Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Morning!  How have you been? How did your week go?

I must say that I accomplished everything and more on my list from last week.  It was simple and sweet--much like today's will be.

Here's a peek into some of what we got into last week together:

Staycation Week One  -- Done!

This week the kids and I will engage in another week of 'staycation' fun. We've already selected the activities we want to do and have invited friends to join in, if they can.

I will focus on:

• daily meditation and quiet time
• daily exercise
• being present with my children (i.e. unplugging)
• laughing
• sharing through talking and listening
• getting out of the house and enjoying life around us
• completing a few of my reading projects (i'm reading books for me and reading some for my kids' book club for next year)

What is one thing that tops your list for this week? Share it below!! Yes, I want to know. :)

Wishing you just what you want/need this week--make it happen.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Morning!

This week's list is short and sweet!

• meditation & quiet time
• daily exercise
• read from summer reading list
• laugh
• be present & enjoy my children
• say 'yes' to every opportunity to hang out with friends

What's on your intentional list for this week? Are you doing anything special for the summer? I hope that no matter what is on your list this week you'll make time for what matters most in your life--enjoying yourself and the people who make your life sweet.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Today is rather dreary and rainy here. I'm thankful for the rain as it clears the air of pollen. However, this type of weather also makes it more difficult to get out of bed.

I've taken the time to update our family dry-erase calendar. It's the last day of May and so I've decided to go ahead and get June up so we can plan our week.

Here are some of the people and tasks I'm going to make time for this week beginning:

• Myself--making time for meditation, reading, exercise, writing and creating
• My family--making time to talk/listen, share stories/thoughts/ideas, prepare meals together, laugh, create
• My friends--we have plans to gather again this week
• My community--I will be leading two planning sessions this week with the families in my intentional homeschooling space.
• My home--continuing on the organizing, cleaning and purging path.  (I'm taking manageable steps each day!)

For whom and what will you make time this week? Share one or two items from your list below. I'd love to hear how things are coming along for you.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Day to each of you. Thanks for stopping by and reading. I hope that you're well and that this weekend is just what it needs to be for you.

The past week has been full.  I'm exhausted! We celebrated several milestones in the lives of some dear family and friends--graduations, to be specific.  We held our first homeschool graduation in our community this year. The ceremony was simple and beautiful. Everything came together better than we'd hoped. From there we attended two other graduation ceremonies and celebrated in spirit with five other dear friends.  This is the time of endings and beginnings.  My children are now imagining how their milestones will be celebrated. (smile)

This week I'm being intentional about these people/relationships, practices and tasks.

• Quiet time, meditation, prayer
• Daily reading time for myself
• Give time to writing
• Assist a friend in packing for a move.
• Meeting my cohort to plan for our homeschool community's 2015-2016 year.
• Meeting with my librarian to schedule workshops for the fall.
• Continue planning for my children.  I've made a lot of headway with regards to their studies, classes, activities and want to line a few more things up.
• Connect with family/friends to solidify summer plans
• Continue with general organization of our home
• Get outside for daily exercise and fun
• Gather some friends for a pool date

To whom/what will you give your time, energy and attention this week? Stop now and make your list. Then move through this week with that intention.  Sure, everything won't always turn out the way you'd hoped. But I can assure you that you'll get more of the things completed if you're intentional about it.  Add it to your calendar; make a list and post it; do whatever you need to remind yourself and keep yourself aware of what it is you'd like to do. Thanks for allowing me to encourage you in this practice.

Have a wonderful week!

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Morning!

Today is a pretty full day for me--not something I typically do on a Sunday. It's graduation season and we have several to attend this week.  The first one being that of a homeschooling student in our community--who has become more like family over the years.

There are clothes to lay out, hair to do and general prep of that sort (cards to sign, gifts to wrap, etc.). I have been working on an on-going project over the last two months now of getting organized.  It's such a huge job that it can be overwhelming at times.  This is why I've been taking it a little bit each day.  I am making great progress.  I can finally see a dent in things. (smile) I have to keep reminding myself that I am doing just fine at this pace--that it's not a race.

We're also coming to the end of our homeschool community's time together. This week we'll celebrate our accomplishments and break for summer vacation.  It's a well needed break--for me, anyway. As a leader/facilitator, planning and executing require a good amount of energy.  I'm looking forward to being 'off.' (bigger smile!)

So here are my intentions for this week beginning:

• Prep for graduations/celebrations
• Continue with homeschool organization for next term (for my children)
• Continue with household organization
• Create new job charts for the children--every so many months we rotate chores/responsibilities
• Request assistance from grandparents in securing family memberships to local attractions
• Set up summer schedule for the children
• Meal plan for week/month
• quiet time/meditation
• exercise
• reading

How will you use your time this week? With whom will you spend it? What things will you work to get done? Take a moment to make your list. Share one or two below. 

Wishing you each well in this new week and hope that things turn out better for you than expected.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Evening. I hope that each of you have been enjoying the weekend. It's been clear skies and nice temps here where we are. We've had time to relax and time to hang out with friends.

This past week was very full. With birthday celebrations--yes, we did a few things over a couple of days--a field trip, community meals and time with friends, the week went by quickly. We were still able to get some of the work done around the house that I had hoped to and I was able to get in more time planning and organizing.  It's amazing just how much time is needed for that.

