Happy New Year: Goals {2019}

I look into the mirror trying to avoid looking to see if the lines around my eyes are becoming more prevalent. But where else is the to deflect my gaze as I was my hands in the sink? My countertop in the bathroom is a cluttered mess. The mirror itself is covered in water droplets. I could list a handful of other things not right in that room

After all. It is the new year. Time for reflection. Time for rejuvenation. Time to start over fresh. Resolve to make changes. Resolve to be better.

How often do we set New Years Resolutions without the follow through? 

Why do we think so negatively about making resolutions?

They really are just goals. Things to make happen during the course of the year. Goals for the success of one kind or another.  

I look into the mirror at my reflection. The lines aren't too bad, yet. My pants still barely fit, but I did just have a baby 4 months ago. It's ok.

There is nothing wrong with making goals. There are things I want to do in my house and in my life. I can call them resolutions, but I think I will call these my goals for this year. 

I know, I did just share my One Word for this year, with you. I do still need to work on that, and Rest is my focus for this year. Both Mentally and Emotionally. Physically, there are things that I have been wanting to get done.

Somewhere along the way, I have come across people who have said it's not enough to just create the goal. You need to create a situation to help you achieve it. Seriously, as a writer of IEP (individualized education plans) for students, I should know this. Goals were a big part of those documents. SMART (simple, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goals are prevalent all over the internet.

1. Lose the baby weight

     I have at least 20 pounds I would like to shed. I have pants I would like to fit into without having to spend money on more.

     I will do crunches/some kind of core workout in the morning, at home, after drop off 2 days a week.

     I will walk the sidewalk path at the school after drop off the other 2 days a week.

2. Finish writing my novel

    My NaNoWriMo story from 2017. It's sitting in my brain and I need to finish it.

    I'm about halfway through it. I plan to write 500 words a week. I should be done by the end of the year.

3. Get out of Debt

     As long as we stick the budget, we should have it paid off within the year! I've been saying this for years. Things come up and the budget gets shot. Once a month I need to include Brandon in the budget building and maintain it every paycheck.

4. Minimize Toys

     with the kids getting older (how is my oldest 8 already?!) The toys need to be gone through. I'd rather have this done fast. like a band-aid. But, I also want them to make the decisions.

     We are working on getting the girls to share a room, and in order for their things to be easily moveable, they need to pair them down quite a bit. I'm hoping to use the third room as a transition room. As Elias gets older he may share a room with his brother for a little while and the girls can have a break from each other then they can switch. We will see how that goes. But there is too much already. Quite a bit of it they have outgrown.

     The first Saturday of the month we will pick a category and go through either konmari style or practicality.

5. Minimize sewing supplies

     I have way more than I need and what I can actually use.

     No new fabric or supplies without purpose. It needs to be an immediate project.

     1st Friday of the month the husband has off from work, this will be my opportunity (when he isn't on overtime) to be able to take some time and work on my own things.

6. reestablish routines

     Cleaning schedule - 30 minutes a day

     Laundry Rotation
     Dishes and sweeping of floors every night

When you create goals for yourself, how to you go about seeing them through?

Happy New Year: My One Word {2019}

Another Morning. The sun has not yet fully risen. It's light is casting a glow in the sky as it starts creeping up to rise above the mountains. The baby is starting to fuss in the bassinet by the bed, hunger and the need for a diaper change have woken him up.  I can hear the kids clamoring in the kitchen, their noises of excitement for the new day growing louder as the baby's cries increase. After all, there is no need for them to be quiet now that he is awake.

A quick glance through the blinds have proven to me, it did happen. It has been years since the last time. I poke my fingers between two of the metal strips and separate them to see better. The ground is blanketed in white. It snowed. Our desert ground, the cacti, and trees are covered in snow. The children, in an excited rush, start grabbing layer upon layer of clothing items just so they can go outside and play in the ice.

