April Goals & Happenings

Ya'll, where has this year gone?! Can you believe it's already April? While time seems to be flying at warp speed, I will say this year has been off to a great start. It's been quiet here in my little corner of the blog world, but life has been so busy and so good.  In January we spent a little over a week with family in NYC and Connecticut, and then spent the rest of our time packing up our little Houston apartment. In February, we loaded up our moving truck with the help of some amazing friends and moved to a rental town home in the suburbs. 

In late February, I traveled to Albuquerque, for a much needed girls weekend! In March we were still settling in to our new place, put our ABQ house on the market, hosted my parents, attended one of my best friends bridal showers in San Antonio and the Mr. and I celebrated our 4th anniversary with friends in New Orleans. I was also finally able to take a job transfer to a location much closer to our new home and I also began working as a Development Executive at Cottage Hill Magazine!

The last three months have been so full, but I'm lacking the routine I previously had and I'm excited to really spend this month getting back on track. I want be completely unpacked and settled in, give this new home a good deep clean (it desperately needs it), get back into my morning routine spending time in the Word and reading, and get back into the gym on a regular basis.

We have a lot of exciting things happening here and while these goals may seem simplistic, they are practical steps that help my stay motivated and on track to achieving the long-term goals I have set for myself and our family. 

April Goals
Complete Spring Clean in 30 Challenge 
Organize Kitchen and Living Room
Re-establish morning routine spending time in the Word and in prayer.
Read The Legacy Journey and The Best Yes
Blog 2-3 times per week
NW road trip vacation with Chris
Plan Chris' Birthday BBQ
Get TX drivers license
Mulch front yard and trim trees
Workout 3-4 times per week

Here's to a joyful, productive April friends!

On Living With More Intention in a Mobile World

Last, Wednesday night, something profound happened, well an accident really, but my new, beautiful iPhone 6 fell in the toilet. Yes, you read that correctly. It slid right out of my pant pocket into the toilet. Funny as it may sound I have been so upset about it. I mean how am I going to wake up in the morning if I don't have an alarm? How can I possibly feel connected without my social media feeds? What if my email inbox explodes? What is the weather going to be? I mean really though, what if the world ends and I missed it? 

Seriously, how crazy does that sounds? Do we even realize how much we rely on those little devices? I mean it has become a part of us, and I am no different. Thursday was my first day without a cell phone in years and on top of that we were flying to NYC. Just navigating the airport I felt lost without my mobile device. In that short time alone, I realized I spend my whole day with that little shiny, rectangular device attached to my hand. Seriously though, I mean if it's not there with me I tend to have a panic attack. 

But what I've begun thinking about is, why. Why does all of my energy, excitement, and anxiety go toward this one thing that doesn't even have a soul? Do we realize how much time we waste on our marriages, families, friendships, and the community around us, simply by having our noses buried in these devices? 

I have really begun evaluating just how much time I spend on my phone simply by watching those around me.  Now that I'm without one, I realize just how much others are on them.  

I recently read Lara Casey's, Make It Happen, (side note: I'll be sharing lots of little takeaways from the book here in the next few weeks) and let me tell you I had some major conviction about time wasters. One of the things Lara highlights is social media and the practical ways we can set boundaries in order to lead more intentional lives and build stronger relationships. 

In reading through Lara's book and listening to a recent sermon from Matt Chandler on women, social media and comparison, I realized I need to take a hold of this problem and really give the reigns back to God. I can't live an intentional life and build flourishing relationships when my face is buried in a phone. I also realize that perfection isn't a reality, but with all the promos I see in my email inbox, the more fashion bloggers I follow, the perfect homes, children and dinners I see, I tend to forget that it's all a facade, it's not always reality, sometimes is it, but most often it isn't. 

To be honest it's exhausting. And I need to unplug, put the phone in the other room and re-connect with what matters, the people, the gifts and the talents God has given me! 

I won't lie, I'm still eager to get my phone replaced (my old iphone 4 is my temporary replacement, mind you it's not new but at least I'm still mobile) but in the meantime, I feel God working on my heart nudging me to be more intentional with my time and my relationships, even being more proactive and intentional about working toward my dreams. The only thing hindering me from better relationships and a better life for myself and my family is me and what I choose to spend my time and energy on.

I'm committing this year to be more intentional. To do my best to not spend all my time on my phone, to unplug when I'm with my husband, to put my phone away at dinner and not bring it into our bedroom and to be intentional about taking some social media free weekends. 

