Tag Archives: Goals

02.20.18
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Getting Personal #104: Home Improvement, Part 2

I think it’s time I did a Home Improvement update! The first post I wrote was in October 2017.

Here’s the link to that first post:

Exterior

The biggest improvement recently was we replaced our doors and storm doors! We were lucky enough to find what we wanted at our local Lowe’s. The storm doors had to be special ordered, but they were ready by mid-January. Al’s dad was awesome and helped immensely – They even installed one door in the freezing cold!

This photo was taken right after Al and his dad installed the doors!

I love our custom “V” wreath from Precision Design Concepts, LLC. Changing out the ribbon for the different holidays and seasons is a lot of fun!

One of our new door mats – I love the color!

The other new doors, and new door mat.

A close-up of the door mat.

Kitchen

We re-organized our kitchen. We found a free-standing country pantry, which cleared a lot of clutter and freed up quite a bit of counter space!

Al found the Axess Kitchen Pantry on Wayfair.com. We love it, and it didn’t break the bank. Always a plus!

Al moved the toaster to the other counter, and shifted a few things around. Yay for more counter space!

This was our most cluttered counter space. Getting the pantry allowed us to re-organize this space, and I’m so happy with it. The next project is a spice rack / spice organizer!

Living Room

Al had the last two weeks of December off from work, so he painted the last wall in our living room navy blue, as a complement to our gray walls. It looks awesome!

I believe the paint color is called “In the Navy.”

I love my Desert Mist Diffuser from Young Living. It has several different LED color options, plus a “candle flicker” setting. I was diffusing “Gratitude” when I took this photo.

Foyer

We went to Lowe’s recently and bought multiple rugs, mainly for our entrances. See those photos above. I love the pops of color.

We were tracking slush and salt from our recent blizzards, and that’s no fun on hard floors!

Al picked out this rug – It’s perfect!

I think that’s all, for now. More to come as I continue work on my “Lady Lounge!”

Have you made any home improvements recently? I’d love to hear about it!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

02.01.18
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Getting Personal #102: February Goals

February-Goals - Balancing Today

Image Credit: Balancing Today

Welcome to February! We’ve almost turned the corner for winter. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for spring!

Here are my goals for the month of February:

  1. Host my first P.E.O. meeting.
  2. Get back to a regular cleaning schedule.
  3. Work at least one hour on my Lady Lounge every weekend.
  4. Donate blood.
  5. Use my diffuser more often.
  6. Send another box of clothes to Darby’s Dresses.
  7. See Black Panther.
  8. Wear my contact lenses every day this month.
  9. Write in my journal at least once a week.
  10. Read at least two books.
  11. Explore options for essential oil storage.

Here’s the breakdown:

Host my first P.E.O. meeting.

  • I’m hosting our meeting for the first time! We are trying a few Saturday meetings to see if it increases attendance, among other things. Our typical meetings are held on Monday nights.
  • What is P.E.O., you ask? It stands for Philanthropic Educational Organization. The way I describe it is it’s women helping women, where we raise money for scholarships, grants, and loans.

Get back to a regular cleaning schedule.

  • The holidays were a blur, and I had little to no consistency with my cleaning schedule in December and January. Like last month, I want to dust and vacuum more often, so that’s going on the calendar.

Work at least one hour on my Lady Lounge every weekend.

  • Every time I look at my Lady Lounge, I want to scream. I have been so lazy recently, and the clutter and boxes are driving me nuts. I want to find permanent homes for everything in the lounge, and in the garage.
  • I figure committing a time to each weekend will hopefully hold me accountable. My plan is to set the oven timer for an hour, and then see what happens.

Donate blood.

  • Our next blood drive is on Saturday! Fingers crossed for high iron.

Use my diffuser more often.

  • I love my Desert Mist Diffuser in our living room, but I want to use it more often. I have an abundance of oils, and I want to use them!

Send another box of clothes to Darby’s Dresses.

  • I’m part of this awesome Facebook group / small business called Darby’s Dresses. Darby is an awesome woman in Tennessee, and she sells women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories on consignment for very affordable prices. I’ve sent her two big boxes already, and I’m almost ready to send her another one!

See Black Panther.

  • We are so excited for this movie! We’re hoping to see it at least once with our friends Mike and Shana.

Wear my contact lenses every day this month.

  • I need to give my glasses a break, and stop being so lazy in the mornings!

Write in my journal at least once a week.

