Events & Holidays
Travel & Vacation: Visiting the Atlanta Zoo (Atlanta, GA)
 Our family at the Atlanta Zoo!
We surprised the girls with a long weekend trip to Atlanta, Georgia over Easter weekend. They were very excited to go explore the Atlanta area. We are members of our local zoo so we were able to get into the Atlanta Zoo at a discount which was really nice. The kids love animals, learning more about various ones, interacting, and so much more.
Since it was Easter weekend at the Atlanta Zoo the animals were getting special treats to enjoy for the Holiday. The new Amphibian & Reptile Exhibit also opened the weekend we were there as well. There were a lot of people at the zoo, but it was so big we had plenty of time do see and do almost everything (some things the kids enjoyed it so much we did it again).
Pink Flamingos were hanging out peacefully near the entrance to the zoo
So excited….Karlie and Brina! They have their maps out and are ready to GO!
 The birds were sleeping peacefully all together on one branch.
 It was a little chilly when we first got there in the shade at opening, but no one was complaining!
 Birds of all colors
Brina soaking it all in. She loves animals.
 Playing around in the water puddles.
 Karlie smiling as she quietly watches the birds and little kids.
 Meerkat’s roaming around in their pen.
 There is always one Meerkat on watch (or guard) for predators
 They gave the Meerkats a pillow case stuffed full of hay, little bugs, and special treats. They were a little timid about it at first, but before long they were all taking turns going into the pillow case and digging out their special treats.
 Are you done yet! Hurry up and get your bug so I can get my turn inside the Easter treat sack!!!
 They look cute, but serious. Look at those claws on this meerkat! Yikes!
Rhino heading out into the sun after getting some sticky mud on itself to protect it from a sunburn.
 This rhino was moving the stick around and chewing on it. Must of had something tasty on it.
 They drew flowers, easter eggs, and bunny rabbits with chalk on the rocks in the Zebra’s pen.
 The warthogs got hard boiled and colored Easter eggs for their special treat. They both found the first one about the same time.
 Someone found the purple Easter egg!
The elephants had Easter eggs that had a jello consistency that they place in baskets made of leaves. Â This elephant just discovered the basket of leaves and is moving it out of the way so she can eat her jello Easter egg.
 Whole lot of elephants! They had a huge pen and sometimes if you couldn’t see them on one side you had to go around to see them in a different section.
 Jake and his girls exploring the Atlanta Zoo
 Beautiful bird
 Brina found Big Bird’s Nest!!! HA!
 My two little chickies in the huge nest!
Karlie thought the nest was hilarious!
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week was busy, but good. The girls survived their first week of State testing at school and we tried to do some fun activities every day to keep help make the week go more pleasantly with them. They have another round this week though. They played outside a little more to get fresh air and were a huge help in getting some yard work done. They helped me clean up the pool, pick up a bunch of sticks from the trees in the yard, and even a bonfire (which they loved). Thankful for my kids and their willingness to work hard so we can get things done as a family.
