• Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    It was a whirlwind week of work, summer camp, and activities.  We had a lot of fun, got items done, and made progress along the way.  Even though we were exhausting by the time Friday hit we were very thankful for a relaxing and productive weekend at home.  Glad to have some time with my family and get some projects moving along at home too.    Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids. – almost done!
    2. Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids.
    3. Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids. – did some of them
    4. Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids.- did not make it through 7 pages
    5. Reflect on our blessings and prayer time with kids every night.
    6. Plan one special activity with the family
    7. Play a Game with the Kids
    8.  Attend After Work Activities
    9. Lunch Boxes packed the night before work & other planned activities
    10. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
    11. Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
    12. Ride Bikes with the Kids – the girls road, but we did not get a chance
    13. Work on family projects together – the girls were a big help getting items done around the house and yard this weekend
    14. Unpack suitcase from last family adventure
    15. Daily 15 minute “Speed Clean” for entire family to keep the daily clutter under control – we did a lot of cleaning, but didn’t get to the speed clean everyday (some days by the time we got home, ate dinner, took showers, we were ready to just hit the bed).

    Kid Goals

    1. Have kids do Summer Workbook(s)
    2. Encourage Kids to read independently at least 30 minutes a day
    3. Sign up kids for the Easley, Anderson, & Greenville County Summer Library Reading Programs – signed up for all 3 counties Summer Reading Programs near us since we are in each county eve
    4. Sign up kids for Barnes & Noble and other similar reading programs
    5. Have kids work on our approved educational websites to encourage growth (at least 2 hours for the week)
    6. Have kids work for at least 1 hour on this week on improving their typing skills
    7. Each kid finish creating at least 2 blogs posts for their Fun with Sis blog
    8. Spend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grown their skills
    9. Kids start packing suitcases for next family adventure
    10. At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Keep up with my FitBit Goals – some days were better than others
    3. Do yoga at least 5 times a week – did it three times during the work week, but had a couple mornings that other priorities popped up
    4. Go to my Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
    6. Tackle some lingering projects on my “to do” list

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it took 2 days because we were busy working on other projects together as a family
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Clean House (Focus – Normal Maintenance Cleaning)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Start getting the Laundry Room back together and organized so we can clean up the family room downstairs)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Plant Lilly Flower and Blueberry Bush – weather permitting)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Refill Skipper’s Feeder)
    7. Repairs – (Focus – Check on Water Heater Recall Notice we received)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients
    5. Notes typed for work – want to get caught up on some of my notes for easy reference
    6. Meeting regarding work goals and upcoming tasks completed – worked on some of these items but need to fine tune it
    7. Folders Labeled for work – got some of them labeled but need to get more
    8. Desk drawers organized – getting closer
    9. Do at least 5 blog posts this week – did my regular posts but was not able to get the additional ones that I wanted to done
    10. Catch up on Hootesuite
    11. Upload pictures from last few weeks and update – got some of them completed, needs more work

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. One-on-one quality time with Jake (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    3. One-on-one quality time with Brina (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    4. One-on-one quality time with Karlie (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)

    Financial Goals

    1. Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor – narrowing down some dates with Jake so can confirm our schedules
    2. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt  – working on it
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time this week and stay within budget
    5. Sell, giveaway, donate, or through away items no longer use – getting through some of the items we need to get organizes
    6. Take items to the recycling distributor – hopefully taking those in this week
    7. Make meals with items from pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to use up what we have and eliminate any extra spending – doing better this week

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids.
    2. Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids.
    3. Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids.
    4. Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids.
    5. Reflect on our blessings and prayer time with kids every night.
    6. Plan one special activity with the family
    7. Play a Game with the Kids
    8.  Attend After Work Activities
    9. Lunch Boxes packed the night before work & other planned activities
    10. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
    11. Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
    12. Work on family projects together
    13. Daily 15 minute “Speed Clean” for entire family to keep the daily clutter under control

    Kid Goals

    1. Have kids do work in their Summer Workbook(s)
    2. Encourage Kids to read independently at least 30 minutes a day
    3. Have kids work on our approved educational websites to encourage growth (at least 2 hours for the week)
    4. Have kids work for at least 1 hour on this week on improving their typing skills
    5. Each kid finish creating at least 2 blogs posts for their Fun with Sis blog
    6. Spend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grown their skills
    7. At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Keep up with my FitBit Goals
    3. Do yoga at least 5 times a week
    4. Go to my Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
    6. Tackle some lingering projects on my “to do” list
    7. Read over the kids blog posts

