Taking Stock – February 2020

How can February 2020 be gone already? I feel as though I blinked and have found myself at the end of February. Two months of this brand new year have slipped away and disappeared so quickly from our 2020.

So here we are again reflecting back on the past month, and getting ready to focus on the March. February 2020 has been an incredibly busy month on so many levels. I look at my goals for the year pinned on my board and often tell them, “I’m sorry I didn’t progress you, tomorrow is a brand new day with new possibilities”.

I realise that if I am going to accomplish anything on my 20 for 2020 list that I will actually need to make time for what is important to me.

Let’s go! Taking Stock February 2020.

Making: February has been the month of making lists, rosters, budget spreadsheets, and general organisation. I have also been working on the garage. One of my goals this year was to get my home organised from top to bottom. Its a huge effort to make my life a little bit more simplified. If everything has a place, I won’t feel like I am just moving things from room to room in some attempt of order.

Cooking: This month has been a whirlwind, I decided not to try anything new. I focussed on January’s menu. I want to use what I have in my pantry before I take on new meal ideas. This weekend I am planning our menu for March. One meal in March will definitely be shepherd’s pie and salad, another one that might make a comeback is Donna Hay’s Chinese Chicken recipe. I’m looking forward to some new meal ideas in March.

I’ve started taking photos of the ingredient list of the recipes I like the look of. I have an iphone so I created an album in the photos app and now I have quite a few recipes in my album folder. The downside of this method of recipe collecting is that they take up space on my phone, but the upside means that if I leave my shopping list at home or something happens to it on my phone I can look in the recipe album and I am reminded as to what I need to buy. This has saved me heaps of time in a number of ways. Feel free to give it a go.

Sipping: There is nothing better than a cold soda water with a small lemon wedge and a handful of ice cubes. I’ll probably write this every month as I love it.

Reading: This month I have been reading Dr Libby Weaver’s book “Rushing Woman’s syndrome”. I heard about this book a number of years ago and always looked out for it, but couldn’t find it, but this month I found it in an op shop.

I think every busy woman should read this book. Health is incredibly important and we need to be aware of the risks when we are rushing around caring for everyone else. Its been a good reminder to stop and take time out even if the house is a bit messy, the clothes need hanging out, or the kids are hanging off us.

Having a bigger life doesn’t mean that we become too busy to enjoy our lives, it means that we should be looking for quality of life long term.

Looking: For ways to simplify and slow down my life in whatever way I can. I want to feel calm in my life and present with those I love – immediate Family, extended family and friends.

Listening: My Spotify playlist consists of a massive list of songs that I love. Artists include Lauren Daigle, David Crowder, DC Talk, Amy Grant, and quite a few others. I think there are about 260+ songs on my playlist. I love the variety of this playlist, and I love music as a background to my daily life. I’m not sure how I lived without Spotify….I know I did, but seriously, how?

Wishing: I know we are only 5 weeks into the school year but I would literally love a holiday.

Enjoying: I thoroughly enjoy the moment my eldest jumps into the car after her day at Tafe. I think I get the better end of the deal with picking her up because I get all the intricate details of her day. I love how much she loves what she is learning at Tafe. I can see so much growth in her, I don’t want the year to fly by, but I also can’t wait to see the person she becomes at the end of the year when her class presents their work at the annual showcase. I think we have to throw her a graduation party and invite family and friends from near and far to come celebrate with us. Ames also turns 18 this year so its a big year in a couple of ways.

Liking: Last week our Distance Ed school organised our regional meetup up at Mudjimba beach. It was a lot of fun. There are so many families who are now with Faith, and I love that a few of my friends have joined up this year. I get to do life with some amazing people.

Loving: February has been the month of going to the Kings beach pool with the kids. Some days we go before school, some days after school. There is something about the beach that restores the soul. We are so blessed to live on the Sunshine Coast. I love the beach.

Also, I really love essential oils, and I love how good they are for us. I’m finding out more and more information about it all. I don’t have as many as my sister in law, but eventually I would love a cabinet full of them ready to for whatever the need. #goals

Buying: This month we celebrated nine peoples birthdays in our family. Three of those nine had birthdays in January. We had a fun time down in Brisbane at my brother and sister in laws home last weekend. Buying for nieces and nephews can be so much fun – I really love being an Aunty. I feel like I waited a long time for my brothers to find their beautiful wives and then have children. It’s fun to see everyone and catch up. I don’t think I can explain in words the enormity of love I have for my family, I always look forward to seeing my people. I wish they all lived up here on the Coast.

Watching: We ended our subscription with Netflix this month. We are on a break! We don‘t need to pay for a service when there are some great shows on free to air. Also we really don’t need a streaming service. We love 9-1-1, Chicago Med, New Amsterdam, and SWAT. Also, I have been watching a few of Jordan Page’s from www.funcheaporfree.com videos, and also The Bucketlist family on YouTube.

