January – Chit Chat

Happy New Year!

Are you off to a good start with you New Years Resolutions and goals? This year I am working on more systems, routines and time blocking. As the kids are getting older it takes more focused energy to accomplish my goals and create order in the house. Let’s face it POST- Christmas can be crazy! There is a good chance your family got hit with all the bugs going around, tons of new items are being brought into the house and not to mention ALL of the Christmas decorations.

Related Post: Post Holiday January To-Do List

That’s the case for us. Over the course of the last few years we’ve managed to accumulate one large 8-foot tree, two 6-feet trees, and a fresh tree we cut down every year as part of festivities to kick off the Christmas season. My girls just LOVE to decorate. So it takes lots of time packing everything up. Some years I wait until the mid-end of January (especially if we are hit with a lot of snow), but this year it’s been moderate temperatures and even rain! So my focus is to get them down this week.

This year I am FINALLY getting rid of the girls clothes and toys. There has been some passing down here and there but it’s time for the BIG HAUL haha. It’s easy to keep storing things for the chance another baby may bless us. Overall, I’ve found that after having three girls, most kids like wearing the same things over and over again- and it’s usually simple things like t-shirts and stretch pants. I just embrace it, make sure it’s weather appropriate and/or event appropriate.

Goals for the Year

I always set goals for the year. I talk about it more in the New Years Resolution – Challenging the Status Quo post.

This year, I am working on just being disciplined, consistent and recording my progress. The past few years things seemed to fall out of all routines. Can anyone else relate?

To get back in focus, I am starting with prayer and planning. I was gifted the book Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer. In the first few chapters it talks about appointment time for Prayer. I just love that scheduled time to talk with God and write it down.

So that’s the goal for this year, strategic prayer and strategic strategies.

Happy New Years to you and your family!

Books I am Reading and Revisiting for the New Year:

These are the books I am reading & revisiting this year.

• Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer 
• The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
• The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively
• Mama Bear Apologetics™: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies
• There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids (from Friluftsliv to Hygge)