living on less

Yeah, I know we're already into the second week of 2012, but better late than never... Right?

2011 was a big year for me on the business side of things. Deal Seeking Mom was chosen as one of the Top 100 Websites For Women on Forbes.com! Plus I had the opportunity to work on some really fun projects -- like the Whirlpool Moms test drive campaign, the Home Depot LED Light Bulbs project, and hosting the first ever NiceSave! Challenge for Walmart on Facebook to name a few. Oh, and I co-authored a book!!!

The personal side of things was just as busy. Between competitive gymnastics, baseball, football, the kids have kept us running on most weeknights and frequently on weekends too. And did I mention that we bought a new house and moved in the midst of all this too? Yes!

I just wanted to quickly recap my list of items I wanted to accomplish in 2011 and share whether I was successful or failed dismally so I can get a fresh start in 2012:

{1} Start making some of our grocery staples from scratch. This was overall a moderate success. I typically have my homemade Bisquick on hand, and I tried my hand at a simple basil pesto. We've also switched to making homemade whipped cream when needed, as well as homemade microwave popcorn for movie nights! However, I think I can do much better... I'd like to bake bread more often, and I'd really like to perfect the cornbread mix I've been working on.

{2} Make the switch to purchasing more organic grocery products. We joined a CSA this year and started purchasing a lot more organic items in our regular shopping trips. I discovered that Meijer has a fantastic line of store brand organic products, so we've mostly switched to shopping there for our weekly grocery needs.

{3} Start recycling. We did start recycling... but I definitely think there's a lot of room for improvement here. My husband has been making weekly trips to the community recycling bins behind our local Kroger store, but we could benefit from a better staging area in our garage for this items between trips to make it more convenient and efficient.

{4} Finish the Back To Basics series. This was a huge flop. In hindsight I realize that I should have set more specific goals for writing to keep myself accountable, so you'll see this on my 2012 list once again.

{5} Become better at time management. I feel like I've made some great strides in the are of time management this year, but I think this will always be an ongoing goal. Our lives are ever changing and so what works during one season, may not work the next. I've got a few specific areas that I want to target this year, and I'll share those when I post my 2012 goals.

{6} Organize my digital photos. This was mostly a big failure as well. I've started using iPhoto to organize my photos that are currently on my laptop. I love the fact that I can tag people, places and things to find the photos I want easily, but I still have years of photos to categorize. Perhaps setting some time aside weekly will help me get on track with this.

{7} Do a whole house decluttering. I can absolutely say that this was a huge success! We moved recently, and while we're not completely settled in our new home, I have done a TON of decluttering. My husband has made trip after trip to our local donations drop off, and it feels so good to lighten up and get rid of the items that we don't absolutely love.

{8} Save for a down payment on a new house. We blew this goal out of the water. Not only did we save enough to make a full down payment on a new home, but we did it early enough in the year that we were actually able to search for (and find!) the perfect home for us! We still have a lot of painting, organizing, and furnishing to do, but I'm so happy to have a space that actually works for our family now.

{9} Exercise at least 3 times a week. I never really got on track my an exercise regimen this year. I have some plans for setting mini goals, along with some other ideas for this year, that should help me turn this into a success in 2012.

{10} Learn how to knit. I bought the yarn and bookmarked some patterns -- does that count, LOL?

{11} Create a chore chart. We've made a lot of progress in doling out chores to the kids, but we have yet to institute any kind of a set schedule, let alone develop a chore chart. I'm happy that they're contributing to the upkeep of the house, so now we just need to focus on making lasting habits, along with a regular schedule. I'm not sure that an actual chart is a necessity after all, but it may be something we create to help with motivation.

Though I certainly didn't earn an A+ for the year, I learned a lot about what it takes to actually meet the accomplishments I want to achieve. I've learned to ask for help when I need it (and even hire additional help when necessary), and I've realized the need for creating baby steps to achieve larger achievements. I've also realized that, as a born procrastinator, I need to find ways to keep myself accountable for meeting my goals.

So there you have it -- the good, the bad and the ugly. I'll be sticking with my "no resolutions" approach in 2012, but I'll be breaking each major accomplishment up into smaller mini goals to keep myself on track. I'll just leave you with my first mini goal for the year -- sharing my list of things I want to accomplish in 2012 tomorrow afternoon!

Did you meet your goals for 2011? What did you learn that will help you meet the goals you set for 2012?

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