Goals for 2017

SNOW!!!! We finally have snow and I am one happy girl :)  It may only be a few inches but there's something about a fresh blanket of white snow on the ground that makes me happy.  It also makes me look forward to 5 so I can go home, eat a yummy dinner and spend the night curled up with my husband watching our shows!


On Monday, I talked about about my word for the year.  See that post here!  I like to pick a word that just represents all that I want to accomplish that year.  On top of that, I like to make some specific personal and blog goals to hold me accountable as well.

My goals for 2017:

Personal

- Lose 25 pounds
(I am currently on day 4 of the 21 day fix so stay tuned for my results!)

- Read 2 books each month
- Daily devotional or scripture reading

- Stay committed to my new workout & healthy eating goals.  This is about more than weight loss for me, I just want to be the healthiest version of myself.
(I'm currently obsessed with this hoodie and these leggings for working out!)
- Spend quality time with my husband & family (you know the kind where you don't have your phone & just enjoy spending time together)
- enjoy trips and getaways with Jared
- grow our personal businesses and continue to do well at work

Blog

- Consistently post new YouTube content & be at 250 subscribers!
(If you haven't yet, subscribe to my channel here!)
- Blog at least 3 times each week & grow blog following
- Explore using Facebook Live videos in addition to YouTube
- Learn more about SEO (if you fully get this, help me!)
- Learn more about my camera and how to take better quality pictures
- Continue to cultivate blog friendships!

What are your goals this year?!

One Word 2017

A few years ago, I talked about One Word the first time.  I have gotten out of the habit of doing this each year and this year I decided to start again.  

My word for 2017 came to me pretty easily.  I haven't talked about it much on here but 2016 was a challenging year for me in a lot of ways.  I spent a lot of 2015 really focusing on my health, losing a lot of weight and really taking care of myself.  2016 started out okay besides a bad sinus infection and a bought of the stomach flu (which was foreshadowing for the rest of the year).  Flash forward to the summer, I started having some serious health issues and ended up gaining a lot of the weight back, feeling awful every day and spending way too much time in the hospital and in doctors offices.  After 6 months of looking for answers, we still aren't sure what caused the original problem but we were able to eliminate the scariest options.  We did discover several things about my health through the process though that I am thankful to know and am able to work on.  I didn't really want to share any of this on my blog but I decided to give you all a few highlights for a couple of reasons.

One, this blog is about my life and that includes the dark and crummy parts too.  It makes me feel so much more normal when I read about others going through something similar to me and I feel like I owed it to those bloggers to share parts of my story too.  Two, I took large blogging breaks this year and that's why.  There were days I just didn't have it in me to post on here, I was barely getting through the necessities of each day.  Three, because I want you all to pay so much attention to your health.  I almost blew off the symptoms I was having and they were super scary ones.  It's so easy to just say oh maybe I'll call my doctor next week.  When I finally decided to call my doctor's office and listed off my symptoms, they had me leave work and be in their office in less than an hour.  In that moment, it got real.  Do not brush off symptoms - get checked out!  Even though we're not 100% sure what caused my original issue, we did find some very important things out about my body to keep me healthier going forward and we would never have figured those things out without some of those tests.  This allows me to take care of the issues they did find in the ways my doctors recommend and if I have issues again it will give them a starting point.  

I have a bad habit of putting me and my health last.  I like to take care of other people, our house, my work, etc.  I have learned that I can't do that anymore.  It's like the airplane oxygen mask.  I have to take care of myself so that I can do all of the other things I want to do and to pursue the things God wants me to.

I have chosen Health as my word for 2017.  I want to pursue a healthier body and lifestyle through my food choices, regular exercise, resting my body and taking care of this vessel God has gifted me with.  I want to pursue a healthier marriage and relationship with my husband.  I want to pursue healthier relationships with my family and friends.  I want to pursue a stronger relationship with God through intentional prayer, devotionals and bible study.  I want to improve our financial health by paying down more debt and saving for our future goals.  The word health applies to all aspects of my life I'm wanting to focus on this year which makes it the perfect word for me.