  • Last month’s goal was a bit ambitious, so I’m hoping that committing to once a week will help motivate me.

Read at least two books.

  • I started reading my current book two nights ago, and I devoured the first chapter. It’s really interesting so far!

Explore options for essential oil storage.

  • I love all my Young Living essential oils, but they’re currently cluttering the end table next to our couch. I’m exploring building a shelving unit out of wooden crates at the moment, so that they can be displayed in the Lady Lounge. More to come!

Do you have any goals for the month of February? I’d love to hear about them!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.31.18
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Getting Personal #101: January Goals Recap

january-goals - See Jane Write

Image Credit: See Jane Write

I’m pretty sure that I say this every month – That it flew by! I looked at the calendar today, and was stunned. February starts tomorrow!

Here’s the link to my my January Goals post:

Ready?

Here we go!

  1. See The Post. — Accomplished!
  2. Attend the Annual Riverside Service Awards Dinner. — Accomplished!
  3. Dust the house more often. — Semi-Achieved.
  4. Get better at weekly meal prep. — Semi-Achieved.
  5. Commit to regular journaling. — Did not accomplish.
  6. Continue to make progress with my 2012 NaNoWriMo endeavor. — Did not accomplish.
  7. Read at least three books. — Did not accomplish.
  8. Put away the laundry as soon as it’s clean and dry. — Semi-Achieved.
  9. Celebrate Al’s birthday! — Accomplished!
  10. Update my TBR. — Accomplished!
  11. Announce my new blogging challenge for 2018. — Did not accomplish.

Here’s the breakdown:

See The Post. — Accomplished!

  • We went to see the movie this past Sunday. It was really good. I’m a sucker for historical dramas, and this one absolutely did not disappoint. I highly recommend it! I look forward to seeing it again.

Attend the Annual Riverside Service Awards Dinner. — Accomplished!

  • Al and I attended the dinner at the Virginia Air & Space Center in Hampton, Virginia. I was one of over 800 employees honored for milestone anniversaries – Five years, up through 40 years. It was a really nice experience!

Dust the house more often. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I want to keep improving upon this goal, but I pulled out the vacuum, Swiffer, and broom a bit more often this month.

Get better at weekly meal prep. — Semi-Achieved.

Commit to regular journaling. — Did not accomplish.

  • I didn’t write a single word! Womp, womp.

Continue to make progress with my 2012 NaNoWriMo endeavor. — Did not accomplish.

  • This was the farthest thing from my mind this month.

Read at least three books. — Did not accomplish.

Put away the laundry as soon as it’s clean and dry. — Semi-Achieved.

  • I was really good at this at the beginning of the month, but faltered a bit in the middle. Oh well, there’s always next month!

Celebrate Al’s birthday! — Accomplished!

  • He picked out New York strip steak, which I marinated in Peppercorn and Garlic mix overnight. It was delicious!
  • We also feasted on shrimp cocktail, Red Lobster Rosemary Garlic Parmesan Biscuits, and cookie cake!
  • Al’s parents also came to visit this past weekend to celebrate. His mom made amazing lasagna!

Update my TBR. — Accomplished!

Announce my new blogging challenge for 2018. — Did not accomplish.

  • I went back and forth over this all month long. I couldn’t find anything that was particularly interesting or inspiring.

Final Thoughts:

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to four out of 11 goals: I’ll take it!
  • The three goals that were Semi-Achieved: There’s always room for improvement.
  • The four goals that I did not accomplish: Most of these were based on time and effort. I’m looking forward to continued progress in February.

What about you? Did you have goals for the month of January?

Come back tomorrow to see my February Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

01.01.18
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Getting Personal #99: January Goals

Aristotle

Image Credit: Pinterest

Happy New Year, everyone! It’s the first day of 2018. I’m looking forward to a wonderful year ahead!

To you, my readers, I wish that this year brings more peace, harmony, health, happiness, and joy to your lives! I’m so grateful that many of you, all around the world, continue to follow my blog and support my writing! Thank you!

Here are my goals for the month of January:

  1. See The Post.
  2. Attend the Annual Riverside Service Awards Dinner.
  3. Dust the house more often.
  4. Get better at weekly meal prep.
  5. Commit to regular journaling.
  6. Continue to make progress with my 2012 NaNoWriMo endeavor.
  7. Read at least three books.
  8. Put away the laundry as soon as it’s clean and dry.
  9. Celebrate Al’s birthday!
  10. Update my TBR.
  11. Announce my new blogging challenge for 2018.

