Occasionally, one of you will ask me how I come up with my monthly goals. Here’s the short answer: I choose the things that will move me closer to the person I want to be, the family I want to have, the life I want to live, and the legacy I want to leave. I try to make sure they make sense with the season, the sequence of where I am in the project or process (i.e. what is the next logical step), and what else I have on my plate and calendar for the month.
The breaking-it-down part comes fairly easily to me; what might be the better and bigger question is how I choose the direction I want to go. The short answer for that is my annual PowerSheets Prep Work, a series of guided questions that lead me to my yearly goals. Once I know where I’m going, the getting there becomes easier – and usually fun :)
P.S. A heads-up that I updated a few recent posts: my maternity planning post with thoughts on the dresses I ordered, and the road trip post with thoughts from our Jekyll Island trek!
On my calendar this month: — Mother’s Day! — Picking all the strawberries! Our local pick-your-own farm opened last week and we’ve already been for our inaugural after-school trip. — A weekend trip to Charlottesville with my brother- and sister-in-law, loved ones we haven’t seen in a year and a half. — June’s preschool graduation celebration, which my parents will get to attend!
What I’m loving right now: — This kids’ conditioner is cheap and has worked wonders on untangling June’s hair after washing! Highly recommended. — The Feel Good Classics playlist on Spotify (“happy tunes from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s) most definitely makes me feel good. — We’re using one of these acrylic frames to showcase a baby sister ultrasound photo, and now I’m imagining all of the other sweet mementos they’d be perfect to hold! Just what you need for those oddly-shaped or sized items that can add so much meaning to a mantel or table-top display.
What I read in April: — The Dutch House | Five stars, for exquisitely-painted characters and spaces alike. This is the kind of narrative that is all-consuming, in the sense that you almost forget where you are and the people around you when you dip into its pages. I’ve heard the audiobook, narrated by Tom Hanks, is absolutely superb. — Women of the Word | This short book is very practical and very needed if you’re someone like me, who was never formally taught to read the Bible. Her suggestions are easy to understand, but now I’m left trying to figure out how to apply them in my life, because they’re certainly more in-depth than I’m used to… — Olive Kitteridge | This Pulitzer-Prize winner promised to be controversial (people seem to either love it or hate it), and when I turned the last page, I still wasn’t exactly sure what to make of it. I appreciated the small-town Maine setting and the carefully-drawn portraits of the townspeople, and thought it was neat how Olive’s influence was woven into each to all different degrees, but it is relentlessly negative. It seemed like the worst possible parts of each character were being highlighted (in most cases), and while the portraits didn’t ring untrue, that’s just not how I’m accustomed to viewing the world.
Revisiting my April goals: Make a new design plan for the Magnolia Room (Done!) Magic Eraser/touch up paint in Magnolia Room (In progress! Have the paint and planning to brush it on this week.) Plan maternity/family photos (Done! They actually happened last night and PRAISE for sunshiny weather!) Try twice a week meal prep/chopping nights, inspired by Lisa! (Didn’t do a single one – going to try again this month!) Have my Fearrington tea + pedicures date with June, one of her Christmas presents (Scheduled for later this month!) Assist with June’s bake sale (Decided to postpone this! She hasn’t mentioned it in a bit, and I’d rather it be driven forward by her :)) Proceed with garden party planning (Plans are underway!) Clean out our pantry (Done! Watch me work on Instagram Stories! :)) Order our 2010-2014 family photo album (I chose MPix and have laid out 2010 so far! There are a lot more pictures to choose from than with the 2005-2009 album, ha!)
May goals: — Order custom roman shades for the Magnolia Room — Clean out the Magnolia Room dresser and closet — Order and hang curtains for our master bedroom — Plan (and maybe hold?) the garden party — Make my Big List for baby girl (Basically, a Google Doc where I’ll list out everything related to baby that needs to happen between now and July – then, I’ll break it down month-by-month. Helps me wrap my head around what can seem like an intimidating list! I’ll make a separate one for work things, too.) — Research EFM book options — Make EFM content plan through Q3 — Camp in our backyard — Prep for trips to Charlottesville and Connecticut — Try again with the meal prep/chopping nights
As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2021 goals!
Whew! That’s a lot, but it’s all things I’m excited for! Since I didn’t do a survey this year, and I’ll be working on content planning this month, I’d love to hear: is there anything you’d like for me to write about, or that you think would make a good topic here?
Every time I tell someone when I’m due (July), they respond, “oh, that’s so soon!” Until just recently, it hasn’t felt that soon to me, but looking ahead to the next few months — which are filled with more activities and adventures than we’ve had in awhile — it is feeling closer and closer! I’m getting both increasingly excited to meet our little lady, and just really enjoying these days as a family of four. There’s so much to look forward to, including everything we have planned for April!
On my calendar this month: — Celebrating Holy Week. For Easter, we’re planning to go to an outdoor service hosted by a friend’s church and do an egg hunt in the backyard since we’ll already have given our baskets! — Our annual camping trip with the Rays, at 28 weeks pregnant for me and about 26 for Nancy! Oh boy. — A trip to the WRAL Azalea Gardens when everything’s in bloom — The beginning of June’s second soccer season. We can walk to the field for the once-a-week game – it’s perfectly low-key for a five-year-old!
