I don't do New Years Resolutions. Mostly because I don't really "do" New Years...my new year starts in the spring with the Passover and spring Holy Days, but I recognize the calendar for what it is, a time keeper. (Wish it came with a Time Lord, but that is just me watching too much Doctor Who....)
Anyhoo, I DO have goals! This is our first full year of homeschooling and while it's going well, it could be better. I have been keeping up with work on the Homeschool Helper app for the ipad but I admit I'm an old school paper and pencil kinda girl. So I think it's time to get down to business the old fashioned way.
Things are not super cohesive. I admit, I'm not using my time the best. I would rather read, crochet, cuddle with my boys or sleep with the dog than do most any chore. But alas, that is not my lot in life, to be lazy. There are days for that and a time for that, but most days, we need to be up and doing, being productive and using the gifts God gave us. But I'm a slacker at heart, so I need some motivation.
I found this free printable planner and it looks great. Just want I need to remind myself to get things GOING and not fart around all day! So this will mean limiting my online time including the great time suck that is Facebook.
I do want to have some small mini goals each month, because although I know I need to adjust some things, the problem we face is often too hard, unrealistic or just overachieving goals. Usually the things we need to adjust are things we don't want to DO so how can we achieve a goal if we are already dreading it?? So for me, simplicity is key. Something doable, and yet something I don't already do (or don't do enough of) to feel accomplished.
Trickery is the key!
January's Goal: Eat two fruits/Veggies a day and drink three glasses of water.
Sounds pathetic, eh? Yeah well, I don't do it enough. I don't eat enough fruits or veggies and I definitely don't drink enough water. So this is my check in, my requirement! I'll even add it to my little planner! And probably a reminder on the iPad...and iPod...and email reminder....and maybe text message...
I'm just a tad forgetful....
I'll keep you updated on my little goal here!
~~Amy
The Hesitant Homeschooler....Mama's Little Monkeys
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Back in the Saddle....
Hey gang! I'm back home from out of town! It was fabulous to get away, spend time with the family, but now we're home, and time to get cleaned up, wash the mountain of laundry, and get back in the swing of things. November is fast approaching and it's my favorite time of year!
What's your upcoming to do? As you can see on my right sidebar, I'm going to attempt to stick to a new blogging schedule! I'm also as always, streamlining things in life to I can truly enjoy the time I have, not just check things off a list.
But still, I love my lists. So here are my November Goals:
*Crochet and Knit as much as possible! It's fall here and I had wanted to finish some things before it got really cold!
*Prep for Thanksgiving. I LOVE Turkey Day, it's one of the few "traditional" Holidays my family celebrates. So I will be buying turkeys as they go on sale, decorating the house for fall, and snagging up after Halloween candy deals! :)
*Reopen my shops and have some sales!! I have a ton of new buttons to list for badge reels and can't wait to show them to you!
*Make my boys some winter pajamas...and possibly some for ME! They grow SO fast, and I have all this fabric...it's high time I sew for US!
*Plan some fun activities for the boys during Thanksgiving break. A week off from school means I'll go on semi vacation again then, because I want to enjoy our break!
As as matter of fact, many of my creative goals are to utilize some of my supplies for us. The handmade business is great, and I enjoy it, but I also have to remember to create for my family and friends!
I hope everyone is having a fabulous fall and enjoying the changes in the air! To me, fall is the best season!
Happy Fall Y'all!!
~~~Amy
What's your upcoming to do? As you can see on my right sidebar, I'm going to attempt to stick to a new blogging schedule! I'm also as always, streamlining things in life to I can truly enjoy the time I have, not just check things off a list.
But still, I love my lists. So here are my November Goals:
*Crochet and Knit as much as possible! It's fall here and I had wanted to finish some things before it got really cold!
*Prep for Thanksgiving. I LOVE Turkey Day, it's one of the few "traditional" Holidays my family celebrates. So I will be buying turkeys as they go on sale, decorating the house for fall, and snagging up after Halloween candy deals! :)
*Reopen my shops and have some sales!! I have a ton of new buttons to list for badge reels and can't wait to show them to you!
*Make my boys some winter pajamas...and possibly some for ME! They grow SO fast, and I have all this fabric...it's high time I sew for US!
*Plan some fun activities for the boys during Thanksgiving break. A week off from school means I'll go on semi vacation again then, because I want to enjoy our break!
As as matter of fact, many of my creative goals are to utilize some of my supplies for us. The handmade business is great, and I enjoy it, but I also have to remember to create for my family and friends!
I hope everyone is having a fabulous fall and enjoying the changes in the air! To me, fall is the best season!
Happy Fall Y'all!!
~~~Amy
Sunday, August 7, 2011
2011-2012 Reading List
I've decided that while my children are in school, it's a great time to get more reading in! So I am making my 2011-2012 Reading List. On it will be books I can choose from to read, at least one per month. If I go through them faster, awesome, but at least one per month for the school year (9 months.)
So here we go!