Here’s the breakdown:

See The Post.

  • Al and I have been looking forward to this movie for a while now. Some of you may have guessed that I’m a sucker for movies involving journalism, so I’m excited to see Spielberg’s adaptation of the journalists publishing the Pentagon Papers. Plus, I can’t pass up a movie that stars Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep.

Attend the Annual Riverside Service Awards Dinner.

  • In honor of my five-year anniversary with Riverside Health System, I have been invited, along with a guest, to attend their Annual Service Awards Dinner this month. Al and I are excited to have dinner at the Virginia Air & Space Center in Hampton!

Dust the house more often.

  • We’ve been plagued with sinus issues and allergy symptoms since the weather turned cold. I figure dusting and vacuuming the house a bit more regularly may help a bit.

Get better at weekly meal prep.

  • Al recently tagged me in this video from Tasty: Meal-Prep Chicken 5 Ways.
  • Our plan is to use Sundays to get everything ready for the following week.

Commit to regular journaling.

  • I’ve received several really nice hard-bound journals as gifts. It’s about time that I start using them!
  • My initial goal is to start with this 100 Writing Topics post – One topic at a time – and see where that takes me this month!

Continue to make progress with my 2012 NaNoWriMo endeavor.

  • I’m not setting a specific word count goal this month, since I want to get back into the swing of things after being on hiatus for a while.

Read at least three books.

  • I just rearranged my stack on my nightstand to include the books that Al gave me for Christmas. Get ready for more Book Reviews, coming soon!

Put away the laundry as soon as it’s clean and dry.

  • After spending well over an hour tonight emptying three full laundry baskets between the two of us, it’s nice to reclaim some space in our bedroom. I want to be more efficient!

Celebrate Al’s birthday!

  • Al’s birthday is toward the end of the month. I’m excited to make him his favorites: Surf and turf, plus cookie cake! Yum!

Update my TBR.

  • The newest quarterly update is coming to the blog very soon!

Announce my new blogging challenge for 2018.

  • Look for this announcement before this week is over!

Do you have any goals for the month of January?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

12.31.17
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Getting Personal #98: December Goals Recap

Image result for new year's eve quotes

Image Credit: LoveThisPic

I’ve been saying for days and weeks that it’s hard to believe it’s December, that it’s the last month of 2017. Now, today is New Year’s Eve. Wow!

Here’s the link to my December Goals post:

Ready?

Here we go!

  1. Decorate for Christmas. — Accomplished!
  2. Enjoy Al’s company Christmas party. — Accomplished!
  3. See Star Wars: The Last Jedi. — Accomplished!
  4. Celebrate Lyndsey’s birthday! — Accomplished!
  5. Host Christmas Breakfast for the first time. — Accomplished!
  6. Make chocolate mousse for Christmas dinner. — Accomplished!
  7. Get back into reading. — Accomplished!
  8. Make at least one thrift store donation run. — Accomplished!

Here’s the breakdown:

Decorate for Christmas. — Accomplished!

  • We put up our Christmas tree in our living room on December 10th, and I set out the wooden Jingle Bells blocks. I also changed out the Halloween ribbon on our monogrammed “V” wreath. It’s not super fancy, but it’s pretty.

Image may contain: christmas tree and indoor

Image may contain: indoor

Enjoy Al’s company Christmas party. — Accomplished!

  • We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on December 8th. So many people got into the theme and really liked it. Plus, Al, Frances, and Kathryn actually got to relax a little and enjoy the cocktail hour and the party. We all had fun!
  • Al and I even won one of the door prizes – A weekend getaway to the Williamsburg Winery!

See Star Wars: The Last Jedi. — Accomplished!

  • We saw the movie on Thursday, December 14th. It was SO GOOD. Al’s seen it twice now. We received several generous gift cards to the movies for Christmas, so we’ll definitely be seeing it a few more times!

Celebrate Lyndsey’s birthday! — Accomplished!

  • We drove up to Lynchburg, Virginia on Saturday, December 16th. We met Lyndsey and many friends at O’Charleys for dinner, games, photos, and gifts. We had a lot of fun.
Image may contain: 1 person, smiling

Lyndsey had awesome photo booth props!

Host Christmas Breakfast for the first time. — Accomplished!

  • On Christmas morning, we hosted Al’s parents, my parents, Nick, Savy, and Mia. Between Al’s mom, Savy, and me, we had waffles, egg casserole, goat cheese and tomato tarts, kielbasa, coffee, mimosas, and more! Everything was delicious!

