Family Finances

  • Holiday Gift Giving: 12 Days of Christmas

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    As the song says “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”  It took me a little more time to get in gear for the Christmas Holidays this year, but the girls Holiday spirit along with the countless Christmas songs is quite contagious!  Once again the excitement is building in our house and we are counting down the final days.  One of the ways we try to spread out the Holiday Cheer in our house is by doing the 12 Days of Christmas.  I used bigger boxes this year so it is actually pretty tall (it’s taller than me….not that I am a giant, ha), but it made it more difficult to get a great picture.

    The 12 Days of Christmas allows the girls can open one gift a day for 12 days prior to Christmas.  By doing it this way they have the time to enjoy each gift because they get one gift every day versus everything packed into one day!  Starting December 13th the girls will be able to open one gift a day with the last one being opened on Christmas Eve.  Plus, doing the 12 Days of Christmas motivates me to wrap some gifts early so I am not up late the day before Christmas trying to get all the wrapping completed, instead I can relax and go to bed at a decent time!

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    Some years I keep the cost to under $20 total, including boxes and wrapping paper, while other years we add their main gifts to this stack.  Most of the gifts were bought on clearance, using coupons, or at discount over the past year.  We did a joint stack for both of our girls again this year, although you can choose to do a stack for each person.  You can chose to do whatever works best for your family.

    In the past I have shared the items that I put into their 12 Days of Christmas packages, however, it is not possible to do that this year.  Mainly because the girls are fluent readers AND they are frequent readers of my blog (wink…wink)!  So in order to keep their gifts a secret I will not be able to spill-the-beans on the contents of the packages.  I would be happy to share the list of the items I put into their boxes if you send me a message and promise not to tell my kids (shhhh….it’ll be our secret).  I just cannot post publicly what is in each box.  I have compiled a list of ideas on items that work well in the 12 Days of Christmas packages to get you started!

    Ideas for 12 Days of Christmas:

    • CDs
    • Hair Accessories
    • Make Up
    • Socks or Tights
    • Chapstick
    • Socks
    • Gloves or Scarf
    • Card Game
    • Construction Paper
    • Markers or Crayons
    • Matchbox cars
    • Small Toys
    • Baby Doll Clothes
    • Christmas Underwear
    • Shoes
    • Slippers
    • Books
    • Clothes
    • Pajamas
    • Popcorn Tin
    • Mix Nuts
    • Sweet Treats
    • Christmas Ornaments
    • Crafts
    • Games
    • Gift Cards
    • The ideas are endless! 🙂

    I wrapped the items in the original boxes or found boxes around the house to put the items into.  The Christmas paper was purchased on clearance and I used a coupon.  Many of the items we purchased on clearance throughout the year and / or used CVS – ECBs and Walgreens – Register Rewards, Swagbucks Gift Cards or Coupons.  I cannot remember the price for all the items but with the rewards it very reasonable price for 12 gifts and some days had multiple items in them.

    We did a joint stack for our girls to save money, however, the items we picked match their individual interests.  The kids recently discovered the 12 Days of Christmas presents wrapped and ready by our tree!  I love seeing their faces and hearing their comments when they first see the stack.

    If you need some more ideas you can check out our previous 12 Days of Christmas posts for our family over the past few years:

    http://www.blessingsmultiplied.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/P1430924c.jpg

    http://www.blessingsmultiplied.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_4840c.jpg

  • Organized Chaos: Easy DIY Headband Holder

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    The headbands are now hung up in the girls closets so they can access them easily!

    We have a lot of headbands in our house.  There are two girls in our home who wear headbands, however, it was getting to frustrating trying to figure out the best way to store all the headbands.  Just putting them into a storage box wasn’t working because it was a mess, headbands were getting broken, it is was impossible on a busy school morning to find a particular headband before rushing off to school.

    I decided it was time to come up with a solution that would help keep the headbands organized.  The idea started while I was putting away a swimming noodle….  Which happened to be a good size to hang a headband on so I decided to give it a try.

    The pile of headbands that need to be organized

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    All you need is a thick noodle, hanger, headbands, and knife!

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    Cut the noodle to fit inside your hanger.

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    Slice one side of the noodle so you can slide it onto the hanger.  The thicker the noodle the better.

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    Hang your headbands on the noodle and your done!

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    The headbands are ready to go into my daughters closet!

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    We have used this headband holder / organizer for several months now and it works awesome!  Each girl has their own headband hanger on the back of their closet door so they can reach in and grab whatever headband they want to wear that day.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week flew by so quickly I barely had time to blink.  December is flying by too fast.  Although I was able to get a lot accomplished this past week I need to put-it-in-gear and prep for the upcoming Holidays, including finish decorating and getting gifts for those on my list this year.  Not to mention Christmas cards, wrapping, and more….   With everything that has been going on these past few months I feel like I am falling behind.  It’s time to catch up and get some Holiday and year end activities done this week!

