December Goals

 It's the final countdown of 2025! I can't believe it. 2025 has been a wild ride at our house, so I'm glad we're finishing the year with a happy & healthy family - that's really all you could want at this stage. 

Here are my goals to round off the year:

Financial:

• Help with financial planning with a couple of friends (who have expressed interest)
• Earn $200 of side hustle
• Meet with financial planner on tax advice
• Sort Donor Advised Fund (DAF)

Family:

• One date night with M + lots of hiking in preparation for NZ
• A fabulous Christmas/NY break
• Decide on the rest of our family travel for the year (if any) & budgets
• Help both teens with class registration & future planning
• Nudge DS18 & support on finding housing for next year

Fitness:

• Lose 2 lbs
• Regular fitness check ins
• 15 & 15 -strength training & No S days
• Meal prep for lunches
• Average 12,500 steps/day

Personal:

• Get together with friends x2
• Say yes to adventure & trying new things
• Declutter 50 items
• Finalize 2026 goals & bucket list

What about you? What are you hoping to accomplish in December, as we round out the year?

November Goals Recap

 November whizzed by, and it felt like a month where I both got a lot accomplished & somehow didn't have time for everything I wanted to do. 

Financial:

• Follow up on some financial advice with friends - our scheduled time moved to December
• Earn $200 of side hustle - $206
• Finalize 2026 budget - yes, done!

Family:

• One date night with M - a great dinner out + so much hiking & planning for our upcoming trip
• Have a fabulous Thanksgiving + break with the family - it was really so much fun. Both boys worked a lot, but we attended a friends party, Nick hosted a lot, we did a 5k together & we had a great Thanksgiving meal
• Start on Christmas gifts - yes, almost done!
• Decide on NYE plans - yes, and very pleased that my parents will be joining us on the back half of our trip

Fitness:

• Lose 2 lbs - I lost 4 lbs
• Get back to regular fitness check ins - yes
• 15 & 15 - strength training & No S days - 9 & 8 - lots of hiking vs strength training
• Meal prep for lunches - yes, this is working well
• Average 12,500 steps/day - yes, 13,761/day

Personal:

• Get together with friends x2 - yes, lots of meeting up for workouts & hikes
• Say yes to adventure & trying new things - planned an impromptu trip with my parents, agreed to build course curriculum (even though I found out my work wouldn't approve), lots of adventure planning with M
• Declutter 50 items - 26/50
• Work on travel planning & budgets- yes, basically finalized NZ travel planning. Still need to work on 2026 planning & budgets
• Work on bucket list planning - some progress 

What about you? How did you do with your November goals? 

Fitness Monday

 Yikes, it was a very indulgent week on the eating side. Luckily, M & I have started hiking a lot more, so at least there's some offsetting with great exercise.

Weight: had to be up very early this morning, and forgot to weigh in. Coming shortly

Calories: 1,783/day - I most certainly did not stick to the plan for the week!

Steps: 13,772, despite my very low step day yesterday. Lots of hiking earlier in the week!

Workouts:

• Ran a 5k on Thanksgiving
• No workout on Sunday
• Hiking: 7 miles, 6 miles & 9 miles
• A couple of days with shorter walks

Goals for the week:

I want to get back on track with my calorie planning, meal prep & my workout classes. When I don't go to those, I definitely have less energy & miss the strength training. I don't want to undo all of the positive momentum from the past few weeks. 

What about you? How did you do with your health & fitness goals over the last week? 

Menu Plan Sunday

Usually I get the menu plan created much earlier in the week & then schedule the post, but this week, no so much! I really struggled with sleeping last night & had all of the (unnecessary) anxious thoughts worrying about the teens, life & pretty much everything in between. 

Today is going to be a rough day!