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Clean House (Focus – Clean Living Room)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Label & Hang Up Kids Necklaces)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Pick up Sticks found in the yard from the past couple of storms)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Work of the Goat & Dog Fences)
    7. Repairs – (Focus – Check on Water Heater Recall Notice we received)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients
    5. Notes typed for work
    6. Meeting regarding work goals and upcoming tasks completed
    7. Folders Labeled for work
    8. Training on new projects
    9. Desk drawers organized
    10. Do at least 5 blog posts this week
    11. Catch up on Hootesuite
    12. Upload pictures from last few weeks and update

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. One-on-one quality time with Jake (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    3. One-on-one quality time with Brina (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    4. One-on-one quality time with Karlie (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)

    Financial Goals

    1. Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor
    2. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time this week and stay within budget
    5. Sell, giveaway, donate, or through away items no longer use
    6. Take items to the recycling distributor
    7. Make meals with items from pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to use up what we have and eliminate any extra spending

    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

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    https://blessingsmultiplied.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/09/4088699532_ae44f04b7dc.jpg

    Thankful for extra time with family and friends.  It was a whirlwind of work and various activities when we arrived back home.  The girls were a big help with unpacking.  I anticipate this week to be full but good!  The girls have summer camp and Jake and I have work.  Hopefully, we’ll be back into a routine and rhythm very soon!  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Pasta Entree): Cube Steak, Baked Potatoes
    • Tuesday (Seafood, Soup, Salad, or Sandwich Entree):  Pita Pockets, Fresh Salad  
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree):  Fried Chicken, Steamed Veggies
    • Thursday (Pork Entree or Kid‘s Night to Cook):  Hot Dogs, Fruit Salad
    • 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.

    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

    We had a wonderful time with family and friends!  We covered a lot of miles over the past week and half.  First, we arrived in Vermont went to Connecticut, Boston, Maine, Kansas, and Colorado!  Thankful for the time and good memories!  Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids. – still working through it. 
    2. Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids. – read some of it
    3. Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids.
    4. Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids.
    5. Plan one special activity with the family
    6. Play a Game with the Kids
    7. Spend extra time with family and friends

    Kid Goals

    1. At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Keep up with my FitBit Goals

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. Maintenance items only

    Business Goals

    1. Maintenance items only

    Financial Goals

    1. Maintenance items only

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids.
    2. Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids.
    3. Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids.
    4. Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids.
    5. Reflect on our blessings and prayer time with kids every night.
    6. Plan one special activity with the family
    7. Play a Game with the Kids
    8.  Attend After Work Activities
    9. Lunch Boxes packed the night before work & other planned activities
    10. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
    11. Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
    12. Ride Bikes with the Kids
    13. Work on family projects together
    14. Unpack suitcase from last family adventure
    15. Daily 15 minute “Speed Clean” for entire family to keep the daily clutter under control

    Kid Goals

    1. Have kids do 1st week in Summer Workbook(s)
    2. Encourage Kids to read independently at least 30 minutes a day
    3. Sign up kids for the Easley, Anderson, & Greenville County Summer Library Reading Programs
    4. Sign up kids for Barnes & Noble and other similar reading programs
    5. Have kids work on our approved educational websites to encourage growth (at least 2 hours for the week)
    6. Have kids work for at least 1 hour on this week on improving their typing skills
    7. Each kid finish creating at least 2 blogs posts for their Fun with Sis blog
    8. Spend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grown their skills
    9. Kids start packing suitcases for next family adventure
    10. At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Keep up with my FitBit Goals
    3. Do yoga at least 5 times a week
    4. Go to my Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
    6. Tackle some lingering projects on my “to do” list

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Clean House (Focus – Normal Maintenance Cleaning)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Start getting the Laundry Room back together and organized so we can clean up the family room downstairs)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Plant Lilly Flower and Blueberry Bush – weather permitting)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Refill Skipper’s Feeder)
    7. Repairs – (Focus – Check on Water Heater Recall Notice we received)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients
    5. Notes typed for work
    6. Meeting regarding work goals and upcoming tasks completed
    7. Folders Labeled for work
    8. Desk drawers organized
    9. Do at least 5 blog posts this week
    10. Catch up on Hootesuite
    11. Upload pictures from last few weeks and update

