Kids
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week was a busy one, about halfway through the week I started wondering if I was going to finish anything on the list, but slowly some got checked off. The personal goals were the hardest for me to do because everything else kept me busy. This upcoming week I hope to do better on my personal goals so I can keep my life / time and resources in balance as I work towards my goals.
Here is the update on last weeks goals:
Family Goals
Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday- Read a book to the girls everyday – Monday was a super busy day with the Holiday
Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week- Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed) – Didn’t get this done every night with the busy evenings, a couple late nights including our couple Date Night on Saturday.
Schedule a Date Night with Jake– Went on our Date Night on 11/5Schedule a Date Night with each child– Date Night Scheduled for 11/11/11
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – As hard as I tried this didn’t get done, it was busy and a couple unexpected things came up. I hope to do a lot better next week with this one.
- Finish reading The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman – Made it through a couple more chapters, maybe I will get it done next week.
Listen to The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss- Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday through Thursday – We had a couple late nights with extra projects and activities going on (I think I only made it to bed on time once).
Home Management Goals
Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday– Completed a day early 🙂Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house- Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – Dinner was ready but not on the table on Monday because of the Fall Festival Activities
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day– Completed all the laundry from striping beds, washing, folding, putting away, and remaking the beds on Monday- Summer clothes pulled out of the main part of the closet and put away (it’s getting chilly and we are not wearing them as much now) – about halfway through this task
Pick the fresh vegetables that are ready and start preparing the garden for the first freeze.– big thanks to my sweet husband and girls for doing this for me and we even were able to share some of the goodies with friends!
Business Goals
Spend 10 minutes cleaning and organizing my desk (somehow everyone stacks stuff on my desk, myself included, and within a day I have a pile sometimes piles)Pay all bills that come in the mail this weekWork on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Research ways to create more residual income – didn’t get to this one
Ministry Goals
Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requestsAlms & Legs Ministry – Email upcoming meeting reminder to members, write and print the meeting agendaMeet a friend for Breakfast or LunchPack our Operation Christmas Child boxes
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – I went over budget this week. (thankful for the opportunity to stock up and a budget guideline even though I went over it this week.)
- Pay off remaining debt – working on it and I see light at the end of the tunnel
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – work in progress (we had two vehicle repairs recently which set us back a little bit)
Here are my goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
- Read a book to the girls everyday
- Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
- Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
- Start the process of getting the girls passports
- Go on Mother Daughter Date Night
- File the last several weeks of coupons in my File Folder and Binder
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
- Finish reading The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman
- Listen to the next section of Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (I am going through this book with my Community Group)
- Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday through Thursday
Home Management Goals
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
- Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
- Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Summer clothes pulled out of the main part of the closet and put away (it’s getting chilly and we are not wearing them as much now)
Business Goals
- Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
- Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Research ways to create more residual income
- Upcoming events, activities, and posted to my upcoming calendar
Ministry Goals
- Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others.
- Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
- Alms & Legs Ministry – Email Meeting Notes to the Team
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Close on our Refinance – Our plan is to go from the 30 year mortgage that we have been paying off to a 10 year mortgage with a lower interest rate.
- Pay off remaining debt
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results
Magazine: “Fun for Kidz”
Our girls love getting magazines and goodies in the mail. My parents ordered the Fun for Kidz magazine for the girls a few months ago and they always look forward to getting it in the mail. The magazine has a variety of stories, puzzles, crafts, recipes, science experiments, and fun stuff for the kids to try.
This week we did a couple of the science experiments / activities that were listed in one of the magazines. We made homemade “telephones” for the girls that they were reading about in the magazine. Another fun activity we did was cut a hole in a piece of 8×11 paper that was big enough that we could fit through (even Daddy could fit through the 8×11 piece of paper once it was cut, pretty funny). They thought it was hilarious and once again they had a blast doing some of the activities in the magazine.
The magazine is great for either boys or girls ages 5 to 13 years old. It becomes even more fun as they learn to read and are able to do some of the activities, puzzles, and silly stories or jokes on their own. The magazine is smaller than a regular magazine although it is more like a pamphlet / book with heavier pages. There isn’t a huge amount of colorful pictures but it is packed full of fun information and activities that the kids will enjoy. A subscription would be a great birthday, Holiday or just for fun gift for kids.
The best price I have found for the Fun for Kidz magazine is through Ebates.
