this week's goals: what I'm doing, reading, learning, and trying to be

The hardest part is making the first step.

I have so much to share with you, but before the week passes me by, I'm determined to set a few goals! :D

Here are this week's do, read, learn, and be goals:

do:

• re-organize attic, give away unneeded items
• put leftover party items away in attic
• clean flooring upstairs 
• wash upstairs blinds {or take down?}
• fold laundry {it's waiting now, mocking me as I type... :P}
• sell two items online
• gather one bag of items to donate
• plant flowers in flower bed
• weed flower bed {or help the children to! :D}
• take kids swimming and to the library
• teach fitness classes/ exercise 5-6 hours
• make needed dental appointments
• pray for specific needs of friends and family multiple times each day
• set the alarm on my phone to remind me to praise Him multiple times each day

read:

• 3 chapters of Holiness by J.C. Ryle
• daily Bible readings for Bible Study

learn: 

• Matthew 16:24-26 for Bible study: 24Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would save his life^g will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
• Acts 17:30-31: 30The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,31because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
• Psalm 33:1: Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.

be:

• full of praise: Psalm 34 says "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Even when the kids are fighting, the house is a mess, and the baby is teething, I have so much to praise Him for. I always have SO much to praise Him for. I want His praise to continually be on my tongue and in my heart. It's way too easy for me to get caught up in what I don't have, rather than remember what I have been given, you know? Every day this week, I am going to set the alarm on my phone throughout the day to remind me to praise Him in all circumstances. 

Speaking of praising the Lord... last week, after having a party, company stay, and then one event after another, I went to bed with a messy kitchen and woke up to this. :) 

Rob cleaned the kitchen until the wee hours of the morning for me. I can't help but praise the Lord for sacrificial, loving husbands. :)

What are you praising Him for today? :D 

"Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright." :)

What are you praying for this week? Can we pray with you?

it's summer!! this week's "do, read, learn, and be" goals

It's officially SUMMER here! ahhh! :) It's been a long while since I set any weekly goals, so I'm excited to try again now that school is out and my gym schedule is changing. :)

These are tentative of course, because you never know what might happen {like a teething baby!}. At a moment's notice they could all be thrown out the window. ;) That seems to be the life of a mama, though doesn't it? It always helps me to remember to expect interruptions and for things to take three times longer than they should. :)

Here are this week's DRLB goals:

:: do ::
follow our new summer schedule
paint laundry room cabinets
wash sofa covers
take children to the library
write a letter
gather special gift packets for PCM children
cook extra batches of beans
sell 2 items

:: read ::
Experiencing the Presence of God: Teachings From the Book of Hebrews^ by A.W. Tozer {chapters}
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child^ {it's never too late, right?}
You Are Loved: Embracing the Everlasting Love God has for You^ by Good Morning Girls/ Angela Perritt + Sally Clarkson- Week 1 Bible reading {p.s. GMG starts their summer Bible study today if you wanted to join! I'm not in a group study, just reading along for fun!}
Proverbs 31
daily readings- 2 Peter, chapters from Psalms, Ezekiel

:: learn ::
Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,

or who has been his counselor?”

 “Or who has given a gift to him

that he might be repaid?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

:: be ::
content in every circumstance: I've been feeling tired because of the last round of teething we've had. Zane's been getting his bottom and top teeth in for the last few weeks, and after being in a better sleeping routine, suddenly we aren't sleeping more than an hour or two at a time these days. I know it won't last forever, but some mornings after sleeping only 3 hours I'm not so sure. :(

While I am going to try and read about practical ideas this week to see if we can help him sleep better, more than anything else, I know I really need to let go of my ultimate desire for things to go easily for me. I am unfortunately an expert at seeking my own comfort and happiness.

I love this sweet baby. I want to enjoy him and this precious season, even when I'm tired after nights of not sleeping. :)

I need to learn and practice and pray so that I can bear this fruit: "whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content." {Phil. 4:11}

I want my mantra this week to be: 

Whether my baby abounds in sleep or doesn't sleep at all: "in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret...I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.…" Philippians 4:13

Contentment always comes from His strength. :)

What are your goals this week?

