Shopping Trip

I took my girls out shopping to spend their monthly allowance...my error was that I also tried to get my grocery shopping accomplished too!  We were away from home for 5-hours!!!

First, I made my monthly stop at Costco and of course we had to check out every single Sample Station along the way and the book section -in case the girls found something to purchase, of course!
My favorite part was being able to tell them: "That isn't on my shopping list, but if you would like to use your own money for it, you may."  It was my go-to line several times on this trip!

Since it was our first stop of several, I put the cold items in my Costco Bag -the one with the thick insulated walls!  I love this bag!  It only gets used for groceries, but when I'm making several stops, it keeps my cold items cold until we reach home, and is sturdy enough to carry without breaking the straps when I have it filled to the max!

Next we stopped for lunch (my favorite part of the day-spending time with them) and hit Wal-Mart. Since we'd already wasted a good amount of time, I set my phone timer for 15-minutes and gave them instructions: "When my phone beeps, it will be time to go grocery shopping and we'll be all done in the toy section."  They finished their shopping with 4-minutes to spare!

It's fun to watch them shop because they are extremely selective when it comes to spending their own money!  We wasted some time searching for a price checker - 3 of the 4 we tried weren't working. :/  Two bathroom trips later...yes, two!  We finally completed our shopping at Wal-mart and were on our way to King Soopers!

Every week I go to at least two stores to complete my shopping.  It began with my hubby's preference for cardboard carton milk over plastic jug milk.  When Wal-mart stopped carrying his milk, I started shopping at two stores.  As Wal-mart has increasingly struggled to keep their shelves supplied, I have learned to look first at Wal-mart (their prices are still typically lowest, unless King Soopers has a sale).  Whatever I don't find at Wal-mart I can usually find at King Soopers. 

We made a quick trip to King Soopers and then we finally made it home!  They showed off their purchases to their daddy and helped bring in the groceries and put them away.  A long day, but rewarding too!

New Year, New Goals?

Reflecting on this past year, my 2014 goals started with the best of intentions as all goals do.  I learned a lot about myself, there were some successes and some failures.  A learning experience to be sure!

Goal #1: Deeper Relationship with Christ - IMPROVEMENT.  I definitely spent more time with God and I've been more honest with Him, and I understand Him better than I used to.  There is still more growing to do.  I didn't do as well as I wanted to, but am doing better than I used to.

Goal #2: Get Healthier, Lose 7 Pounds - FAILURE.  It was discouraging to see how slowly the weight decreased by eating better, only to see it climb quickly when my eating habits regressed.  Mid-summer I got very discouraged and stressed with my job and I stopped caring about my weight...surviving life felt difficult enough...I've gained an additional two pounds from where I was last year; not where I wanted to be at all.
I'm disappointed in myself. I'm not surprised either.  This goal was a new experience for me.  I've learned a lot about my habits and I realize that I'm going to have to make losing weight a serious priority if I truly want to be successful at losing and keeping the weight off.  I still want to lose the weight, but I haven't decided if I'm ready to dedicate myself to working on it yet.  I have other things I'm focused on right now.

Goal #3: Spending more time WITH my Family - SUCCESS!  It will be a life-long habit and a word that I carry with me.  I'll never perfect it, but I noticed a big improvement in how I spent my time and energy.

Goal #4: Organize/De-clutter My Home - IMPROVEMENT.  Some areas of my home are much improved this year, but not my multipurpose room as I had planned.  I ended up focusing on improving my housework habits.  I had one day off without the kids home and that is the day I went through one full box of papers that needed organizing.  I still have several boxes to go through.  On the plus side, we replaced our desks and added one for the girls.  I've made a lot of progress in organization of what we use...I need to make progress on the piles we don't use.

2015 - Am I setting new goals?

I am making adjustments to my original goals and praying for God's guidance in two new areas.  I still plan to continue working on my home, even if it is only 1-box per year.  Progress is progress.  I've set a temporary goal to use my treadmill 3 times per week for 30 minutes each time, and I'm thinking more carefully about what I eat again.

I am praying consistently about my job.  I reached a breaking point and I am praying that God will reveal to me what changes I need to make -either changes within my job itself, or perhaps moving on to a different job completely.  All I know for sure is that I struggled greatly these past 6 months, and it took a toll on my family.  If it weren't for Christmas vacation, I may have had a breakdown.  Something has to change.

I've felt God leading me to volunteer at church, but I'm unsure of how or where yet.  I don't want to commit to more than I can handle -my plate is already full, but I do want to get involved somehow.

All in all, I am learning what is truly important in life - and sometimes goals need to be adjusted or let go, so that we can focus on learning, growing, and getting through hard times.