What I’m loving right now: — Most of us are not hurting for delicious pasta recipes, but I’ve got one more to throw onto the pile. Unique flavor and easy to add veggies (our favorite being cherry tomatoes!). — If you’re looking for a dessert to complete your meal, might I recommend a warm Betty Crocker brownie and a scoop of Jeni’s Brambleberry Crisp ice cream, found in the freezer aisle of your grocery store? Gah, it’s SO GOOD. — I have worn these pearl stud earrings pretty much every day since my parents gifted them to me for Christmas, so it’s high time they made an appearance on the blog! They’re simple enough for daily wear but add just a little bit of extra interest with the gold. I have the small size. Love, love, love.
What I read in March: — Parenting with Love and Logic | Though it’s been years since I read this book, it’s still one of my most frequent recommendations to other parents, so when I was in between library requests I thought it might be time for a re-read. My review this time is still positive, though slightly more modulated. If you’ve never experienced or been exposed to the parenting ideas in this book – a consultant parenting style, teaching through consequences – it will likely be a revelation. That being said, our family certainly doesn’t follow it to the letter, and some of the writing and examples just come across as clumsy. — Heidi | Still waiting on library requests, I pulled this classic off our shelves. I’ve owned the Anna Bond version for years but had never actually read it! It’s very sweet and I can’t wait to read it with June someday soon :) — Homegoing | Like The Great Alone, it seems strange to say you loved a book that was so painful at times, but it also seems unfair not to! The writing was beautiful, the structure was creative and kept me racing along, and it helped me learn about and empathize with life experiences that are different from mine. I particularly loved the first half.
Revisiting my March goals: Finish culling and sorting the second half of 2020 photos(Done!!!) Book our annual camping trip(Headed to Pilot Mountain State Park!) Book our mountains trip(Headed to Black Mountain this fall!) Plan and prep for our spring break trip(Done!) Focus on small tweaks and refreshes in our guest room (Very small… bought a new pillow for the bed :)) Style our mantel for spring(Peek here!) Have our carpets cleaned(Probably shouldn’t have waited as long as we did, ha.)
April goals: — Make a new design plan for the Magnolia Room (a.k.a. our guest room), which will soon also function as little sister’s nursery — Magic Eraser/touch up paint in Magnolia Room — Plan maternity/family photos (photographer, date, outfits, eek). Thinking we’ll take these either late April or early May. — Try twice a week meal prep/chopping nights, inspired by Lisa! — Have my Fearrington tea + pedicures date with June, one of her Christmas presents — Assist with June’s bake sale. Once she realized this was a thing kids did, and surely inspired by all of her baking this year, she’s been asking to have one, and I told her she could once it got warmer. Wish us luck? — Proceed with garden party planning. Nancy and I have been discussing hosting a little outdoor soiree for a few friends to celebrate new babies, vaccines, and warmer weather! — Clean out our pantry (I do this thoroughly every few years!) — Order our 2010-2014 family photo album
As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2021 goals!
I’d love to hear: do you have any good meal prep rhythms? Tightening up my meal planning/grocery shopping routines was a big focus last year, and I feel like getting ahead with prep is the last step!
This is one of those months where it looked like not much got done on my goals… and in some cases, that’s true! I definitely did not make as much progress as I had hoped in some areas. But in others, specifically our master bedroom refresh, my goals did exactly what they were supposed to: they started the ball rolling, and now that it’s rolling, the momentum will carry the project forward. Onward to March, and the first month of spring!!
On my calendar: — Our spring break trip to Jekyll Island! Very grateful for the chance to get away to the beach (and to experience a part of the South we’ve never visited!). — An outdoor lunch with a high school friend we haven’t seen in years — Some St. Patrick’s Day after-school snack fun like this or this
What I’m loving right now: — As the weather turns warmer, I’m starting to think about freshening up our outdoor spaces. I snapped up this pretty (and good size!) pot a few weeks ago (it is that prettiest blue color that so many of us love!) and purchased this adorable lemon one as a gift! (The orange pattern is also adorable!!) — If you’ve been around here any length of time, you’ve heard me sing the praises of Expecting Better, my favorite pregnancy book. The author, Emily Oster, is an economist, and her (free!) weekly newsletter is my new favorite. She writes a lot about COVID and risk, as well as other parenting and pregnancy topics, from a pragmatic point of view. — By now, surely someone has already told you to watch Ted Lasso, but if not, allow me to be that person. It is funny, sweet, so sincere, and full of life lessons I am still unpacking. COMPLETELY WORTH the $4.99 Apple TV+ subscription for a month, or you could do a free trial and finish it in a week :)
What I read in February: — Essentialism: I liked this book. A lot of it was things I already understood and agreed with (but even things we know and agree with benefit from a reminder every so often). Like many of you, I bristled at some of his suggestions which seemed unnecessarily selfish and not in keeping with the life we’re called to as Christians (similar to The Four-Hour Work Week). Though in the end I felt he failed to deliver on the main promise of the book (how to distinguish the “trivial many” from the “essential few” in an on-the-ground sense), there are some good nuggets to take away. — Crazy Rich Asians: Fun! Though I enjoyed the book, this is a case where I actually may have preferred the movie – the sprawling families are harder to keep track of on the page, and the glitzy fashion and settings are fun to see on the screen.
