Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
We are officially on the new school and work schedule starting this week. The girls are now in middle school. It has been a little bit more of an adjustment, but they (and their parents) are doing well. Looking forward to seeing the schedule get into the new normal rhythm. I a positive there will be a lot of fun and exciting events as we fly through these next few weeks.
Thankful for a great summer. We had a lot of great opportunities to catch up with family and friends across the county. We were able to cover a lot of territory over the past couple of months. Last week we had close friends staying with us for a few days which was awesome. Grateful for friends who check in on our house and pets while we were traveling and that work was flexible with the slightly insane schedule.
I am hoping to get back up, running, and staying on top of things more regularly with the house, blog, and personal goals. You should be seeing some of our fun adventures over the summer break. Hoping to ease back into some of these items so I am not over committed as I gear up for a busy week. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Finish reading The Forgotten Filly by Karle Dickerson to the kids- Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids – these are fun, short stories that make the kids giggle. We actually saw one of the locations where one of the stories took place when we were traveling through Alaska! Very exciting!!!
- Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids. – somehow this set got placed in a random spot and didn’t go through it until later in the week
Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids– these have been a fun learning tool for me tooReflect on our blessings and prayer time with kids every night– always love hearing the neat things they are thankful for in their daysPlan one special activity with the family– spent time with our friends that were visiting from MainePlay a Game with the Kids– we did a Nerf war with friends while they are visiting all adults and most of the kids participated (Savannah slept through the whole Nerf game)Create Memories with the Family– thankful for great memories and special times together – I took off the girls last day of summer to hang out with them and our friends from Maine- Spend Quality time with each family member – the girls did a slumber party with Bradley this week so we did not do one-on-one time with everyone this week
Do a new, unique, or different activity with the family this week– craft time and science experiment fun over the weekend
Kid Goals
Spend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grow their skills– lots of fun learning and being creative as well as attending the first few days of school- At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day – didn’t get this on a couple of the school nights
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water, wear FitBit, and do yoga (or at least stretch out) each day – I didn’t get all these goals accomplished this week. Had some technical issues with the TV for yoga while Jake was out of town with work. Did well on the water and decent on the FitBit though.
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- Focusing on my Family not the “to do” list
Business Goals
- Focusing on my Family not the “to do” list
Ministry Goals
- Quality time with my family
Financial Goals
- Focusing on my Family not the “to do” list
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Pick out a new Chapter book to read to the girls and start reading it
- Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids.
- Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids.
- Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids.
- Reflect on our blessings and prayer time with kids every night.
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Create Memories with the Family
- Spend Quality time with each family member
- Do a new, unique, or different activity with the family this week
Kid Goals
- Do Homework Monday – Friday
- Pack Lunches and Prep for the next day
- Spend one-on-one time with kids each day
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water
- Wear FitBit (at least 10,000 steps and 10 sets of stairs every day)
- Do Yoga at least 5 times this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- Give Skipper a bath this week
- Speed clean & pick up the house 15 minutes a night
Business Goals
- Update Work Notes
- Get caught up on blog posts
- Work on a few special projects
Ministry Goals
- Go to breakfast or lunch with a family member or friend
- Counting my blessings journal
Financial Goals
- Schedule a meeting with the financial advisor
- Get our finances and budget back on track
- Pay down debt we owe
- Limit amount spent on Groceries, Household, and Other Items (use what we already have at home)
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
Note to Self …
Family & Work Event at Dave & Buster’s
Jake’s work hosted a family event at Dave & Buster’s recently. We ate a great meal and spent several hours playing the various games throughout the evening. The girls had a blast. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the evening at the Greenville Dave & Buster’s.
Brina competing with Daddy on a riding game
Karlie zooming around in a roller coaster ride with Jake
Jurassic World game – Jake and Karlie playing while Brina looks on
Goodies Karlie earned with all her tickets
Brina likes her colorful monkey she earned with all her tickets
Hotels: Hampton Inn – Anchorage, Alaska
While in Anchorage, Alaska we stayed at the Hampton Inn at 4301 Credit Union Dr, Anchorage, AK 99503. Once we arrived at the airport in Anchorage, Alaska we called the hotel shuttle which comes by every 10 to 20 minutes 24 hours a day. I think we had to wait about 10 minutes which the kids thought was “forever” in the cool drizzly mist outside the airport, but it wasn’t bad. We just were not used to the cool rainy temperatures in the summer being from South Carolina plus we were tired. It was 5:00 am our time back home. The 4 hour time change had us a little bit off schedule and even though we napped on the plane it wasn’t like a full nights sleep!
