Recommendations

  • Free Ebooks: Learn Guitar Chords, Growing Juicy Delicious Tomatoes, Set Up Your Own Saltwater Aquarium, 365 Handy Hints For Horse Riders, Magic Tricks, and more!

    The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading).  The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.

    Download a free copy of How To Build Guitar Chords Using The Caged System – Learn to Build Chords Fast by Paul Watson

    Download a free copy of Growing Juicy Delicious Tomatoes (Rainforth Home & Garden Secrets and Solutions) by Rees Cowden

    Download a free copy of Set Up Your Own Saltwater Aquarium by Becky Wolff

    Download a free copy of 365 Handy Hints For Horse Riders by Karen Bush

    Download a free copy of Magic Tricks – 50 Simple, Fun, and Quick Tricks (How To Be The Life Of The Party) by Joshua Minute

    Download a free copy of The 4.1.1. Cook Book – Seasoning Mixes and Homemade Fixes by Dewayne Newburn

    Download a free copy of How Abraham Lincoln Use Stories to Touch Hearts, Minds, and Funny Bones by Terry Sprouse

    Download a free copy of How To Write A Great Query Letter – Insider Tips and Techniques for Success by Noah Lukeman

  • Celebrating Christmas Eve With My Family

     Christmas Eve Family Fun Traditions

    Brina requested homemade Monkey Bread!

    Thankful for a quiet and fun Christmas Eve with my family.  It was a great day!  We ate read books, played games, ate great food, made gingerbread houses, watched classic Christmas movies, and more wonderful fun with the family.  It is nice to have a day to spend making memories together.

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    We got to open a family gift a day early!  Jake got us the game “Forbidden Desert – Thirst For Survival“!  we had a blast playing it together TWICE today!

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    Making gingerbread houses out of graham crackers!  We had a great time making a mess and putting them together!

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    They turned out pretty well!

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    My sweet, thoughtful, and handsome man!  He drove all the way across town early this morning to get me sushi, love him!

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    Sushi anyone!?

    Starting reading this classic Old Yeller by Fred Gipson book to the girls today…so far they are enjoying it!

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    My parents got us some sweet hot cashews!  DELICIOUS!!!

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    Watched the classic Christmas movie – Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer!

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    Another Christmas classic – Frosty the Snowman

  • Love It – EcoSphere Closed Aquatic Ecosystem Aquarium

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    Jake and the girls got me an EcoSphere Aquarium for my birthday!  I knew when the package arrived that it was some type of live plant or animal based on a text I received from Jake while I was out running errands – “There was a package dropped off this morning and it is susceptible to cold, can you make sure to bring it inside?”  Oh Boy!  As soon as Jake was home that night the girls were begging to check out the box.  There was a lot of giggling, whispering, and checking out the special package that hung out in Jake’s closet with the lights on for several days before my birthday.  Hmmm….interesting.

    I knew if it was susceptible to cold and required extra light and/or warmth there was a good chance it was some living item.  I didn’t hear any scratching, whining, or other funky noises or smells coming from Jake’s closet so that was a good sign.  I was a little perplexed at what it could be though.

    I was very surprised when I opened up my special birthday present to find an EcoShpere Aquarium inside it.  I had never seen an EcoSphere up close before it was very neat!  They got me an aquarium with four shrimp in it.

    The best part about the aquarium is that it is super easy to maintain!  My kind of pet!  You don’t need to feed the shrimp, clean the tank, change the water, or anything else!  Oh YES, that’s awesome!  You just get to enjoy watching them swim around.  It is a pretty cool system and the best kind of stress free pet to have around the house!  If you are wanting to get a simple and easy small aquarium this is a great one to have around!

    There are several places where you can get the EcoSphere Aquarium – on the EcoSphere website, at Amazon, on Target’s website, or another retailer that sales the EcoSphere products!  If you have any Amazon or Target Gift Cards that you have earned from Swagbucks you could use them to purchase your EcoSphere Aquarium too!   I hope you enjoy your EcoSphere Aquarium as much as I have!  This is a great Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, or Special Event gift for someone special in your life!

    “Love It” is a series of posts on items that I use regularly in my household that I love!  There are some items in our daily lives that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or just plain fun.  I will be sharing with you some of the products that have been given to us (or to me) that have made it to the top of my list.  It’s my way of giving a huge thumbs up!

