Well, clearly my March did not go as planned. (You, too?) This is reflected in my goal progress last month, but instead of being frustrated, I’m feeling grateful for all that we did experience in this memorable and unusual month, especially when so many are suffering in so many ways.
In April, I’m choosing hope – simple moments of joy with my family, at our home, out in the sunshine. I’m wishing the same for you.
On my calendar this month: — Holy Week and Easter. This is certainly going to look different than usual, but I’m looking forward to making it special. — While our Florida vacation has been postponed, we’re still taking two of those vacation days as a family. Looking forward to getting outside and enjoying each other and the sunshine! — A virtual baby shower for a friend. My first one! :)
What I’m loving right now: — We planted our backyard vegetable garden and have been checking on growth every day! My favorite thing to plant is Super Sweet 100, a cherry tomato that has always been prolific for us. — We brought this sweet potato burrito recipe out of the vault last week and it’s delicious! A great meal option when meat is hard to find. — The Threshold by Shea McGee collection looks beautiful! It launches tomorrow – I particularly like this, this, and this!
What I read in March: — Southern Lady Code: This was my fiction pick for March, and sadly it did not live up to the hype. Not only did I not howl with laughter, I merely chuckled once or twice. Not my cup of tea. — How to Raise a Wild Child: I am loving how practical this book is! Such great ideas if you’re hoping to get outside more with your family and connect your kids to nature. — The Golden Hour: My Mom left this book at our house after her last visit, and since pickings are slim these days, I picked it up. It’s enjoyable and engrossing, switching between a woman in early-1900s Germany and one in mid-1940s Bahamas.
My reading list for 2020, if you’d like to follow along!Though my plans have been a little derailed with our library closing, I have a copy of The Tattooist of Auschwitz in hand and am excited to dig in this month!
Revisiting my March goals: Send invites for meal planning potluck (The e-invite has been designed, guest list inputted, and we’re sitting tight. The date we’d picked out is at the end of this month, but we’re not sure if that’s going to be possible.) Assemble friend dossiers and brainstorm ideas for get-togethers Book May camping trip (on hold for now) Finish craft table organization in the loft (More progress here, and still more to go!) Finish reading Matthew with John (We’re on chapter 16 of 28. There is so much packed in there!!) Finish planning our trip to Florida (postponed until next year)
April goals: — Finish printing out Pinterest recipes and rearrange boards — Clean out our garage — Make spring recipe cheat sheet — Design and print our first family photo album! — Finish reading Matthew with John and begin Mark — Connect with each of my 8 focal friends in a meaningful way — Roast s’mores in our backyard — Make an Easter egg tree with June for our dining room table
Friends, I’d love to hear what you have planned for this stay-at-home month ahead. Hoping you are all staying safe and well!
Friends, a big thank you to all who have taken my 2020 survey so far – more than 100 of you! If you haven’t yet, you can do so right here.
Thank you, also, for the birthday wishes! It was a sweet and low-key weekend with my people. John and I had a two-dessert dinner at Mothers and Sons on Friday, and yesterday we took a sunny stroller/scooter/walk through one of our favorite Raleigh neighborhoods, something that has become an early-spring tradition. I’m not the biggest “birthday person,” but boy am I glad to have been given another year to live, learn, and love with my sweet family. That is worthy of celebration!
Something to note: I recently organized all of the “things I’m loving” items more neatly on one page, so you can easily find that article/book/recipe I mentioned a few months back. You can always find a button leading you there in the sidebar, too. I hope it’s helpful!
On my calendar this month: — A local high school’s performance of Cinderella – June and I are going to go together :) — My favorite kids consignment sale — The Bachelor finale. This has not been a very good season, but I’m looking forward to watching the final installment with good friends (and chocolate chip cookies).
