My first roundup of 2009 is done! I tweaked the roundup tool a bit and I think it is even easier to use now. I hope this will inspire even more people to take a moment at the end of each month and make a few roundup notes of their own. Here's what I did in January of 2009:
What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
I used my word for this year of "learn" to motivate my reading choices and I feel like I really gained a lot from what I read. I also signed up for goodreads which is a great way for me to keep track of what books I read each month!
Why did I let these 2 books sit on my shelf for so long? They were both amazing and I learned SO much about photography. Just simple little tricks that make a huge difference! I totally recommend both of these books by Scott Kelby. If you can only afford one of them be sure to get the first one, but if you can get both the second one is great also!
I also really enjoyed this amazing photography book. Truthfully, it was a little over my head since I'm not a world class National Geographic photographer, but I learned a ton by looking at the pictures and even more by reading what Joe McNally had to say about each one of them. I stayed up late into the night pouring over this one.
I read Anne of Avonlea with my daughter and The Hound of the Baskervilles with both of my kids. Loved both of them - they are classics. I also enjoyed You Can Do It! The Merit Badge book for Grownup Girls and I think I will work on a few of the "badges" during the year.
What movies, television shows, plays, etc. did I watch this month?
We all enjoyed this one about Walt We like the Narnia series Ok, don't judge me - LOL!
We also watched the Inauguration of President Obama, and a lot of Disney Channel shows like Hannah Montana, That's So Raven and Cory in the House. Hubby and I also started watching LOST again. Hurray for a new season!
What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends?
Played Nerf Tag with my family - totally fun!
(I set up the timer for this picture so we could all be in it)
We also hosted a date night for some youth in our neighborhood, which was a blast! We went on a dinner date with 2 sets of friends and had a great time. My kids auditioned for a local play and made the cast list. The director somehow convinced my very busy husband to participate also because he would be perfect in the scene with my son.
What gifts did I give and/or receive?
I gave my Mom a pro flickr account and a gift certificate for her birthday. Amazingly, I still haven't spent the money I received for Christmas from my parents, my in-laws, and hubby's grandma. That has to be a world record for me!
What special or unusual purchases did I make?
We had shelves built in our garage
This forced us to start organizing our garage. However, it's been too cold to finish the job (and we've been too busy/lazy to do it).
I also bought a new shower curtain and towels for our hall bathroom but I forgot to take pictures of them.
What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
We were all pretty healthy this month! I did gain a few pounds though - I blame my new hot chocolate machine! Unfortunately, my Father-in-Law got pretty sick and ended up in the hospital. He is doing much better now.
What were my accomplishments this month?
I blogged every day, I read a lot, I learned a lot of new things, and I did a ton of homeschool with my kids so I feel like I had a very productive month. I started Scrappy Sundays and Memory Mondays on my blog and founded a flickr group just for digital scrapbookers. I feel like I had good scrapping mojo and I got a lot of pages done and participated in several challenges. Here's a recap of all the pages I completed in the month of January (images are clickable to gallery links)
