I even shared it with my school and challenged people to Tweet about their Happy Teacher moments...and then I was out sick for two days and just not feeling it the other two. Gonna have to get back on it.
So those are three things I'm working on right now, in addition to the blog. I also joined up with my school's Biggest Loser contest and have a couple products that I would love to share with you soon. Keep checking back for updates on these things and others.
Comment below and let me know what is your New Start for the New Year. What goals and plans do you have in the works?