- Login or open an account for Ebates
- Search for ValueMags
- Click on the ValueMags discount link (currently offering 51% back on magazine subscriptions)
- Once you are on ValueMags website search for Fun for Kidz
- Order your subscription and you’ll receive your 51% back Ebates check in the mail
Ebates has always been really good about sending our rebate checks. It is like a traditional rebate but you don’t have to send in a form and it is automatically done online through their website when you order. You can get Ebates on many other online retailers. If you are shopping for Holiday, Birthday, or other gifts check to see if you can get extra money back by shopping through Ebates.
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
I am thankful for a weekly grocery budget on weeks like this past one. Not only was it a busy week but I went over on my budget. Looking back over the last several months I am amazed at how many groceries I am able to get for my family for a reasonable amount of money. I used to think that having a $100 grocery bill was pretty good for our family, now if the grocery bill is above $20 or $30 that is a lot. One of the main reason I do the weekly budget and update is to keep me accountable. Like any goal in life some weeks you do well and other weeks…..well they just don’t go as planned. Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from CVS, Ingles, Family Dollar, and Save A Lot CVS Groceries:
- $0.09 at CVS for 1 bag of individual Teddy Grahams snacks (18 count), 2 bags of individual Pretzels snacks (24 count each), 3 bags of individual Rice Krispy Treats. (All the items were on clearance after the Halloween Holiday and will come in handy for school and work lunches. The Extra Care Bucks were a huge savings help and I only had to pay the tax amount.)
Ingles Groceries:
- $14.50 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread, 2 jugs Lemon Sweet Tea, 5 containers Cherry Chocolate Covered Pretzels, 2 containers Banana Split Mix, 3 containers California Dried Fruit Mix, 1 container Spicy Buffalo Nut Mix, and 1 bag Mini Pumpkins and Paint for Craft / Cooking. (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance!)
Family Dollar Groceries:
- $0.50 at Family Dollar for 1 bag of individual Pretzel Snacks (8 count). (These individual pretzel bags are perfect for school and work lunches, plus it saves on not having to buy baggies to put chips / pretzels into. I was able to get these on clearance after Halloween.)
Save A Lot Groceries:
- $8.74 at Save A Lot for 1 bag Cinnamon Bagels, 1 bag Plain Bagels, 1 gallon Milk, and 1 family pack Cube Steaks. (All the items I picked up at Save A Lot were on clearance, the milk was marked down to 99 cents.)
Groceries from Walmart Walmart Groceries:
- $26.77 at Walmart for 1 bag Pepperoni, 2 Smithfields Ham Steaks, 1 block Borden Cheese, 1 block Cabot Cheese, 1 box Blue Bonnet Margarine, 1 bag Great Value Sugar, 1 bag Splenda Sugar Alternate, 1 box Little Hug Drink Barrels (This trip was taken with my family, we originally went into the store for black tights for the girls which they were sold out of. Even though we did need some of these items it is amazing how quickly the total adds up when the items are not gotten on sale or clearance or with coupons.)
This week I spent $50.60 on groceries. Even though I went over on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items. It is weeks like these that make me even more grateful for the budget I have in place to help guide me. I had a little extra in the wallet to cover the overage, but I really want to get back under the budgeted amount next week. The Halloween Sales were amazing and the items I picked up on will be beneficial for our family for several months so it was worth a few dollars to stock up the pantry. I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget. Thankful for an opportunity to stock up on several items even though I was over this week!
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Pampers Gifts to Grow – 20 Free Points
Receive another 2 codes for 10 free points from Pampers with the a new Gifts to Grow!These codes are different from the previous codes I have given.
Use Code: CABRANDSVRNOV11
Use Code: FAC1011PR46DYHD
The codes didn’t have an expiration date but they usually expire in a few days so be sure to add it to your account soon!
You can save up the rewards to purchase gifts!
For more information about the Pampers Gift to Grow Program and how you can start earning Pampers “Gifts to Grow” Rewards for your family go to Pampers Gifts to Grow!
Teaching Our Children: How to Roller Blade
A few weeks ago we purchased Roller Blades ($11) for the girls at a store closing sale. They had a handful of roller blades left and actually had the girls sizes. They didn’t get any fancy colors but I was pleased with the two that we found in their size, one blue and one red set. One relaxing family evening we decided to open the roller blade boxes and try them out. It was fun watching them try to learn how to balance and move. We started them on the carpet instead of the tile or sidewalk in case they bit the dust. It would be better to let them get a handle on it before breaking an arm or leg. Here is a few snapshots of them trying out the roller blades:
Daddy getting the roller blade ready for the girls Brina’s waiting for her roller blade to go on…..is it ready yet Daddy? Karlie is busy unpacking and checking out her cool blue roller blades.
