Jan 1, 2019 | Goal Setting, One Little Word 2018 | Connect, Uncategorized
Happy 2019! I just love the feeling of a New Year, not because it’s anything special, but because it gives me time to reflect and celebrate victories of the year and look forward to the next. One of my very favorite posts from last year was my year-end review of 2017, and at the end of an exhausting 2018, it feels even more imperative to count the good things.
January
- We rang in the New Year at our house with some very close friends and yummy food.
- I kicked off the year with my one little word, Connect, in hopes of prioritizing my connection with God through deeper prayer, connecting with my body, exploring more natural household and beauty products, being more intentional with my online connections, and creating space for vulnerability.
- We celebrated Chloe’s 5th Birthday with a big ole treat. Our girl is spoiled.
- My best friend, Brittany, got engaged and they set a wedding date for September! I literally screamed when the text came through and was thrilled when I realized I would get to see her multiple times in one year.
- We played lots of games with friends: Bananagrams, Jackbox, What Do You Meme?, Utter Nonsense, Code Names and Forbidden Island.
- Book Read: Grit: Passion, Perseverance, and the Science of Success
February
- I took on a daily photo challenge in February and learned a lot more about the DSLR I purchased last year.
- After lots of studying, I PASSED MY REAL ESTATE EXAM. Kevin surprised me with a sign in the yard and yummy dessert.
- I completed Liz Lamoreux’s 21 Day Tell It: Collage ECourse. Highly recommend.
- Helped Taylor paint almost every room in their new house. Truly one of the sweetest memories of our friendship.
- Brittany asked me to be the matron of honor in their wedding.
- Kevin traveled for work for the first time, and Chloe and I held down the fort.
- We got some amazing weather, so we opted for a picnic and the obligatory family feet photo.
- Books Read: Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better and All the Leader You Can Be: The Science of Achieving Extraordinary Executive Presence
March
- Kevin and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary.
- It snowed the most beautiful sloppy snow, and I snapped my favorite photo ever of our home. Check out Chloe watching me through the window.
- We celebrated a HUGE milestone in our debt free journey.
- Mom and I went to a cooking class to learn all about how to use and cook with an Instant Pot. Macaroni and Cheese game changer, my friends.
April
- We celebrated our Two Year Highridge Ranch-iversary, which meant it was time for a little home reno project. April was the start of the research phase.
- We upgraded to iPhones with Portrait mode. Game. Changer.
- Books Read: A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World and 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge and Found Self-Help That Actually Works, Yes Please
May
- I had an entire week of PTO to burn (or lose), so we took a last minute trip to Las Vegas!
- Sarah saw us struggling to take selfies in our new hammock, and offered to take these photos of us. For sure, my favorite photo of us this year.
- We made the last payment on our Honda Civic – a couple years early!
- Books Read: The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Have Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store, Capturing Light: The Heart of Photography, Ruth’s Journey, and The Road Back to You
June
- We traveled with my family to La Jolla, CA for a week and stayed in a stunning house on the coast.
- We started on our bathroom renovation project after having a window installed and a couple months of researching.
- Books Read: Great at Work and The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth
July
- We celebrated fourth of July at Missouri’s state capital with Alex and Tony.
- Kevin’s brother, Dave, moved in with us (and Chloe gained a best friend)!
- Kevin had surgery to remove his gallbladder and we spent time recovering.
- Books Read: The Genius of One, One Thousand Gifts, 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
August
- I celebrated my 27th birthday (without a major break down).
- I made a prayer binder to help focus on my prayer life and goal of connecting with God.
- We completed the bathroom renovation and I’m thankful (a million times over) for family that helped us through the project. We could not have done it without them.
- Books Read: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, and Cultivate: A Grace-Filled Guide to Growing an Intentional Life
Photo by Matt Mason Photography in Lake Geneva
September
- Kevin started streaming Overwatch and PUBG on Twitch regularly.
- I celebrated 8 whole years of blogging.
- I flew with Taylor out to Milwaukee for Brittany’s Bachelorette Party. So. Much. Fun.
- We tailgated a whole bunch and hosted the Ernsts for Taylor’s first ever Mizzou game!
- I stood beside Brittany and Evan as they tied the knot in the beautiful town of Lake Geneva. We definitely celebrated the night away.
- Book Read: Girl, Wash Your Face
October
- We celebrated the wedding of our friends, Alexa and Andrew, in St. Louis.
- I finally finished Friends which I started last December, and despite enjoying the show, took a long break from TV.
- We stayed at home for the first Halloween since moving into our house, and we had lots of trick-or-treaters!