Hopefully, this time in 2018 I'll be able to say I'm in a much healthier place and feeling great!  I'll be checking in during 2017 to let you all know how I'm doing with my word.

Are you all choosing a word this year?  If so, what's yours?

March Goals

Now that we've gotten more into the groove of 2016, I'm going to start sharing my monthly goals again!  March is so crazy already so I'm going to keep it simple this month :)

1. Lose 4 Pounds

I took a WW break over the holidays and have been tracking again but haven't been super strict!  I want to really focus on tracking my points & food intake this month to hopefully take off 4 more pounds!

2. 5 Pure Barre Classes Each Week

I recently started attending Pure Barre classes which I love!  I'm participating in the Pure Madness Challenge where you try to attend 20 classes in 31 days this month.  I've gone 5 times total and 2 times towards the March challenge already!  I'm hoping by participating in this challenge, I will make these classes a priority and hopefully help with goal #1 too! 

3. Date Nights

Life has been so busy lately that we're running around like crazy people!  I want to set aside some time this month to just be with this guy.  Even though all our busy stuff outside of work is mainly together, it's so nice to just take a breath and hang out doing nothing or going on a date! 

4. Make more Crockpot meals

We are trying to go back to meal prepping and using crockpot meals several times a week!  On busy nights these are a life saver and keep us from going out to eat as much.  It's so nice to come home to a meal that's already finished after work :)  I'm pinning lots of Crockpot recipes on Pinterest and if you all have any to share please do so in the comments below.  I'm always looking for new and easy ideas!

February Goals

Happy Thursday!  It has been a really long week so I'm so excited that it's almost the weekend!  I didn't do any goals in January and I think that worked out perfectly because all we did in our house was be sick & watch a lot of Netflix ;)

Now that February is here, it's time to really get started on the things I want to accomplish this year!

February Goals

1. Date Nights/Quality Time

We spent so much time this month being sick that I'm really excited to hopefully get in a few date nights and some quality time that we can really enjoy more!  Netflix and the couch was nice time spent together but healthy time having fun sounds fabulous :)


2. Finish gallery wall & bathroom re-do

I have all the frames hung and ready to go & just need to finish adding photos!  Once I'm finished, I'll reveal the end result and may include a how-to post on gallery walls since I've gotten a lot of questions about how I did this one!

The bathroom painting touchups will be complete tomorrow morning!  Then I will be hunting down the decorations I have in mind :)  I'm loving how it's turned out & can't wait to share!

3. Get back on track with workouts/nutrition

When I got sick, all this fell by the wayside and continued to do so once Jared did.  I've started tracking for WW again but want to get back to being 100% committed like I was before!  I also want to get back to my workouts!  Getting the last 20 pounds off isn't going to happen just sitting still so I need to get my eating back on track and get moving.

4. Devotional Time

I would really like to get back to doing my daily devotional and spending time studying the Bible.  I always plan to but don't get it done!  This needs to become more of a priority.


Short list of goals for a short month!  Hope February is a great month for all of us :)

October Goals

October

1. Enjoy 1st Anniversary

We will be celebrating our first wedding anniversary towards the end of this month!  I can't wait to celebrate and enjoy the one year mark :)

2.  Make 1st Halloween Special

Last year, we were on our honeymoon during Halloween so this will be the first one spent in our home.  I can't wait to pass out candy to all the kids!!

3.  Apple Fest, Pumpkins, 1st Anniversary Photos

We are going to the Apple Fest, to pick pumpkins and doing our 1st anniversary photos this month!  I can't wait to accomplish all these fun fall activities!

4.  Finish House & Closet Cleanout

I have made so much progress on my house & closet cleanout so far but still have a ways to go.  I can't wait to show you all how much we're getting rid of!

5.  Make Progress on Gallery Wall

Thanks to a huge sale on picture frames at Target last week, I have purchased a large amount of the frames I need to do one of the gallery walls in our hallway.  This month I want to get photos picked out & the frames hung up!

6.  Lose 5 Pounds

I have really recommitted to working out & eating correctly this month and would like to see 5 more pounds go during the month of October!

