January 2015 Goals

It's time to start kicking out the 2015 goals - January starts off another new year and another set of goals to accomplish.  I love having a theme word that helps me focus a little more on accomplishing things in our home, family and personal life.  I really see the need to eliminate things to make daily living easier and less stressful.

Home Goals
I'm going to break our home up into some simple areas to deep clean/declutter on a monthly basis.  This first round will be the hardest since I'm be going through the rooms the first time.  In the future, the deep cleaning should get easier since I will hit each room once ever three months.
1) The basement - This is its own animal.  It grows, moves, and seems to morph into a huge mess quickly.  I'm dividing it into three sections and will conquer one each month so, again, every three months I'll get back to each section.  For January - the first goal is the playroom side.  Here's my short list: a) Clean up the toys that are done there and put them in the right place (Many belong upstairs) b) Take down the Train table we have - it's too big and doesn't get used now.  I will get it back to my brother/sister-in-law for them to do what they please with it since it is theirs.  c) Go through the two bookshelves and clean them out/off.  I have lots of teaching/craft supplies that I need to go through again as well as a whole shelf of books that need to be cleaned out.  d) Clean, clean, clean - the floor, the walls, the windowsill, the window . .. everything.  e) Find a new floor solution and price it out/set up savings.  I know what I want - just the simple foam tiles that go together like a puzzle.  they are easy to clean yet soft for the kids to play on.  f) get rid of good will piles that have been in the room for a year!  g) set up play areas for the kids to use - specifically with some toys that they have upstairs and could use a new home.

2) The Kitchen and Dining Room - This month these two rooms will be cleaned from top to bottom.  Here's the short list of what needs to be done The Kitchen :  a) organize the cupboards b) clean the floor c) clean the baseboards d) clean the window (hopefully inside and out depending on the weather) e) Clean the fridge from the inside out, from top to bottom f) Clean the stove - try to figure out inside the glass g) Change out the wall decor by the stairs f) clean the patio window and the stairs to the basement g) Make my list of "wants", price things out and make a savings plan to do those items.  The Dining Room - a)do touchups on the walls and baseboards b)get new valances for the windows c) clean the windows and blinds d) clean the fan/fixtures e) clean the baseboards and outlet covers f) dust, dust, dust and clean the floor

School 
1. 2015-2016 Curriculum - Make a basic list of what I'm considering for this fall for Josh and what is needed for Nate.
2) Paper Organization - Totally clean out the bottom drawer of my cabinet and make file folders for each of the boys.
3) Plan out January projects - need 4 to do on Fridays and then 4 extra to do with the boys.  Plus some supplemental papers

Daily Routines
My goal this month is to create these.  To write them down, live them for a month, change them and set them in soft stone (because things always change).

Family
1. Set up a quick savings envelope to save money for Children's Museum Membership
2) take the boys to see the Pirate Exhibit at the Museum.
3) Specifically Play a game with the boys twice this month as a family - the boys have some new games that we need to play so that they can learn the rules.
4) We love vacation time - my goal this month is to make some tentative plans for camping, a family vacation and hopefully a small "vacation" for Darryl and I at some point.  
5) Write down Serial #'s from electronics - this is such a simple task but so important! 

Holidays
1. Christmas - Yes, Christmas just ended so I need to take some specific time to make notes, reminders and ideas for next year.  I like to do it while the successes and failures from the current year are fresh.
2) Plan Ideas for Valentines and St Patrick's Day
3) Birthdays - Plan Darryl's Birthday; Start focusing on the birthday board now.  I would like to find a simple "Birthday Shirt" for Darryl to wear - something to wear every year :-)  Also, the birthday board - start building the actual board and decide what Day "one" will be and accomplish all tasks for day 1

Personal
1. Quiet Time/Prayer Time - Work on having that daily quiet time and learning some memory verses.  I have my reading plans printed out and my verses printed out as well.  Secondly, I struggle with the concept of prayer.  I understand it, I totally 'get it' and even understand really, why we pray, but I still struggle with the fact that God already knows every detail so why pray?  I've challenged myself to pray this year - pray for my family, my brothers, my parents and the rest of the crazy bunch of people; pray for our finances and our plans; pray for my kids salvation - just plain pray. 
2) Finances - Prep, plan and work the January budget;  Prepare and File our 2014 taxes; Set up a savings plan for specific areas like Birthdays, Christmas, Clothes, ect.;  Reserve two camping weekends (May, June)
3) Music - I'm on the piano schedule again at church so I need to start practicing ;-)  My goal this month is to have two offetory songs prepped and ready to go.  Also, it appears I'm scheduled to play on Easter so I need to find something to play that day as well.  I'm scheduled to sing soon too so I need to pick my song and practice.
 4) Scrapbooking - a) Completely finish 2013 - I have a few pages left to finish up and put the books together.  I will still need to put page protectors on the whole thing but I can do that a pack at a time.  b) Complete Jan-March 2014.  c) Create my blog book for 2010 - the first year I blogged.  Once it is created and I have the cost, I'll set up a savings plan to order it.  I don't plan to do the next book until this one is ordered.  d) Put together the small books - Christmas Ornament book for each boy - needs to be current; Birthday Question book - needs to be current and they Page a Month Book - would like their first year done and in albums.
5) Misc - I have a few other things on my goal list that are, well, my own goals.  Things I don't really want to talk about until they are accomplished which might mean they don't get talked about until December :-)