Curls Project: Argent

I know I said I was going to wait and knock out a couple of other projects before casting this on. I couldn't help myself. I had it all ready to go, both physically and mentally, and have for a couple of months. And the thought that this project, which I optimistically thought would take maybe a year to complete has already taken a year. And I'm only on the 4th of 14 projects in it. That's not even 25% done (technically once I finish this one, I'll be 28% done, but it isn't finished so it doesn't count).

The next pattern in the Curls book is Argent.

The yarn I'm using is a bright yellow HauteKnit Simple Sock that I bought as part of a flash sale on Instagram a... long time ago. I think I'm using a US5 needle, but we need to wait a bit before knowing if that's the final decision or not. Sometimes I start one way, and end up going back and re-doing it after deciding it wasn't meant to be that way in the first place.

I have to admit, I have a recipient in mind already, but am going to be flexible with this. Sometimes I start knitting something and think it's for someone, then later change my mind. Or sometimes I get the message confused while knitting, only to have it straighten itself out later on. (I thought I wrote a blog post on this already, turns out I haven't so it's going on the list.)

Finished Object Roll Call: April 2016

So, I've been slacking on the Finished Object Roll Call this year. As I look over what I've accomplished so far, well, it doesn't seem like much. According to my Ravelry page, I've only completed 3 items this year. I'm gearing up for a productive summer and hope to start showing off some great items here! 

If you ever see an item here that you would like a tutorial on, or more info about it, let me know! I have done Finished Object posts that break down things such as cost and time invested in projects, and would happily do more.  

Knitting/Crocheting

I had some high hopes for a couple of projects this month. Unfortunately I ran out of time on most, and yarn on one. Next month though. 

Sewing

I adapted the Pillowcase Tutorial found on Made Everyday

If you'd like to see the FO's in progress, as they are completed, and some other random bits and pieces of life, follow me on Instagram!I also do GIVEAWAYS on Facebook.  You should go 'like' the page, be sure to be following it too! 

Gridelin

I finally finished it. I started it last August, I think. It was a long time ago.

At the beginning I had decided that this shawl needed to be bigger than the previous two Curls shawls because this one I was keeping for myself and I wanted it to be able to actually help keep me warm. I have plenty of scarves already and didn't want to really add another one into the mix.

I stopped tracking time on it. Other than the feeling that I was STILL knitting on it and it would NEVER END. But I stuck it out and it's really finished and I'm going to put it away nicely for awhile until I'm ready to look at it again.

I used two skeins of Cascade Heritage sock yarn. I have a third one but couldn't bring myself to keep going when I saw the end of the second one in sight. It's a decent size and I'm happy with it.

The current internal debate is whether I should try to knock out a few other projects (I have 10 Christmas stockings on order and only completed about 25% of one so far. My goal was one a month) or if I'm good to cast on the next Curls shawl. I have the yarn caked and ready to go. I even have a recipient in mind for it. But I'm not sure I'm ready to slog through another shawl just yet.

Stash Goals 2016

We've made it  to April. A time of year when some have abandoned the "resolutions" they made back in January. If you are a regular reader, you know I don't like the whole New Year Resolution deal. I just like setting goals, because you can do that any time and adjust them and be successful with them.

As I had a few days home over the winter break, I once again was frustrated and overwhelmed with the amount of stash I have. I have been trying, quite unsuccessfully, to reduce my stash. Fabric to zero if possible. And yarn by.... a lot. It would free up an astonishing amount of space in our apartment. (We've also been going through things and have a sizable donate pile.)

In order to reach a goal, you have to have a plan in place though. Here's THE PLAN.

Yarn
Overall Goal: Use 3 balls of yarn for every 1 ball acquired   Revised (already): Move more skeins out of stash than I acquire. So far, I'm not doing so great at it, but have a game plan.

The Plan:
1.  Find one skein projects, such as baby sweaters (for the Etsy shop and to have handy for baby showers), and use up all the single skein sock yarns I have.

2. The Box: I have a box. I've filled it with dishcloth cotton to start with. The goal is to use up all the yarn in the box without acquiring more of the same kind of yarn.

3. Make all those sweaters for myself I've been planning and buying yarn for.


Fabric:
Overall Goal: No more stash. Buy fabric as needed only.

The Plan:
1. Finish all the partially done projects hanging out in the closet, and basket. Yes, there is a basket for sewing projects as well.

2. Make the clothes I had planned for myself.

3. Use pattern books to find suitable patterns for the fabric I have. Again, probably baby stuff for the Etsy shop and baby showers. (I know a few lot of pregnant folks, it's that season of my life.)

4. Do not buy fabric. Ha! Revising to a 100 day no buying streak (like last year)

5. Sew every day. Just 15 minutes a day will add up to 7+ hours a month. And on weekends, once I get going I usually end up sewing a lot longer than 15 minutes.