September

1. Spend time with Jesus daily

I have been trying to turn to prayer more often in difficult situations and to praise God when good things happen too!  I want to always pursue this as a goal!

2. Continue quality time/date nights

We had some fun date nights this month!

3. Continue daily exercise & weight loss

I am down 15.4 pounds now!  I am doing the CIZE program and am working on cleaning up my diet even more and getting my WW counting back in action.  I have 19 more to go and would like to have at least half of that gone before 2016 :)

4. Clean out closets & garage sale prep

I have cleaned out so much in our house & am doing even more!  I love getting rid of clutter & losing weight has forced me to really reevaluate my closet.  Definitely getting into quality over quantity mode!  All the extra goes :)

5. Find a way to give back

Still working on finding the best way to do this!  Hoping to do something during the holiday season.

6. Fine tune daily schedule

I am definitely making progress on getting my daily schedule to the best way it works for me but I think this will be continually adjusting depending on the season and our growing business!

7. Enjoy the beginning of...FALL!!

I am loving fall so far & can't wait to really get into all the fall festivities this month!

I love to hear any comments, tips or thoughts anyone likes to share so please comment below!

Also, follow me here to see more of our daily lives:

Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter

Thanks for reading!!

September Goals

I cannot believe September is here!!  Summer was great but I'm honestly so excited for fall & winter this year since it was such a blur for us last year. 

August

Personal

1. Quality Time/Fun Date Nights

We did this in August!  Several dinner dates, House of Cards marathons, golf range visits!

2. Weight Loss & Increased Exercise

I am officially down 13.2 pounds this month & am exercising pretty much everyday.  I've just been doing circuits and walking but am considering ordering Cize!  Has anyone tried it?

3. Wake Up & Go to Bed Earlier

I have been consistently waking up earlier but I definitely need to work on going to bed earlier! 

4. Bible Study

I did not do very well at adding this to my daily routine this month.  I use my walks in the morning as my prayer time but I need to set aside time each day with my devotional too!

5. Plan my Days

I am definitely getting better at planning out my days again but I need to keep pursuing this!

6. Enjoy life!

This month I really tried not to look too far ahead and enjoy the moment I was in but it was hard!  I need to keep working on enjoying current moments.

Blog

1. Increase Social Media Presence

I made some strides with this in August but need to work even harder at it in September!  Come follow along on my social media pages:

Pinterest

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

2. Revamp Pinterest Page

I am working on completely updating my Pinterest page.  I've made some progress but still have some work to do!  See my current Pinterest boards here!

3. Clear Vision

I am developing a much more clear vision of where I want this blog to go and hope to share more of that with you all soon!

September

1. Spend time with Jesus daily

My walks in the morning are also my prayer time but I want to start making more time to pray throughout the day, do a daily devotional, etc.  The days I spend more time with Jesus are definitely happier days!  Coincidence?  Definitely not. 

2. Continue quality time/date nights

I want to continue setting aside time not running errands or doing business things to spend time with Jared.  Fun date nights are my favorite and I hope that we continue those this month!

3. Continue daily exercise & weight loss

Although I am down 13.2 pounds, I still have a long way to go to reach my goal!  I want to continue to modify my diet to be healthier and keep making exercise a part of my daily routine.  I just ordered Cize today to try something different in addition to my walking!  Hopefully this will amp up my results!

4. Clean out closets & garage sale prep

Our neighborhood has a huge garage sale every September and it is the perfect time to clean out your closets & make some extra cash!  I love to clean and organize so this task is really fun for me :)  I'm getting rid of so much this time.  If it's too big now, it's gone.  If I haven't worn it in a year, gone.  I'm over a closet full of clothes when I wear less than 20% of them.  So excited to completely purge my closet and then add some new stuff once I reach my goal weight :)! 

5. Find a way to give back

Jared and I are so blessed and have decided that we need to start giving back in some way.  I am looking into different options in our community of something we can do together to help others!  If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to share! 

6. Fine tune daily schedule

I'm working hard to find a daily schedule that works to make it all happen!  I've found that if I plan out my day it goes a lot more smoothly so I'm working to plan out my days realistically and keep focused on my goals.

