Events & Holidays
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This is a great time to try out Amazon Prime, see if you like it and enjoy the benefits. You can chose to cancel your membership after the 30 day free trial or get a yearly membership.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
There is so much to be thankful for in my life. These last couple of months have been challenging for me, but my family and friends have been a huge source of encouragement with their help and prayers. I continue to heal, but seem to be making progress slowly in the right direction which is great.
I was able to do more activities this week as well as celebrate another birthday. Praying that this new year is full of great fun! There are still items I was not able to complete on my ever growing list, but at least I am moving forward.
With this week being Thanksgiving it will be a little different for me. I will plan on spending more quality time with my family. It will be week of celebrating various events with my extended family, including Thanksgiving and my brother’s wedding, so I am very excited!
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read the book Wonder’s Promise by Joanna Campbell to read to the kidsPlan one special activity with the familyPrepare for Upcoming Fall EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePlay a Game with the Kids– we played Sorry together on my birthday- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items – other activities took priority this week
Dr. Appointments for Kids
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 day – took me 2 days, but getting it done!
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later) – we had appointments / activities during the days AND every night after school this week so I was not able to get it done this week
- Clean House (Focus – Bathrooms) – got started….
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room) – going to have to put this one on hold for a week
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away) – it was a rainy weekend and needed my hubby’s help on this one
Pet Care (Focus – Refill Dog & Goat Food Bin)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – got some progress made, but need to do more soon
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – it was a wild week with extra activities that took priority
- Work completed for clients – got a good bit done, but need to put in some more time
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch – didn’t have a free breakfast / lunch this week
- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes – gathering items
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Earn some Creative Cash – working on it
Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to read to the kids (The kids have been really enjoying this series. It was Brina’s turn to pick out the book and she choose this one for me to read to them!)
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events
- Spend time Monday – Tuesday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Watch a movie with the Kids
- Listen to an Audiobook with the Kids
- Thanksgiving Holiday – So Many Reasons to be Thankful
- Celebrating Josh & Megan’s Wedding & Activities
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
- Clean House (Basic Speed Clean before the Holiday Activities)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- 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.
Free Ebooks: Elegant Thanksgiving Recipes, Always Know What To Say, Tongue Twisters for Kids, 76 Free Things to Do with Kids, Salads To Go, 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 Elegant Thanksgiving Recipes: Upscale Your Traditions by Natalie Oliver
Download a free copy of Always Know What To Say – Easy Ways To Approach And Talk To Anyone by Peter W. Murphy
Download a free copy of Tongue Twisters for Kids by Riley Weber
Download a free copy of 76 Free Things to Do with Kids: A Real Mom’s Guide by Shannon Brown
Download a free copy of Salads To Go by Arnel Ricafranca
Download a free copy of 101 Amazing Facts by Jack Goldstein
Download a free copy of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling
Download a free copy of Potty Training In 3 Days: Proven Potty Training Guide To Stress Free Results In 3 Days or Even Faster by Jenny Stone
Download a free copy of Christmas Crock Pot Recipes: 20 Christmas Crock Pot Recipes to Free Up Your Oven and Stove! by Hannie P. Scott
Download a free copy of Easy Appetizer Recipes by Instructables Authors
My Little Chef: Homemade Apple Crisp
Brina’s Homemade Apple Crisp was delicious!
Brina wanted to make homemade apple crisp for the family. She loves to cook and spend time with us in the kitchen. Thankful for her willingness to learn how to cook. She is becoming a great chef!
Mixing up the crisp, the spoon wasn’t working well so she used her fingers.
Freshly cubed apples sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
Homemade Apple Crisp ready to go into the oven.
Freshly baked apple crisp!
