February 2017 Goal Review

Um, February, I know you are short, but where did you go??? Somehow I turned 25 today which means it is already March! Each month I want to share with you how I have been doing with all my goals, the successes and the struggles! If you want to see the list of goals that I made for 2017, check out that post here. Let's just hop into it my February review!

[ ] Read 50 books So, I didn't finish the book that I was reading yet but I did start a book called "How To Be a Bad-ass!" I know, reading some of one book is not anywhere near where I should be to hit this goal but at least I'm really enjoying this book, am I right?
[ ] Do 25 regular push-ups in a row! I've been bad when it comes to the exercise goals... I threw out my back one week and was sick another. I haven't really made any progress in the push-ups but I can still do ten! I need to add this back to my daily routine!
[ ] Auxiliary pioneer at least one month! I'm looking to doing this during the Memorial season so I can help to invite as many people as I can to the most important day of the year, the memorial of Jesus death. I decided that I will be doing this in whichever month my boss' baby is born since
I will have a full week off and that will give me some extra time to be in the ministry.
[ ] Daily text DAILY! Yet again, I need to track this better but I would say only about a third of the month I completed this so I definitely need to work on consistency with this one .
[ ] Keep up with weekly Bible Reading! I haven't done well with this one at all, we did it one week during our Family Worship and it was very nice!
[ ] Schedule a fun event with friends once a month! In February, I wasn't the one to schedule a fun event but one of my best friends scheduled a spa day at her sisters house. It was nice to just relax, have some wine, pamper ourselves and have lots of laughs!
[ ] Workout a minimum of 3 days a week! I did so well with this in January but not so well in February.. like I said, I was sick out week and hurt my back really badly one week. Unfortunately, I have fallen out of routine and really need to just jump back into it! It's important!
[ ] Earn 100 dollars blogging! As of the end of February, I have made $2.84 total across all three blogs. That means I earned a penny! Lol! Not very big progress obviously but I definitely need to work on frequency of posting!
[ ] Take vitamins daily! Yet another thing I really need to work on. When I got sick I was taken so many vitamins to try to get over it (I was in bed for three whole days!) that I burnt myself out on vitamins and just the thought of them made me nauseous! So I didn't do well with vitamins the second half of the month.
[ ] Double date once a month! We hadn't actually scheduled a double date in February but we ended up getting to go to an ice cream shop with my brother and his wife before they flew out on vacation. Unexpected but very nice!
[ ] Watch broadcast every month! We watched it the second week here!
[ ] Daily journal!  I still haven't been consistent with this like I want to be but I have always made sure to catch it up!
[ ] Plan date night once a month! Graham did this one night in February but I didn't... Just shows that you really need to schedule date night or its doesn't happen!
[ ] Plank challenge January! COMPLETE! 

So obviously, February was a struggle... Between being sick and hurting myself, I just let things slide. And honestly, I didn't even care. But now its time to get back on the horse and work hard to hit my goals! I'd love to hear from you all to hear how your goals are going and how you are working to achieve them! Until next time, let's keep it OrganizedForReal!

January 2017 Goal Review

I know, I know, this is a little late but better late than never right? Somehow its already the middle of February and I haven't shared my January Goal Review yet! Each month I want to share with you how I have been doing with all my goals, the successes and the struggles! If you want to see the list of goals that I made for 2017, check out that post here. Let's just hop into it my January review!

[ ] Read 50 books I only read half of one book.. I know, not starting my goals list off well but I promise it picks up! I just really haven't had the desire to read and I'm not sure how to get that back! My niece who is supposed to be doing this one with me hasn't done very well either, what is wrong with us?
[ ] Do 25 regular push-ups in a row! At the end of January, I was up to 9!!!! I have not been able to do that many push-ups in a row forever! I worked at it almost every day and it obviously really helped!
[ ] Auxiliary pioneer at least one month! I'm looking to doing this during the Memorial season so I can help to invite as many people as I can to the most important day of the year, the memorial of Jesus death.
[ ] Daily text DAILY! I need to track this better but I would say about half of the month I completed this so I definitely need to work on consistency with this one.
[ ] Keep up with weekly Bible Reading! I only did this half of the month, its been a struggle so my husband and I decided this week that we are going to add this to our weekly family worship and do it together
[ ] Schedule a fun event with friends once a month! In January, I went to the Giving Tree Theater in Marion, Iowa with 3 friends and my mother-in-law to see the Father of the Bride! Hysterical!
[ ] Workout a minimum of 3 days a week! This was a complete success in January! I worked out 2 times two weeks and 4 times two weeks! Head over to my fitness blog to hear more about my fitness journey!
[ ] Earn 100 dollars blogging! As of January 31st, I have made $2.83 across all three blogs but I have only posted two posts. Definitely need to work on frequency of posting!
[ ] Take vitamins daily! I accomplished this almost everyday and only missed a couple days!
[ ] Double date once a month! We are actually were able to do this twice in January! Once we went to a friends house and had amazing homemade chicken alfredo, no chicken for me of course! The other time, we went out with a couple for Mexican and then went back to their house to hang out for a while. Had a great time with both of them! Definitely nice to do things with other couples!
[ ] Watch broadcast every month! We watched it the first week here!
[ ] Daily journal! I haven't been consistent with this but I have always made sure to catch it up!
[ ] Plank challenge January! COMPLETE! It kicked my butt but by the end of the month I was able to do a 80 second plank without letting my knees drop!

