Word of the Year: 2019

If you read my goals for this year, then you know one of them is to be present more. 

To be where my feet are. 

This might sound silly, but I find myself thinking about all of the other things going on and not truly being present with where I am. 

For that reason, I deemed my word for 2019...

When I'm at school I want to be focused on schoolwork, not what I want to do that night or what I wished I'd done over the weekend. 

I truly enjoy each day and enjoy my days at school, but I often feel like I'm not truly there. 

There are days where I wish I was more focused or in the moment. 

I want to learn with the kids and enjoy our days together. 

I want to be in the moment. 

When I'm at home I often am thinking about ALL of the things that I need to do the next day or my never ending to-do list. 

This has been a major struggle all 7 years of teaching. 

This year I'm really focusing on controlling what I can control and leaving the rest alone. 

There are only so many hours in a day. 

I can't work 24/7.

I need time away from school and need time to myself and my family at home. 

I feel like I'm doing a lot better in this area, but it's SO easy to get sucked back in. 

I want to be present at home and focus on life outside of school. 

So, my word for 2019 is present. 

Be where my feet are. 

Focus on where my feet are. 

Let the worries subside and really enjoy each day, no matter where I am!

Goals 2019

1. Be Present

I want to enjoy ordinary life more. 

The end of the year always get so rushed, and I find myself more times than not not being able to remember little things. 

I want to watch the sun rise and the sun set. 

I want to enjoy where I am. 

Christy Wright is always saying "Be Where Your Feet Are"!

That's exactly what I want to do; live in the moment. 

2. Work Less

This sounds a bit crazy, but I'm making this one of my goals for the year.

I love my job as a teacher, but it easily becomes overwhelming and can take over your life. 

There's always another lesson to create and more papers that I could grade. 

I have a very hard time separating home and work. 

While I've gotten better at it, I want to leave work at work more often and be able to feel like I can do my own thing at night and on the weekends.

3. Read 3 Books Per Month

I'm a reading and writing teacher, so it only makes sense that I read. 

When I look back at what I read over the year, there are months where I read five books and months where I read one. 

I want to read more, and so realistically I think that's 3 books each month. 

Hopefully some months I will read more, but I want to aim for 3!

So there are my goals for 2019.

It's easy to stick to them at the beginning of the year, but I want to stick to them all year long!

I've written them in my planners and hope to keep checking back in on them each month. 

My students and I revisited the goals they made at the beginning of the year. 

I had them assess whether they've met their goal, want to tweak it or need to make a new goal for the second half of the year. 

We make one reading goal and one writing goal. 

One thing that I've been neglecting with them is checking back in on those goals. 

So, I've added it to my monthly list to check back in on those goals!

March Goals

Hey, hey!
February seemed to fly by.
Each day brought something new and time consuming.
I didn't have much time for blogging, so that went to the wayside.

I've had a bit of time to catch up, so I'm back with my March goals!
I'm so glad that it's March.
The grass is starting to green up and it's staying lighter outside longer.
I'm so excited for warmer weather and sunnier days!

Before jumping into my March goals, I want to share an update on my January goals.

1. Clean Closets/Bathoom Cabinets

2. Register for Master's Classes

3. Book Summer Vacations

I'm glad to share that all of my January goals have been completed.
We had a wintry January, so I had a lot of time at home!
The house has been cleaned from top to bottom including inside and outside of cabinets.
It's time consuming, but now that the sun is shining I'm glad I'm not confined to spring cleaning the house.
I registered for my final four master's classes and have finished one already.
We booked our summer vacations, and I have one more vacation to make a decision on this month.

So here we go March...

1. Complete Read Aloud Class

Last month I finished my first Master's class of four.
Teaching Literacy Across the Curriculum was my first class.
If you aren't a language arts teacher but are interested in learning how to integrate reading and writing in your classroom, this would be a great class.
Since I am an ELA teacher, I knew most of the information, but it was a good refresher course to get me back in the student mode.

This month I'm looking to finish a class on Read Alouds.
I'm hoping to report back at the beginning of April on it.

2. Complete Teacher Health Class

I have high hopes to complete two classes this month. 

My second class is on keeping sane while being a teacher. 

It's so easy to get consumed with teaching. 