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to the kids – getting closer, we’ve had a lot of after school activities and homework last week
    2. Plan one special activity with the familywe met our cousins and went through the Journey to Bethlehem which was amazing!
    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 – I made a little progress, but not enough to cross it off the list
    9. Dr. Appointments for 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 – it is still taking me more than one day
    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) – did not do it this week
    4. Clean House (Focus – Suitcases Unpacked & Put Away from Wedding / Thanksgiving Trip)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Snack Bins Refilled) – got about half of it done before getting pulled away to other activities
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool and Leaves) – it rained again so we were not able to get this done
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Hay Feeder Filled)

    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 – 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. Earn some Creative Cashworking on it
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – had to go to more than one store due to specific dietary items that were needed and I went over budget because I haven’t went grocery shopping for a couple weeks

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    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
    9. Dr. Appointments for Kids
    10. Finish Decorating for Christmas
    11. Send out Christmas Cards
    12. Complete Our Christmas Shopping
    13. Start Wrapping 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. Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)
    4. Clean House (Focus – House Decorated & Christmas Bins Back Up in the Attic)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Clean Out the Pantry)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Blow Leaves Off Deck)
    7. 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.

  • Free Ebooks: Jingle All the Way, Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Cookies, Easy Recipes for Christmas Cooking, Hearty Soups, 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 Jingle All the Way by Tom Shay-Zapien

    Download a free copy of Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Cookies – Make Impressive Holiday Treats by Dennis Weaver

    Download a free copy of Easy Recipes for Christmas Cooking by Rosanne Hewitt-Cromwell, Sheila Kiely, and Paul Callaghan

    Download a free copy of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

    Download a free copy of The 12 Days of Christmas by Xist Publishing

    Download a free copy of Hearty Soups – A Collection of Homemade Soups by Dennis Weaver

    Download a free copy of Quirk Books D.I.Y. Gift Guide by Homemade Quirk

    Download a free copy of How To Memorize the Bible Fast and Easy by Adam Houge

    Download a free copy of Making Costume Jewelry – An Easy & Complete Step by Step Guide by Janet Evans

    Download a free copy of My Life and Work by Henry Ford

  • Free Ebooks: I Wish I Were A Panda, 40 Top Paleo Recipes, Treasure Island, Christmas Without Stress, Your Family Legacy, 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 I Wish I Were a PANDA by Dan Jackson

    Download a free copy of 40 Top Paleo Recipes – Quick and Easy Paleo Recipes by Jenny Allan

    Download a free copy of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

    Download a free copy of The Everyday Cookbook – Healthy Cookbook with 130 Amazing Whole Food Recipes That Are Easy on the Budget by Vesela Tabakova

    Download a free copy of Christmas Without Stress – 50 Tips for a Peaceful Holiday by Caroline Kendall

    Download a free copy of Your Family Legacy – 32 Ways to Preserve Your Family’s Wealth for Generations by Michael Palumbox

    Download a free copy of The Invent To Learn Guide to 3D Printing in the Classroom by David Thornburg, Norma Thornburg, and Sara Armstrong

    Download a free copy of Deer & Fixings – How to Cook Delicious Vension by John E. Phillips & Denise Phillips

    Download a free copy of Baby Proofing Your Home Childproofing Your House Parenting Guide, Advice, Checklists by Baslee Troutman

    Download a free copy of Mind Hurdles – Grade 2 – 150 Interactive Questions and Answers That Stimulate Learning by LL Kross

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Our family had a great time in the Midwest celebrating my little brother’s wedding.  It was wonderful seeing my family over the Thanksgiving Holiday.  The wedding was beautiful, successful, and hopefully they are now relaxing on their honeymoon!  I was happy to welcome another sister into our family, WOOHOO!!!  Happy for my brother and his new wife.

    Now I am back home and need to make some progress with upcoming projects.  Here’s what happened this past week and what is going on this week.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to read to the kids – about halfway through the book
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events
    4. Spend time Monday – Tuesday 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. Watch a movie with the Kids
    9. Listen to an Audiobook with the Kids
    10. Thanksgiving Holiday – So Many Reasons to be Thankful
    11. Celebrating Josh & Megan’s Wedding & Activities

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day – didn’t drink enough when traveling
    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 – took 2 days
    2. Clean House (Basic Speed Clean before the Holiday Activities)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts

    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

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    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
    9. Dr. Appointments for 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. Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)
    4. Clean House (Focus – Suitcases Unpacked & Put Away from Wedding / Thanksgiving Trip)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Snack Bins Refilled)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool and Leaves)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Hay Feeder Filled)

    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. Earn some Creative Cash
    5. 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.

  • Recipes: Easy Homemade Egg McMuffin

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    For those of us that eat eggs in my family the Homemade Egg McMuffin is a big hit for breakfast.  I have one kid in particular that if given a choice she almost always asks for an Egg McMuffin (and I am pretty sure she has never had one from McDonald’s or anywhere else either).  She has recently figured out how to make it completely on her own which means she no longer has to wait for my help! WooHoo!

