Free Ebooks: Sugar Free Diet Cookbook, Business Leadership, Wheat Belly, Debt Free Forever, How to Improve Your Leadership Skills, Speed Cleaning and Home Organization, and more!
The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of Sugar Free Diet Cookbook: Mouth Watering Under 30 Minutes Low Carb Recipes for Melting Fat Fast by Karen Green and Sugar Free Diet
Download a free copy of Business leadership : Influence and Lead ! Fundamentals for Personal and Professional Growth by Michael Nir, Chen Nir
Download a free copy of Wheat Belly: 20 Delicious Recipes Make In 30 Minutes or Less by Brenda Kelly
Download a free copy of Finances Box Set #10: Money Marketing Mastery + Debt Free Forever by J.J.Jones
Download a free copy of HERO Academy 1: Superheroes In Training by Bolaji O
Download a free copy of How to Improve Your Leadership and Management Skills – Effective Strategies for Business Managers by Meir Liraz
Download a free copy of Speed Cleaning and Home Organization: Secrets to Organize Your Home And Keep Your House Clean in 30 Minutes by Lisa Johnson
Magneatos Toy Creations
Latest Magneatos creation!
The girls have had their Magneatos for several years now. When they first got the set they only did simple configurations. Lately, they have been coming up with more interesting structures. These toys are wonderful because kids of all ages can play with them without the magnets being dangerous for the kids.
The magnets are placed in oversize rods and the metal balls enhance the building structures. It is fun watching the girls use their creative juices to make various items out of the magneatos. Thankful for opportunities to stimulate their minds. We found their set at our local Goodwill, but you can find them on Amazon or various stores.
Creative Kids: Karlie’s Dry Erase Board Art
The other day I found this dry erase board on the ground after homework time. While going through review homework the girls are allowed to doodle as long as they are answering the review questions. Karlie’s doodle for this day turned out pretty well. She even put her “Karlie” card on her artwork. I love it when the girls get creative. Reminds me that the kids are growing up.
Karlie’s business card labeling her artwork!
Song: Your Presence Is Heaven by Israel Houghton
Taking some time everyday to spend in the quiet presence of the Lord can make all the difference in your day. We get so easily distracted, or at least I do, with everything going on around us that we don’t intentionally make time to spend in prayer and in God’s word. Take time today to be in His presence. Let Him speak into your heart and life.
Who is like You Lord in all the earth?
Matchless love and beauty, endless worth
Nothing in this world can satisfy
‘Cause Jesus You’re the cup that won’t run dryYour presence is heaven to me
Your presence is heaven to meTreasure of my heart and of my soul,
In my weakness you are merciful,
Redeemer of my past and present wrongs,
Holder of my future days to comeFree Ebooks: Time Management Guide, Organize Your Home, 25 Cheap and Wholesome Family Meal Recipes for Chicken, Cleaning And Home Organization, The Pocket Budget Bible, and more!
The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of Time Management Guide: Discover How To Eliminate Procrastination, Be More Productive, Manage Your Time More Effectively, and Get Things Done by Lisa Johnson
Download a free copy of DIY Cleaning and Organizing: Amazing Tips on How to Clean and Organize Your Entire Home Fast And Effective by Olivia Gray
Download a free copy of Organize Your Home: Declutter Your Home Destress Your Life by Kimberly Sutton
Download a free copy of The Pocket Budget Bible: 10 Commandments of Managing Your Money by David Knoxworth
Download a free copy of Cleaning And Home Organization Box Set #1 – Clutter Free In 3 Days + Minimalist Organization-Secrets To Organize And Clean: Declutter Your Life by Lisa Johnson, Cleaning Hacks, DIY, DIY Household Hacks, DIY Cleaning And Organizing
Download a free copy of 25 Cheap and Wholesome Family Meal Recipes for Chicken by C M Mitchell-Harris
Download a free copy of Teen Success in Career & Life Skills by Carl Sommer
Love It – Butterflies and Flowers Connectagons by HearthSong
Butterfly and Flower Connectagon Fun!
