• What’s for Breakfast: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    Super Easy Way to Make Hard Boiled Eggs

    Super Easy Way to Make Hard Boiled Eggs

    Having the breakfast menu planned out makes a huge difference to the start of our days.  This week is a different kind of crazy busy so it is especially important that I stay on top of it with everything else going on.  I want to make sure everyone is sent off with a good breakfast.  I made some slight alterations to our normal menu due to the week we have before us needing adjustments.  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 – Bagel (Fresh Fruit)
    • Tuesday – Toast (Hard Boiled Eggs)
    • Wednesday – Cereal (Yogurt)
    • Thursday – Poptarts (Strawberry & Milk Smoothie)
    • Friday – Oatmeal (Applesauce)
    • Saturday – 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

    The girls had their first full week of school since the first week of February.  Now it makes sense why these past few weeks have gone by so quickly with them home one or more days each week over the last three weeks.  This week was busy with school, Jake traveling, getting everything caught up (or trying), and more fun stuff.  I was able to tackle a lot of tasks that needed my immediate attention last week, but I have a lot to still get done for the month of March. Overall it was a productive week.  I am hoping to spend some good time getting things done this week, but I am going to “lighten” the load for this week so I can focus on some of the priority items!   Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids! – we finally decided on the book and got through the first chapter this week with the busy schedule, but so far they are loving it!
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Activities
    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. Go on a Date Night with one of the kidsI got to hang out with my Brina, so sweet having some time to relax and chat together!
    10. Send out Thank You Notes

    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 – Laundry Room) – laundry room has to go on hold, I got the basic pick up completed
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Spring / Summer Clothes Organized) – they are out and tried on, but not put away yet
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Check the Boundary Fences)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Turtle Food)

    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 itgot a couple smaller ones paid off this week!  WooHoo!
    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 – didn’t do as well as I hoped on this one
    6. Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay – didn’t get the items posted

    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 Winter & Spring Events (Spring is just around the corner)
    5. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
    6. Spend Extra Time with the Family

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    2. Continue my YouVersion plan(s)

    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 – Basic House Clean Up)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention 

    Ministry Goals

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

    Financial Goals

    1. Pay Bills & File Paperwork

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Hello March!!! Last week the girls only had one full day of school.  We had a great time playing in the snow and spending time together, however, our schedule was off with all the changes.  There is so much going on in March I just know it is going to zoom by quickly.  Our family has some exciting events planned in March and I look forward to sharing them with you soon!  Spring is in the air and I think we will start seeing a little warmer weather soon.  I have a lot to get accomplished this week, but hope to make great strides in a positive direction! Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Wonder’s Yearling (Thoroughbred Series #6) by Joanna Campbell to the kidsthe girls LOVE this series, if you have a kid who enjoys horses this has been probably their favorite horse series that we have read so far. We finished this up with the extra snow days this week! 🙂
    2. Plan one special activity with the family – it was a spontaneous SNOW day playing outside for hours – building a snowman, scouting out animals tracks in the snow, sledding, eating snow cream,  going for hikes in the woods, and more fun!
    3. Play a Game with the Kidswe got to play several games with them home more this week!
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events – working on it
    5. Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homeworkwe did homework even on snow days, but we had plenty of fun too
    6. Attend After School Activities – a couple of these were cancelled this week due to the snow
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    8. Prep for upcoming Family Adventure – getting ready!!!
    9. Pull out our Spring / Summer ClothesSpring is around the corner!

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day – I was so busy having fun with the kids I didn’t do great drinking all my water! Opps!
    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 – still going through items in the deep freezer!
    4. Clean House (Focus – Laundry Room) – playing in the snow with the kids took priority over laundry room organization
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Linens Cabinet) – didn’t happen….
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pick Up Down Sticks) – let’s just say there are more sticks now than at the beginning of the week due to the snow / ice storm
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Sweet Hay)

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – have some items that need my attention
    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 and made the final payment on a couple this week
    3. Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)- working on it
    4. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    5. Attend “Financial Peace University” Class & Become More Accountable with our Finances – this got postponed due to the weather
    6. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budgetI did it, so excited to finally hit my target budget this week
    7. Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading the new chapter book that gets picked out to the kids….still haven’t decided on the new one yet!
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter 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. Go on a Date Night with one of the kids
    10. Send out Thank You Notes

    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 – Laundry Room)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Spring / Summer Clothes Organized)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Check the Boundary Fences)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Turtle Food)

    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
    6. 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.