- Books Read: The Road Back to You
November
- We experienced an autumn with the most beautiful colors I can remember…
- …and then it snowed for the first time of the season.
- I got acrylic nails for the first time and loved them.
- I started Bible Journaling through Grace and Gratitude (haven’t finished yet, but the beginning was fun.)
- We purchased a new skinny Christmas tree and put it up way too early. No shame.
- I decided on my 2019 word of the year, rest.
December
- I saw the play A Christmas Carol and spent quality time with my parents while Kevin was in Denver.
- Kevin turned 27 (yep, he’s younger than me).
- The press released Kevin’s biggest project to date. So stinkin’ proud of him.
- We spent a difficult Christmas in St. Louis surrounded by family and friends.
- I tried Top Golf for the first time and somehow managed not to come in last.
- We rang in the New Year with friends, cats, and Barred Owl.
Cheers to 2019!
Oct 2, 2018 | Goal Setting
[via Kayla Aimee]
It’s been quite some time since I’ve shared my goals, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been knocking stuff out of the park the last couple of months. I’ve had a ton going on – from the bathroom project to my best friend getting married – and I’m ready to get back into the usual swing of things. I’m following along with Rachel Hollis’ Last 90 Days Challenge as a way to pick back up on some of the bigger goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year but haven’t quite achieved yet. Going back through my goals really put things into perspective for me at how much I’ve done this year and also the kind of expectations I put on myself. I’m constantly adding goals to my plate and there is realistically no way for me to achieve everything. I took some time to refocus and reprioritize so that I can potentially make some changes to start the new year on the right foot as opposed to starting over.
On the blog in September
October Goals
Monthly
- Try out a food delivery service – I’ve been wanting to try this for a while, but just finally got around to looking into it a little more and talking to a friend who uses it. Looking forward to giving it a try this month.
- Celebrate Homecoming – I just love football season, and homecoming is no exception. I’m really hoping it’s a later game so we can go to House Decs and the Parade on campus.
- Create a fall bucket list – I’ve got a lot of things on the to-do list that are quintessential for celebrating fall.
- 8 Blog Posts – I made it to 10 last month and I want to keep it up.
Weekly
- Create and maintain budget
- Meal prep and shop
- Social media free weekends
Daily
- Maintain work life balance
- No fast food
- No spend
- Exercise
- Prayer Time/Bible Reading
What are your goals for October?
Jul 9, 2018 | Goal Setting
The 9th of July seems as good of a time as any to post my goals for the month. I sound like a broken record, but it’s hard to believe that this year is over halfway over already. As far as goals go, I feel really proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish and was happy to go back and refresh my goals from the beginning of the year. One of my favorite things about the Powersheets is doing the wheel of life method, where you rate how well areas in your life are going to help you create intentional and balanced goals. For the next 6 months, my goal is to really focus on my physical health.
On the Blog in June
June Goals
Monthly
Cultivate a New Morning Routine – done!Budget with Kevin – Yep!- Apply for a Passport – Still need to do this…
- Read 3 Books – Read two! I had high hopes to get more read on vacation, but family times trumped it. Not mad.
- Finish Vegas Travel Journal – still in progress, but I’m close!
- Apply for RE License (Continued…) – It’s due in July so I better finish this up.
Weekly
Celebrate others! – Yep!Review Budget – DoneWeekly Meal Plan & Shop – CheckConnect with Friends – Done!
Daily
- Move Goal – Did well, but didn’t hit it every day. I also broke my charger so that’s presented problems while I borrow Kevin’s when he isn’t using it! HA!
Food Tracking – Meh, I did ok!- Blog Post (Part of the 100 Day Project) – 9 in June!
Journal – More than most months, so I’d say “done”!
July Goals
Monthly
- Finish Prayer Binder
- Finish Bathroom Renovation
- Prep guestroom
- Create 101 in 1001 list
- Get a haircut
- See 3 Movies at the theater
Weekly
- Intentional Dates with Kevin
- Celebrate others
- Weekly Meal Plan & Shop
- Food Tracking
- Connect with Friends
Daily
- Move Goal
- Food Tracking
- Blog Post
- God Time
- No Fast Food
That’s what I’ve got for this month! What are your July Goals?
Jun 1, 2018 | Goal Setting
On the Blog in May
May Goals
Monthly
- Apply for RE License (Continued from April) – Yikes. I wish this wasn’t still on the list. Maybe in June?
Enjoy a whole week off work(!!) – the best! Can I take a week off every month?Shop for and purchase a bridesmaid dress for Brittany’s wedding BOOYA! And it came in already!
