Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week flew by so quickly I barely had time to blink. December is flying by too fast. Although I was able to get a lot accomplished this past week I need to put-it-in-gear and prep for the upcoming Holidays, including finish decorating and getting gifts for those on my list this year. Not to mention Christmas cards, wrapping, and more…. With everything that has been going on these past few months I feel like I am falling behind. It’s time to catch up and get some Holiday and year end activities done this week!
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to the kids – getting closer, we’ve had a lot of after school activities and homework last week
Plan one special activity with the family– we met our cousins and went through the Journey to Bethlehem which was amazing!Prepare for Upcoming Winter EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePlay a Game with the Kids- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items – I made a little progress, but not enough to cross it off the list
Dr. Appointments for Kids
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it is still taking me more than one day
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later) – did not do it this week
Clean House (Focus – Suitcases Unpacked & Put Away from Wedding / Thanksgiving Trip)- Organize Chaos (Focus – Snack Bins Refilled) – got about half of it done before getting pulled away to other activities
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool and Leaves) – it rained again so we were not able to get this done
Pet Care (Focus – Hay Feeder Filled)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Earn some Creative Cash – working on it
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – had to go to more than one store due to specific dietary items that were needed and I went over budget because I haven’t went grocery shopping for a couple weeks
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items
- Dr. Appointments for Kids
- Finish Decorating for Christmas
- Send out Christmas Cards
- Complete Our Christmas Shopping
- Start Wrapping Gifts
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)
- Clean House (Focus – House Decorated & Christmas Bins Back Up in the Attic)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Clean Out the Pantry)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Blow Leaves Off Deck)
- Pet Care (Focus – Skipper a Bath)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Our family had a great time in the Midwest celebrating my little brother’s wedding. It was wonderful seeing my family over the Thanksgiving Holiday. The wedding was beautiful, successful, and hopefully they are now relaxing on their honeymoon! I was happy to welcome another sister into our family, WOOHOO!!! Happy for my brother and his new wife.
Now I am back home and need to make some progress with upcoming projects. Here’s what happened this past week and what is going on this week.
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to read to the kids – about halfway through the book
Plan one special activity with the familyPrepare for Upcoming Fall EventsSpend time Monday – Tuesday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePlay a Game with the KidsWatch a movie with the KidsListen to an Audiobook with the KidsThanksgiving Holiday – So Many Reasons to be ThankfulCelebrating Josh & Megan’s Wedding & Activities
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day – didn’t drink enough when traveling
Continue my YouVersion plan(s)Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – took 2 days
Clean House (Basic Speed Clean before the Holiday Activities)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File Paperwork
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items
- Dr. Appointments for Kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)
- Clean House (Focus – Suitcases Unpacked & Put Away from Wedding / Thanksgiving Trip)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Snack Bins Refilled)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool and Leaves)
- Pet Care (Focus – Hay Feeder Filled)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Earn some Creative Cash
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
- Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to read to the kids – about halfway through the book
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
There is so much to be thankful for in my life. These last couple of months have been challenging for me, but my family and friends have been a huge source of encouragement with their help and prayers. I continue to heal, but seem to be making progress slowly in the right direction which is great.
I was able to do more activities this week as well as celebrate another birthday. Praying that this new year is full of great fun! There are still items I was not able to complete on my ever growing list, but at least I am moving forward.
With this week being Thanksgiving it will be a little different for me. I will plan on spending more quality time with my family. It will be week of celebrating various events with my extended family, including Thanksgiving and my brother’s wedding, so I am very excited!
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read the book Wonder’s Promise by Joanna Campbell to read to the kidsPlan one special activity with the familyPrepare for Upcoming Fall EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePlay a Game with the Kids– we played Sorry together on my birthday- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items – other activities took priority this week
Dr. Appointments for Kids
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – took me 2 days, but getting it done!
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later) – we had appointments / activities during the days AND every night after school this week so I was not able to get it done this week
- Clean House (Focus – Bathrooms) – got started….
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room) – going to have to put this one on hold for a week
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away) – it was a rainy weekend and needed my hubby’s help on this one
Pet Care (Focus – Refill Dog & Goat Food Bin)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – got some progress made, but need to do more soon
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – it was a wild week with extra activities that took priority
- Work completed for clients – got a good bit done, but need to put in some more time
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch – didn’t have a free breakfast / lunch this week
- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes – gathering items
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Earn some Creative Cash – working on it
Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read the book Wonder’s First Race by Joanna Campbell to read to the kids (The kids have been really enjoying this series. It was Brina’s turn to pick out the book and she choose this one for me to read to them!)