  • Free Ebooks: Amazing Animal, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lightning Storms, Game of Life, Just A Camp Cook, The American Flag, and more!

    The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading).  The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.

    Download a free copy of The Amazing Animal Superbook by Tarrant Brothers

    Download a free copy of J.R.R. Tolkien – A Life Inspired by Wyatt North

    Download a free copy of Lightning Storms – Exploring Nature’s Awesome Fireworks – A Window Into Our Weird, Wacky, Wonderful World Book 3 by Jessie Thomas

    Download a free copy of Game of Life – What If Game Designers Ruled the World by Karsten Wysk

    Download a free copy of Just a Camp Cook – Recipes and Tales from the Arizona Trail by Pete Anselmo

    Download a free copy of The American Flag – Explore The History of the United States Flag Through Its Many Changes by Jessie Thomas

    Download a free copy of The Bacon Bible – 13 Of The Best and Most Delicious Bacon Recipes Around by Holden Klein

     

     

  • Last Minute Holiday Gift Idea – Amazon Prime Gift Certificate

    Gift Prime

    It’s beginning to look A LOT like Christmas….. If you are still looking for the perfect or last minute gift for someone on your list you can give the gift of Amazon Prime.  It is quick, easy, and will be a blessing to the person on the receiving end!  An Amazon Prime Gift is perfect for anyone (men, women, kids, college students, couples, and more) on your gift list!  You can now give the gift of Amazon Prime Membership.

    Gift of Amazon Prime includes:

    • FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of items (no minimum order size)
    • Unlimited, ad-free access to over a million songs and hundreds of playlists
    • Instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Instant Video
    • Free unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive
    • Read free books each month through Kindle First and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library

    Amazon will send your recipient their gift on the day you choose along with the redemption instructions.  The gift recipient can begin their Prime Membership immediately.  If the recipient currently has a Prime Membership they can exchange their gift for an Amazon.com Gift Card.

    The Amazon Prime Membership is perfect for any family and friends that enjoy online shopping.  They will get FREE Shipping and many other perks with their membership.  It is a great gift that could be used for as a Holiday, wedding, birthday, anniversary gifts, and more!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    I was able to accomplish a good bit of items the first half of the week!  On Wednesday I got my second epidural steriod shot for my herniated disc so I was not able to do as much after that day.  Thankfully, this time around I bounced back much quicker and did better.  By the end of the week I was up and going again with some extra soreness and stiffness, but otherwise doing better.  Hoping that this week with be even better.  I am looking forward to spending extra time with the kids now that they are out of school for the Christmas Holidays.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read the book The Cat Who Came For Christmas by Cleveland Amory to the kids – decided to switch to a different Christmas book
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Prepare for Upcoming Holiday Events
    4. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    7. Play a Game with the Kids – we weren’t not able to do this one due to the extra time of healing
    8. Take the Kids to the Library to pick out books to read over the Holidays
    9. Send out Christmas Cards – this is the first year in a LONG time I did not send out Christmas Cards, at first I felt really guilty about it (and still do some days), but Jake told me that with everything that has been going on these past couple of months I need to just let some things go because I cannot do it all, unfortunately this was one item I did not get done (my apologies to family and friends), hopefully next year we will be able to get back in the Christmas card groove again.
    10. Complete Our Christmas Shopping – still working on it, hoping to be done before Christmas if not I guess we’ll just spread it out a little bit more
    11. Finish Wrapping Gifts – working on it, Jake has pitched in and helped too (thanks Handsome)
    12. Ship Out Grandparents Gifts 
    13. Deliver Neighbor Giftsthe girls helped make the gifts and delivered them all to each of the neighbors, thankful for all their help this year!  Even though we live on a small street we still have 7 neighbors (all who are related except us) plus our mailman!

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)almost done with my 2014 bible reading plans!
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – still haven’t been able to complete everything in one day, but I am getting closer!
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Clean House (Focus –  At least 15 minute daily “pick up” to keep the house clean as we prepped for the Holidays)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Get Gifts Wrapped, Mailed, or Ready to put under Christmas Tree) – getting closer
    5. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Leaves) – my handsome man worked on this for us!  Isn’t he AWESOME!  There are still some on the side yard, but at least the front and back are done now!
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Skipper a Bath) – she has managed to escape a bath with the cooler weather!