We live in the desert and a winter blanket of snow is not something we see very often. It had been 4 years since we last saw snow. It is an ordeal to get dressed just to spend 30 minutes in the stuff. The kids may have grabbed their layers. But it was coupled with grunting and screaming and crying because "the pants are too tight" or "I can't get my pants off" when they came back inside. Never mind they put their socks over the leggings they were wearing under their pants, and they had neglected to remove those prior to the removal of the leggings. By the end of it, I was exhausted and had no desire to finish the rest of the day.

Most days seem similar to the excited rush and frustrating ending to playing in the snow. I am either in the excited rush getting ready to get things done or am frustrated as I try to peel the layers and straighten up after whatever happened to take place. The in-between goes by so fast it seems it might not have even happened. Those things that should be so fun leave me stressed to get ready for it and stressed in the aftermath cleanup.

So much stress for a short amount of fun.

so. much. stress.

remember. to rest.

Spend the time before and after to rest.

With the clamoring and excited rush to go outside in the snow, I forgot to take a moment of rest and peace so I was able to fully enjoy the gift presented us on the new year. Being a desert dweller and really not getting to experience the snow, let alone 2 days in a row like we had the 1st and 2nd days of 2019, I needed to take a few moments to see it as the gift it was. I have never woken, ever, 2 days in a row with snow on the ground. What an amazing gift for my children, 2 of whom had never seen snow before that week.

Coming into the house, shoes, and pants soaked from snow angels and throwing snowballs, hot cocoa was just the thing to warm the children's little bodies. A cup of coffee was just the thing I needed as I sat with them and reflected on the events of a morning of playing in the snow.

Rest for me is not just about sitting and sipping coffee, but about a reconnection. I have missed participating in bible studies. I have missed the lessons, the thoughts and the connection gained through those studies. I need to take the time out for prayer and praise, which in the last few years has gone to the wayside.

I was searching before the snow fell upon the ground for what others have said about rest and I came across Matthew 11: 28-30. I had read it time and again, but this was written in the message translation and it struck me as different. Yes, rest is the word for this year.

Happy New Year: Resolution and Goals {Welcome 2016}

First off...

Happy New Year!!!

Last year ended. It was a whirlwind of a year. So much going on, so many new things.. And now a fresh start. A new year to make it better. To make things better, easier, more. A time to plan and prepare and become intentional about living.

I shared last years goals and how I did with meeting them (you can read about that here), and there was a lot I set out to accomplish without success. There was a lot I did accomplish that wasn't on the list, but they were surprises. And yet, with everything that happened last year I kept getting that little whisper in my ear, "you need to be intentional". I didn't understand but as the year progressed I became more aware...

Be Intentional...

Intentional about my time with my husband. We have to schedule the time to be together. We need to remember to be intentional about our love towards each other. Day to day becomes monotonous and we become jaded. We need to be intentional with our interaction with each other and the direction we wish our relationship to go (you know, into old age).

Intentional about my time with my kids. How many times have I set out to start preschool with little man only to have it thrown to the wayside? How many good intentions are cut short only because I didn't make time for it or just let it slide? I love my kids and I know they know it. But I need to be more intentional in my time I spend with them.

Intentional about my time for myself. No more feeling guilty when I ask my husband to watch the kids so I can take an evening out with the ladies. I laugh at that because that is hard not to feel. He says I shouldn't feel guilty. But, I do. I need to be more intentional with the free time I get when I do get it. Scheduling that free time into my day, my week, my months. I need to schedule that time in for Brandon too. A family I look to as a roll model in this takes every Saturday and trades. One Saturday is mom's, next is dad's, then it's the family day and starts all over the fourth Saturday. I love that idea!

This all boils down to planning. I need to be intentional in my planning. Living intentionally requires some intentional planning. A lot of intentions, a lot of being intentional, right? But it seems necessary to be successful. Successful in relationships, successful in meeting goals, successful in life.

So starts my list of goals for the year...

1. Planning. I have a planner. I intend to plan out my weeks and months. I hope that this makes things run smoother, if not easier. At least I can look to what is happening. I am not looking to throw a whole year into the planner all at once, but a few months in advance. With the baby being due in a few weeks and little man starting school, it will be more necessary to keep things straight.

