Organization

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    Last week was pretty full, but thankful for some time spent with family and friends.  Having the menu ready in the evenings has been a big benefit for our family and makes the evenings go much smoother.   Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Cheeseburger & Macaroni, Asparagus
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Tacos, Corn
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Chicken Noodle Soup, Homemade Bread
    • Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree):  Blueberry Pancakes, Fresh Fruit
    • Friday, Saturday, & Sunday:  Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting

    I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth).  It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned.  I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.

    Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family.  On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home.  As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes.  If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).

    As a family of four our life can get busy.  What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget.  Our family typically eats 6 to 7  dinner meals at home a week.  We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat.  Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family.  Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day.  Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends.  The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety.  We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.

    Photo by Liz

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week was the typical hurricane of activities from work, volunteering, tutoring, car searching, and more.  It was really nice to have Jake in town for the entire week, glad he didn’t have to travel.  The girls are looking forward to Easter and their upcoming Spring Break!

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 7)
    2. Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2) – working on it
    3. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    4. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    7. Volunteer One Day at Girls School
    8. Easter activity & celebration
    9. Get together with Family and/or Friends

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – did three days!
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – staying up to date
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – on hold briefly
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read) – making headway

    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
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Send out Alms & Legs Meeting Notes

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4 – didn’t keep the reciepts or take pictures during the busy week, but I was able to stock up on meat
    2. Payoff the Van – working on it
    3. Pay medical bills in full – got a few paid off, still working on the rest
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes – YAY! (and we already got our federal refund back)!

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 8)
    2. Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2)
    3. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    4. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    7. Volunteer One Day at Girls School
    8. Easter activity & celebration
    9. Get together with Family and/or Friends

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read)

    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
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Pay medical bills in full

    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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week was busy with Jake traveling, school, work, volunteering, and a whole bundle of other activities.  Even though I didn’t make as much progress as I hoped I was able to get some things accomplished.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 6) – finished it and started the next book already
    2. Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2) – haven’t started it yet
    3. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    4. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Plan one special Activity with the Family – with the busy week we decided to spend some quiet time at home
    7. Volunteer One Day at Girls School

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – wasn’t a great week with exercise
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – put on hold currently
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read) – working my way 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. 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
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4 – went over budget by $3
    2. Payoff the Van – working on it
    3. Pay medical bills in full – paying them
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes – working on them

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 7)
    2. Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2)
    3. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    4. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    7. Volunteer One Day at Girls School
    8. Easter activity & celebration
    9. Get together with Family and/or Friends

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read)

    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
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Send out Alms & Legs Meeting Notes

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Pay medical bills in full
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes

    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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week was crazy with Jake being out of town part of the week and having a sick little one complaining of right side and shoulder pain which resulted in us going to the pediatrician followed by a visit to the hospital for an ultrasound to see if something was wrong with her appendix.  The actual ultrasound itself took over an hour with two different people trying to get a good picture of her appendix.  They never did get a good picture, but they didn’t see anything abnormal either.  Thankfully she is starting to feel better now.  I am really ready for the warmer weather and praying for healthier weeks ahead!  Despite all the busyness I was able to get some items done this week.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 6) – working on it
    2. Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2) – last was so busy we didn’t get a chance to start it yet
    3. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    4. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    7. Celebrate at Girls Birthday Party
    8. Volunteer One Day at Girls School

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – didn’t get it done
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – its been so busy this one’s been on hold
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read) – got through more of 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. 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
    3. Work completed for clients – had to put some on hold because I had a sick little one a couple days this past week

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4 – honestly with the week being so busy and various visits to the doctor, hospital, pharmacy, and store I didn’t keep track, but I am pretty sure we went over this week
    2. Payoff the Van – working on it
    3. Pay medical bills in full – making payments
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes – making progress

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 6)
    2. Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2)
    3. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    4. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    7. Volunteer One Day at Girls School

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read)

    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
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Pay medical bills in full
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes

    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.

  • Chicken Pasta Bake

    The other day I had leftover items that I needed to use up so I came up with this Chicken Pasta Bake.  I don’t like letting leftovers go to waste and this casserole turned out really well.  You can play around with this recipe and add various ingredients depending what you have in the refrigerator that needs to be used up.

    Chicken Pasta Bake

    • 1 lb sliced, cooked, and season Chicken Breasts
    • 16 oz Noodles (any type, I used Rotini)
    • 2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
    • Mushrooms (optional)
    • 1 cup Pasta Sauce (optional)

    Grease an 9×13 pyrex dish.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  If your pasta has not already been cooked, go ahead and make it according to the directions on the box.  While the pasta is cooking if your chicken is not already sliced and cooked go ahead and slice your chicken and cook it in a skillet, bake or fry it  (add whatever seasoning you want to it).  Layer drained pasta noodles on the bottom of the pyrex then mix a cup of pasta sauce in with the noodles.  Layer the chicken and mushrooms (if using mushrooms) on top of the pasta.  Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted completely.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week was busy with Jake being out of town part of the week in Charleston and special events I think we were only home together one night the whole week.  Hoping this week is more productive for me.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls – finished and they are ready to start the next one!
    2. Read Imagination Station: Voyage with the Vikings by Marianne Hering – read most of this book while in the doctors office with the girls and finished the rest later that evening
    3. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    4. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    7. Prepare for the Girls Birthday

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – didn’t do 5 days
    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 – paused reading this book because another took priority, hoping to read more this week
    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 – Jake was in Charleston or had other events in most of the evenings, we had a special event with the girls one night too so the menu just didn’t get done
    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
    3. Work completed for clients

    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 for Alms & Legs Ministry Team meeting

