Books

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week was more like our normal again after the Holidays, surgery, and everything else.  🙂  I had a lot of items on my list and was able to get a good bit done, but this week is jammed packed with a whole bunch of stuff going on that really must be done.  I am hoping to continue making steps in the right direction.  Jake had to travel to Ohio last week, so we are glad to have him back with us again.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls  – finished reading it to the girls, they LOVED it!
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities – last week some of these got canceled because the teacher was sick
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Finish going over our 2013 goals – Jake has been so busy with work and everything else we haven’t been able to complete this one yet
    7. Doctor Appointments

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Start with my new YouVersion plan(s) – going through 2 separate plans currently
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – this one got put on hold for the week with everything going on

    Home 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. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Email a meeting notes from Alms & Legs Ministry Team meeting

    Financial Goals

    1. For my January Grocery Budget I am replacing my typical Groceries $40 for 4 with my Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping in order to use up some extra items in my fridge, freezer, and pantry.
    2. Payoff the Van – made a payment and thrilled to see it decreasing
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – this one’s going a lot slower, but we’re making some headway

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls – we just finished Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder so I tried to get them to switch to another book to change it up a little bit, but they insisted that they REALLY wanted to continue with this series! 🙂
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Finish going over our 2013 goals
    7. Doctor Appointments

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Start with my new YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan- going through this book with a group of friends

    Home 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. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Email a meeting notes from Alms & Legs Ministry Team meeting

    Financial Goals

    1. For my January Grocery Budget I am replacing my typical Groceries $40 for 4 with my Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping in order to use up some extra items in my fridge, freezer, and pantry.
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses

    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.

  • Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

    I just finished reading Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls.  I have an older version of the book (from when I was a kid), but the story is exactly the same.  They have a picture every few pages that the girls enjoyed looking at as we read together.    Brina and Karlie really enjoy these books and are always begging me to read…..just one more chapter. 🙂

    Little House on the Prairie is the second book in the Laura Ingalls Wilder series.  We read Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder first.  In this book the little girl, Laura, that we met in the first book traveled with her family out Midwest to the Kansas area.  Her Pa found a place out in the wide open space of the prairie where they built their new home, barn, started farming, trapping, and explored the area.  In this book Laura met Indians for the first time, saw a papoose, and experienced many new adventures.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    On the back of my office door this SMART sign is hanging.  Some days when I look at it am encouraged while others I have to sigh because while I am continuing to make steps in the right direction there are those weeks that it feels like I am moving at a snails pace (or slower).  Maybe this is the week I can get caught up on some items!  Thankfully Jake is back home from his work travels and everyone seems to be healthy so that’s always good.  I am looking forward to the girls getting off school later this week for the Christmas Holidays!

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Finish Decorating  & Putting up Christmas Bins
    7. Work on Christmas List – working on it, a few more items to get done this week
    8. Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings – had a blast doing week 2!

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – need to get back on track with this goal
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion – I FINISHED the 90 Day plan I was working through!!!! So excited that I stick to it! I am already looking forward to the next one!

    Home 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. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects – with all the Christmas activities going on this had to be put on hold temporarily
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email – opps this one fell through the cracks with the busy schedule this past week, we are done meeting until after the Holidays but meant to send out an email to the group

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van – working on it
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.) – slowly building it up
    4. Stay within Christmas Budget – need to review what Jake & I spent recently, it’s harder when he is traveling

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Help with the girls School Christmas Parties
    7. Work on Christmas List
    8. Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings (Week 3)

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Pick out my new YouVersion plan!
    4. Finish reading Significant Work by Paul Rude (super excited about this book!)
    5. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

    Home 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. Finish Wrapping & Prepping for the Christmas Events
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.)
    4. Stay within Christmas 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.

  • Love It – You Version (Free Bible App)

     

    A friend of mine shared this free app with me back in September.  While in a conversation with a group of friends we started discussing how much time we actually spend reading and/or listening to Scriptures. We decided as a group to encourage each other to read through the Bible completely.

