In the coming days you’ll be hearing a bit more from me about some of the crazy (but awesome) things that have happened in my life over the past year. It has certainly been a year of change!
As 2010 draws to a close, I’ve been giving some thought to what might be in store for us in 2011. I think next year will be a time when we are going to focus a bit more on improving our financial situation, and making some great strides with our debt reduction. We are fortunate to not have any credit card debt, but I still have some pretty significant school loans, and we still owe about $1,800 on our car. Oh yeah, and then there’s that insane mortgage we are paying for an empty house back in Memphis.
But seriously, I don’t feel all that down about it! I mean, I could easily choose to do so, but instead, I’m choosing to look for the opportunities that are coming right along with the hardships! Specifically, 2011 is going to be a year when Tim and I are both going to earn more money through work online, and we are super excited about that.
Is Stuff Parents Need part of this plan? Absolutely! Is it the only part of the plan? Not by a long shot! We are working on creating a very intentional plan, with goals for every single month (goals that can be revised, as needed). We are going to be trying out lots of different ways to earn some money online while working smarter. Yes, we’ll also have to work harder, but we aren’t going to sell our time for just a few dollars per hour. We want the work we do to be reasonably compensated, and we also want it to actually matter.
Is this a tall order? Perhaps. But we’re going to make it happen. I’m going to just put our goal out there so that you can help hold us accountable: by the end of 2011, we hope to be bringing in $2,000/month with work we do online. I already teach a college course online, and that gets us about 1/3 of the way to our goal.
Do you think we can do it? Are you interested in being kept updated on our progress? Would you like me to share with you anytime I find a method that is actually working, as well as anytime when we explore something that doesn’t turn out to be fruitful?
I’m really excited about 2011. And I’m even more excited about the financial freedom we will be making strides toward this year. It’s going to be wonderful!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network blogging program, for a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, clickhere.
About OWN: The New Oprah Winfrey Network New shows. New faces. New possibilities.
OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network is a multi-platform media company designed to entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives. OWN will debut on January 1, 2011, in approximately 80 million homes on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel. During the OWN launch weekend, viewers will have the chance to see a little of everything OWN has to offer. OWN programming includes original series and specials, all focused on entertaining, informing and inspiring people to live their best lives.
I was sick for several weeks with Darah in the beginning, which was my only clue that there was, in fact, a little peanut growing in there. I remember the second trimester being relatively easy, though my belly did start to grow quite a bit (I’m only 5 feet tall…nowhere for a baby to go but out!). But during the second trimester, my belly felt quite cute to me. I could feel the baby fluttering about, and I’m pretty sure I had that pregnancy glow.
While I was fortunate enough to not need a C-Section, my body still suffered, as most women’s bodies do, from the experience of carrying a baby and then getting her out of your body. The body I had before is not one I will be able to return to. This is yet another sacrifice that had to be made in order to bring her into the world.
And I’m really glad I didn’t know about it. I suppose it is possible that if I had been able to get a true understanding of the sacrifices required to have a baby, I might have rethought it. I say that because I didn’t know that I had it within me to give at this level. Growing a child and then caring for a child really does force you to be a greater person than you ever dreamed you could be.
. This is a very sturdy album (just like a board book) with slots in the middle of each page for a 4 x 6 picture. It comes with a picture of a baby on the very first page, which Darah immediately began giving kisses to. She also sat right down and started flipping through the album to see if there were more pictures. I knew right then that I’d better get some photos in there, and fast!
But they certainly aren’t cheap, starting at $130 and going up from there (let me just be clear, both strollers that I have were hand-me-down gifts, so perhaps I have no real concept of what a stroller does/should cost). You tell me, does this seem like a fair price, especially if the result will be that you’ll just have 1 stroller, rather than 2 or even 3? I’m thinking maybe so, but I’ve never actually shopped for a stroller…
so that you can make their signature pretzels in your own home! PERFECT! Now Tim can have that delightful treat without having to brave the mall, and the overall cost is less, too. Win-win!