7. Enjoy the beginning of...FALL!!

I love summer. But bring on the pumpkins!!! I'm so excited for fall :)  I've said it before but after how hectic last fall & winter were with new house, wedding, new job, and more, I'm so excited to really embrace my two favorite seasons this year and make them extra special!

I would love to have you as a follower on GFC or Bloglovin :)

I love to hear any comments, tips or thoughts anyone likes to share

I love to hear any comments, tips or thoughts anyone likes to share so please comment below!

Also, follow me here to see more of our daily lives:

Instagram: @kelseymannpeacock

WW/Fitness Instagram: @kmpeacock_ww

Twitter: @kelseympeacock

Pinterest: @kmannpeacock

Enter your email on the right in the Follow By Email box and get an email update anytime I post on the blog!

Thanks for reading!!

August Goals

I can't believe it's already August & time to discuss my goals for the month!  July absolutely flew by & I'm sure August will too.  I'm enjoying the summer but find myself looking forward to fall!

Before discussing my goals for August, let's review my goals for July!  See my July goals post here.

July

1. Quality time with Jared

We definitely fit in some good quality time this month!  We had several date nights, day trips to Evansville, etc.  I'm so thankful & this is definitely something I want to continue in August too!

2. Continued weight loss

I have had really great weight loss results this month!  I'm down 11.6 pounds overall & super happy about it!  I post fitness/weight loss updates each Thursday to track my progress.  See my last update here!

3. Progress on home projects

We finally made some progress on our landscaping!!  We probably have close to half of the major work done and I am so thankful :)  We are going to tackle another big section of it this weekend and I can't wait to show you all the results!

4. Read 2 books

I read more than 2 books this month and really enjoyed them.  I'm going to do a book review soon to share my favorite books I've read lately!

5. Find stillness & relax

 I am happy to report that I have definitely not perfected this but am making progress!  I've started walking 3 miles almost every day at 5:30 and it has made such a difference.  It really helps me clear my head, relax and focus on the day ahead! 

6. Start Christmas shopping

I majorly accomplished this in the month of July thanks to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!  You can see some of the items I purchased for myself here but I left the Christmas gifts off so those will be a surprise!  I can't believe how much progress I've made on my Christmas list and am feeling pretty confident I'll be done by my goal of December 1st so that I can focus the entire Christmas season on celebrating the real reason, new traditions with Jared, time with family & friends and enjoying the holiday festivities!

August

Personal

1. Quality Time/Fun Date Nights

I want to continue making time for quality time together & planning some fun date nights this month! 

2. Weight Loss & Increased Exercise

I want to continue seeing weight loss this month (my goal is 4 more pounds by the end of August) and I am going to try to continually increase my daily activity & exercise level!

3. Wake Up & Go to Bed Earlier

I've been waking up at 5:30am for walks each morning and honestly would like to make that even earlier to have more quiet time in the morning to exercise, read, pray etc. In order to do this, I need to make myself go to bed earlier so I'm going to make  a conscious effort to do that this month!

4. Bible Study

I've gotten out of the habit of doing my bible study/devotional as often and want to get back to that this month!

5. Plan my Days

I am the organization queen most of the time but have been so busy lately that I've gotten out of the habit of sitting down on Sunday to plan out my week to make sure I can get everything done!  I want to really try to do that this month so I can start Monday off feeling prepared to take on the week.

6. Enjoy life!

Time goes by so quickly in this life.  I have been reminded this month that we never know how much time we have on this earth so I really just want to take in all the happy moments and try not to let the not so happy ones affect me as much. 

Blog

1. Increase Social Media Presence

I originally started this blog as an online diary of sorts & a place to just collect my thoughts.  I never realized what a passion it would become or how much I would love it!  It amazes me how much it's grown even in the past few months and I am so thankful!  I have met some amazing people in the blogging community and want to continue to interact with more people. 

I am continually trying to grow my blog so I appreciate any social media support or sharing of my blog to help it grow.  Please follow me on these social media outlets & feel free to share my blog with anyone you think would enjoy it!