    Each of person has chosen various plans, versions, etc…. Since I didn’t start this until the middle of September I decided to do the whole Bible in 90 days so I can listen to the entire Bible before the end of the 2012 calendar year.   Here’s the 90 Day Plan I chose.

    At the beginning of the New Year I plan to switch to another plan. I have a few that I am excited about doing but haven’t completely decided which one yet.  Even though I have grown up in a godly family and church and probably have read all the Bible verses at various times I honestly cannot say that I have not faithfully followed a “read / listen the whole bible plan” until this one (I know it is really sad and embarrassing to admit).

    I have been thinking and praying a lot about my life, parenting, etc…. if my heart isn’t right and I am not gaining wisdom from the best source available how am I suppose to raise children who love God? How can I make an eternal positive impact on the lives around me if I am living life in the flesh or doing what “I” think is best?

    So after gathering with a few friends (for accountability) who want to do the same thing we started using this awesome free app. I LOVE that I can listen to Bible with this app. Everyone learns a different way. I have found that if I get up earlier and listen to it while I walk on the treadmill I actually retain more. The girls have come down a few times and heard me listening to it as well and have asked to listen to the last half with me while they eat breakfast for school. It warms my heart to see them eager to hear the Bible.

    When I miss a day I have it set to remind me which helps me stay on track. I find the weekends harder to keep up with it since our schedule is always different so I listen to more chapters on Mondays to catch up. Doing the 90 day plan has a lot more reading / listening then some of the other plans but it has been wonderful, insightful, and encouraging listening to it.

    There are 100’s of plans to chose from (whole bible plans, topical plans, devotional, and more). I chose to do the whole bible because I have never done it before.   You can read it, listen to it on your phone, or on your computer. I typically listen to it on my phone (if I do it on the computer I tend to get too distracted) where I can take my phone downstairs where it is quiet and listen without interruptions or distractions.

    I am so EXCITED to say that I have actually stuck with this plan!  Tomorrow is my last day – Day 90!!!!!  YAY!!!!  I am already looking forward to narrowing down the next plan that I want to go through.

    While I did listen to the Whole Bible in the past 90 days I still have A LOT to learn!  There were days that I didn’t listen very well or got distracted.  I am so thrilled to finally find an app that works really well for me that I want to share it with you.  Since starting I have shared this app with many family and friends too.  Jake is working through one as well.

    I hope as we quickly approach Christmas Day and the New Year that you would consider challenging yourself to read or listen to the Bible, whether it is with this app or another.  We have so much that we can gleam from the Scriptures that can help encourage us throughout our days as well as point us to the One who truly has all the answers!

    Download The Bible App Now

  • Free Audio Book: “God is In A Manger” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

    For the month of December Christian Audio is offering a free download of an audio book .  This month the audio book is God is In A Manger by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

    These stirring words are among forty devotions that guide and inspire readers as they move thematically through the weeks of Advent and Christmas, from waiting and mystery to redemption, incarnation, and joy. Supplemented by an informative introduction, short excerpts from Bonhoeffer’s letters, and passages from his Christmas sermons, these daily devotions are timeless and moving reminders of the true gift of Christmas.  (information from Christian Audio)

    If you have been wanting to a book to listen to throughout the day or while driving then this is a great opportunity to get a book for free when you download it from Christian Audio in December.   Make sure to submit your order by December 31,  2012  to get your free audio book.  Thanks Christian Audio!

  • Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

    I just finished leaving the book Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls.  This series was one of my favorites growing up as a kid.  The girls loved it so much that they begged to start reading the second book in the series right away.

    The book is about a little girl named Laura Ingalls who grew up to write the Little House books.  She lived in a snug little log house deep in the woods of Wisconsin in the late 1870s with her Pa, Ma, older sister Mary, and baby sister Carrie.

    This is the first book of the series and a great one to read to your kids. We have an older version of the book (from when I was a kid), but the story is exactly the same.  They even have a picture every few pages that the girls enjoyed looking at as we read together.