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. One-on-one quality time with Jake (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    3. One-on-one quality time with Brina (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    4. One-on-one quality time with Karlie (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)

    Financial Goals

    1. Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor
    2. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time this week and stay within budget
    5. Sell, giveaway, donate, or through away items no longer use
    6. Take items to the recycling distributor
    7. Make meals with items from pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to use up what we have and eliminate any extra spending

    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 has been a fun, but busy week.  I am keeping my list shorter for the upcoming week so I can focus on time with family and friends.  Thankful for time to spend with people in my life.  It is always great having adventures, learning, and making memories with people around me.  Grateful for the opportunities I have been given.    Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids. – getting through it
    2. Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids. – read some of it to the girls
    3. Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids. – working through flash cards
    4. Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids. – learning more with the kids
    5. Do devotions, reflecting on our blessings, and prayer time with kids every night. – off schedule with some travel at the end of the week
    6. Plan one special activity with the family
    7. Play a Game with the Kids
    8.  Attend After Work Activities
    9. Lunch Boxes packed the night before work & other planned activities
    10. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
    11. Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
    12. Ride Bikes with the Kids – was not able to fit it in this week
    13. Work on family projects together
    14. Pack suitcase for next family adventure
    15. Daily 15 minute “Speed Clean” for entire family to keep the daily clutter under control – did the first half of the week

    Kid Goals

    1. Have kids do 1st week in Summer Workbook(s)
    2. Encourage Kids to read independently at least 30 minutes a day
    3. Sign up kids for the Easley, Anderson, & Greenville County Summer Library Reading Programs – have it started, but not all the programs done yet
    4. Sign up kids for Barnes & Noble and other similar reading programs – started
    5. Have kids work on our approved educational websites to encourage growth (at least 2 hours for the week)
    6. Have kids work for at least 1 hour on this week on improving their typing skills
    7. Each kid finish creating at least 2 blogs posts for their Fun with Sis blog
    8. Spend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grown their skills
    9. Kids start packing suitcases for next family adventure
    10. At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Keep up with my FitBit Goals – did better
    3. Do yoga at least 5 times a week – the off schedule made it harder
    4. Go to my Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
    6. Tackle some lingering projects on my “to do” list

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Clean House (Focus – Normal Maintenance Cleaning)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Start getting the Laundry Room back together and organized so we can clean up the family room downstairs)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Plant Lilly Flower and Blueberry Bush – weather permitting)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Refill Skipper’s Feeder)
    7. Repairs – (Focus – Check on Water Heater Recall Notice we received)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients
    5. Notes typed for work
    6. Meeting regarding work goals and upcoming tasks completed
    7. Folders Labeled for work
    8. Desk drawers organized – almost there
    9. Do at least 5 blog posts this week – other priorities popped up
    10. Catch up on Hootesuite
    11. Upload pictures from last few weeks and update – more to upload

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. One-on-one quality time with Jake (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    3. One-on-one quality time with Brina (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    4. One-on-one quality time with Karlie (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)

    Financial Goals

    1. Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor – not quite settled on a time for all parties
    2. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – working on it
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork – getting it done
    4. Go grocery shopping one time this week and stay within budget – did it for the most part, but had traveling this week
    5. Sell, giveaway, donate, or through away items no longer use – work in progress
    6. Take items to the recycling distributor – was not able to do this week
    7. Make meals with items from pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to use up what we have and eliminate any extra spending – started out well at the beginning of the week, but do to traveling wasn’t able to do so the later part of the week

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids.
    2. Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids.
    3. Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids.
    4. Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids.
    5. Plan one special activity with the family
    6. Play a Game with the Kids
    7. Spend extra time with family and friends

    Kid Goals

    1. At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Keep up with my FitBit Goals

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. Maintenance items only

    Business Goals

    1. Maintenance items only

    Financial Goals

    1. Maintenance items only

    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.

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    https://blessingsmultiplied.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/09/4088699532_ae44f04b7dc.jpg

    Thankful for extra time with my family.  This week will be a little different so the dinner menu will be super simple.   Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Pasta Entree): Grilled Hamburgers, Grilled Vegetables
    • Tuesday (Seafood or Soup Entree):  Baked Salmon, Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree):  Special Event
    • 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.