    We’ve been using this recipe for probably almost two years now.  My sweet husband came up with the recipe one morning because he wanted to encourage me to eat eggs.  As a kid I was NEVER a fan of eggs.  However, my husband has slowing been transforming into more of an egg person.  Now I actually look forward to and enjoy eating eggs at times.  Of course, my version of “eating eggs” usually includes a decent amount of melted cheese and/or bacon on top, but hey that counts too!  I am still not of fan of a plain fried egg or anything that dramatic!

    Although, there are a lot of great Homemade English Muffin recipes we typically pick up the store bought ones to save time.  So while our Egg McMuffin is homemade not all parts are from scratch like the english muffins.  After making Egg McMuffins for awhile my kids bought me a handy microwavable Egg McMuffin dish that is much easier to use (you’ll see a picture of it below).

    Easy Homemade Egg McMuffin:

    • 1 whole English Muffin
    • 1 Egg
    • 1 slice of Cheese (shredded works too)
    • Sprinkle of Real Bacon Bits or 1 slice of Bacon (whatever you have on hand)

    Toast the English Muffin, butter it, and set aside (do these steps while cooking the egg so both the English Muffin and Egg are done about the same time).

    Spray your Egg McMuffin dish or a small glass bowl (about 3 to 4 inches in diameter).  Crack your egg into your bowl and stir to break up the egg yolk.  Cover and microwave for 60 seconds on 50% power (the 50% power is important because your egg will cook slow and evenly not explode into a mess).  Remove from microwave, uncover and add the cheese and bacon.  Cover and microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power.

    Flip the cooked egg, cheese, and bacon onto the toasted and buttered english muffin and enjoy!

    Homemade Egg McMuffin

    Egg McMuffin cooking dish.  I have really liked having this piece for making Egg McMuffins and it is super easy to use and clean!  You can get one for around $3 at your local Walmart or on Amazon.

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    Crack the egg into the dish

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    Stir the egg to break up the yolk

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    Toast and butter your English Muffin

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    Cook your egg for 60 seconds on 50% power

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    Cheese and bacon added then cooked for 30 seconds on 50% power

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    Now your ready to eat Easy Homemade Egg McMuffin!

  • Recipes: Easy Apricot Pork Chops

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    Recently, I made up a new recipe with some pork chops that we had in the freezer and some items we already had in the refrigerator.  A lot of times I will find pork on marked down on clearance, even more than chicken or beef, so I will pick it up and come up with a recipe to use it.  The Easy Apricot Pork Chops turned out well!  The only thing that I would change is that we had something come up the evening I was planning on serving it so the pork chops marinated for an extra 24 hours which wasn’t necessary; they still tasted great just a little stronger flavor than I originally intended.

    Easy Apricot Pork Chops:

    • 1 pound Pork Chops (we had boneless pork chops, but either would work)
    • 1/3 cup Apricot Preserves
    • 1/3 cup French Dressing
    • 1/2 pack Onion Soup (optional)

    Grease the bottom of a casserole dish that will fit your pork chops and place them in it.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together the apricot preserves, french dressing, and onion soup.  Poke the meat with the fork to allow the fruit mixture to penetrate.  Evenly spread the apricot mixture over the pork chops.  Cover and bake for 45 minutes or until the pork chops are fully cooked.  You could also do this in a crockpot on low for 4 to 6 hours.

    In the recipe pictured I added the onion soup pack, but if you want a little sweeter flavoring or to have less of an onion taste try it without the onion soup!  Without the onion soup it’s delicious and simple too (the recipe would have only 3 ingredients making it more economical as well)!

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    Pork chops in the pyrex dish waiting to be covered

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    Apricot mixture

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    Putting the apricot mixture on each pork chop

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    Completely covered the top of each pork chop

  • 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

    1. Read the book Wonder’s Promise by Joanna Campbell to read to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Prepare for Upcoming Fall 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 played Sorry together on my birthday
    8. Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items – other activities took priority this week
    9. Dr. Appointments for 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 – took me 2 days, but getting it done!
    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) – 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
    4. Clean House (Focus – Bathrooms) – got started….
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room) – going to have to put this one on hold for a week
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away) – it was a rainy weekend and needed my hubby’s help on this one
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Refill Dog & Goat Food Bin)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – got some progress made, but need to do more soon
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – it was a wild week with extra activities that took priority
    4. Work completed for clients – got a good bit done, but need to put in some more time

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch – didn’t have a free breakfast / lunch this week
    2. Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes – gathering items

    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. Earn some Creative Cash – working on it
    5. 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 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!)
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events
    4. Spend time Monday – Tuesday 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. Watch a movie with the Kids
    9. Listen to an Audiobook with the Kids
    10. Thanksgiving Holiday – So Many Reasons to be Thankful
    11. Celebrating Josh & Megan’s Wedding & Activities

    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. Clean House (Basic Speed Clean before the Holiday Activities)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts

    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

    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

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