Make chocolate mousse for Christmas dinner. — Accomplished!

  • It was the consistency of chocolate pudding when dessert time rolled around, but everyone really liked it. We even had leftovers!

Get back into reading. — Accomplished!

  • Finally! I’m almost finished with my current book. Look for a new Book Review soon, hopefully this week!

Make at least one thrift store donation run. — Accomplished!

  • Earlier in December, Al and I loaded up my car to the gills (full trunk, full backseat), and went out in the cold and drizzle to the local CHKD thrift store. More to come, but we got our dining room back!

Final Thoughts:

  • I was able to put Accomplished next to ALL EIGHT THINGS!!!!!! YAY!!!!!

What about you? Did you have any goals for the month of December?

Come back tomorrow to see my January Goals!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

12.27.17
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Writing Prompt #90: “52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge” (Week 52)

52-weeks-of-gratitude-challenge

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #52: Did This Challenge Change You?

I firmly believe this challenge changed me. I enjoyed doing a post every Wednesday during 2017. It caused me to stretch my brain, use my imagination, and focus on little things. It was a great exercise throughout this year. Thanks to Kristian for inspiring me in the first place!

Someone asked me if I plan to do a similar challenge in 2018. The answer is yes! I’ve been actively researching them over the last week or so. I plan to reveal it sometime next week!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

12.20.17
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Writing Prompt #89: “52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge” (Week 51)

52-weeks-of-gratitude-challenge

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #51: 100 Things To Be Thankful For.

This was a tough one! I definitely have a lot to be thankful for in my wonderful, blessed life.

  1. My amazing parents.
  2. My wonderful husband.
  3. Having a loving family.
  4. Marrying into a huge family!
  5. Being a part of the PEO sisterhood.
  6. Being a sister of Alpha Sigma Tau.
  7. The ability to travel.
  8. A beautiful house.
  9. Air conditioning and heat.
  10. A great job.
  11. Access to quality education.
  12. Being able to get fresh food.
  13. Having spending money.
  14. Building savings.
  15. Being able to access the Internet at virtually any time.
  16. Being raised in a loving church.
  17. Access to public libraries.
  18. Having a reliable car.
  19. Having the skills / ability to fix my car, and other things.
  20. Being able to communicate effectively.
  21. Having a variety of skills.
  22. Access to books.
  23. Clean air.
  24. Clean water.
  25. Having a cup of coffee every morning.
  26. Being part of a team, many times over.
  27. Learning critical thinking.
  28. Being one small part of an amazing blogging community.
  29. Freedom of the press.
  30. Freedom of religion.
  31. Freedom of speech.
  32. The right to vote.
  33. Being an American citizen.
  34. Being able to get a passport.
  35. Being able to see movies in the theaters.
  36. The opportunity to have seen so many different cities and countries already.
  37. Access to a gym to work out and keep my body healthy.
  38. Having decent health insurance.
  39. The ability to problem-solve.
  40. Stress relievers.
  41. Having a bathtub for those days where a long bath with a fizzy bath bomb is warranted.
  42. Budgeting.
  43. Having a shredder.
  44. Clearing the clutter.
  45. Improving our home.
  46. Collecting things for my American Girl dolls.
  47. Having an amazing support system.
  48. The ability to celebrate big things, and small things.
  49. Those who aren’t afraid to tell it like it is.
  50. Nostalgia.
  51. Warm hugs.
  52. Comfort food.
  53. Fleece blankets.
  54. Spending time with family and friends.
  55. Trying new things.
  56. Feeling amazing after a haircut.
  57. Being able to get a massage at the chiropractor’s office.
  58. Disney movies.
  59. Star Wars.
  60. Having a camera to explore photography.
  61. Making people smile.
  62. Making people laugh.
  63. Helping others.
  64. Giving blood.
  65. Encouraging others to give blood.
  66. Feeling satisfaction when a plan comes together.
  67. Chocolate mousse.
  68. A warm bed for sleeping.
  69. Concerts.
  70. Art.
  71. Music.
  72. Flowers.
  73. Nature.
  74. Animals.
  75. Dogs.
  76. Sending care packages.
  77. The first responders that work incredibly hard every single day – The police, firefighters, EMTs.
  78. Doctors and nurses.
  79. Everyone in our military, past and present.
  80. The times when I don’t have to set an alarm.
  81. Being able to come home to my husband every weekday.
  82. Using my talents.
  83. Trivia nights.
  84. Podcasts.
  85. National Public Radio.
  86. Popcorn.
  87. Sushi.
  88. Colorful gel pens.
  89. Amusement parks.
  90. Roller coasters.
  91. The seasons.
  92. The Muppets.
  93. Sesame Street.
  94. All the teachers in my life.
  95. Holidays.
  96. Mental health days.
  97. Surprises.
  98. Brunch.
  99. The occasional mimosa.
  100. Learning something new every single day.

