Feeling Inspired

A few of the stockings I made over Thanksgiving weekend
(I made six in all!) for the kids.
(The blue one was not yet finished when this picture was taken.)

I have an online friend that I've known for many years. We've never met in person, but she inspires me all the time!

She has a great website called "The Prudent Homemaker" (You can see her link further down in the left sidebar) and now also has a blog where she shares what she's doing every day to live life beautifully, all while being VERY prudent with her family's limited budget and resources.

Her post from yesterday has inspired me to set some goals for myself this week, especially since our family also has VERY limited funds for this year's Christmas presents and celebrating.

So here is my list of goals for this week:

Sewing

• Finish making stockings for Brennan, Lliam, Bonny, and Gavin (I finished Bonny's last night!).
• Cut out dresses for the little girls.
• Decide on a couple patterns for presents for my big girls.
• Figure out what on earth I can sew for my three teenage boys!

Crafting

• Check paint supplies for little peg people. (I think I used up all my paints making a striped jacket for Touchstone in the play "As You Like It.")
• Check my secret Pinterest Christmas Gifts board for ideas for my two little boys.

Organizing

• Finish organizing my closet to fit all my fabric, sewing supplies, and costumes. (I'm almost done! It's a good thing we have a BIG one in this house! I am sooo not a clothes horse. My clothes take up only one tiny rack in my huge closet. I'd rather have more room for the stuff I listed above!)
• Finish cleaning my bedroom, which has yet to be fully unpacked from our move in June. (Yes, you read that right. My poor husband!) My in-laws are coming with our Morganne this weekend, and we want to give them a full tour of our new house. 
• Check and tidy the storage room downstairs.

Home Improvement

• Finish painting Bonny's bedroom ??? (Since Grandma and Grandpa will be sleeping in there!) *Not in the budget this week.
• Patch wall hole.
• Fix light in basement.
• Find warranty for the vacuum *No luck finding it!

Errands

• Take our Lliam for a haircut before his choir concert (per the choir handbook-- hooray for no more shagginess!) *I ended up cutting it myself, and he looks very handsome!
• Take a couple kids to the dollar store to purchase a gift for the sibling whose name they drew in our gift exchange.
• Get paint and primer for Bonny's bedroom (???) *Not in the budget this week.
• Get the vacuum fixed or replaced! *Not in the budget this week.
• Take Brennan to the church parking lot to practice driving.

Cleaning

• Get the house ready for our homeschool group classes here on Thursday.
• Mop ALL floors
• Vacuum EVERYTHING *Still no vacuum.
• FOLD LAUNDRY (The never-ending task at our house)

Okay. Now I'm tired just from thinking about it. I've probably set my goals too high, but I will also prioritize them, and make sure the MOST important things get done first.

Wish me luck?

Love, Mama Rachel