Goals

  • 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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Oh, I am so not a fan of being sick.  The whole family went to the doctor last week because we were all not feeling well and had temps from 101 to 104.  Somehow we had managed to get strep throat and a couple ear infections.  Thankfully we all seem to be on the mend.  I am hoping that this is our last round of sickness for a long time.  Maybe this week I can get caught up on some items!

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily – we didn’t read for a couple days when everyone was really sick
    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, still have more to do
    8. Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings – we finished week 1 and it was a neat experience for everyone!
    9. Date Night with my Man

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – with being sick I didn’t get this done
    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 going through the days, love being able to listen it on my phone
    5. Make my first fresh Wreath at a Wreath Party with Friends

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it took me 2 days to get it done this week
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects – was put on hold with being sick this week
    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 – missed Community Group so didn’t get the email out
    3. Community Group Christmas Social at our House

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – between Jake and I going to pick up things I didn’t have all the receipts by the end of the week
    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.) – moving forward
    4. Stay within Christmas Budget – staying up-to-date

    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. Finish Decorating  & Putting up Christmas Bins
    7. Work on Christmas List
    8. Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion

    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
    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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    I was able to get caught up on some stuff last week.  One of the girls decided she wanted to be up several times in the middle of the night so I was running on little sleep a couple nights but managed to get by.  Another one got sick so hopefully this week goes more smoothly.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily – one of the girls wasn’t feeling well and we had extra activities in the evenings too
    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 for Christmas – most of the decorating is done but need to put the storage bins and items away
    7. Work on Christmas List – working on it

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – a sick kid and interrupted sleep didn’t help 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 – working on it
    4. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion – caught up and staying on track after last week being off

    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
    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 – met a friend
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email – it was late (Wed) but I got it out

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – stayed within budget, but didn’t get pictures
    2. Payoff the Van – made an extra payment on the van this past week
    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
    4. Stay within Christmas Budget – keeping track

    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. Finish Decorating  & Putting up Christmas Bins
    7. Work on Christmas List
    8. Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings
    9. Date Night with my Man

    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. Make my first fresh Wreath at a Wreath Party with 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. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects
    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
    3. Community Group Christmas Social at our House

    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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Thankful for a much better week now that I am feeling better and had some down time with my family.  We had a blast celebrating Thanksgiving, my birthday, starting to decorate for Christmas and more.  Hoping to have a really productive week (maybe I will get caught up on some tasks).

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily – we read together, but I really didn’t keep track if we did it everyday last week
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed – it was a short week of school with the Thanksgiving Holiday
    4. Attend After School Activities – we did the activities on Monday and Tuesday,  but took off the rest of the week for the Holiday
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Celebrate Thanksgiving
    7. Start Decorating for Christmas
    8. Family & Friends Game Night to kick off the Holiday Season – we had a blast
    9. Work on Christmas List – got started

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – didn’t get it done with the Holidays
    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 – I got a little behind on the reading when I was sick but almost caught up

    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. Thanksgiving Meal – Menu, Prep, and Enjoy
    4. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects (Focus – Cleaning for Thanksgiving Celebration)
    5. Pay all upcoming bills
    6. Winterize the Garden
    7. Put any new printed pictures that we receive this week in the photo album – got some of them put in albums but need more photo albums

    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. Send out the Alms & Legs Food Team Meeting Notes

    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.) – getting there slowly
    4. Stay within Christmas Budget – staying on target at them moment

    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. Finish Decorating for Christmas
    7. Work on Christmas List

    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

    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
    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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Okay, so last week wasn’t one of my best ones.  Had to make my first trip in years to the doctor because I was sick. I went in the doctor on Monday and got some medicine.  On Thursday I still wasn’t better so went back in and got a shot along with different medicine.  Jake even had to take the girls to school and pick them up one day I felt so bad.  Thankfully, I am starting to get back to normal, however, my to do list didn’t get completely done (at least I made some progress).  With this week being Thanksgiving I am hoping to catch up on some items and spend the extra time with family so my list isn’t as big this week.