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

12.13.17
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Writing Prompt #88: “52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge” (Week 50)

52-weeks-of-gratitude-challenge

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #50: Lessons Learned This Year.

I feel like I learn more things every year. This year, 2017, was no exception.

I’ve learned more about being a wife, and a homeowner.

I’ve learned more about my job, and my career aspirations. I learned how to deal with the devastation of a supervisor leaving for a better opportunity. It hurts, but I’m so happy for them.

I learned how to have fun while balancing work and school. I’m giving more time to myself to enjoy little things, like playing Roller Coaster Tycoon for a few hours on the weekend!

I’ve definitely grown this year, and looking to grow even more in 2018!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

12.06.17
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Writing Prompt #87: “52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge” (Week 49)

52-weeks-of-gratitude-challenge

First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #49: Things You Like About Winter.

This post comes as we’re preparing for some of the coldest weather since the beginning of the year. It was 70 degrees yesterday, and today it’s falling into the 40s! It’s possible that we will see some snow flurries on Friday night, too. That’s exciting to think about!

I’m grateful for simple things, like working heat at our house. Being cold-natured, I also love different blankets. A few years ago, a friend gave me a fleece blanket that’s red and green and Christmas-themed. It’s time to pull it out of the closet!

As much as I gripe about being cold, I enjoy seeing the snow on the trees and the ground. The cold weather also seems to make the sunrises and sunsets prettier.

We’re planning to put up our Christmas tree this week. I love listening to Christmas music while we work – Al used Spotify last year, and it was awesome! With recent car issues (All good now) and some stress at work, I’m in need of some holiday spirit.

I drink more hot chocolate in the winter. I also love making peppermint bark! Delicious!

Winter is colder, and it gets darker sooner, but I love feeling the warmth, celebrating the Christmas season, and ringing in the New Year!

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂

12.01.17
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Getting Personal #97: December Goals

December Goals - Pinterest

Image Credit: Pinterest

I’m just stunned that we’re one day into the last month of 2017. I can’t believe it!

Here are my goals for the month of December:

  1. Decorate for Christmas.
  2. Enjoy Al’s company Christmas party.
  3. See Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
  4. Celebrate Lyndsey’s birthday!
  5. Host Christmas Breakfast for the first time.
  6. Make chocolate mousse for Christmas dinner.
  7. Get back into reading.
  8. Make at least one thrift store donation run.

Here’s the breakdown:

Decorate for Christmas.

  • We’re already planning to put up the tree, hopefully this weekend!
  • I’m excited to go to Michael’s and switch out the Halloween ribbon on our monogrammed wreath.

Enjoy Al’s company Christmas party.

  • This year’s theme is the roaring ’20s / The Great Gatsby. I’m so excited!!

See Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

  • We have tickets for December 14th, but I’m pretty positive we will see this more than once before the month ends.
  • I was excited for The Force Awakens and Rogue One, but my enthusiasm for this one is at an all-time high.
  • I know I will cry every time I see or hear Carrie Fisher. May she rest in peace.

Celebrate Lyndsey’s birthday!

  • Lyndsey’s turning 30! We can’t wait to celebrate at Wintergreen Resort!

Host Christmas Breakfast for the first time.

  • I’m looking forward to having Al’s parents, Nick, Savy, Mia, and hopefully my parents to our house on Christmas morning. We’re already planning sausage casserole, cinnamon rolls, coffee, and more!

Make chocolate mousse for Christmas dinner.

  • Al and I were successful in making this for Thanksgiving, so we’re looking forward to making it again for Christmas dinner at my parents’ house.

Get back into reading.

  • I have been in such a slump. I can’t explain it. I want to dive back in, but nothing on my bookshelf has peaked my interests. Suggestions are welcomed!

Make at least one thrift store donation run.

  • There’s already two gigantic piles of things to be donated. It all needs to go!

Do you have any goals for the month of December?

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