Brina figuring out how to roller blade. It was neat seeing the girls get the hang of using the roller blades. Before long I could see lines on the carpet from them going in circles from the kitchen to the hallway to the living and dining room.
Brina and Karlie roller blading in the living room They went slow at first but got more speed as they did it more. Probably one of the hardest things for them to figure out was once they fall down how do you get back up without rolling away, pretty comical to watch.
Karlie concentrating on roller blading Karlie was so focused on roller blading I never got a picture of her actually looking at the camera. I guess it isn’t as easy to turn and face the camera when your wearing “shoes on wheels”!
One observation I had about the roller blades was the girls were a few inches taller. They were investigating stuff on the tops of the cabinets and counter tops that never caught their attention before. Also, I had to make a rule that if Mom or Dad was in the kitchen cooking they could only go on one side of the kitchen with roller blades otherwise I was getting my toes ran over or grabbed as they were passing me in the kitchen while I was making dinner. It was fun to see them try them out and watch them learn how to move. I was thrilled that they enjoyed learning new skills.
Travel & Vacation: Visiting Daniel’s Island and More
View after going over the Cooper River Bridge on our way to Daniel's Island We always love the views on our way to Daniel’s Island, South Carolina. This picture was taken shortly after going over the Cooper River Bridge. Just one of the beautiful pieces of scenery in the Charleston area.
Almost there.....one more mile to Daniel's Island. The girls always look for this sign and know we are almost to Daniel’s Island. They know that it is Exit 24 and in between two big bridges. It is a lot of fun traveling with the family!
One of my favorite signs in the Charleston area. A sign we have seen many times this year that the girls always wanted me to read whenever we go to the Waterfront Park under the Arthur Ravenel Bridge. I grew up in the country hearing coyotes so this smile makes me smile. One of the girls questions the first time we read it why can we “never feed coyotes won’t they get hungry?”
Snacks at the park The girls were really good about remembering to take their drink with them to the parks. Most of the places we went had water fountain and restrooms which was really nice too. I had made some cookies for Jake’s co-workers that week so I put in a few sugar cookies with sprinkles for the girls too.
Stopping for a quick snack I was able to convince Karlie and Brina to stop for a few minutes for a quick snack and more importantly a drink (it was over 100 degrees and we had been out all morning). They were so fascinated by all the other kids at the park. Sometimes we would be at the park with a handful of kids and a daycare would show up to play making the the area buzzing with little ones having fun.
Refueling with Powerade on a very hot day On one of our trips it was over 100 degrees and the girls (and Mommy) spent the day outside at parks. I was worried about them getting dehydrated so we stopped by CVS and picked up a “Powerade”. The girls thought it was great and it tasted like lemonade.
Karlie worked up enough courage to go down the big pole. Although the pole probably would have been a little easier sliding down in pants I was very proud of Karlie for trying it out. It takes a little bit of guts to reach out over that gap between the jungle gym and gap to go on the pole. She was very excited of her accomplishment.
Brina spinning in the red seats at the park I really don’t know how she could sit in those seats and just spin! The couple times I braved it and did a couple of spins I was ready to loose my cookies.
Brina and Karlie testing out a new ride One afternoon during our Charleston adventures it decided rain so the girls and I hang out for about an hour at the Outlets. The girls thought this car was HILARIOUS and spent several minutes checking it out.
After picking up Daddy from work Brina crashed We picked up Jake after a full day at the parks and playing. A few minutes later I looked back to point out a rainbow I saw in the sky and Brina has fallen fast asleep. Not sure how she can sleep like this (it looks very uncomfortable) but all our pillows and stuff was already at the hotel.
Karlie was sleeping too Looking back at both of them sleeping made me laugh. They are so different even when they sleep in the car. After a busy nap the few minute cap night was very nice for both of them. Thankful that they both travel so well and enjoy exploring different places on our trips together.
Watching the sun set as we crossed over the bridge. One of the questions the girls asked the last time we were in Charleston….”Is Charleston made of bridges?” There are quite of few there. We enjoyed watching the sunsets, sunrises, and seeing the beautiful scenery from the many bridges we crossed.
Walking with Daddy near downtown Charleston The girls loved learning about history and just walking around Charleston. We actually wore out one pair of flipflops on this trip with all the walking and playing. They love asking Daddy a lot of questions about the town and Jake is so good about answering them.
Sign from one of the guns / cannons near downtown Charleston We went through the Battery Park in Charleston again and looked at all the guns and cannons. This is a sign from one of the guns that was used to attack Fort Sumter on April 7, 1863. The girls loved learning about the variety of different cannons and the history behind them.