Revisiting my February goals: Book our annual camping trip (researched, no booking yet!) Book our mountains trip for this fall (did a bunch of research but haven’t booked yet!) Watch the Theolaby bonus materials with John Focus on small tweaks and refreshes in our bedroom, including a new paint color (!), new curtains, and a new grid of photos. (though none of these things actually got done, decisions were made and our handyman was booked!) Finish submitting June’s kindergarten paperwork Finish culling and sorting the second half of 2020 photos (did two more months!)
March goals: — Finish culling and sorting the second half of 2020 photos — Book our annual camping trip — Book our mountains trip — Plan and prep for our spring break trip — Focus on small tweaks and refreshes in our guest room — Style our mantel for spring — Have our carpets cleaned (We have lived here 8+ years and have never done this… are you screaming at your computer?! Or Googling a carpet cleaner near you because you’ve also never done this? Ha!)
As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2021 goals!
Let’s discuss: is there a movie adaptation you actually preferred to the book? Or maybe a movie adaption of a beloved book you loathe?
P.S. Read all the way to the bottom looking for the extra-exciting post I teased on Friday? I’m so sorry for making you wait – hopefully later this week!!
Here is a goal success story! And it’s not even one I highlighted on my January list! Actually, you might call it a habit success story. As part of my number one goal for 2021 (making room for God’s presence), I committed to a discipline of “Word before words” – reading something from the Bible before I tuck into my current book at night. Reading before bed is a deeply-ingrained habit and something I look forward to, and when you’re looking for something to tie a developing habit to, this is exactly what you’re looking for. I didn’t fudge a single day!
Consequently, in just a month, I read through the whole book of Mark!! (You may recall it took all last year for John and I to read through Matthew together.) Did I have any major revelations? No. But I believe deposits of scripture like this can and will be used by God, and I am grateful for that. On to Acts!
On my calendar: — Making valentines with June! She has decided we’re going with a bunny theme this year, so I think I’ll add bunny grahams as the treat. — Our Valentine’s Day fun. — Celebrating Chinese New Year! Charnaie has some great book recommendations and we will 100% be eating dumplings. — My birthday! Hoping we get a sunny day so we can go for our traditional walk in my favorite Raleigh neighborhood.
What I’m loving right now: — It feels funny to recommend a podcast I routinely fast forward through 50% of, but here we are! Brooke and T.J.’s casual banter can get a little long-winded (hence the fast forwarding), but I appreciate their takes on topics that matter to me (family life, faith, generosity, marriage, intentional living). They cover topics that many others don’t touch in a way that feels personal and helpful. — I hesitate to recommend skincare because it’s so individual, but this toner is too good to keep to myself! I’ve long struggled with dry, flaky skin on my forehead, and this is the first product that’s ever made a difference. The flakiness is gone, overall my skin is smoother, and I do think my pores look a bit smaller, too! (Fun fact: I discovered this via an online order sample. I don’t try 90% of the samples I receive, and I’m not sure what made me pick this one up, but I’m VERY glad I did!) — After being eh on June’s balance bike, we picked up a different model for Shep, and are loving the Kazam so far! He’s already coasting after just a few weeks!
What I read in January: — Such a Fun Age: Ooooh, y’all, for the most-recommended book, I expected a little more! It did hold my attention, but ultimately left me feeling empty. The snarls of modern life often feel icky and complicated enough in real time, without reading about made-up complications in my leisure time. Plus, Alix was just weird. Am I missing something?? — Oh Crap! Potty Training: I maintain that potty training has so far been the roughest developmental stage because I did not read a book on the subject beforehand. Skimmed this to remedy that before we dive in for a second time… — Essentialism: About halfway through! Will review next month once I’m finished.
Revisiting my January goals: Research all school options for June. Watch the Theolaby bonus materials with John Print our favorite Instagram photos from 2020 Finish culling and sorting 2020 photos (January-June done!) Write our sweet girl a note for her fifth birthday (continuing a tradition) Complete her birthday interview Prep for Valentine’s Day fun Focus on small tweaks and refreshes in our foyer(Magic Eraser-ing made SUCH a difference! I also picked out a pretty linen light fixture but am holding out for a President’s Day sale :))
February goals: — Book our annual camping trip (going in the spring this year – hopefully we’ll avoid the cold weather!) — Book our mountains trip for this fall (places book up SO early!) — Watch the Theolaby bonus materials with John — Focus on small tweaks and refreshes in our bedroom, including a new paint color (!), new curtains, and a new grid of photos. Maybe not so small :) — Finish submitting June’s kindergarten paperwork — Finish culling and sorting the second half of 2020 photos
As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2021 goals!
Making travel plans last month for spring break left John and I so jazzed (reminding me that a big portion of the enjoyment from travel is in the planning and anticipation!). In that spirit, I’d love to hear something you’re looking forward to this year, whether travel or otherwise!