Pinterest

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

2. Revamp Pinterest Page

Pinterest is a favorite tool of mine but one I haven't used enough lately personally or for blog purposes.  I'm going to work on revamping my Pinterest page & updating my pins to make it more useful for me and beneficial for the blog.  See my current Pinterest boards here!

3. Clear Vision

I want to move forward blogging with a clear vision of what I want to share.  I love sharing about our newlywed life, favorite recipes, favorite finds etc.  I want to start sharing more of my faith on the blog because it is such a huge part of who I am!  I also want to continue working on developing new recipes to share.  What's your favorite thing I share on my blog?  Any ideas for other topics you would like to see?  I appreciate any and all feedback!

I would love to have you as a follower on GFC or Bloglovin :)

I love to hear any comments, tips or thoughts anyone likes to share

I love to hear any comments, tips or thoughts anyone likes to share so please comment below!

Also, follow me here to see more of our daily lives:

Instagram: @kelseymannpeacock

WW/Fitness Instagram: @kmpeacock_ww

Twitter: @kelseympeacock

Pinterest: @kmannpeacock

Enter your email on the right in the Follow By Email box and get an email update anytime I post on the blog!

Thanks for reading!!

July Goals

It's July 1st, which means that it's time to share my July goals! 

Before sharing my July goals with you, let's recap my goals for June.

June

1. We changed our whole landscaping plan so this goal did not get completed but we finally have a vision of pretty much exactly what we want to do!  Working on this is definitely going to be a several weekend project but I'm looking forward to it :)

2. Life is still unbelievably busy right now and doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon!  Hoping to make a concentrated effort to set aside time each week just to hang out and spend quality time together.

3. During the month of June, I have gotten pretty serious about my diet & exercise routine!  So far, I've lost 8 pounds in the past 3 weeks and am hoping to see the scale continue to go down!

4. I have pretty much sidelined this project for right now.  We have a lot of outdoor projects we're working on so I want to focus on those right now.  I'll readjust my focus to the inside of the house closer to Fall! 

5. Totally failed on my book reading this month but I just started Debbie Macomber's Last One Home this week and am loving it so far!

6.  I'm doing a little bit better with this but there is always room for improvement!  I'm trying to listen to my body and admit to myself when I'm tired instead of trying to power through another episode, project, blog etc.  I have definitely not perfected this but am working on it!

7. I have gotten a few things organized but there are a couple of closets I intend to tackle as soon as I have a couple of hours to dedicate to getting them in order!

July

1. Quality time with Jared!  Life just gets so busy that I want to make sure we set aside plenty of time to just relax and go on fun dates this month.

2. Continue to live a healthier lifestyle!  I can tell a big difference in how I feel & my clothes already and hope to continue my progress on this during July.

3. I have several home projects on my list and I don't expect to have them completed this month but I would like to see some progress! 

4.  I love to read and now that I've made a new list of books to read, I don't think accomplishing this goal will be too hard!  Lots of bloggers I follow rave over Liane Moriarty and Elin Hilderbrand so those two authors are on my list to look into this month.

5. I have been very restless and anxious lately and this month I want to take time each day to really relax and just find a stillness. 

6. Yeah, yeah, yeah I know I'm crazy but I like to shop early!  I already have a few presents purchased but I am ready to get started on at least coming up with ideas for people.  I love to really immerse myself in the holiday and enjoy all of our traditions so I don't want to waste time stressing about presents.  I want to get finished way early this year so I can just mark that off the list and enjoy the holiday with Jared!

What are your goals for this month?

I love to hear any comments, tips or thoughts anyone likes to share so please comment below!

Also, follow me here to see more of our daily lives:

Instagram: @kelseymannpeacock

Twitter: @kelseympeacock

Pinterest: @kmannpeacock

Enter your email on the right in the Follow By Email box and get an email update anytime I post on the blog!

Thanks for reading!!  

June Goals

It's the beginning of a new month which means it's time to share my Monthly Goals!  I love writing my goals down because it makes me focus on what I really want to accomplish each month :)

See my May Goals post here!