Jake and I had a Date Night on Friday which was really nice to get out and how some quiet time together as a couple.  Jake got both of the vehicles oil changes complete, mowed the lawn (thanks to my brother letting us borrow his mower), and a whole lot of other tasks done around the house and yard this weekend. We ended Saturday with a delicious meal over the bonfire. Sunday we went to church, relaxed, and had a planning session for the upcoming week. All in all it was a good week and it was the first weekend in weeks that we stayed home for the entire weekend which was really nice! While it was a productive week for me I didn’t necessarily do what was on my “goal” list, I plan to do better about sticking to it this week. Hoping to get a lot accomplished this week as there is a lot I want to do before the kids get out of school.   Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kidsPlan one special activity with the family- Play a Game with the Kids – we didn’t play a board game this week, but we spent good quality time together
Prepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break – we made some progress on it this weekend, hoping to wrap up some of the other big details within the next week
- Ride Bikes with the Kids – the kids rode bikes, but I didn’t get a chance to ride with them this week
- Mail out Mother’s Day Cards
- Celebrate Mother’s Day
- Go on Date Nights with the Kids
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – it was acting up a few times last week so I am about 2 days behind schedule
Keep up with my FitBit GoalsGo to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this weekUpdate Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it was two days this week with everything going on
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic) – girls closets are done, but still need to do my and Jake’s clothes.Â
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip) – almost done, hopefully this week
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Re-Stain the Deck – weather permitting) – we scrapped doing this activity instead cleaned up the pool, mowed, picked up & burned sticks, changed oil in both vehicles
- Pet Care (Focus – Give Skipper a Bath) – she still needs her bath, but all the animals did get a good brushing from the kids which they loved with all their fur shedding now that it is getting a lot warmer
- Repairs – (Focus – Replace our HVAC Unit – it died a few weeks ago the joys of owning an older home) – working on it, should be done this week
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – need to get a couple more completed
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – got a little behind this week
- Work completed for clients – have one more to complete soon
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – made another payment this week, slowly and surely we’re getting there
- Payoff Medical Bills – working on it
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Boxcar Children’s Blue Bay Mystery (Boxcar Children Series #6) by Gertrude Chandler Warner 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(s)
- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
- Ride Bikes with the Kids
- Work on special projects with the kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
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 – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Re-Stain the Deck – weather permitting)
- Pet Care (Focus – Pick up Dog and Goat Food)
- Repairs – (Focus – Replace our HVAC Unit – it died a few weeks ago the joys of owning an older home)
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
- Prep, plan, and organize content for upcoming summer months with kids out of school
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, HVAC unit, 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.
Tooth Fairy Visits and Braces!
Karlie tooth fairy reward
There is a lot going on around our house lately regarding teeth. Recently, Brina got a spacer and braces for her teeth. Both girls have lost some of their baby teeth too. The tooth fairy has been staying busy at our house. We do a variety of different things for the tooth fairy. Typically we give a note, cash and a special gift. The special gift can be a book, necklace, toy, or a variety of different items that appeal to the specific child.
 Brina showing off her new braces!
Another tooth fairy gift for Karlie
Tooth fairy is now visiting Brina’s room
Travel & Vacation: Dry Erase Board Notes
Karlie’s dry erase board note to Jake
In case you already haven’t noticed our family LOVES to travel. Occasionally when Jake travels for work the rest of us get to tag along with him. A lot of times his days are long and we don’t always get to see him throughout the day. On our last work trip I told the girls to bring their dry erase boards and markers so we could “leave Daddy a note” for the day. If he came back to the hotel room and we were not there he could see our notes, know what we were up to, and hopefully feel the love that we were sending his way. It is not always possible to know when he may have a moment to run back to the room and if we are across town we cannot make it back in time to say “hi” so this is a little way to let him know that we are thinking about him even though we couldn’t be there to give him a hug in person.
During this recent trip all of us were up with the sun at 6 am every morning and off in our separate ways shortly thereafter. Sometimes it would be midnight or later before we reconnected again. Several times Jake also left a note on the back of the dry erase boards for us which the girls loved. If he had a few minutes and knew that we would be getting back really late he would prep dinner for us so we could make it quickly while the girls were showering so they could eat, relax for a few minutes, and crash in bed.
We ate all but one breakfast and dinner in our hotel room. All our lunches we packed in our backpacks and would eat whenever we were exploring for that day. To help with the preparation and meal plan we brought a hot pot (yes, like the ones you use in college) to make our meals. We were able to make some good, quick, healthy, and inexpensive meals in our hotel room like sloppy joes, mac-n-cheese, chicken & rice, soup, and more! It was nice to relax together at the end of the day before hitting the bed.
Every time we left for the day each girl would get out their dry erase boards and leave a note for Jake. I would add an note to the bottom or side of each of their notes. They had a lot of fun doing this for him and looked forward to it every morning.