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events
- Spend time Monday – Tuesday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Watch a movie with the Kids
- Listen to an Audiobook with the Kids
- Thanksgiving Holiday – So Many Reasons to be Thankful
- Celebrating Josh & Megan’s Wedding & Activities
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Clean House (Basic Speed Clean before the Holiday Activities)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
It was a little better this week. Still healing, but continue to have pain, numbness, and my stomach hasn’t reset itself yet. Had another doctors appointment and hoping to have a better report soon. I was able to get up and move around more this week, but still haven’t been able to get to all of the items on my lists. At least some progress is being made.
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Read the book Wonder’s Promise by Joanna Campbell to read to the kids – still reading to the girls (we had a week of heavy homework)
- Plan one special activity with the family – had another family event come up on the calendar on that day
- Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events & Trips – waiting on approval from my doctors
Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before- Play a Game with the Kids
- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items
Dr. Appointments for Kids– had an ENT appointment for one of the girls and picked out new glasses for both
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day – my stomach hasn’t been happy with drinking water this week so this one has been a challenge
Continue my YouVersion plan(s)Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – took me 3 partial days to get it done
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekDo at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)Clean out & Organize Refrigerator & FreezerClean House (Focus – Basement Floors)– my amazing husband helped get this accomplished for me (thanks, Babe!)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room) – didn’t get it done
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away) – still needs done
- Pet Care (Focus – Refill Goat Food Bin) – still needs done
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – making some headway
Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch – didn’t have a lot of extra curricular activities this week
- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes – making preparations
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – paid an little extra this week
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Earn some Creative Cash – working on it
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – the girls helped me at the grocery store this week and we had to go by more than one store because of the items that we needed this week
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read the book Wonder’s Promise by Joanna Campbell to read to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events & Trips
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items
- Dr. Appointments for Kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)
- Clean House (Focus – Bathrooms)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away)
- Pet Care (Focus – Refill Dog & Goat Food Bin)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Earn some Creative Cash
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
It was a challenging week and it didn’t go exactly as I planned. Early in the week I had to go into the hospital for an epidural steroid shot for the herniated disc in my neck that has been giving me problems. I happen to be one of those “rare” people who reacted uniquely to the epidural steroid shot with nausea and vomiting. Thankfully, we got that under control and now just waiting for about two plus weeks to see if this shot worked. Although, the doctor did mention that it at times takes more than one shot to get the body to repair the disc, but it is better then the more evasive solution of surgery that would remove the disc and fuse the bones together with metal plates. Needless to say I spent more time recovering this week than I initially planned. I did get some things accomplished and praying for a much better week coming up even if it means trying to tackle the same items that were on my list last week!
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read the book Double Fudge by Judy Blume to read to the kidsPlan one special activity with the familyPrepare for Upcoming Fall Events & TripsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School Activities- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before – the girls packed most of their lunches this week (my girls are the best)
- Play a Game with the Kids – the week did not go as planned
- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items – this did not get done
ENT and Eye Appointments for Kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day – the nausea did not help with this one as I was having problems keeping water down
Continue my YouVersion plan(s)Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it took more than one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week – dinner was planned but do to Doctors orders we could not eat what I had on the menu, my husband was super sweet and pitched in to make our family meals. Plus my sister-in-law delivered a meal one night this past week too. Thankful for family!
Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)- Clean out & Organize Refrigerator & Freezer – still needs done
- Clean House (Focus – Basement Floors) – no progress with this either, ugh!
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room) – storage room continues to wait as well
Put Spring/Summer Clothes in the Attic– my amazing husband did this for me- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away) – pools still waiting for take down
- Pet Care (Focus – Refill Goat Food Bin) – needs to be done
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – made a little progress
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – fell behind on the day to day items
- Work completed for clients – had to put on hold this week
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch – house bound this week
- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes – got it started
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Make an extra payment on Outstanding Debt – working on it
- Earn some Creative Cash – working on it
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – my husband did the grocery errands this week for me, thanks Babe!
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read the book Wonder’s Promise by Joanna Campbell to read to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events & Trips
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items
- Dr. Appointments for Kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)
- Clean out & Organize Refrigerator & Freezer
- Clean House (Focus – Basement Floors)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away)
- Pet Care (Focus – Refill Goat Food Bin)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Earn some Creative Cash
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
Recipes: Worcestershire Flavored Pumpkin Seeds
Our kids love getting their pumpkins every Fall before Halloween so we can carve them and roast the pumpkin seeds. Due to traveling and other activities that have taken up our time we were a little later getting our pumpkins. Finally, on Halloween we got the girls pumpkins, after going to three other stores we found pumpkins at Publix! After cleaning out their pumpkins we had enough seeds to make two big patches of roasted pumpkins seeds, another favorite tradition of our family.