The Hampton Inn was a fairly quick drive from the airport and the driver was pleasant. There was only one other couple in the van with us. We were able to check into the hotel, settle into our room, shower, and crash for a few hours before getting up and heading out on the town. It was wonderful getting a hot shower and crashing into a comfortable bed after being up over 30 plus hours.
Why did we choose Hampton Inn? There are multiple reasons, but here is a handful that swayed our family in the direction of going with Hampton:
- We are Hilton Honors Members – a lot of time when we (mostly Jake) travels for work the nearest hotel is Hampton so we tend to stick with the Hilton line
- Quality and service at the Hilton Hotels is pretty consistent
- Clean Rooms
- Comfortable Beds – we have slept in a variety of rooms / beds over the past 16 years of our marriage and Hilton beds typically more comfortable then other hotels that we have been at while traveling. A good nights sleep can make a huge difference on the following day!
- Swimming Pool – most of the Hilton’s we have been at have either an indoor or outdoor pool which is always a hit for the kids
- Continental Breakfast – decent and predictable breakfast (which is especially convenient when traveling with a family member that has food allergies or food intolerances) Not all the Hilton hotels have continental breakfasts, but all the Hampton Inn’s we have stayed out do have breakfast which is always a benefit when you have a hungry family every morning
The Hampton Inn not only had shuttle service to/from the airport, but also to several spots around Anchorage. After some sleep and a good breakfast we were ready to hit the town and explore Anchorage. We were the only ones on the shuttle at that time. We asked the driver for recommendations on “must see” places to visit, shop, eat, and tour while we were in Anchorage (especially since we were only going to be in town 1 day, we wanted to squeeze in everything we could during our time there).
After we asked the question the driver took the time to pull over the van in a safe location, got a map of Anchorage out, started to circle and draw an outline of where we need to go that day, how to get there, and a variety of activities from sight seeing, shopping, tours, and great local places to eat or visit. We did EVERYTHING recommended that morning, except 1 of the restaurants and that was only because we got hungry earlier than we expected and stopped to eat prior to getting to the restaurant which was delicious too!
It was thoughtful and AWESOME having that 2 minute explanation and highlights of the town. It gave us a clear path to follow throughout the day without wasting time wondering around and trying to figure out what to do. We left the hotel at 9 am that morning and didn’t actually get back to our home to start getting ready for bed until almost 11 pm that night. Thankful that Hampton Inn hired good drivers who go the extra mile. It made our day in Anchorage fun, memorable, and enjoyable for the whole family. We got to see a lot more with his assistance then if we had just roamed around on our own. It made it more efficient and we got to pack more into our one day of Anchorage than we ever anticipated.
I would definitely recommend that Hampton Inn in Anchorage if you are looking for a place to stay. It is not the one downtown Anchorage but in the suburbs. It was clean, family friendly, and a great place to stay. It was the first hotel we had been in that had crayons and postcards that the kids could color in with crayons in the lobby and mail out. Which was a neat “extra” piece for families traveling with kids.
Airports & Transportation: Charlotte International Airport – CLT (Charlotte, NC)
Our family LOVES traveling!!! We especially enjoy it if we are able to get a reasonable priced flight out of the nearest airport, Greenville, SC (GSP). If we cannot get a flight out of Greenville then Charlotte International Airport CLT is our next airport of choice. Charlotte is not too far from Greenville and often has great tickets. We try to always leave a little bit earlier than we anticipate because with traffic and the occasional rain shower it can slow you down. Plus we typically park in the long term parking and catch the shuttle to the airport so that takes a little more time then a quick drop off at the airport.
On our last two big trips we flew out of Charlotte International Airport CLT. One of our trips was up to New England and the Midwest and our most recent trip from Charlotte was to Anchorage, Alaska. Brina and Karlie went to their last day of their Robotics and Software Computer Game Programming Camp at the Roper Mountain Science Camp while Jake and I tackled the last few items we needed to get done at work. I came home from work, picked up Jake, and then we picked up the girls from camp on our way to the airport. Traffic was pretty good and we only had a few sprinkles of rain on the way to Charlotte so we made good time, despite our unscheduled potty break stop a couple exits before the airport. Jake was able to wrap up more work items and a couple calls on the way to the airport as I drove.