Free Ebooks: Photography Guide, Ultimate Mods Handbook, Holiday Recipes, Music Theory, 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 Photography: The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Taking Stunning Professional Photographs by Martin Hall
Download a free copy of Ultimate Mods Handbook: The Unofficial Minecraft – Mods Guide for Minecrafter’s by Adrian King
Download a free copy of Holiday Recipes: 150 Easy Recipes and Gifts From Your Kitchen by Bonnie Scott
Download a free copy of Music Theory 1 & 2 – Basic Chords & Extended Chords (Color Chord Tones, Bundle of 2 Books – Learn Piano Chords) by Rosa Suen
Download a free copy of DSLR Photography for Beginners: Learn How to Shoot Like a Pro Using Your DSLR Camera by Mark Flynn
Download a free copy of Christmas with Best-Selling Author’s Cookbook by Sharon Kleve, Jennifer Conner, Chris Karlsen, Joanne Jaytanie, Angela Ford, Amber Daulton, Dawn Luedecke, Kathie Hayes, and Elle Rush
Download a free copy of Business English in 5 Minutes – Learn Business English in 50 Days with Only 5 Minutes a Day by Alvcia C. Jones
Download a free copy of Understanding Exposure: Get Amazing Results on Your DSLR by Barbara Steinhoff Schneider
Download a free copy of Christmas Feast Cookbook – The Very Best Classic and New Recipes by Sarah Spencer
Download a free copy of Developing Good Habits: Start Small and Make Big Difference to Live a Better Life by Mark Synder
Holiday Gift Giving: Give the Gift of Amazon Prime
Over the next few weeks I will share a variety of Gift Giving ideas for the upcoming Holidays. We have all had those people on the gift list that we try to find the perfect gift for, but it takes time and a little extra creative thinking. 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!
A “Dove” For My Love!
I am blessed with an amazing husband! When he has to travel I miss him greatly! I am very grateful for the him and everything he does for our family. When he travels I try to get him something special for when he comes home. The surprise could be a treat something sweet or salty or practical or fun gift. I usually add some cheesy note or saying, but that’s not what it’s really about, it is about making my man feel important when he comes home.
Most of the time I leave his welcome home surprise in a place where I know he will find not long after being home (his desk, near the shelf where he puts his wallet, in the front of the fridge, etc…). He’s seems to really appreciate the surprise gifts and gestures. I am always thrilled have him back home and to do something special for him. Lately, he has been traveling more for work so I have had to get creative and keep an eye out for new and different items to make or get for him.There are so many reasons why I love him….let me share a few:
- He loves me despite my faults.
- He takes care of me even during the rough times of sickness or injury.
- He works hard to provide for our family.
- He is a godly man.
- He knows how to make me laugh.
- He plays a key role in so many of my favorite memories.
- He is an amazing Dad to our kids.
- He takes time to listen to me even on busy days or when he is away.
- He encourages me to always do my best.
- He helps me even when I get myself “in a pickle” which happens more than I care to admit (ahem…).
- He is thoughtful and often knows exactly what I need, sometimes even before I do.
- He knows how to make me smile.
- He spontaneously surprises me with the most thoughtful and perfect practical gifts.
- He is my best friend.
- He cooks the most delicious food for our family.
- He will help clean, even if it isn’t always his favorite chore around the house.
- He knows how to bring out the best in me.
- He is my Handsome Man.
- He pitches in when he sees I need the extra help with the kids homework, finishing a meal, and more.
- He is very creative.
- He allows me to speak freely and values my opinion, even if we don’t always agree on everything.
- He looks for opportunities to teach his family new things (both the kids and myself included).
- He puts up with my craziness, he deserves an award for this one.
- He is willing to play board games with his family.
- He is my biggest cheerleader and believes I can do anything I want to do.
- He has an amazing amount of patience with me and the kids.
- He knows I have a black thumb with house plants and still loves me.
- He supports my endeavors and at times my random crazy ideas.
- He comes up and will implement ways to make my life easier.
- He has so many talents and is an amazing person.
- He knows how to calm me down when I get myself worked up.
- He allows me to be myself around him.
- He tells me I am “beautiful” even though I usually see all the areas I need to improve.
- He can create the most awesome creations out of wood – bookshelves, desks, and so much more.
- He is always learning.
- He spoils me…..too much at times.
- He is generous.
- He is giving of his time and energy.
- I love him more and more every day!
While neither of us happen to be perfect (far from it actually), however, we are perfect for each other. Unfortunately, we don’t always agree, but we work together through those tough moments. We’ve had our ups and we’ve had our downs. Thankfully, we have grown closer together and learned to love each other even more through the years.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
It was a little better this week. Still healing, but continue to have pain, numbness, and my stomach hasn’t reset itself yet. Had another doctors appointment and hoping to have a better report soon. I was able to get up and move around more this week, but still haven’t been able to get to all of the items on my lists. At least some progress is being made.