As I'm typing this I have spent hours and hours on grading and planning this weekend. 

It's currently Sunday, and I'm trying to hurry up and get our meals made for the week, so that I can go plan some more. 

While I love my job, it's time consuming and can get you down. 

I'm excited to see what this class has to offer.

3. Make Alaskan Cruise Decision

My mom and I may be making our first trek to Alaska this summer. 

We've been trying to decide on which cruise we want to take. 

I had it narrowed down and thought I had a winner, but then I realized I was looking at a cruise that departed in 2019 not 2018. 

I'm hoping we will make a decision very soon!

All of my goals for this month are very research oriented.
I'm hoping for lots of time at home reading and writing and to get these goals under my belt come April.
Happy March!

January Goals

We're half way through the month already, so I thought I would post my goals for January. 

1. Clean Closets/Bathroom Cabinets

Our closets aren't large, so this task won't take me a ton of time, but I would like to take everything out and wipe down all of our closets and bathroom cabinets. 

Our snow days sure have helped me check this off my list.

2. Register for Master's Classes

I need to register for my final master's classes. 

 I plan to use Advancement Courses, and I have a long list of interesting courses, so I need to narrow them down to 4!

3. Book Summer Vacations

We're in the process of deciding where we want to vacation this summer. 

I need to finalize our list and actually make our bookings, so that they're set and we can plan ahead.

So there you have it. 

Those are my goals for January. 

Lots of prepping and planning for the rest of year starting right now in the frigid, snowy month of January!

How We: Do Goals

Hey ladies!

It's a "How We" Wednesday with Erika and Shay. 

The second Wednesday of each month these ladies share a new "How We" topic. 

If you're interested in the topics so far this year or ones to comes, check out the graphic below.

This month we're sharing: 

How We do goals/resolutions/etc...

This year I didn't end up making any resolutions. 

I have thought and thought and there's not really anything serious that I need/want to quit/start. 

Now, my husband would tell you that I need to relax more and spend less time doing things, but that's not really in my nature, and I enjoy being a busy body, so for now I will stick with it!

I'm more of a goal person. 

Each year I have a vision for how I want it to go. 

I think of it in a big picture and kind have plot out what I want to happen before the year even starts. 

So onto the goals. 

Last week I shared my new goals for 2018, but before we get to that, let's recap last year.

Last year my goals were this...

They were simple and sweet, and I would say that I/we did them pretty much to the tee. 

If you're interested in reading more about how we met these goals, check out my full post here. 

It's crazy that it's 2018. 

10 years ago I graduated high school. 

10 years!

It seems like no time has passed at all, yet at the same time so many things have changed. 

Now, onto 2018!!

We have BIG goals in 2018!

Go big or go home, right?!

1. I followed my dreams and started my own little travel agency last year. 

I'm working on promoting it and getting people to realize that using a travel agency doesn't have to cost you more money because you don't have to pay a penny more with Konnections Travel Agency!

There are so many travel consortium's/agencies out there, and I felt the call that I had something to add to this business, so we shall see where it goes!

2. I currently have my master's degree plus 15 additional hours. 

My goal has always been to complete all requirements/courses before we have kids. 

I currently have 4 classes left to reach that, so that is on the list for this year. 

3. We have some big purchases in 2018. 

Alex and I have been saving and paying off debt. 

We can't wait to put our savings to use in some major purchases for our future life!

I am a goal oriented person. 

I plan things out and like to go step by step to reach my goal. 

Here's to hoping we all meet our 2018 goals!

I can't wait to see what everyone else has to share!

2018 Goals

Happy, Happy New Year!

I can't believe that another year has come and gone.
I've been reminiscing all of our New Years' trips.

New York City

 Times Square-6 blocks away!

Niagara Falls

Yesterday we were supposed to enjoy a new experience at our favorite football field-Heinz Field.
Unfortunately, my dad got the sickness that is going around and has ended up with what probably is bronchitis from my mom.
We didn't think it would be a good idea for him to sit outside in 10 degree weather to watch a football game, so we cancelled.

Today I have a few goals for the new year.

Last year I had these goals...

I think I could report back and say that I did a pretty good job with these goals. 

It's always so hard to find fresh fruits and vegetables in the winter, but I made the most of it. 

