What Are Your Goals for 2014

C.S. Lewis said, "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream..."

Where there is no vision, the people perish... (Proverbs 29:18a KJV)

We are a week and a half into the new year. 

Are you still as gung ho on your resolutions as you were on January 1st or have you fizzled out? 

Have you written out some goals for you and/or your family? 

Remember, goals take time to reach. They do not happen overnight.

Goals require a plan and action. Goals are only ideas until you set a plan in motion.

Goals need to be attainable. If your goals are too hard are too high to reach, you will give up before you have even started.

Brian and I set some goals for ourselves

1. Eat better. We are not doing a complete overhaul of our eating habits in one shot. We are eating the same kinds of meals, but we are eliminating snacks and "extras" throughout the day. 

2. Pray together in the evening. This is something we used to do when we first got married, but life, exhuastion, and the birth of our chldren squeezed it out of the schedule. We are putting it back in.

3. Have a joint devotional a few times a week. We have our own devotions, but there is nothing like having time in the Word with your spouse. 

4. Exercise. I am enjoying my exercise time. I originally planned on exercising 3 times a week, but I am enjoying that time so much that it has become a daily thing for me.

Have you set goals for yourself or as a couple? I would love to hear what they are! Leave them in the comments or share them on our Facebook page.

Shop Amazon - New Year, New You in Books

Needs: Theirs, Mine, and (H)ours

Imagine that you are running a 5K.

 

You've set a steady pace for yourself and you're doing well. You haven't spent too much energy, and if things keep going along the way they are you will finish this race with enough energy to pump your arms in the air as you collapse across the finish line. 

 

Suddenly, a hurdle is thrown in your path. You can either keep your pace and expect to run right through it (with horrible results) or you can pick up momentum, leap, and then resume your steady pace. Another hurdle may or may not be thrown in your path, but you never know.

 

As a woman, you know that this 5K race is one you run every single day. Some days there are obstacles/hurdles that suddenly appear at any given point and on others days the path couldn't be clearer while you are trying to reach the finish line in this race of life.

 

If you are a work-outside-the-home-mom, that hurdle might be the call from school telling you that you have a sick child that needs to be picked up. For the stay-at-home-mom, that hurdle could be the dreaded crayon incident that occurs while you are homeschooling your older child and sends you scrambling for some type of cleaner while saying "no, no, no" and trying to keep your cool at the same time (if it sounds like I know something about crayons on surfaces other than paper..... I do).

 

There are always going to be little things that come up during your day. Your children and your spouse need you and quite often need something of you. You have needs, too! And there are only so many hours in the day. 

 

So how do you keep from getting derailed but instead ending your day with a semblence of peace?                                        

 

1. Put God first.

It goes without saying. When you put The Lord first in your day, even if it is just having a prayer time with Him first thing in the morning, you are, in escence, handing your day to Him. It could not be in better hands than that. 

2. Evaluate your responsibilities for the day.

Make a list of what you and your family need to do, and then check it twice! Do you really need to get everything on that list done? What can be eliminated? Is your list overreaching what is even humanly possible to do on any given day?

3. Evaluate what your family's needs/desires/wants are.

If you have small children, mommy/child playtime is high on their list of needs/wants. Keep that in mind. What does your husband want? A nice dinner, a particular favorite meal, couple time? Keep his needs in mind. What do you need/want? A hot cup of tea or coffee during naptime, a chance to put your feet up for half and hour? 

4. Break up your day into thirds.

On a sheet of paper (or open a page on a digital notebook), write down morning, afternoon, and evening. 

Then take your list of responsibilities and your family's needs/wants and fit them within the three parts of your day.

For example, my list yesterday looked like this:

Morning- devotions and prayer, exercice, dress, quick clean, 2 loads laundry, homeschool, make pottery with Addie

Afternoon- balance accounts, pay bills, fold laundry, blog, prep dinner, play Barbies, cuddle time with the munchkins

Evening- quick clean, layout clothes for tomorrow (me and kids), pack Ian's lunch, pack Brian's lunch, pack Addie's back pack, clean kitchen, read two books with kids

I saved our fun activity as the last item for each part of the day. The idea behind this is to teach my children that we can have fun after we get our jobs done. They are also getting to have fun throughout the day instead of having to wait to have fun at the very end of the day.

In the morning, our fun activity was to make a clay pot (which turned out to be more of a plate) with a pottery making kit Great Grandma K gave us, and Ian got to color (a priviledge that had been taken away due to an incident earlier this week) because we completed everything on the list an hour before lunch. 

Because Addie gave me the quiet time I needed during naptime and even helped me make dinner and fold her laundry, we were able to play Barbies together once our afternoon tasks were complete. 

For me as a goal oriented person, I like knowing that one of my "things-to-do" is to stop, sit, and play or interact with my kids in a fun way without thinking about what I have to do next. 

