on making big picture goals

she's recently requested bows and it makes this mama's heart SO HAPPY!

this was a sick morning and one where she did not sleep great the night before.  so we had cinnamon bread for breakfast and that made her pretty happy!

and this is how miss gigi feels about doctor's visits

cuddles with mommy are the. best!

no mom really, let me where your Uggs

The above pictures are just a highlight real of my IPhone lately ha!  Truth be told, my whole fam is recovering from a yucky cold.  G and I are on the uphill, while dada over here is still working on it.  But hey!  It's been 60 degree weather and well that makes us super happy.  And I'm dead set on enjoying this weekend and nursing my wholeeeeee fam back to 100% health by Saturday morning.  So water, OJ and chicken noodle soup it is!  And lots of washing... everything.  I mean everything.  I think I've washed Georgia's stuffed animals and our sheets 3 times this week already.  GO AWAY COLD!  We're done with ya!  I digress...

So this year when I set out to make goals I was overwhelmed.  I hadn't made a single goal and yet I already felt overwhelmed.  Anyone else relate?  I made some personal goals, picked my one word and while those didn't seem as overwhelming, I knew I had some goals with regards to our home.  We need to live with less.  Our home has overwhelmed me for quite some time now.  Everyone's closets are bursting at the seams, each kitchen cabinet is full (with who knows what!) and everywhere I look all I see is stuff!  And more stuff!  And it's like I don't even know where to begin with organizing.  With that, I decided to take the entire year, work my way through our home and simplify.  By that I mean, purge, purge, purge, de-clutter and organize.  I play the words of William Morris in my head all day it seems, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."  That is my new mantra.  But how was I going to do this?  I have a wild and free toddler running around my house at all times and a new babe cooking in my belly.  Cue the anxiety again.  So I decided to make big goals - month-by-month goals.  Goals that would seem silly to some but make everything more manageable to me.  So in January, you know what I'm focusing on?  The pantry and making sure my Christmas decorations are away and organized.  That's it.  I do a little each weekend on the pantry, throwing away and organizing so we can actually use what we have and not run to the grocery store for black beans when we, in fact, have 3 cans that are just miserably stuffed in the back!  So pantry and Christmas is on the docket for the month.  Next month?  Georgia's closet and the guest bedroom closet (which holds boxes I haven't touched since we moved here 2 years ago! shameful...).  So there's my brilliant plan ladies and gents.  And I encourage you to do the same.  If you have some huge goal you want to attain, or some big picture, make small goals and make them manageable.  Too many times have I added to my To Do List all the while knowing it will be impossible to complete everything on it.  Just stop!  Done is better than perfect friends and you have to start somewhere.  

Speaking of my big picture goal, any of you have tips for organizing and purging a home?  Much appreciated!  xox

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2015 // more jesus please

print by Morning Sunshine Shop

i love this quote so much.  they lose nothing (including sleep!) who gain christ.  i want to hang it all over my house.  or maybe just by my alarm clock.

in 2015 i'm saying yes to all of this

I mentioned one of my main goals for this year in a previous post, so I thought I'd talk about another one of my goals - getting up before Georgia. For the past few months, G has been getting up suuuuuuuper early so this is nearly impossible. She's been waking up at 5:45 on occasion yall! But she also sleeps until 7 a few mornings a week.  One of my goals is to set my alarm for 6 am every. single. morning.  Some mornings I may already be up with Georgia and if that's the case, then so be it.  But other mornings she may sleep a little later and by getting up at 6 I can allow myself to wake-up, spend some time with Jesus and prepare for my day.  This is actually a combined goal for both Matt and me.  We both want some "me" time in the morning to get our minds right if you will.  So every morning our alarms go off at 6.  I also want the first thing that enters my mind to be from Jesus - not Instagram or my emails.  He is what is important, and glorifying Him is my purpose here (side note: during 2014 a lot of time was spent in prayer asking, "God what is my purpose?  What do you want me to do while I'm here?"  And well, He has clearly answered me over and over and over - "Know Me, love others and glorify me in whatever way you possibly can."  I could really write a whole post on this... maybe I will!)  And I know I cannot do that without making time with Him a priority.  So that is what I will do.  I go to bed early every night so there is truly no excuse!

What are some of yall's goals for 2015?  I'd love to hear!

