Tuesday, June 30, 2015

How I Did On My Goals for June

Before I get to my new goals for July, let's take a look back and see how I did on my Goals for June:

1. Spend time each weekday doing Jen Wilkin's Bible study on the book of Judges.


This went really well! I can't say I did it every weekday (sometimes I'd make up for it on the weekend), but the heart of the goal was to get me in the Word, studying, and that goal was met. I am really enjoying this. I would never have ventured a study on the book of Judges by myself, but it has been so helpful in finally understanding what the deal is with that book and what it's message is. I really encourage you to check out Jen Wilkin's studies. She's fantastic. If you want to join me, you can get the workbook and audio for free here.



2. Exercise in some form every day.

Piper and Addie not sure they're awake enough for a walk.

This was a bit of a weak point for the first part of the month, except some family walks and bike rides. Between being busy, having guests, and a bout of sickness that hit our family, exercise got pushed mostly to the back burner for a few weeks, but I was able to finish the month strong the past two weeks. Most mornings I've been trying to get up between 5 and 6 to hit the pavement running, walking, or doing an exercise DVD before the kids wake up and my husband has to leave for work. My entire day is improved when I do this. That time to myself is life-giving! The peaceful quiet as the sun awakes and everything is still and dewy breathes vigour into my soul. I really am fighting to establish this as a habit.



3. Write at least one blog post a week.


Umm... oops! I think I missed an entire week, but then I put up two posts another week. (That makes up for it right?). There are other posts I've written but haven't completed yet. Ideally, I need to improve in this area and get some sort of regular schedule going.



4. Get the guest room ready for guests.


Well, it's not everything I would hope it to be, but I managed to get it functional. The junk pile got sorted through and put away in storage or given away. So far it has a bed, side tables, lamps and a dresser. We loved having my brother and sister-in-law from Alberta and my dad visit this month. I'm grateful to be able to offer them each a private room in this house! I have a girl's weekend coming up in July so I'm hoping to keep working on this, making it even better. I'd still like to at least add art, curtains, and a mirror. I'll have to snap a photo sometime to share.



5. Hang art in the living and dining rooms.


The upstairs living room.

Well, I completed this one! But then I proceeded to undo half of it. I found an awesome, large, old spinning wheel at this great outdoor market in our area and hung it above the couch in the living room. I love it! It was exactly the vision I had for that space and I got a great deal. It adds interest, texture, and dimension to the room. It also happens to be the exact same patina as the rustic wood floor lamp I had there, so it ties in beautifully. 

In the dining room I tried to work with what I had. I tried to channel my inner Joanna Gaines, putting up an old empty frame with a boxwood wreath in the middle of it, but I actually ended up taking it down after a few days. It was too dark and I didn't love it. I decided I'm okay with letting the walls breathe until I find something that I truly love to put there. 

I did hang two other photos in our entrance, so I'm telling myself that makes up for it. The truth is, I really want to be more selective in my home this time around. Many times I'll buy something because it's on sale and hope to find a spot for it. This time I want to have a design plan and wait to find what I know I'll love (and for a good deal, because I'm kind of allergic to paying full price for things). This home will develop over time, and that's fine with me. 





6. Plan a 4th birthday party that Jackson will love (not myself or Pinterest).


Done! It was a blast. We celebrated for four days straight. You can read all about it here.  



7. Do a fun activity with the kids off our Family Summer Bucket List at least once a week.

My boy hand to paw with a white lion at the zoo.

This goal was met and then some! We managed to check a few things off our list, but frankly, it was a month chalk-full of plenty of summer fun, whether it was on our list or not. But here are the ones we crossed off of our Summer Bucket List this month:

* Go fishing

* Go to the zoo
* Visit a new park
* Roast marshmallows
* Water balloon games








8. Take more photos with my "real" camera.


My hope in this goal was to just start taking photos with my Nikon again instead of always using my iPhone, and I really enjoyed this. From Jackson's birthday party, to hikes, time at the park, and little candid moments of our life, I took my camera along and have some precious, good quality snaps to show for it. I'd like to keep this up.



Overall, I'd say the hope of all of my goals were met this month! I found it really beneficial. Writing out my goals helped me remember to focus in on some things I wanted to accomplish (like getting the guest room ready and hanging some art) or areas I generally wanted to develop the habit of regularly including in my life (like Bible study, exercise, and planning special activities with the kids each week). 

As I look toward my goals for July, I'd like to keep up what I began in June when it comes to exercising every day, using my Nikon more often, and Bible study. I've also made some of those goals a bit more specific.


How about you? Did you set any goals you met this month? Do you have some ideas for next month? Share in the comments below if you'd like.



Stay tuned for my Goals for July tomorrow.

2 comments:

  1. Great job Kaitlyn! I enjoyed reading this. Keep the updates coming!

    ReplyDelete