    Last week’s goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily – I was sick last week so this didn’t get done every day
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before – not quite sure what I put in them but it got done and they weren’t complaining
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed – have a couple things to fill out for the girls
    4. Attend After School Activities – missed one day with Momma being sick
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family – had a celebration on Friday night! 🙂

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – with being sick I didn’t exercise last week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day – I drank a ton, trying to get better!!!
    3. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith – brought this to the doctor to read but felt so miserable I couldn’t concentrate on the words
    4. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion – staying up to date and have past 60 days!

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – took me 2 days to get it all done this week
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects (Focus – Office / Garage) – not much extra stuff got done with me being sick
    4. Pay all upcoming bills
    5. Winterize the Garden – hoping to finish it this week
    6. Put any new printed pictures that we receive this week in the photo album

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts – barely got through the day to day tasks
    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 – didn’t get this out
    3. Send out the Alms & Legs Food Meeting Reminder to the Team Members – got it out late, but did send it

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – only got a couple items, but didn’t take pictures or keep track this week
    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 getting there
    4. Stay within Christmas Budget – so far so good, it’ll probably get harder the closer it gets to Christmas!

    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. Celebrate Thanksgiving
    7. Start Decorating for Christmas
    8. Family & Friends Game Night to kick off the Holiday Season
    9. Work on Christmas List

    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

    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. Thanksgiving Meal – Menu, Prep, and Enjoy
    4. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects (Focus – Cleaning for Thanksgiving Celebration)
    5. Pay all upcoming bills
    6. Winterize the Garden
    7. Put any new printed pictures that we receive this week in the photo album

    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. Send out the Alms & Legs Food Team Meeting Notes

    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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week did….not…go…as planned (ever have weeks that go like that, ha)?!  Jake was in Charleston for work, one of the girls got really sick, Skipper was barking all the time (even in the middle of the night), unexpected activities, time spent in the Urgent Care, last minute stuff, doctor visits and more in between all the normal weekly activities so many of the items on my list this week are still leftover from last week.  Hopefully this week will (go as planned or at least some what “normal”) and 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
    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 – with a couple nights without sleep with a sick little one and a barking dog this wasn’t my top priority
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day – all the doctor appointments and extra activities so I didn’t stay on top of how much I was drinking
    3. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith – still reading
    4. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion – staying on track and continuing to listen faithfully
    5. Vote in the 2012 Election – voted! 🙂

    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) – got some stuff done but with all the unexpected items I wasn’t able to get these two completed (I did make a little headway though)
    4. Pay all upcoming bills – have a couple that I need to pay this week
    5. Winterize the Garden – didn’t get it done
    6. Put printed pictures in the photo album – got the ones I had at home put into the albums and ordered another set
    7. Clean Out Fridge – cleaned out the fridge and freezer, something I been wanting to do for 2 weeks now! Yay, for small victories! 🙂 
    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 – I missed a few items with all the unexpected items but hopefully I can pick up the slack this week
    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 – the girls helped me clean out, organize the pantry, and donate a bunch of items to PERC (Piedmont Emergency Relief Center).  They were a HUGE help and doing this together gave us a lot of opportunities to talk about the many amazing blessings in our lives.

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van – working on putting extra money aside
    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.) – putting a little bit aside

    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

    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

    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 any new printed pictures that we receive this week in the photo album

    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. Send out the Alms & Legs Food Meeting Reminder to the Team Members

    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.

  • November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 4 & 5)

    As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough.  The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).

    It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day.  For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge.  It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days.  Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.

    Day 1

    Who:  Hair Stylist

    I needed a hair cut after putting it off for several weeks so I headed to the salon.  My hair has a pretty simple and easy cut so it usually only takes a few minutes for a hair stylist.   I had never met the person who cut my hair before, but took the time to learn a little bit about her.  She has two small kids, ages 2 and 6.  For my expression of thanks today I made it a point to give her a generous tip and tell her “thank you”.

