Looking Ahead: Goals for 2011

Personal goals:
1. Like everyone and their mother, work on exercising more and getting healthier.

2. Enjoy my free time more, by working on hobbies, taking classes, etc.

3. Make more of an effort to be social.

4. GET OUT of my hellish job that I've been at for over 4 years and MOVE ON with my life.

5. Keep improving my relationship with Turtle.

6. This goes with #4 but find a new job that allows me to shine and share my talents with others; where I am appreciated for who I am and what I contribute. Also, one that is family-friendly and has great benefits.

House goals:
1. Really finish fixing up and getting settled into our house.

2. Getting this house PAINTED top to bottom. I can do a lot myself, but for some rooms, I will need to call in the pros. The kitchen and our bedroom need to be done by pros b/c I take a long time, and we kinda need those two rooms to live in.

3. Start our garden in the early spring. We're already looking at seed catalogs (DORKS).

4. Buy new doors for the two bedrooms where the previous owners' sons bashed them in.

5. Paint our basement hatchway door.

6. Figure out a new/better method for firewood storage.

7. Possibly build a shed in our backyard.

8. Continue to keep things neat!

9. Put up some kind of tile/backsplash behind the stove. It gets messy back there and what's the sense in painting it if it's just going to keep getting gross?

10. More planting! Especially some trees.

Financial goals:
1. I've been trying to put away ~$500/month into savings, and I'd like to keep that up, if not increase it.

2. I've been socking away ~$150/month for a vacation, which I'm still going to do. We were going to go on a "big trip" in 2012/13 for our 5th anniversary, but I think instead we're going to try and go to Maine this summer. Besides a long weekend in Philly for our 1st anniversary, we haven't been away ANYWHERE since our honeymoon. We can still go away for our 5th anniversary, but not a "big trip." Maybe another small one. Who knows where things will be in 2 or 3 years?

3. Get Turtle enrolled in his 403b or whatever it's called. His company matches!

4. Get us in to see a financial planner and have him help us make the best of our money.

5. Keep avoiding credit card debt. We've done GREAT with this for years, and I just want to keep it going.

6. As I'm looking for a new job, I hope to be making more money (don't we all!). I want to increase my retirement contributions AND sock more into savings instead of going crazy with more money. Of course, then I'll be too paranoid to spend the money, haha.

Looking Back: 2010 Highs and Lows

Highs
- Having an amazing boss who helped me to see my potential and who gave me courage to get OUT of my current job. Her leaving is what I needed to get myself out of a toxic situation.
- Learning HTML and LOVING it
- Improving my relationship with Turtle
- Getting help for an issue that was affecting several areas of my life
- Working on this house and getting it into better shape/where we want it to be. It's not done, but it's better than it was!
- My friend finally getting pregnant after 7 yrs of trying and giving birth to her son
- My friendship with (above friend) getting back to what it used to be like years ago (we had a strained relationship for years)
- Saving money while spending (how does this happen? lol)

Lows
- Breaking my hand, surgery, therapy, having a slightly deformed finger now.
- My friend's baby being really sick
- Losing my grandfather and the subsequent drama
- Work nonsense
- Health-related issues
- Other friend stuff
- My boss leaving
- Other family stuff
- Stupid health insurance

My worst fears (at work) came true

My boss gave her notice this morning.

I cried on and off all day since the meeting. I couldn't help it. I really liked her. Not only was she an awesome boss, she was one of the nicest people I've ever met. I never had a boss like this...someone who actually cared, listened, tried to help her "people." She's been an actual friend.

I'm absolutely devastated. This is the closest thing I've had to as a mentor. And she'll be gone 12/31.

I know we'll keep in touch, but you know how that works out after awhile. We had a 1:1 later on this afternoon, and she gave me some really good compliments on my work, work ethic, etc. She also told me that it's time for me to go, and take that plunge to find something that will make me happier. She also told me that she'd be happy to be a reference, write recommendations, etc. etc.

I've gotta admit, I am jealous that she's leaving after only 1.25 yrs, and I'm STILL there (going on 4.5 yrs)...and any efforts of me trying to leave haven't been successful (or I just haven't tried hard enough, I guess). She really helped to boost my confidence about working there, because she actually CARED about what I did.

Of course, I'm scared about what will happen now that she's leaving...until I can get out of there. They'll be hiring a new marketing manager, but until then, it's a messy mix between the wife-owner (my company is owned by a married couple--and she is CRAZY and just horrible) and the IT MANAGER, which makes VERY little sense.

I've never written about work before, but today I had to. I know I need to get out of there, the place is just TOXIC, but where, doing what, etc?

This is when I want to give up and be a housewife...but I can't.

PS. I know I have some comments that need replying. I'll get to them soon, I promise. Tonight I'm just sad...going to go scrub a toilet to put my energy into something constructive.

Busy busy busy

I'd say as a bee, but it's December 15, and it is FREEZING here. Actually, below freezing.

I'm long on things to write about, and short on time, so this will have to do for now.

I know I have comments from people, and I'd like to reply to them...but this house is cold, so I need to start a fire, then comes dinner prep.

We're having this tonight instead of whatever was on my meal plan:
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pasta-with-bacon-cauliflower-recipe-00000000029610/index.html I cannot wait, it looks delicious!

I have a ton of cauliflower that's in the freezer. Got it fresh a few weeks ago (thanks Dad!), steamed it, and froze it. Bacon was already pulled out, so why not?

Tonight is Turtle's late night so I hope he's surprised.

Most of all, I hope it's GOOD!

The 1000 Challenge, part 4

I'm at 200/1000. Christmas shopping will do that to you :) Plus, it was around 50* here on Saturday, so why not take advantage of the beautiful, sunny, weather and park further away from the stores to get some extra activity in?

I don't think I'll make 1000/1000 by 12/31, but it has made me pay more attention to my movement/activity level. While it's important for everyone to be active and stay moving, for me, it's even MORE important. I have some health issues that can be exacerbated by not moving/being fit...and I really don't want to be a statistic. (Although, sadly, I'm heading in that direction...but as my primary doctor says, "it's NOT permanent.")

Meal plan, week of 12/12

Sunday--We went out for dinner, just down the street to our local favorite place for burgers. We were supposed to have haddock, which was supposed to have been yesterday's dinner. Yesterday I was too busy running around Christmas shopping and doing stuff around the house, so we had roast chicken thighs instead to supplement the few ribs that were left over from Friday night. Tonight, the haddock was STILL not yet thawed! At least it's not going to waste, like I've done in the past...

Monday--haddock, tater tots, salad (last try for this one!)

Tuesday--breakfast (probably bacon and waffles, with peaches that we picked over the summer, scalded to take the skins off, and froze)

Wednesday--chicken cacciatore, over pasta, with veggies or salad

Thursday--leftovers

Friday--shepherd's pie, which is pretty much a meal in one pan! I use beef and throw a TON of veggies in there.

Saturday--leftovers

The 1000 Challenge, part 3

I finally broke 100 minutes. What did it? This morning, we had a visit from the furnace repair man (it's not the heat, it's the A/C that's having issues, we've discovered, long story). Thanks to running up and down all of the stairs in my house numerous times this morning, checking the two thermostats, talking with the guy, etc, combined with speed grocery shopping last night, I'm 10% of the way to my goal of 1000 minutes of physical activity in December. I need to step it up though!