Loving Life
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week our family had the privilege to go to Orlando, Florida with Jake. He had a work conference and the girls and I got to spend some time exploring the area. We found a lot of great activities to keep us busy while Jake was working. Once Jake’s conference was over he was able to spend the rest of the week with us. We had a blast going to the Disney parks and doing other fun activities while in Orlando. The week went by really quickly and we packed a lot into the week. We created a lot of great memories during our stay. Now that we are back into the normal work and school schedule we have a lot to get done around home. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids – last week we didn’t read much with all the other activities going on in Florida
Plan one special activity with the family– we went to Orlando and explored some of the Disney parks, the kids loved it!Play a Game with the KidsPrepare for Upcoming Winter & Spring Events (Spring is just around the corner)- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure – our Orlando adventure went really well, was a hit, and we created some family memories
Spend Extra Time with the Family– spent time together in Orlando and Jake joined us after his conference ended
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day– drink a lot as it was up to 90 plus degrees a couple days we were in FL- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – my phone was burning through the battery so I didn’t listen during last week, but was already caught up before leaving on the trip thankfully
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week– the kids and I made and ate our dinners at the hotel while Jake was at the conference and he joined after the conference had ended. The hotpot worked really well for easy prep items.Clean House (Focus – Basic House Clean Up)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts – some ideas were bouncing around, but for the most part I enjoyed my time with the kids
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – some items got pushed back but hoping to get back up to speed this week
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
Pay Bills & File Paperwork
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
- Get the kids caught back up with Homework from missing school last week while in Florida
- Prep for upcoming State STEM Competition
- Prep for upcoming Spring Break
- Take kids to Eye Dr and Dentist for regular Cleaning
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
- Clean House (Focus – Extra Laundry Done from Traveling)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Unpack All Suitcases and Put Items Away from Florida Trip)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Out the Van from the Florida Trip)
- Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Hay for the Goats)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Medical Bills
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
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.
Live For The Moments…
Flashback Friday: Happy 5th Birthday!
Karlie with her Rocket Cake and Brina with her Princess Castle Cake made by Aunt Kristen!
Today we flashback to February 2010 when the girls turned 5 years old! It was a fun birthday party at our house. We did a dual theme for the girls this year which was a lot more work than I initially realized! Karlie was really into space and rockets while Brina was into princesses.
Half of the house and party was about Space and the other half was about Princesses. The nice part about the theme is that it appealed to both the boys and girls who attended the party. We did a castle out of cardboard in Brina’s room and a rocket out of cardboard for Karlie that was put on the front porch.
Somehow we didn’t get a picture of Karlie’s room inside the house where we put black trash bags on all the walls, stuck glow in the dark planets and stars on them, and replaced the lights with black lights. It turned out really well, but it was darker so none of the pictures actually turned out which is a bummer.
Aunt Kristen made the beautiful and delicious cakes for the girls birthday, which they LOVED! The girls had a wonderful time celebrating their birthday and we are thankful for our family and friends who helped with the party and came out to make this day extra special for the girls. Thankful for the blessing of these two girls!
Checking out the cool rocket that Daddy, Grandpa Russell, Uncle Lee, and Uncle Josh stayed up after the kids went to bed to build.
They had no idea that the guys were building a rocket (and castle, see below) for them! As they were eating breakfast the guys rang the doorbell and “delivered” their special party props! They were so excited!
Karlie hugging her rocket (notice she is wearing her favorite rocket pjs)! Too cute! She was thrilled and kept going back outside to play with her rocket!
Had to check everything out!
After a few minutes of coming back into the house the back doorbell rang and the guys delivered the other party prop, a giant cardboard castle! Daddy, Grandpa Russell, Uncle Lee, and Uncle Josh worked on putting this together and painting it after the girls went to bed the night before the party. They were super excited!
The castle was huge! They are standing on chairs in order to peek through it! The castle was a big hit in the princess room!
Dad and Grandpa Russell putting the finishing touches on the castle! It had a tower, door, and even a roman numeral “V” flag on it!