The Emergency Fund: Why I didn't listen to Dave Ramsey

Quite awhile ago, my husband started listening to Dave Ramsey. We got his book Financial Peace and read it. And set up ourselves a plan.

A pseudo-DR plan.

One of the biggest disagreements I had with DR and his baby steps was the Emergency Fund step. He advises you set up a $1,000 emergency fund, then stop there. After that you pay off all your debts and then work on a 3-6 month emergency fund.

This didn't sit right with me. Ever. Only $1,000? I did the math and that would not cover our bills for one month if just one of us were to stop working for whatever reason. Not one month. That would have meant using credit cards and accruing more debt, and we already had more than we could handle.

Now, I am a Wardle Woman. When we make up our minds about something, our minds are made up. I made up my mind that we would not have a $1000 emergency fund, then work on paying off all our debt. After calculating with our current salaries, it would take us 3 years to pay off all our debts. And only having $1000 in the bank, and not working on building our retirement for that long, made me EXTREMELY uncomfortable.

I felt very strongly about this. Very, VERY Strongly. No matter how I reasoned, and no matter how my husband reasoned, I could not sleep well at night knowing we had only $1000 to take care of us. I just couldn't do it.

In my experience, if I feel that uncomfortable about something, it means I need to do something to change it. You can call it whatever you want, "gut instinct", "intuition", but for me I usually feel that this is the Spirit prompting me to take certain action.

So, I told my husband I was still going to contribute to our emergency fund until it was $5,000. We could get by for about 3 months, longer if we were super careful, on that amount of money.

We reached a milestone of $2,000 in our emergency fund at the beginning of the year. I started to feel a lot less stressed and worried about our finances at this point. I felt like we were on the right track to keep us afloat for a month or two if something were to happen. At this point my disaster list consisted entirely of job loss. It would tide us over long enough to find a new job.

I kid you not, less than a week after reaching this milestone my car broke. Broke in a big way. Broke in a $2,000 repair bill way.

And I was so relieved that we had the cash on hand to pay for it. I was glad, that despite my husband's hesitations, I had put aside as much as I could after tithing (which always gets paid first) and paying bills (including extra credit card and student loan payments) into an emergency fund. I was glad I had IGNORED (sort of) DAVE RAMSEY.

At that point in our paying off debt journey, a $2,000 credit card charge would have put us right back where we started out at. Even if our emergency fund had been at $1,000 and we had to charge the other half, it would have been a major setback.

When it happened all I could keep saying and thinking was, "Isn't it great that Heavenly Father let me know that we needed more? That He kept this from happening until after we had what we needed to take care of it? Isn't it great!"

Since then, I have continued to ignore good ol' Dave Ramsey's advice about the emergency fund limit, and contributing to retirement (I recently read an article saying that most Millenials don't even have retirement and don't plan on having any. I do not want to be a 70 year old working the grocery bagging line).

Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't listen to DR. We listened to him. I think my husband still does, but I got tired of hearing him answer the same questions, the same way, over and over and over again. If you are listening to him, and following what he recommends, 90% of his radio show would not be happening.

Anyway. I appreciate what Dave Ramsey is doing for the people who listen to him. I appreciate that he has facilitated a very open financial relationship between myself and my husband. Because of him we BOTH know what are finances are like, where we are, and what needs to be done in order to get where we need to be.

But that doesn't mean we are following his advice verbatim. We are taking the concepts he advises, and adapting them as our situation dictates. And, honestly, as we are being led by the Spirit to adapt them.

When you do that, it allows Heavenly Father to see to your needs as you are able to take care of your own family. I am still working on that $5,000 goal, but for different reasons now. And if I feel like we need to save up more, you bet I am going to listen to that prompting because I know it's one way that Heavenly Father is keeping an eye out for our little family.

Saturday Productivity: The Double Ups

Last week I posted my personal Saturday Productivity posts here. Number 5 on the list was to Double Up during laundry. For me this is a no-brainer, and hopefully it's something that you already do. How they work is I start the laundry, set the timer on my phone, and instead of sitting in front of the tv while I wait for the laundry to be done (we use a laundry facility), I get things done!

Here are my Double Up Duties. Some weeks the laundry gets done partway through these, but that doesn't mean I stop doing them. Most weeks it's the to-dos that get neglected, or bumped back. I do not do them in the same order every week, so don't feel like you have to if it's just not working for you. Also, you might not have to do some of these, but have other things that do need doing.

•  Clean the House

I start with the bedroom because I want it clean and ready to go by the time my husband gets home. This is purely for selfish reasons, I don't want to finish everything and start with my relaxing only to have to get myself back in cleaning mode at 5:00 p.m..

I work my way through the house leaving the bathroom for last. Mostly because I will shower after all the cleaning is done, so I clean the shower while I'm showering (I've found this to be wonderfully efficient for me).

