Wrap up 2008

I found this 2008 Wrap up Meme from I've got a little space to fill in my RSS feeds & think it will be a good way to catalog our year.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

Started working at a Non-Profit organization.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I did ok on 2008 goals, if there was a grade I'd give myself a 75%

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No unfortunately.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes - my Mother-in-Law

5. What countries did you visit?

Didn't leave New York this year (except for a couple trips over the border into PA).


6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

A start on our EF, more free time with the kids, a cleaner house

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory?

9/30, 9/6, 10/3, Princess' Dance Recital

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting a job outside of the house.

9. What was your biggest failure?

not enough funding the EF, paying off very few debts

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Yes, just getting through the Dr. appointments dealing with it now though.


11. What was the best thing you bought?

The Wii, aside from the occasional argument about "how" to play we've had great family time playing together.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

We had so many new things with the kids in 2008; dance, t-ball, baseball, football, soccer, school. They've accomplished so much.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Mine!

14. Where did most of your money go?

Housing, gasoline, food & bills

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

football

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

Awake by Godsmack, don't know why...

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?

same, same, same (but I feel poorer, we are still feeling the pinch of high gas, because we couldn't keep up with our bills, back when it was $4 a gallon)

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Sewing, doing fun stuff with the kids

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

laundry

20. How did you spend Christmas?

With family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

no

22. How many one-night stands?

365 with the same guy!

23. What changes did you make to “green up” your lifestyle?

None, we already use CFs, recycle & reuse. I should drive a greener vehicle but they don't make a truly Green vehicle that we can drive around here.


24. What was your favorite TV show?

Bones, Battlestar Gallactica, Lost (don't miss these)

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Nope, strongly dislike a former Dr though, dislike only grows with every new test I have to have done that SHE MISSED 3 YEARS AGO.

26. What was the best book you read?

Just Do It was one of the only books I've managed to finish cover to cover in 2008!

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Dragon Force was 2008s.

28. What did you want and get?

MP3 player.

29. What did you want and not get?

4 slice toaster (didn't want it as a gift, yuck!)

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

Attack of the Clones

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

35 & we celebrated Christmas Eve, as always

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

A trip to the zoo with my kiddos, time at the beach, finishing a quilt.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

What has come back in style since I stopped working in an office 10 years ago that I still have in my closet "just in case" I ever had to dress up...

34. What kept you sane?

Wine!

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Johnny Depp. David Boreanaz.


36. What political issue stirred you the most?

Advocacy for the poor, children, medical... there's just so much bureaucracy not enough compassion.


37. Whom did you miss?

family

38. Who was the best new person you met?

my co-workers & hubby's we work with great people

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:

Balance is a goal it isn't something we will ever achieve.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

All I ever wanted, all I ever needed is here in my arms.
or
Mas Tequila!

I've found my perfect foundation

and where to buy it!!!

Join MyPoints


I have been a MyPoints member for a long time now, in fact I have redeemed 38,100 points for various gift cards to date.

I recently discovered Sephora & Clinique Superfit foundation. I made the mistake of using a free sample that came in a magazine. This foundation worked just the way it should. Even with the generic shade the coverage was perfect, made my skin tone even & felt wonderful. So, then I began browsing for the best deal... Because I don't like to spend a lot on makeup, but being 35 I'm getting to a point where I should be!

I found it at Sephora, through MyPoints. The foundation cost $20.50. I joined the beauty insider program at the website & was sent a promo code for free shipping on $25 order & if I shopped in either the 2 weeks before or after my birthday I would be sent a free Vanilla Cupcake Bath & Shower Bubbles. I am guessing that this is 2 separate promotions, I just happened to have them overlap!

Plus Sephora lets you chose 3 free samples with every purchase. I threw in a $5 package of foundation sponges and picked my 3 samples (3 designer fragrances). The total order cost $27 after tax, I received 2 points per dollar as well.

It may not be much but I just redeemed some points for a $10 Walmart card. It adds up quickly & I can honestly say that a bulk of my almost 40,000 points to date have been earned by just clicking through a few emails a day or answering an occasional survey.

So if you like to shop online and earn points as a reward Join MyPoints


We just took advantage of a New Year's Deal they ran to join Columbia house earning a total of 2000 points (so better than $10 gift card), plus I added 7 DVDs to our collection (after discounts & points less than $2.50 a movie). I will be cancelling it after we are fulfilled of course! I also purchased a few Christmas presents from QVC as well. I don't recommend using it just to earn points, but if you are already going to shop anyways, I've found it very rewarding!

Stumble It!

Today is Purge day

I am continuing with the purge & clear out today. The guest bedroom has become a dump zone, my sewing room was completely upheaved (can't complain I added a piece of storage/furniture), the kitchen is cluttered, the kids rooms are messy...

I have the day off & I intend to make some serious headway! Of course I will have the Princess home in an hour & I have loads of laundry to do on top of everything else!

At least I stopped procrastinating about my annual check up, that was done yesterday. Now I have to keep all the referral appointments I'll have and get the blood work done. Getting older stinks LOL! But my previous Dr.s have always ignored the fact that I have no medical family history, being adopted and all, this one wants baselines in my records so we have a starting place (mammogram, blood work, and because I've been having some issues a pelvic CT scan). My insurance company is going to love me!

TO do
Laundry
4 5 minute room rescues
Fill a box for donation
shovel some snow
52 pick up in the kids rooms & the kitchen, fling & boogie!
Dinner
dust dinning room


Check out other Tackles at 5MFM.





Stumble It!

2009 Goals

1. Continue to work the budget. Fund EF 5% of our income a month.

2. Set up guest bedroom

3. Decorate the house.

4. Simplify & purge

5. Join our church. This one is easy, we've already submitted the paperwork & have a second appointment. WOOT!

6. Complete 6 home improvement projects
a. Finish painting & hanging bathroom trim
b. Run New ducts upstairs
c. Fix dinning room ceiling
d. Finish The Princess's bedroom ceiling
e. Finish ceiling in kitchen
f. Roof repairs
g. Screening on side porch

7. Work on one sewing project/gift a week. Finish my stack of UFOs. Have a more hand made Christmas in 2009.

8. Stop feeling guilty about spending money on things that feel optional, but are really necessary (new work shoes, clothes, hair cuts). I've been a dream of a wife, considering the stats relating to what the average is we women spend on this kind of stuff. I spent $25 in 2008 on a hair cut, felt terrible about it, WHY??? It should be $150 if I had it done every 8 weeks like I should. That's just your basic cut, it would only increase with a style or a wash.

That's good for now! After all it's already the 13th...

Stumble It!

Tackle it Tuesday #22

We got almost all of the Christmas stuff down & back into storage. The next step was to rearrange the living room. This is the best "before" picture I could find. We flipped the room, our couch is here now. The kiddos were testing out their new light sabers on Christmas morning. It's a good thing Santa brought two...


We had to do something, with the Wii, I was afraid the Princess would take out my computer with one of the remotes! She has a monster throw. It looks like I have a bowling ally in my living room, but since that's our favorite game we should!

I broke out the oil soap and cleaned the wood work while I was at it, very dusty! So really it was 2 tackles in one!

Stumble It!