  • What’s for Breakfast: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    recipe Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups eggs, ham, cheese, hashbrowns,

    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

    1. Finish reading Ashleigh’s Dream (Thoroughbred Series #5) by Joanna Campbell to the kids – finished reading during the days off school
    2. Plan one special activity with the family – celebrated the girls Birthday
    3. Play 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 Grandma
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events – have another fun family adventure to plan
    5. 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!
    6. Attend After School Activities
    7. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before – only had to pack lunches Sunday night, Wed, & Thursday nights this week
    8. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids
    9. Celebrate Kid’s Birthday

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day – got behind a couple days with the kids home and spending time with them
    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 – took a little more time
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer – working on it
    4. Clean House (Focus – Laundry Room) – spent time with the kids with them being off instead of tackling the laundry room
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Linens Cabinet) – spent extra time with the kids instead
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pick Up Down Sticks) – we picked up sticks, but there are more with all the wind we’ve been having
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Hay for 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 Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt) – made an extra payment again this week
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
    5. 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

    1. Finish reading Wonder’s Yearling (Thoroughbred Series #6) 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 Winter 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. Pull out our Spring / Summer Clothes

    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 – Laundry Room)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Linens Cabinet)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pick Up Down Sticks)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Sweet Hay)

    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. Attend “Financial Peace University” Class & Become More Accountable with our Finances
    6. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
    7. 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.

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

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

    Our first priority is eating up the leftovers from the previous weekend with my parents and brothers family visiting.  We have several items I want to incorporate into our menu and finish up so we don’t waste them.  Thankfully my family enjoys leftovers and it is a great way to help fill in the menu while making sure not to waste the food already in our fridge.  It will be a simple menu this week and may not be exactly on target with our usual schedule, but hopefully we can catch up on items.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Pork Entree):  Smashed Baked Potatoes with Bacon Crumbles, Fresh Lettuce Salad
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook):  Ham Sandwiches, Fresh Fruit Salad, Green Bean Casserole
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Special Event – Kids Birthday Celebration
    • Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree):  Roast, Mashed 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 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

    Thankful for a fun time with my parents and brothers family last weekend.  The weekend went by quickly, but we packed in a lot of fun.  We celebrated the girls birthday, played games, read books, went on adventures, ate good food, and so much more.  Grateful for my parents and their willingness to come visit so they can spend time with our family.  The girls were thrilled to have some time with their grandparents.  Quality time together means so much to kids and memories are precious treasures during their growing up years!   Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Ashleigh’s Dream (Thoroughbred Series #5) by Joanna Campbell to the kids – didn’t read as much of the chapter book with all the extra activities this past week
    2. Plan one special activity with the family – spent several days with Grandparents and Brother’s family, even made a trip to downtown Greenville
    3. Play a Game with the Kidsplayed a couple old and new games with the kids this week!  Grandpa Russell taught them a simple version of 7 up & 7 down.  Grandpa & Grandma played their new “Herd Your Houses” game with them!
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events – some preparation items were put on hold briefly while  my parents were visiting
    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. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kidshad a birthday party Friday night with Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Lee, Aunt Becky, and the boys!
    9. Confirm my parents plans and activities for their upcoming visit
    10. Celebrate Valentine’s Dayglad to spend time with my parents, we packed a lot of fun into the day!
    11. Spend Extra Time with Extended Familywe split out time with our house and my brother’s house so it was nice to have some time together.  The kids enjoyed a lot of extra play time together too.