One of our kids got a Butterflies and Flowers Connectagons by HearthSong toy as a gift. It has been neat seeing the various configurations she has created with this fun toy. The butterflies are beautiful bright colors and the flowers are all snowy white. The pieces are wooden and they can be interlinked in several spots on each piece. There are many combinations that can captivate their attention for quite some time.
The HearthSong Connectagons is a building set that stimulates creativity. Our set includes 50 butterflies and 12 white flowers. The slotted sides allow the kids to connect the butterflies and flowers together. It helps with hand-eye coordination and teaches kids how to experiment building many different sculptures with these beautiful pieces. Some of the configurations make it look like the butterflies are flying to or from the flowers.
Showing off another butterfly configuration she made!
To learn more about Connectagons or to read reviews you can go to HearthSong’s website or Amazon. If you are not interested in the butterfly and flower Connectagons you may enjoy one of the other sets they carry:
HearthSong Connectagons® Glow-in-the-Dark Celestial
- 157 glow-in-the-dark pieces with slotted sides
- Full moon, moon phases, constellations, and galaxies
Hearth Song Connectgons Original Building Set
- Connectagons Creative Building Set
- Set includes 240 Wooden circles
- Build freeform sculptures in any direction using wooden pieces with slotted sides that connect
- Encourages open-ended play
- For Ages 4 and Up.
“Love It” is a series of posts on items that I use regularly in my household that I love! There are some items in our daily lives that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or just plain fun. I will be sharing with you some of the products that have been given to us (or to me) that have made it to the top of my list. It’s my way of giving a huge thumbs up!
Birthday Celebration
Happy Birthday breakfast
The girls got two of their birthday wishes on their birthday – one was that they would have snow on their birthday and the second was that they would not have to go to school because of a snow day. They got both wishes and were very excited. It’s not every day you get out of school on a Wednesday for snow in South Carolina. Thankful for these two girls and look forward to many more amazing memories this year with them. They each got to pick out what they wanted to eat for their birthday breakfast. For their special birthday dinner they wanted a Seafood Meal at home.
Karlie had eggs with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese in them.
Brina had a slice of cinnamon swirl breakfast cake.
My sister-in-law Becky shared a chocolate cake recipe with me that was both egg and dairy free so I decided to try it for their birthday. It turned out really well. They loved it. You couldn’t even tell that it was egg and dairy free. The flavor reminded me of my Grandma Doris Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake she used to make from scratch.
The girls wrote out a list of inside and outside activities they wanted to do on their birthday since they were home from school due to the snow. Even though they didn’t get to do all the items on the list I would say they did the majority of them. We packed a lot of fun activities into the day.
For their family birthday dinner they requested a seafood meal and specifically asked for King Crab. They love seafood and the King Crab was a hit and they are getting better at digging out the meat without assistance.
Jake and I picked up Mai-Mahi steak burgers to try as well for their seafood birthday meal. The Mai-Mahi steak with the fresh bakery bun, lettuce, and tomatoes were a tasty hit too! Thankful for our girls and that we can celebrate another birthday with them!
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Last week was off schedule due to some ice, snow, and very low temperatures for South Carolina. The girls never did go a full day of school last week. They had partial days on Monday, Thursday, and Friday as well as off the full day on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was nice having a little extra time with the girls at home. Thankfully we never lost power especially since Jake was traveling for work and it was just us girls holding down the fort. This week we are going to try and get back on our regular schedule. We’ll see how it goes! Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Lasagna, Fresh Garlic Bread
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Homemade Pizza, Fresh Garden Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Chicken Pot Pie, Fresh Fruit
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Poor Man’s Pasts, Steamed Vegetables
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
What’s for Breakfast: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Last week the kids celebrated their birthdays and now this week we are quickly wrapping up the month of February. It has been a whirlwind of activities around the house and March does not look any quieter (if anything it is busier). Having the breakfast menu planned out helps all of us get our days off to a good start. Here is what our breakfast menu looks like this week (the items in parenthesis are examples of the extra items we will add and change from week to week):
- Monday – English Muffins (Green Veggie & Fruit Smoothie)
- Tuesday – Toast (Cottage Cheese)
- Wednesday – Cereal (Yogurt)
- Thursday – Pancakes, Poptarts, or Oatmeal (Bacon)
- Friday –Bagels (Fresh Fruit)
- Saturday – Family Brunch (a lot of times we make Saturday breakfast together and it is whatever sounds good that morning or a new dish we want to try out. It is not always planned in advance and could be an egg or breakfast casserole, omelets, hashbrowns, waffles, pancakes, etc… this is our big family meal of the day since Saturdays are often spent with extended family, friends, or doing other afternoon and evening activities) Since we make more complicated breakfasts on Saturdays it is usually between 8 to 10 before we sit down to eat therefore they have become our Family Brunch.