How did your week pan out? Were you able to get through the things on your intention list? I hope so.

This week we only have ONE thing on the calendar--pretty amazing, actually. The children were lamenting it earlier today. I'm excited not to have any major obligations this week. In addition to that outing, I will add our weekly trip to the library.

I'm wanting to begin conferencing with each of my children to further discuss their progress and get their feedback. We'll review the goals we set for this homeschool year back in August and evaluate just how well we met those goals. I started these conversations last week but they were rather informal--while we were doing something else. This week I'll schedule time with each of them and we'll begin writing our goals for next homeschool year--make lists of books to read, interests they have, classes they'd like to take in addition to the classes I've planned for them.

Since the children are older and enjoy being out of the house I want to plan out our summer. There are a few trips I'd like to take, they'd like to go to summer camp for a week or two. Swimming lessons for at least one of them again this summer. We'll take a look at the months we have to do all these things and get it on the calendar.

Daily reading is still on the list. So are exercise, meditation and resting.

One thing we did last week that I'd like to do again is making time for creating artwork. We took a trip up North of the city for a 'drop-in' art class. Being in that space I remembered just how important creativity and creating with our hands are. So one day this week we'll paint and/or make some artwork for our walls.

Mother's Day is coming up next week and so I'm hoping for some quiet time. We'll see if that's the gift my family offers me this year! (smile)

What are you intentionally planning to do in this new week? There are so many options and ways you can use your time. I hope that no matter what you're doing that it's the important things and that you find fulfillment in doing them.

I wish you each a wonderful week ahead.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Glad you stopped by today. I hope you've been enjoying your weekend.

We're getting ready for a birthday celebration this week. It's a milestone year for my Sweetie-pie and we've made plans this week to gather with some of her favorite people.

How did things go for you this week? Was it how you'd intended it to be?

I was able to stick to most of the items on my list. I even got to a few more things I didn't list. Laughter has been a big part of the week and I got a bit more cleaning done than I had planned--wonderful bonus!! (big smile) I also finished one of the books I've been reading and have started on another.

For this new week beginning I'd like to give myself to the following:

Meditation, quiet time and reflection--doing this daily is truly keeping me centered and grounded. With so much negativity happening around the world and here, locally, things can be quite overwhelming. It's good to take time to just remember to be human and be present with those I love.

Yoga practice has been a part of this, too. We've been doing it as a family once a week with friends and then three more days here at the house. I'm finding that I'm physically feeling better.

Continued exercise--simply walking for 30 minutes and then some basic calisthenics at the house.

Food prep--it seems like today, Sunday, is the best day of the week for me to do this. In so doing I set myself up for greater success in having actual meals during the week.  It's been giving us time to read together as a family in the evenings instead of preparing dinner, from scratch.

Reading--yes, this will always be on my list.

Planning for our learning time for next school year and for our home school community's time together. I am already pulling resources but need to put them in better order. Then write out specific goals and plans for each of my children. This will involve some conferencing with them to find out if their interests have changed and/or what things they'd like to learn about. There are a few online connections and meetings to be had this week in that regard (home learning).

Gathering with our community. This week, because of the celebrations, and our regular rhythm, we will have four community shared meals. I'm looking forward to this time for myself and for my children. It will be good to be with friends and enjoy some good eats.

What plans to you have for yourself and your family this week? Are you writing them down somewhere? Do you go back and look at what you've done? I'm hoping that this practice is of encouragement to someone. I've found it useful in helping me keep what's important at the top of my list each week.

Wishing each of you the best as you begin another week.  I'll look for you next Sunday.

Be well.

Intention Setting :: A Weekly Practice

For anyone who has been following me, you have noticed that I've been away on these last two Sundays. I hope that my not being online hasn't kept you from setting intentions for yourself. Although I haven't been here, I have been writing down my intentions and giving myself to them.  So much so that I've only had a few moments to blog over the past two weeks.

There has been so much we've gotten into as a family. I did snap a few shots and will share those over the course of this week and the next.

I did want to share one thing right now. I finally did some of the meal prepping/freezer meals I had been wanting to do. Let me tell you--it was a LOT of work--but I was so thankful to just be able to pull out the meal from the freezer this evening and heat it up. I was able to give myself to a few other chores during that 45 minute time frame. This is definitely something I want to continue doing.

This week my intentions are as follows:

Make time for family reading. As I shared a few weeks back, we've been finishing up some of the books we've been reading as a family. We are also going to start listening to a series together in the evenings before bedtime. I'm looking forward to unwinding in this way together.

Daily mediation, quiet time and exercise. I do this daily, for myself, and often encourage my children to do the same. We've been doing yoga as a family for the last few weeks and will join some friends this week in that practice.

Of course, my personal reading time is topping the list. Can I tell you how many books are still on my night stand, side table and on the floor next to my bed? I just picked up another book this weekend--one I have been interested in reading. I haven't started it yet--got to get through these others first.

Cleaning, sorting and purging. It seems as though this one thing never seems to be complete. I do have some more deep cleaning tasks I really need to give myself to, but for this week, I'm only going to do one. I need to focus on getting through papers and resources I've been using (or have never used) with my children. Lighter is better and I want to complete more of this task this week.  This will involve make a trip or two to our location donation center.