    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

    It was really nice having an extra day tacked onto our weekend this past week with Memorial Day, but felt like we were playing catch up at work and in other areas the rest of the week.  Thankful for the extra time with my family.  We (mostly Jake really) got a lot done on the laundry room.  It is looking good.  We still have some more work to get it finished up, but at least it is usable and the washer and dryer are hooked back up.

    The girls wrapped up their last couple of days of school.  No more elementary school drop offs for our family.  They are enjoying the start of their summer break.  Late on Friday afternoon they joined me at work and helped get some items organized at the office.  Thankful for their willingness to pitch in and help!  They were excited to spend time with me at work.    Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids. – over halfway through the book, the chapters are short, however, sometimes we only have time to read 1 chapter a day with everything going on.
    2. Read 7 Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids.
    3. Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids.
    4. Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids.
    5. Do devotions, reflecting on our blessings, and prayer time with kids every night. – prayer time and blessings (yes), but did not do kids devotions every night – they were crashing on us a couple of nights at bed time.
    6. Plan one special activity with the family – planned a SUPER AWESOME activity, but cannot share yet – they may read it here…..I will reveal our fun activity once we’ve had a chance to tell the kids the surprise first! 🙂
    7. Play a Game with the Kids – played a Horse board game with the girls (cannot remember the exact name of it, but you collect ranch and wild horses as you go around the game board).  Neat game the girls got from my parents a year or two ago.
    8.  Attend After Work Activities
    9. Lunch Boxes packed the night before work & other planned activities
    10. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s) – yes, we prepped for our upcoming trip and was able to get some items completed – still have a little more planning to get done over the next few days / weeks!
    11. Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break – getting everything figured out
    12. Ride Bikes with the Kids – was not able to get this done this weekend, we had fun, got things done, but couldn’t do everything! 🙁
    13. Work on family projects together – moving forward in the right direction on our projects (wish we had more time to get more items accomplished)
    14. Start packing suitcase for next family adventure
    15. Daily 15 minute “Speed Clean” for entire family to keep the daily clutter under control – we did this several times, but not consistently every day.  It did work well when we did do it!

    Kid Goals

    1. Have kids do 1st week in Summer Workbook(s) – since it was a partial school week / summer vacation week they did not get this done, hopefully we’ll get it done soon.
    2. Encourage Kids to read independently at least 30 minutes a day – they read daily on their non-school days when they were on summer break
    3. Sign up kids for the Easley, Anderson, & Greenville County Summer Library Reading Programs – was only able to make a quick trip to the library to return books, wasn’t able to get them signed up for all the programs yet
    4. Sign up kids for Barnes & Noble and other similar reading programs – hoping to do it this week
    5. Have kids work on our approved educational websites to encourage growth (at least 2 hours for the week)
    6. Have kids work for at least 1 hour on this week on improving their typing skills
    7. Each kid finish creating at least 2 blogs posts for their Fun with Sis blog – one finished 2 blogs another did not get 2 completely done
    8. Spend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grown their skills
    9. Kids start packing suitcases for next family adventure
    10. At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Keep up with my FitBit Goals – hit a bunch of my goals, but missed a few!
    3. Do yoga at least 5 times a week – missed one day….so close!
    4. Go to my Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
    6. Tackle some lingering projects on my “to do” list

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Clean House (Focus – Laundry Room Remodeling Work Completed) – was able to get a lot of items completed, but the entire laundry room is not done quite yet. Will need to put it on hold as we tackle some other activities the next couple of weeks, it is still on our priority list though!
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Refill Kids Snack Bins – hope to focus again on the laundry room in the future once further along)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Plant Lilly Flower and Blueberry Bush – weather permitting)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Replant grass in Goat pen) – Jake was able to get their collars working again, but we weren’t able to replant the grass yet
    7. Repairs – (Focus – Refinishing our Laundry room, painting and laying new flooring) – flooring is completely laid – thanks Babe!  Still need to add the molding, fix the door frame, paint the doors, add the closet door, put up 1 more wall, ceiling, and add the last sections of shelving.

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients
    5. Notes typed for work – was able to get some of them completed
    6. Folders Labeled for work – made good progress
    7. Desk drawers organized – was able to move forward, still more to do
    8. Do at least 5 blog posts this week – close but not quite there this week
    9. Catch up on Hootesuite – almost caught up
    10. Upload pictures from last few weeks and update – was able to get a start but have more to catch up!

