• What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

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

    The kids have State testing almost all week so I am sure they will be tired by the end of their school days.  Plus we have several after school activities planned too.  Jake has a full work schedule so there may be some later evenings.  It will most likely be another busy week, but hopefully we’ll be able to pack in some fun stuff as well.  I want to get the menu planned out so we have more time to do the activities that we need or want to accomplish throughout the week. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Crockpot Roast, Mash Potatoes
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook):  Hamburgers, Fresh Salad
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Chicken Stir Fry, Vegetables & Rice
    • Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Pork Chops, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
    • Friday, Saturday, & Sunday:  Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting

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

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

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

    Photo by Liz

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    We flew through last week with all the school, work, and other activities going on.  The girls finished and turned in their Science Fair journals and display boards on Friday!  WooHoo!  It was so nice to get them done.  They hand wrote over 100 pages in their journals and spent countless hours on the project.  They don’t actually present the project until the middle of May, but the majority of the work is complete and turned in for the teacher to grade.  This past weekend we were able to get away for a little bit to Georgia and have some fun!  We went to the Georgia Renaissance Festival which was very entertaining; I will share more about that in a later post.   This week the girls have a bunch of their year end State tests so hoping there is not a lot of homework so we can do some stuff around the house, yard, and have some extra fun in the evenings too.  Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kids – we actually got to get a good start on this book, hoping to wrap it up this week
    2. Plan one special activity with the familywe had fun in Georgia over the weekend and went to the Georgia Renaissance Festival
    3. Play a Game with the Kidswe played Destination USA and a couple other ones together
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    9. Finish and turn in the kids Science Fair Projects
    10. Prep for upcoming Summer Break

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – it was acting up last week, hoping to get caught up soon
    3. Keep up with my FitBit Goals – I blew it away on a couple of days and missed my target on a day or two, so probably if I average the week I hit close to my goal
    4. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily – it doesn’t get written down every day, need to do better

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one daytook 2 days with the altered schedule this past week
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic) – it was cool and one of my daughters wanted to wear long sleeves last week so hoping to get it put up this week
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip) – almost done!
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Off the Deck)the kids actually helped get this done
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Get Another Water Bucket set Out for the Goats)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – have a couple more to do
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    4. Work completed for clients

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Medical Bills – working on it (finished another one, now if we can just not go to the Dr again for a few months, ha)
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt) – working on it
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
    9. Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
    10. Ride Bikes with the Kids

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Keep up with my FitBit Goals
    4. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily

    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 – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Re-Stain the Deck – weather permitting)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Give Skipper a Bath)
    7. Repairs – (Focus – Replace our HVAC Unit – it died a few weeks ago the joys of owning an older home)

    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

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Medical Bills
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. 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

    This past week went by in a whirlwind.  Jake was traveling for work, the girls have been working diligently every day on their Science Fair Project which is due pretty soon, and there were a lot of extra activities and appointments going on.  We made it through the week in one piece, but hoping it slows down soon.  I was not aware of how time consuming the Science Fair projects would be.  Not sure if this week is much quieter, but I am hoping to make some more progress in the right direction. Due to the many activities going on this week several items are going to be the same again because I was unable to get to them.  Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kids – we haven’t had as much time to read for fun with all the extra work on the Science Fair Projects, hoping to get to this more soon
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the KidsPlayed the  Destination USA Board Game with them
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure – are brainstorming and trying to work out the details (and scheduling)
    9. Finish the kids Science Fair Projects – almost done!!!!!!!
    10. Prep for upcoming Summer Break – starting to fill in the schedule

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – I am about 3 days behind, need to catch up this week
    3. Keep up with my FitBit Goals – I did it!!!!
    4. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily – this one didn’t get updated daily with everything going on

    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 – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic) – other items took priority and with the cold rainy days one of my daughters wore her jeans and long shirts all week!
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL, STEM, and Atlanta trips) – got all the Florida and STEM ones completed, just need to tackle the Atlanta trip
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Off the Deck) – it rained the entire week here in SC
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Get Another Water Bucket set Out for the Goats) – have one that will be repositioning soon

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – need to catch up
    3. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – I did the high priority or hot items
    4. Work completed for clients –  have a few projects to complete soon

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Medical Bills- working on it (paid off a couple this week, YAY!)
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)- working on it
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    9. Finish and turn in the kids Science Fair Projects
    10. Prep for upcoming Summer Break

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Keep up with my FitBit Goals
    4. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily

    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 – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Off the Deck)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Get Another Water Bucket set Out for the Goats)

    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

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Medical Bills
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. 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

    Last week was a busy one as we unpacked from our Spring Break Atlanta trip and got back into school and work full time again.  We had a lot of activities going on this week which made it fly by quickly.  Thankful for the time with my family.  Hoping that it is a wonderful week and that we will be able to get a lot accomplished.   Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kids – busy week and we just got started
    2. Plan one special activity with the familywe did a kids date night and trip to the zoo
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    9. Work on the kids Science Fair Projectswe made some good progress
    10. Prep for upcoming Summer Break