2. Getting out of debt. We want a life without being strapped down by credit. No more credit card bills, no more owing money and having so much of the paycheck go towards things that we borrowed money to buy. Sad thing is? I can't even remember what those things were! Being able to set aside money for the things that are going to need to be replaced soon, like a new dinning table, washing machine, Christmas tree. We can't get those things until after that credit debt is gone. And as my son breaks another chair I can only imagine how much sooner we are going to need another table and what we can do in the mean time while we can't get one...

3. Finish the KonMari Purge. I need to establish a timeline for this one, but I am hoping to finish all of it by August. That gives me 8 months and I am already into the Kimono (miscellaneous stuff). I am thinking I might want to start over with the clothes after the baby has arrived and I have gotten closer to pre-baby body.

4. Establish my Capsule wardrobe. I took some time off the wardrobe because I was limited my clothes once I started getting bigger. I'm down to 1 skirt, 1 leggings, 2 pairs of pants that fit, 4 long sleeve shirts, 2 '3/4' sleeved shirts and 3 short sleeve. This is maternity wear, the leggings don't match a thing, one long sleeve shirt really only works under things but doesn't match with the colors in the short sleeves... My wardrobe is a mess. I may need to start figuring things out for nursing anyway! 4 more weeks!

5. Read. I have totally met a goal of 24 books this year and read 27 (Goodreads is awesome for this). I am thinking of joining the BookRiot Read Harder Challenge this year and upping my number to 30. In 2013 my goal was 20 and I read 23, so I think I can do it! :)

6. Establish a day for family and independent time, like what my friend does. It might take some husband coercion, but even if it takes most the year. I think I need the time. I haven't had a day in a long time. Rushing to the grocery store and back doesn't count.

7. Health. I need to take care of myself better... I need to drink 8 glasses of water a day, sleep 8 hours a night and not skip any meals.

8. Crafting/sewing. Finish a few more of my WIPs! More specifically those quilts taking up space in the craft room what is to be the baby's room. I need to get back into the FAL for next year. There last few quarters have been sadly lacking. You can check out my current list here. If I finish each one in a month, then I can finish by the end of May. I'm thinking more August/September though for the one where the top is started but not finished.

Let me hear from you:
What are your goals for this year?

Reflection: 2015 Resolutions and Goals Revisited

At the beginning of the year I wrote the post Happy New Year: Welcome 2015 (New Year's Resolutions - Goals). I wanted to go back and see how I did, reflect on the year. What better way to decide where to go next year than by looking at the past year; and, of course, so I don't repeat mistakes and unachievable goals. Right?

My 2015 Goals:

1. Selling Handmade/ Handcrafted Items

2. Design and sell foundation paper pieced patterns

3. working towards becoming debt free

4. Buy a bigger car

5. don't skip meals

6. Sleep 8 hours a night

How'd I do?

1. I decided against the clothing aspect. I have no interest in the compliance and all other hoops to jump through in order to sell. I respect and appreciate those that do. It is too much time, money and stress for me. At least I am honest.
Do I still want to make quilts and bags to sell? Yes! Do they have compliance laws? I have no idea, and I guess it would be something to look into. But, with the new baby that probably will not take place this year.

2. I have not listed more than my Arizona Flag on Craftsy. My laptop died. We got a chromebook. Excuses/excuses... I need to work on that one some more. I still have an alphabet that I was working on, but again not something this next year, or at least immediately.

3. Working towards debt free. I have no idea how to share this with you without giving a ton of (too much, not necessary?) info. We got more than halfway there. Then, the credit cards started getting used again and... Well... That went out the window. We got back on about a halfway through the year, then stopped again because of the baby. Budgeting helps. It is necessary. We live paycheck to paycheck at this point. Is it ok? Sure. The end goal will happen. Projected time frame? 2 years. Eek. But hey, it's something. As long as we can keep things under control, stick to the budget and not stray, we can probably finish faster.