Brina’s note to Daddy
Karlie letting Daddy know we are going to check out the animals!
Brina’s note to Daddy with a variety of colors.
Karlie’s note that includes a “heart family” of all of us. Cute!
Brina’s note with hearts and letting him know to have “fun and do a good job”!
Brina’s note to Dad with my note to the love of my love.
Jake’s note letting us know he prepped the meal and all we had to do is add water and boil.
Sweet note from my Handsome man!
Note from Karlie with her and Daddy as heart people.
The girls love their Dad so very much. It is precious to see how they enjoy not only doing little things for him, but also how excited they get to spend some extra time with him. Thankful for a husband who works so hard to provide for our family. He takes good care of all of us and always makes each of us feel special. He is thoughtful, generous, and kind. Even though he works hard he always makes a point to spend time with us as a family. I am blessed in many ways.
If your spouse travels and you go along with them you can easily do this for your spouse as well. It was super simple, but made everyone feel more connected throughout the long days apart. I hope that it made Jake’s days a little bit brighter.
Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
Last week went by in a whirlwind. We wrapped up the girls Science Fair projects, Jake had a lot going on at work, I had several appointments, and everything else that we managed to squeeze into the week. Thankful for some time together over the weekend both at home and in Georgia. There was so much to be thankful for last week.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week. Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday – Thankful for a day to re-group after a busy weekend.
Tuesday – Thankful for a being able to get my appointments back-to-back so I could get most of them completed in one day (and that none of them ran too late so I was able to make it on time to every one).
Wednesday – Thankful for Jake and his encouragement. He is always willing to listen and loves me despite all the crazy things I do.
Thursday – Thankful to have an opportunity to meet a friend for lunch today and catch up.
Friday – Thankful that the girls got their Science Fair projects completed and turned in today. Grateful for an evening with my family and excited about the fun adventures planned together for the weekend.
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!
30th Annual Georgia Renaissance Festival
Last weekend we made a trip to Georgia to attend the 30th Annual Georgia Renaissance Festival. We’ve never gone to the festival before so the kids were very excited when we told them what we were doing. We arrived just a few minutes after they opened and were surprised to see the amount of people that were at the festival. The only traffic we ran into was the last two miles before the festival because traffic was backed up a little as everyone was trying to get in and park. They had plenty of parking and attendants helping get the cars in as efficiently as possible. It had rained the day before so it was a little muddy in a few places, but it wasn’t bad.
We had a great time watching all the neat shows and going through the various shops. The kids thought it was fascinating and were even chosen to participate in one of the shows which was fun. The people performing were very interactive with the audiences. There were a few “adult humor” jokes in some of the performances, but nothing that the kids picked up on. It was Roman and bring your pet weekend so there were lots of dogs which the girls loved. We only saw one cat though!
They had a lot of different food options as well from giant turkey legs, key lime pie on a stick, funnel cakes, and more. The kids thought the funnel cake was delicious! There was alcohol available for purchase, however, with it being a day event most people were drinking casually so that wasn’t a problem. They do allow smoking so occasionally you would have to walk around a group of people who were smoking usually around the picnic areas. Overall it was a great experience, entertaining, fun, and a good family activity.
We got to see almost all the performances throughout the day. Usually each show performs several times during the day so if you don’t catch one time you get another one. We were there close to 6 hours and were able to watch at least part of every show that was performing that weekend. It was neat to see a lot of tricks and talent.
Here are some of the pictures from the shows we attended and really enjoyed:
King announcing the jousting tournament!
The warrior princess to be won in the knights competition
One of the warriors
Karlie and Brina on stage being lassoed by Cirque du Todd on Fools’s Knoll stage
He got a bunch of kids inside the lasso
Having fun in the performance!
Juggling a large knife, garden spike, and jalapeno spam
Cirque du Todd balancing on a board while juggling fire sticks and fire spinning around his head and feet.