• Friday - M & I shared the leftover Thanksgiving steak, and had some sides + butternut squash soup from the freezer
• Saturday - we ate at a party & had delicious Persian food. 
• Sunday - chicken noodle soup + bread (not feeling great, so this sounds like just the ticket)
• Monday - cheesy chicken broccoli & rice (using up the now frozen rotisserie chicken)
• Tuesday - leftover soup + bread
• Wednesday - leftover chicken broccoli & rice
• Thursday - chicken tacos
• Friday - leftovers or TBD

I'm supposed to go to a workout class today, and I'm so exhausted. Not sure if that will happen. Here's what else is on the list:

• Get organized for the work week. This includes reviewing my calendar & resolving any conflicts (I usually do this on Thursdays or Fridays, so I'm a bit behind).
• Plan my workouts for the week.
• Meal prep lunches. I think I'll roast some zucchini, onions, potatoes & chicken sausages
• Reply to a bunch of messages
• Figure out time for our family photos (first time having them taken since the boys were maybe 5? It's been *awhile* ;-))
• Figure out whether we need to cancel skiing
• Probably more, but too tired to think of everything!

What about you? What's on your to do list today? Any good menu ideas?

What to do with a rotisserie chicken & other Saturday things

 I must use a chicken I picked up earlier this week, with grand plans & haven't done anything with yet. I'd love to make chicken noodle soup with some of it, so that might happen.

We have to be up early tomorrow to take Nick to the airport for his flight, so perhaps an easy prepped dish for tomorrow as well. Who knows, but I welcome ideas!

M & I did a 9 mile hike yesterday, and we are slowly building up our miles for our New Zealand hiking trip. Then we came home, made piles of all the things we need to bring, and tried the multiple backpacks we had ordered. Our goal was to keep the lightest/smallest backpack we could reasonably bring on a four night hiking trip. We did pretty well, managing to keep to the 36L backpacks, when the hiking company recommended 40L. The size difference felt pretty significant between the two, so we opted to pack lightly & stick with the 36Ls. We then returned 3 of the other packs we had ordered. I will return the rest to REI, who was closed yesterday for "Opt Outside" day. We fulfilled that goal for sure.

I will say that M & I have had so much fun with this trip. The prep, the training, the discussions of what to bring, it has already brought so much fun into our lives. We will absolutely be doing more active trips in the future, and are looking at a really fun option for Camino de Santiago or Iceland in the future. 

The teens both worked yesterday, and once again I heard a lot of giggling after I was in bed. (Nick has one friend who is such a giggler. I always know when she's over. ;-)) I woke up to a bit of aftermath from whatever they got up to last night - our pantry is looking almost bare again!

M & I had the last of the leftover steak, I had many Thanksgiving leftovers & he had soup to round out the last piece of shared steak. It was delicious. Mashed potatoes + stuffing + cranberry sauce is one of my top favorites. 

As for today:

• I needed a strength training class, but couldn't get off the wait list for the only one that worked for my schedule. I will likely do an easy walk instead today, maybe with some yoga at home.
• We are all going to a party at one of Nick's friend's parents houses. Their daughter also goes to Boulder, so Nick spends a lot of time with her. Her parents are both Persian, so M will get a lot of chances to practice his Farsi.
• I am hoping to roast some veggies & chicken sausage for lunches next week.
• Figure out a dinner menu & a plan for the rotisserie chicken
• Make sure all of Nick's clothes are washed & packed for tomorrow

I'm sure there's more, but that's all that I can think of for now.

What about you? What's on your list for today? 

Frugal Friday

 It's been a fun week, having everyone home, although they are working a lot!

