This face!!

I know I am biased....but this face!  He looks more and more like his Daddy,

and is such a handsome young man!  

After our visit to the tv station in November, we went to place Christmas wreaths on my grandparents' and sister's graves.  While at the cemetery, they closes the exit that I usually go out and we became lost in one of our city's largest and oldest cemeteries!  As we drove around, we saw this old ornate bridge and had to stop and get some pictures!

I'm SO glad we got lost and took the time to not be stresses out but to take the time!

My little boy is not so little.  And my goodness, he is so handsome.  Someday soon I will have to share him with some VERY lucky young lady, but for now....

lots of yearly goals

Here it is the beginning of 2017.

After spending hours combing through the 101 list with Colie during our Christmas visit I have tried to come up with a plan to finish off our "101 in 1001" strong. So here's the plan:

• I need to blog consistently and that means every day and even on more than one blog so be looking for more blog posts. Wallace Homestead and also be sure to check out scrap-tastrophe Studio for at least one blog post a week.
• I will be working on the Concordance so that it is ready by July oops August, okay by the festival.
• We're going to have classes on the homestead and Faithbooking classes and crops on a monthly basis the schedule will be posted soon.,  the crops and the faith booking information will be posted on the scrap-tastrophe Studio blog.
• And getting finances under control we're doing a month of nothing for January, March and June.
• To get more readers over here to Wallace Homestead I'll be participating in a blog hop almost every week this year.
• Other crafts are going to be worked on including Milly, my scarf and a new craft to be added to the Fall Festival!

So much to do...now time to get on it!

Week 1 of the 52-week challenge

Welcome to 2017

As you know I am trying to get done lots of challenges this year. One of them is the 52 Week challenge that I am doing with some friends on Facebook.

The first week's challenge is countertops and the sink in the kitchen. I took on the challenge today and got it all done in one day mainly because I have lots of other challenges to get done this week. As I cleaned and scrubbed and moved things around to get the dust off, I thought "why do I have so many knick knacks?" As I picked up each one I thought about who gave them to me. I guess I'm sentimental. I can tell you who gave me each thing in my window, on top of my refrigerator, and on my walls. So each item got lovingly dusted and put it back.

I did manage to find three things to send to Goodwill. I filled up half of a trash bag. The pictures before and after may not seem like much of a change however I feel really good about today's work.

 Here is the sink stove and counters.

  And this is the other set of counters by the refrigerator I did also clean on top of the refrigerator and all the junk that was on it with magnets, including all the menus which I put in a folder with my cookbooks for the subliminal message not to order out!!

 After!! Ta-da!

January-Month of Nothing!

Just like last year we are doing a "Month-of-Nothing" otherwise known as a no-spend month to give the bank account a break after all the spending of December.  It's hard because I LIKE to shop!  And January is such a dreary month!

Here is a recap from last year's post...

If you've been reading here long, you know that at least twice a year, I attempt a Month-of-Nothing.  In fact, it is actually part of my 101 in 1001 goals. I'm at about 50%  half the time I do a great job, the other half...not-so-much. 

 After the "spending" of November (I am a big fan of Black Friday) and December, it's time to have a "Fiscal Fast" for January.  

Want to join me?

Leave a comment, so I can be an encouragement. 

Fiscal Fast requires you to not only stop shopping, but mainly, use what you have for 31 days.

Here's the "rules"

– For 31 days, Don't buy anything . If it isn’t food or medicine, you don’t buy it. And as far as food goes, we make our food budget (for the 3 of us) $100 or less. For the MONTH ($25 a week)

Go through the freezer, use up the cans of veggies, the dried pasta and the non-perishables that are collecting dust and doomed to expire. You can still spend money on fresh fruits and veggies, but ONLY if they are needed to complete a recipe with existing foods that you find in the cupboard.  Food this month is focused on using up, not creating magazine worthy meals but that’s OK- it’s just a month and you’re using up those random cans and boxes you would have wasted otherwise.

We also greatly reduce our auto fuel budget during the month-of-nothing, so we reduce trips and combine trip.  Honestly, most of my "excess" driving is to go to the grocery just because I'm "bored" and like wandering the grocery store!  And knowing that we live "OUT" it is too many extra miles!

– For 31 days, you should declutter, donate and reuse.   

Instead of going out to shop, focus on making space in your life.  Donate what you don’t use, fix what you can, or pitch it. Go through your closets and shelves..  

– For 31 days, you should make do with whatever you have in the house. 

Use up those travels soaps and shampoos that are sitting around.  What can you bake from scratch? Use the stuff you received for Christmas instead of saving it for "good". 

– For 31 days, you will focus on finishing those annoying unfinished projects.

 Your half finished scrapbook will finally get done.  That empty recipe book should finally get filled.  Fill up the free time you’d normally spend on shopping, spending money out or entertaining yourself with things that need to get DONE. (and that's a whole 'nother goal list and chart :) )

– Before A "Month-of-Nothing" do NOT Stockpile.  

As much as it seems like you should stock up to "get ready" to go a month without shopping, don't.  You are going 31 days without shopping in order to make do with what you have, reduce waste, make it last or, alas- go without.

 If 31 days sounds too hard- start with 7 days.  One week of NO shopping...not even groceries (except the truly essential perishables or medicine.)  You have a small budget for that.