I know I won't be perfect at it, but the least I can do is try.

A New Year + New Goals for 2015

So we are officially 6 days in to the New Year! I hope everyone was able to take a little time off to enjoy the holidays with family and friends! We had a wonderful Christmas (we're not done yet, we'll be celebrating our 3rd Christmas in Connecticut in just a few days) but it felt good to see family and spend some time reflecting and preparing for the year ahead.

The hubby and I had a coffee date this past weekend and really dove in deep to identify what worked for us last year and what didn't, then we discussed what goals we have for our family in the coming year. Lots of good stuff there folks! This was our first time goal setting at the beginning of the year for our family, but my hope is that it will help bring us together to focus on the things that matter. 

I hope you'll continue following along on our journey, we are sure to have pretty big year here!

As for me, I'm still working on my long-term goals, but I wanted to go ahead and share a few things I'm working on in January.

I love the new year, it feels like a fresh start. I had a lot of learnings personally last year and lot that I felt didn't work for me, but I'm thankful God's mercies are new every day and every day He gives us the opportunity to start new, so that's just what I'm doing. I've also been reading Lara Casey's new book, Make It Happen. And I have to say, I've been so encouraged by her testimony and the story of how she has gotten to where she is today. More on that to come but below are a few of the goals I have for this beautiful new month!

January Goals:
- Enjoy time with family in NYC and Connecticut!
- Clear the cutter (thanks Lara for encouraging this! More details on this to come, but here is what this looks like this month)
            - clear email inbox 
            - set social media boundaries
            - clean out purse
            - clean out car
            - clean out closet
- Find a new apt/rental home in Houston area
- Put our home in New Mexico on the market to sell

Image Credit: Shay Cochrane

A New Morning Routine + My Reading List

Not too long ago I read this post by Nancy Ray. She talks about how she starts her day by quieting her heart, spending time with the Lord and simply enjoying peace before jumping in head on to her day.

Like Nancy, I too can become easily overwhelmed and stressed, but stress and anxiety are not how I want my life to be defined. In an effort to change this pattern I decided a couple of months ago to give this new morning routine a try. I am so glad I did. It may sound crazy but it is really something I look forward to now every morning. While I still enjoy sleeping in occasionally on the weekends, there is something so peaceful about a quiet home, a warm cup of coffee, a cozy blanket, the Bible and a good book.

I have always loved reading, but was simply never able to make time during the day to sit down and enjoy a good book. However, with this new routine, I've given myself time to first and foremost spend time in the Word, whether it's simply reading a book or passage, or doing work for one of the two Bible studies I'm participating in. After that I get out my journal and write out at least three things I'm thankful for. This really helps bring perspective to my life and reminds me just how blessed I am. I think we often forget that and it's such a great way to look back and really thank God for what he has done and given us.

Lastly, I spend 10-20 minutes reading whatever book I'm in at the time. While I love fiction books, I decided recently to spend more time reading books that will help me grow and learn. So I've been reading more books on business, finance, spiritual and physical growth. I love that I feel like I'm learning so much!

Here are the books I've read over the past 2 months:

EntreLeadership - Dave Ramsey

Women of the Word - Jen Wilkin

The Meaning of Marriage - Tim Keller

Love Does - Bob Goff

Good to Great - Jim Collins

November Goals

Can you believe it is November already?! The holidays are knocking at my door. We have had a pretty busy fall again this year, but as always I'm excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas. In fact, I'm hoping that my goals will help keep me on track so I can not only begin implementing new routines but ultimately so that I can enjoy what matters most during the holidays; family and relationship with others.

I'm sharing my goals with everyone as way to keep myself accountable. I have a lot of big, scary, and crazy exciting things in the works and while I often feel silly sharing them here on my little blog, doubting myself, my creativity and my ability, but I'm learning to be bold again by simply being vulnerable.

Here are my goals for November:

- Revisit my guest room/office decor (I've been saying this for months and finally feel like I've got a more solid direction about where I should go with it as far as organization and decor)
- blog at least 3 times per week (if I'm being totally transparent, I'm obviously not doing well here, but giving myself grace and room to grow)
- organize linen closet
- take family photos for holiday cards
- purchase holiday cards
- create 2 more products for my etsy shop (yup, you ready that right! eeeeekkk! So excited to share more as this evolves!)
- sip on a pumpkin spice latte with my love


What are some of your goals this month?