Starting in February we are also adding the goal of:
[ ] Plan date night once a month! After all, its important to still date your spouse!

I'd love to hear from you all to see what your goals for the year are and how you are working to achieve them! Until next time, let's keep it OrganizedForReal!

2017 goals

      2017 is definitely a year full of goals both for myself and for my husband. We even sat down together one night and each made a list of goals! I thought I could share them with you along with a monthly check-in to keep me accountable and to encourage you to do the same! My 2017 goals are.... Drum-roll please...

[ ] Read 50 books by December 31st!

[ ] Do 25 regular push-ups in a row by December 31st!
[ ] Auxiliary pioneer one month in 2017- As one of Jehovah's          

    Witnesses, we spend time every month in the ministry talking to 

    people about the Bible but to auxiliary pioneer means that I will 

    spend 30 or 50 hours doing this in one month.

[ ] Examine the Scriptures DAILY- many people use a devotional

    to give them a scriptural thought to think about each day.     
    Examining the Scriptures Daily is what I choose to use and it is 
    published by Jehovah's Witnesses.

[ ] Keep up with Weekly Bible Reading- at our midweek meetings 
    at the Kingdom Hall, we consider a portion of the Bible every    
    week. I would like to keep up with that schedule so I can 
    contribute to the discussion. 
[ ] Schedule a fun event with friends once a month!
[ ] Workout a minimum of 3 days a week!
[ ] Earn 100 dollars blogging in 2017 between:

     This blog- organizedforreal.blogspot.com
     My fitness blog- fitnessformemyselfandi.blogspot.com and
     My parents travel blog- wetakethescenicroute.blogspot.com.
[ ] Take all my vitamins daily- at least my Multi, B complex and 
     vitamin D
[ ] Double date once a month!
[ ] Watch JW broadcast every month on TV.jw.org- it is an 
    amazing faith strengthening program released once a month.
[ ] Daily journal- just a couple lines describing my day!
[ ] Plank challenge in January- working up to 90 second plank!

Im Back!!!

      Hello everyone! I have missed you like crazy! It's 2017 already and I have decided that one of my goals for 2017 is to get back to blogging not only on this blog but... I have actually launched an new blog in collaboration with my parents. They are retiring and have decided to full-time RV and a journey like that cannot go undocumented! So feel free to check that out at wetakethescenicroute.blogspot.com! They are still in their house but they are hoping to be leaving soon and I'm hoping that we will have daily updates about all their adventures on the road!
      Getting involved in that blog has really made me miss my original blog! I've got so many other goals for 2017 and I know that it will require being organized so what better motivation to make my goals reality than to share it with you all! I haven't figured out a posting schedule yet but that is part of my plan for my vacation from work coming up. I have had December 23rd through January 2nd off of work and have gotten so much done! We actually went through our entire house and purged, cleaned and organized everything! It has been fantastic! So come on, join me you guys! I'm not sure how often I will be blogging but come on, it's time to get OrganizedForReal!

Find Three Hobbies You Love

    As you may or may not know, I am a high stress, low downtime person. I have never really had anything that I consider to be a hobby. I guess I just felt that hobbies were a waste of time and energy and possibly even money. But I recently found a quote that changed that thinking for me.

"Find three hobbies you love: one to make you money, one to keep you in shape and one to be creative."

     So I finally realized that hobbies really do serve very important purposes. Like the quote says, they can make you extra money, keep you in shape and healthy and help you be creative as well as relieve stress and give a meaning to your "downtime." I figured why not try this out!

So I really got to thinking, "What are my the hobbies or what do I want them to be?"

One to make you money: I am having a hard time figuring this one out. Any ideas or suggestions? I think this one is the biggest struggle for me because the two things that I thought of are either seasonal or I don't have time for them on a weekly basis like would be required.