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2015 // our best year yet

christmas 2013

christmas 2014

a blank slate.  that is exactly what this year is.  excited?  most definitely.  a little scary?  that too.  as i alluded to in my last post, the past 6 or so weeks have left me with so much to ponder - one of those things being this here space.  when i started this blog almost 3 years ago i wanted it to be a place of encouragement.  a place where someone, having a not-so-bright day, could come and find hope and be pointed to jesus.  i also love the mama community i have found and plan to continue to share throughout this pregnancy as well.  but most importantly, i want this place to be a reflection of my heart.  and my heart is not consumed with stuff.  so over the next year i will attempt to write with more purpose.  intention and purpose.  in her amazing book that all y'all should read, Jen Wilkin said, "Every good endeavor should be done with purpose" and that is what I hope for this space as well.  i want to share what's on my heart - whether that be what God is teaching me at the moment, how I'm struggling with the latest parenting task, or what must-have's I am hoping for as I prepare for baby number 2.  whatever it is, there will be a purpose with my posts, that I can promise you.  

i spent about 2 good hours yesterday making new year's resolutions and goals and choosing my one word.  while i will slowly share the rest over the next few posts, one of those goals is to truly enjoy the present.  leading up the the beginning of this year i felt kinda hazy.  it's almost as if i wanted to rush through it.  i get to meet my youngest baby in july and well, i didn't really want to wait on that.  but my heart has changed and i am slowly realizing the value of the now.  i don't want to miss this pregnancy and what it feels like, even if that's not so great!  i don't want to miss the next 6 months of georgia growing and changing, even if that involves some MAJOR temper tantrums and still a bit of a sleep struggle.  matt and i always see older kids out and about with their parents and we look at each other and say wow, that will be us one day.  one day georgia will sit quietly in a restaurant for an hour.  one day she will know all of the words she needs to tell me how she feels.  but that one day is not now, and for that i am so thankful.  i want to enjoy every single second of parenting, even the hard bits, and there's a lot of those y'all.  but there are so many million more good bits.  i don't want to miss lazy sundays with my family or bike rides that burn my legs in the first 2 minutes :)  i don't want to miss any of it.  so i'm choosing not to.  wherever i am, i want to be all there.

so cheers to the here and now.  more on my other goals to come.  have y'all made any resolutions or goals for the new year?  you can see my pinterest board for 2015 here!

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saying farewell to 2014

from the other week at our annual christmas exchange with my high school BFFs

Saying good-bye to one year and preparing for a new year is such a time of reflection for me.  Frankly this past month has been a time of reflection in my life.  I've obviously put blogging on the back-burner a bit, partially because it's the holidays and I've wanted to soak up every single sparkle in Georgia's little eyes and partially because this first trimester has knocked my socks off.  On top of getting the stomach bug, Matt's had a cold and I've been super exhausted and nauseous.  Honestly, I've just been kind of overwhelmed lately.  I feel like I've had so much to say on here but just haven't had the time or energy to say it.  I still have an amazing car review to share with y'all too (spoiler alert: I loved my weekend with a Tahoe!).

But my family is healthy again, I'm at the tail-end of my first trimester and I feel truly blessed to be ringing in 2015 with my favorite people, including the tiny baby lady/gentleman in my belly!  And God is so good y'all.  So good.  So all of this is so say hi!  I'm still here.  I still blog and I'm still so thankful for this community.  I'll be taking this week to prioritize and clear some clutter for the year ahead and hope to blog some more starting next week.  Things might be changing around here just a bit too :).  Until next week, happy new year!

xox

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2014 goal setting V IV

Eeeeeeeek!  How is it the last day of January?  Crazy!  This year I have taken the entire month of January to plan and prepare for 2014 - setting goals, and creating action plans to accomplish these goals - all with the help of Lara Casey's Powersheets.  And to be honest, I kinda love it.  I love feeling prepared and having accountability.  I love taking time and prayer to decide on goals for the new year.  I'm thinking this may be a thing for me from now on...

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But ok!  My 5th a final goal for 2014 - and probably the most important one!

Goal 5  //  To make my relationship with Jesus a priority and commit to prayer.

This year I want to seek Him even more.  With more of my heart, more of my mind and more of my time.  You see, I'm pretty selfish with my time - especially since having a baby.  It's like I get a few free seconds and tend to waste them "relaxing" or laying on the couch watching empty TV.  Not anymore.  This year I am committing to taking my extra seconds, minutes and hours - and even that time that is not "extra" - and spending with Him.  Mostly in prayer.  Honestly, I struggle with prayer.  The dicipline of it.  Sure I pray when I wake up, before meals and when I go to bed, but rarely do I carve out time during my day to truly commit to prayer - other than the two second "Lord, Help me!" prayer.  I spend time reading devotionals and listening to praise music, but again, it's the "still" time that I am missing.  So this year, I'm hoping to commit to time and prayer - even when I don't feel like I have anything to say.  

