{ Recipe binder and new notebooks }

 

Every year, I buy new notebooks to use for my budget and meal plan. It's something I've been doing for a long time, and can't really imagine trying to function without them. 

 

They keep me organized, they keep me on track, and I love having a record of everything I've done throughout the year. 

 

This year, I also purchased a planner. I am not a fan of planners, I'll just throw that out there. 

 

Not because I don't think they're helpful, but because I have never been able to stick to one consistently. I start off great, and within a few weeks it has been set aside, and never looked at again. 

 

But this coming year, I want to try and be consistent. I will probably not use it like others do, and I'll have to adapt it to my needs, so it will probably end up being more of another place to record weekly meals, birthdays or important dates, and blog posts I want to work on. 

 

I don't think it will be a place to keep appointments and so forth, because as I stated above, I don't stick to it, and I forget to even look at the planner. 

 

I have a new budget book. I've mentioned before how I keep mine, but basically, I just organize it by month, I write down all the income that comes in and then all the expenses. 

 

As I pay my bills, I check it off, write down the total and the confirmation number alongside it too for future reference. 

 

I also got a new meal plan and grocery shopping book. Again, I've mentioned it before in my blog, you can read that post here.

 

On one side is the menu, on the opposite page is the grocery list. I take this book with me when I go shopping and if for some reason I can't find an item I need for a specific meal, or if something is on sale, I can easily change the meal plan, right there in the store. Love it, it's helped me immensely. And it also helps when I'm planning a new menu, to go back and see what we were eating and what our favorites were. 

 

The new book I got this year, is actually a dream journal. I dream a lot, like every night, and I usually remember all of my dreams. Some are strange, some are no doubt visitations by family members who have passed on. They tend to show up in my dreams anytime I'm going through a hard time. 

 

I just thought it would be fun to keep a dream journal. A place I can jot down my dreams, first thing in the morning. It will be interesting to go back and read those. 

 

 

 

Next year, I also plan on bringing back my recipe binder. I used to have one, and for some reason I can't find it. I think with all our moves while active duty, and then state wide moves after retiring etc., it seems to have been misplaced or lost, I don't know. 

 

 

 

But as much as I love my food blog online, and the ease of having thousands of recipes at our fingertips, I still feel like there is nothing as amazing as actual recipes in your hand. 

 

My recipe binder was one of my favorite possessions, so I've decided to bring it back to life. I've been working on it and will do a more in depth post, this upcoming week. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Days have been otherwise slow here at home.  Curt is on leave, Nick is on Winter break.  I've spent a lot of time reading, baking and snuggling with these two sweet boys.

They've become so sweet with each other, a cute bond has been forming.  Yes there are still moments Elliott aggravates Marley and Marley will bark at him once, then it's done.  Hahaha

I do thank God daily for the blessing of Elliott in our lives.   It seems a strange thing to say since I've never liked cats, and now here I am, completely besotted with this little boy.  

The funny thing is that he has taken to me as well, and because he has been with us and Marley his whole life, he acts more like a dog than a cat.  It is quite funny to see.

 

I have also been enjoying catching up on tv shows.  I binged the whole Bridgerton series on Friday.  So good, and I had been eagerly waiting for a new period piece to watch.

 

I will say, there were far too many sex scenes, it actually made me a bit uncomfortable at times, but it was a brilliant series and I'm glad I stuck with it.

 

Also watched The Christmas Chronicles 2, Virgin River Season 2 and something else that I can't for the life of me remember.  Goodness.

 

I will be watching the documentary on Netflix called, Diana in Her Own Words, later today.   And I'm sure I'll find some other period pieces to enjoy as well.

 

Right now though, I will finish off this post, then need to get dressed, have some breakfast and take Jasmine to work.

 

I hope you are all having a blessed weekend and I hope your Christmas was an amazing one.  I for one am very much looking forward to the new year, I think it's safe to say we are all ready to put 2020 behind us.