Life

May Goals

Filed Under: Goals, Life

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I can’t believe another month has already gone, and we’re starting May. May is a big month for our family. We celebrate a birthday, an anniversary, and we wrap up a school year. I don’t have any huge goals for this month, but it’s nice to put some of these things in writing so they don’t sneak up on me in the midst of adjusting to life with three kiddos.

1. Read 2 books. I am planning to read All the Light We Cannot See and Nobody’s Cuter Than You.

2. Celebrate Hayes’s 4th birthday. My sweet boy is having a ninja turtle party this weekend with his friends, but we also need to have a mini family fiesta on his actual birthday on Tuesday. My little Cinco de Mayo baby!

3. Celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary. Todd and I haven’t gone on a date night since James Walker was born, but I’d like to get out and do it this month now that James Walker is sleeping about 10 hours at night. We’ve been married for 7 years and it’s a big thing to celebrate!

4. Celebrate Hudson’s kindergarten graduation. Oh I can’t believe this year is almost over. Hudson will have a sweet little graduation ceremony, they do a small play, and then there’s a reception.

5. Clean out toys before summer break. I want to have a nice little toy purge so that we’ve removed some of the clutter before summer starts and the boys are here all day.

6. Get deeper into Influence work. The conference planning is starting to pick up and I’m finding a nice little rhythm a few mornings every week to get things done. So this month I just want to continue that and stay on track.

7. Make progress on baby books. This one is back on the goals list because I didn’t do anything with it this month. I just need to take a naptime and do it!

8. Plan Hudson’s 6th birthday. I just need to set a date, he needs to decide what he wants to do, and we need to send out some invitations.

What are your plans and goals for the month?

Books I Read in April

Filed Under: Books, Life

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I’ve hopped back on the reading train, y’all, and it feels so good! I had a goal to read one book in April and I did that and even read more.

So, I really read two of these books in February/March and two in April, but never blogged about books I read in February or March. So here’s what I’ve read in the past few months.

The Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner

This is a great book for women who have passions and want to find time to practice them. Or maybe you don’t have passions, but you are craving time to yourself. It’s all about utilizing those pockets of time that are often wasted and using them to do something you love. As moms, I think we’ve all felt like a little piece of us is lost and we can even forget who we used to be before we were moms. It’s so great to have hobbies like running or scrapbooking or going to Bunco or just seeing a movie with friends. And this book encourages us to find the time to make those things happen. I loved it and felt so refreshed when I finished it.

Make It Happen by Lara Casey

Okay, gather up your girlfriends, give them all a copy of this book, and meet once a week to discuss the chapters and worksheets. And then do it again next year. Seriously. This book is full of meat! And it’s not about making your dreams happen. Or making a ton of money. Or being successful. It’s about making what matters most in life happen. It’s not a guide to being the best or the biggest. It’s good, life-giving, full of grace stuff. I highly recommend it! Watch this video and you’ll see why I loved it so much.

The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty

Okay, so on to the fiction part of the post. I am a huge Liane Moriarty fan and this book wasn’t my favorite. There were times when I couldn’t put it down and times that I had to make myself read it. It would speed up and then slow way down. And it’s kind of a long book. I think it could have been seriously condensed. It was entertaining, a little different in a Liane Moriarty kind of way, but it just didn’t click for me. I finished it and I’m glad I did, but not my favorite.

Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Now this book? I couldn’t put it down. And I didn’t. It’s a little mystery, a little thriller, a little suspense, and a little bit of chick lit. But only chick lit because it’s the kind of thrilled that naturally appeals to a woman because it’s written from a woman’s perspective. It did remind me of Gone Girl just because of the pace and the suspense. Anyway…. I highly recommend it!

What have you been reading? If you want to see all the books I’ve read, you can look at the Bookshelf category on my blog or you can follow me on Goodreads.

what’s up in April

Filed Under: Life

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I can’t believe this month is almost over already. Here’s what we’ve been up to.