In no particular order:
Tomatoland: How modern industrial agriculture destroyed our most alluring fruit.
Better Off.
The World According to Monsanto
The 4 Hour Workweek
I am Number Six
Possible Side Effects
Sophie's Choice
In Defense of Food
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
The Backyard Homestead
Eat, Pray, Love
The Hangman's Daughter
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
The Happiness Project
NurtureShock
The Handmade Marketplace
Room
Born on a Blue Day
Sarah's Key
As you can see, most my choices are non-fiction, but that's just the place I am right now. And it's obviously more than 9, because I want to follow my mood, not a list! :)
What's on your reading list??
So here we go!
In no particular order:
Tomatoland: How modern industrial agriculture destroyed our most alluring fruit.
Better Off.
The World According to Monsanto
In Defense of Food
Room
As you can see, most my choices are non-fiction, but that's just the place I am right now. And it's obviously more than 9, because I want to follow my mood, not a list! :)
What's on your reading list??
Sunday, June 26, 2011
girl disconnected...4 more days
4 more days and I get my online life back.
I think I have learned what I needed to learn. I'll recap:
1. I do not NEED the internet and social networking. Should tragedy befall us and we had to cut things...I'd turn it off, no problem.
2. Although I do not NEED social networking...I WANT social networking. Being a WAHM generally surrounded by humans under 4 feet tall, a dog, no one or a combination of those three....I need the connection sites like facebook bring me. I also, apparently, like to talk and social networking helps me ease that.
3. I did not accomplish many of the goals I wanted to accomplish. I did start making small changes to our diet and grocery purchases. I'm still a coupon fanatic but am seeking out more healthy purchases with the coupons. But in these tight times, I gotta do what I gotta do to feed my family!
4. I did not create much at all. But this has little do with with disconnecting. My kids are home on summer break and all consuming. So summer was probably NOT a great time to try disconnecting.
5. I did see how disconnecting is valuable and am trying to decide what day each week I want to be my "unplugged" day.
here is how my goals broke down. (Mind you these were long term goals listed here, but I wanted to update my progress.) (Updates are in Red)
*Integrate stevia and blue agave nectar into diet more.--Working on! They no longer make Sun Crystals, my sweetener of choice for my coffee, but I can make my own by mixing stevia and real cane sugar. I also got some local honey and agave nectar and have been using them in coffee and smoothies!
*Use up current stockpile of all items that contain high fructose corn syrup, and multiple chemicals on the label. Working on....slowly and surely.
*As we use that stock up, research alternatives for such items.Working on....slowly and surely.
*Limit our soda intake. Once it’s used up...purchase natural sodas without HFCS. Working on....slowly and surely.
*Drink more Water. Working on....slowly and surely. Sort of failing in this one...
*Cut back on sugar. Working on....slowly and surely. Sort of failing in this one...
*Eliminate or drastically cut back on food dyes. Working on....slowly and surely. I think I'm doing good in this one, it was mostly for the boys and as I look at their diet, they don't eat much with food dyes. Their fruit jerky (fruit strips) are colored with fruit and veggie dyes. Their cereals don't contain dyes. Their juices are all natural. Probably their biggest downfall is the occasional popsicle at PawPaw's house, but I also want to be realistic, the sometimes popsicle isn't going to kill them. Fruit Chewy Treats are probably the last majorly dyed food they ingest, and again, I'm not going to go all Gestapo on their butts.
*Purchase meats, dairy and produce that I KNOW where it came from. Working on....slowly and surely. This information is harder to get than I thought.
*Purchase red meat and chicken only from our local grocery store Working on....slowly and surely. Local and organic meats are SUPER costly.
*Purchase the ‘dirtiest’ produce list http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/04/29/2010-dirty-dozen-produce-list-released-by-the-ewg/ organic and preferably, locally grown.Working on....slowly and surely.
*Purchase locally grown and organic fed dairy products. Working on....slowly and surely. Thankfully most of the milk I buy is from local farmers who supposedly don't use hormones or any of that. Still trying to find a good, clean, quiet source of Raw Milk. Since it's illegal I can't even tell you if I find one anyways.
*Exercise more! FAILED miserably. I've walked the dog...that's about it. I've put on about 8 lbs in the past six months. I'm a new mission to get ripped.
*Spend more time in bible study. Working on....slowly and surely. I've not done enough of this, absolutely not.
*Cleaning and Housework. Working on....slowly and surely. Getting better. I'm still trying to make myself get on a good schedule, but I'm not a good schedule keeper. But I've done okay keeping things going, since it is summer and both kids are home...it's a lot harder to keep things clean!
*Purge some of the plastic. Working on....slowly and surely. Purged some and am working on purging more. Slowly (it's costly!) replacing my plastic items with glass.
*Read More! Doing good! I'm up to 9 books finished on my kindle alone. I think my goal to read in 2011 was 20-25. I'm reading a few books off the kindle (what are these called now, In Real Life books?) and as always, my stack of magazines.