We quickly found out that the Charlotte airport can be a little busy on Friday afternoons and evenings. It took us longer than normal to find a parking spot in long term parking. We were beginning to think the lot was completely full, but we found one eventually near the end of the lot. Once we found a spot to park and got all our luggage out of the van we immediately made our way to the canopy to wait for the next bus to arrive. Thankfully they have a bus pick up people every few minutes. The first bus that arrived at our canopy location was completely full so we had to wait for the next bus which we could see coming down the road. They had a bus probably every 2 to 6 minutes going through the parking lot.
The long term parking bus drops you off at the basement level and directly across the walkway from the check in counters. Once you get into the airport you’ll need to take either the escalators, stairs, or elevator up to the 2nd floor to check into your airline and drop off your luggage.
We’ve had great experience even during the busier times of getting through the check-in lines fairly quickly and smoothly. You can go through any of the TSA check points because all the terminals merge immediately after the check points. We typically pick the TSA line with the shortest line or one with the most open lines at the time. As long as you follow the TSA guidelines (take off your shoes if over 12 years old, no liquids, etc….) you should get through pretty quickly. The terminals are well marked and easy to get to as well. If you are looking for a snack, drink, or restrooms they have a number of options and locations just outside the main terminals as well as along the terminals.
It can get crowded at times, but we’ve always had good luck flying out of Charlotte. The employees are friendly, professional, and do their best to get you on and off your plane in a timely manner. They do not have any control over the weather, but otherwise we’ve had no issues. Thankfully this flight was the same. Quick, easy, and on time! Thank you CLT!
Happy First Day of School Brina & Karlie
Happy 1st Day of 6th Grade to my sweet girls! New school year, new school, new teachers, new administration, new schedules, new start to the next chapter in my baby girls lives! Jake and I both took the girls to school on their first day. It felt weird driving by their old elementary school on the way to their new middle school. They were welcomed at school by cheers. They had a great first day!
It was a lot of information and teachers to go over that first day, but they did amazing! They are in different classes, however, some of their teachers are the same and others are different. They are taking different electives too and have no classes the same. The only time they see each other during the school day is walking into school, in the hallways, at lunch, and after school. Karlie has orchestra and a STEAM elective class while Brina has physical education and Keyboarding for her two electives this 9 weeks or a semester depending on the class. Thankful for a good first day!It was a whirlwind of a first day with us dropping them off at school, heading home to get Jake’s suitcase into his car so he can travel for work, and them I was off to work as well. We didn’t snap a picture of them that first morning of school as we were moving quickly to get out the door on time. Everyone was a little sluggish and the girls were wanting to get out the door instead of snapping pictures! Kind of bummed I didn’t make them do it….oh well.
Travel & Vacation: Family Vacation…..Way Up NORTH!!!
Picture of the last Alaska Airline plane we got on!
North to ALASKA!!! We took a family vacation to Alaska this summer! We had a blast! We packed a lot in our time in Alaska. We flew Alaska Airlines. The girls did amazing on all the flights. We flew through the night both on the way to Alaska and on the way home too. They went through the airports fine, helped with the luggage, entertained themselves on the plane (and even rested). Thankful for kids who love to travel and explore new places.
Jake and the girls getting on the plane….notice they are entering the back half the plane. First time on this type of plane!
Sleeping Beauty on the plane!
Another one bites the dust….
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family, ways we relax, and tips on how to make trips more enjoyable. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
Travel & Transportation: American & Alaska Airlines
Our family traveled via the Alaska Airlines for the first time on our recent family trip. Alaska Airlines had us fly via American Airlines to Portland, Oregon then on Alaska Airlines from Portland to Anchorage, Alaska. On our way back we flew from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with Anchorage Alaska to Seattle, Washington and American Airlines from Seattle to Charlotte, North Carolina.