What I’m loving right now: — Do you have a CAVA near you? It’s a Mediterranean fast-casual chain that’s spreading rapidly in the South, and it’s very delicious. (Mezeh is a very similar concept – we went to the one in Reston, VA, while visiting family!) — Of course, I can’t mention quick Mediterranean without mentioning local hero Neomonde – we love taking a picnic from the Raleigh location to the next-door JC Raulston Arboretum! — Continuing with the food theme: this one-pot sun-dried tomato orzo recipe is SO good and really easy to make on a weeknight.
What I read in February: — Late Migrations: This was a Christmas gift from my Mom, which was so very thoughtful! It has all the hallmarks of a book I would love and some really beautiful writing, but the through-line of death turned me away a bit. — The Sound of Gravel: A fascinating memoir in the vein of Educated. Raw and heartbreaking and uplifting.
My reading list for 2020, if you’d like to follow along!I’m still number 94 on the library hold list for Just Mercy, one of my February picks, but I’ll happily read it when it comes in!
Revisiting my February goals: Clean out favorite recipes Pinterest board and print all winners Outfit sand/gravel table and get it ready for play Assemble friend dossiers and brainstorm ideas for get-togethers Organize the craft table in the loft (Progress made!) Brainstorm a family mission statement on our date night Decide on 2020 camping dates/locations (Progress made!) Go on our monthly forest school/family hike Decide on MS race and register Paint downstairs desk(Done! I chose navy!) Plan major details (date, location, guest list) for meal planning potluck (Progress made!) Decide on my quarterly date with June(Can’t wait!)
March goals: — Send invites for meal planning potluck — Assemble friend dossiers and brainstorm ideas for get-togethers — Book May camping trip — Finish craft table organization in the loft — Finish reading Matthew with John — Finish planning our trip to Florida
As a reminder, many of the goals above are drawn from my 2020 goals!
Keeping things fairly simple this month since it’s a busy one at work! I would love to hear: are you working on any goals in March? What’s something you’re working toward that has you really excited? Share below, if you’d like!
Working on things that really matter to me — with thought and care — is one of my most favorite things, and I’m grateful every day for another chance to live a more abundant life than I did the day before. Let’s see what February has in store!
P.S. You miiiiight be able to tell how excited I am about my 2020 goals by how much progress I made last month :)
P.P.S. Are you reading this and thinking, how is this girl so jazzed up about her goals?! I want that for you, too! Thinking it’s “too late” to pick a few things to work on this year is pretty much the silliest idea ever. As long as you’re still alive, it’s not too late! If you want to start but don’t know where to start, I think the undated PowerSheets might be perfect for you.
On my calendar this month: — John and June are going to a Love Bug dance at our church! She has talked about it every day since we mentioned it: “Daddy and I are going! Just Daddy and I! We are going to dance!” Break my heart. — Making valentines with June (here’s last year’s!) — A Valentine’s tea with friends at the Carolina Inn. Thinking I will wear this shirt which I already own and some sort of skirt. — My birthday! It falls on a Friday, so I’m taking the day off and June and I are going to have a fun girl day :)
What I’m loving right now: — A new ethical clothing shop opened near me and on my first visit I picked up a pair of gold and mother of pearl heart earrings by 31 Bits. I can’t find them on either site, but I’ll try to share a photo soon! V. cute! — Two other recent purchases: this dress (especially excited to wear it for Easter and our April Florida family vacation!) and this sweatshirt. Sizing is weird: I ordered a medium in the sweatshirt so it would be oversized, and I ordered an XS tall in the dress to make sure it was long enough. It was the right call for both! (I have never ordered anything in tall before, ha!) — If your high school econ class left something to be desired, this podcast episode is for you: a bunch of different economists answering the question “what’s the most useful idea in economics?”
What I read in January: — Long Bright River: A thriller with heart. The writing was beautiful and it kept me up too late many nights. Extra-fun because the author is my literary agent brother-in-law’s client! — The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: I’ve got thoughts. This was really good and really practical, and I plan to work through it all more in an upcoming blog post. — Ashlords: Our good friend’s newest novel! If you love YA fantasy, pick it up!