  • Free Ebooks: eReader Girl

    Do you enjoy a finding free or discounted ebook deals?  Crystal at MoneySavingMom has launched a new website called eReaderGirl  where women can go to find free or discounted ebooks!

    Whether you have a Kindle or Nook this site will be a great resource for finding books to read.  Even if you don’t have a Kindle or Nook you can download an app that allows you to read them on your cell phone, tablet, or computer.

    The eReader Girl tells you about free ebooks available each day as well as discounted ebooks.  The ebooks are categorized by different genres.  They even have Children’s books listed for you.  Many of the ebooks you will find listed on the website will be free for a limited time so please make sure to double check the price prior to completing your order.

    You can follow eReader Girl on Twitter or Facebook too.  I am super excited about this website because our family loves to read books and can be often found reading together.  It is always a real treat finding a favorite book or one I have been wanting to read listed for free or at a great discount.  Hope you enjoy exploring this neat new site!

  • Book: Giant Storybook Treasury by Richard Scarry

    The girls love Richard Scarry’s Giant Storybook Treasury and can often be seen toting it into the van to read as we drive around town.  Our family has spent some extra time in doctors office these past two weeks and the girls brought this book along for the adventure (to give you an idea of how long we were in the waiting room, we read the entire book and then some….).

    The book contains 12 classic stories in one book.  One of the best parts of the books is its great illustrations with colorful pictures of pigs, cats, foxes, and more.  Some of the stories in this book:

    • Mother Cat’s Busy Day
    • The Firefighters’ Busy Day
    • Miss Honey’s School Bus
    • Mr. Gronklers Busy Day

    The girls have enjoyed this book for a long time (even before they could read).  If your looking for a fun and fascinating book this is a great one to check out.

  • Book: “Horse Shy” by Bonnie Bryant

    Our girls even though they are twins are very different both in their personalities and interests.  Although there are a couple areas of interest they overlap……their love for books and their love for animals.  They both LOVE horses and get really excited any time they have an opportunity to ride, pet, feed, or even be around horses.

    Recently I just finished reading the second book of The Saddle Club horse series to the girls Horse Shy by Bonnie Bryant.  They were always eager for me to read the next chapter of the book, if I had extra time they would request that I read another chapter.  The cover of our book is the older edition but the story is the same.

    This is the second book in the Saddle Club series.  Carole, Lisa, Stevie and a group of their classmates go on the big adventure they have been looking forward to for months the Mountain Trail Overnight.  An accident happens with one of the horses, but the author does a good job of showing how to cope with the loss of a favorite animal through the encouragement of friends and a time of grief.  If your child enjoys horses, likes to read or listen to you read books this is a great one to check out.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    The girls have a four day weekend so I am enjoying a little extra time with them. YAY!  Jake was on-call all weekend so we stayed close to home but were able to get some items done around the house.  Glad we stayed close to home because he had a lot of calls and work items that needed his attention.   Hopefully this week I will be able to tackle more items on my list!

    Last week’s goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily- we missed Halloween night because we were out celebrating
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Celebrate Halloween with the Family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – missed a couple of days
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith – working on it
    4. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion – faithfully reading through it

    Home 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. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Project (Focus – Office / Garage) – made some headway, both were big projects!
    4. Pay all upcoming bills
    5. Finishing cleaning up from Community Group Camp out
    6. Put away all the Halloween Items – have everything picked up just need to put them in the container & into the attic

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming (November) blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Schedule November work dates – have a couple days left to put on the calendar

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van – was able to put a little extra on it this month
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.) – working on it (with paying off the van this isn’t our first priority but we are moving forward slowly).

    My goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Spend extra time with the Girls since they have a couple days off school

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
    4. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion
    5. Vote in the 2012 Election

    Home 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. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects (Focus – Office / Garage)
    4. Pay all upcoming bills
    5. Winterize the Garden
    6. Put printed pictures in the photo album
    7. Clean Out Fridge
    8. Recycle old Magazines & update with November editions

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Send out invoices
    4. Finish scheduling November work dates

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Re-organize the Alms & Legs Food Pantry

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.)

    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.