2015: The Year of _______

Hi, hello, and welcome again, dear readers, to another fantastic edition of Daniel's writing. I know you have been waiting patiently for a new blog from yours truly. And, really, who could blame you?

*Crickets*

Annnnnyway, after a busy but fulfilling Christmas week, we turn our attention to the new year. With that, people will surely be posting resolutions for the new year. Lose a few pounds. Lose a few inches. Save a few dollars. Visit relatives. You know, stuff that people abandon on January 4... ok, January 2 The stuff that people think they accomplish... until they give up. Maybe I'm being too hard on people, but we all know or have been that person.

Instead of resolutions, what I did last year was pick a word to be a "theme" word for the year. That word was "Enjoy," and I think I did a pretty good job of enjoying the year.

My word for 2015 sort of came about by accident. I wasn't even necessarily thinking of a word for 2014. But I happened to be reading through Psalm 119 this fall, and one thing stuck to me about the author of this longest psalm. The author kept writing about being devoted to God's Word. About hiding God's Word in his heart. About it being a light to his path. And as I thought about that, my word for 2015 came to light....

FOCUS

Focus in 2015. When I thought about focus, I broke that out into different areas: Physical, mental, spiritual, marital, parental, financial, and professional. What do I need to focus on in those areas? What does it look like for me to be focused in 2015? I won't bore you with all of the bullet points for each one, but I will share a few things.

Physical - Exercise at least 3 times a week for >20 minutes.
Mental - Read at least 1 book a month; work a jigsaw puzzle once a quarter (I'm a sucker for puzzles)
Marital - Date night at least once every 2 months with Ginny
Parental - Date night with each girl once every 2 months

Rather than setting some resolutions, I challenge you to think of your theme for 2015. What's your word? What will you 2015 the "year of?"

Happy New Year!

-D 

January 2014 Goals

This year I've set some actual goals for myself. In the past I've set some goals but didn't really put much thought into them, etc. I just wrote to write something. Does that make sense? I never followed through and this year may be no different but I'm hopeful. I've typed them up and printed them off and tacked it to the fridge and it's in my planner (which I carry around all the time with me). So, I'm putting into action. It won't be perfect and I won't beat myself up but I have some very attainable goals, not too lofty, that will help me be a better version of me, with God's help. I will pray over my goals all year and adjust them as needed. I did write out some basic yearly goals that I can adjust monthly (you'll see what I mean below).

I've had some help with my goals. I've talked it out with Daniel, had him look over them and he knows where I stand. I know he'll support me in them. I've also used Cornerstone Confessions as a bit of a guide for my goals this year. I also like her post on Forming New Habits. It goes into a bit more depth on the S.M.A.R.T. goals and what it means.
I also like, How to change your life by setting goals by Money Saving Mom.

Without further ado, here are my January 2014 goals...

Family:

As a wife:
date night with Daniel 1x

As a mom:
read Little House on the Prairie to the girls during lunch
read to the girls a minimum of 30 minutes a day
memorize 1 Bible verse a week, using AWANA as our guide
craft 1x a week

As a daughter/sister:
dinner and a movie with my sister at her house 2x
dinner with my parents 1x
movie date with Mom and Sister 1x (this could also be a painting class or just a get-together)

Personal:

Spiritual Growth:
memorize 1 scripture per week (see above)
complete Jen Hatmaker's Seven Bible study
participate in women's circle

Physical Health:
pilates 3x a week
purchase Trim Healthy Mama book and implement some lifestyle changes in my life
weigh in and take measurements on January 1

Mental Health:
read 3 books (I have already picked out my 3 books for each month through May, it helps me stay focused)
Cold Tangerines (reading now)
Called Home
Quiet (I purchased this back in September and have yet to finish it, even though it's a great book!)