Saving on things we buy

• Used an expiring $20 pizza reward when Nick was home. I don't know who exactly ate the pizza, but when I woke up in the morning, the leftovers were gone & there were plates in the sink. Glad he's continuing his ways of having friends over. (I told him it was fine before I went to sleep.) ;-) 
• Used a $150 dining credit & tried a new restaurant for a date night with M. We LOVED the place & will definitely be back. We ate at the bar, as they had a menu more to our taste & while even the bar was fancy, it was more chill than the restaurant, which we preferred. Very old school, classy vibe & we had a great time. My credit card offers rewards for certain things, and if you don't use it, it expires. The card has a fee, so we try to maximize all of the credits to get the full value out of the card. We always use the travel credits without planning, but have to remember the other credits a bit more diligently. 
• Used a $10 off of a $50 purchase to pick up some things we needed for holiday baking (I made cardamom bread which has a few unique ingredients I don't stock on hand) as well as picked up dinner ingredients, 4 bottles of a wine I prefer that was 30% off, and I bought Nick a Chipotle gift card for Christmas (his request). The Chipotle gift card generated a $10 grocery store reward. I also uploaded my receipts to Fetch & iBotta, and earned $2.55 through iBotta. I picked up the free corn bread, which we won't use, but I'll add to a Little Free Pantry. 

Earning money

• I received an offer to consult on a course, but my current employer was very hesitant about it. At my previous employer, this would have been met with a lot of excitement for me, and would have been viewed as a big positive, so I was quite surprised. Oh well, won't be spending the time on that project, I suppose. 
• Both boys are picking up a lot of shifts, and working a lot. Nick is particularly pleased.

Avoiding spending

• Nothing really jumps to mind this week. 

Eating what we have

• Made Nick a quick dinner when he got back from work - Mac & cheese (it's been waiting for him in the pantry!), bread, cucumbers & hummus & meatballs. It was an eclectic meal, but saved him from eating out & used up things on hand.
• Used up two containers of taco meats to make tacos, as well as the last of a bag of shredded cheese. 
• I also made chicken patty sandwiches for the boys, which used up some buns we had in the freezer. 

For others

• Helped out a neighbor

What about you? Any wins to share? 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Hope everyone in the US has a wonderful & safe Thanksgiving.

We got up this morning & did a Turkey Trot together. I was pretty pleased with my time, especially since I started in the back with the walkers & the teens.

The teens were moderately difficult to get out of bed this morning. They both worked last night, and then came home & all I know is that there was a lot of laughter & giggling last night while we were in bed. I woke up this morning & our entire pantry was spread out on the dining room table. It also appears that a double batch of chicken nuggets was prepared. Just a regular teen gathering. ;-) They are all having fun & working hard, which is all that really matters. 

We still don't have a dryer, and as Nick says, the laundry situation here is worse than in college. 😂 I have a huge amount of laundry currently in the sunshine. We line dry a lot of our clothes (indoor), but both teens have heavy cargo pants, hoodies, etc that do not easily dry, plus work clothes that they are going through very quickly & come out of the wash very wrinkled. It's been a lot of fun so far. M was hoping he'd be able to repair the dryer, but the first part was wrong, they were out of the other part, and now we are missing yet another part. Good times, good times.

Very much looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner & chatting with my favorite people this evening!

Hope all of you are having a lovely day with people you care about.

Fitness Monday

 Overall I feel good about my progress last week, but need to stay on top of the splurges, as we head into holiday season! M & I starting to do some hiking in advance of New Zealand, so expect to see more hiking whenever the weather looks good.

Weight: 155.8, up .3 lbs, after a bigger dinner on Friday & Saturday. 

Calories: 1519/day

Steps: 14,051, thanks to a couple of big hiking days

Workouts:

• 30 minutes elliptical + 2 mile walk
• 2 workout classes
• 2 days of 1.5 mile walks
• 7.5 mile hike
• 8.5 mile hike

Goals for the week:

• Limit Thanksgiving splurges to just Thanksgiving
• Stick to my cleanish eating habits the rest of the week (minus Thanksgiving)
• Get in consistent & challenging workouts

That's it from my side. How are you doing with your health & fitness goals?