    Day 2

    Who: My Spouse – Jake

     I am so thankful for everything Jake does for our family.  He works really hard, is an awesome Dad to our girls, and loves me.  Jake is my best friend and I am very grateful for him.  He takes good care of all of us and I don’t tell him “thanks” enough.  Today I gave him a hand written thank you card and a bag of chocolate truffles. 

    Day 3

    Who:  Daughters – Brina & Karlie

    I am very thankful for my two girls!  They light up my world, make me laugh, and help build extra character in my life.  It took many prayers and a few tears before God gave these two precious blessings in my life.  You can read more about my journey with my  Loosening My Grip: Why Can’t I Get Pregnant? series.   As a way of saying thank you to the girls I gave them thank you notes and spent time reading some of our current book Little House in the Big Woods together.

  • 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.

  • November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 3)

    As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough.  The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).

    It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day.  For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge.  It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days.  Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.

    Day 1

    Who:  Hair Stylist

    I needed a hair cut after putting it off for several weeks so I headed to the salon.  My hair has a pretty simple and easy cut so it usually only takes a few minutes for a hair stylist.   I had never met the person who cut my hair before, but took the time to learn a little bit about her.  She has two small kids, ages 2 and 6.  For my expression of thanks today I made it a point to give her a generous tip and tell her “thank you”.

    Day 2

    Who: My Spouse – Jake

     I am so thankful for everything Jake does for our family.  He works really hard, is an awesome Dad to our girls, and loves me.  Jake is my best friend and I am very grateful for him.  He takes good care of all of us and I don’t tell him “thanks” enough.  Today I gave him a hand written thank you card and a bag of chocolate truffles. 

    Day 3

    Who:  Daughters – Brina & Karlie

    I am very thankful for my two girls!  They light up my world, make me laugh, and help build extra character in my life.  It took many prayers and a few tears before God gave these two precious blessings in my life.  You can read more about my journey with my  Loosening My Grip: Why Can’t I Get Pregnant? series.   As a way of saying thank you to the girls I gave them thank you notes and spent time reading some of our current book Little House in the Big Woods together.

    People appreciate sincere thanks.  I want to make a positive impact on the lives of others.  As I share my 30-30-30 challenge with you I hope it will spark your imagination and encourage you to share your story too.

    In everything give thanks!

    – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

  • Book: “The Impact Equation” by Chris Brogan & Julien Smith

    I received a preview book copy of  The Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith.  The subtitle to the book is “Are you making things happen OR just making noise?”  I loved their title because we get hit with a ton of information from all directions every time we go online.  How do companies, blogs, and any other items of importance have a chance to get our attention with everything being thrown at us?  What makes those few stand out?

    When I first started blogging I felt like no one was reading it…..some days especially in the very beginning that it was a waste of time (who would want to read what I was writing about anyway)…….and I looked at all the “numbers”.  If there was a dip in stats I would be upset or stressed about it.  Now I don’t stress about my numbers much at all because I am focusing more on writing and all the fun stuff that I want to share with my readers.  I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn but I was very excited to get a copy of Chris Brogan’s and Julien Smith’s new book because I have been thinking about this very topic.

    It my goal to make a positive impact on the lives around me and one of the ways I reach out to people is through my blog.  Although, at the same time it is important I take the time to review how things are going I have to evaluate how much of an impact I really am making.  Is the impact I am making on my readers positive?  I really liked how Chris and Julien’s book encouraged me to evaluate many areas, they even shared a great CREATE acronym to help.

    Here are a few things I took away from Chris & Julien’s book:

    • CREATE acronym (i.g. Impact = Contrast * [Reach + Exposure + Articulation + Trust + Echo])
    • Spend more time giving thought and refining my ideas
    • Share the great ideas of others – the “give before you get” principle

    If you have a presence online whether it is through your business, blog, or social media accounts to stay in touch with family and friends this is a great book to read.