One to keep you in shape: I'll admit that I have definitely been struggling with exercising for a while. We all know it's important but life gets in the way sometimes. I don't seem to have the time with my new schedule nor a real routine that I want to start. So I've thought about this one for quite a while and I think I have decided to take up running again. The weather is finally nice, its a great stress relief and it really is something that I miss. Today I am going to look more into a routine that I will start. I would like to prepare for the 5K in our town that I did two years ago. It is in two months and I think that would give me plenty of time to train. Even though I don't quite have a plan yet, my wonderful hubby is going to go on a walk/ jog with me today cause what a better day to start than on the first of the month, am I right?

One to be creative: I've really been enjoying the creative aspect of blogging. It allows me to write about the things that go on inside my mind and that I love and love to share with you! I never thought I would enjoy writing as much as I do either! Now that I am shooting for one post a week, it is much more manageable than when I was trying to post everyday. Maybe someday I will start posting more but for now this is working well!

     So what about you? What are your hobbies? How many do you have? What categories do that fit into? If you are like me, maybe it is time to find three hobbies for yourself! Then even when it comes to our hobbies, we can be OrganizedForReal!!!

Quick Tip of the Day: Anniversary Cards

                   
     Good evening organizers! It's been a busy day including celebrating our 3rd anniversary with my in-laws who are celebrating their 25th anniversary (ours on the 14th and their on the 15th). But I didn't want to leave you out since I said I would try to post every Friday so I thought that I would just share a quick tip with you about anniversaries! We personally don't celebrate holidays or birthdays but there are still so many important days to remember, wedding anniversaries!!! The day that two people make vows to each other in front of God and their families and friends is an incredibly special day and one that should be remembered for years to come!
                                   
     So how do you keep them all straight and never forget them? Well I personally use two different things. First, I have have a list of anniversaries in chronological order so that each month I can look at the list to see who will be celebrating in the month to come . I also add a small note in my monthly planner.   
     
     Now this doesn't mean that I am the perfect person who sends a card to everyone every year. Believe me, I wish I was that person who always sent cards for all the perfect occasions or reason. But I'm not and let's face it, there aren't that many people that are as busy as we are nowadays. But even a short text or a quick call to show someone that you remembered the day, that you care about them and that they are special (especially on their special day) can mean the world to them! So go ahead, start making a list. Start with family, add friends and don't forget to add new dates when you get wedding invitations as well! Before you know it, you will have the list so that when it comes to anniversaries, you can say that you are OrgainzedForReal!

Tip of the Day: Spring Cleaning with your Husband

     Hello organizers! I know I haven't been around for about a month now so I thought I would share a quick update and a tip with you all today!

    So first, the update! Things have been super crazy around our house lately! Both my husband and I have been looking for new jobs recently. My husband has been looking really hard and will hear back on Monday to see if he got a sales job that he thinks he nailed the interview for! And as for me, I think I found my dream job. Cue the drum roll *insert drum roll here* I am a nanny!!! I just finished my second full week as a nanny for an incredibly intelligent and adorable two year old girl and a super cute and lovable 14 week old boy! I'm already completely in love with these kids! So much fun to be with and care for, I'm so lucky! I'll try to share some ideas relating to kids on the blog now when I can. My schedule is super packed now and the only reason that I am blogging today is because I will have Fridays off through June and then my job will be Monday through Friday. But maybe I will try to blog every Friday for a little while. Sorry to ramble on but as you can tell I'm super excited about all this! Okay, so now to the tip of the day!

     Today's tip of the day is actually something that I am going to be practicing today! Maybe its the fact that its spring, maybe it is the new super busy schedule and wanting to be organized or maybe I am just ready to purge but its true, you really can spring clean with our husband! Now maybe the husbands aren't always the first to jump at the idea of spring cleaning but they can be a huge help! Maybe they may clean and organize the garage for you but they can also help you with things you may not think of right away, like going through your clothes! (Wait, what? Did she just say my husband can help me with my clothes? Is she crazy?) Okay, well maybe I am a little crazy but its true! If you are anything like me, you will look at your wardrobe and you are embarrassed to admit that you see things you haven't worn for years, clothes that have a stain but are still okay if you were them with the right thing that covers it or there is that piece of clothing that needs resown "someday" but you've never done it. It's time for that to change! Now maybe you aren't as lucky as me to have a husband who loves fashion and who you can trust to make fashion decisions for you but you may have a husband who wants some more room in your closet (I'm totally guilty with owning 3/4 of ours!) or maybe he secretly wants to tell you that a certain outfit isn't the most flattering without hurting your feelings or he wants to tell you that he just simply doesn't like something in your closet. So like I said, I'm ready for a change and I'm ready to finally get rid of things, so today is the day! Graham is going to help me go through all of my clothes and I am going to try my hardest to listen! Just because I bought or was given something and "might" wear it "someday" (I'm realizing that never happens) doesn't mean I have to keep it! So now that I know my husband is going to help me and I have told you about it... lets do this! Let's get OrganizedForReal!