Does summer almost feel like a fresh start to you too? :)

^= Amazon affiliate links: should you purchase a book through an Amazon link in this post, I get a small percentage! :D yay!

free goal setting printable

it's getting crazy in here + goals for this week

It's getting crazy around here...

Spring destruction  decluttering has commenced. I'm not sure if we'll make it out alive. ;)

Here's the bookshelf mid-way:

And after....phew:

In between was this:

And a little cooking:

Zane and I eat this steamed from Costco. So easy!

Kale chips for a refueling snack:

And I'm making a new to-do list for the next few days in here:

Here are my goals for the next 5 days:

do:

• finish house decluttering before garage sale this weekend: attic items, linen + laundry cabinet, kitchen drawer, and craft supplies
• reorganize closet
• price garage sale items
• list sale online
• sell clothing armoire {?}
• wash throw blankets
• reorganize kid rooms

read: 

• my Bible daily {anything else is extra this week, LOL}

learn:

• 1 Corinthians 15:56-58: 
  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

be:

• steadfast- especially in being joyful. I need His Spirit- His victory through our Lord Jesus. I want to do His work- being faithful in love even when things are hard. I'm still the mama, there's still cooking and cleaning and work to do even when I don't feel like it. ;) I want to choose joy by setting my hope on Jesus, not on how much sleep I'm getting.

meal plans:

beans + rice 

potatoes + salad, 

salmon + kale + rice

oatmeal, turkey bacon, + fruit

sandwiches and multigrain chips

semi-homemade pizza

whatever else we can find in the pantry from our big shopping trip!

Anything simple like last night's super quick meal {potatoes and salmon} works for me. :)

Are you decluttering/simplifying now too? :)

Any garage sale tips for me? :) It's been a while since we've had one!!

reorganizational laws, longing for eyes above, + do, read, learn, and be goals

You know, we humans try to predict the weather's behavior, but I really think the weather can predict human behavior even better.

No matter how long your to-do list, you stay huddled under the covers totally unmotivated to move when it's cold out. But then the moment it's warm and sunny, you suddenly get strange urges to reorganize and clean and do big projects. And it happens every single year. We are predictable creatures. :)

Last weekend, we moved this storage armoire out of our family closet/pantry:

To here in the dining room:

And the armoire took the place of this bookshelf:

But that was only the beginning, of course. Newton's third law of motion went into effect: every action had an equal and opposite reaction.

Empty/clean armoire = big mess on the floor:

And empty/clean bookshelf = big mess on the table:

So my goal is to work on those reactions this week. ;)

And I'm hoping starting with the mess will equal clean drawers in this case: 

But I doubt it. :) I will have a boxful of cups to donate by the end of it though. :)

I'm also wanting to make another round of bread kits for this week:

 And read this:

And learn this:

I took a picture with my phone so I can carry it with me everywhere!

I really long to be heavenly minded. That's what I want to work on this week- not getting caught up in house stuff, decorating, exercising, cleaning, or even being a mama or a wife. I want to focus on Christ, who is my life- not this world that is passing. EVERYTHING else will fade. My 1895 house will probably outlast me. The trees in my yard were here a hundred years before and will likely be here even longer after me. I am like grass- only barely living for a season and then this life is over.

Jesus is everything. People are important- they are souls that will live for eternity. I want to focus my energy on serving and loving the Lord and people. I want my eyes to be set on Jesus, not on my tasks. Tasks are necessary and good, but they are not my main reason for being here, you know? :)

Here's the do, read, learn, and be list again {for my own sake- I sometimes have to refer back to the blog when I don't write them down anywhere else!}

do: 
reorganize cup drawers
put away china on table
clean out back room/armoire mess
list two things for sale
find one bag of stuff to give away
organize kids toys upstairs
help kids clean back porch
sew pillow together from last list {I cut the pillow out but didn't sew it yet}
make bread kits

read: 
Experiencing the Presence of God^,  3 chapters
Proverbs 18
Colossians 3

learn:
Colossians 3:1-4

1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your^a life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 

be:
heavenly-minded and Christ-focused.