We hit our super savings goal head on and are completely out of debt 100%!!

No payments for anything-let's keep it that way!

I've enjoyed the sweet, simple days of being 26/27. 

I'm sure in the coming years those days won't be so quiet, but I'm currently enjoying this simple view of snow coming down outside as I listen to HGTV in the living room. 

It's warm, cozy and quiet as I type this....and I know that won't always be the case.

So on to this year...

This year my goals are more specific...

1. Promote my travel agency

Last summer I made the decision to start my own little travel agency through a host agency.
I love travelling and after planning my own destination wedding, I thought I would dabble in the travel business.
I'm not a good one for asking people to buy anything.
I think it's a personal decision and don't want to twist anyone's arm to do anything, but I feel travelling is a personal decision and who doesn't love to escape reality?
I'm making a conscientious effort to promote my travel agency daily.
My goal is to make at least one social media post per day.

2. Register and complete 4 Master's classes

Only 4 master's classes are between me and the top tier of the education system.
I currently have my Master's plus 15 additional credit hours, but I'm determined to reach the finish line in 2018.
I guess it's a good thing that I became an educator because I actually enjoy taking some additional classes.
Master's degree plus 30 additional credit hours is as high as you can go.
I want to get all of my hours taken care of before we decide to have little ones. 

3. Build a garage, buy Alex a new vehicle and purchase an SUV

We have some major purchases that we've been planning for a couple years.
Some of them we thought we would have before now, so this is the year we will cross them off of our list.
1. Build a garage.
We are currently garageless and Alex wants/needs a garage very bad.
He's great at fixing things but doesn't currently have the space to do it.

2. Buy a new automatic vehicle for Alex
Alex currently drives a manual.
We want to upgrade him to an automatic car because he deserves to drive without shifting and so that I could use the vehicle as well.
I don't have the manual skills that he does, so I opt to just driving my own car.

3. We have dreamed about having a large SUV that will fit a lot of our friends, so that we can go on road trips together.
We are hoping this will be the year that we pull the plug and go for it!
I'm hoping to be able to report back after a road trip with an SUV full of friends!

 These three goals are BIG goals.
They are specific and to the point, but they are things that we/I are really aiming for.
As sad as I am about the years passing by so quickly, I'm ready and determined to make 2018 great!

July Goals

The summer has me off my game. 

I haven't spent a ton of time looking at my blog posts calendar. 

That made me forgot about doing a July Goals post until I read Emily's post. 

She has a great list of goals for July including cleaning makeup brushes and my favorite: removing and organizing the pictures on her phone. 

My phone has been telling me for well over 50 weeks that it doesn't have enough memory to back it up. 

I keep putting it off and off and off. 

This month I'm going to stop putting it off, thanks to Emily, and get those pictures taken care of. 

So without further adieu, here we have my goals for my last full month of summer. 

1. Upload pictures on my phone to my computer

I always want to keep pictures on my phone in case I need them or want to show someone something, but I never do. 

There are tons of pictures that just need removed. 

I need to do a better job of narrowing down the FEW that I keep on my phone. 

The rest can go in their organized folders on Passport backup for my computer. 

2. Get old recipes framed and hung

When we moved in and I was going through things I found my grandma's old recipe book. 

It's basically a small notebook of recipes. 

The pages are so fragile and some are even falling out of it. 

She used that recipe book over and over and over again. 

I found her #1 recipe- chocolate chip cookies

The pages are tattered and you can barely read the recipe. 

And I found a Butterscotch pie recipe. 

My grandma had a dear friend, Ruthie. 

Ruthie was widowed, twice, and didn't have any family in our town, so she became a another grandma to me. 

Ruthie always made butterscotch pie for Christmas. 

I decided to have those two recipes framed. 

I couldn't find a regular frame for them at any store, so I went to our local frame shop and picked out a frame. 

I think the framing should be finished this month, and then I can't wait to hang them up. 

These delicious recipes of my grandma will go in her own house that now is my home. 

What a full circle moment!

3. Organize blog posts for next 2 months

School starts again next month. 

The first thing to go when school gets busy are my blog posts. 

I'm hoping to plan my posts two months out that way I'm not scrounging for ideas at the last minute. 