Hoping: I love doing face masks so it will be fun to make some time to do that in March. I might put that in the calendar….if it’s not in the calendar its not very important!

Starting: Our eldest started Tafe this month. It’s been a big month getting back into the homeschooling swing, JJ starting martial arts. Beps’ shifts at the bakery have changed a little, we have a mix of 4.30 am shifts and 1 am shifts a few mornings a week, Nel started back at Fit Kids, and my life as our official family Uber driver is officially in full swing. I’m determined to help get Amy’s driving hours up. This will help her to become a little bit more mobile. Our second daughter is reminding me often that she can get her learners permit in just over 1 month. I’m not ready for two Learner drivers in the family.

Needing: Self care time. I’m looking forward to getting my hair cut, doing face masks and chilling out either watching some television or simply reading a book or two.

Wearing: Clothes. I wear clothes!

Following: American beauty blogger/vlogger Jordan Page. She has a blog called www.funcheaporfree.com. Jordan talks all things family finance. The Page family have 6 kids, twins on the way so she knows what it is to meal plan and grocery shop for a big family on a budget. She is the Queen of living well on a frugal budget. I really love her videos because I am a true believer of ’the when you know better, you do better concept’. With any advice I get on the internet I like to see how it will work for our family, so I have started doing the numbers with her methods. I found some other Aussies in the www.funcheaporfree.com facebook group who have adapted her ideas to make them work in Australia. The cost of living here in Australia is more expensive than where she lives in Utah, USA.

Side note: Do you think that shopping at Costco is good for the budget? If you have any experience let me know, because I am trying to work out if I want to pay the membership or not? Message me with some tips, do’s and don’t’ s, I want to know it is worth the effort of paying the membership ($60).

Noticing: Time flys far too quickly.

Sorting: The garage is my nemesis. I have been determined to sort the garage this month. I have been selling unwanted items on facebook markets and while a few things haven’t flown out the door as I suspected they might, I am believing that they will sell eventually. Anyone want to buy some golf clubs?

No really, I really want to sell the golf clubs!

Getting: Organised in the finance area of our lives. This year I decided that I wanted to become more savvy. February has been the month of getting our budget reorganised. Budgets are quite freeing in many respects. It’s not about what we can’t afford, it is about being focused on what we want our lives to look like, and being determined to spend in the areas that are important to us. I think I have cracked the intentional code when it comes to actually having a budget that works for us.

I used google spreadsheets to build our family budget. I was surprised at how well I remembered the skills I learned at school when we covered Microsoft excel a few years back. I surprised myself when I remembered how to freeze columns. The functionality of my spreadsheet works so well for me now. I love it!! (Sorry about geeking out)

Giggling: I can remember how to use a spreadsheet from school days, but I can’t remember why I entered a room some days. Oh the irony!

Saving: Still saving for a dream holiday with my gorgeous family.

Bookmarking: Recipes, Jordan Page budgeting ideas, school related topics, home decor, health related articles I want to come back to, getting organised at home ideas, Ideas for retirement. I mean things I would love to have time to do.

Opening: Email. I do it like a pro!

Feeling: Hopeful and happy.

Disliking: I’ll always dislike brussell sprouts.

Hearing: I love how quiet my house when my little people are all asleep.

Snacking: Vanilla yoghurt and berries (YUM)

Obsessing: ‘Getting Organised in many areas of my life’.

Highlight: Our family catchup in Brisbane.

Lowlight: We have had sickness in the house. JJ, Beps and hubby are fighting colds.

Movies: Beps took JJ to see ‘Sonic the Hedgehog‘ movie. Both loved it, but didn’t like Jim Carey’s character in the movie. Hubby and I saw ‘The Professor and the Madman’, there were a number of really difficult moments in the movie to bear, but overall it was a good movie. Mel Gibson and Sean Penn were fantastic in it. I really love movies based on true stories so I would give this a strong 8. If you are interested check out the trailer.

Date night: On Valentines evening I picked up my hunny from the airport and we went out on a date. We decided to go to the plaza and check out ‘Thai Thyme’. I’d love to rave on about the food, but the best part of the evening was the company. I like to hangout with hubby! I should have taken a selfie of us.


So there we have it. Another month has flown by so quickly. It’s time to start focussing on a brand new month. We can’t change what is now in the past. February was a big month. Hubby went to Sydney for work, we had two date nights, a leap day, and opportunities to connect with our friends. time with family. March is going to be great. I want to really work on my list of goals for the year and start to really break them down into bite sized goals. There is nothing worse (okay probably lots of things worse) than getting to the end of the year having not accomplished anything I set out too do. Intentions are empty wishes if action was not applied.

Till we meet again.
xo