New Year

Wow. A new year. I've neglected this blog for a while now. I think it's time I spent some more time on this thing. I'm gonna do what I intended to do and use my blog more and my Facebook less.

So lets start with resolutions. I don't normally make them. They just make me feel like a failure because come on really who makes goals and achives them in a whole year? Okay I get that some make sense, go back to school, pay off this or that bill etc. But lose weight, workout more, clean my house more etc those never seem to happen. It's such a small goal for a whole year. I'd like to make some goals to improve not just this year but my whole life from here on out.

I'm starting with simplify. Simplify everything. Less time going places, less time shopping, less time spent cooking, less time and money spent accumulating junk.

I'm also trying to get our family to spend less at the stores and more time and energy making/growing things. I mean why pay money for produce when I can grow it in my backyard? Why pay $15 for pjs that have some cartoon character on them that my kids will outgrow in just a couple months when for less then $5 I can make them warm comfortable pjs in a color or with a print that they like, that I like and that is timeless. Why should I spend countless hours in the mall looking for a sweater or skirt that fits me just right and is in the right color or close enough then paying for alterations when in just a few hours I could sew something up or in a couple of sittings knit that perfect sweater?

My tastes tend to run towards simpler, more basic things anyways so why try to fight the mass commericalism that says I need to buy this trendy crap just because it's all there is when I can create it myself. I'll save money and save myself some stress at the same time.

Rambling post aside...my goals for this year can be summerized by saying simply this: I'm going to spend more time this year creating rather then buying. I'll be making more clothing, knitting more of our sweaters, washcloths, hats and mittens, I'll be growing more of our food, canning our food, making more foods from scratch and all in all being less dependent on going somewhere wasting gas to obtain the things that I can create for myself in my own home.

Oh I also plan on learning how to make soap this year. Like lye and fat create it myself soap. It'll be fun.