What I’m reading…

My full “What I Read in April” post is coming tomorrow, so stay tuned for that!

What I’m watching…

Dancing With the Stars. I’m really loving this season and I’m so sad that Willow went home last night. But I’m to the point where I enjoy watching everyone dance. We’re also watching The Good Wife and Scandal. Next month I’m going to start watching Bloodline on Netflix. I love Eric Taylor…errrr Kyle Chandler.

What I’m listening to…

I’m loving Kelly Clarkson’s “Heartbeat Song,” Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance With Me,” and Lauren Daigle’s “How Can It Be?”

What I’m cooking…

The crock pot is my best friend right now and anything that is a “one pot dish” is right up my alley. This month, I’ve made this chili mac, these pork carnitas, and an oldie but goodie… chicken Santa Fe.

What I’m wearing…

I’m obsessed with the AG Prima jeans in white and jetsetter washes. The rise is perfect and they’re so comfy on this postpartum body. I’ve been wearing those with tunics just about every day.

What we’ve been up to…

Lots of soccer and baseball and doing everything in 3-hour chunks of time because of James Walker’s eating schedule. The days are flying by! But they are fun days. We’re soaking up our time outside before it gets really really hot.

What I’m working on…

The Influence Conference! Eep! I’ve really loved working again and the hours and setting are perfect for my family. Some days it’s hard to find a quiet minute to work because James Walker is “off” or we’re running to something for Hudson and Hayes. But I love planning events and this has just been such a sweet thing in my life.

What I’m doing this weekend…

It’s our anniversary this weekend and we’re having Hayes’s Ninja Turtle birthday party this weekend. In addition to attending other birthday parties and going to soccer and baseball games. And my mom is coming for a couple of days because Todd will be gone. All exciting stuff!

I’m linking up with Shay, Sheaffer and Mel for What’s Up Wednesday!

April Goals

Filed Under: Goals, Life

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1. Begin working on James Walker’s baby book

And, frankly, I need to update and finish Hudson’s and Hayes’s baby books, too. Oh man. I’m really far behind, but thankfully all of the information I need is in their monthly blog posts that I did when they were babies. I ordered James Walker’s book from Way Cool Designs and used the buffalo check from his nursery as the cover fabric. I also got a Joyful Beginnings Journal from Printed Ink Designs for me to keep up with daily and monthly things that James Walker is up to.

2. Create a daily schedule for me

As I’m learning how to adjust to our new normal and I’m coming out of the newborn fog, I need to get a better handle on the things that have to get done every day, the things that I want to get done every day, and what needs to happen for each kiddo every day. Just basic household management stuff, mostly, but I also need to set aside specific times each day to work on the Influence Conference and respond to emails relating to the conference. This means James Walker will need to take at least one nap in his crib every day and I can’t hold him all day like I’d like to! (Wink wink)

3. Clean out my closet

Don’t worry- I’m not going to get drastic and get rid of all of my pre-baby clothes because they don’t fit right now. But I do have a lot of clutter in my closet and a lot of things I haven’t worn in a few years, so in the spirit of nesting and Spring cleaning, I need to do a little clean out.

4. Set a date for and plan Hayes’s birthday party

My sweet boy is no longer the baby of the family and he’s about to turn 4 on May 5! So much of me wants to just do a family party for him, but he’s SO into his friends and birthdays this year that I know it would mean so much to him to have a party with his buds. We’ll likely go somewhere and do an activity he loves… I just need to set it all up.

5. Read one book

I usually just scroll through Facebook and Instagram while I’m nursing in the middle of the night, but I miss reading. And I’m finally able to concentrate on something for more than 20 minutes at a time. (Anesthesia side effects seem to rob me of my ability to focus.) So I’m ready to start reading again after a little hiatus. I’m going to start with the goal of reading one book this month. (You can click on this link to see all of my book review posts if you’re interested.)

Those are my goals for the month. How are all of you? What are your plans for April?

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