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Read the book Wonder’s Promise by Joanna Campbell to read to the kids – still reading to the girls (we had a week of heavy homework)
- Plan one special activity with the family – had another family event come up on the calendar on that day
- Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events & Trips – waiting on approval from my doctors
Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before- Play a Game with the Kids
- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items
Dr. Appointments for Kids– had an ENT appointment for one of the girls and picked out new glasses for both
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day – my stomach hasn’t been happy with drinking water this week so this one has been a challenge
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 – took me 3 partial days to get it done
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekDo at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)Clean out & Organize Refrigerator & FreezerClean House (Focus – Basement Floors)– my amazing husband helped get this accomplished for me (thanks, Babe!)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room) – didn’t get it done
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away) – still needs done
- Pet Care (Focus – Refill Goat Food Bin) – still needs done
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 – making some headway
Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch – didn’t have a lot of extra curricular activities this week
- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes – making preparations
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – paid an little extra this week
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Earn some Creative Cash – working on it
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – the girls helped me at the grocery store this week and we had to go by more than one store because of the items that we needed this week
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read the book Wonder’s Promise by Joanna Campbell to read to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events & Trips
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items
- Dr. Appointments for Kids
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
- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)
- Clean House (Focus – Bathrooms)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away)
- Pet Care (Focus – Refill Dog & Goat Food Bin)
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
- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Earn some Creative Cash
- 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: Myth of the Garage, Favorite Christmas Cookies, Clean Food Diet, Prayer Changes Things, How to Ace Your Phone Interview, Genealogy, 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 Myth of the Garage by Chip Heath
Download a free copy of Favorite Christmas Cookies by Ruth Cardello, Nina Bruhns, Donna Fasano, Rebecca York, Helen Scott Taylor, Patrice Wilton, Mona Risk, Annie Jones, Alicia Street, Mimi Barbour
Download a free copy of Clean Food Diet: Avoid Processed Foods & Eat Clean with Few Simple Lifestyle Changes (Free Nutrition Recipes, Natural Food Recipes, Special Diet Cookbooks, Vegetarian Recipes Collection Book 4) by Jonathan Vine
Download a free copy of Prayer Changes Things: Taking Your Life to the Next Prayer Level by Beni Jhonson, Don Nori Sr, James W. Goll, Elmer Towns, Morris Cerulla, Suzette T. Caldwell, Sue Curran, Mahesh Chavda, C. Peter Wagner
Download a free copy of How To Ace Your Phone Interview by Peggy McKee
Download a free copy of Best Christmas Cookie Recipes: Easy Holiday Cookies 2014 by Katie Cotton
Download a free copy of Protect Your Tech: Your Geek-Free Guide to a Secure and Private Digital Life by Michelle Slade and Rob Dix
Download a free copy of Genealogy – Family Tree Research Made Easy by Poppy Sure
Download a free copy of Lemon Remedies: 50 Clever Lemon Recipes to Heal Your Skin, Revitalize Your Hair, and Cure Many Illnesses (Lemon Cure, Lemon Cleanse, Lemon Tree, Lemon Grove) by Tina Salamnca
Download a free copy of Happiness 365: One-a-Day Inspirational Quotes for a Happy You (The Happiness 365 Inspirational Series Book 1) by Deena B. Chopra and KC Harry
Holiday Gift Giving: Space Scouts
One of the kids in our family is all about space, planets, astronauts, and more! It is her dream to one day be an astronaut and go to Mars. Recently, I discovered this program called Space Scouts that I am looking forward to checking out. It might be something really fun for her to explore and learn more about space in the process.
If you have a child that loves Space and wants to learn more it may be a great program for you too! Space Scouts monthly subscription club for kids is a delightful learning adventure aimed at discovering the wonders of the universe! Each month your child will explore a new place in space — stepping into the worlds of space exploration, space science, and astronomy. Join Roxy and Jett as they scout about the galaxy engaging your child in fun learning activities, hands-on discovery, and exciting challenges. Packages arrive each month filled with fun additions to your collection — magnets, stickers, toys, and more!
Space Scouts is a stellar vehicle for launching your child’s interest in science & technology! This is not your typical grab-bag subscription box. Space Scouts is a fun, educational experience where each month builds upon the previous. It’s a great way to learn! Price is affordable at $11.95 per month + $3.00 shipping. Discounts for multi-month purchase. Space Scouts is designed for kids age 6+.
Visit Space Scouts website to learn more! What’s even better is you can get a 20% discount – when you use promo code USFAMILY20 at checkout. The promotional code gives you a 20% discount on initial purchase of any Space Scouts subscription plan. The code expires on December 31, 2014 so sign up soon.
