November is done - here comes December

I've been setting 3 goals a month for myself. October wasn't too bad - I got a 2/3. November on the other hand ... well I give myself a 1.5/3. Here's a reminder of each goal and how I did this month.

1. Save it, don't spend it. 
Well this one sounded good. But I only give myself a half a golden star. For some reason I thought a $100 Target shopping spree in the middle of November was a good idea and I didn't even buy anything we absolutely needed. Whoops.

2. Start a cleaning schedule.
Um, well I actually cleaned my house a couple times this month. But ... no schedule in sight.

3. Take time to have fun. 
I'll give myself a full golden star here. We did a lot of small things throughout the month that kept fun top of mind. I think it was much needed for me, the kids and the husband.

So this brings us to December. First, how the heck is it December already? I started my new job back in March and I can't believe I'm months away from a 1 year anniversary there. For December I'm keeping things simple. At the beginning of the year I set a word for 2014.

I'm determined to end the year strong and continue to work towards my word of the year. I feel like I've done a good job this year of embracing the life that I've been given and making the best of it. Some of the things I talked about doing back when I wrote that post were finding a new job (done!) and spending more time with my family (accomplished!). 
I feel lucky to have a beautiful home, two healthy daughters and a loving husband. It's hard to remember sometimes that others are less fortunate. I don't want my kids to take the things they have for granted. Part of "living" for December will be to help those around us who need it. We've been picking up items that we will be donating to some organizations that could really use it. 

• The Children's Hope House is place for families to stay while their children are receiving care at the hospital. We are very lucky to have healthy kids so we'll be dropping off some items from their wishlist.
• Vincent Village helps homeless families get back on their feet. Again, we are very lucky to have a nice home to live in so we'll be dropping off some items from their wishlist as well.

So what are everyone's goals for December? Do you make donations during the holidays?