Household Goals

Right before Christmas I got a new book: Organized Simplicity, by Tsh Oxenreider.

The woman has no vowels in her name...I just had to point that out!

Anyway, I LOVE organization, but I rarely buy any books about it, because they all say the same things. However, this book is different!

The book is about 5x7 and has a spiral spine...that just makes this office supply junkie girl very happy! It makes the book seem more like a workbook instead of a "read and try to implement my ideas" book.

The tag line to the title is, The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living. That just makes me want to take a deep breathe! This book sums up how I want our household to be! Intentional about what we own and how we keep it, and clutter-free! It takes the idea of simplicity and makes it real-world livable. We aren't talking sell everything and live with one pair of pants and one fork kind of life! This book is about make choices about what you have and in what room of your home - understanding that if you choose to have five bookshelves of books because you love books that's fine. You made that choice, but it may mean that in order to have room for those books, you may need to let the Precious Moments figurines go.

And wait, there's more...right now on Amazon, this book is only $10.42!!! So head on over to the Amazon jungle and get yours now!!!

2011 Resolutions:

1. Go through room by room and create organized simplicity I am starting with my living room and focusing on one room at a time. My hope is to finish the decorating in that room as well, but the organization and the simplifying is the main goal. And consistent with Dave Ramsey, my plan is for a big garage sale in the spring to pawn off my junk to someone else in order to build the 3-6 months savings!

2. Create and follow a household cleaning plan I have a plan for laundry that I have been able to follow for the last year and it has allowed me to not have those 20 loads of laundry days. It has been relatively easy to follow, however, I enjoy doing laundry. I do not like cleaning my house, but I am hopeful that if I only have about 45 min worth of cleaning every day that the house will be clean and I won't be overwhelmed.

3. Regular chores for the slaves...I mean kiddos We have tried chore charts galore and have never been able to stick with them. My plan for January is to create a new system for chores for our family...one that works with our kids and our schedule. Most importantly...one that we can maintain for a looooong time!

My main purpose with all of these goals is to have my house be warm and inviting and a place that I am not embarrassed by if someone unexpectedly comes to the door. I want to be able to spontaneously invite someone for coffee or dinner without running around hoping the bathroom is clean or that there isn't laundry laying around or a kitchen full of dirty dishes. I don't want a spotless house, but I don't want my guests to have to move things to find a seat either. And I want to know where things are. I don't want to have to hunt for that receipt or bill or Mike's wallet (that's a whole 'nother story!)

This will be a year long process, but I want to look back on December 31, 2011 and say that we have made progress! I want to know that we are moving forward, not backwards!

Culinary Goals

The thing I like about goals is that they have the freedom to change.

Originally, one of my goals was to try some new baking items each week. However, my husband informed me that he is going on a no carb diet for the next few weeks, and really baking doesn't exactly fit into my physical goals either.

So, time for adjusting of the goals.

I enjoy cooking. I think I can prepare some yummy meals. However, without a recipe I am in trouble. None of the meals that I have attempted without a recipe were received well.

I enjoy collecting recipes. Trying new recipes is kind of scary for me, though. I think that fear of failure thing gets in the way.

Last night I tried a Blue cheese-onion sauce for steak. I was so nervous about it, but it turned out really yummy and will probably become a regular thing when we have steak now.

So, lesson learned...new things aren't always that scary!

2011 Resolutions
1. Make a menu I am usually good at making a menu for a week, and then not for the next two weeks. Menu planning always makes things less stressful for me and we definitely spend less money. I'm going to try to menu plan for two weeks at a time, but shop twice during that time. We just can't keep enough fruit/milk in the house for two weeks!

2. Try a new recipe each week This was where I was going to try a new baking item every week, but we'll make it more general. Easier to obtain goal...I like it! And since last night was a new recipe, I have already made my goal for this week. Yeah me!!!

Physical Goals

Let me first start by saying, yes, I had a bad attitude yesterday. I am serious about my financial goals, but right now with Mike and I working three jobs between the two of us, in addition to being parents, we are tired. I feel like we have been at this for two years and I'm just not seeing a rest. I am living like no one else, but not yet living like no one else!

Alright, next goal!

I thought it was appropriate that the new season of the Biggest Loser was on last night. Part of their challenge was to complete a 5K as a team and all teams did in under one hour. I'm not sure I could do that!

Weight-loss always seems to be a goal of mine and I still struggle with how to create steps to accomplish that goal without being miserable. I know the simple formula...eat less + move more! But somehow it doesn't seem that simple when you actually try.

These goals are for the next 30 days. After that I will re-evaluate and possible change goals. In this area, though, I need short term goals!

2011 Resolutions:
1. Eat less For breakfast lunch and dinner I will make sure to have color and fruit or veggie. I will have reasonable portions and no seconds. I will not eat/drink anything after 8pm except water or a half glass of wine.

2. Move more I will do some form of exercise for 30 min four times a week. One day in the next 27 days I will attempt a 5K on my treadmill and see how long it takes me. My hope is that by May I will have some tangible improvement.

I know it is not that simple, but I need to keep this area simple to start or I will give up very quickly. I miss going to a gym with a friend, but yesterday's goals are affecting today's, so no gym for now. I am thankful for the treadmill in the basement, the wii, and Jillian yelling at me through the tv! I know I do best with accountability so PLEASE feel free to ask me during these next 30 days how I am doing...I really would appreciate it!