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. One-on-one quality time with Jake (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    3. One-on-one quality time with Brina (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    4. One-on-one quality time with Karlie (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)

    Financial Goals

    1. Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor – still trying to get it on the schedule
    2. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt  – made one extra payment this week
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork – paid and filed most of them
    4. Go grocery shopping one time this week and stay within budget – very close
    5. Sell, giveaway, donate, or through away items no longer use – work in progress
    6. Take items to the recycling distributor – was not able to get this done this week. 
    7. Make meals with items from pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to use up what we have and eliminate any extra spending – got home late one evening and didn’t have dinner already prepped

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids.
    2. Read 7 more Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids.
    3. Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids.
    4. Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids.
    5. Do devotions, reflecting on our blessings, and prayer time with kids every night.
    6. Plan one special activity with the family
    7. Play a Game with the Kids
    8.  Attend After Work Activities
    9. Lunch Boxes packed the night before work & other planned activities
    10. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
    11. Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
    12. Ride Bikes with the Kids
    13. Work on family projects together
    14. Pack suitcase for next family adventure
    15. Daily 15 minute “Speed Clean” for entire family to keep the daily clutter under control

    Kid Goals

    1. Have kids do 1st week in Summer Workbook(s)
    2. Encourage Kids to read independently at least 30 minutes a day
    3. Sign up kids for the Easley, Anderson, & Greenville County Summer Library Reading Programs
    4. Sign up kids for Barnes & Noble and other similar reading programs
    5. Have kids work on our approved educational websites to encourage growth (at least 2 hours for the week)
    6. Have kids work for at least 1 hour on this week on improving their typing skills
    7. Each kid finish creating at least 2 blogs posts for their Fun with Sis blog
    8. Spend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grown their skills
    9. Kids start packing suitcases for next family adventure
    10. At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Keep up with my FitBit Goals
    3. Do yoga at least 5 times a week
    4. Go to my Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
    6. Tackle some lingering projects on my “to do” list

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Clean House (Focus – Normal Maintenance Cleaning)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Start getting the Laundry Room back together and organized so we can clean up the family room downstairs)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Plant Lilly Flower and Blueberry Bush – weather permitting)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Refill Skipper’s Feeder)
    7. Repairs – (Focus – Check on Water Heater Recall Notice we received)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients
    5. Notes typed for work
    6. Meeting regarding work goals and upcoming tasks completed
    7. Folders Labeled for work
    8. Desk drawers organized
    9. Do at least 5 blog posts this week
    10. Catch up on Hootesuite
    11. Upload pictures from last few weeks and update

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. One-on-one quality time with Jake (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    3. One-on-one quality time with Brina (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    4. One-on-one quality time with Karlie (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)

    Financial Goals

    1. Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor
    2. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time this week and stay within budget
    5. Sell, giveaway, donate, or through away items no longer use
    6. Take items to the recycling distributor
    7. Make meals with items from pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to use up what we have and eliminate any extra spending

    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.

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    https://blessingsmultiplied.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/09/4088699532_ae44f04b7dc.jpg

    It is official, we now how two sixth graders in our house.  The girls did amazing this year.  It was a lot of hard work and even a few tears to get it all done, but it was evident in the during graduation and awards ceremony that they did fantastic!  Proud of my girls!  They only have two more days left this school year even though graduation was held last Friday.  As summer is quickly upon us our schedule is adjusting again.  I hope to continue to keep up to date with the posts (and even catch up a little bit too).  We have a lot of fun activities planned for the upcoming month.  I am keeping the menu simple as we transition into the summer schedule.    Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Pasta Entree): Memorial Day Holiday Celebration
    • Tuesday (Seafood or Soup Entree):  Baked Tilipia, Garlic Bread
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree):  Cracked Mustard Grilled Chicken, Grilled Vegetables
    • Thursday (Pork Entree or Kid‘s Night to Cook):  Crockpot Pork Roast, Mash Potatoes
    • 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.

    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 crazy, but good as we celebrated a lot of great rewards that the girls had earned for all their hard work throughout this past school year including watching them graduate.  Thankful for our girls and their excitement to learn.  They had a lot of activities and times when it was tough to get everything done, but they pushed through it.  Jake and I are proud of our girls.