Sirena Dog Show at the Garden Cottage Stage
 She had a lot of different dogs doing various tricks
Huge poodle that could jump high!
Birds of Prey show, this guy flew over our heads!
The owl is ready!
We had an empty seat next to us and one of the workers would call the birds so they would land right next to us.
He’s got his little helmet on to keep him calm during the performance.
Petting the animals
Wheel of Death act at the Marrakech Mews area
He was walking and doing the jump rope while this huge wheel was spinning way up in the air. Amazing!
Barely Balanced was entertaining on the Halfwit Harbour Stage
Juggling knives over his friend
Now that’s a way to stretch.
He is balancing on a board while she’s on his shoulders juggling the knives. Barely Balance is a husband, wife, and friend who perform together.
She is standing on a large ball while they are juggling the knives around her.
It started the weekend of April 18th and goes through June 7, 2015.  There were many more performances we saw while at the festival. Hope this gives you a taste of what you will see while you are there!
If you are looking to go to the Georgia Renaissance Festival you can use this promo code for another few days! Also, next weekend, the first weekend in May kids under 12 years old get in free!
Georgia Renaissance Festival Promo Code Discount:
- Get $4 off Adult and $3 off Child (6-12) tickets! Use Promo Code: “castle” when purchasing discount tickets on our secure website at www.garenfest.com. Tickets are good any day of the 2015 Season (Weekends and Memorial Day Apr 18-June 7). Online discount only. Not good with any other offers.
A special thanks to U.S. Family Guide and Georgia Renaissance Festival for offering a special discount to our readers. Any specific product information was provided by Georgia Renaissance Festival and U.S. Family Guide, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own. We did receive tickets so our family could visit the festival and share our experience.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
We flew through last week with all the school, work, and other activities going on. The girls finished and turned in their Science Fair journals and display boards on Friday! WooHoo! It was so nice to get them done. They hand wrote over 100 pages in their journals and spent countless hours on the project. They don’t actually present the project until the middle of May, but the majority of the work is complete and turned in for the teacher to grade. This past weekend we were able to get away for a little bit to Georgia and have some fun! We went to the Georgia Renaissance Festival which was very entertaining; I will share more about that in a later post.  This week the girls have a bunch of their year end State tests so hoping there is not a lot of homework so we can do some stuff around the house, yard, and have some extra fun in the evenings too. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kids – we actually got to get a good start on this book, hoping to wrap it up this week
Plan one special activity with the family– we had fun in Georgia over the weekend and went to the Georgia Renaissance FestivalPlay a Game with the Kids– we played Destination USA and a couple other ones togetherPrepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family AdventureFinish and turn in the kids Science Fair ProjectsPrep for upcoming Summer Break
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – it was acting up last week, hoping to get caught up soon
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals – I blew it away on a couple of days and missed my target on a day or two, so probably if I average the week I hit close to my goal
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily – it doesn’t get written down every day, need to do better
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – took 2 days with the altered schedule this past week
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic) – it was cool and one of my daughters wanted to wear long sleeves last week so hoping to get it put up this week
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip) – almost done!
Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Off the Deck)– the kids actually helped get this donePet Care (Focus – Get Another Water Bucket set Out for the Goats)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – have a couple more to do
Keep 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 (finished another one, now if we can just not go to the Dr again for a few months, ha)
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell 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(s)
- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
- Ride Bikes with the Kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
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 – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Re-Stain the Deck – weather permitting)
- Pet Care (Focus – Give Skipper a Bath)
- Repairs – (Focus – Replace our HVAC Unit – it died a few weeks ago the joys of owning an older home)
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.
Insta-Snow Powder for Fun Indoor Snow Activities!
Super cool fake snow!
Our friends Mike, Ashley, and Bradley gave the girls Insta-Snow Powder for their birthdays! It is AMAZING! The girls have spent hours playing with it. Ok, I will admit it I have been playing with it too. It’s just so cool to play with inside!