Every year we used at least one of our favorite pumpkin seed recipes and try to experiment with a new one. Some years the new pumpkin seed recipes are amazing and they become a new favorite while others are a flop. This year we made the Cinnamon Apple Cider Pumpkin Seeds and I tried a new pumpkin seed recipe using a touch of worcestershire sauce. The worcestershire flavored pumpkin seed recipe was a big hit with all my family members. They agreed it was one we could add to our collection of favorite pumpkin seeds recipes.
Worcestershire Flavored Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 cups fresh Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 tablespoons Butter or Margarine
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon liquid Wood Smoke
- 1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
Rinse the fresh pumpkin seeds. Saute pumpkin seeds in the butter for about 5 minutes (until they start to turn brown). Add the worcestershire sauce and liquid wood smoke to the mix of pumpkin seeds. Saute and stir continually for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the seasoned and garlic salt onto the pumpkin seeds and mix until evenly coated. Spread seeds into a shallow baking pan and baked at 250 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until crispy. Stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, and put in a dish to serve.
In our house if the pumpkin seed recipe is good about half the pumpkin seeds have disappeared before they have completely cooled and been put into the bowl to serve. The kids especially like to come by the stove as they are cooling and “taste test” the new recipe and provide their feedback! Some of the pumpkin seed recipes we have made are sweet while others are salty. The worchestershire flavored pumpkin seed recipe fits into the salty range. You can adjust the amount of seasoning based on your specific tastes. Enjoy!
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week was busy week full of many extra appointments that were added into the schedule, some of them last minute, like doctor’s appointments. The hot water heater decided to pick this week to stop working too. Thankfully, it stopped on an evening when Jake was home, not traveling for work. Jake and my brother Lee were able to get a new one back up and working in one evening!
I was finally able to get an MRI and figure out specifically what is going on to cause all the pain and numbness. It has been over three weeks since I have been able to sleep in my own bed, the recliner has been the only comfortable spot to sleep lately! The doctors have found out that I have a severely herniated disc in my neck which is also clamping down on nerves causing the shooting pains down my neck, back, arm, and causing numbness in my fingers. The doctors are going to try and do a steroid shot directly into that specific disc this week and if that does not work than they want to do surgery. Praying that the shot will work because the surgery is much more evasive and permanent. Surgery would require a hospital stay not to mention recovery and effects on my future with mobility, movement, and other issues (obviously not my first choice).
It is getting old not sleeping well, taking medicines that me feel foggy and not myself, the pain is at times very intense and has limited me in a lot of areas, and numbness in my fingers can eventually lead to permanent damage if we don’t get that fixed as well. It hurts getting older! I am ready to be back to my normal self soon. Praying that they can fix it with the simple solution and without surgery. There are some areas I did okay with this week on my goals and others not so well. Either way I plan on proceeding forward with all my goals, activities, and tasks as much as possible!
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Pick another book to read to the kids– I picked out Double Fudge by Judy Blume to read to the girlsJake finish reading Last of the Mohicans to the kidsPlan one special activity with the familyPrepare for Upcoming Fall Events & TripsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before- Ride Bikes with the kids – I was not able to ride bikes this week due to my neck, back, and arm issues
- Go for a Walk with the Kids – we did not go on walks this week because I was limited in extra moving around on top of my normal activities
Play a Game with the Kids– played Halloween BingoAttend School Board Meeting– Jake attended for me because I was not able to go due to health issues- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items – was not able to get to this one
Plan Family Halloween Dinner & Celebration– enjoyed a relaxing Halloween evening and weekend with my familyOrthodontic Appointment for Kids
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)- Exercise at least 5 times this week – doctor did not want me doing any additional exercises at this time
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – I got it done, but it took more than one day due to me moving slower and needing help carrying items
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekDo at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)- Clean out & Organize Refrigerator & Freezer – didn’t get it done
- Clean House (Focus – Basement Floors) – didn’t get the basement floors clean, but I did a more “deep” clean of the laundry room due to hot water heater dying on us this week!