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
New Upromise eCoupons for November 2011
Upromise has posted their new eCoupons for the month of November 2011. Remember to activate your eCoupons to get additional savings. If you have not yet signed up for Upromise you can get more information regarding on our experience or directly at the Upromise website.
This month they have 29 coupons you can activate for bonus savings. Once you activate your eCoupons all you have to do is scan your rewards card or purchase the items at the store and the cash will be added to your account. You don’t even have to carry any coupons to get the rewards!
You can go to their website for more information on the Upromise program, it’s free to join.
Halloween Candy Buy Back Programs
Hope everyone had an amazing Holiday. Halloween is a great time to create memories with your family. The Fall Festivals, pumpkin carving, hayrides, dressing up and candy…..sometimes too much candy. Every wonder if you’ll be able to eat, share and giveaway all the candy before the next Halloween hits.
Dentists all over the country are participating in a Halloween Candy Buy Back Program. They buy the kids Halloween candy then donate it to the groups that send it to those in Military Service.
- Example: Holly Tree Pediatric Dentistry in our area (1334 South Hwy 14, Simpsonville, SC 29681 / Phone: 864-297-5585) is Buying Back Halloween Candy and giving the kids $1 per pound ($5 max per child) and a Treat bag. The Buy back dates are Tuesday 11/1 to Thursday 11/3 between 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. All the candy will be donated to our Troops Overseas.
If it is something you interested in participating in you can read more about on the FAQ page and search for locations near you!
Photo by Rochelle
Book: “Bob Books Sight Words Collection” by Bobby Lynn Maslen
My parents gave the girls this set of books “Bob Books Sight Words Collection – Kindergarten and First Grade” by Bobby Lynn Maslen when they were just starting to read. What I really enjoyed about these books is that they were “simple” from the words to the pictures. The words were easy for them to sound out as they were beginning to read and the pictures were captivating enough to get their attention but were not so amazing that they couldn’t focus on the words. As the girls were learning to read it was great pulling out the books and having them read because they were so excited to read a big book all by themselves. This set of books are for Kindergarten and First Grade. The first few books are pretty easy and gradually get harder as they go through them. I think our girls have gone through them several times now. If you have a child who is just learning how to read these books are short, easy, and give them a quick reading accomplishment victory.
Raising Twins: Multiples Party at Shipwreck Cove
As I was going back through some of the pictures the last several months I realized I never posted anything about this great event (better late than never right!?). I have the privilege of being a part of the Upstate Mother’s of Multiples Club. It is a great group of Moms and families that have been supportive from the days when I was on bedrest and beyond. Once a season we get together with the families (Moms, Dads, and all the kids) and enjoy some fun activities. Here is a little taste of our adventure at Shipwreck Cove in Duncan, South Carolina:
Karlie ready to go down the slide. The girls love pools, water parks, and the beach (really anything with water, including splashing around in the tub). They had a blast swimming, sliding and tubing at Shipwreck Cove.
Mommy had a blast too! Honestly I am not sure had more fun….the little kids or the big kids! I enjoyed the many trips down the big slides, catching up with friends, floating along on the lazy river and swimming just as much as the girls did.
View from the top of the big slides (part of Shipwreck Cove Waterpark). When we first arrived at the water park it was pretty quiet other than our groups munchkins running and swimming around. As the day got later more people arrived, but we still had a blast.
Karlie going down the big slide all by herself. So proud of the girls for going down the big kid slides. I had a mixture of excitement and sadness to see how much they had grown up over the last few years. It was a wonderful day of memories for the whole family.
Brina going down the red slide again. Glad to see them having a blast at the water park! Brina’s favorite slide was the big red one that was open at the top, but she did try both slides.
Karlie getting sprayed by a water canon while floating on the lazy river. Karlie thought it was hilarious when she got sprayed by the canons as she was floating by. We went around the lazy river several times that day.
Brina waiting to go down the slide. This slide was on the “palm tree island” and a favorite to play on in between going down the big slides and floating along on the lazy river.
Karlie waiting for another turn on the big slides. The slides were a HUGE hit with Karlie girl! She didn’t mind standing in line to go down the slides again and again and again and again.
Brina enjoying the water jets. The water park was really nice. It did surprise us to find out the that water was “salt” water not fresh water.
Having fun in the water. Brina enjoying her time at the water park.
Pausing for a moment to let me take a picture. Glad for those quick pauses to take pictures.
Thankful for a great time playing with my family!