I don't mind vacuuming at 6 am if that's when I'm ready to vacuum because I have neighbors who don't have a problem vacuuming at 11 pm when I need to be sleeping. However, sometimes I don't get that far in the process and vacuuming has to wait until after my husband wakes up in the afternoons. Which I don't mind as long as the rest of the house is clean.

• Clean out the fridge and start the dishwasher

This next step sets me up for the one after it, as well as the final Saturday morning duty I have. I clean out the fridge for leftovers or expired food. Then I finish loading the dishwasher from last night with the newly empty containers and start the dishwasher. This can be part of the cleaning the kitchen part of cleaning the house, but I like listing it as a separate step, just so I can cross two other things off my to-do list for the day. 

• Meal Plan and Grocery List

After cleaning out the fridge, I will go through what is left as well as what we have in our freezer and staples in the cupboard. Using what we already have, I make a meal plan. This involves looking up recipes sometimes, as long as I don't get distracted by cat videos or sewing/knitting blogs, I am allowed to get on Pinterest to look at my Food to Make or Accomplished board or search using the foods I have on hand for recipes. (This week's search was 'broccoli'.)

On pay weeks (my husband and I both get paid the same week, him on Tuesday, me on Friday) I will do the staples stock up. This includes things like flour and sugar, 'cream of' soups, rice, toilet paper, detergent, toothpaste, etc. I also try to meal plan for the two weeks we have until the next paycheck, but this doesn't always never happens. 

Then, I go through the planned meals, what will be used from staples and the freezer, and other small things we might need (like toilet paper) and make a basic grocery list. I then will look through the recipes for the week and add anything we need that we don't already have (sometimes I run into a spice that we don't already have, little things like that). 

This list is ready to go when it comes time to get groceries later on. 

• Tackle the To Do's 

I have some wonderful hobbies, a great job that I love (sometimes hate), and lots of other things going on. I like being busy. It's part of what my dad calls the "Go Gene". So I use this time to tackle the to-do list.

My list usually includes things like finishing up a custom order, getting pictures taken of things for the etsy shop, facebook, or here. Writing blog posts, getting packages ready for shipping. I also am a moderator for a swap group on Ravelry and this is a great time to check in on it for the day.

Since technology is great, I can also use this time to write posts on the Facebook business page, listings on Etsy, and here on the blog, and schedule them for the week. That way I don't have to scramble late on a Thursday night to post something on Facebook.

• This is also a great prep time for getting everything together that I need for out of the house errands if it's a grocery week. 

• During all of the Double Ups I listen to podcasts. One podcast I listen to has multiple episodes a week, and several of the others I am behind on. These couple of hours during laundry are great for catching up on podcasts. Plus, my phone is mobile, I can put it in my pocket or connect to the speaker and still listen while I'm scrubbing the toilet or putting away laundry in the bedroom. I am not chained to the living room like I would be with a t.v. show! 

Saturday Productivity Tips

I've been feeling like I've been super productive on Saturdays lately. I try really hard to do this because it frees up the rest of the week for relaxing and hobby related stuff after work. No one (at least not me) wants to get done with work on Tuesday (or any day really) and go straight to work again getting the house clean, or doing the laundry, or doing the dishes, or figuring out what to do for dinner. All of those lovely household duties that come with being a grown up.

This is why I spend my Saturdays, mostly the mornings, being as productive as humanly possible. It will set me up to have a smoother week in the after work hours, allowing me to enjoy the things I want to enjoy and have time to spend with my husband now that our schedules have a 4 hour overlap in the afternoons.

If you missed it earlier, these are the things I get done every Saturday and still have most of the day to relax and enjoy:

• All household laundry (up to 9 loads if it is sheet and towel day)
• Clean entire house (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, and 2 bedrooms being used as an office and spare room) side note: this one usually happens completely every other week when my husband is still on shift. If he is off shift, I can't do things like vacuuming because he is asleep and I don't want to wake him up!
• Dishes
• Meal Planning
• Grocery shopping

Right now with my schedule, I can get these all done by 10:00 a.m. on a good day. Folding and putting away laundry is the exception, but I talk about that later.

Here are the things that have worked for me, take the ones that you think will help you and let me know your tips for being productive!

1. Keep your daily scripture and prayer routine.

I read scriptures first thing in the morning during the week, before I head to work. Then I say my morning prayer and head out the door.  On the way to work I will listen to a talk from General Conference, or from the LDS General Conference Classics podcast.

Just because it's the weekend doesn't mean I get to skip a day, or wait until later, to do this. Starting the day off (as well as ending it) with God is the best thing you can do for yourself.