I am beginning a major project with involves my photography and designing skills. I have made a mental list of all the things that I need to do to make it happen. Actually, as I was dreaming last night it all came to me--I awoke during the night and thought through each piece. This week I want to make time to 1) write it own out and 2) start checking things off the list.  This will involve enlisting some assistance from my friends and other community folk. I'm excited about this and will share more once things are coming along.

Laughing. Yes, I have to make time for this. The kind of laughing I'm speaking about is the gut-busting-can't-control-yourself-it's-so-funny-kind-of-laughing. So, this means that I must connect with my friend who also has the same twisted sense of humor. If only for a few minutes--it's truly like medicine.

What things are you hoping to do this new week? How might you make them happen? Will you prioritize?

I'm wishing each of you a great week and hope that everything you put your hand to do, you do with all your might.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Afternoon. Happy Sunday to each of you. Thanks for stopping by today to join me in our weekly practice of intention setting.

In thinking about the new week beginning I want to give myself to some personal development. I have been joking with a few friends lately about having 5 streams of income--yet I am very serious about this. Several years ago now, a mommy-friend shared that all women should have 5 streams of income and that she was working on developing doing just that.  At the time, I had never heard of that and questioned her in detail about the particulars. Since then, it's always been part of my thinking and planning for the future. Sure, my husband takes the lead in providing for us financially, yet it is very wise for a woman to always be able to make her own money.  It's easy to become overwhelmed when thinking about this but I am finally finding other women who are also thinking along these lines and we're making plans together to increase our numbers.  To this end, I will continue to develop myself and shore up my cliental base.

The children and I have been reading a few books aloud together. I have been reading aloud for over 12 years now and honestly, it can be tiring. (don't laugh, it's the truth!) The children keep finding other books for us to read but we've got to finish the ones we've started. I will make time this week to complete one of them.

This week, if the rain gives us a break, I hope to do some more clearing and building up of our garden. We visited our community garden this weekend and spoke with the lady overseeing it. She gave me some tips on how to get some herbs started and shared a few more seeds. We have several seeds sprouting on the counter that will need to be planted in soil by week's end.

Bird watching is something I enjoy and so do my children. Just this week a few more birds showed up at our feeders.  We have a pair of cowbirds, three pairs of purple finches and a host of mourning doves now (they're ground eaters, so they've been cleaning up the mess made from the feeder birds on the porch).  I want to make some identification cards so my children can readily identify them on their own. We've already collected the pictures so now I need to print and laminate them.

We again have plans to study at the library. We have been enjoying that new space and all agree that this is something we want to make a regular weekly activity.

Of course meditation and quiet time will be part of my weekly practice. This week I'll be adding a daily workout and yoga class.  I'm excited about getting back to yoga in a group setting. We'll see if the children opt in.

Meal prep is something I've been talking about. I've been planning for and this week I will start making some freezer meals. I'll let you know how that goes.  Wish me well. (smile)

As part of our Georgia Unit Studies we are planning to take some day trips around the state.  I've already made a list of destinations and have done a bit of research on just what to do when we arrive. I've also done some budgeting and mapping. This week I hope to make a schedule of dates. I have invited several other families to join us on these adventures and so I plan to connect with them this week letting them know our intentions (dates, locations, etc.) so that they may join us if their schedules allow them to. April is the month that I'm planning to get a good bit of this traveling in.

I enjoy art. I enjoy creating it and making things with my heart and hands. I have enrolled in a couple online courses to do just that. I have been gathering the needed materials and will pick up a few more items at the beginning of this week so that I can make time to start creating. It's such an important thing for me I intent to make it a priority this week.

I can't forget to mention reading. I need to do an entire post on just what I've been reading and learning. It's amazing to me just how much I am learning and how reading one book leads to reading the next and the next and... You get the picture. Friends and acquaintances have been offering their recommendations as well, so there are several stacks of books on my night stand, on the floor next to my bed and in my back pack.

What plans are you making for this week? How are you scheduling your time and energy? I'd love to hear from you. Please take a moment to comment below.

In all you do, I wish you peace, joy and light.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Evening. I have to admit that I'm exhausted! We spent most of the day outside. It was another lovely day and having the sun join us was great. It's also the first day we've "sprung forward" and so I'm feeling it right about now.

The weather didn't cooperate much this past week and so I had to want until today to get to much of the yard work I was hoping to do.  But we did a mammoth's share of it. We raked leaves, picked up trash and other broken objects in the lawn (people have a bad habit of walking passed our home and tossing their trash! So annoying!).  We cleared and cleaned off most of the porch. We picked up sticks and pulled weeds in the back yard and also did some raking.  We figured out where we'll be composting and starting getting those items, mainly leaves and other yard debris, to that location.  I cut back the grapevine so that it will produce again this year. Trimmed a few bushes and restrung some string to retrain the ivy on the side of the house.

I also started on one of my painting projects. It was nice to paint--I enjoy it so much. I have been wanting to repurpose an old sink that was in our yard when we moved in into a bird bath. And after a few years I'm finally getting to it.  It will take a few steps but I started today! YAY!

I feel good. It was good to work. As my mother always says, "Work is a privilege. Everybody can't work."