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room) – was not able to get this done
- Put Spring/Summer Clothes in the Attic – need help to get these in the attic so was unable to finish it
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away) – thanks to my brother letting us borrow his mower Jake was able to get the yard mowed, but we still need to get the pool put away
- Pet Care (Focus – Refill Goat Food Bin & Make Homemade Treats with the kids for Skipper) – we made homemade treats for the dog, but still need to refill the goat food bin
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – still have some that need my attention and a response
Keep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes – got started on it
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkMake an extra payment on Outstanding Debt– we were able to make an extra payment this week which helps us inch forward in the right direction!- Earn some Creative Cash – I wasn’t able to get any extra creative cash completed this week
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – I did go grocery shopping for the first time in THREE weeks, but I did go to more than one store and I went a little over our budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Read the book Double Fudge by Judy Blume to read to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming Fall Events & Trips
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Start Organizing the Kids Scrapbook Items
- ENT and Eye Appointments for Kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)
- Clean out & Organize Refrigerator & Freezer
- Clean House (Focus – Basement Floors)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Storage Room)
- Put Spring/Summer Clothes in the Attic
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pool taken down and put away)
- Pet Care (Focus – Refill Goat Food Bin)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- Prep for our Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child boxes
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Make an extra payment on Outstanding Debt
- Earn some Creative Cash
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
Introducing Febreze Fall Home Harvest Collection – #FebrezeFall
The Fall Season is just around the corner! Even though Fall officially starts on September 22, 2014 it is already starting to cool down in our area. The leaves are falling, apples are ripening, and animals are scurrying around to finish stocking up for the cooler months. Recently we received a package and this adorable barn was inside from Febreze, Walmart, and SheSpeaks! Let’s just say the kids were as excited about seeing the barn box as I was about getting all the amazing fall Febreze scents and goodies!
One of my favorite parts about Fall is all the amazing Fall smells from toasted nuts, pumpkins, fall harvest, apple picking, pears baking, and more amazing scents of the season. What are your favorite Fall Scents? Febreze has come out with their Fall Home Harvest Collection! Have you already tried the Febreze Home Harvest Collection? If not it is a great way to get you ready for the upcoming Fall season! They have some perfect Fall scents to get your house and car ready! Some of the scents you might want to check out this Fall season are Vanilla Latte, Autumn Harvest, Spiced Pear, Toasted Almond, Sugared Cranberry, and more.
We opened up our Febreze Fall Home Home Collection barn box and were pleasantly surprised with all the cool scents, goodies, and activities included. What a great way to get excited and prepared for the Fall Season! Febreze truly eliminates odors so your guests will only notice the freshness of fall when they enter your home.
We received a Febreze NOTICEables Warmer with two NOTICEables NOTABLES. One was the Autumn Harvest which is a blend of sandalwood and chai – smells amazing! The other NOTICEables NOTABLES was the Vanilla Latte which is a blend of vanilla and sugar – absolutely love the smell of this one! Reminds me of a fresh hot cup of coffee on a cool Fall day! Febreze even took care of bringing Fall to our car! They sent us a Febreze Car Toasted Almond vent clip which lasts up to 30 days and smells delicious! Even the teachers have commented that they really like the scent when I pick the kids up in car line at school.
The barn yard is complete with the awesome Febreze Fall Home Harvest Collection, activity cards in the scentspiration box, a gift card from Walmart, and cute decorative picket fence, wagon wheels, and hay bales!
They thought of everything! Included are some delicious Fall Recipes, fun Fall Activities to do with your family, and Fall Home Decor to get your home ready for the Fall Season! We will share a few of the ones we have done so far below.
We are already enjoying the Febreze NOTICEables Warmer with NOTICEables NOTABLES Vanilla Latte!!! Makes the house smell amazing! Do you like having a different fall scent in each room or one scent filling the whole home?
One of the recipes that Febreze included that will make your house smell like Fall – Oven Baked Smores:
What you need: A graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate bar per Smore and an appropriate baking sheet to fit all the Smores you are making.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place graham crackers on a baking sheet.
3. Press marshmallows between your fingers to make them a little flat, then place them on the graham crackers.
4. Bake until the marshmallows have puffed up and the edges turn a light, caramel brown color.
5. Remove tray from oven, and firmly press a piece of chocolate down into the marshmallow. You want the warmth of the marshmallow to melt the chocolate. Enjoy!
Delicious Oven Baked Smores! You can put another graham cracker on top if you want as well. You can probably use a little less chocolate too, but we enjoy the extra sweetness!
Febreze Fall Activities – Whistle with an Acorn Top
What you need: An acorn top. I recommend washing your acorns with water first to make sure they are clean and bug free.
