End of February, Where Yat?

Another month of 2010 has come and is nearly gone.

So, where am I at on those New Years Resolutions?

• Read Harry Potter 5, 6, and 7. DONE!
• Save up to buy an SLR camera. Still have that same $50 saved up, but I haven't added to it.
  
• Value myself more. Hair and makeup are rarely getting done. Haven't been to the gym all month. I did join Weight Watchers, though, and am having success with that. I do feel better, so that counts for something.
• Cut TV time. Some days are better than others. Overall, I do think I've cut out a lot of mindless TV watching most days.
• Rework my novella into a novel. Haven't written a thing. Haven't worked on a thing.
• Enter 3 writing contests. See above.
• Participate in Eat from the Pantry Challenge. DONE!
• Submit 1 piece of writing to an editor. See previous answers.
• Commit to housework schedule. Absolutely not. This month, I've taken a couple loads to the Consignment Shop on base and packed several boxes. So, umm, there's less to clean. That's something!
• Begin bucket list. DONE!
• Update blogs three times a week. Still struggling with this. I'm not sure what I want to be where. I've been toying with keeping this blog just about the kids and family and converting my rants (like, umm, about cheese and vampires) and other items to my public blog. Regarding my paper crafting blog, I'm starting to wonder if I should scale back on the paper crafting and start writing again. I just don't think I have the time to be a crafter and a writer.
• Attend 2 scrapbook retreats. Nothing yet, but it'll happen.
• Make money blogging. Also wondering if this is what I want. I don't want a blog created to make money. I want a great blog, and if I get the traffic and then add some ads that create some revenue, then that's great. But my goal is not to blog for money.

Some other interesting things:


Since the New Year, I have purchased seven stamp sets (most second-hand) and adhesive. I haven't spent a dime at Michaels or Hobby Lobby on crafting items. You might think seven stamp sets is A LOT, but, trust me, it's nothing compared to my usual shopping habits. I'm pretty proud of myself and a bit disgusted by how much I have. I had three boxes of stuff to sell/donate and only have one box left now! I'm getting to a place where I know and use what I have. It's a great feeling. (Don't get me wrong, I still have a disgusting amount of stuff, but there's marked improvement.)

I'm feeling better about the school search in Louisiana. I think I'm down to two public schools that I'd find acceptable. They have good ratings and reputations, from what I've gathered through obsessive internet searching. They're in an area of town that I think my family would enjoy living in - near the university and "things to do" (a lot of the better ranking schools tend to be in less desirable neighborhoods, and I like to live within walking distance of the school). Rentals are hard to come by (at least online), but housing prices are fairly reasonable (more than here, but not that much more). Buying isn't out first choice, since we may only be there for a year. I'm guessing, though, that even losing a bit of money on the house would still be cheaper than private school tuition and outrageous pet deposits. We'll see. But I am feeling more positive about it.

The boys have pictures today! We are meeting a photographer at the Train Museum. Ever since Bean was born (almost 5 years ago!), we have gone to JCPenney's exclusively. We had a membership, and you couldn't beat the prices. It has since expired and, overall, the JCP here is just not as nice as the JCP in Indianapolis, so I'm in no rush to go back. I found this photographer online. She's fairly new to the business, so her rates are super reasonable. I'm so, so eager to see how they turn out.

Finally, I need to sell about $250 worth of Tastefully Simple this month to stay active. So. Send me some orders (and thanks to my friends who have already ordered). I'll cut you a great deal.