Revisiting my January goals: Commission a gate for our front porch(Yes! Will be built in about two weeks!) Open the Advent calendar box(Yes! And now I’m even more scared, ha!) Brainstorm needed zones for the loft(Yes! More progress than I expected here — we installed a storage system, culled a few items, and moved furniture around.) Clean out my existing recipe binder(Yes! Also had a meal planning lunch with a friend and brainstormed many more possible action steps for the rest of the year!) Cull 2019 iPhone photos(DONEEEEEEEEEEE!) Brainstorm “forest school” location possibilities near us(If you’re local, here are some good suggestions.) Buy a stationary bike??(Yes! And I’ve ridden almost every night so far. More to come here!) Do something fun with two of my focal friends(Yes! A downtown shopping date, a Bachelor hang, and a weekday lunch :)) Conduct an initial search for a downstairs desk(Decided to repurpose a piece we already had and it’s in place and organized! Currently debating paint options.) Write our sweet girl a note on her fourth birthday Order our 2019 photos from Social Print Studio
February goals: — Clean out favorite recipes Pinterest board and print all winners — Outfit sand/gravel table and get it ready for play — Assemble friend dossiers and brainstorm ideas for get-togethers — Organize the craft table in the loft — Brainstorm a family mission statement on our date night — Decide on 2020 camping dates/locations — Go on our monthly forest school/family hike — Decide on MS race and register — Paint downstairs desk — Plan major details (date, location, guest list) for meal planning potluck — Decide on my quarterly date with June
As a reminder, many of the goals above are drawn from my 2020 goals!
I would love to hear: are you working on any goals this year? This month? What’s something you’re working toward that has you really excited? Share below, if you’d like!
For me, January is a month for resetting and exploring. I usually finalize my 2020 goals a few days into the new year, and then use the rest of the month to plot out a loose plan and schedule for what progress on those goals might look like. Unsurprisingly, January looks a lot like the littlest little-by-little: brainstorm, research, prepare, read instructions. The Enneagram 5 in me loves January :)
One note I wanted to add while we’re on the topic of goals. Someone asked me recently why my yearly goals haven’t (ever?) included anything finance related, even though it’s clearly a focus for us. And therein lies the answer: we are most definitely working toward a long-term financial goal, but because it’s so thoroughly accounted for in our everyday life (thanks, budget!), it’s not something that takes any extra planning or thought on my part — and therefore doesn’t need to be broken down monthly like my 2020 goals do!
On my calendar this month: — June’s birthday! We’re forgoing a party this year in favor of a day of fun with her cousin :) — Our 15th dativersary!
What I’m loving right now: — We’ve watched exactly one episode of Amazon’s Modern Love (no. 1), and it was so exquisitely beautiful and lovely (and tear inducing, it must be said) that I’m hesitant to watch another one for fear of tarnishing that memory. Watch it — and watch the rest at your own risk :) — This should not be surprising if you’ve been reading EFM for any length of time, but CLEARLY I am loving the Jeopardy! GOAT tournament. John is rooting for James and I am rooting for Ken!
What I read in December: — Reclaiming Home: I picked this up after hearing the author on the Coffee & Crumbs podcast and loving what she had to say about family traditions. Her book has a whiff of self-publishing about it, but was still worthwhile! If you want to build your family culture but Sally Clarkson is a little artsy for your vibe, I’d try Krista’s book!
January goals: — Commission a gate for our front porch — Open the Advent calendar box :) Look through everything, read instructions — Brainstorm needed zones for the loft — Clean out my existing recipe binder — Cull 2019 iPhone photos — Brainstorm “forest school” location possibilities near us — Buy a stationary bike?? — Do something fun with two of my focal friends — Conduct an initial search for a downstairs desk — Write our sweet girl a note on her fourth birthday (continuing a tradition) — Order our 2019 photos from Social Print Studio
As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2020 goals!
Since it’s something I’m thinking about right now, let’s talk about recipe organization. How do you organize yours? A binder? On Pinterest? Recipe cards? Something else? I’d love to hear!