    Personal Goals

    1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day – didn’t keep up with it a couple days this past week and pretty sure I was low a couple days
    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 – took more than 1 day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer – working through some of the items that need used
    4. Clean House (Focus – Overall House Cleaning) – it wasn’t completely done, but thankful for Jake and the girls pitching in to help.  It wasn’t perfect, but nobody seemed to mind.
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet) – got it cleaned out!
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Yard Clean Up)we got some things cleaned up than had another wind storm over the weekend now have more branches and other items blown into the yard that need to be picked up now
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Salt Block for Goats)we have a mineral bucket for them

    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 – have some extra “catch-up” work to do this week
    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 Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt) – working on it, made a small extra payment on it last week
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went to more than 1 store and went over budget this week (really need to work on this one)
    5. Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay – sold a couple items which we applied towards an extra payment on our debt

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Ashleigh’s Dream (Thoroughbred Series #5) 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 Winter 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. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids
    9. Celebrate Kid’s Birthday

    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 – Laundry Room)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Linens Cabinet)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Pick Up Down Sticks)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Hay for 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 Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
    5. 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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week flew by so quickly and we are now entering the middle of February.  I am excited about some of the fun events coming up this week.  My parents will be coming to visit us in SC for a few days.  The kids are thrilled and I have to kick into gear to get my house picked up before our guests arrive.  Also, this week is special because we are celebrating Valentine’s Day which is a great time to demonstrate our love to those around us.   Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Wonder’s Victory by Joanna Campbell to the kids
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kidswe did it different this week, we split up in pairs to play games one-on-one with the kids (Jake played Chess with Karlie and I played Trouble with Brina)
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter 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. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids – working on it
    9. Confirm my parents plans for their upcoming visit

    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 – still going through the various items
    4. Clean House (Focus – Dining Room)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet) – isn’t quite finished yet
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Kids Outdoor Toy Storage Containers)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up More Dog Food)

    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 Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)- working on it, made a small extra payment this week
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went to more than 1 store
    5. Sale Items no longer using or do not need on Facebook / Craigslist / Ebay – sold a couple items and used the money to make an extra payment on our debt

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Ashleigh’s Dream (Thoroughbred Series #5) 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 Winter 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. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids
    9. Confirm my parents plans and activities for their upcoming visit
    10. Celebrate Valentine’s Day
    11. Spend Extra Time with Extended Family

    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 – Overall House Cleaning)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Yard Clean Up)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Salt Block for 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 Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
    5. 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.

  • What’s for Breakfast: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    Breakfast Treat the First Day of Summer Break for Brina and Karlie Strawberry and Bananas

    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 (Egg)
    • Tuesday – Toast (Cottage Cheese)
    • Wednesday – Cereal (Spinach & Strawberry Smoothie)
    • Thursday – Pancakes, Poptarts, or Oatmeal (Sausage)
    • Friday – Bagel (Yogurt)
    • 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

    It was a full week.  We’ve all been fighting a cold so that made it seem even crazier since we were tired.  There were several nights when various family members crashed early.  Thankfully, we are all on the mend and back to our normal selves now.  We are looking forward to being back to our normal schedule again too.  Here are my goals for this week:

    Last week’s goals

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kidswe were all in tears at the end of the story, but the kids loved it
    2. Plan one special activity with the family
    3. Play a Game with the Kids – we spent extra time catching up on sleep, trying to get better from the lingering colds, and other activities this past week
    4. Prepare for Upcoming Winter 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. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids
    9. Confirm my parents plans for their upcoming visit – their plans got altered slightly due to an unexpected death of a friend so we are hoping they will be able to come at a later time this month

    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 – I spread it out over a couple of days again this week
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Use up food items in our pantry and freezer – working our way through the goodies
    4. Clean House (Focus – Master Bedroom & Master Bathroom) – made progress, got our new bed set up
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Kitchen)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Leaves) – it somehow manages to rain about the time we are ready to do the leaves
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Refill All Pet Containers)

    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 Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt) – working on it
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went to more than one store this week

    My goals for the upcoming week

    Family Goals

    1. Finish reading Wonder’s Victory 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 Winter 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. Plan a Fun Birthday Activity for the Kids
    9. Confirm my parents plans for their upcoming visit

    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 – Dining Room)
    5. Organize Chaos (Focus – Game Closet)
    6. Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Kids Outdoor Toy Storage Containers)
    7. Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up More Dog Food)

    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 Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, medical, and other debt)
    3. Pay Bills & File Paperwork
    4. Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
    5. 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.