I do get "me time", also. During nap time, I can sit with a cup of hot tea, iPad and keyboard, put on the Pioneer Woman's cooking show, and relax while I take care of my online things. For me, that is relaxing. 

By getting everything done by the time the kids go to bed in the evening, I am now available for my husband. 

Not having too many things to do on my list means that when hurdles suddenly get thrown in my path during my daily race, I have time to adjust my speed, pray, leap, and keep running.

It's a new day, Ladies! Lace up those running shoes and let's hit the pavement at a steady pace today.

100 Days of Summer

I am so excited about summer this year! I have so many goals and plans, but from Christmas time I learned not to actual publish them until after we do them.

As each new season approaches, it is so much fun to go onto Pinterest and pin away. Once the season begins, even though we have so many ideas and pins, it is so easy to draw a blank.

The eBook, 100 Days of Summer, is only $5 (I am receiving no compensation for this) yet gives so many ideas, lists (which you know I am all about), recipes, and links to other helps. I have already read through the book (1 page per day of summer), and I am so excited for summer to officially start, which the book begins at Memorial Day.

I bought my own notebook on the same day we bought Addie's and I have already begun writing down my plans and ideas so that I am ready for each holiday and moment this summer.

This season, I have a plan, but I am open to change. I have certain dates lined up for activities (such as our blueberry "hunting" adventure pictured above. Yes, that is what Addie called it.), but nothing is set in stone. I want to plan fun moments for my children, but when family and friends reach out for us, I want to be flexible enough to adjust our plans.

I also need to make sure that our summer includes lots planned activities but also planned rest. I don't want everyday to so pack with adventure that we are burned out half way through summer. Planned rest to me means scheduling days that are non-negotiable go nowhere, have no one over, do nothing overly active at home days.

Exciting days ahead for our little family! Bring on summer!

The Date

Date nights are very special and important to us. They are a time for us to connect without having to be "Mommy and Daddy" at the same time. We can talk about important matters that affect our home without having to split our attention between each other and the kids.

 

 

This weekend, Brian and I were able to go off for a few hours for dinner and a movie (and I got to stop in at Barnes & Noble to talk with an expert about my tablet. So happy!).

 

My sister Faye and her husband Jim offered to babysit the munchies, which got us out of our county (because we soooo needed a change of scenery!) and told us they would watch the kids up until 1:00 a.m. (not that we actually took advantage of that, but what a nice relief that we didn't have to worry about time.)

 

 

Do you see the remote in Ian's hands? Yeah, he has Aunt Faye and Uncle Jim wrapped around his chubby little finger because there is no way he would have gotten away with that at home.

 

 

She was so excited to be at her best friend's house. Can you see Taffy?

 

 

We love our Aunt Faye Uncle Jim!

 

 

Now..... getting back to the actual post. Those two are distractingly adorable!

 

I have begun reading the e-book One Bite At A Time by Tsh Oxenreider author of The Simple Mom blog (one of my favorite places to "hang out" online). The book gives 52 simple steps to take to help one live a simple and intentional life with their family.

 

I went into the date having a few conversations I wanted to have with Brian concerning some of the things I had read. I brought out my tablet before our dinner came out and introduced two of the items I wanted to work on.

 

Achieving a goal is much easier when your spouse is in agreement and on board with you.

 

I introduced the idea of a morning and evening schedule for us (as in for him and me) and asked if he would be willing to try it.

 

He is so awesome!

 

I then showed him the "Family Purpose Statement". We were both really excited about working on this together. We don't want our family to just exist and have no direction, goal, or focus. We want our family to have a purpose that not only keeps us living intentionally here, but also keeps us focused on the Lord and our future with Him. 

 

I want to fly through this book and just read everything she writes, but then I want to stop and work on what she teaches in each chapter. I think I'll do both!

The List | January- March

Proverbs 29:18a- Where there is no vision, the people perish:

I like having a goal to shoot for. It gives me more of a purpose for my and my family's days than just floating through life seeing what will happen.

Here is the list of things I would love to do over the next three months, but, as I learned last month, I will be okay if for some reason or another things don't work out as I envision them happening.

1. Go on two or three field trips with our homeschool group.
2. Celebrate MLK Jr. Day and teach Addie about him.
3. Celebrate Valentine's Day with the family and have a day full of fun ideas planned.
4. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the family and have a day full of fun ideas planned.
5. Go to our State Fair either with the homeschool group or as a family.
6. Finish the cowl I'm making and wear it.
7. Plan at least one healthful meal per week (more on this tomorrow)
8. Go on a few dates with Brian
9. Lose the 5 pounds I gained back in December!
10. Finish Addie's Kindergarten year.
11. Seed and plant a couple of veggie plants (not too many- maybe two or three)

Christmas | Things to Do

 

I am really looking forward to making a whole new season of memories with my family. I have listed some things that we have done in years past, things that are becoming a tradition for us, and I have added some new things that I look forward to making a part of our yearly traditions.