The only complications we had was checking in with American Airlines in Charlotte at the beginning of our trip. The person checking us in at Charlotte was busy socializing with her co-workers and complaining about how she still had another hour of work before she could leave and she already had too many people and luggage go through her counter that day she needed a break. We weighed all our luggage at home and it was weighing under 50 pounds, however, their scales had them weighing at 50.1 pounds, 50.3 pounds, and 49.8 pounds. She checked the first one which was the lightest suitcase, threw it on the conveyor belt, it missed, fell off so someone else picked it up off the floor and put it on the conveyor belt. Then she weight the 50.1 and the 50.3 suitcases and refused to allow them past the counter until we took something out. Both were 50 pounds just a hair over .1 and .3 over. We had to lighten them by .1 and .3 which basically meant we took out a pair of socks and the other a pair of shorts and added them to carryons. It was annoying, but we should have made them a little bit lighter before leaving home just in case the scales were off. She could have had a better attitude and more pleasant as it appeared that she did not enjoy her job and we were just another inconvenience to her at the end of her shift. We travel fairly often with our kids and family so we encounter a wide variety of personalities. We have flown American Airlines many times over the year but have not encounter this type of attitude so maybe she was have a tough day, who knows…
The American Airline pilots, stewardesses, and other crew members were pleasant. After we got checked in with the person at the counter who had a bad attitude the rest of the trip was smooth and enjoyable.
We arrived in Portland, Oregon had a little bit of time before our next flight so grabbed a bite to eat and stretch our legs. Portland was a nice airport with plenty of options to eat and seating while we were waiting for our next flight to take off.
We arrived in Anchorage, Alaska in the middle of the night. Anchorage had a beautiful airport. It was not busy at that time of day. Even though most of the stores and restaurants were closed it was clean and the people we did encounter while in the airport were pleasant. We had to ask directions to find out which luggage claim terminal we need to be at and it took the luggage a little while to get out on the conveyor belt. Since it took more than 20 minutes to be delivered the Alaska Airlines offered everyone that asked vouchers for $25 off their next flight or Alaska Airline Rewards. I guess they have a policy that if it takes longer than 20 minutes to deliver your luggage they compensate the travelers with Rewards or money off which was really cool. We have never had an airline do that before and actually we thought they were fairly quick compared to some of the other flights we had been on even earlier this summer.
Alaska Airlines seemed to have a great group of employees, high quality service, and a loyal group of travelers. It appeared that they treated their reward members based on the interactions we had with other travelers on our trip. It was refreshing to see an airline take pride in their work and provide quality service to those choosing to travel with them.
Our flights home were pleasant, smooth, and enjoyable on the Alaska Airlines again. We were only in the air for 28 minutes from Vancouver to Seattle, but we rode on a type of plane the kids have never been on before so they were fascinated by the ride. It was the only flight that I can remember that allowed the passengers to board both the front and back of the plane simultaneously (you went in the front if you were in the front half of the plane and in the back if you were in the back half of the plane) which provided for a quick and easy boarding for everyone! The plane arrived at the gate in Vancouver a few minutes later than planned but they gave us a heads up in advance and they still had us loaded and we took off basically on time because they made of the delayed time by loading rather quickly which was really nice.
We would definitely fly Alaska Airlines again if we have another opportunity. It was a great experience and a wonderful first impression of the beautiful state of Alaska. Flying the Alaska Airlines was a great experience for our family. We have flown a variety of airlines both within the United States and internationally. We would highly recommend you check out Alaska Airlines if you ever have the opportunity to visit their beautiful area!!
Don’t Be Upset By …
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
We are back now after an amazing family vacation! We had a blast exploring Alaska and Canada. It was the first time any of our family had been to Alaska. The girls and I have never been on the west coast prior to our trip. I’ll share a little bit more about our adventures soon.
This week we have a mix of activities on the agenda. We are getting back into the work and regular schedule as well as gearing up for fun with family, friends, and the upcoming school year. We have friends coming to visit for a few days, the girls are attending their last summer camp, and we have the Meet the Teacher night this week which means school is around the corner. Our menu is going to be simple and easy. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pasta Entree): Crockpot Roast, Potatoes, & Green Beans
- Tuesday (Seafood, Soup, Salad, or Sandwich Entree): Minestrone Soup, Garlic Bread
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Grilled Mustard Chicken, Fresh Fruit
- Thursday (Pork Entree or Kid‘s Night to Cook): Special Event
- 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 pasta 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.http://www.blessingsmultiplied.com/wp-admin/post-new.php
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
