Tag Archives: goals

Out of the Closet

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Overwhelmed! With LOTS of laundry!!!! And piles of mess!

We are between homes right now so we are living out of suitcases. Elias, my sweet Elias, or Conner, my sweet Conner (we still aren’t sure which one or both), decided it would be fun to throw all of the boys clothes out of their suitcase and all over the bedroom. Fun.

I was not pleased! And to top it off, they have WAY too many clothes!!!

It is time to minimize.

I’ve read and heard so many positives of having less clothes. I mean really. We do laundry at least 2-3 times a week and there are only 7 days in a week. So Monday, while I was waiting for my husband to get home for our appointment, I made a plan and went for it.

I searched what others suggested as far as how many clothes a person and kid needs. I used two sources. One was from Living On A Dime and the other was The Purposeful Mom.

Then I made my own plan. Here is what I decided was best for our family:

Kids
7 casual, can get messy shirt
4 nice shirts
5 long sleeve
3 jeans/casual pants
2 nice pants
5 shorts (we live in Texas and they go outside a lot!)
3 pjs
2 jackets at most (maybe a super heavy for traveling to cold places and a lighter one for Texas lol)

Adults
7 short sleeve nice
7 short sleeve button up (especially good when I’m a nursing mom)
7 three-quarter sleeve
7 long sleeve nice
7 tanks
7 casual dresses
4 church dresses
7 skirts (probably could do less but I have a lot and they are all so different lol… I know! I still have room to learn)
3 capris
3 shorts
3 pants

And away I went. The boys clothes turned out to be the easiest part. Although it wasn’t super easy to clean their clothes out, since they have a lot of cute clothes that were given to them, but I did it! And the suitcase looked soooo much better!

Don’t worry, the clothes are being donated to a good friend who is about to have a baby boy!!!

Three days later and I am already loving the downsizing A LOT!! After I do laundry, the clean clothes often get stacked on top, especially right now when we are living out of suitcases. With the same clothes being on top the bottom clothes rarely get worn. Anyways, this is the drive behind cleaning out the clothes!

Today it was easy! Conner has 7 casual shirts and made deciding much easier!

Now to my clothes :-/ NOT easy.

But I wear that… Sometimes.

It will fit again someday.

Yes I do need 3 different solid black short sleeve shirts!

So I started with short sleeve shirts. Decided to split up short sleeve shirts and short sleeve button ups so I could keep more haha. Defeats the purpose I know, but I was thinking of having another baby and breast-feeding. Button ups can be convenient, although I think I have the art of nursing in almost anything down by now.

It. Was. Hard.

So after I put a few in the donate pile and started feeling overwhelmed, I said to myself, “That’s a good start!” I continued on in this same manner as I went through the rest of my closet.

Now I’m on a new quest. I’m setting out to try to wear everything I have left, to prove that I do in fact wear it. And if I don’t, it goes in the donate pile.

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For me my husband’s was easy ;-). I’ve been wanting to clean some of that out for a while lol.

But wives, be careful. I made sure to keep it out for him first and told him what I was doing to give him a “say” in some of what stayed. He was sad to see some go and kept more than I wanted, but I told him, “That was a good start!”

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Our closets are “lighter” which makes choosing easier and quicker! I’m very happy and we were able to make a great clothing donation.

Have you cleaned out your closet before and found peacefulness?

My Plan for Progress: Menu-Planning (for me: the picky eater)

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I know what you are thinking… she messed up her goal of a blog every other day! Yes I did. And I might as well admit, it’s not the only goal I’ve not hit regularly. I knew this was going to be a slow process, but I am pushing forward and taking each day one at a time.

God is taking me on a journey. Wow, what a ride it has been! Not only has He been changing my mindset the last year or so, but He has shown me a lot in this blog, too.

Menu-Planning

Admission: Sat down to menu plan last week and ended the night in tears! I honestly fear cooking sometimes (although… I’ve found I am pretty good at it, and I do actually have fun most of the time!) and planning out healthier meals. My husband had a mini-stroke a few weeks ago and found out he has high cholesterol. It is my responsibility to make sure my family is taken care of. They will eat what I prepare for them, so I NEED to make wiser choices.

Goal: Always have a menu planned and have healthier options on the table. I have started menu planning, but sometimes I get off and this just messes me up and causes us to make unwise choices at dinner or by eating out.

Plan: Use Cozi Meals to keep my recipes and menu. I intend to take the next 2-3 months and try out different recipes until I can set up an 8-12 week schedule that I use regularly. I’m also not a huge fan of veggies so I’m learning to hide great nutrition in some of my yummy favorites!

I am guilty of making “easy” meals, with very little nutritious value! This is of course because I did not learn to cook or to enjoy food that is healthy for me. I have added some vegetables to my list of “foods I can eat without gagging,” but most are still not on my “I love” list.”

Schedule: This is just a general list of things I have recently been putting into, or am about to put into my family menu. On my menu, I also include “left-overs” days. Most of these are from The Sneaky Chef, but I will be on the lookout for other great finds over the next several weeks.

Breakfast

Lunch

  • Tuna could sneak in some stuff
  • Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich
  • Salad
  • Ham and Turkey Sandwich

Dinner

Sides

Desserts/Snacks

Well, that is a lot to choose from. Obviously I won’t need that many desserts since I do not make them often and they last a few days, but now I have some healthier options to choose from.

What healthy recipes do you have for the picky eater?