I was able to do most all of other things I listed last Sunday. As I am reviewing this list now, I'm seeing that there was only one thing that I didn't get to in the way I had hoped -- and that's crafting time (although my painting project falls in the category! smile!).

We had a few great days this week. Visiting and assisting my elder-sister-mentor-friend was nice. The children did a great job helping and we learned a few new things while doing it.  I was able to put on the calendar dates this month to gather with sister-friends one-on-one and in smaller groups. I'm looking forward to each connection.  We were able to visit a new library with friends we've been missing for awhile. I think we all had a fabulous time reconnecting and finding books.

How did your week go? What things did you get into? Who did you make time for?

I think the first thing I intend to do is to adjust to the new time. I'm already feeling it--hopefully this will promote more sleep and perhaps early rising. We'll see.

I intend to do more yard work with the children. I'll look again at the forecast to see what days may be rainy or wet and get work in before those days.  (Wet leaves are no fun.)

We have some exploring to do around our Unit Studies of Georgia. I'm writing on that this week to share with you all so you can see just what we've been doing.

Spring is just around the corner and I think we might add a few group classes for the children at our neighborhood performing arts center.  I've heard about some interesting classes. I'll take a look at our options this week and discuss things with the children. We may add some things to our schedule--again, we'll see.

I still have reading to do--and I intend to keep on reading.

I want to continue our focus on learning time--specifically reading & math skills. Each of my children have personal goals for this school year (their idea) and I want to make sure I give my attention to assisting them in meeting their goals. Something everyday keeps us on pace.

I want to take some pictures outside this week.  Just for me. I enjoy nature and capturing it in my lens. I may share a picture or two that I like best.

Exercise! Yes. Making time each day and getting back into the rhythm we have for this time of year. The girls took the dogs for a walk today around the block while I worked in the yard. We all got plenty today but I want to do this on a regular basis.

This week I'm wanting to do some bulk shopping and then some meal prepping for freezer meals.  You've seen all the posts on Pinterest, right? Well, I've been wanting to do that for a long time. It does look overwhelming. I've only done some basic things like chopping green peppers and freezing them (doing the same thing with onions). I've also prep bananas for smoothies and done a whole lot with potatoes. A friend of mine just posted a month worth of freezer meals on FB the other day. She really did it up and I was impressed. She took one day to do 30 meals. Maybe, I will simply organize myself to do so next week.  (That does look like a mammoth job at this moment, but perhaps I'm just tired.)

I intend to take my quiet time for listening, meditating and being still. This is a needed and important part of my day. It not only centers and grounds me but, if I'm mindful throughout the day, it keeps me in a peaceful, even joyful, space.

What tasks, people or things will you be giving your time to this week? With Spring just around the corner, how are you preparing yourself and your environment? Spring always excites me--the newness, the freshness, the world of possibilities...

I hope that no matter what you give yourself to it will be just what you need for this week.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Welcome March!

I cannot believe we're this far into the new year. Wow.

Last week went mostly as we had planned. Due to the predicted weather for my area (which didn't actually happen), a few of the things I had hopes of participating in were postponed--a book talk/signing and we missed our time at the library due to closures.

We spent the end of the week working on our Georgia History Lapbook and Timeline Study. We've been able to go into a lot of further study based on our interest levels and having time to do so. We made a tentative lists of state sites we want to visit over the course of this month and the next. My hope is that we can do at least half of our list.

I've been gathering necessary supplies and enlisting help from my community in bringing our garden plans to fruition. There's a good amount of work to be done--I'm disappointed that it's rainy today, was hoping to start today. We will do what we can on the porch (thankful for a large one in this case).

How did you do last week? Were you able to get through your promises to yourself and others? Did you have snow at all? My children would have loved to have some to play in.

Here are my intentions for this week:

Repotting house plants -- I have so many that have been 'holding on' that I need to get this done right away. My mother grows and regrows many of her plants. I always snag a few during each visit to her house. Most of them have been growing in water and need to be potted now that their roots have come in well.

Yard work & Garden Prep -- We have a ton of leaves in the backyard (way more than in the front as we've tried to keep them picked up over the fall and winter months). We secured a couple of rakes to assist this process. We already have a compost heap of sorts, but I'd like to sure it up a bit more and make it a bit more structured. We'll be using pallets for this project. My intention is to get this all started this week.  I've enlisted the expertise of my husband in building/constructing our raised beds. My goal is to get all needed supplies for the project this week and get him scheduled for it once he's free and back in town.

Visit with my elder-mentor-sister-friend -- Aljosie Knight Harding is my Uncle Vincent's beloved. She is such a special woman and I am blessed to have access to her. We made plans last month to get together and just spend the day. My children adore her, too, and have been wanting to visit her space. That's on the calendar this week. During that time we'll be viewing and experiencing two of the sites in our state (off the master list). We are all looking forward to it.

Book Purging -- I've been weeding out for a few weeks now. It's hard for me to give away books. However, we really do have a lot. As my children's reading interests grow and as we get and receive more, I have to find room. We've been rereading a lot of the books we've enjoyed over the years, picked out a few that were our favorites and we want to keep and are giving away the rest. They've been well read and well kept so I've explained to the children that someone else will enjoy them too. (But I think that's more for me than them. lol)

Reading Time -- As always, I'm enjoying learning and growing through reading. I have several books I'm working on and will continue to read on them this week.