4. Buy a bigger car. How can one save up if your paying down debt? You can't. It doesn't work. You can't do both at the same time. End result? We now need a new car, thanks to beautiful baby #3 due in 5 weeks, and not much to use towards it. Oops. But, our little girl is totally worth it. I look forward to holding her, and seeing her daddy and brother and sister with her!

5. don't skip meals. I haven't been tracking it. I can't tell you how many I have skipped. I know it's a lot.

6. Sleep 8 hours a night. Yeah, not tracked. but I am usually in bed by 9 and sleep until about 5:30/6... Maybe with 1 or two wake ups in there... That's about 8 hours. I can't function without it. And I usually nap about an hour every day too. Will I keep it up after baby? we'll see...

Reflection and Application:
Somethings that I set out to accomplish were... reasonable... but not extremely realistic for me. But, Live and learn, yes? I have a list of things that I need to replace which wont happen until after the debt is paid, but at least I have learned that lesson and a lot focuses around the budget/debt aspect of goals.

I'm in the process of writing my goals for next year and trying to keep in mind keeping them SMART. I learned that in college for planning IEP Goals. You would think I would have kept that in mind for myself too. But, the more you do it the better you get at it. But, so many people reference that in yearly, monthly, daily goal setting.

I am thinking planning is a big one for next year. A way to document and track how I am doing towards goals. I need to figure out a way to measure them...

Let me hear from you!
Did you make goals last year? Did you meet them? How do you monitor your progress throughout the year?

2015: Year in Review {Round Up}

I have not posted in over a month? Things have been crazy with the holidays! Parties, my little guy turning 5, Thanksgiving and Christmas! And soon, the New Year will be here! But, I wanted to share with you your favorite posts with the top views, my favorite posts and say a huge Thank You for reading!

Your Top 10 Favorites

1. Diamond Y Blog Hop: English Paper Piecing

2. May Mystery Challenge: History Theme

3. Building a Capsule Wardrobe: Moving on to the Kids {Boys Printable Wardrobe Planner}

4. Building My Capsule Wardrobe: What I've Learned

5. Tiger Tail Tutorial

6. Mystery Challenge: Black and White

7. Girls Capsule Wardrobe Planner

8. Ethel Tote

9. A Good Pair of Jeans Aren't Sewn in a Day

10 a.Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop Berry Bunch Round Up

10 b. Boys Can Wear Pink

Oh, these were some of my favorite projects! I loved sewing/making/doing each and every single one of them! It has been such a fun year, even though I don't feel I have posted much this year due to the pregnancy.

Here are my top 5 favorites from the past year. They are in no particular order. :)

My Top 5 Favorites

Tea Party Dress

Halloween: Spiderman Themed Costumes

Over in the Forest Jelly Roll Quilt

Clothes for a Baby Shower

Thumbs Up Tee

This last one, more of a reflection on my part had no pageviews at all. It was my first time doing a blog tour on my own. It was fun. I was excited about it, but al around it didn't get much views. I ended up competing with a big time blogger running a similar type tour at the same time (which I had no idea about until after), and I had just gotten back from vacation. I had scheduled the posts ahead of time, but it made promoting the tour a little crazier than I had anticipated. 

Least Views

A Week to Beat the Heat: Round Up

The blog tour was so much fun! The ideas were awesome and I learned a lot about actually doing a blog tour on my own. I have more ideas for blog tours too and really would love to try doing some more. We shall see where this new year takes us!

Thank You!

Thank you for the memories and thank you for reading.

Happy New Year: Welcome 2015 (New Year's Resolutions - Goals)

Happy New Year! Welcome 2015!

I am not one for setting new year's resolutions because I know that I'm not going to keep them. You know, those silly ones...

But, are they really silly? I mean, if we set attainable, measurable goals, who's to say we wont keep them? Here's to making those Resolutions more like Goals we can Keep!

So here are my resolutions...

My first resolution is that I want to start selling handmade (no, Handcrafted as a fellow seamstress, blogger and friend had said). I sent out my first invoice New Years Eve and I have to say that it was exhilarating and exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time! Based on the same conversation from aforementioned friend, I know I can make things, and make them well. But just because I would rather make something than buy it does not mean others feel the same way. The Yoda Inspired Hoodie was a pretty good start, right?

