December savings and goals for the New Year!

We had a great week in Montana visiting my family for Christmas.  I still can't believe I was able to pack a family of four with everyone's gifts in one suitcase and three carry-on bags!  The kids loved their gifts from Santa.  They each got one gift along with a few stocking stuffers which were mostly candy (we did not need any more junk to add to the junk already at home).  They each got a few simple gifts from us, one of them was a hand kite I made for each of them which Austin was thrilled about because he watched me make them and hoped one would be for him!  Some of my family members gave the kids one small gift along with some money that I can put in their new Mutual Fund accounts.

Upon returning home, it was back to work on finishing the final touches to our master bedroom project.  Ryan finished putting the tile in our master bedroom We finally made up our minds about the wall unit we wanted for desk and storage.  We ordered the floating desk on overstock.com and then got the cabinets at Lowe's.  For the past three months, the stuff that is now nicely organized in the cabinets was all over the place in boxes while I waited for the floor to be finished and the time/money available to finish it.  So glad it's over!

Now you would think, after close to a year of house projects, we would be done for awhile.  But we've only just begun!  You see, a few weeks before Christmas, my grandma was over and when she was smoking behind my house (LOL), she noticed "my house was crying".  I don't go behind my house often, esp in winter and it would have taken awhile to notice the damage inside, which would have been worse, so gram really saved the day!  Apparently, a staple went into a water pipe when our house was constructed NINE YEARS AGO and just now started leaking!!

Yes, my house is very sad.

So homeowner's insurance covers the cost of the damage to the house and not to the cost of the plumbing repairs.  However, they were FREE because Ryan did it himself with tools and materials he already had from doing our master bath!  The insurance listed the things that need to be repaired which included new insulation, drywall, exterior paint and regrouting some of the tile and gave us a check for the estimated cost of materials and labor.  Well Ryan will be doing the labor so we can put this money toward painting the exterior of the house (since we are due to have it done anyway) and instead of regrouting tile, we are going to do the rest of the house in the same tile as our bedroom (which we love and it is gorgeous).  We will keep the kid's rooms in carpet.  I cannot emphasize enough how awesome my husband is and how often his skills have saved us money on home and car repairs!

After returning from Montana, I stocked up on groceries and had a baking marathon in preparation for returning to work/school.  I have also resisted the urge to shop the after Christmas clearances.  I downsized my holiday decorations this year so I don't need anything and I can't be sure of what size the kids will be next year so it is not worth it to buy and winter clearance clothes.  We have had such a mild winter that the kids have only needed a warm coat for just a few days.  Now I will confess that I bought myself a new dress to go with my cowboy boots and a cute cardigan at DownEast Basics.  I had to have a crown replaced at the dentist and it was miserable, so I needed to reward myself for being so brave!

What's in store for 2014?

I have all sorts of ideas for the new year!  First I'd like to lose the ten pounds I gained from Halloween to New Year's.  Then I'd like to lose at least 10-20 more, but that's getting a little ahead of myself.  Second, I want to continue to make healthier choices for my family which would include cutting out a majority of the refined/fast foods and reducing the chemicals used in my home.  I would also like to learn more about essential oils and eventually join as a DoTerra representative.  I have been using a few oils for the past six months and want to continue incorporating them into my daily life and learn how to make more personal products using the oils and natural ingredients.  I also love Stampin' Up products and making cards and other paper crafts, so becoming a demonstrator in the near future is also a possibility either this year or next. 

So we will see what ends up actually happening this year, but I am excited for all the possibilities that the future will hold!  Whatever your ambitions for the year may be, I wish you faith, health, and happiness!