April 2019 goals
This was a strange month, if you look at the update on my March goals below… I was only able to fully check off one of the nine goals I set, but I made much more progress than it seems! I moved the ball forward on each of them, again proving to myself that setting these little-by-little goals is worth it, even when I don’t get the glory of a big fat checkmark :)
On my calendar this month:
— Celebrating Holy Week and Easter with our church family (and filling Easter baskets)
— A cousin visit to the zoo (the perfect halfway point between Charlotte and us!)
— Rooftop yoga with Lisa
— Trying a Zumba class for the first time!!! (It’s entirely possible it will be me and a gaggle of 50-year-olds but I happen to love 50-year-olds so I’m totally fine with that.)
What I’m loving right now:
— Sometimes, I find reminders about children and the fleetingness of time more painful than helpful, but I enjoyed this low-key perspective.
— I have no idea what the situation with phones and kids will be when our kids are old enough for it to be an issue, but I completely disagree that a smart phone is necessary for a 15-, 13-, or 11-year-old. So does this gal, and I love it.
— We made this Shepherd’s Pie recipe by Alton Brown for St. Patrick’s Day. Put it on your menu for next year (or before that!).
What I read in April:
— Ogre Enchanted: Ella Enchanted was one of my very favorite books growing up, so I had to pick up this companion novel. It was enjoyable, though much more so in the second half once they introduced some characters from the original book!
Revisiting my March goals:
Cull and sort 2018, 2016, and 2015 iPhone photos (major progress – I finished 2015 and 2016!!)
Go on an inaugural family bike ride (postponing this until Shep is a bit older!)
Arrange for a vapor barrier to be installed (estimates have been made, now we just need to book a service)
Sell our old rug (listed for sale various places but no bites yet!)
Set a camping date for late summer/early fall (in progress)
Paint a few of our living room gallery wall frames (painted and then decided the color was too dark – and then bought a lighter shade)
Explore Squarespace for our new church site
Buy a preschool devotional
Rearrange and organize the loft (major progress!!)
April goals:
— Cull and sort 2018, 2014, and 2013 iPhone photos
— Go on an evening walk every day it’s possible
— Repaint gallery wall frames
— Print a photo for our mantel frame
— Add a few more plants to our back bed
— Plant our vegetable garden
As a reminder, many of the goals above are drawn from my 2019 goals!
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Thank you so much for the post about social media use and phones! I had no idea! I really hope the tide turns in tone for our kids. Do you have thoughts on technology and screen time use for the toddler and elementary school years as welll? Hoping to opt out for as long as possible. I’ve heard that in some communities the pressure to play group online games starts early…
Heck yes, I do! :) I wrote a little bit about screen time and our kiddos here (https://emformarvelous.com/how-we-do-it-organizing-our-kiddos/), but am probably due for another post. As Erin said below, there is strength in numbers! If we want things to be a certain way for our kids, I think that starts with each of us!
We are also installing a vapor barrier (in our basement), but I think we’re going to do it ourselves! A little nervous, but hopefully all will go smoothly.
I have heard it’s not too hard as long as you’re not squeamish about going into your crawl space! This is one of those scenarios where it’s worth it for me to pay someone even though we could conceivably do it ourselves :)
Can’t wait for rooftop yoga!!
I read that kids and smart phones article a few weeks ago and it resonated with me too. This is another one of my favorites on the subject, in case you haven’t seen it: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/twelve-tips-for-parenting-in-the-digital-age The stairstep tip was new to us and we definitely plan to implement it. Also encouraging, our babysitter is 15 and doesn’t have a phone, so it is totally possible…I kind of wanted to high five her parents when I found out, ha! (Obviously, she is only our babysitter when I’m working at home since we don’t have a landline :))
I had not seen that article, and couldn’t love it more! His last paragraph is so powerful. I had had his book on my TBR list and am now moving it up!
I ended up buying my 11 year old a flip phone (15 years ago) for emergencies because she babysat after school and the family didn’t have a landline and she took the kids out for walks. I think it depends on the child and after school activities and such.
Yes! I’m pretty sure I got a flip phone when I started high school, or maybe got my learner’s permit. To me, a flip phone is a completely different animal than a smart phone, and totally appropriate in the high school years!
I enjoyed the smartphone article. We will not be giving our young children smartphones either… I love what she said about strength in numbers!
Do you have a link to the new rug you posted to Instagram a while back? I thought it was so pretty! Thanks!
Yes!! I loved that so much. I think it’s on us to actively have conversations with our neighbors and friends and the parents of our children’s friends, pushing back when we hear the message that they “have” to get their kid a smartphone.
Thank you so much! Here’s the rug: https://safavieh.com/rugs/carmel/car276c
Thank you so much for sharing this article! I have thought a lot about how we will handle this in the future.
You and me both, sister :)
I’m child-free at the moment, but love reading articles on how others choose to incorporate tech in their families. It’s good to store for the future and mold my personal use. For those are interested in kid-friendly technology, a local Raleigh company actually has a product called Relay. It’s a screen-free phone that operates like a walkie-talkie. Kids press a button and can listen to pre-loaded music or call pre-loaded contacts. https://relaygo.com/. I think this is a really great product that compromises the need for communication/independence, but guards the safety of little ones.
Wow, so cool that Relay Go is based in Raleigh! I LOVE what they’re doing, and it’s totally what I would get if June were, say, in sixth grade right now!
Always love reading your goals Em – and have the happiest Easter!
My April goals: http://ellieloveblog.co.za/2019/04/april-goals-4.html