Personal meditation and quiet time -- The rhythm that I've created for myself is really working well.  I've been using late evenings, after the children's bedtime, for this.  I get in about 15-20 minutes in the morning too, depending upon which day of the week it is.

Plan to gather with my sister-friends -- Each of us has such a full schedule these days with husbands, children, work, etc. Yet it's crucial that I get with each of them to enjoy the special time of sharing, encouraging, laughing and being. I'll be again pulling out my calendar and connecting with them to get dates on this month's calendar.

Exercise -- we haven't been as diligent about this for a couple of weeks and I can definitely feel it. Looking at the weather predictions, it looks like this could be a good week to start our daily neighborhood walk. If nothing else, we can do some basic calisthenics here on the porch.

Crafting -- I have three projects that I want to begin. One is another crocheted hat. Another is a sewing project. The last one is a painting project. I will wait and see how the week shapes up. Sewing can be intense and takes up a lot of the same place we currently use for our learning time here at the house. I'm sure we'll get to the painting project as it involves the children and we've gathered on the necessary supplies. I will update you on just what got started/finished and what will be pushed on to next week.

Group Learning Time w/Homeschool Community -- I'm beginning a gardening unit with our homeschooling community. I've been working on the details of this unit for the last month. We'll be learning about needs of plants (general & specific), soil prep, composing/vermiculture, plant identification, planting schedules for our region, and a host of other things based on the groups' interest and attention spans of our children. There will be a couple of project that will be worked on outside of our time together, but that's what's great about homeschooling--we can all make the time. Most all of the families in this community are planning to do some sort of gardening this year. It will be interesting to see just how things turn out. I am hopeful that we will again have a good time learning and growing together.

Group Learning Time w/the Children -- We are still going strong with our Georgia Unit (will plan some time to start sharing specifics about this in a stand-alone post). We are also doing daily learning with our story (our history); math; reading. We've been using several documentaries for doing history and science. Our local PBS has had several great programs about global warming/climate change, our affects on the earth and how it's changing the land, water and animals. We've had some rather lively conversations about this. My intention is to continue with this and get in a library day or two this week.

Personal/Professional Development -- I'm finishing up one of the online classes that I started at the beginning of the typical school year (back in Oct). I like that it's self-pace so that I don't feel rushed or stressed about it in the least.  I also am completing two classes that will benefit my massage practice--will be adding new techniques to the menu list this week. I am working on learning some new techniques that will benefit my photography clients, too. I got new equipment which will assist me in practicing and acquiring the skill level I desire to have.  And (yes, one more!) I am also watching a video series on better ways of communicating--it's such a good one, I'm taking my time to really get it so that I can incorporate this in everyday life. I will make time this week for each of these things.

Helping others -- This is something that we do often. This week I've decided to add it to the list as I have some intentional assisting that I'm planning to do. This way I'm factoring it into my overall schedule.

As you can see, I have a full week. I'm hopeful that I will keep my promises to myself, that I will pace myself and allow others to assist me as the needs arise.

How are you filling up your week? For what are you making time? For whom will you give yourself? I'm interested in hearing from you. Take a moment to comment below.

I'll meet you back here next week for our weekly practice of intention setting.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

Good Morning! I hope this Sunday finds you in good spirits and health.

Most of the country has been experiencing rather cold temps, storms and snow. There are a few of you who are in places that have sunny skies and are warm. Wherever you are, I do hope you're enjoying the weather.

This week I am intending to give myself whole-heartedly to planning my gardens. Yes. Gardens with an 's'. I've been talking things over with my dh and we've come up with a practical plan--I'm glad he'll be assisting us this year in building some new things. I will keep you posted as we begin building and planting.

I'm also working with several of the members of the communities in which I belong--with gardening, in particular as well as working towards the greater good of our individual families and overall community. I have plans, to be worked out further this week, in assisting others in some DYI projects. But instead of doing it ourselves, we'll be doing it together (DIT). We've already come up with the ideas/plans, located the materials and will get some specific dates on the calendar this week to make it happen--the fun part, I must add! 

My children and I have intentions of completing more of our unit on Georgia. I've identified some places within our state that we'd like to visit and see in person. We'll be inviting some of our friends to travel with us and hopefully be able to convince a few of them to do so. We're working on a lap book for this unit and will be making a few more parts of it this week.

Library time--for learning and reading is always on our weekly schedule and this week will be no different.

I have intentions of continual personal reading, exercise and meditation time as well as working on my professional development classes. I have a professional gig this week and so I'll be preparing for that.

I have been able to complete a few more of my handmade items. I got some new yarn and material to work with and hope to start another hat or two this week. (I'll say one to be safe--there's so much going on and I want to find success by week's end.)

I have a critical conversation to have this week. You know, a conversation that's extremely important but needs to be had in a delicate way. Part of me hates these kinds of talks because, inevitably, someone typically walks away being/feeling misunderstood, having hurt feelings, or enraged or some sort of combination. However, as much as these conversations can be challenging--they are necessary and in the end, good can come (through personal and relational growth). Avoiding them doesn't make things better in the long run--it just prolongs an unhealthy interaction. I am hoping for a favorable outcome--no, expecting it!

