It is January already and this is always my favorite time of year. I love starting fresh and making resolutions and I get to sharpen pencils and decide what I want my coming year to look like. So fun for a list maker like me 🙂 !
We had a wonderful Christmas this year– lots of Christmas lights and hot chocolate and Polar Expressing and Grinching going on in these parts.
This year we didn’t do a ton as far as gifts go for the kids because they got two huge gifts– the first was a treehouse that my Dad built for them (complete with a fireman’s pole) and the second is a family vacation we are planning later this month to Hawaii.
For some reason my girls just really aren’t that into toys this year. Â They weren’t interested in the toy catalogs and other than craft sets and board games- we really don’t have lots of toys in the house. Â Considering the vacation we have coming up will cost a small fortune I am sure, we just got them a handful of things– books, new scooters (those $19 light up ones from Razor), clothes… and I had this feeling both my girls would like electric blankets. Â They fight over this little space heater I keep under my desk in my office so I picked up two of these from Target for Christmas and it is so funny but that was my 7 year old’s favorite gift. Â She sounds a little like Tiny Tim because people keep asking what she got for Christmas and she says “a blanket” and people give me looks like I put the children out on the street to beg for money but I swear both kids love these things and I regularly steal one during the day to use at my desk.. Â Brrrr it has been cold!
We don’t have a white Christmas in Sacramento so here is my little girl enjoying “snow” made from dish soap at a light festival we went to. Â So fun! Â As cheesy as it sounds I really do love experiencing the magic of Christmas through little people’s eyes. Â We tried hard to savor the sweet little moments over the holidays and that is a big goal of mine for this year.
I have been purging the house like a crazy person– cleaning, organizing and getting rid of so much excess stuff we have accumulated. Â Now that is mostly finished, time to redirect focus on the blog. Â This year I am hoping to get a jump start on many articles and posts and get things up much earlier than I have in past. Â I am actually working on Valentine’s Day treats and printables this weekend so wish me luck on trying to actually work ahead.
I made the decision to slow down a bit on the blog.  The nature of deal or coupon blogging has gone from very mellow when I first started blogging- to an absolute frenzied pace over the past few years.  Sometimes when I read blogs similar to mine I almost feel stressed out by the urgency- “Hurry!! Don’t Miss Out!  Run!” and the sheer volume of posting.  I feel overwhelmed and honestly how many trips can one person make to the store each week.  So this year I want to cut back on the quantity of posts and provide more articles and just overall quality to the things I do post.  I hope you all like the slight change and don’t abandon me. 😉
A few of my favorite things this January include:
I love this cocoon jacket I got from Target– mine was $17 on clearance at the store. Â It looks massively dorky when tied like this lady has it but super cute left open. Â I wear it with PJ pants and tanks around the house and occasionally over my workout clothes for the gym.
It covers your fanny which is a nice touch in January (thanks for that Target!)
And speaking of needing to cover up the fanny, I am slowly weaning myself off these delicious little Starbucks Peppermint Mochas (2 pump, nonfat) which I drank all December like it was my job.
Curse you and your lovely little treats Starbucks!
And have you tried this little blue beauty? Â O’Keeffe’s Healthy Feet is a little bit of magic in a jar. Â If you ever from foot issues- like yucky heels- you gotta get you some of this wonder cream. Â I put it on at night and it works beautifully to keep your feet nice and soft and I am hoping my beautiful feet will really Wow ’em on the beach in Maui in a few short weeks.
I got it at Target for about $6- oh and I got the hand cream too at Walgreens recently. Â That works nicely for dry winter hands but it feels so gross on I usually wind up washing it off after just a little bit. Â (Sorry O’Keeffe’s- no bueno on the greasy hand feeling.)
And last but not least I am trying to get myself back into bathing suit shape. Â I am not planning on a Shape magazine cover anytime soon but I just always feel gross when I have a little extra pudge left from the holidays.
And if you are on the lookout for programs to help with overall fitness and weight loss, one of the teachers at my gym did this 8 week program last Spring. Â I did it religiously and felt better than I have in years and I looked pretty foxy too. Â I was down 9 lbs after 8 weeks which isn’t a ton but that is a really good weight for me to be super energized and healthy. Â I need to drop about 7 lbs after Christmas so I am starting back up on this program again. Â You can just print out the calendars and maybe try to rope in some friends- do it for money or for pedicures or just do it yourself at home to be accountable to yourself for your health.
So there you go– a little peek at what has been going on behind the screen at My Frugal Adventures! Â How is your January shaping up? Â Big goals this year or just trying to dust yourself off after the holidays?
caitlyn says
Hi Charlene, So glad you had a wonderful Christmas! Love that first photo. 🙂 I agree with you about the frenzied pace of couponing blogs! Even as a reader, I feel *totally* overwhelmed by the number of posts. If I go more than a day without going through my feed, I just clear it entirely or else I feel like I can never catch up. Your blog is one of my favorites because of I feel like you write quality posts. So even though I don’t always comment, please know that I am a dedicated follower! Keep up the great work! 🙂
Aubree says
I hope you do a post on your Maui trip! We are taking our kids in September and would love some tips on fun kid ideas!
Kelly in SF says
Loved this post – it’s fun to get a peak into my favorite bloggers’ lives!
I often wondered how you and other deals bloggers keep up with posting all the deals. You won’t lose me as a reader. Please, keep your sanity! Your posts have saved me lots of money over the years, especially during November and December and I’ll be just as happy with fewer posts.
