I don’t know about you, but I LOVE January.
(Photos taken last January during a snow storm here in GA… hoping we see some snow this year!)
Yes it is cold and sort of dreary outside and there isn’t much going on – no holidays or big events. BUT it is a welcome rest after the busy holiday season of the previous 2 months, and the perfect month to get caught up on some projects inside and do lots of organizing/de-cluttering. I also LOVE the start of a new year. The chance for a new beginning, a fresh start, a new perspective, and a whole year ahead full of possibilities! I enjoy setting goals each year for every area of my life – personal, marriage, home, business, etc.
My business goal list for The Frugal Homemaker is still a bit in the works, but I have pretty much nailed down my list of goals of things I want to accomplish in my home and also share here on the blog this year. I am going to try to a new approach and see how it works – focus on ONE room/space a month until it is done. I am hoping that by doing this I won’t be jumping around all over the house and at the end of the year still have several rooms that I don’t consider “done”. That doesn’t mean that I might not do a project in another room during that month, but my MAIN focus will be on the assigned room during that month. I have a lot of rooms in my house that aren’t working for our needs and have never been really set up or decorated how I would like them (like my master bathroom). So my goal this year is to get EVERY room in our house de-cluttered and redone/decorated according to our budget and needs. We don’t really have major renovations that need to be done – just small projects like painting, adding shelves, adding wainscoting, adding trim work, possibly installing ceramic tile, painting kitchen cabinets, new counters in kitchen, etc.
2015 plan to tackle each room in our home (some of these rooms may switch months depending on time available that month, budget, etc.)
- January – Master Bathroom/Master Bedroom (plus organizing/purging throughout whole house)
- February – Master Bathroom/Master Bedroom
- March – Guest Bedroom
- April – Kitchen
- May – Outside/Deck/Yard
- June – Office
- July – 2nd Guest Bedroom
- August – Laundry Room
- September – Eat-in-Kitchen
- October – Garage
- November/December – holiday decorating/projects
Have you ever done that – focused on a room each month to redo/decorate/organize?
I have also been thinking of some things I would like to specifically do and share here on The Frugal Homemaker in 2015. Some of these are things I need to do for our home, but I also think will be of a benefit to you as readers too.
- thinking of sharing a monthly craft… not necessarily a DIY project but a craft project
- I hope to learn how to BUILD some things this year and help to inspire you to do the same. I have really been wanting to build some smaller pieces of furniture, try some staining techniques, learn how to use a Kreg Jig, and just become more of a DIYer and of course I want to share it with you! Some things on my list – a bench, a smaller x-frame bench, possibly an end table or nightstand, shelving…
- I would also love to share more recipes with you – recipes our family loves and enjoys eating.
- more decorating projects – like how to decorate shelves or how to decorate/accessorize a coffee table
- and since I will be busy updating some rooms – more room makeovers and before/after projects!
This list is not exhaustive as I will still be sharing thrift store makeovers, simple home projects, DIY projects, organizing projects, yard sale finds, and frugal tips like always, but just some additional things I want to focus on this year. I am sure that this list will get added to and changed as the year goes on.
Now here’s your chance to give your input. What are some things YOU would like to see on The Frugal Homemaker? Things you would like to see more of or less of on the blog? I would love it if you would take just a minute or two and complete this super short survey. It will help me as I grow this blog and make plans for things I will work on and post throughout the year. (If the survey doesn’t appear below you can click here to access it).
By the end of 2014, this blog had grown into almost a full-time job for me, which leaves me amazed and very thankful! It has been my lifelong dream to be at home. And to be able to still earn an income AND be at home is a complete dream come true and blessing from God to me. I am thankful for YOU, my readers, that have helped that happen. Who would have thought that my love for shopping yard sales and thrift stores, spray painting things I find, doing DIY projects and decorating my home, and trying to turn our house in a home on a yard sale budget and sharing all of that with people to hopefully inspire them to do the same would turn into a job? It has been TONS of work and I have put in more hours than I ever dreamed possible, but I have enjoyed every minute. Since this blog is my job, you will see ads on the side that help pay for some of the expenses it takes to run a blog (web hosting, email subscription services, monthly fees, training, equipment I may need to buy like camera, lenses, new laptop, etc.) and also helps pay for the many hours I put in behind the scenes and in writing the posts themselves. You will also see some “sponsored posts” that I may take on from time to time. (A sponsored post means I was provided product or materials from a company and/or paid a fee to write a post about a product I tried or project that I did). I only take on sponsored posts that I feel are something I would have written about or done regardless if I was getting paid to do them, brands that I already love using and feel I can support and recommend to others, and /or something that I feel like my readers would enjoy/benefit from. Like my master bathroom – I needed to and would have painted that bathroom and even done the stripes too even if Scotch tape had not challenged me to do so – it had been on the list to do for months and having a deadline actually made it happen! And now I have a bit of extra budget money so that I can frame in the mirror, add some shelves, try a new DIY curtain and share it all with you! Sometimes I even get to offer giveaways as part of these posts to you and I LOVE being able to give things away to you – things I don’t even get myself! In December I was able to give away a $100 gift card, a $50 gift card, and a huge paint package to 3 of my readers – that is exciting to me! So I hope that you understand that this is my job… I provide content, inspiration, ideas, tutorials for YOU all completely FREE of charge… so when you see an ad or a sponsored post be glad they are paying for my time to provide the fun ideas so that you can read the content for free!
Thank you again for reading, following along on my journey, and for taking the survey! I am looking forward to 2015 being an amazing year here at The Frugal Homemaker.
Where was this last picture taken? It is beautiful.
Love this post! Looking forward to what adventures you travel down this year! Your home is beautiful and your heart too!!
I too would like to know where the last picture is taken. It is beautiful.
Christina – I have been following your blog for a few years. It ius one of my favorites! I completed the survey. I think anything you choose will work. You are a blessing!
Have a happy Tuesday…
Sherri
I have joined/followed many blogs over the past few years but as time goes along I find most fall by the wayside because their content just isn’t for me or I simply have to downsize my on-line reading time. I have kept a few that always interest me and I love to follow the writer and their projects…YOURS is one of these blogs. I find reading your blog well worth my time.
I, too would love to learn to build some simple projects so that is one of your ideas that really interests me. I love your home tours, before/after decorating projects and holiday posts. I do a lot of decorating in my house for every holiday I can find as well as all four seasons and I get some great ideas from your blog.
Doing a room/month sounds like a great idea, one I will try myself.
I love the transformation you make in simple inexpensive pieces, so please don’t stop that.
Have a wonderful 2015 and I look forward to all that you will bring to your blog!
It looks like you’ve got some great plans for 2015. And I love that last photo you took. It is gorgeous! Many blessings to you and hope to see you at Haven this year.
I have been following you for years…. I’m a fellow Georgian, and I LOVE your website! Keep up the great work! It’s so awesome to be able to work while doing what you love to do!