    I have added a “kid goals” section to my list of goals.  Now that they are getting older and realizing the importance of improving and maintaining goals I want to be intentional about keeping up with their learning as they grow older.   Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids. – was not able to finish with all the extra school activities this week, but read a couple of night
    2. Read 7 Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids. – read a couple, but not 7
    3. Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids. – did a handful only
    4. Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids. – hoping to pick this back up again this week
    5. Do devotions and prayer time with kids every night. – prayers yes, but it was really late a few nights so kept it short
    6. Plan one special activity with the family
    7. Play a Game with the Kids – we didn’t have enough free time in the evenings to play a game
    8. Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
    9. Attend After School Activities – attended all the activities including celebration / graduation meetings, regional Science Fair Competition & Awards, Graduation, Awards Ceremony
    10. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    11. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s) – working on it, but still has some more to go
    12. Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break – getting closer to finalizing everything
    13. Ride Bikes with the Kids – the extra activities took more time than expected
    14. Work on family projects together – we worked on several items together as a family including items in the house including the laundry room.  The girls LOVED helping paint!
    15. Brina & Karlie’s Graduation Ceremony – great seeing the girls graduate!
    16. Brina & Karlie’s Award Ceremony – the girls received A LOT of amazing rewards!  Both received trophies, several certificates, award pins, medals, and more.  Once again we were blown away by how well they did and all they received.  Evidence that the hours they spent working on school work really did pay off.  They were part of several great groups and had a wonderful team of teachers / coaches.  We will miss this school that they have been at for 7 years, but looking forward to what middle school has to offer!
    17. Prep & decorate for Graduation party (Meet with people Mon / Wed) after school
    18. Take Brina to the Science Fair Competition – not only did we take Brina to the Regional Science Fair Competition – SHE WON!!!  FIRST Place in the Regional Science Competition so proud of her!  Way to go Brina!  She received a trophy, medals, certificates, and a cash prize!  She was shocked, but excited.  The last 3 months of baking cupcakes for her “Cupcakes on the Rise” Science Fair project were worth it.  We calculated that she made over 410 cupcakes by herself these past 3 months.  She’s gotten really good at making cupcakes!

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Keep up with my FitBit Goals – did so well this week with the exception of forgetting my fitbit at home on a day where I did a lot of moving around at work and after school activities.  Oh well…
    3. Do yoga at least 5 times a week
    4. Go to my Appointments Scheduled this week – Jake took Brina to set up for the Science Fair over lunch on Thursday so I could work my regular hours, thanks Babe!
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
    6. Tackle some lingering projects on my “to do” list – I did get several things moving forward, but nothing completely crossed off so officially I cannot cross this off my list….

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – my laundry room is still being renovated, I was unable to get in to do laundry on my normal schedule.  Hopefully this will be complete or at least in a more working condition by the end of next week! 🙂  It’s going to look awesome though, Jake has done a fantastic job and the girls have pitched in and helped a lot too!
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Clean House (Focus – Laundry Room Remodeling Work (get all of the subflooring cleaned and help Jake with getting at least 1/2 of it completed) – flooring is up and was stalled a little bit by another issue that caught our attention that needed to be fixed prior to doing more in the laundry room (thankful for a husband who can do so much).  Having an older home can have a lot of fun and unexpected surprises that take extra TLC! 🙂
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Find Bins / Containers / Baskets to put on shelves in Laundry Room once up) – I have some ideas, but waiting a couple more days until I figure out how the new laundry room layout will look like prior to committing to any specific bins/containers/baskets.  I want the items I get to be practical, efficient, and uniform as much as possible.
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Plant Lilly Flower and Blueberry Bush – weather permitting) – the laundry room took up more time than we expected as well as a couple extra activities with school and other events were more time consuming than we original planned.
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Give Skipper her vitamins) – Brina especially is good about keeping up with Skippy’s vitamins!
    7. Repairs – (Focus – Refinishing our Laundry room, tearing out the old linoleum and sprucing it up) – All the old flooring is up, we are starting to paint and work on other areas.  Looking better already, cannot wait until it is complete!  Will be very nice!

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – few more need to be completed
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – a couple of days got away from me with all the activities last week, hoping as we get into rhythm with the new summer schedule I can tackle a few more of this necessary items
    4. Work completed for clients – have a couple more projects to complete
    5. Notes typed for work – I got them started (kids and other family activities took priority this past week.)
    6. Folders Labeled for work – I actually got a decent start of this one.  I finished some of the categories that I was doing, but have a handful more to wrap up before I am officially done. 
    7. Desk drawers organized – getting closer….does that count?!