It is super simple to make (just add water to a measured amount of powder). The canister we have makes 2 gallons of snow. We have only made a few batches and still have the snow we made from the last several weeks. It lasts a really long time if you put it in a ziplock bag. It is fascinating, not cold, and funky to play with.
The girls were wanting to go somewhere with snow for their birthday so our friend sent “snow” to them. They had the snow out almost immediately and within a couple of days of playing with the Insta-Snow we got real snow outside in SC. The kids are convinced our friends are good luck because every time they played with the Insta-Snow they sent them it would snow again in SC (which means no school too).
It is a fun activity for the kids. If any of the snow particles do get on the counter or floors they are easy to wipe up or if you miss them they will dry back up into the powder which is easy to sweep or vacuum up off the floor. We are gearing up to do a science project and the girls are convinced that whatever they decide to do they will need to add some of the Insta-Snow powder to give their science projects an extra WOW factor, ha!
I think the next thing we are going to try is to dye the snow different colors to see how it handles that and what it looks like when you mix various ones together. Thankful for thoughtful friends who know how to brighten the lives of the little ones (and big ones) in our home! THANK YOU Ashley from Reflecting on the Simple Things in Life for providing hours of entertainment at our house!!!
They thought it was neat being able to write messages in the snow!
The Insta-Snow Powder came in this canister and it makes 2 gallons. The snow expands rapidly to 100 times its original size. It goes from being a dry granule to fluffy white snow-like substance in a matter of seconds.
Inside the canister there is a scoop for easy measuring!
First we measured the insta-snow powder into a red cup than poured the water into it.
Mixing up the snow and water. It literally grew in her hands. Super cool!
Playing with it!
So fascinating they wouldn’t even look up for the camera
Pile of fake snow to play with inside.
Felt really neat!
Loved looking at all the little pieces and playing with it.
Building a volcano!
 Look it’s snowing inside!
You could play with it for hours with your bare hands because it is not cold like actually snow plus it doesn’t melt and it’s easy to clean up!
Brina playing with the snow!
Creating a replica of the Great Wall of China which we were just talking about the other day!
If you are looking for a fun and indoor activity you can find Insta-Snow Powder and other Snow like items on Amazon.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
This past week went by in a whirlwind. Jake was traveling for work, the girls have been working diligently every day on their Science Fair Project which is due pretty soon, and there were a lot of extra activities and appointments going on. We made it through the week in one piece, but hoping it slows down soon. I was not aware of how time consuming the Science Fair projects would be. Not sure if this week is much quieter, but I am hoping to make some more progress in the right direction. Due to the many activities going on this week several items are going to be the same again because I was unable to get to them. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kids – we haven’t had as much time to read for fun with all the extra work on the Science Fair Projects, hoping to get to this more soon
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the Kids– Played the Destination USA Board Game with themPrepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure – are brainstorming and trying to work out the details (and scheduling)
- Finish the kids Science Fair Projects – almost done!!!!!!!
- Prep for upcoming Summer Break – starting to fill in the schedule
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – I am about 3 days behind, need to catch up this week
Keep up with my FitBit Goals– I did it!!!!Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily – this one didn’t get updated daily with everything going on
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- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic) – other items took priority and with the cold rainy days one of my daughters wore her jeans and long shirts all week!
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL, STEM, and Atlanta trips) – got all the Florida and STEM ones completed, just need to tackle the Atlanta trip
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Off the Deck) – it rained the entire week here in SC
- Pet Care (Focus – Get Another Water Bucket set Out for the Goats) – have one that will be repositioning soon
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – need to catch up
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – I did the high priority or hot items
- Work completed for clients –Â have a few projects to complete soon
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 (paid off a couple this week, YAY!)
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)- working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell 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
- Finish and turn in the kids Science Fair Projects
- Prep for upcoming Summer Break
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
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 – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Off the Deck)
- Pet Care (Focus – Get Another Water Bucket set Out 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.
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