Home Management:

Upkeep and Organization:
clean baseboards, upstairs and downstairs
pull out washer and dryer and clean under and behind them
organize office desk and office closet (it's a big ol mess)

Finance:
revamp our 2014 grocery budget
revamp our 2014 budget (D got a new job in early December and we need to budget anyways)

Other:

Blog:
blog 2x a week

Outreach:
look into adopting a child from Compassion International
invite a couple/family over for dinner 2x

This seems like a lot at first glance but the more I look at the more I realize I just need to manage my time better during the day. Thankfully, the girls still take naps during the day and I can utilize my time better during their naps. I usually sit down on the couch and watch Amazon Prime during nap but I achieve nothing by doing that. I need to be finishing laundry for the day, prepping dinner and strengthening my mind muscles. :)

I've decided to divide the nap time up and become more productive. I get roughly 2 hours of naps from them, from Nyla at least, so I've decided to do the following: 30 minutes-prep dinner, finish up daily chores (i.e. laundry, sweep kitchen), 30 minutes/1 hour-Bible study (see above) and read and 30 minutes/1 hour-rest or actually nap. Y'all, I'm not a napper unless I'm sick or just completely exhausted. The last couple of weeks I've found myself napping a bit more and I feel so good after getting up from it. Daniel's work hours are longer than we're used to and it's nice feeling refreshed after my nap since I'm with the girls by myself longer these days (he used to get home at 3:30 now it's more like 5 or after).

I guess the thing for me with these goals is to be flexible and pray a lot over them. They may look different year-end because God lays something new on my heart. I want to be open and flexible to change. Sometimes, I can be rigid with schedules and such. :( That's the organizer in me. It's hard for me to see past my list!

This brings me to the final thought: our word of the year. I struggled to come up with my own word and had quite a few floating around in my head but nothing really stuck. Daniel told me his word last night: ENJOY. I immediately loved the word. And thought it not only fit him but me and us as a family. We are going to enjoy the girls being little (since it's such a short time), the food we eat (in moderation), the budget we set for ourselves, being a little more frugal, saving more, being with family, hosting more dinners here, the downtime we have, the games we play and whatever comes our way. We are going to ENJOY each day we're given. Isn't that what life is about? Enjoying it?

Do you have a word for 2014 or a Bible verse for the year?
Do you set goals and stick with them?

Week 1 Progress

Last week I let y'all in on my want and need to change my lifestyle (see post here) using Spark People. I am happy to report that week 1 went well!

Here are my goals and my progress:

1. Track food in SP 7 days a week--Completed! I originally thought I'd only track 5 days a week (M-F) but I decided 7 days is better, that way I can see my weaknesses and make better decisions throughout the day. 

2. Lose 2 pounds a week--Completed! I lost 4 pounds!! This won't be an every week thing. I always start out losing big numbers since I'm making an immediate change in watching my calories and getting exercise.

3. Go on a 20 minute walk/jog Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday to jump start my metabolism and get a feel for getting back into my workout routine.--Monday-Wednesday was a success. My jogging stroller tire was a little low so I pumped it up on Wednesday after our walk and it popped, boo! I have to get a new one so Friday morning I couldn't go walk. BUT, Friday night I went for a 2 mile run and walked very little! I've been keeping my hand or foot in running (see what I did there? :) ) since training for a 5k last year. I took it slow and easy and wanted to get 2 miles in and I did!

4. Do Taebo, Core Secrets or Run/Walk 4 times a week--Fail! I have decided I'm going to do my morning walks, run on the weekends and focus on eating for a few weeks. I struggle with my eating habits and I feel like I need to get them under control and work my way into a good workout routine. 

5. Measure and weigh everything I eat--Completed! I LOVE our kitchen scale. We bought it at Bed, Bath and Beyond back when we started our weight-loss journey in 2009 and it is still the most valuable piece of equipment in our kitchen! It's really helpful to see how much I've been overeating. And our food is lasting longer because I'm weighing everything and eating the suggested serving. It's win-win!!