My second New Year's resolution is that I really need to get into action and start getting out some paper pieced patterns I have been working on. I have a bunch of them sitting in a file on my old computer just needing directions written up, tested, corrected, published and listed. I am hoping to get some time to get those out there! I love paper piecing. I even started last year with my Arizona Flag Mug Rug paper pieced pattern on Craftsy.

New Year's resolution number 3 focuses on that Hubby and I have been working on getting debt free. Have you read any of Dave Ramsey's books? SO awe inspiring! I remembered hearing a while ago that in order for the economy to improve people would have to go further into debt. When (at the time) the average American had 14 credit cards and owed thousands, that made no sense to me. It still doesn't make sense to me. I have had people who believed this lie try to explain it. But if I didn't owe hundreds of dollars every month in debt that money could go to business and independent designers and the community. I see that as doing more to improving the economy than my money going to backs that use it to sell more debt. (rant end) But it also helps us here in the now and in the later.

Our 4th is to buy a bigger car. Ok. Maybe this one is shooting more for 2016. But hey, it's a goal to make #3 more enticing right? Besides, it would be so wonderful to be able to car pool in one car rather than take multiple cars. Plus it gives more room.

Now for those ones that seem 'silly', but really they are all about health! 5th is not to skip meals. I think I have been working on this one already, without success. Does coffee count as breakfast and lunch? No? oh... well... Yeah, I need to work on that.

My final big goal for the year... Sleep 8 hours a night. Tonight (if I went to bed now, as in right this minute) it's not gonna happen. Hmm, sew, crochet, sleep? I pick the first two. Sewing uninterrupted by children. Crocheting without littles pulling at the yarn? Wonderful!  Waking up feeling icky and sleep deprived with getting a migraine later, not so wonderful... Darn those consequences... I'll just have to reprioritize my day. After all, we don't need clean dishes to eat off of, right? ;)

These are my big ones.

Tell me: What is your big goal for the year? Or are you like me and do not usually set them?

New Year's resolution or not,
Hope you have a Happy New Year!

2014 Favorites

It has been a crazy year! I made a resolution that iwas going to do more this year and I started off fairly strong. But, sometimes life happens and I needed to focus on family; they needed me. Even though, I think it has been a pretty good year, and I think you, readers, for making it as great as it's been!

I thought it might be fun to jump on and do a review of the year. See what you, readers, visited the most. And also share with you my favorites. It was really hard to pick. I loved how so much of what was done this year turned out!

My favorites

1. Halloween Costume Planning Printable

2. Star Wars look for CraftingCon

3. Trunk or Treat Giant Octopus

4. Lace Cuffed Arm Warmers Tutorial

5. LaLaLoopsy Mittens Fluff and Stuff Birthday Outfit

Your favorites

1. If You Give a Cat a Cupcake: Sprinkle Counting Activity

2. My First Bag: Coraline Clutch

3. Swoon Patterns Coraline Clutch Swap

4. Rabbit Rabbit Creations Infinity Scarf Cardigan

5. Tie Die Diva's Baby Peasant Top

The one that had the least views, probably because I didn't promote it as much. Hmm... A lesson learned perhaps? 

MOPS messenger bag

I have met do many great blogging people this year. They have pushed my sewing ability, to get me to do more. I've met some incredible pattern designers that have given me athe great opportunity to test the patterns. They are all great people. I'm so glad I've gotten to meet them!

One thing I have noticed is I've spent a whole lot of less time on Pinterest. It's hard when friends ask if I've seen stuff, I laugh because I'm just not on it. I also have less time to sew and work on things with baby girl taking one nap a day and little man not taking any. It makes it harder to write up posts, edit writing, take pictures, edit pictures, etc. It's a lot of work, and it's hard to do with so little time!

It's been fun learning and growing, and thank you for coming along for the ride. I look forward to a New Year!

Happy New Year!