Lean Not On Your Own Understanding

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What a wonderful year already! We had a great celebration ringing in the new year with family and friends. Church this morning was amazing, as God confirmed many of my thoughts and goals. New Years Day celebration, with fondue and more family and friends, was a lot of fun and super yummy!

I’m so thankful for all my friends and family. I thank God for blessing us with such an amazing church family.

When a new year begins, its important to look back and learn from the past. As I reflect on this last year, I can’t help but see God working in my life. He carried us through a long stay in the NICU with our sweet 1 lb 12 oz miracle! He gave me strength to let go of my job and trust in His ability to provide for our family. Timing was perfect (as it could be) for me to have appendicitis the last month of my insurance: we had already met the deductible. And my husband’s mini stroke after he got his insurance, despite the fact that we didn’t want it, was perfect timing. God was there every step!

He showed us a strength we didn’t know we had! I look back and see all that could have been and what He has done for us.

Life isn’t always easy. Or as we plan! Wait, what?!? But I always have a plan! I know exactly how things should go! Why doesn’t it work that way? Because then we would never grow.

I may not know what this next year holds, how the cards may lay, but I know I serve a God who will never leave me or forsake me.

He’s called me to one of the highest positions one can have. One I take very seriously! Being a wife! Being a mom!

This “job” isn’t for the weak. It’s not for just anybody. I feel blessed to be here. He has blessed me with this responsibility. I must trust Him and lean on Him each day!

Learning from the past is vital to improving the future.

I’ve written goals for the New Year and I’ve posted them for accountability. Be sure to write goals and post them so that at least you see them daily. Learn from last year and make changes.

Thank you, God, for continuously reminding me of my many blessings! Thank you, God, for showing me how to be a better wife and mom! Thank you, God, for letting me know I’ll never be perfect… and that’s ok!!!!

What have you learned from this last year and what will you aim to do differently this year?

Ringing in the New Year with Goals

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I have a love/hate relationship with a new year. Love: the fresh start, the idea of endings and new beginnings, and of course a reason to celebrate and throw a party!!! Hate: my kids are getting older… and I guess I am too! Time is going much faster now that I am a “grownup.”

New Year’s eve/day forces people to meditate on the last year, learn from mistakes, and contemplate the changes they want to see in their lives. It’s a wonderful reminder to leave the past behind and look to the future.

To me, Mondays are the same way. Every Monday is a new start for me. If my week didn’t go as planned last week… well, there is always Monday to make a change. This may seem silly to some, but it’s my fresh start. Not as big as the New Year tradition maybe, but still a chance to make a change.

Oftentimes people mock those that make New Year’s resolutions, and I tend to prefer making goals for the new year; however, I think those that choose to do nothing will get nothing new in the year to come. If you aim for nothing you are bound to hit it!

I am going to be real honest with you and let you in on my goals for the new year. Having said that, these goals will take time. They will not blossom overnight. You cannot expect to wake up tomorrow and suddenly have a whole new life. There is nothing magical about January 1st. Some of these goals have already snuck in to our lives recently, but my goal is to make them second nature.

Here we go.

Husband

  • Make his lunches more regularly! Wives: Do you make your husband’s lunch? I haven’t been great at this, but what a difference it makes to him when I do! Men LOVE to be taken care of by their wives. What a sweet way to show him you appreciate how hard he is working for your family by preparing him a healthy, hearty lunch to keep him going. And why not add a sweet note in it or a scripture verse to motivate him?
  • More SEX! Yeah I said it! What husband wouldn’t agree? Be creative! Change it up! I know it is not always easy, especially if you co-sleep, but it can be done! My goal: every other night, but at most, no longer than 3 day gaps!

My Sons

  • Get in the floor with them more! Schedule more play time WITH them in my day!
  • Read to them more. Ok… so, I am NOT a reader and this has been HARD for me!!! Schedule times to read each day.
  • More outings with the boys. Schedule park time, museum time (esp now that we have a membership!), library, etc.

Family

  • Always have a menu planned and have healthier options on the table. I have started menu planning, but sometimes I get off and this just messes me up and causes us to make unwise choices at dinner or by eating out.
  • Make Saturdays family days! Go out for picnics, tents in the backyard, walks around the neighborhood. Plan these events each month and make it a casual day with a lot of relaxation! This needs to be our day of rest since we work at the church all day on Sundays.
  • Get to bed earlier! Get into bed and have devotionals and read together as a family more.

Me (it’s important ladies! We need to make time to take care of us for our families.)

  • At least 15 minutes of workout a day. P90x, Mom’s Bootcamp, a walk, stationary bike ride, just something for at least 15 minutes!
  • Schedule to keep the house in order (especially to avoid my husband having to help any when he gets home). Monday: Clean kitchen, toys, and dining room. Tuesday: Vacuum, clean all floors, and change out Scentsy. Wednesday: Bathrooms. Thursday: LiveOps (so no time to clean). Friday: Clean bedroom, dust, change out Scentsy, and menu plan.
  • Blog at least once every other day.

Wow that’s a lot huh?!? Again, many of these things I have already been implementing, just want to get more steady with them. I would rather make goals and miss some of them, than to not make any and miss them all.

Make sure to write down your goals for the New Year and refer to them often. The more you see them, the more you will stick to them.

I also wanted to tell each of you how thankful I am that you are joining me in this journey. I am learning so much and I hope you are getting something too. Thank you for reading and for your comments! I love reading your thoughts!

What goals are you making for the next year? What are you thankful for from this last year?