So another full week ahead for me.

How did last week go for you? What intentions and plans are you making for this week?

I hope to see you next Sunday when we engage in this practice again.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

I have been having the most FABULOUS weekend that I am reluctantly here this evening.  I am such a Daddy's Girl and my Daddy surprised me with a visit this weekend. I cleared my schedule and have been thoroughly enjoying some Daddy/Daughter time.

So, I'm going to give a quick list and get back to enjoying him before he leaves. Fair enough?

Here are the promises I'm hoping to give myself to this week:

• meditation; quiet time
• rest
• reading
• creating -- handmade work, primarily
• group learning time -- unit studies
• our history studies -- continuation
• rescheduling meet-ups with friends (that were kind enough to adjust for me--thank you!!)
• business planning 
• working on personal & professional development classes

I hope that you were able to get through your intentions last week and that you're being thoughtful about what you'll give yourself to this week beginning.  I'd love to hear from you.

Be safe this week, keep warm, especially with all the weather changes predicted over the next few day across the country. Enjoy some family time.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Day. How are you? How did your week go? Did you keep the promises you made to yourself?

I was able to keep my word to myself and even got in a few things I was secretly hoping to do. That is always an added bonus to the week.

This week I'm looking to continue in the following practices as well as get to a few other things:

• Daily silent/quiet/meditative time--whether at home or in nature.
• Being present with the people who are with me.
• Giving myself less time online--a few weeks ago I shared that I hadn't been on social media--specifically FB--for a good stint of time. Over the past two weeks I've been back and already things have become a distraction--even with the time limits I've given myself. I think that I will again scale back and ask for some assistance in keeping group items updated and posted.
• Daily reading time--still have lots of personal reading to do--for learning and for pleasure.
• Weekly writing time--last week I figured out that this is something I will need to spread over the course of the week instead of coming up with a daily schedule.
• Connecting and spending time with each of my children individually--again, another practice that will be spread over the course of the week instead of a daily happening. The kind of time I am looking to have requires more uninterrupted, undivided attention.
• Purging, sorting and organizing--I've completed most of the tasks given in the daily housekeeping challenge and am also doing additional tasks around the house. A personal goal is to get through the rest of our learning materials and books. I need to go on and let them go. Honestly, I've kept them because I was hoping to offer them directly to a family or group of families instead of donating them. I'm not realizing that my space has become more important and need to release these items. (I have offered them and will be taking some with me for our weekly homeschooling community's space to see if anyone is interested before dropping them off at the Goodwill.)
• Fleshing out our plans for gardening this year--we've already been talking about it. I've been making notes and plans. We've cleaned our last year's containers and located some others to get/purchase. Tomorrow I will be speaking specifically with another mother who intends to garden as well about swapping seeds, creating compost containers and discussing what, if anything, we'll go in on to grow and share.  I'm already part of a few networks, so I know that I don't need to grow everything myself. There are three urban farms in my neighborhood alone that offer food boxes and set up at local farmers' markets. But the kids and I really enjoy growing things, so we will continue to do something. (smile)
• Make time to connect and be with my friends--I have some really great friends. Some I've known for years; others we've recently met--but all of them add something special to my life. I need to honor this and so each week I'm attempting to make time to continue to cultivate our relationships. It's great to get a text/email with them but I do better interacting face to face. As I've shared in previous weeks, I have to be intentional about making time to do this. There are too many things that happen over the course of a week that can keep me from doing so (as well as for them). This year I want to make the most of the time I have and enjoy the people who matter most. I have two 'dates' set up for this week and I'm looking to schedule some others for the rest of the month.
• Continue in daily exercise--last week wasn't too bad.  I have a running joke with a friend regarding exercise--you may have it too.  It's not 'official' unless you post it somewhere online. This seems to be true in our lives now--but although I may not post something daily, I want to make it happen. (smile)
• Getting adequate rest--my sleeping pattern may be different than most, but I want to continue to honor my body's rhythms with regards to sleep and rest. The mid-afternoon/early evening nap is really working well for me. 

What practices and tasks do you want to give time to this week?  Why not take a moment to share a couple below? I'd love to be able to encourage you in them and hear the progress that you're making.

I wish you well in this new week. Hope you'll stop by next Sunday and check in.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

It's later than I'd planned to post for today. It's been a full day--reading, cooking, preparing for the week, talking, laughing, resting....But I'm here now!  Hope that you've already had some quiet time to reflect on the week past and look at how you'd like this new week to shape up.

This week I plan to:

• Meal planning--this is a task I've been working on and have plans to gather with some other mothers to share recipes--get more ideas on simple, wholesome foods to prepare. I'm excited about the possibilities.
• Quiet time--I'm promising to make this time for myself each day this week.
• Exercise--I am gently moving into this. My body has been through a lot over the last several months. 
• Reading time--I have been doing so much of this lately. Thoroughly enjoying it!
• Engaging my children individually--it's easy to group everyone together but I want to be intentional about giving each of them time with me; to talk; to laugh; to be. This is a goal I'm looking to make over the course of the week, rather than each day.
• Connect with friends--although this was not on my list last week, I've reached out to several folk and have things on the calendar for this week. I'm looking to hear back from a few more so that we don't miss out on special time we can have this month.
• Errands--I have a good number of them to do this week, so I'm adding this to my overall list. It's easy to put things off and only deal with what's pressing. However, I need to get them done this week and stop 'making do.' (I also have the upcoming weather this week as an incentive!)
• Mail three hand-written letters--I love getting letters in the mail. Sadly hand-written letters is a lost art. But I do have people in my life that can appreciate them, even if they are unable to return the gesture. I want to write to at least three of these special people this week.

