In looking ahead at my calendar, it seems February is going to be the last quiet month before things really kick into high gear with travel, work, visitors, etc. in March, April, and May. So I want to use this month well, and also enjoy the slower pace!

January goal recap:
Finish our wedding album design and place the order
Finish the video for our niece’s first year
Finish celebrating Christmas with my family in Connecticut!
Send out invitations for a special baby shower (Invites have been selected and will be ordered this week!)
Get into a rhythm with John for our daily Bible reading

That last one – yikes. It has been way harder than I anticipated to get into a rhythm with our reading. The assignment for each day is fairly lengthy – 15-20 minutes – and we haven’t settled on a time that works for both of us. We’ve tried before bed, in the car while driving together, and at dinner, but nothing has stuck. Any suggestions??

Goals for February:
Prepare our new backyard flower garden bed (take out grass, amend soil, etc.)
Research and choose plants for the new garden bed
Touch up paint on our front door (yes, still left over from October’s paint job!)
Pull inspiration for dining area curtain options
Confirm a baby shower food and decor plan

What do you have planned for this month? I’d love to hear, or, if you’ve written a post about it, take a look!

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I checked off another item on my 60 Before 30 list!

Though I’ve had a few opportunities to try my hand at floral arranging, I never felt like I actually gained any skills I could put to use on my own. Thanks to the wonderful Kelly Perry, that’s no longer the case! I created the vase of happiness above with her super kind instruction, and best of all, I feel like I’ll be able to use her simple tips to create more arrangements in the future! If you ever get the chance to learn from Kelly, I’d jump on it.

Now to plant peonies, dahlias, garden roses, camellias, ranunculus, forsythia, etc. etc. etc. in my yard…

Hello, friends! We’ve had a few days to settle into 2015 – how does it feel? For me, I would say this year feels a bit more like a continuation than turning a truly new page. Instead of setting off on a new path, I’m excited to continue the good progress we made in 2014 – in our home, finances, eating habits, fitness routines, and most importantly, in my heart. (More about that in a moment!)

I’m a little less than a year into my 60 Before 30 goal project, and it’s still very much where my focus is. I think if I were to set goals for 2015, they would look a lot like a pared down version of that list. So instead, I’m going to be sticking to the systems I already have in place, using my daily and monthly goals (explained here) to take small steps toward big progress, and my 60 Before 30 list to check off exciting experiences and larger projects.

And I do hope to make some good 60 Before 30 progress this year! Here are a few I’d love to tackle:
— Order an heirloom-quality wedding album for our home
— Fully fund a savings account for our next car purchase
— Host a favorite things party
— Run the Chick-fil-a 5k
— Make a will
— Follow a year-long Bible reading plan with John
— Go to Europe (!)

Side note: Many of you have asked about the reading plan we’re following. We are using the Bible In One Year plan through the free Youversion app. I prefer to read in my actual Bible versus on the phone, but it’s a convenient way to have the day’s readings and devotional at hand!

Even though I am not setting traditional yearly goals, I’ve been thinking a lot about goals in general the past few weeks. My mind kept turning back to the reason why I (and I imagine most of you) set goals in the first place: to help me move closer to the person I want to be and the life I want to lead.

This year, I feel confident that the systems I’ve set up will continue to help me take small steps toward the things that people can see. My deepest desire, however, is to be a better person at the end of this year than I am now. It’s as simple and as difficult as that. There is a distance between the person I am and the person I am called to be, and I want to be more intentional about shortening that space this year.

Which sounds great! But as someone who thrives on check boxes and measurable progress, this sort of goal is a bit of a head-scratcher, and requires a different system. A well-loved verse from Phillippians came to mind as I was pondering what steps I could take:

Think on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things. I have seen and heard and know who I’m supposed to be, so now it’s time for me to practice. Each month, I’m choosing a fruit of the Spirit to think on and practice, and I’ll be sharing the journey here. I’m not exactly sure what this will look like yet, but I’m excited to explore!

Expect to see a post about love sometime this month! If I can claim a little more of each of those fruits at the end of 2015, it will have been a very, very good year.

How about y’all? What do you have planned for 2015? What goal are you most excited about? If you have posted your goals somewhere, please leave a link – I’d love to see!

P.S. Can’t forget about January goals! Here they are:
— Send out invitations for a special baby shower!
— Finish our wedding album design and place the order
— Get into a rhythm with John for our daily Bible reading – figure out the best time for it
— Finish the video for our niece’s first year
— Finish celebrating Christmas with my family in Connecticut!

It does my heart good to see our home all dressed up for Christmas… I don’t think it’s ever looked finer, especially with that handsome deer back at his post. I am excited for this month, for all the beauty and goodness and hope and joy that December brings. I want to enjoy it fully, and finish it out by planning for a truly marvelous 2015. I’m so glad we’re in this together!

I managed to check off all of my November goals except for organizing a neighborhood luminaria night, which I feel kind of bad about… I think the idea was intimidating to me, so I just kept putting off taking the steps to make it happen. But, friends, there’s always next year – and thankfully I have a few more to go before I’m 30!!

Goals for December:
— Set our budget for 2015
— Make homemade toffee
— Purchase a new Bible that I really love and decide on a year-long reading plan with John
— Send out our Christmas cards with a personal note on each
— Think ahead and be intentional about planning a really wonderful Christmas at our home for (most of) my family
— Dream and plan for what my goals will look like in the new year, considering my ongoing 60 Before 30 project
— Give away as much as we spend on Christmas gifts in our church’s Christmas Eve offering (this year going to Imagine No Malaria)

I would love to hear what you all have planned for this month!