One Step at a Time

January 16, 2013 By 1 Comment

Photo Credit:  Jennifer Booth

I have been on a quest for several months trying to decide what direction this blog should take. After many brain storming sessions, much prayer, and research, I feel that I have finally found the path God wants me to take on this blog.

Analyzing my passions along with discovering needs that all women have regardless of age, marital status, or parental status have led me to the conclusion that I need to write about practical, everyday matters that will provide solutions to make our homes and lives run more smoothly.

I’ve been dragging my feet in pursuing topics such as organization, time management, and home management because I feel I am the least qualified to give advice in these areas. But, God has shown me that my desire to want to change my life is enough to help others. He has assured me that if I take one step at a time, my efforts will pay off. In my imperfections you will find an open and honest account of how I deal with topics such as these.

So, over the next few weeks you will see changes in the content of this blog. It will still be titled Everyday Life, Extraordinary Legacy because I believe that our legacy is created in the daily aspects of our lives. I will focus on some really practical concepts. You will still see posts on faith matters. And, I will add videos for topics that lend themselves to showing rather than telling.

Really what I’m doing is bringing a more purposeful approach to this blog. I’ve posted about all of these topics before. I’ve just never really had an organized plan for how I was going to present the information.

I hope you will enjoy what you see here. I truly believe this is where God wants me to be.

Question: What about you? What is God asking you to pursue one step at a time?

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My Bible Study Binder

January 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Several months ago while on Pinterest, I came across a pin that showed how to create a Bible study binder. I was so excited to find this idea because I’ve been wanting to do something like this for awhile. I’ve had several notes from retreats and conferences that I just didn’t know how to store them for easy access. I also wanted a place to keep sermon notes and other study notes that I have accumulated over the years.

So, I made my own Bible study binder. Instead of sharing pictures of the binder and writing a description of it, I decided to make a video of it so you could see it in person. [Read more...]

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Making a List and Checking it Twice

November 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The official beginning of the Christmas season is here! Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it’s time to focus on the month ahead as we prepare our hearts and homes for Christmas.

This year, our family is hosting a couple of parties in our home. We’ve had these planned for awhile, but now it is time to get down to the details of what we need to do to get ready for these parties.

During the year I often make what I call a “brain dump” list. I take a sheet of paper and write down everything I need or want to do. This helps me to remember some tasks that I only think of when I don’t have time to do them. Then I can go back and review the list each week to see what I can get crossed off that list.

Now that we are in the Christmas season and we have these two parties coming up, I felt that I needed to make a “brain dump” list for each week so that I can ensure I get everything done. You can see my list for this week above. I’ve included tasks such as cleaning specific areas in my home , sending emails, and completing steps in projects I’m working on.

Each morning I look over the list and pick a few things to try to accomplish that day. By having this list handy, I feel that I’m not forgetting to do anything. If I think of something I’ve forgotten, I just add it to my list.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all that you need to do this holiday season, try these simple steps:

  1. Write down everything that needs to be done. Include emails you need to send, specific cleaning tasks, errands you need to run, or phone calls you need to make.
  2. Prioritize your list. Each morning look over your list and pick the top 3-5 tasks that you know you can get done that day. Another idea would be to look over your list at the beginning of the week and assign each task to a certain day. That way you can group like tasks together and accomplish them more efficiently.
  3. Delegate. Don’t overlook the help that can be found in your family. Assign family members tasks that you know they would be good at doing. There is no need for you to try to do it all yourself.
  4. Relax. Know that everything on your list may not get done, and that’s OK. God did not mean for us to stress during this time of year. We’ve added so many expectations to the holidays that it does become stressful sometimes. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed, reach for your Bible and read the story of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2. That will help you put the Christmas season in perspective.

I hope you find these tips helpful. And, remember that this is a practice you can do all year to help you stay on top of things.

Happy planning!

Question: How do you keep up with tasks that need to be done during the holidays?

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Take 5

October 8, 2012 By 2 Comments

Why does it feel like Monday comes around all too quickly? Sometimes I view Monday as a fresh start. Other times I see it as a curse. Some days I just want to take a break. What would it take for me to feel like I’ve accomplished something during the week? Maybe it’s as simple as taking 5.

Generally when you talk about taking 5 it means you are going to take a break. I’d like to propose changing its meaning to something different and more effective than taking a break.

When I look at my to-do list or see the clutter in various areas of my home, I can get overwhelmed. But, I’ve found that taking just 5 minutes several times a day to work on a task or pick up an area of my home makes a huge difference.

So, let’s give this a try. Take 5 minutes out of every hour to work on something that needs to be done. If you do this 8 hours out of the day that would be 40 minutes of productivity. Here are a few suggestions on how you can use that 5 minutes:

  • Respond to an email
  • Respond to a text message
  • Go through clutter on your kitchen countertop
  • Go through your mail
  • Pick up items that are in a room where they don’t belong
  • Clean out your medicine cabinet
  • Clean out your make up
  • Select 5-10 items to donate to charity

This list could go on and on. I hope you’ll take the time to see what you can accomplish in just 5 minutes.

Question: How can taking just a few minutes each day help you tackle your to-do list or cluttered areas in your home?

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Frugal Friday

October 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Can you believe that Christmas is less than three months away? I sure can’t! As I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around the fact that this year is almost over, I have been giving a lot of thought to coming up with ways to save more money.

Photo Credit: financialsoft

My family has tried various tactics in the past to save a few dollars here and there. But, we have not been successful at saving money on a consistent basis. That is why I have decided to start a new series called Frugal Friday.

For the next 12 weeks, I will post tips and hints that will hopefully save you a little bit of money. Maybe you need to pay off some bills, or you don’t know how you are going to pay for Christmas presents this year. Perhaps you are like me and you are tired of paying full price or too much for some things.

If you knew you could save a few dollars by just doing a couple of simple things, wouldn’t you try it? That is the whole idea behind Frugal Friday. Each post on Friday will show you simple and effective ways to save money. Whether it’s eating out, buying groceries, getting clothes for a lower price, or even lowering your utility bills, you can find easy ways to save.

So, let’s get started! Each week I’ll share an idea or two then offer a “homework” action item to help you put the idea into place. One thing I ask is that you comment on the blog post and let me know how that idea is working for you.

This Week’s Idea

Before you can start saving money you need to know where you are spending it. My husband uses Quicken to keep up with our finances. He is very detailed (he’s a CPA) and has categories for just about everything.

Tracking your expenses for a few weeks will help you get the feel of where your money is really going. Just like writing down what you eat each day when you are trying to lose weight, writing down your expenses can be very eye opening. You should begin to recognize patterns and will be able to see how you are spending your money.

Once you’ve identified where your money is going, then you can determine which areas you need to cut your spending.

Homework

Keep track of your income and expenses for the next few weeks. You don’t need a fancy computer program to do it either. A simple notebook will work just as well. Set up general categories such as food, clothing, mortgage/rent, fuel, and whatever normal monthly expenses you have. Log in your notebook every time you purchase something.

If you do want to try software there are excellent resources available online for free such as Mint.com. Just see what works best for you.

Give it a try! I can’t wait to hear what surprises you will uncover!

Don’t forget to comment on this post and share how this is working for you. I’d also love to hear any ideas you may have about saving money. And, if you have a specific topic you want me to cover, let me know!

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