Directions (once your acorn is washed):
1. Make a fist with your hands, then place your hands together with your fingers touching.
2. Place the acorn top on the top of your index finger.
3. Put your thumbs on top of the acorn top, angling them so that the tips of your thumbs make a “V” shape.
4. Blow over the top of your thumbs, and you’ll hear a whistle!
Our whole family tried the various acorn tops for whistles. Jake won the contest for the the loudest and most shrill whistle! These were a little more difficult than we expected, but if you got your fingers and acorn top just right you can get a really loud whistle which brings smiles to the kids faces. Do you have any of the great scentspiration activities you would like to share?
Febreze Fall Home Decor – Acorn Centerpiece
What you need: Acorns, leaves or flowers or ribbons, a vase, Febreze Air Effects
Directions:
1. Gather lots of acorns.
2. Take the vase of any shape and size and fill it to the top with acorns.
3. Add colorful leaves or flowers if you want to cover the top of vase.
4. Lightly spray the top of the arrangement with your favorite scent from the Febreze Fall Harvest Collection for a unique final touch, and then put it on display.
Do you decorate your tables with seasonal decor? Have you ever used Febreze to add an extra festive touch to your home or used Febreze scents to enhance your home décor?
I would love to hear how your family prepares for the Fall Season:
• Have you ever tried making toasted almonds?
• Have you ever tasted sugared cranberries?
• What is your most popular pears dessert recipe?
• Do you have another version of one of the recipes, decorations, or activities that I shared today?
• I would love for you to share any pictures of the Fall scentspiration activities you have tried.
• Are there any scents or designs that help inspire the ideas for you?
• What new ideas do you have to get your home fall-ready?More information about Febreze:
- Like Febreze’s Facebook Page
- Follow Febreze’s Twitter Feed
- Pick up your favorite Febreze Fall Home Harvest Scent at your local Walmart
A special thanks to SheSpeaks, Febreze, and Walmart for sponsoring this post! Any specific product information was provided by Febreze, Walmart, and SheSpeaks, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own. We received a complimentary products for sharing information and our family’s experience.
Halloween Rice Krispie Treats
Green cat with a “K” on it….wonder who that one is for? We also found a purple cat with a “B” on it too! 🙂
While Grandma Penny and Great Grandma Willa were here visiting we made some delicious rice krispie treats. I made regular rice krispie treats and cut them out with Halloween (pumpkin, ghost, and cat) cookie cutters then the kids and Grandmas decorated them. It was a lot of fun making these tasty treats together.
Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treat
Someone ate a Black Cat…….Karlie!
Brina enjoying one of the rice krispie treats after she finished helping decorate!
Colorful pumpkin!
Spooky green rice krispie ghost!
Decorating rice krispie treats with Grandma Penny and Great Grandma Willa. The decorating team was MUCH faster than the cookie cutter, ha! 🙂
A plate full of decorated rice krispie treats!
Another tray full of pumpkins, ghosts, and cats…….
After the girls got a chance to taste test one cookie we sent some of the treats home with the Grandmas, 1 went into each of the girls lunches for the next day, and the rest we brought to Community Group to share with friends. This was a fun and easy Halloween activity for everyone to do.
Leaves + Pumpkins + Ghosts = Oh My….It’s Halloween
Karlie and Brina raked up a bunch of leaves to “stuff” the pumpkin!
What a difference a year makes…..so much has happened over the past few months it is hard to believe it is Halloween again! I like to think that I have learned all the lessons I need to know by now but I find myself still trying to balance this thing called life. At times I am torn between having fun with my family and getting things done on my never-ending and always-growing “to do” list (does anyone else struggle with this or is it just me?!).
Sometimes the best way to get things done is to have fun doing it with your family. For example, you can make raking leaves a game by seeing who can stuff their “leaf pumpkin” the fullest or fastest! You get to have fun with the family plus you get a few extra leaves off the yard all at the same time.
Last year it was much warmer for Halloween so the kids spent almost all their free time outside playing. Only a few days ago we were wearing shorts and it was 80 degrees outside, but with the storm up north the wind has picked up, leaves are raining down on the yard, and there is an extra chill in the air.
Two little pumpkins for my sweet “pumpkins”!
They got these cute little pumpkins from a fall activity we did with a group of friends at a local farm. Since these pumpkins were too small to carve we made delicious Pumpkin Dip and a small batch of Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds!
The girls made these easy “Banana Ghosts” to take in their school lunches!
It was cute hearing them giggle as they put together their little ghosts. We took 1 banana, cut it in half, the girls put a dab of peanut butter (or soy butter) on it, adding raisins for the eyes, stuck a straw in the bottom and put them into bags for their school lunch. The straw was a fun addition because the ghost would “move” (in slow circles) when they held it up which added to the excitement. Sometimes it’s the simple things that you already have in your kitchen that bring the widest smiles!