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – need to focus more on this specific task
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went only 1 day, but went to 2 stores and went over the budget

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read a variety of Christmas and Library Books my Kids Picked Out from Home and the local Library
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Prepare for Upcoming Holiday Events
    4. Play a Game with the Kids
    5. Spend Extra Time with the Kids
    6. Complete Our Christmas Shopping
    7. Finish Wrapping Gifts
    8. Celebrate our Family Christmas
    9. Make Cookies and Goodies with the Kids
    10. Do a craft with the kids

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Clean House (Focus –  At least 15 minute daily “pick up” to keep the house clean as we prepped for the Holidays)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Get Gifts Wrapped, Mailed, or Ready to put under Christmas Tree)
    5. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Finish Leaves)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Skipper Dog Food Bought & Bin Refilled / Snowball’s Collar Battery Changed)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. 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.

  • Free Ebooks: 40+ Cupcake Recipes, Green Cleaning, Barrier Reef Animals, Top 50 Salad Dressing Recipes, Homemade Mixes, Solar System, Homemade Body Scrubs, Granola Recipes, Raising Backyard Chickens, and more!

    The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading).  The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.

    Download a free copy of 40 Cupcake Recipes by Cheryl King

    Download a free copy of Green Cleaning – Nontoxic Homemade Cleaning Recipes by Family Traditions Publishing

    Download a free copy of 12 Great Barrier Reef Animals! Kids Book About Marine Life – Fun Animal Facts for Kids with Native Wildlife Photos by Leanne Annett

    Download a free copy of Salad Dressing – Top 50 Tasty & Easy Salad Dressing Recipes That Everyone Will Love by Maya Ashley

    Download a free copy of Homemade Mixes – Make It Yourself and Save by Hillbilly Housewife

    Download a free copy of Homemade Body Scrubs – Body Scrub Recipes You Can Make and Give by Family Traditions Publishing

    Download a free copy of Solar System! A Kids Book About the Solar System – Fun Facts & Pictures About Space, Planets, and More by Alexander G. Michaels

    Download a free copy of Granola Recipes – The Ultimate Guide by Kelly Kombs

    Download a free copy of Raising Backyard Chickens For Beginners – Simple Guide to Keeping Happy & Healthy Backyard Chickens by Brad Callan

    Download a free copy of Muffin Tin Recipes From Planet Yum by Martha Schultz

    Download a free copy of Planet Earth! A Kids book About Planet Earth – Fun Facts & Pictures About Our Oceans, Mountains, Rivers, Deserts, Endangered Species, and More by Alexander G. Michaels

    Download a free copy of The ABC’s of Nutrition – Learning the Alphabet the Healthy Way by Robert Orchanian

  • Free Ebooks: Homemade Christmas, Gorgeous Natural Gifts, How to Use Evernote to Organize & Simplify Your Life, Cool Kids Cook, The Practice of Practice, Frugal Family Activities, My Dad is a Superhero, 100 Key Herbs with All Their Uses as Herbal Remedies for Health and Healing, and more!

    The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading).  The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.

    Download a free copy of Homemade Christmas by Tawra J. Kellam and Jill Cooper

    Download a free copy of Beautify Your D.I.Y. – A Guide to Gorgeous Natural Gifts by April Anderton

    Download a free copy of Evernote – How to Use Evernote to Organize & Simplify Your Life by Andy Williams PhD  (Side note regarding the Evernote program itself – Our family has been using Evernote for several years now to share our grocery list as well as gift ideas and lists of books we are looking for so everyone in the family can see it. That way if my husband is already at the store he can see what we need and pick up items from that store without me making an extra trip, it’s really nice and convenient to use! It also comes in handy at the used book store to check to see if there are any books available that you have been looking for.  So if you are looking for this type of program to help you get organized and save time this may be a great book to read!)