Other notes from the week:
You can see in goal number 1 that I originally decided to only track my food 5 days a week. I'm glad I changed my mind and am tracking everyday. On Saturday we went to Wendy's and I did not decide ahead of time what I would have (that won't happen again). I ordered from the value menu and got a double cheeseburger and a small fry. I input my food after the fact and was very surprised at how many calories I consumed! I thought the smaller portions would be less but it wasn't as less as I hoped it would be! I knew I couldn't have much the rest of the day if I wanted to stay within range of my calorie goal. I do cut myself some slack on the weekends and didn't plan on staying within my given calorie range but I also didn't want to absolutely blow my week of hard work. That night we went to McAlister's for dinner and they had a "lite" menu so I ordered from that. Instead of eating 700 calories, I ate 500 calories. Five hundred calories is still a lot for one meal but I was proud of myself for making the decision to eat a little less. This immediately made me glad that I track my food 7 days a week so I can adjust on the weekends, as needed. Since I went a little crazy on Saturday I took it easy on Sunday. It's all about giving yourself some grace, as it's a lifestyle change and not a "diet." I know I'll have mess up days and mess up meals but it's about making a better decision the next meal or the next day. I also will look up the online menu of any place we plan to eat and plan what I'll have. This will help me not be tempted to eat too much. I want to make smart decisions!

What good eating decisions have you made lately?

I've got the "Spark"...Again

The SparkPeople Cookbook. I just got it today and can't wait to check out all the recipes!

I struggle with eating healthy and getting in daily exercise. Anyone else with me on that?

Four years ago Daniel and I began on a weight loss journey. We used Spark People and it was fabulous! It's a FREE site and has every tool you'd ever need to lose some weight. Check it out and you won't be disappointed! (If you want more information I'd be happy to help you).We did great all summer and I lost close to 20 pounds then got pregnant with Nyla. After I had her I started walking everyday and lost another 10 pounds and got pregnant with Naomi. Since having her I have had absolutely no desire to really do anything about my weight. There, I admitted it. I really haven't, though. From time to time I've thought I really need to eat better and throw in some exercise but I've never really made a commitment to do it. I know it's all on me, too. It starts with me and I've done nothing about it.

The last couple of weeks I've actually given some deep thought to what I want with my health. I don't like what I'm seeing.

The sermon in church on Sunday was the last thing I needed to hear to get me on the right track. He talked about Joshua and brought up the verse I'm sure we're all familiar with, Joshua 24:15, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." I say I serve the Lord but how am I serving Him by eating crap and too much of it and not getting any exercise and taking care of myself? I'm not. And that's not a servant to God. The sermon really hit home with me about serving God. Not only by serving others but serving and taking care of myself. Yes, that sounds a little selfish but if I don't have my act together then I can't be a good servant for God.

Because of all this, I'm back using Spark People and it's like I never left. I jumped right into measuring and weighing all my food and tracking my fitness. I've written out my goals and posted them on the refrigerator so they're visible at all times. I didn't make too many goals as I don't want to get bogged down in them. They're realistic, they fit our family lifestyle and I can meet them in a reasonable amount of time. And because I know things will change in a few weeks I'll go back and revisit and revise my goals. I plan to do this every 30 days.

Here are my goals:
1. Track my food on SP 7 days a week (this will help me see my weaknesses and where I need to work on my eating habits).
2. Measure and weigh everything I eat.
3. Weigh in on Saturday mornings. Lose 1-2 pounds a week (preferably 2).
4. 20-30 minute walk/jog 4 days a week.
5. Revisit and revise goals on Sunday, July 14th

I will workout more as time goes on because that's how I lose weight quicker. For now, I'm focusing on my eating habits. I need to get my eating under control. When we started this journey back in 2009 we focused on our eating and mindset for about 4 weeks. This helped us see our weaknesses and figure out our portions and get used to weighing and measuring everything. It's all about portion control!

So, now you know what I've been thinking of the last couple of weeks. I'll keep you up-to-date on my progress.


This is some inspiration I found today. It's great inspiration but a little gross at the same time. So, enjoy, I guess. :)
This is a full body scan photo of a 250 pound woman and a 120 pound woman. I'm not saying we're all meant to be 120 pounds, I know I'm not, but we are all meant to take care of ourselves. This shows me how I've not taken care of myself. It makes me sad. I'm going to print it out and post it on my fridge. Any time I feel the need to snack I'll see that and step. away. from. the. fridge. I hope I find it helpful. I hope you do, too.
250 pound woman versus 120 pound woman

I Don't Know

I don't know what to blog about these days. Do you have any suggestions? What do you want to see from me? I keep thinking I want to host a theme each month. For example, a month of all recipes, a month of parenting q and a (not that I'm an expert but I like hearing what others are doing), what I'm reading, organizing, marriage, book reviews, intentional living, etc. Thoughts?
I wouldn't post everyday but 2-4 times a week. I'd like some feedback. Please, do tell!!!