What promises are you making to yourself this week? How will you be intentional about bringing them to life? You're always welcome to comment below. I'd love to be about encourage you as you encourage me.

Have a purposeful week.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Hello there.

As I give myself time to reflect on the week gone by and look at this new week coming, I am encouraged that this little intention setting practice has taken hold for me. Last Sunday I shared a little bit from a friend about his take on intentions.  I've been thinking about it more and want to further hone just what this practice is for me, and perhaps, for any of you who are considering it or doing it already.

Setting intentions--the act and practice of it--is nothing new. Even writing them down and posting them where they can been seen by you is something we're all familiar with. Going a step farther to share them with another for accountability and feedback is also common place. This practice that I've been cultivating here on the blog is about this--but not only this.  It's also about learning to keep my word to myself.  I am important. The people in my life are important. The things I want to involve myself in along with the things I want to create and learn--all hold spaces on the list of my priorities. By being intentional each week and honoring the things that rate for me, my time and my family, I'm purposely teaching myself that I matter and that keeping the promises I make to myself is paramont.

I'm sure we all can attest to a time when we've put OUR wants/needs/desires on the back burner for someone else. There are definitely times when this is necessary and expected, especially as mothers of young children. But this need not become a default mode. It's too overwhelming and the consequences of not caring for and attending to ourselves are too great.

I'm beginning to see my friend's point about intentions not really mattering if you never get around to doing any of them--if there is always reason or excuse why you were unable to fulfill them. Lists are nice to create but that's not the point either. I'm encouraged to continue in this practice with the focus being on keeping my promises to myself. My hope is that one of you is able to find encouragement in your practice by changing your focus a bit too.

Last week I was able to get to most everything on my list. I did not make the time to complete the hats I had wanted to. I did work on one though.

These are the promises I'm making to myself this week:

• Read--I have received so many good book recommendations that I need to stop accepting them for a while (smile). I'm thankful that my library holds many of the titles I'm looking to read.
• Write--Last week I started on scheduling in dedicated time to give to writing. I have a meeting scheduled this week with my writing partner--another layer of accountability--and hope to flesh it out a bit more.
• Rest--I am a night owl. There is no getting around that. But finding a resting rhythm that works is key. I've been napping in the evening and that has really been helpful. I will continue this.
• Quiet, meditative, contemplative time--Over our 'Winter Break' I was able to regularly be in this space alone daily. While I cannot always get 'away' or be on vacation, I can find time each day for this. I need it.
• Begin new unit studies with the children--we will be doing several studies that all begin this week. I will share in a seperate post on the specifics on this.
• Garden Planning--for those of you who garden, you know that this is the time to get started. I have already been collecting my containers, have some seeds from last year's crops to use. The children and I will be doing some prep work this week. I'll be looking through my Pinterest Boards for the saved resources and might come up with a new thing or two for this year's gardening experience.
• Complete two hats--I've already begun one, so finishing up that one and then starting and finishing another. 

What promises to yourself are you making today that you'll fulfill by week's end? Take a moment to write them down. I invite you to share one or two below. I'd love to encourage you as you encourage me.

We'll meet here again next Sunday to check in.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

I am loving how this simple task of setting intentions is really redirecting my life. I would encourage all of you who read this to strongly consider adding this to your 'to do' lists. I am finding that I'm definately more intentional about what I choose to give my time to and put my energy towards. Perhaps this is something you'd like to add to your new year resolution list.

We enjoyed a relaxing holiday week filled with rest, time together, time with friends, lots of good food and treats and tons of laughter--my favorite part. Over the passed couple days we've enjoyed the unexpected company of some dear friends we haven't seen in nearly five years and we've picked up without missing a beat--laughing, joking, thought-provoking conversation. Good friends are hard to find.

So how did you week go? Were you able to make the most of your time and energy?

This week beginning I'd like to keep things at an easy pace. Here are the things I want to make priority:

• Rest & sleep
• Reading (I have a nice stack of good books)
• Reorganizing and purging our learning materials and books
• Setting our whole family goals for 2015
• Setting personal goals for 2015
• Preparing for and taking time away (1st trip of the new year)
• Organizing supplies for handmade goods
• Creating schedule for starting/completing handmade goods
• Reevaluating my five streams of income
• Spending time with friends
• Meditation and listening time
• Being fully present--wherever I am, with whomever I am

As the year comes to an end this week, what things will you make time for? Will you be evaluating where you're putting your time, energy, money, etc.? Are you making plans for 2015?

No matter what you're planning, I hope you're giving some dedicated time to it. It's true that what we give ourselves to becomes how our time it used. I encourage you, as I encourage myself, to be thoughtful about it. A short intentional list is more powerful than a lengthly list full of things you're only trying to impress another with--even if that 'other' is yourself.