Time for all the princesses and princes to come to the party! The castle was a big hit with all the kids!
Karlie all smiles as she sits by the easel. She loved coming outside to check on her rocket which was next to the easel!
Hanging out in her rocket as people started arriving. Very content to stay right there with her special rocket!
Brina’s princess cake turned out beautifully – thanks Aunt Kristen!
Karlie LOVED her rocket cake! Thank you Aunt Kristen!
Lighting the candles! Kristen put candles at the back of the rocket so it looked like it was taking off – so cool!
Getting something to eat and hanging out with cousins!
Grandma Penny and Brina putting a puzzle together! Super fun!
Hiking & Tracking Animals in the Snow
Hiking through the woods
Most kids love to go sledding, building a snowman, make snow angels, and more crazy stuff in the snow. One of the first things our kids want to do is take a hike in the woods. They love going through the woods, checking out the stream, and looking for various animal tracks in the snow. We saw a lot of animal tracks and most of them I knew what they were there was only one set that had me stumped….still haven’t quite figured it out even after looking up pictures.
One of our favorite stops by the stream. Always gurgling down hill even on the snowy days.
Lots of deer tracks going through the woods after the snow and ice stopped.
Karlie looking for animal tracks.
Karlie loves being outside.
Brina brought the sled and was sledding down hills on our hike. She managed to go around most trees.
Little tracks….
This was the one that perplexed me, it was as big as my hand and had 5 claws (or toes).
Lots of little bird tracks.
Skipper goes swimming in the creek even when its icy cold and snowing!
Little bird…
Cat paw prints.
Hanging out in the woods.
Talking, walking, and having fun in the woods.
Karlie loves getting out of school for snow days!
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
I have so much to be thankful for in my life. This week as I as counting my blessings I realized that coming up with 10 things to be grateful for each day was relatively easy if I really think about it for a few minutes. I don’t ever want to take these blessings for granted as they are a gift from my heavenly Father who truly cares about me in the good as well as the struggles I face every day.
I want to be accountable to you too so the following are snipits of some of the things I am thankful for this past week. Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday – Thankful for Brina writing me a reminder note to adjust her meal schedule because she liked one of the meals I made her so much! My family knows me well! 🙂
Tuesday – Thankful that Skipper is always jumping up and down excited to see me when I get home! Such a great way to be greeted upon arriving home!
Wednesday – Thankful for the girls curiosity and love of learning – we did a spontaneous celery and food coloring experiment before school.
Thursday – Thankful for a chance to talk with Jake on the phone in the morning as he was getting ready for his busy day in Charleston and even more grateful to have him back home that evening.
Friday – Thankful for a washer and dryer to help get our clothes and laundry cleaned in an efficient manner.
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day!
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Last week was super busy and we had to switch around a couple of our dinner menu items, but we managed to make it through the week in one piece. This week will be another busy week. With that being said I want to prepare the menu and be ready, but provide some more flexibility this week with everything going on. It will be a simple menu this week so I have time to focus on the other activities that will be pulling my attention away from dinner prepping. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Sloppy Joes, Fresh Fruit
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Hotdogs, Corn
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Special Event
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Bow Tie Pasta, Green Beans
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
What’s for Breakfast: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Super Easy Way to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
Having the breakfast menu planned out makes a huge difference to the start of our days. This week is a different kind of crazy busy so it is especially important that I stay on top of it with everything else going on. I want to make sure everyone is sent off with a good breakfast. I made some slight alterations to our normal menu due to the week we have before us needing adjustments. Here is what our breakfast menu looks like this week (the items in parenthesis are examples of the extra items we will add and change from week to week):
- Monday – Bagel (Fresh Fruit)
- Tuesday – Toast (Hard Boiled Eggs)
- Wednesday – Cereal (Yogurt)
- Thursday – Poptarts (Strawberry & Milk Smoothie)
- Friday – Oatmeal (Applesauce)
- Saturday – Family Brunch
- Sunday – Make Your Own Breakfast (everyone makes their own breakfast before church which is usually something easy like cereal, toast, poptarts, oatmeal, smoothie, etc….)