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor – have a couple I need to follow up with this week
    2. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – made another extra payment
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time this week and stay within budget – went over with the graduation party celebration and other big activities that filled up our week

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids.
    2. Read 7 Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids.
    3. Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids.
    4. Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids.
    5. Do devotions, reflecting on our blessings, and prayer time with kids every night.
    6. Plan one special activity with the family
    7. Play a Game with the Kids
    8.  Attend After Work Activities
    9. Lunch Boxes packed the night before work & other planned activities
    10. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
    11. Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
    12. Ride Bikes with the Kids
    13. Work on family projects together
    14. Start packing suitcase for next family adventure
    15. Daily 15 minute “Speed Clean” for entire family to keep the daily clutter under control

    Kid Goals

    1. Have kids do 1st week in Summer Workbook(s)
    2. Encourage Kids to read independently at least 30 minutes a day
    3. Sign up kids for the Easley, Anderson, & Greenville County Summer Library Reading Programs
    4. Sign up kids for Barnes & Noble and other similar reading programs
    5. Have kids work on our approved educational websites to encourage growth (at least 2 hours for the week)
    6. Have kids work for at least 1 hour on this week on improving their typing skills
    7. Each kid finish creating at least 2 blogs posts for their Fun with Sis blog
    8. Spend time Monday –Friday encouraging the kids to find creative ways to learn and grown their skills
    9. Kids start packing suitcases for next family adventure
    10. At least 30 minutes of outside play, fresh air, or activity time a day

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Keep up with my FitBit Goals
    3. Do yoga at least 5 times a week
    4. Go to my Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
    6. Tackle some lingering projects on my “to do” list

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Clean House (Focus – Laundry Room Remodeling Work Completed
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Refill Kids Snack Bins – hope to focus again on the laundry room in the future once further along)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Plant Lilly Flower and Blueberry Bush – weather permitting)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Replant grass in Goat pen)
    7. Repairs – (Focus – Refinishing our Laundry room, painting and laying new flooring)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients
    5. Notes typed for work
    6. Folders Labeled for work
    7. Desk drawers organized
    8. Do at least 5 blog posts this week
    9. Catch up on Hootesuite
    10. Upload pictures from last few weeks and update

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. One-on-one quality time with Jake (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    3. One-on-one quality time with Brina (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)
    4. One-on-one quality time with Karlie (talking, date night, or doing an activity together)

    Financial Goals

    1. Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor
    2. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time this week and stay within budget
    5. Sell, giveaway, donate, or through away items no longer use
    6. Take items to the recycling distributor
    7. Make meals with items from pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to use up what we have and eliminate any extra spending

    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.

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    https://blessingsmultiplied.com//wp-content/uploads/2011/09/4088699532_ae44f04b7dc.jpg

    The upcoming week will be a really busy schedule with work, school, and extra activities.  I am not sure if we’ll get it all done, but we are going to try!  This week is the girls last full week of elementary school.  After only a few more days will be watching them graduate and moving onto Middle School.  I know they will love it and adjust well, but this Momma is having a harder time seeing my babies growing up.  Going to 6th grade seems like such a big leap especially since they have been at the same school since K4!  We have been blessed with a lot of great teachers, awesome administrators, and friends at this school.  Wish a good chunk of them could head on up to 6th grade with our girls!  It will feel weird the first few weeks going back to school and arriving at a totally differently building.

    Looking forward to a great week celebrating with our girls.  Also one of the girls won the Science Fair Award and is advancing to the next level of the Science Fair Contest which is this Thursday along with a Field Trip, Bowling, celebrations, and more good stuff.   Proud of them, but never a dull moment with these kids!   Several evenings I have activities in preparation for their big event on Friday so I am trying to keep the menu simple.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Pasta Entree):  Mongolian Beef Stir Fry, Fresh Veggies
    • Tuesday (Seafood or Soup Entree):  Grilled Salmon, Macaroni & Cheese
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Sweet & Sour Chicken, Fried Rice
    • Thursday (Pork Entree or Kid‘s Night to Cook): Apple Bourbon Pulled Pork, Beans
    • 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.

    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 an incredibly busy week with everything going on, but we made positive progress in the right direction for some of the items on my list.  There were a lot of activities and later nights.  I am thankful for that the grading part of the school year is done now for all the year end parties, activities, graduations, and other excitement over the next week and half.

