Make Monthly Bucket List

I made a bucket list of things I wanted to do this summer and since summer is officially over and I have put away my white shoes and straw purse...It was time to take inventory of how I did

It was simple and included some of the following:

New restaurants I want to try
New recipes
Crafts I want to make
Projects I need to complete
Books I want to read
Movies I want to rent or see at the theater
Number of miles I want to walk/run

It was great to have a list to refer to when we wanted to go our to eat...we tried several new places.
We completed several household projects (rebuilt the deck for example) and completed several craft projects!

I like the idea of several bucket lists for different purposes
YOUR REAL BUCKET LIST
     What is the Legacy you want to leave
     What are the few things that you don't want to leave undone

but it feels like my life will have more variety, purpose and focus if I have these smaller lists.

Let me know what is on your list!

I'm off to make the fall bucket List...which already includes:
Household chores (gutters, new furniture as DD is moving into an apartment and we are donating some stuff)
E-baying some stamp sets
Tailgate food to try
Several fall recipes including Cincinnati Chili and ham and cheese sliders
and getting RID of our hot tub

Just don't stand there taking up space...DO something!
--Diana

I'm Baaaaccckkkkk....

I've made a new school year resolution to blog again.  I have been so busy (perpetual excuse, so I am not going to EVER say it again!).  I have made it my goal to blog at least 3 times per week on my various blogs.

whimsiewear@blogspot.com services my creative side (mostly stamping and fiber crafts-knitting). Devotions by Diana, Dining with Diana, Frugality Girl & 365 things to do this year (you are here) round out the bunch.  To date I have written a few posts and have them scheduled.

If you blog, journal or have some other  passion that is languishing because you are too busy why don't you
1)  Write down your goal
          Goal:  Blog 3 x per week

2)  Write down what hinders you
          Barrier to Blogging:  busy, not enough time

3)  Brainstorm several ideas to overcome the barrier
          Put it on a list and cross it off when I do it (I love lists)
          Get up earlier (nope, 5:30 am is early enough)
          Devote Monday mornings to blogging (get to work 15 minutes early)
          Use items written for other projects (devotions)
          Upload all the photos on my phone
          Take photos before I teach my stamp class
          Etc.
I include anything I think of no matter how wacky!  Often times those crazy ideas actually work!

4)  Practice which solutions work until you find one that fits

I find that I make time for the things that are important to me (running, cooking, sleeping, stamping/knitting, etc.)  If blogging is truly important then I should carve out time for that FIRST (Mondays work).

If I dream it I can do it!

--Diana



         

   

Clean out your medicine cabinet

I always clean out my medicine cabinet (which is actually a drawer) the first of the year.

If you don't have a place where you keep all your medicines, now is the time to invest in a plastic storage container and sequester all your health care items in one convenient place.  You can keep this in your linen closet or under the sink for easy access.

Remove the entire contents from your medicine stash.
Wipe down the interior with a damp cloth to remove dust, grit and stray hairs.
Carefully review each package and discard any the are past their expiration date, you can no longer identify because the original packaging is gone, any prescriptions that were not fully consumed at the time of issue or you no longer have children requiring the infant Tylenol drops!

Place medicines of like kind (cold and flu treatments or pain killers for example) together in a small divided box or on the same shelf.
Assure you have plenty of adhesive bandaids, neosporine, benedryl, acetaminophen or ibuprofen  on hand and then replace any items that you discarded and MIGHT need in the near future.

New Year-New Goals

I just love the new year when I set some new goals for the upcoming year.
Here is what is on my plate for the coming months:

WORK UP
I'm training for 4 races, including a half marathon.  I am old and slow so my goal is to cut 12 minutes off my race time and run the Mini (13.1 miles) in 2 hours and 46 minutes.

USE UP
Save money by using what I have:  Including craft supplies, yarn and the items in my pantry and freezer!

CLEAN UP
Keep clutter at bay (especially on the planning desk in the kitchen and the chest at the end of our bed. 
I also have plans to clean out the basement, my closets and drawers.

SAVE UP
Increase our savings to 6 months of expenses

LOOK UP
Memorize one bible verse a week (John 14:21a)

SHUT UP!

GIVE UP!
be more generous
do ONE LESS thing daily to cut down on the frantic pace of my life and the stress this creates
See SHUT UP
Surrender to God's will

Take time to stop and smell the roses!

I have been running 100 miles an hour (well, at least I ran 13.1 miles in under 3 hours at the recent Louisville Sports Authority half marathon, my first!) and now it is time to SLOW down.  Hard to do with the holidays approaching--so it will take some planning on my part!

Here is my plan to keep me grounded:

Start each day with some quiet time and devotional reading
Add a little exercise
Prioritize my TO DO List (Must do Today, should do this week, Can wait) and try to get at least all of the MUST dos DONE!
Spend meaningful time with DH and DDs
End each day with a little quiet time
SAY NO!

Honor a Veteran

Friday, November 11th is Veterans Day.  Take a moment and give thanks for all the freedoms we take for granted, remember the sacrifice of those who have defended our country, pray for our nation and its leaders.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kX_3y3u5Uo

2012 Goals

I mentioned that it was time to begin planning our goals for 2012 and got a look of pure terror back from my husband.  He is a procrastinator and I tend need plenty of time to plan...so, since we need to do some major things like replace windows, I thought I'd better work on getting him on board now.

We'll actually commit our goals to paper around New Years... but id doesn't hurt to start theprocess now!