We are pretty consistent with our week day breakfast menu. For each day of the work and school week Monday to Friday we have the same main menu item from week to week the only thing that changes is the “extra item” we add each day such as an egg, sausage, fresh fruit, cottage cheese, bacon, smoothies, or other items that we have in the kitchen. During the school week the girls always have their main breakfast, at least one side (usually fruit, sausage, egg, etc…), vitamins, milk (one has non-dairy milk due to allergies), and small glass of juice. When I am ambitious, awake, and my creative juices are flowing I will add a little extra silliness to make breakfast more enjoyable for the kids.
We first started doing a different main breakfast item everyday a few years ago because I have one child who if she eats the same thing too many times in a row she stops eating. Adding a little variety from day to day was enough to keep her motivated to eat breakfast. It wasn’t until several months later when the girls pointed it out that I realized that we do the same main item on the same day every week. “Mom, Tuesday is Toast Day…..” So now it has become our rotating breakfast menu which helps keep us on track because we know exactly what we need to prepare for the next breakfast. Plus the girls are sometimes still waking up when they come to breakfast and the morning menu helps them figure out the day of the week as well as prepares them for the upcoming activities they have that day.
There are times I will mix it up (just for fun) or Jake will get up first and make breakfast! The girls don’t hesitate to let him know if he makes a main food item on the wrong day….ha! Our breakfasts are not fancy, but it gets us up and started for the day. What do you make for your family breakfasts?
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
The girls had their first full week of school since the first week of February. Now it makes sense why these past few weeks have gone by so quickly with them home one or more days each week over the last three weeks. This week was busy with school, Jake traveling, getting everything caught up (or trying), and more fun stuff. I was able to tackle a lot of tasks that needed my immediate attention last week, but I have a lot to still get done for the month of March. Overall it was a productive week. I am hoping to spend some good time getting things done this week, but I am going to “lighten” the load for this week so I can focus on some of the priority items! Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids! – we finally decided on the book and got through the first chapter this week with the busy schedule, but so far they are loving it!
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the KidsPrepare for Upcoming Winter ActivitiesSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family AdventureGo on a Date Night with one of the kids– I got to hang out with my Brina, so sweet having some time to relax and chat together!Send out Thank You Notes
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekUse up food items in our pantry and freezer- Clean House (Focus – Laundry Room) – laundry room has to go on hold, I got the basic pick up completed
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Spring / Summer Clothes Organized) – they are out and tried on, but not put away yet
Yard Cleanup (Focus – Check the Boundary Fences)Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Turtle Food)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Medical Bills– working on it, got a couple smaller ones paid off this week! WooHoo!
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)– working on it
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – didn’t do as well as I hoped on this one
- Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay – didn’t get the items posted
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Winter & Spring Events (Spring is just around the corner)
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
- Spend Extra Time with the Family
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Clean House (Focus – Basic House Clean Up)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
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.
More Jesus, Less Drama, Less Selfishness, Less Complaining…
Brina & Karlie’s Birthday Party
Silly kids! They wanted a goofy picture with the banner.
We did a small birthday party celebration this year for the girls 10th birthday. My parents were in town and my brothers family came over to celebrate with us. The kids had fun eating cake, opening gifts, and playing with family. We got to try out some of their neat gifts too which was fun! They are officially 10 years old (still cannot believe it).
It has been a wild couple of weeks with all the snow days from school. I have been spending more time playing outside with the kids since they have been home more the past two weeks. The disadvantage to all the fun is that I am behind on my blogging. It has been fun, but I promised to get caught up soon. A lot of fun stuff has been going on around our house lately!
Happy 10th Birthday Girls!
Ready for some strawberry cupcakes and blue velvet cake!?
Lots of flames! Happy Birthday Brina and Karlie!
Brina relaxing!
My nephews helped the girls open their gifts.
Checking it out!