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Keep up with my FitBit GoalsI DID it this week (over 10,000 steps a day, 5 miles, 10 sets of stairs, etc)!  Thankful to be excited to be moving more again since my herniated disc!
    4. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily – I didn’t do as well staying on top of it this week

    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 – Unpack Suitcase and Items Away from Atlanta Trip this weekend)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL, STEM, and Atlanta trips) – almost done
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Out Van from Road Trips)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Brush Goats & Dog – starting to shed with warmer weather)

    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

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Medical Bills – working on it
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt) – working on it
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    9. Finish the kids Science Fair Projects
    10. Prep for upcoming Summer Break

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Keep up with my FitBit Goals
    4. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily

    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 – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL, STEM, and Atlanta trips)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Off the Deck)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Get Another Water Bucket set Out for the Goats)

    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

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Medical Bills
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. 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

    We had a blast last week with the girls out on Spring Break.  It was nice having them home for the first half of the week.  We did errands, played, read, went to the zoo, and so much more.  At the end of the week Jake took off Good Friday and we went to Atlanta for a couple of days to explore.  I was not able to get everything done last week, but made some progress.  Thankful for fun with the family and great memories.  Hoping that I will be able to make a lot of progress this week.  Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
    2. Plan 3 special activities with the familywe went to the zoo, a couple of Museums, and more fun!
    3. Play Games with the Kidswe played a lot of fun board and card games over the week
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Prep for upcoming Family Adventurewent to Atlanta together
    6. Start prepping for the kids Science Fair Projectsstarted
    7. Enjoy extra time with the kids on Spring Break –  had a blast with the kids and hanging out in Atlanta for a few days
    8. Celebrate Easter with the family
    9. Spend time working on projects with kids
    10. Focus on quality family time
    11. Upcoming STEM Event
    12. Play with the kids
    13. Go for a bike ride, walk in the woods, and relax
    14. Take time to really listen to the kids and what they are thinking / doing, etc…

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – I got behind on this with my phone not working well and the kids home on Spring Break
    3. Keep up with my FitBit Goals (Walk 10,000 steps / 5 miles / 10 sets stairs per day) – blew it away on my stairs, but was a little short on my miles and steps
    4. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily – forgot to update a couple days

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one daywith traveling my laundry schedule was off
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Clean House (Focus – Deep Cleaning on all 3 Bathrooms) – got to 2 of the 3
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL and STEM trips) – working on it
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Vacuum Van)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Mineral Bucket for the Goats)

    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 – put on hold for the Spring Break

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Medical Bills – working on it
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt) – working on it
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    9. Work on the kids Science Fair Projects
    10. Prep for upcoming Summer Break

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Keep up with my FitBit Goals
    4. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily

    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 – Unpack Suitcase and Items Away from Atlanta Trip this weekend)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL, STEM, and Atlanta trips)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Out Van from Road Trips)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Brush Goats & Dog – starting to shed with warmer weather)

    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

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Medical Bills
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. 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

    The kids are on Spring Break this week!  WooHoo!  I am looking forward to spending extra time with them.  We have some fun activities and adventures planned for the week.  We’ll be wrapping up March, starting April, enjoying Spring Break, and celebrating Easter this week so it will be a fun one!  The main goal this week is to spend some time with the kids.  I have a lot of items I would like to get accomplished, but there are second to my family this week.  Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids – we are getting further into it, the girls love this book about a pet Rascal (this was a book I had as a kid)
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Thursday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    9. Figure out the kids Science Fair Projectsgot them approved now we need to get started on them….
    10. STEM Club Event Presentations for Family Night at School
    11. Prep for upcoming Spring Break

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    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 – Unpack Suitcase and Items Away from State STEM Robotics Trip this weekend)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL and STEM trips) – still working on this one, school and other activities took priority last week but hoping to get everything caught up soon
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Sweep out my side of Garage)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Mineral Bucket for the Goats) – store was out of mineral buckets, will need to check another location or check again this week

    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

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Medical Bills – working on it
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt) – working on it
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
    2. Plan 3 special activities with the family
    3. Play Games with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    6. Start prepping for the kids Science Fair Projects
    7. Enjoy extra time with the kids on Spring Break
    8. Celebrate Easter with the family
    9. Spend time working on projects with kids
    10. Focus on quality family time
    11. Upcoming STEM Event
    12. Play with the kids
    13. Go for a bike ride, walk in the woods, and have relax
    14. Take time to really listen to the kids and what they are thinking / doing, etc…

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Keep up with my FitBit Goals (Walk 10,000 steps / 5 miles / 10 sets stairs per day)
    4. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
    5. Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily

    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 – Deep Cleaning on all 3 Bathrooms)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL and STEM trips)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Vacuum Van)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Mineral Bucket for the Goats)

    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

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Medical Bills
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. 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.