    I have had a lot of big projects going and have been keeping track of the progress personally, however, I have not been faithful in updating my blog like I used to do.  Even though the busy summer days with the kids at home are just around the corner I am going to try and be more consistently with my weekly goals and other postings for you.  Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids. – got a great start on it, but wasn’t able to finish with all the extra activities this past week
    2. Read 7 Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids. – only read a couple
    3. Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids. – was only able to get through a few cards
    4. Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids. – got through some, but not very many this week
    5. Do devotions and prayer time with kids every night. – devotions we were not very consistent on, but we did do prayer time
    6. Plan one special activity with the family – working on it
    7. Play a Game with the Kids – spent most of the extra free time on projects that were due soon
    8. Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework – Brina finished her “Cupcakes on the Rise” and Karlie finished her “Less = More” Science Fair Projects.  Both did really well.  Brina won for the 5th grade class and will be going on to the next level of competition this Thursday, 5/26/16. 
    9. Attend After School Activities  – Brina and Karlie finished their last day of swimming lessons, they loved it!
    10. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    11. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s) – working on it
    12. Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break – have some activities planned, but need to finalize the rest
    13. Ride Bikes with the Kids – did was a rainy week and spent most of our time working on projects that were due.
    14. Work on family projects together – started working

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Keep up with my FitBit Goals – did better some days than others
    3. Do yoga at least 5 times a week – did it more than once, but was not consistent
    4. Go to my Appointments Scheduled this week – had to re-schedule one due to a conflict, but did everything else
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
    6. Tackle some lingering projects on my “to do” list – somehow the list continues to grow ever longer….

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – we were working on the laundry room so the washer and dryer were unavailable a good chunk of this past weekend
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Clean House (Focus – Laundry Room Remodeling Work (get all of the subflooring cleaned and prep and help Jake with getting at least 1/2 of it completed) – work in progress
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Find Bins / Containers / Baskets to put on shelves in Laundry Room once up) – starting to look but haven’t decided what I want yet
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Annual Termite Inspection)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Give Skipper a Bath) – Brina and Karlie helped get this one done
    7. Repairs – (Focus – Refinishing our Laundry room, tearing out the old linoleum and sprucing it up) – working on it

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – have some more to go through
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention  – some days I didn’t have time to get it all done
    4. Work completed for clients – couple special projects that need to be done still
    5. Notes typed for work – didn’t get to it
    6. Folders Labeled for work – got a couple done before getting pulled away
    7. Desk drawers organized – working on it.

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor – made reached out, waiting to confirm with schedules
    2. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – working on getting it eliminated
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork – paid all bills that came in this past week but need to do some filing
    4. Go grocery shopping one time this week and stay within budget – went to several stores and spent extra money for Brina & Karlie’s graduation celebration.

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein to the kids.
    2. Read 7 Stories from the Bad Pets on the Loose by Alan Zullo book to the kids.
    3. Go through 7 more Brain Quest Flash Cards with the kids.
    4. Read through 7 more pages of History Trivia with the kids.
    5. Do devotions and prayer time with kids every night.
    6. Plan one special activity with the family
    7. Play a Game with the Kids
    8. Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
    9. Attend After School Activities
    10. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    11. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
    12. Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
    13. Ride Bikes with the Kids
    14. Work on family projects together
    15. Brina & Karlie’s Graduation Ceremony
    16. Brina & Karlie’s Award Ceremony
    17. Prep & decorate for Graduation party (Meet with people Mon / Wed) after school
    18. Take Brina to the Science Fair Competition

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Keep up with my FitBit Goals
    3. Do yoga at least 5 times a week
    4. Go to my Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
    6. Tackle some lingering projects on my “to do” list

    Home (Yard & Pets) 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. Clean House (Focus – Laundry Room Remodeling Work (get all of the subflooring cleaned and help Jake with getting at least 1/2 of it completed)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – Find Bins / Containers / Baskets to put on shelves in Laundry Room once up)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Plant Lilly Flower and Blueberry Bush – weather permitting)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Give Skipper her vitamins)
    7. Repairs – (Focus – Refinishing our Laundry room, tearing out the old linoleum and sprucing it up)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients
    5. Notes typed for work
    6. Folders Labeled for work
    7. Desk drawers organized

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Schedule a meeting with the Financial Advisor
    2. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time 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.