Wishing each of you all the best as we close out 2014 and open a fresh new chapter, pregnant with possibilities, in 2015. What will you give birth to in the new year?

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

This week away was just what I needed. At the last minute I wasn't going to go--things got a bit too stressful and I thought it would be easier to just stay put. I'm so glad I didn't listen to those crazy thoughts in my head.

Time away, a change of scenery, quietness, stillness, peacefulness is what my spirit required. I got a bit of that. Rest. Time to read. A bit of laughter. It's what I intended for my week and that's exactly how things went. I was able to recharge surrounded by beautiful views in a mountain lodge. Crisp air, warm sunshine, songs of birds, the rustling of leaves, the view of the moutains--all of these things gave me a bit of calm. As much as I know about nature and how being in it with no real purpose, other than to be, has such a powerful affect on one's well-being, I am always surprised at just how quickly this works. I am thankful for it and intent to do much more of this in the coming weeks and months. This type of healing is what I need on a regular basis.

How did your week go? Were you able to cull out time for the things you most wanted?

This new week starting I have some simple intentions again. (Simple does not necessarily mean easy.)

• Visit with friends (we have several dates planned for this week)
• Make treats to share with neighbors & other community members
• Read
• Organize things in our home learning space
• Rest
• Enjoy my family through laughter, sharing and simply being together

What are your intentions for this week? What things do you want to make priority? I'd love to hear from you and encourage you in it. Why not take a moment to share below?

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

Last week's intentions were met and exceeded.  YAY!

I didn't look at them daily as I've been doing but by Friday I had either walked or run every day. More walking since the children were with me, but I am getting it in.

I've been doing a lot of reading this week and ran across an article, shared by another fellow night-owl, which really encouraged me to go with my body's flow for rest. Yes, I've stayed up later than the initial intention of going to bed early that I set a couple weeks ago but I have felt more rejuvinated this week than ever. I've been able to give myself to some hard, life-changing type of work. I'm seeing that I need this 'dark' time, this 'night' time--where only the glow of the moon and stars are present. Where I can be alone in the silence--alone to think, alone to grieve, alone to hope, alone to dream, alone to grow. There's just something about this alone time--at time. Magical things happen in the darkness. (I will have to share that book, in particular, about the magic of darkness with you.)

Without going into a lot of detail, as this is rather personal, I've been processing through a lot of tough, ugly, heart-wrenching emotions that have come from a few extremely painful situations over the course of this year. This year has pressed me in ways I would have never guessed. I've been stretched and pulled in areas that, quite honestly, I didn't want to do the heavy lifting in. But I'm better for it.  My family is better for it. Those of you who are extended family and friends and/or part of my life--in real life--will benefit from this, too (aren't you excited?). 😄

Another thing I had on my list last week was to LAUGH. I made it a point to talk with the people who not only enjoy laughing but are able to make me laugh. I must say thanks to those who were availabe and ready to laugh WITH me.

How did your week go? Did you meet your intentions? I hope you found the success that you were looking for.

This week is a short list:

• Rest, daily.
• Read, read, read.
• Laugh.
• Meditate, pray and renew myself in nature.

What is on your list for this week? Are you taking things easy or will you be working towards a goal that needs your conserted effort this week? Whatever it is that you are doing, I wish you well this week. I invite you to share a glimpse of your list below in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you and encourage you as I enourage myself.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

I've been laying in bed thinking back over the week that just ended and thinking ahead to what this week will bring. This past week went mostly as planned. There were a few things that I didn't get to on my intention list but I am happy to say that I am not beating myself up about them at all. I was fully present during each of the days and although I did deal with a sudden lack of rest (overly tiredness), I went right on with the flow.

Here are the things I intended to accomplish that I did (yes, focusing on the positive.):

• Started and completed TWO hat/scarf sets (one more than I intended--YAY.)
• Reading time for myself
• Made a list of 'fun' activities to do with the children this week.
• Contacted three people and spoke about the specifics of community and community building
• Only ran once this week--but walked three times in addition that it. (smile)
• Slowed down and enjoyed the moments.
• Completed one part of our 'making and sending' cards task

I did not get the items I already have to donate up to the donation center nor did I make any time to start the task of weeding out our books--mainly children's books.  I am taking care of the first one today but am thinking that we'll wait until after the season to do the bookshelves.  We'll see.

My intentions for this week beginning today are as follows:

• Run twice this week; walking at least twice as well.
• Reading time for myself.
• Art time with the children (specifically drawing together)
• Baking cookies for neighbors with the children
• Getting adequate rest for myself
• Asking for assistance when I need it (This is something that I need to do on a regular basis. Why not add it to my intention list? As things come up I will practice doing so.)
• Laugh

How did last week go for you? Were you able to attend do the things on your list?  I'd love to hear about how that went.

What are you intentions for this week beginning? Are you continuing with anything from last week? Are there any tasks or practices that you're adding to your list this week? Are you noticing habits developing around the things you want to add or continue?  I hope so.

This weekly practice of simply writing down and sharing what I hope to do is definitely something that is helping me find and maintain the rhythm I want for myself and my home.

Take a moment when you can to comment below. Should you belong to a community or network in which I do, you're welcome to share with me in person and we can speak further about things then. Either way, I'm wishing you well as you set your intentions and follow through with meeting them.

Be well.