#4. Read The Birth Order Book.
This book was a recommendation from my cousin. I’m not sure how “official” the science is, but it was definitely an interesting read and fun to think about my family and how they fit into the different roles. I especially benefited from the sections about perfectionism. #soguilty
#60. Complete a 30-day walking streak.
Part of the Mutu System is walking every day. Since it’s way too cold outside and I can’t get on the treadmill as frequently as I’d like (without talking to/threatening/freaking out at my toddler who’s tempted to touch the moving machine!), I decided to just set the timer on my phone for 20 minutes and pace the house. I’ll check blogs on my phone, read a book or shush a fussy baby, but it was pretty easy to get this in!
Mark and I decided to try this challenge in January as a way to kick-start our debt reduction and savings goals. We have some big dreams and wanted to get started with a bang! Our “rules” for the challenge were pretty simple: we designated a grocery budget, but committed to using up things we already had in the freezer and pantry. Since Mark commutes and I drive the kids to school everyday, we also had a gas budget, but tried to stay close to home as much as we could. Everything else was off-limits: no eating out, no impulse Amazon purchases, no coffee on the drive home, etc.
Like life usually is, the result wasn’t exactly as we planned. We had hoped to be able to save a bunch of money to then put on our debt, but instead we received a handful of medical bills from P’s birth. We also had some sick kids (pink eye and colds) and a visit from the Orkin man. Thankfully because of this challenge, we were able to pay them all right away instead of starting payment plans or charging them. But no extra snowball money this month, which is a bit of a bummer.
BUT! We also learned some great lessons and are excited to implement them in the months to come. Turns out if you put something in your cart and then wait awhile, most of the time, you don’t really need to buy it! We’ve had many conversations about toys vs. experiences. We’ve rediscovered the fun of cooking meals together. All good things.
#1. Read 35 books. (14/35 read)
I was on a roll this month. Six books completed: The Birth Order Book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, The Awakening of Miss Prim, Gift from the Sea, A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning, and Yes,Chef: A Memoir.
#19. Pray 5 novenas. (3/5 completed)
With our old house going on the market, we prayed the St. Joseph novena for his intercession.
#54. Make a dent on the movies on Common Sense Media’s “50 Movies Every Kid Should See before age 12” (at least 50%) (24/50 completed)
So close to finishing this one! We watched: ET (typical 80’s movie with tons of swearing), Hugo (we watched this after reading the book), and Song of the Sea.
#85. Create a postpartum wardrobe that makes me feel confident and not frumpy.
I got a small start on this with my Christmas money. I purchased everything in my current size, no wishful thinking purchases! Part of my 2017 goals is to purchase 75% through secondhand or ethical companies, so I found jeans and a few tops from Swap.com and ThredUp, all with tags or in like new condition! I also found a great pair of jeans with a birthday giftcard (thank you again, A & S!!) to Stitchfix.
