Monthly Roundup - January

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?

After hearing several people talk about the Hunger Games series, and then seeing previews for the Hunger Games movie, I decided to see what people were talking about.  I flew through Hunger Games wanting more, so I started Catching Fire within hours of finishing Hunger Games.  By the end of Catching Fire, I was still liking the series, but not like I was in the beginning.  Mocking Jay took me a bit to finish.  In all, I liked the series and I can't wait to see the movie!

What movies, television shows, plays, etc. did I watch this month?

The biggest "must-see" show this month was season 5 of Jersey Shore!  I can't help my sick obsession with reality TV.  Cristen came over for the season premier night.  We had Moscato and snacks.  It was fun to have girl time.

My other tv weakness, Shameless!  I had to get Showtime back into our cable line-up for this one.  I tried watching the UK version (which came first) on Netflix, but I had already watched this version first, so I was already attached to the US cast and couldn't watch the exact same thing, just different characters and based in the UK.

And finally, FOOTBALL!  This is Lou and Julia doing the "Tebow" after a Bronco win in the playoffs.  Their success in the playoffs was short lived.  It will be the Giants and the Patriots in the Superbowl this year.

What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends?

This was my and Julia's first month without a car.  Lou's truck isn't running well and I am off of school until the end of Feb, so we went down to a one car family.  I thought that would mean a lot of being stuck home (don't get me wrong, we have been stuck several days!), but we actually got out and had a lot of fun this month.  It helps that we didn't get much snow!

We went with Gramma and Aunt Kacie to the Meijer Gardens to check out the Christmas Around the World exhibit.  We waited until after all the kids were back in school after Christmas break so it wasn't crowded.  Julia loved following the train around and seeing where is would come from next!

We spent an afternoon at the Children's Museum with Cristen and Oliver.  The kids had a lot of fun, but unfortunately, they also ended up with colds!  I forgot how many germs are in a place like that in the winter!

I spent my birthday weekend scrapping at Pages in Time with my mom, Casey and Cristen.  We were there from 6p-12 on Friday, then back at it from 9a-6p on Saturday!  It was fun to get away with friends.  Cristen and Casey are both moms of young kids, so it's rare that we get to hang out together without kids!

We took our annual trip to the Huntin' Time Expo with Lou's dad.  Julia had so much fun people watching and hanging out with her Grandpa.  It was so cute watching her walk around holding hands with her Grandpa and Daddy.  This year they had the crazy taxidermy, but it was partitioned off so we couldn't get close.

What gifts did I give and/or receive?

I celebrated my birthday this month.  We haven't been spending a lot of money on extra things for a while since we just got the new house and are using our extra money to do things around the house, so I wasn't expecting much for my birthday.  Add that with the fact that I got a hefty ticket right before Christmas, and I REALLY wasn't expecting much.  But, Lou surprised me.  He bought me a spinning 4 tier storage bin from Harbor Freight.  It wasn't an expensive gift by any means, but I was happy that he remembered something that I showed him online a while before my birthday and took Julia on a trip across town to make sure that he got me something I really wanted for scrapping.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?

I finally broke down and bought myself a Cricut!  I have always thought they were ok, but not something I wanted to spend the money on.  When Cristen mentioned wanting one, I remembered that The Outlet carried them for cheap and we could use the 50% off weekly coupon.  I ended up buying the Cricut Mini for about $30!  I couldn't pass that up.  And I really like the fact that it works with my laptop so I can see what I am going to cut before I cut.

What were my accomplishments this month?

Julia got a big girl bed to start the new year.  The first few days without a crib were disasterous!  I seriously thought about bringing the crib back, but knew we couldn't since she learned how to jump out.  After a few sleepless nights she loved her new bed.  Now the only problem is that she can get out of bed in the morning, so she doesn't sleep in as much anymore.




How did I do on my goals for the month? (Or any current short or long term goals)

I took on Project Life for 2012.  It is a big project and takes dedication, but I have stayed up to date scrapping my weeks so far.  (Now I just need to remember to blog them!)

Anything else noteworthy to include?

I turned the big 3-0 this year!  I am no longer in my twenties. :(  The last few weeks before my birthday were a bit rough, but I made it to 30 and so far it's the same as before!