Now I know I won't be able to write all of the posts that early, but I hope to have ideas written on blog calendar.

I only have 3 goals for this month, but those are three big goals!

I've basically cleaned my house from top to bottom, cleaning closets, registers and washing curtains. 

So I think I'm good on cleaning goals for a while. 

Do you guys have any goals for this month?

It's the last full month of summer for me, so I'm going to cherish the long days and plan to pack in a lot of things getting checked off my list. 

March Goals

Happy March!

I cannot believe that it is already March. 

This winter really swept us by, and the intermittent nice weather really has been spoiling us lately.

Well, I'm back at it today with some goals for this month.

Looking at my calendar, this is going to be a busy month.

We have a lot of after-school meetings and things planned for the month.

In addition, I have some routine doctors appointments and am waiting for a sweet baby to grace our friends group. 

I have slacked a little with the goals lately. 

There wasn't really anything that I wanted/needed to accomplish, so I didn't make any. 

This month I have a few things on my list. 

1. Read MORE

I really feel like I fell off my wagon in February. 

I started out strong and then got occupied. 

In my classroom we have a 40 Book Challenge this year, so I need to get my game face back on. 

Any great book suggestions?

90% of my time is spent reading young adult lit because I read in the classroom, so any great recommendations are appreciated!

2. Plant all of my seeds

I am 3/4 way through with planting seeds. 

I might have jumped the gun a bit, but most of my seeds are in dirt and lots are sprouting. Hooray!

I want to make sure that everything is planted this month, so that the seeds have plenty of time to grow nice and strong before acclimating them to the outdoors.

3. Keep my skin healthy

I keep reading over and over how you only get one skin. 

So keep it HEALTHY!

Last month I got a facial, and I might even consider getting one this month. 

My Clarisonic officially died, so I'm considering buying a new one. 

I really think it helps with clearing up my pores, so in the time being I might opt for one more facial. 

I'm still considering getting a treatment done to my face come June. 

I feel anything to promote healthy skin is a plus.

I, also, ran out of my favorite makeup remover a while back. 

I've been using some makeup wipes that have been working pretty well. 

I know I can't go to bed at night without cleaning my face and using some sort of makeup remover.

4. Find a Lent bible study

Lent starts TODAY!

So, this needs to be quick. 

I love my Jesus Always devotion, but I want to be a bit more intentional with a Lent study. 

Yesterday I got an idea from Sarah to do the She Reads Truth One. 

Any other suggestions?

Well, there's my March. 

The grass is green, it's raining, windy and some flowers are blooming. 

I'm used to March with snow, but we will take it. 

Have a glorious first day of March!

New month, new you!

November Goals

I always enjoy the end of each month because it means a new, fresh, clean page is awaiting me on my calendar. I typically hate the beginning and the end of everything, so this is a rare occasion.

I enjoy the openness that each month brings. 

Lots of hope and anticipation of what's to come.

This month I hope to do the following:

Decide on our first ever Christmas dinner at our house. We used to have Christmas dinner at my grandma's or her friend Ruthie's but since their passing we haven't really had a Christmas dinner. 

I'm so excited to bring this tradition back. 

I'm considering our Christmas dinner menu and who all will attend as our home isn't the largest.
If you have any suggestions on menu items, please comment below!

 Honorary teacher luncheon. I'm anticipating doing a littler honorary dinner for a nominated teacher in each of my classes. This is something new that might become a tradition. It's still in the planning stage, but I want my students to experience a Thanksgiving/Christmas party within our class. Unfortunately, many of my students don't get anything special on Thanksgiving or Christmas, so I want to bring the joy and fun to them by allowing them the chance to honor a teacher and learn how good it feels to give.

 We have a little caulking to finish underneath the kitchen cabinets.
You can't really see this area, but I want to get it caulked but have been putting it off.

 Order living room cabinet doors.
We repainted the living room and when we took the cabinet doors off and painted them; they no longer fit right.
So, we need to custom order some new cabinet doors. 

Put up the Christmas Tree!
I love Christmas and last year I had Alex's tree to put up, my own tree and my parents tree. It seemed like a lot to do, so we put Alex's tree up mid-November.
I'm thinking that may continue as we now put our tree up together in our new home together.