2.Don't Turn the T.V. On

Most people word this tip as "turn the t.v. off", not me. I think one of the best things I can do for myself is to not turn the t.v. on in the first place. I set a time, and it varies based on the day and what needs to get done, that I have to wait to reach until I can turn the t.v. on. The goal is to have as much done as possible before sitting down and getting caught up in a show which leads to my productivity grinding to a halt.

3. Don't Sleep In

Now, I'm putting this up front, this one you will need to read and adapt to your own situation.

During the week I wake up at 4:30 a.m. (yes, you read that right) to have enough time to not feel rushed in my morning routine and still get to work on time. On Saturdays my wake up time does not change. I leave sleeping in for Sundays.

Waking up at 4:30 on Saturday allows me enough time to do two things. First there is absolutely zero competition for washers in our apartment complex's laundry room that early on a Saturday, I can get up to nine loads of laundry done by 8:15 am when other people may start deciding to get up and do their laundry.

Secondly, I am able to get the entire apartment clean, including running the dishwasher and getting most of the laundry put away, before my husband gets home from his shift at 7:30. This frees up my day, and leaves me free from worrying about being too loud as I move stuff around in the kitchen and bathroom as I clean them.

4. Start the Laundry First

The first thing I do is start the laundry. Friday night I make sure I have everything in a basket, or at least a pile, and first thing I do when I wake up is take it to the laundry room and get started. Then I sit down and do my scripture routine.

I set a timer on my phone so it rings when the laundry load is done and needs to be switched to the dryers. I set another timer to remind me when to take the next loads over and start them so they will be done when the dryers are done. (Our laundry facilities have a half hour washer cycle and an hour dryer cycle.) As loads come back in to the house they get folded and put away immediately.

I keep this cycle going until all the laundry is done being washed and dried. Folding and putting away is the only exception to this routine. I am allowed to keep the loads that come out after my husband gets home for folding while I watch t.v. later in the day. They get put away when he wakes up in the afternoon. This is because on heavy laundry weeks there is overlap in the time laundry finishes and his normal sleeping hours. I don't want to disturb him so he can get a good sleep and be ready to work, so I don't go in the bedroom. Much less open and close drawers and the closet.

5. Double Up during Laundry

Since I have my laundry on a timer, I know I will not forget to get it or change it over or anything like that. Laundry does not take all of your focus, you start it and walk away. So I use this time to get other things done. I don't sit around reading (after I finish scriptures) or watching tv. Or mucking about online. I get everything else done that I can with the goal that once that last load of laundry gets folded and put away I am ready to go get groceries (My final 'chore' for the day).

Here is my post on the Double Ups to get you some ideas of what I do while I'm waiting on the laundry.

6. Get Groceries! (and other Errands)

I save this one for the last because I need laundry done before I leave the house. This is only because we use a laundry facility and I don't trust people to leave our clothes alone if I happen to be half an hour late getting that last load out of the dryer. 

If I'm in the mood, and it's still early enough, I will go to a class at the gym. I usually work out in the afternoons when I get off work, but not on Saturdays. If I don't go to the gym, I head straight to errands like going to the post office, and shopping. Mainly grocery shopping. 

I first hit up the local Farmers Market for in season veggies. I bring cash only, in a limited amount,  and if I run out of cash I run out of things to buy. On weeks where our budget is tighter, I will skip the Farmers Market and go straight to the Aldi. 

At Aldi, I get everything we might need that they carry. Meat, fruit/veggies, eggs, milk, staples, etc. I use Aldi because it can be much cheaper than Wal-Mart (last comparison I hit Aldi total price for 20 items after only 6 items in Wal-Mart). 

Whatever I can't find at Aldi that we need I go across the street (literally) to Wal-Mart, or if I know Wal-Mart won't have it (yes, it happens) I head to Kroger. Since we have a Kroger card we will get fuel points and some pretty sweet coupons every now and then, so sometimes Wal-Mart isn't even on the list. 

Then, when I get home I am not allowed to sit down or turn the t.v. on until EVERYTHING is put away. Not just the things that need to go into the fridge or freezer. All the staples, the toilet paper, laundry detergent, whatever I bought. It needs to be put away. 

FYI: I do not actively coupon. I do not foresee myself doing that. Buying only what we need and things that are on sale is working fine for us right now. 

Finally, since I do stock up on staples, there are some weeks where I do not need to go shopping. I will either go to the gym, or use the day as a no-drive day to save money on gas. Other things that might need to be done, like mailing a package, can wait until after work on Monday. 

7. Put on the Lounge Pants and Get Busy

At this point, I have reached all my necessary duties. The house is clean, we have the food we need for the next week or two, the laundry is done and put away. I can turn on the tv because from here on out, I can watch tv while doing things without it being a big deal. I mean, folding laundry just begs for tv!

 One final tip, I use the commercial breaks to put he folded laundry away. If it's a weekday, commercial breaks are used for quick chores like loading or unloading the dishwasher, cleaning the toilet, and such.