- Sunday – Make Your Own Breakfast (everyone makes their own breakfast before church which is usually something easy like cereal, toast, poptarts, oatmeal, smoothie, etc….)
We are pretty consistent with our week day breakfast menu. For each day of the work and school week Monday to Friday we have the same main menu item from week to week the only thing that changes is the “extra item” we add each day such as an egg, sausage, fresh fruit, cottage cheese, bacon, smoothies, or other items that we have in the kitchen. During the school week the girls always have their main breakfast, at least one side (usually fruit, sausage, egg, etc…), vitamins, milk (one has non-dairy milk due to allergies), and small glass of juice. When I am ambitious, awake, and my creative juices are flowing I will add a little extra silliness to make breakfast more enjoyable for the kids.
We first started doing a different main breakfast item everyday a few years ago because I have one child who if she eats the same thing too many times in a row she stops eating. Adding a little variety from day to day was enough to keep her motivated to eat breakfast. It wasn’t until several months later when the girls pointed it out that I realized that we do the same main item on the same day every week. “Mom, Tuesday is Toast Day…..” So now it has become our rotating breakfast menu which helps keep us on track because we know exactly what we need to prepare for the next breakfast. Plus the girls are sometimes still waking up when they come to breakfast and the morning menu helps them figure out the day of the week as well as prepares them for the upcoming activities they have that day.
There are times I will mix it up (just for fun) or Jake will get up first and make breakfast! The girls don’t hesitate to let him know if he makes a main food item on the wrong day….ha! Our breakfasts are not fancy, but it gets us up and started for the day. What do you make for your family breakfasts?
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
We are wrapping up February this week. How is that possible!? This past week we celebrated the girls 10th Birthday. It is hard to believe that they are already 10 years old. We had a couple of snow and ice days so the girls got out of some school this past week so I was thankful for the extra time I had with them. Unfortunately, Jake had to go on a work trip so he missed out on some of the snow and ice adventures, but made it back to celebrate the girls birthday together! I have a lot of projects that I want to get accomplished this week as we gear up for a very busy March! Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Finish reading Ashleigh’s Dream (Thoroughbred Series #5) by Joanna Campbell to the kids– finished reading during the days off schoolPlan one special activity with the family– celebrated the girls BirthdayPlay a Game with the Kids– played games during the kids snow days, the girls and I played their new Destination USA game from Grandpa and GrandmaPrepare for Upcoming Winter Events– have another fun family adventure to plan- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework – they got out of school early on Monday, no school Tuesday and Wednesday, and started late on Thursday so our homework schedule was altered this week!
Attend After School Activities- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before – only had to pack lunches Sunday night, Wed, & Thursday nights this week
Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the KidsCelebrate Kid’s Birthday
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day – got behind a couple days with the kids home and spending time with them
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 a little more time
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Use up food items in our pantry and freezer – working on it
- Clean House (Focus – Laundry Room) – spent time with the kids with them being off instead of tackling the laundry room
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Linens Cabinet) – spent extra time with the kids instead
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pick Up Down Sticks) – we picked up sticks, but there are more with all the wind we’ve been having
Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Hay for Goats)
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, bed, medical, and other debt) – made an extra payment again this week
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget- Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay – put on hold with the ice and snow this week
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Wonder’s Yearling (Thoroughbred Series #6) by Joanna Campbell to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- 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
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
- Pull out our Spring / Summer Clothes
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
- Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
- Clean House (Focus – Laundry Room)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Linens Cabinet)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pick Up Down Sticks)
- Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Sweet Hay)
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 Medical Bills
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Attend “Financial Peace University” Class & Become More Accountable with our Finances
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
- Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay
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.