Menu Plan Sunday

 

• Friday - I got Nick on an earlier flight (standby), as he got to the airport with friends who had earlier flights (shared Uber). I wasn't planning on him being home, so swapped dinner to his favorite pizza delivery. 
• Saturday - grilled fish + roasted acorn squash unexpected date night out!
• Sunday - Philly cheese steaks
• Monday - tacos (one of Nick's favorites)
• Tuesday - spaghetti + meatballs 
• Wednesday - leftover tacos
• Thursday - we are having *our* traditions, of steak, mashed potatoes, stuffing, acorn squash & pomegranate martinis. M will have pumpkin pie, the boys & I will likely have ice cream. I will probably have one of the Trader Joes peppermint mini cones, which are delicious. 
• Friday - leftover spaghetti & meatballs, or Nick's choice before he has to head back to school 

What about you? What's on your menu for the week? 

Saturday things

 First up, my frugal fail for today is that I cancelled a workout class last night, because M & I checked the weather & it was going to be perfect for hiking. However, I must have had a finger slip, because I somehow registered myself for another class, without meaning to. Drat! I, of course, didn't show up & got charged $14. So irritating. 

I was able to move Nick to a standby flight that left much earlier yesterday, and he shared a ride with some girls in an Uber to the airport. He was thrilled & got in almost 5 hours earlier than planned. This was a win all around, as M could pick him up after work, we got to have dinner with him & spend time with him, and he didn't have to hang out at the airport all day. Winning all around.

We hadn't planned on him joining us for dinner, so I used my expiring pizza rewards, and then wisely added in a second pizza, as there was a discussion of some of his friends showing up later that evening. I woke up this morning & we have just a few slices of one pizza left, vs the two larges we started with. I love that a few of the friends got a chance to hang out last night. M & I were long asleep, or we would have enjoyed the chance to see everyone.

M & I did get up & enjoy a gorgeous 7 mile hike this morning, and talked about our New Zealand plans, Thanksgiving, work, etc. It was so lovely. It turns out both boys are scheduled to work tonight, so we may use our $150 credit card offer (expires before the end of the year) at a place nearby. It's a very fancy restaurant, and we're not interested in a fancy meal, but they also have a bar with a much more casual menu, so we would try that. We'll see how the day progresses.

I think the teens (Sam is about to advance beyond that category!) are planning to go to the climbing gym, so Nick can sign up for a two week trial membership. He will then add in a monthly option when he's back for Christmas break. This is the best choice vs paying for day passes, as far as we can tell.

Hope you all have a wonderful Saturday!

Frugal Friday

A few wins this week, as we head towards the end of year! 

Saving on things we buy

• Stopped by CVS to pick up some vitamins & travel face wash (for the NZ trip) & used a $1 off a purchase, my $10 rewards, and then a 10% off a full price item coupon. All together I saved $13 or so. 
• I used a $250 credit card reward (good for only certain shops) to buy Sam Airpods for Christmas (his request), for $21 out of pocket. 

Earning money

• Cashed out $42 on Rakuten
• Received a settlement for $.61 - with the cost of stamps, I'd rather they had skipped me & given someone else an actual $1. ;-) 
• Sold sunglasses on eBay & made $17
• I made $114 using a credit card reward. 

Avoiding spending

• I received Southwest A list status matching with my credit card, which saves me about $60 on an upcoming flight, as I won't need to pay for early boarding. To be fair, paying for early boarding is never a "must do", but I really like to know I have room on board for my bag, and potentially even sit next to M. ;-) 

Eating what we have

• Eating leftovers, roasting veggies, trying to stave off food waste.
• Made a big yogurt bowl for Sam while he was studying, and included lots of blueberries, pomegranate seeds & granola. He was very pleased, and it kept him from having less healthy & nourishing snacks, as he tends to do a grab & go. 
• Eating lots of fruit & veggies, which tends to be way less expensive than packaged snacks. That said, I did buy some snacks ahead of Nick's arrival. 

For others

• Helped my parents with some financial stuff.

What about you? Any wins to share?

2025 Goals Check In

 Well, 2025 has been a ride for sure! Always good to check in on how things are going, with just a few weeks left in the year.

Financial:

• Continue to pay for both boys college expenses - Yes!
• Get a new job - Yes!
• Earn $3000 in side hustle - $8792!
• Stay on top of food waste by doing monthly pantry or freezer challenges - generally good, more always to do here
• Once I get a new job, figure out a revised savings target. This one is a bit on hold for specifics until I have that information.  - We decided to max out 401ks, HSA & to put money in the boys 529s, up to the corporate match. 