    Financial Goals

    1. For my February 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. – I finished up over 7 weeks of No Grocery shopping, we are starting to low on a few items so I will need to make a grocery run soon
    2. Payoff the Van – made a payment this week
    3. Pay medical bills in full – paying on them
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes – working on it

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls (Book 6)
    2. Read Imagination Station: Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker (Book 2)
    3. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    4. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    7. Celebrate at Girls Birthday Party
    8. Volunteer One Day at Girls School

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Overcoming Dyslexia by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (someone gave me this to read)

    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
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Pay medical bills in full
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes

    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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week we spent some time in Vermont with Jake’s family.  The girls had a blast building a fort, sledding in the snow, playing games, doing puzzles and many more fun activities during our time up North.  Now that we are back home again hopefully we’ll get back into the normal schedule soon.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls
    2. Read Imagination Station: Voyage with the Vikings by Marianne Hering – haven’t started reading this one yet
    3. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    4. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    7. Prepare for the Girls Birthday
    8. Spend Extra Time with Extended Family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – with the traveling I wasn’t able to get in all 5 days
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Start with my new YouVersion plan(s) – staying up to date
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – was able to get some of it read this past week
    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 – it took me more than one day with work and all the other activities this week
    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
    3. Work completed for clients

    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 reminder for 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- working on it
    3. Pay medical bills in full – making payments
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes – got started

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls
    2. Read Imagination Station: Voyage with the Vikings by Marianne Hering
    3. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    4. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    7. Prepare for the Girls Birthday

    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
    3. Work completed for clients

    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 for 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. Pay medical bills in full
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes

    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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week I was finally feeling better so I was able to get caught up on a few items.  Thankful for some time together with my family while we were all healthy and back to the normal schedule.  We celebrated Valentine’s Day by flying up north to Vermont visit Jake’s Mom and grandparents.  The girls were super excited to play in some snow!

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls – finished the book with the girls, they are ready to start the next book of the series now
    2. Read Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume to the girls – finished the book, the girls loved it so much they wanted to know if there were any more in this series! 🙂  
    3. Read Imagination Station: Voyage with the Vikings by Marianne Hering
    4. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    5. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    8. Girls Dentist Checkup
    9. Pick up Brina’s Glasses
    10. Celebrate the Valentine’s Day Holiday
    11. Prepare for the Girls Birthday
    12. Spend Extra Time with Extended Family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – didn’t get a chance to walk all 5 days, need to get back into the routine
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Start with my new YouVersion plan(s) – staying up to date with the plan
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – working on it
    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
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    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 – working on it
    3. Pay medical bills in full – started making payments
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes – started preparing

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls
    2. Read Imagination Station: Voyage with the Vikings by Marianne Hering
    3. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    4. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    5. Attend After School Activities
    6. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    7. Prepare for the Girls Birthday
    8. Spend Extra Time with Extended Family

    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
    3. Work completed for clients

    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 reminder for 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. Pay medical bills in full
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes

    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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Well last week we were back home from our cruise vacation but the week didn’t go quite as smoothly as we were hoping it would.  We ended up going through the nasty sickness crud that’s been going around.  One of the girls had a double ear infection and the rest of us had sinus infections.  Before the week was up all of us had made a trip to the doctor.  The good news is we are all starting to feel better again, just in time for the next adventure, ha.  It is hard to believe we will be celebrating the Valentine’s Holiday this week and the girls birthday next week!  Time flies by when your having fun.  I didn’t get everything I hoped accomplish last week so hoping this week is more productive.

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls – I started reading Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume to the girls on the trip so we have been going through that one more this week
    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 – we decided with all the sickness it would be better to have time for everyone to recover
    6. Unpack & put everything away from Cruise Vacation

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – with the fever, aches, and sickness this didn’t get done, hoping to get back into the swing of things this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day – it was more gatorade this week but I keep up with drinking fluids
    3. Start with my new YouVersion plan(s) – I was able to catch up from being gone last week! Yay!
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – got through more of this great book but didn’t have as much reading time this week
    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 – I had soooo much laundry, it was scary, it took me two days to get through everything (and yes I went over my 4 loads a week average too)
    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

    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 – working on it
    3. Pay medical bills in full – started making payment

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls
    2. Read Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume to the girls
    3. Read Imagination Station: Voyage with the Vikings by Marianne Hering
    4. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    5. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    8. Girls Dentist Checkup
    9. Pick up Brina’s Glasses
    10. Celebrate the Valentine’s Day Holiday
    11. Prepare for the Girls Birthday
    12. Spend Extra Time with Extended Family

    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
    3. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    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. Pay medical bills in full
    4. Complete 2012 Taxes

    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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week was crazy busy with doctor appointments, activities, and everything else.  Jake was out of town again for a couple days so packing and unpacking for him done as well.  Thankfully this week we’ll be spending extra time together since he doesn’t need to travel for work.  Hopefully, we’ll get in some extra quality family time too!  This week will be different than normal because our schedule is switched up a little bit, but I still plan to set some goals and have fun with it!  We’ll be spending some extra time with extended family members too this week! 🙂

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls – we got started but were not able to finish it this week, it may take us a little longer because it is a bigger book.  The girls are loving it!
    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 – made a little progress
    5. Finish reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan- going through this book with a group of friends so not quite down yet

    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. – wrapped up week 3 of this goal (WooHoo!!!) 🙂
    2. Payoff the Van – made another payment
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – didn’t make any headway this week but at least we’re holding steady

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder to the girls
    2. Read the first book of the Imagination Station set Voyage with the Vikings by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker to the girls
    3. Spend quality time with my family and extended family
    4. Take extra pictures so we can remember our time together
    5. Plan a special activity
    6. Play at least one game

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Continue reading my YouVersion plan(s)
    4. Finish reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
    5. Finish reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Pay all upcoming bills

    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. 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.