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So there they are!  My five goals!  If you missed the other parts of this series you can find them here:

Part I

Part II

Part III

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2014 goal setting V II

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How is it already mid-January??  I hope you have had a wonderful start to 2014!  I know I have.  It has been spent with lots of cuddles, family time and goal-setting.  Like I said before, I've been making my way through Lara Casey's Goal Setting Series with hopes to really put time and prayer into setting these goals.  I hope to be finished and ready to "start" by February 1!  I'm almost done, so looks like that won't be a problem.  Today I'm going to share my first two goals!

via lara casey

Goal 1  //  Clear the physical and mental clutter in my home and in my car.

This is tricky for me.  I am a bit of a hoarder if you will.  I hold on to everything.  Anything with sentimental value, I keep, anything that I might need if I ever go to a 90's rave skating party - I keep.  I mean seriously.  I go to throw something out and my head comes up with (the most unrealistic) excuse to keep it!  It's a problem.  And I fully believe that physical clutter is mental clutter, so for my first goal I am focusing the next 6 months on clearing the clutter.  My One Word this year is Simplify and that is what I want for my home.  I don't want a home filled with "stuff."  I want a home filled with laughter, love and memories and all this "stuff" gets in my way at times.  So I am making my way through closets, cabinets, garages and more and purging.  If I don't have a use for it right now (a GOOD use), then someone else deserves it.  Sheila wrote a post a while back about giving and stated that it's easy to forget, but giving is supposed to hurt.  It's not supposed to be easy.  That is why God calls us to do it.  To use this sometimes hard process to make room for Him to change our heart.  So through the purging, my prayer is that God will change my heart.  Allow me to continue to let go of the "stuff" that doesn't matter at all, and make room for what does.  

via pinterest

source

Goal 2  //  Make healthy eating a priority for my family.

This is something that we started this year but something I can always work on.  The main part of this "goal" that I am hoping to make a habit, is the planning process.  Matt and I have decided to plan our meals weekly to ensure that we will always know what we are having for dinner.  Since Georgia has come into our life, if we don't plan our meals weekly then every day around 4 pm I have a panic attack and we end up ordering take-out.  AKA not healthy, and not cheap.  It is also important for me to teach my baby girl that eating healthy is not a chore.  It's not hard and it's not overwhelming.  I want it to be a way of life for her.  I want her to learn to nourish her body every time she eats.  I want her to take pride in food and enjoy it for what it is meant for.  This goal is also an excuse to break out my Pinterest board and get to cracking on some of those yummy recipes.  

So that's a start.  My start.  Those are two of my five goals for 2014.  Any of y'all have similar ones?  Anyone have suggestions for success in mine?

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2014 goal setting V I

2014.  I can't believe it's here!  I love a new year just as much as the rest of em.  A blank slate.  New beginnings.  A fresh start.  It's all so refreshing and filled with so much hope.  Hope can move mountains I tell ya.

This year I'm really taking the time to set goals.  Make priorities.  Evaluate my life, the things in it, the relationships and the "stuff" that fill my day-to-day.  I'm weeding out that stuff that doesn't matter and making more room and more time for the things and the people that do.  I'm working my way through Lara Casey's Goal Setting Series as well as her Power Sheets for 2014.  I'm praying about things I want to change and see in the new year.  I'm getting real with God.  Pouring out my imperfect heart full of yucky stuff that I hate to admit, so that He can wipe it clean and really use it.  Use me.  

I am no where near finished with the goal setting stuff (I'm only on part 2!) but I will leave you with my progress so far.  It's somewhat of an overview, and as the weeks go on in January I am going to walk you (and me) through my individual goals.  If nothing else, I hope to gain some accountability and encourage you in some way!

purchase this print HERE

First and foremost in 2014, I need more Jesus. And if that is all I accomplish in the next 365 days, than it will have been a successful year that's for sure.  I have picked my word for 2014 and it is SIMPLIFY.  That word has been laid on my heart for so many reasons.  This year I hope to work through my life and simplify every aspect of it.  Ultimately, I don't need a bunch of "stuff" or a bunch of "to do's."  I need a simple life with the ones I love most, impacting others in whatever way I can.  So all of my goals in some way are an effort to simplify.

best friend and my baby

I've also started my 2014 Inspiration Board on Pinterest.  You can follow it HERE!  Do y'all have one?  Leave the link in a comment - I would LOVE to follow you!

Have any of y'all chosen a word?  Made any goals?

PS - Is it bad I only made it 'til 11pm on NYE?  I tried, I really did.  And does it count that I was up at 3 am with my babe?  I mean that counts as ringing in the New Year right?!  Oh how things have changed... :)

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