Financial Goals

This is one area of my life that I dread more than weight loss! I am a Dave Ramsey gal and definitely a free spirit. However, my sweet and wonderful husband is also a free spirit, so we both dread having to be nerdy and make sure we know where our money is going. Combine that with the fact that rarely does the income match the monthly expenses!

I know there are always areas to trim, but we are getting pretty lean, that there isn't much more to trim!

This category is out of duty, not desire.

2011 Resolutions:
1. Make the budget at the beginning of the month and stick to it! There is nothing more to say about this...just yuck!

2. Trim the groceries. I hear stories of people surviving on monthly food budgets of $400. Impossible I say! However, I know I could be creative and cut our food budget. I'm going to try cutting it by $25 each month for the first four months of the year. Of course resolution #1 might require this goal to be altered.

Relational Goals

So this one is all about people! Life would be easier without other people, but it sure would be boring!!


One thing I have learned over the many moons of my life (just call me Meemaw now!) is that you have to be intentional about your relationships or just like everything else in your life, you may not end up where you wanted to be.


For example, there are friends of ours that we have wanted to get together with for several months. We keep saying we should get together, but our schedules never seem to gel. Really, we should put something on the calendar even if it is two months out, or it will be six months from now and we will be saying we should get together soon.

The second issue I seem to struggle with is communication. I know I am bad at answering email and responding to voicemail (really I only check voicemail about once a week). Having been on the receiving end of that, I know it is frustrating. So if I have neglected responding to you, I apologize right now!

2011 Resolutions:

1. Choose one family member or close friend to focus on for a week. This will involve praying for them, sending them a note, making a phone call, etc. Tonight before bed I am writing their names on small slips of paper and putting them in a basket by my computer. Every Sun night, I will pull out the next name and tape it to my desk. (yeah for action steps) This is an experiment to see how this one works. I'll let you know how it is going in the next few weeks.

2. Communication. If that isn't the root of most difficulties, whether work, family, marriage, church, etc. I don't know what is! For MOPS, I am supposed to respond to email and voicemail within three days. I usually do pretty good with MOPS stuff (I think), but my personal stuff...not so good. I listen to the voicemail, read the mail, read the email or facebook message and then think I will respond later only to get distracted later and never follow through. So like Creative Memories says, I am starting today, staying current, and then work backwards to "catch up". So if you sent me something and I didn't respond...send it again and it will go to the top of the list!

3. My family. I'm adding this as another area for me to work on. I want to have my "chores" done by the time the kids come home from school so that I can have time to sit and work on homework, read that book, play that game (as long as it isn't monopoly!) and just be with my kiddos. Because this as a goal seems a bit overwhelming, I decided to start with a day...Wednesday...and make sure that every Wednesday is reserved for my kiddos. Hopefully by May there will be more than one school day afternoon like that.

Spiritual Goals

If it doesn't start there is is doomed isn't it. In years past I haven't made spiritual goals other than to say I was going to read my Bible every day. This year, my generic goal is to grow closer to God. But really? That should still be my goal when I am 78! This year I am trying to be more specific about how I am going to strive for that goal.

2011 Resolutions:

1. Read through the New Testament I have been the voice in the past to say it was silly to read through the Bible in a year. I know open mouth insert foot...I do it so well. I did not see how anyone could possibly get any depth from reading that many chapters every day. But I was inspired by a couple that we know that decided to read through the Bible as a couple for 2010 and on Dec 31st. they finished. Hearing the things that they learned from doing that was amazing. They may have not come out with these deep theological "aha moments", but the sense of accomplishment and the way they saw how the Bible intertwines themes - it was very cool. Reading through the New Testament is a compromise for me...and an attainable goal.

2. Memorization I have tried to be consistent with memorization, even having a wonderful accountability partner. But busy schedules have derailed me after a few months. Also I tried to memorized large sections of the Bible in small time periods. So this year I am participating in Beth Moore's Living Proof memorization challenge on her blog. Memorize two verses every month for 12 months and there is a party at the end and prizes...I'm not ashamed to say that I will memorize for prizes! My first verse for the year:

And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you
are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Luke 12:7 NLT

I often feel insignificant, forgotten, unnecessary...I want to remember that I am valuable to God and ultimately He only should be where I find my worth.

1-1-11

If that doesn't signify a new start!!! I love new starts. I love lists. I love goals. So New Years and its resolutions just call to me. Every year I make new resolutions and like everyone else, often by Jan. 2nd, I have messed up on most of them. Almost every year there is a resolution to lose weight, and to keep in better contact with friends and family. Most years in the past I have resolved to send cards for birthdays and anniversaries. I usually make it to Feb. and fizzle out.

So this year I have a new approach to my resolutions. I am approaching the "marathon not a sprint" analogy and looking long term to make these resolutions stick. I will be taking this first week of January to set goals (really just another term for resolutions) and to really think out how to implement them and follow through.

Here is the schedule I will follow this week:

• Sun: spiritual goals


• Mon: relational goals


• Tues: financial goals


• Wed: physical goals


• Thurs: culinary goals


• Fri: household goals


• Sat: recreational goals

Seems God even thought today should be a fresh start and blessed us with fresh snow!