*Un-Plug More. Semi Accomplished!! As this girl disconnected series draws to a close, I admit I've sneaked on some social networking sites, I've still used my iPad and I've still done what I needed to do for my business online. But I was offline a WHOLE lot more than I've ever been in recent years. I of course didn't have a ton of time to BE online since it's summer, but not even being ALLOWED online helped ease my stress and guilt for 'not getting enough done.'
So, overall, I'm not doing TOO terrible I think!!
See ya'll soon! FOUR MORE DAYS!
~~amy
I think I have learned what I needed to learn. I'll recap:
1. I do not NEED the internet and social networking. Should tragedy befall us and we had to cut things...I'd turn it off, no problem.
2. Although I do not NEED social networking...I WANT social networking. Being a WAHM generally surrounded by humans under 4 feet tall, a dog, no one or a combination of those three....I need the connection sites like facebook bring me. I also, apparently, like to talk and social networking helps me ease that.
3. I did not accomplish many of the goals I wanted to accomplish. I did start making small changes to our diet and grocery purchases. I'm still a coupon fanatic but am seeking out more healthy purchases with the coupons. But in these tight times, I gotta do what I gotta do to feed my family!
4. I did not create much at all. But this has little do with with disconnecting. My kids are home on summer break and all consuming. So summer was probably NOT a great time to try disconnecting.
5. I did see how disconnecting is valuable and am trying to decide what day each week I want to be my "unplugged" day.
here is how my goals broke down. (Mind you these were long term goals listed here, but I wanted to update my progress.) (Updates are in Red)
*Integrate stevia and blue agave nectar into diet more.--Working on! They no longer make Sun Crystals, my sweetener of choice for my coffee, but I can make my own by mixing stevia and real cane sugar. I also got some local honey and agave nectar and have been using them in coffee and smoothies!
*Use up current stockpile of all items that contain high fructose corn syrup, and multiple chemicals on the label. Working on....slowly and surely.
*As we use that stock up, research alternatives for such items.Working on....slowly and surely.
*Limit our soda intake. Once it’s used up...purchase natural sodas without HFCS. Working on....slowly and surely.
*Drink more Water. Working on....slowly and surely. Sort of failing in this one...
*Cut back on sugar. Working on....slowly and surely. Sort of failing in this one...
*Eliminate or drastically cut back on food dyes. Working on....slowly and surely. I think I'm doing good in this one, it was mostly for the boys and as I look at their diet, they don't eat much with food dyes. Their fruit jerky (fruit strips) are colored with fruit and veggie dyes. Their cereals don't contain dyes. Their juices are all natural. Probably their biggest downfall is the occasional popsicle at PawPaw's house, but I also want to be realistic, the sometimes popsicle isn't going to kill them. Fruit Chewy Treats are probably the last majorly dyed food they ingest, and again, I'm not going to go all Gestapo on their butts.
*Purchase meats, dairy and produce that I KNOW where it came from. Working on....slowly and surely. This information is harder to get than I thought.
*Purchase red meat and chicken only from our local grocery store Working on....slowly and surely. Local and organic meats are SUPER costly.
*Purchase the ‘dirtiest’ produce list http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/04/29/2010-dirty-dozen-produce-list-released-by-the-ewg/ organic and preferably, locally grown.Working on....slowly and surely.
*Purchase locally grown and organic fed dairy products. Working on....slowly and surely. Thankfully most of the milk I buy is from local farmers who supposedly don't use hormones or any of that. Still trying to find a good, clean, quiet source of Raw Milk. Since it's illegal I can't even tell you if I find one anyways.
*Exercise more! FAILED miserably. I've walked the dog...that's about it. I've put on about 8 lbs in the past six months. I'm a new mission to get ripped.
*Spend more time in bible study. Working on....slowly and surely. I've not done enough of this, absolutely not.
*Cleaning and Housework. Working on....slowly and surely. Getting better. I'm still trying to make myself get on a good schedule, but I'm not a good schedule keeper. But I've done okay keeping things going, since it is summer and both kids are home...it's a lot harder to keep things clean!
*Purge some of the plastic. Working on....slowly and surely. Purged some and am working on purging more. Slowly (it's costly!) replacing my plastic items with glass.
*Read More! Doing good! I'm up to 9 books finished on my kindle alone. I think my goal to read in 2011 was 20-25. I'm reading a few books off the kindle (what are these called now, In Real Life books?) and as always, my stack of magazines.
*Un-Plug More. Semi Accomplished!! As this girl disconnected series draws to a close, I admit I've sneaked on some social networking sites, I've still used my iPad and I've still done what I needed to do for my business online. But I was offline a WHOLE lot more than I've ever been in recent years. I of course didn't have a ton of time to BE online since it's summer, but not even being ALLOWED online helped ease my stress and guilt for 'not getting enough done.'
So, overall, I'm not doing TOO terrible I think!!
See ya'll soon! FOUR MORE DAYS!
~~amy
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