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INSTALLING // childproof door locks after discovering that P (2.5 years old) can easily unlock our deadbolts and run outside unattended. These were fairly priced and easy to install. I also love that it’s 12 times stronger than a deadbolt and will keep us safe when Mark is away on business trips. #scaredycat
STARTING // a month-long spending freeze after we had to pay a jaw-dropping amount of money to repair our car so it would pass inspection. A necessary purchase of course, but boy does it sting! We’ve been having setback after setback on our way to debt freedom this year, although it’s still my big goal for 2019!
COMPLETING // a few necessary house projects that have been on our to-do list for months: cleaning out the gutters and staining our big front porch.
POSTING // a bunch of P’s outgrown clothes onto Trash Nothing. I’ve been the recipient of so many generous people who have given us kids clothes through the years and I’m happy to pay it forward. And bonus: extra room in our closet!
MAKING // loaves of bread and batches of granola. I’ve also been brainstorming relatively healthy dinners that are cheap and can feed an army. If you’ve got a favorite, I’d love to hear it!
LENDING // my 20th loan on Kiva! I started with one $25 loan back in 2011 and have re-lent that money over and over again to different female entrepreneurs worldwide. This time I lent to Jackline, a single mother of two in Kenya who is looking to buy an additional dairy cow for her milk sales business. I’ll be praying for her success!
READING // The Mermaid.
WATCHING // Madam Secretary while Mark was away on business. Tea Leoni’s voice is so soothing.
SELLING // on Poshmark again and having so much fun! The kids challenged me to earn $1,000 before we start school again in August and while that’s a lofty goal, I’m going to try.
CONSIDERING // the idea of joining a local book club, although I’m not exactly sure where to start looking! I did notice that there was a Well-Read Mom group not too far from me, so maybe I’ll look into that one.
TRAINING // Lucy and sounding like a broken record. She’s starting to push boundaries so I know consistency is key. Puppies aren’t for the weak!
You've really set some great goals for 2019, and it sounds as if you are very determined to reach them. I admire your entrepreneurial spirit.
Thanks, Michele! Being debt free sometimes feels like an unreachable goal for us, but we're going to keep doing what we can.
I love Madam Secretary! And book clubs too… the way I found one in a new city once was through the local book store, but a library is a good place to check too!
That's so helpful, thank you!
Thank you for the info about Kiva! I just signed up and immediately helped fund a woman's fruit shop in Nicaragua! Through my travels, I've seen a lot of poverty, but no where as great as Nicaragua, so I am so grateful to be able to reach a (very small) hand out to them. THANK YOU!!
Oh I'm so glad! I love that while it's only been a $25 investment, I can help someone feel the pride of business ownership and help mamas and their families at the same time. And that one investment can help again and again!
Kiva is one of my favorite charities! It's so nice to be able to put a face & name to the money you're giving, especially to female entrepreneurs.
I totally agree. One of my favorite parts is reading all of the stories…although it makes it so hard to choose just one!
One of my easy recipes is Italian sausage with the casing taken off cooked in a skillet. When it is mostly cooked add a can of rinsed cannellini or northern beans and as much spinach as your kids can handle. If you want to make it more budget friendly up the bean content and cut back on the sausage. You could serve it with cornbread, a cheap and yummy side.
This is a great idea, thank you!!