One Goal

Every year I have a nice long list of goals that I want to complete before the year is up. Just a few weeks ago I was looking over my 2012 goal list and while it wasn't as ridiculous as lists in the past, it still had too many items on it. The good news? I actually did complete some items on my list and am still following through on a few more. The bad news? There were still too many to count on one hand that didn't get done. A few years ago I would've beat myself up about it and made another list. Yes, really!

Over the past couple of years I've tried to not be as "listy." That's my word for being a big list maker. :) I've tried to pick six things each day and if two or three don't get done, so be it. They roll over to the next day. And if they don't get done that week? It doesn't matter! What matters is my man has a yummy dinner after work, the girls feel loved and were cared for all day and D and I spend some quality time together each night. As long as though three things are accomplished, I feel accomplished.

This year I have one goal. Be intentional. That word felt a little heavy when first thinking about it. To be intentional with my life will take some effort but effort I'm willing to put forth.

Being intentional is just paying attention and making an effort. I want to lose weight but without running and paying attention to my eating habits, losing weight will never happen. If I want to save money on groceries and have a nice dinner each night then I have to plan for it.

This year I want to pay attention and make an effort. I will go forth and be intentional!

What are you 2013 goals?

Gratituesday: Healthier Living

This week God has been teaching me about healthy eating and weight loss. He's been laying it on me for awhile now but I've been blind and stubborn and haven't wanted to see it.

I was an athlete growing up and always moving. I played Varsity basketball in high school and ran cross country. After my sports ended I continued the same, unhealthy eating habits without the exercise. Needless to say I gained 15 pounds pretty quickly. I lost that weight about 4 months later and kept it off for a good year. Since then I've gained and gained and gained, in my mind at least.

Over the past 3 years my husband and I have been on a weight loss/maintenance journey. To date, he's lost approximately 50 pounds and kept it off. I'm so proud of his accomplishment! He's such an encourager and inspiration for me to keep at it. To date I've been up and down but I have kept 20 pounds off that I lost in 2009. Since that 20 pound loss I've had 2 babies (July 2010 and November 2011), gained quite a bit with each one but have lost all the baby weight in a quick amount of time. Since Naomi (baby #2) I've struggled getting back in it. Daniel has continued to stay on track with his eating goals and see loss on the sale each week. He's continued to be an encouragement. I still struggle to find the time and motivation to go for a walk or do an exercise video. It's more to do with priorities though, as most of life is.

I started reading Candace Cameron Bure's book, Reshaping It All about 4 days ago and I'm loving it! Not only is she including her healthy tips but she's putting God into the weight loss equation. How many times have I started something and left God out of it? Too many! Reading her book has inspired me to seek Him in this journey, just as I would anything else I'm taking on. I highly suggest this book if you're looking for some inspiration on your weight loss or maintenance journey.

I'm also loving the blogs I'm reading about healthy eating, organic foods and making things from scratch. I've been making a lot of our foods from scratch for the past 3 years now but I've been doing it more out of the money-saving aspect. I'm now seeing how great it is in losing and maintaining weight. Making our foods from scratch is so much better than store bought. I can control what we put into our bodies, our temples for God. And I want my body to be God's temple.

So today is a new day! I'm taking my knowledge and love of food and I'm using it in a positive way and not the negative way that I've done for so many years. I'm learning to prioritize life at home raising two girls. I want to be here for my family. I want to be healthy for me and my family. And by doing that I have to concentrate on exercising more and eating a little less. It's possible for me to lose 1 pound a week, so I'm ready for my new, healthier journey to begin. And I'll keep God first while I'm at it!

What has God done in your life this week?

Check out Heavenly Homemakers Gratituesday for more inspiring stories.

TV=OFF in Our Home

We don't have cable or satellite, we have the free, over-the-air TV and we love it! We love it because it costs us nothing and we don't feel the need to watch it every night because there's not that much on anyways.