Photo courtesy of the crazy talented Shay Cochrane

September Goals

Can you believe it is already September? Seriously, where did the summer go? Well I don't know about you but here in Houston, I am welcoming fall with open arms, as long as it brings in some cooler air! While it was a bit late this summer, the heat and humidity finally reared it's head and if you aren't indoors in the blasting arctic AC then you should be in a pool.

August, was busy as usual, but I'm so thrilled that I've started focusing on monthly goals because it's keeping me on track to really focusing on things that matter most to me. While I wasn't able to finish a lot of my August goals, I can say, I am well on my way and I am excited for September. Not only do I love the fall, but this new months gives me a new opportunity to finish up Augusts goals and begin new ones! It's not about perfection people, it's about making strides that will help us focus on working towards a life filled with the things that are important to us.

I also want to start sharing things I'm thankful for from the previous months. So here is what happened in August:

- goal setting with the hubby (we both post our goals on the fridge and intentionally share them with one another to help encourage one another)
- a surprise weekend getaway with the Mr. to Austin
- taking more photos - I LOVE taking photos, I've been hauling my camera everywhere and I've been learning so much
- planning upcoming trips/holidays

Those are just a few of the things standing out to me right now, I know there is so much more I could share.

Now for a recap of last months goals and some revised goals for this month. Last month I realized I needed to break out some of my larger goals, like my guest room/office overhaul, into smaller goals to make them feel a bit more attainable so this month I'll be focusing on working towards each of those smaller goals.



August Recap/September Goals


- finish reading "Wheat Belly" 
- read "Women of the Word" by Jen Wilkin and "Smart Money Smart Kids" by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze- finish pantry overhaul and reorganization
- do 5 things that create a cleaner more "honest" home (I recently read Jessica Alba's "The Honest Life" and was encouraged to make a few changes in our home, more on that in a post coming soon).
- guest room/office overhaul 
        - create an inspiration board
        - save for and purchase bedding
        - save for an purchase accessories- do at least one photo shoot a week to work on styling and overall skill
- continue working out 5 days per week: including weight lifting, one class, yoga and running
- make 80% of meals at home

A Weekend Getaway - Austin Edition

A few weeks ago my husband surprised me with a weekend getaway to Austin. Our schedules have been almost polar opposite lately so we hadn't seen each other much and date nights were few and far between so he decided to plan a quick overnight trip for the two of us on a weekend that worked for both of our schedules.

While it was just a quick trip, it was exactly what we needed. Time together.

We drove about 2.5 hours to Austin and spent the day at Barton Springs. I'm going to be super honest, it's a little weird to see a spring, enclosed like a pool in the middle of Austin, but was a lot of fun. And for the few dollars it cost us to get it in, it was so worth it!

After spending a few hours out in the sun, we stopped at a favorite spot for many locals, Sno Beach. It's a little snow cone food truck in a random parking lot! I can't tell you how long it had been since I've enjoyed a snow cone but it was the perfect way to cool off in the 100 degree heat.

For dinner that evening we went to another well known Austin destination, Moonshine Patio, known for their classic American comfort food. Let me tell you, if you haven't eaten here, you should! They have the most quaint atmosphere built in an old home, and they have tons of outdoor patio space. You sip on drinks from mason jars, snack on spicy popcorn and savor the jalapeño cheddar cornbread! We ordered the Moonshine "Corndog" Shrimp with honey mustard blueberry swirl as an appetizer and I ordered the Cornflake Fried Chicken Salad and the Mr. ordered the Seared Rainbow Trout. It was all amazing!

On Monday, we woke up early, grabbed a quick breakfast and made a 40 minute drive to Hamilton Pool, not too far from Dripping Springs, Texas. Hamilton Pool was probably my favorite place all weekend. We arrived early enough that we decided to go for a short hike to Padernales River first before the heat set in. We were the first guests to arrive at the river that day so we enjoyed the peaceful sound of the running water. It was perfect! The water at the deepest was only about waist deep so we were able to wade out to the middle of the river and hang out on some large rocks and take in the view. 

We spent the rest of the our time at Hamilton Pool. Again, if you haven't been you should definitely go. The pool is surrounded by a collapsed canyon and has a 50-foot waterfall. The park limits the number of guests allowed in to maintain the natural surroundings, so get there early to avoid the 1.5 hour wait in your car!

Overall the trip was amazing, it was great to get away from the hustle and bustle of life and enjoy nature and catching up with my sweet hubby!