red beans and quinoa, being cooked by my good friends the rice cooker and the crockpot

And our tentative meal plans for this week:

:: dinners ::

red beans and quinoa

chicken fajitas + beans

beans + rice

chicken and dumplings 

{total cheater style- we use frozen biscuits for dumplings and they are amazing!}

 baked sweet potato curls + edamame + salad

BBQ chicken veggie pizza {with pre-made crust from Sam's}

dinner out

:: lunches ::

bread {hopefully homemade?}+ pb/honey

turkey sandwiches

beans and rice with chips/salsa

:: breakfasts ::

oatmeal

frosted mini-wheats

eggs/ egg white omelets

What are your goals for this week?

Ever made BBQ pizza? 
We haven't but my kids love it elsewhere, so we're trying it!

Do you have any reorganization projects {a.k.a. big messes all over everywhere} going on at your house right now? :)


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goals + menu plans this week :: semi-homemade pizza, and being worshipful

Here are this week's do, read, learn, and be goals! :D

do:

• make dinner at lunch time, and double meals x2 for the freezer
• make a pillow cover with fabric/pillows I have in my stash
• check into after school activities for the family {now that the weather is warming up! yes!}
• rearrange pantry/cabinet storage units
• list one item for sale online
• go through Zane's clothes and sort out the small ones {is it just me, or do I have to do this really often these days?}
• cancel phone plan 
• plan dates/location for a spring trip with the kids
• write a love note to Noah + Isabella
• go on a special outing with Noah

read: 
finish Man- the Dwelling Place of God and the No-Cry Sleep Solution
read Proverbs 17


learn: 
Psalm 118:-21-24
I thank you that you have answered me
    and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone.[b]
23 This is the Lord's doing;
    it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

be:
worshipful. I've been so wrapped up in doing the next thing, but I want my focus to be on God and not on myself or my situation. I want to set my eyes on Him intentionally, and bring out the worship music every time I can so my heart will do just that. :)

And here are our meal plans for this week:

:: dinner ::

turkey burgers + fries 

{I make 5 lbs. of turkey for the week and try to use it for several days}

ground turkey tacos w/avocado + salsa

semi-homemade pizza :)

beans + rice

turkey spaghetti + salad + homemade bread {double}

white bean chili  x 2 if possible

dinner out

semi-homemade hawaiian pizza :) we bought a case of large pizza crusts at Sam's for a little over $1 each

:: lunch ::

grilled chicken + cabbage salad

pb sandwiches + carrots

beans and rice

ham roll-ups + multigrain tortilla chips w/salsa

:: breakfast ::

cereal

biscuits

oatmeal or fruit

I had the craziest Blue Bell ice cream this weekend: Italian creme cake.
 Ice cream in the form of my #1 favorite cake ever.
It tasted so much like the real thing it made me want a piece of cake. :) 

Anything fun on the menu at your place? Please share! :D

How do you get your worship on throughout the day? We usually listen to music during lunch and dinner, and I'm thinking maybe we will incorporate it as part of morning homeschooling after breakfast! :)

Favorite pizza combo?

Not Hawaiian. :D I like chicken + veggie with garlic and a thin crust. :) And no black olives, though I could live with them if I had to. :P

do, read, learn, and be goals Dec. 17 + meal plans {cheddar avocado turkey burgers}

We only have 8 days until Christmas! It will be here before we know it! :) We are finishing up school this week, and hosting my family for Christmas next week. I'll hopefully be working my plan for the next few days! :)

do:

• make 12 homemade gifts {I wish I could tell you about them but can't} ;)
• install new flooring {husband- I'm just the helper/baby holder}
• paint a piece of furniture
• wrap presents
• check gift lists again
• buy last few items on my list
• take family pictures + print them out
• bake eggs and cook rice for the next few days
• go grocery shopping for Christmas breakfast/dinner + make it in advance/freeze on Sunday
• make cinnamon rolls {if you love cinnamon rolls, you have to try this recipe! And double the icing.}
• attend Christmas parties and bring this dessert :)





best cinnamon rolls ever, even frozen! :)

read:

• Luke 1-2, Matthew 1-2, Psalm 145-150
• 3-5 chapters of library books

learn:

download the free printable!

be: 

• content with now- content with how many things are not getting done, and not be discontent with the state of now... how the floor needs to be swept, or the clothes need to be put away, or the amount of work I have to do... it all fades in the light of who Jesus is, and how short my life is. Worrying about today is not where my heart should be. I want to live in and enjoy today, because tomorrow it will be gone.

real simple cheddar avocado burgers

meal plans this week:

dinners: 

• pinto beans and rice x2 {if homemade, I just soak them for 12 hours overnight, crockpot them for 6-8 in the daytime, then salt them to taste :D}
• turkey tacos, corn, black beans, chips and salsa
• cheddar avocado turkey burgers + fries {I might leave the avocado sliced though!}
• chicken + cabbage mix italian salad
• pizza/family night
• dinner out

lunches: 

• sandwiches + pretzels
• leftovers

breakfasts:

• cereal
• oatmeal
• eggs

:: Favorite avocado recipe? 

I have 5 of them to use up this week so I'm all ears!! :)

:: Have you ever baked eggs before?

I think they taste so much better in the oven! I like the Egg Genie too though.

:: What foods are you most looking forward to eating next week?

I'm hoping to make these cinnamon rolls {best recipe ever, though I haven't tried PW's} and poor man's toffee this week. They're both my favorites!

----------------------------------------------

learn more about drlb goals here.

free printable drlb worksheet

do, read, learn, be goals + menu plans this week

I feel determined to at least make a list first thing this week {even if it doesn't get done! :P}. I started it last week and never even looked at it again. So here are my goals for this week:

do:

• nurse baby every 2.5 hours, hold him 75% of my waking hours, and change 10 diapers a day {not on my to-do list but I decided it totally should be so I can cross it out!}
• make butter with kids as an experiment- we will use the mixer and do one jar by hand for fun
• make 5 minute artisan bread to go with the butter :D 
• sort through final bin of winter clothes from the attic
• work on blog project
• answer emails waiting 
• exercise 5+ hours/teach fitness classes
• help husband with a DIY project {this includes me moving stuff out of his way so he can work... because I'm not skilled in the saw/hammering dept.... hahah}
• pray for people to invite to our feast
• print pictures for frame
• take vitamins every day

read:

• 2 chapters of  To Live as Christ to Die is Gain by Matt Chandler
• 3 chapters of Young Woman of God by Elizabeth George {great book for teenagers!}

learn:

• Proverbs 15:1: I already know this one but we are all learning it together:

print it here

be:

soft-spoken: I want to make an effort this week to keep softening my words. I've definitely worked on this in the past, but it comes back and I have to do it all again, you know?  Some days I feel like I am barking orders and I want to be able to be less sharp in my speech with my family.

I've felt extra tired over the last couple of weeks and I've had some kind of respiratory bug that I've been fighting, so it's been more difficult than normal to be patient. We're also in day 44 of homeschooling so school is getting more intense too- all more ways to show me I'm in need of help in this area. :) I know the Lord is good, and the Holy Spirit will help me do it! :D

free printable drlb worksheet

menus this week {I try to keep it really simple around here!}: 

dinners:
beans and rice x 2

food network lemon basil potatoes

freezer meal
fish and lemon basil red potatoes {new recipe to try this week- I have basil I need to use}
meal out
grilled cheese sandwiches and soup
quick and easy veggie chili and rice

lunches:
sandwiches, carrots and pita chips
salads
chicken and rice {me}
easy dog pizzas
leftovers

breakfasts:
cereal
fruit
oatmeal


I'm so thankful that I get the chance to make dinner for my family. I'm so thankful to be able to afford the foods that we have and that I can live in a warm house. It is a sweet gift from the Lord. And getting to make goals is like icing on the cake. :)

What are your goals this week? :)


Ever tried basil potatoes?


Do you have any tips for making homemade butter?