About 6 weeks ago I made the decision to keep the TV turned OFF all day while the girls and I are home. I was keeping it on just to have it on. Doesn't everyone do that? Well I decided I didn't want to anymore. Nyla has never been interested in watching it and I never wanted it become a babysitter anyways. So what if she follows me around all day? She helps with the laundry, dishes and some of the cooking and yes she's only 19 months. Is she in my way? Yes, sometimes. But most of the time I'm happy to have her there learning the day-to-day routine I have. And I'm teaching her chores early, which is a goal of ours anyways.

My favorite author, John Rosemond (a Christian psychologist), talks about the evils of TV (my words, not his) and how there's no such thing as a "kid's" show. Why? Because the shots change every 3 to 10 seconds which means their attention span is only for that long. "But my kid can watch TV for hours on end. Doesn't that mean he/she has a good attention span?" That is one of the questions he addresses. His answer in a nutshell, no, it doesn't mean they have a good attention span because the world doesn't change every 10 seconds. That's NOT real-life! When they go to school do they change subjects every 10 seconds? No they don't. So why subject them to that and teach them that when it's not real life? You can read more on this subject in his book, The {New} Six-Point Plan for Raising Happy, Healthy Children. I'm getting off topic, but he's a great reference!

Anyways, I decided to keep the TV off before I even read that book and then when I read it, it cemented what I wanted from each day with my girls. NO TV!!!

For the first 3 days it was a challenge which means I was a bit addicted. Again, I didn't watch particular things or whatever, I just had it on to have it on. Even Nyla would go up to it and say "on" those first few days. That was a wake-up call! I didn't think she was really watching it, but apparently she was. After those first three days I didn't have a hard time keeping it off anymore. And after a couple weeks Nyla quit asking to have it on. Thank goodness!

So here we are, about 6 six weeks later and the TV is still off all day. I lost 3 pounds in 5 weeks because I didn't find myself bored and wanting to snack while the TV was on. I am more productive during the days, I'm reading more and my girls are getting more attention from me. And all these things mean turning the TV OFF has been more than well-worth it!

My goal is to continue this. We watch Jeopardy in the afternoons sometimes. We watch Wheel of Fortune each night and an occasional show but all-in-all the TV stays off. If basketball is on we are usually watching that. We are sports fans in this house after all!

This is a goal I never even put on my 2012 goal list but it has quickly become a top priority. And I want to continue this for years to come. It works for us and who we are and what we want to do as a family.

What are some of your goals?

*The opinions on John Rosemond's book are my own. I was not contacted by him or his affiliates in any way.

July Goals

So if you've notice my few blogs, I've made a change, a huge lifestyle change. And I'm excited! In the past 21 days I've lost a total of 6.8 pounds. That is the most weight I've lost, ever.

Sparkpeople.com is a lifesaver! If you're looking to lose weight the right way, no pills, no diets and no fads, then this site is for you. So check it out! I've decided to take after Erin Hetzel Mount on posting my goals and check-ups. I didn't do any June goals other than starting something and actually following through with it. Since I've accomplished that I'm now going to write down my goals and track my successes. I know that it will be a wonderful experience and it'll be something to look back on with great happiness. It'll be nice to look back on my notes and see my accomplishments. I don't want to get bogged down with what the scale says, that is setting myself up for disaster. That's why I only get on the scale on Wednesday, for my "Weigh-In Wednesday."

So here are my July 2009 goals:

1. Walk at least 4 times a week for at least 20 minutes, preferably 30 or more minutes (I have to build up to it).

2. Use the sparkpeople.com Nutrition Tracker to track what I eat 7 days a week.

3. Stay within calorie range (provided by sparkpeople) 6 out of 7 days days a week.

4. Do weight training 2 times a week.

5. Lose 5 pounds for the month of July.

6. Read 2 books outside of the Bible.

7. Read the Bible and write on what I've read and learned at least 5 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes. (I've found a great devotional book that has wonderful ways to put what I've read to work in my life, along with reading a few verses. The book says if you read the verses outlined each day I will have read the Bible in one year.)

So those are my goals. I hope anyone reading this will check out sparkpeople.com and see what it's all about. It is FREE! This of course makes it even better for everyone trying to save money but looking to lose a some pounds. Enjoy!