    Download a free copy of Cool Kids Cook – Gourmet Everyday by M. L. Obermaier

    Download a free copy of The Practice of Practice by Jonahton Harnum

    Download a free copy of Frugal Family Activities – How to Keep the Children Busy All Year Without Spending a Fortune (More for Less Guides Book 13) by Annabelle Stevens and Carolyn Stone

    Download a free copy of My Dad is a Superhero by Lily Lexington

    Download a free copy of Herbal Medicine – 100 Key Herbs with All Their Uses as Herbal Remedies for Health and Healing by Christine Adams M.D. PhD

    Download a free copy of Mangia! Classic Italian Recipes by Gabriella Lepore

    Download a free copy of Meet Amazing Americans Workbook 40 by Like Test Prep Meet Amazing Americans

    Download a free copy of Homemade Jelly and Jam Recipes – 35 Recipes to Make Delicious James and Jellies from Scratch by Hillbilly Housewife

    Download a free copy of Janie and the Magic Box Christmas by Julia Dweck

     

  • Holiday Gift Giving: Give the Gift of Amazon Prime

    Gift Prime

    The Christmas Holiday will be here soon, next week in fact!  WooHoo!  If you are still looking for the perfect gift for someone on your list you can give the gift of Amazon Prime.  This gift is perfect for anyone (men, women, kids, college students, couples, and more) on your gift list!  You can now give the gift of Amazon Prime Membership.

    Gift of Amazon Prime includes:

    • FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of items (no minimum order size)
    • Unlimited, ad-free access to over a million songs and hundreds of playlists
    • Instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Instant Video
    • Free unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive
    • Read free books each month through Kindle First and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library

    Amazon will send your recipient their gift on the day you choose along with the redemption instructions.  The gift recipient can begin their Prime Membership immediately.  If the recipient currently has a Prime Membership they can exchange their gift for an Amazon.com Gift Card.

    The Amazon Prime Membership is perfect for any family and friends that enjoy online shopping.  They will get FREE Shipping and many other perks with their membership.  It is a great gift that could be used for as a Holiday, wedding, birthday, anniversary gifts, and more!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    It was a whirlwind of a week, but I managed to get some projects completed during the week.  The kids had a lot of homework, school activities, work travel, robotic competition, and so much more all squeezed into last week! This is the kids final week of school for 2014 so I have several projects that need to be completed this week.  I want to make sure once they are out of school that I have more time to relax and spend with them enjoying the Holidays.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the familytook the kids to see the Easley Baptist Hospital display of Christmas Trees, Lights, and Gingerbread Houses
    3. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
    4. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    7. Play a Game with the Kids
    8. Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items – this is going to have to be put on hold until after the Holidays since other items are taking priority at this time
    9. Dr. Appointments for Kids
    10. Finish Decorating for Christmas
    11. Send out Christmas Cards – hoping to get it done this week
    12. Complete Our Christmas Shopping – I bought my first gift (does that count!)  I actually started this week now that I am feeling better and moving more! 
    13. Start Wrapping Gifts

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day – had a couple busy days that I didn’t do well with, but need to keep it up because I don’t want to be sick for the Holidays!
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)hard to believe I am almost done with my year of Bible Reading!
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it took only 2 days this week, getting closer still cannot carry the laundry baskets so have to wait for assistance
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later) – with the extra evening activities this did not get done
    4. Clean House (Focus – House Decorated & Christmas Bins Back Up in the Attic)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Clean Out the Pantry) – got pulled into other activities
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Blow Leaves Off Deck)my amazing husband did this for me!  Thanks Handsome!!!
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Skipper a Bath) – with it being cold and wet she managed to escape the bath this week

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – couple of business contacts I need to work through some exciting opportunities with this week
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read the book The Cat Who Came For Christmas by Cleveland Amory to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Prepare for Upcoming Holiday Events
    4. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    7. Play a Game with the Kids
    8. Take the Kids to the Library to pick out books to read over the Holidays
    9. Send out Christmas Cards
    10. Complete Our Christmas Shopping
    11. Finish Wrapping Gifts
    12. Ship Out Grandparents Gifts
    13. Deliver Neighbor Gifts

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Clean House (Focus –  At least 15 minute daily “pick up” to keep the house clean as we prepped for the Holidays)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Get Gifts Wrapped, Mailed, or Ready to put under Christmas Tree)
    5. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Leaves)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Skipper a Bath)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. 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.