My goals this year are to finish our renovation and move back in, run the elementary school’s main fundraiser successfully, and then get a paying job to cover our new, post-reno mortgage payment! Cheers!
Jen says
I love my Young Living essential oils! We haven’t gotten sick this winter and we went thru 4 rounds each of the stomach bug last winter. Thieves is my favorite!!
Stacy says
Im still here too! I think as you have changed I have as well. Im finding coupons aren’t my thing so much. I think that you’ve got a great eye for shopping online, planning, and family! Thanks for all your tips & help, and links to the good stuff on sale! Happy New Year!
Charlene says
I love Thieves too. I didn’t get sick at all this year and I really think it was my lemon and thieves 🙂
Michelle B says
Thanks for all you do Charlene!! I love your blog. I’ve been following you since I started couponing a few years ago. I have tried to follow others, too and I never stick with them for long!!
Love the insight into your life. I think we went to the same light festival in Sac this year! My girls loved it 🙂
Have a blast in Maui – we are going in March – can’t wait for some sun!
Mrs S says
Completely on board with fewer posts/more articles! I really like the “favorite things” as I live in a VERY rural area and getting ideas and options on awesome things is a huge help since I have to order everything and ship it in. (Of course it’s not all relevant to me-no Starbucks out here in the woods-but I fantasize about what a peppermint mocha tastes like!).
I also enjoy your articles about how you saved/did it yourself/made do… They are inspiring for those of us who can’t just pop in to target for the latest sale (or don’t have the money to!)
Please keep up some online deals, as things like shoes and clothes for a great deal really help our family!
Charlene says
Oh I totally get that Mrs. S. I live next to a zillion stores but when I think about dragging two kids inside, it tires me out :). Online deals are my favorite too 🙂
Charlene says
Yeah!! How funny Michelle! I am really looking forward to it now that it has been so cold. Yes we did the light festival. I thought it was so fun!
Molly says
I love the upcoming changes! I, personally, have been loving the Pinterest successes. We made the salt dough ornaments and I was so relieved to know it was going to work instead of ending up in the trash like so many things we’ve tried. I even made an ornament from an old cookie cutter of my grandmas, painted it pink ( her favorite color) and gave it to my mom for Christmas. Best gift ever! I’m looking forward to the new year and love that your blog has more articles focused on ourselves and our family, with great deals in between.
Lisa P says
Been following your blog for the last 4 years and it has helped save me money and maximize my grocery budget. I admire your ability to change with the times quickly. I am considering canceling my newspaper subscription because we don’t have the time to read it and useful coupons don’t pop up like they used to. It seems that I use more internet printed ones when available. Seems like the deals aren’t as abundant as they used to be, in my opinion. So not as many quality deals to post. No need to stock up on “free” junk food/items here. Enjoy your vacation.
Charlene says
Yeah Lisa- I think a lot of us old timers have burned out 🙂 At least I did. Now I just try to focus on fresh at reasonable prices and while my budget has increased, it isn’t out of control. Plus as you said, stocking up too much can just be a pain in the bum to store and maintain and use. I find myself mostly using printables too these days 🙂
Charlene says
Yeah! I loved those salt dough ornaments Molly 🙂 I thought they were so cute and my girls took them so seriously. I am glad you had good luck too!
Charlene says
You are so kind Stacy thank you!
Charlene says
Yeah! Good for you Aubree!
Charlene says
Ha ha! I empty mine too after a day. Too overwhelming 🙂 thanks so much Caitlyn!
Lori says
I agree, you write quality content and good deals, so I will stick around!
Irene says
If you could post some tips on Maui vacation, like where, when, and what to get . We are planning to visit HI with kids this summer, and I do not really know from where to begin. Love your blog!
Charlene says
Yeah how fun Irene! Ok I will for sure 🙂
Rachel says
Thank you for such a wonderful blog, I really enjoy reading it! I agree with the previous commenter about the online clothing deals…shopping with my 4 year old and 2 year old is NOT fun ha ha so I definitely Å‚ike a good online deal!
Have a great trip to Maui, my husband and I just took our 2 little ones in December and it was a trip to remember, if you get a chance check out a happy hour at the Sea House restaurant in Napili Bay. We parked on the street, spent the morning at the beach and went to the happy hour at 2…the happy hour food is fantastic!! And it’s right on the beach and very kid friendly!
Charlene says
Yeah! I will! Thanks for the tip Rachel!
Jessica says
I have been following your blog for at least 4 years, maybe even 5, could that be right!? One thing is for sure, you are the only one I have consistently followed from the time I first started couponing. I will echo the other reader’s opinions of please don’t decrease the online deals. When I first started reading, I would rush out the door for every deal but we lived in a huge metropolitan area. Now, we live in a rural area. We live a good 30 minutes from the nearest Walmart. Target is 10 minutes past that and Sam’s Club 5 more. CVS is 20 minutes in the opposite direction. I usually make one trip a week and do a weekly haul. With a recent job change on my husband’s part, I’ve even tried to make the trip every 2 weeks. Life has changed dramatically since I started following you, but what you post and how you write has always stayed relevent in one way or another. You do an excellent job!
Charlene says
Oh Jessica thank you for making my day! Yup my blog started in Feb of 2009. Ack I am an old lady! No no online deals are my favorite too so those will stay for sure. So awesome to skip a trip to the store- I am with you there.