Weekly
Daily
- Blog Post (Part of The 100 Day Project) – I posted 12 of 31 days in May.
- Exercise – ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
June Goals
Monthly
- Cultivate a New Morning Routine
- Budget with Kevin
- Apply for a Passport
- Read 3 Books
- Finish Vegas Travel Journal
- Apply for RE License (Continued…)
Weekly
- Celebrate others!
- Review Budget
- Weekly Meal Plan & Shop
- Connect with Friends
Daily
- Move Goal
- Food Tracking
- Blog Post (Part of the 100 Day Project)
- Journal
What are your June goals?
May 3, 2018 | Goal Setting
On the Blog in April
April Goals
Monthly
Apply for my RE License – Maybe this month? I have to be honest, this is taking me a lot longer than I thought it would! I’ll have a little extra time in May, so I’m hoping I’ll get to knock it out.- Finish the 21 Day Tell It: Collage E-Course – This practice got me outside of my comfort zone and was a good distraction for me this month.
Visit Taylor in Kansas City to Celebrate Her Birthday Rescheduled!- Create a Plan and Estimate for the Bathroom Renovation – We’ve got a rough plan and numbers. Booya!
- Buy Movie Pass – Done and positively excited about it! The first movie we saw was Isle of Dogs.
- Get New Phones and Get Set Up On Plan – Done and portrait mode is two thumbs up.
- Spring Cleaning – Basement, Closets, etc. – Done and done!
Weekly
- Weekly Encouragement – Yes!
- Weekly Weigh Ins – Nailed it!
- Movie with Kevin – 1 of 4…some room to improve here.
Daily
- Track Food Intake and Exercise Expenditure – Yes!
- Blog Post (Part of The 100 Day Project) – 13/27 days done..could have been better on this!
- Essential Oils – Yes!
- Prayer Cards – Done.
May Goals
Monthly
- Apply for RE License (Continued from April)
- Enjoy a whole week off work(!!)
- Shop for and purchase a bridesmaid dress for Brittany’s wedding
Weekly
Daily
- Blog Post (Part of The 100 Day Project)
- Exercise
I’m keeping it real this month and allowing time to get some of these goals done and then just relax. I do a lot of over-planning, so this month I’m going to try to prevent that from happening. We’ll see how that goes.
What are your May goals?
Apr 3, 2018 | Goal Setting
Happy April! We kicked off the month with a nice snowy Easter and a car ride back home after spending some time with the family. We have been spring cleaning around here and can only hope that warmer weather will be following soon. We are also planning to take the help of #1 Junk Removal in Yonkers, NY | Demolitions – Rubbish Cleanouts to remove junk from our house! We’ve had a couple uncharacteristically nice days causing all the daffodils to pop up, but otherwise it’s felt like sort of a tease for what’s to come.
Even though I’ve been slacking on posting my goals here on the blog, I haven’t slacked in making commitments and executing in my every day life. I’m a to-do list gal through and through. Just like last year, I’m using Powersheets (currently sold out for now!) to keep track of my goals. This means that at the beginning of the year, I created goals and then each month I choose action items to take slow, deliberate monthly, weekly, and/or daily steps to help meet those goals. A couple things I’m focusing on this year in conjunction with my word of the year are connecting to God in prayer, connecting with my body through healthy eating and exercise, obtaining my real estate license and connecting with and serving Kevin well.
This month, I’m excited to be adding in some more fun goals to help balance out the not so ones (namely food and exercise tracking – it’s so tedious). I’m also joining in with The 100 Day Project where you commit to doing something – anything – for 100 days starting April 3rd! Since this internet space is something I’ve been wanting to cultivate in a different way this year, I’m focusing on writing blog posts! Realistically, I’m not sure if I’ll quite make it to 100, but I’m looking forward to a challenge that seems a little out of reach for me.
On the Blog in March
Winter Weather
Friday Five
April Goals
Monthly
- Apply for my RE License
- Finish the 21 Day Tell It: Collage E-Course
- Visit Taylor in Kansas City to Celebrate Her Birthday
- Create a Plan and Estimate for the Bathroom Renovation
- Buy Movie Pass
- Get New Phones and Get Set Up On Plan
- Spring Cleaning – Basement, Closets, etc.
Weekly
- Weekly Encouragement
- Weekly Weigh Ins
- Move with Kevin
Daily
- Track Food Intake and Exercise Expenditure
- Blog Post (Part of The 100 Day Project)
- Essential Oils
- Prayer Cards
Thanks so much for stopping by! I’ll be sharing my progress on these goals at the beginning of May and hopefully you’ll see 30 more posts between now and then!
What are your April goals?