1. Make Christmas crafts with the kids. (Pinterest has tons of ideas!)
2. Finally go to our church's Christmas program. (We have wanted to go every year, but have never made it. Maybe this will be the year.)
3. Attend our town's Christmas parade. (Our home school group will be participating in the parade this year, but I think we are just going to sit on the sidelines and enjoy it.)
4. Go to several state parks in our area to see their Christmas light displays. (The prices are very reasonable, and there is something about walking around in the cold and looking at Christmas lights that feels good.)
5. Go to Sea World and/or Busch Gardens to see their Christmas displays. (Sea World is a definite. If we decide to do Busch Gardens, it will be a late date night for Brian and me.)
6. Go to the mall and see the musical Christmas tree. (A yearly tradition for us. We usually meet up with my sister Faye and her husband and then spend time with them.)
7. Go to Barnes and Noble and get more info on my Christmas gift. (My gift from Brian was a Nook Color Tablet put out by Barnes & Noble. I can't wait to talk to someone who can show me everything my Tablet has to offer.)
8. Have a snowball fight and make a snowman with the kids (Totally possible here in sunny Florida! Just wait until you see how we do this!)
9. Attend a Christmas party for the kids. (Our home school group is hosting a Christmas party for the elementary group. I am hoping to attend with the kids.)
10. Decorate some of our gift wrapping using my kids' feet (you'll see :)
11. Make a Nativity scene with Addie using toilet paper rolls- one of my favorite craft items! (here)
12. Celebrate Advent using a gift for each day. (I did this last year just by wrapping up books, CDs, and movies that we already had and having Addie open one up every day. I'll be doing the same again this year. A post with my list of books, movies, and CDs will be up on Tuesday, Lord willing.)
13. Read to Addie by the light of the Christmas tree. (I read to Addie at night before bed anyway, but how sweet is it to get a soft cozy blanket and snuggle up close to the tree and read a story or two. We have already begun doing this and it has been just wonderful!)

Have you made a list of things you would like to do this Christmas? I'd love to hear what your list includes.

I'm linking up with "Top Organizing Bloggers"

Looking Back | Our Fall To Do List

I love giving goals (making lists- same thing!) for myself to accomplish, which helps me live more purposefully instead of just floating through life and randomly accomplishing things.

At the end of the summer, I went back over my "to-do with the kids and family over the summer" list and checked to see how many things we had done. It was really nice seeing how many things we had accomplished and done. How we had be actively involved in living life and not just sitting back and watching it happen (something Brian and I have talked about quite a bit).

So here is our review of the fall list with a few pics to go along. (I realize that fall is officially not over yet as far as the calendar goes, but really, don't we all have Christmas on the brain at this point?)

Going through a corn maze- Early in the fall we took a field trip to a farm that featured a corn maze. It was a lot of fun, especially since we went through it with some friends.

 

 

Picking a pumpkin. Okay, we did not actually pick this pumpkin, but Ian would have picked it if it had been an option. Instead, we opted for those baby pumpkins and squash  that are used for decorating (Addie got to pick one for each member of the family). I had two children, a stroller, a diaper bag, a couple of lunch boxes, and only two hands. A full sized pumpkin just didn't fit into the equation.

 

 

Raking leaves- we haven't gotten to this one.... yet.

 

Taking a hay ride- we did this on the day we went to the farm. The ride helped Ian relax enough so that he could fall asleep quickly after the ride was done.

 

 

Learning about the Pilgrims and making crafts that will help Addie remember the things she is taught- I think this is one thing that I probably over did (as if that is possible). We made a hat of the Mayflower, tee pee snacks, Pilgrim napkin holders, and a toilet paper tube version of Squanto.

 

 

 

Baking a pumpkin pie and pumpkin muffins with Addie- we made banana bread (haha!) I should have just set baking as my goal!

 

Keeping our "cookie jar" consistently filled with homemade cookies- did! It doesn't help that Brian and I have been working on not eating so much. That is when self-control and children come in to play.

 

When the weather gets cooler, intentionally going outside with the kids to spend time playing for at least 30 minutes a day. This was the time of year Floridians live for! Little Bud would get so excited when I would grab his shoes because he knew that meant we were going outside. Addie kept track of how many days we went outside. Many times, we would be outside waiting for Brian to come home from work.

 

 

Watching Squanto: A Warrior's Tale as a family the night before Thanksgiving- we did watch it, just not that night.

 

Finding a couple of movies that are Addie friendly about the Pilgrims-  I ordered through eBay a book about Squanto and the "Mouse on the Mayflower" movie that I remember watching as a little girl. I had a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving ordered too, but I never received it (thankfully, I was reimbursed by the seller). We watched The Mouse on the Mayflower so many times that I am afraid I will never, ever forget the theme song for the rest of my life.... "Mayflower..... Mayflower....."

 

I am still in the process of making my Christmas "to-do" list. I will probably have it finished for Friday.... if I don't find myself outside raking leaves :) See you tomorrow!