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

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

    Last week flew by as we recovered from our Florida trip, geared up for our State STEM Competition, and got back into a more normal routine.  This is the last week of school before the kids get out for Spring Break.  Looking forward to having a week to hang out with them.  With that being said it will be a pretty busy week so I want to keep the menu easy so we can get what we need to accomplish done in a timely manner.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Spaghetti & Meatballs, Garlic Bread
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook) Special Event
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Mushroom & Spinach Chicken, Green Beans
    • Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree):  Broiled Tilapia, 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

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week were were somewhat into the normal routine.  This past weekend we went with the kids to Columbia, SC for their State STEM Lego Robotics Competition.  We spent Friday night at a hotel near the meet because we had to be up early and ready on Saturday morning for the competition.  The kids had a blast and did well.  There was a lot of competition and with this only being their 2nd year doing STEM Club it was a real honor to be at the event.   Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids – it was a busy week but made a little more progress through the book
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homeworksome extra homework with them being gone last week
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventurewent to the girls STEM State Comprtition this past weekend and spent the night before in a hotel
    9. Get the kids caught back up with Homework from missing school last week while in Florida
    10. Prep for upcoming State STEM Competition
    11. Prep for upcoming Spring Break
    12. Take kids to Eye Dr and Dentist for regular Cleaning eyes looking good and no one has any cavities just more lose teeth, the last of their baby teeth are starting to fall out…look out tooth fairy

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayI did it twice this week because we had a couple items that needed washed before the STEM competition on Saturday.
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – Extra Laundry Done from Traveling)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Unpack All Suitcases and Put Items Away from Florida Trip)
    6. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Out the Van from the Florida Trip)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Hay for the Goats)

    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

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car – working on it
    2. Payoff Medical Bills – working on it
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt) – working on it
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went about $15 over budget this week

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Thursday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    9. Figure out the kids Science Fair Projects
    10. STEM Club Event Presentations for Family Night at School
    11. Prep for upcoming Spring Break

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    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 – Unpack Suitcase and Items Away from State STEM Robotics Trip this weekend)
    4. Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL and STEM trips)
    5. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Sweep out my side of Garage)
    6. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Mineral Bucket for the Goats)

    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

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Medical Bills
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. 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

    Last week our family had the privilege to go to Orlando, Florida with Jake.  He had a work conference and the girls and I got to spend some time exploring the area.  We found a lot of great activities to keep us busy while Jake was working.  Once Jake’s conference was over he was able to spend the rest of the week with us.  We had a blast going to the Disney parks and doing other fun activities while in Orlando.  The week went by really quickly and we packed a lot into the week.   We created a lot of great memories during our stay.  Now that we are back into the normal work and school schedule we have a lot to get done around home.   Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids – last week we didn’t read much with all the other activities going on in Florida
    2. Plan one special activity with the familywe went to Orlando and explored some of the Disney parks, the kids loved it!
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter & Spring Events (Spring is just around the corner)
    5. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure – our Orlando adventure went really well, was a hit, and we created some family memories
    6. Spend Extra Time with the Familyspent time together in Orlando and Jake joined us after his conference ended

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each daydrink a lot as it was up to 90 plus degrees a couple days we were in FL
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – my phone was burning through the battery so I didn’t listen during last week, but was already caught up before leaving on the trip thankfully

    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 weekthe kids and I made and ate our dinners at the hotel while Jake was at the conference and he joined after the conference had ended.  The hotpot worked really well for easy prep items. 
    3. Clean House (Focus – Basic House Clean Up)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts – some ideas were bouncing around, but for the most part I enjoyed my time with the kids
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – some items got pushed back but hoping to get back up to speed this week

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Pay Bills & File Paperwork

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    9. Get the kids caught back up with Homework from missing school last week while in Florida
    10. Prep for upcoming State STEM Competition
    11. Prep for upcoming Spring Break
    12. Take kids to Eye Dr and Dentist for regular Cleaning

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
    3. Go to my  Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week

    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. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
    4. Clean House (Focus – Extra Laundry Done from Traveling)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Unpack All Suitcases and Put Items Away from Florida Trip)
    6. Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Out the Van from the Florida Trip)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Hay for the Goats)

    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

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Payoff the Car
    2. Payoff Medical Bills
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. 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.

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

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

    Last week was super busy and we had to switch around a couple of our dinner menu items, but we managed to make it through the week in one piece.  This week will be another busy week.  With that being said I want to prepare the menu and be ready, but provide some more flexibility this week with everything going on.  It will be a simple menu this week so I have time to focus on the other activities that will be pulling my attention away from dinner prepping.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Sloppy Joes, Fresh Fruit
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook):  Hotdogs, Corn
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Special Event
    • Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree):  Bow Tie Pasta, Green 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 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