Family:

• Both boys successfully in college - this looks different than I expected when I set the goal, but yes. 
• Optimize points, perks & miles for travel. Track value over the year.  - yes, and this year in particular was an insane amount of money. Will share more in full year wrap up. 
• Plan & have two fantastic trips to Europe. Spain in March, Italy in October. - ha, no. Due to work changes, we pushed everything out & we are doing New Zealand in February. For our anniversary, we stayed close. I am going to Greece in June with my friends, so 2026 will be the year of two international trips. 
• Figure out/plan for remodel - didn't even tackle this. It's on pause, as we are both again super busy with work. 
• Enjoy Nick's senior year - yes, we got so much fabulous time with Nick & his friends. It was wonderful. 

Fitness:

• Lose 10 lbs - I'm up about a pound from the end of last year, but five pounds from my low of last year. 
• Strength train 100 days - currently at 156!
• No S diet 150 days - 78
• Average 12,000 steps/day - 12,095
• Meditate 100 times - I really stopped this about 1/4 way through the year, but did get in 38 meditations
• Try a new workout - I tried both tread & strength class formats, and liked those. I also ran a 10k, although not new to me, it's not a standard workout. 

Personal:

• Language lessons 100 times - I stopped after we decided not to go to Spain, but did 31 language lessons
• Declutter 500 items from the house - 350/500 so far
• Take a college class - I actually taught a class, but didn't take any!
• Get together with friends - so many amazing moments with friends in 2025 - Las Vegas concert trip, local hikes, lunches, dinners with a new friend group, a wine tasting, and a 10k, plus more than I'm forgetting. 
• Get better at pickleball - nope!
• Try something new & uncomfortable - Pulling together a disparate group of friends, being the initiator of a new group of friends, teaching a class, getting a new job... YES!
• Say yes to more adventures  - Yes! See above. Lots of adventures in 2025, but a few highlights would be planning NZ with M, and the girls trip to Las Vegas + concert. 

That's where I stand with goals. 

What am I going to do between now & December 31st? 

• Unless I pick up some pickleball, probably going to leave that one. ;-) 
• May do a few more Spanish lessons & meditation
• Continue focusing on weight loss + step goals + No S days
• Declutter more
• Work on savings goals for 2026

What about you? How are you doing with your 2025 goals? Any last minute things you are still working on?

Working on my 2026 goals

 I feel like I have so much I want to accomplish in 2026, maybe because it's a milestone birthday, or as the boys get older, they require less of our time (definitely not less money ;-)), and I have more time to set goals for my own self development. Regardless, there's a lot on the list this year. I may cut back as it gets closer to January. 

For now, here's what I'm thinking.

Financial:

• Continue to pay for both boys college expenses
• Earn $2000 in side hustle
• Stay on top of food waste by doing monthly pantry or freezer challenges
• Make an anonymous and meaningful donation to someone in my community who needs it
• Optimize points, perks & miles for travel. Track value over the year. 

Family:

• Continue to help the boys navigate college
• Monthly dates with M
• Travel:
• Plan & have two fantastic international trips - New Zealand & Greece
• Plan a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park
• Go on four local hiking trips
• Plan a trip to Hawaii with M, the boys & my parents

Fitness:

• Lose 10 lbs
• Strength train 125 days
• No S diet 125 days
• Average 12,000 steps/day
• Try a new workout

Personal:

• Practice Spanish 100 times
• Declutter 500 items from the house
• Take a college class or art class
• Get together with friends
• Try something new & uncomfortable
• Say yes to more adventures
• Get to know our neighbors better
• Host at least 4 events at our house
• Master a complex cooking technique, or at least one difficult recipe
• Offer to have 2 networking chats with new grads

What about you? Have you thought about 2026 goals? If so, what's on your list that you hope to accomplish?