1. Landscaping Progress
We made some progress this month.  We've pretty much removed all plants that were in our front or back yard when we bought the house and are preparing to till up all the dirt in the next week and put down rock.  Stay tuned for progress pictures!


2. Continued Growth for TGP
We have seen quite a bit of growth in our business over the past month but we are always looking to grow some more!  Visit our website www.greenpeacockowensboro.com!


3. Continued Exercise & Weight Loss
Still making progress on this front.  It's a challenge with our schedules but I'm just trying to make better choices every day.  It's working slowly but surely!


4. Devotional/Bible Study
I majorly failed at this during May.  I am working on restructuring my daily schedule to allow for more quiet time in the morning to relax and spend some time with God.


5. Read 2 Books
I definitely accomplished this!  I have been reading a lot more now that I joined the public library.  Follow me on GoodReads to see what I'm reading here!


Now, for my June goals!

1. We have pretty much cleaned out all of our landscaping and now we need to till up the dirt & then put down our landscaping paper & rock.  Hoping we can mark this off our to-do list this month!

2. Life has been so busy lately that I want to slow down this month and focus on spending quality time with Jared.  I also want to enjoy being outside together working on our yard, going on our walks, riding bikes, etc. 

3. I definitely splurge some but I've been doing well at making healthier food choices and increasing my exercise level.  I want to continue this in June!

4. I am working on doing gallery walls in our hallway and want to make some serious progress on these this month! 

5. I want to continue to try to read two books each month.

6.  I go through stretches where I'll do better with this and then epically fail.  I'd like to really work on this in June to be more well rested and to make my mornings less hectic!

7. I am working on a few more organization projects in our home and would like to wrap those up soon so I can focus on our outside summer projects!

Happy June!

I love to hear any comments, tips or thoughts anyone likes to share so please comment below!

Also, follow me here to see more of our daily lives:

Instagram: @kelseymannpeacock

Twitter: @kelseympeacock

Pinterest: @kmannpeacock

Enter your email on the right in the Follow By Email box and get an email update anytime I post on the blog!

Thanks for reading!!

Weekend Recap & May Goals

Happy Monday!


I decided to combine my weekend recap & May goals post into one this Monday!  We had a pretty low key weekend.  Dinner on Friday.  Shopping & lunch with Lauren, a good workout, and a fun cookout to watch the boxing match with such sweet friends on Saturday!  Sunday, Jared and I just took a day to relax.  We grocery shopped, went for a walk, did a few little things to get ready for the week & then relaxed with dinner and a movie.  Perfect Sunday :)


Now, on to the goals!  First let's recap the April goals.  You can see my original April Goals post here!

Progress Update

1. I have majorly failed at doing this every day and have got to get back into my routine!

2. We have made some progress on our landscaping!  We have dug up most of the plants that we're getting rid of and are prepping to really get moving on the new landscaping in the next couple weeks.

3. Spring cleaning the house & closets is almost complete!  I have one closet left to tackle and then can mark this job off the list.

4. I have gotten into a new exercise routine and love being more active.

5. I am almost to my goal!  Getting sick this month put me a little behind but I'm almost there!

6.  I definitely accomplished this goal!  I rejoined the public library this month and read three books and am working on my fourth now.  I read Something Borrowed & Something Blue by Emily Griffin.  (There was a movie made out of the first book several years back).  Both were good and just made you think about relationships in a different way!  I'm starting the Outlander series now and am interested to see if it's as good as I've heard!

May Goals

1. This month, I want to make continued progress on our landscaping!  We are getting ready to till up all the dirt and put down new rock and plants so I should hopefully have lots of updates on this for next month!

2. We are so thankful for all the support and business our new company The Green Peacock has received.  However, we are still continuing to try and grow our business so please visit our website here and contact us for any of your lawn care needs!

3. During April, I got into more of an exercise routine and started watching what I was eating more carefully again.  Hoping to continue that effort this month and see even better weight loss results!

4. I want to recommit to spending a few quiet moments each morning with God during my devotional.  This is such a refreshing and great way to start the day so I need to hit the snooze button less times and get up and focus on this!

5. Reading has always been one of my favorite things to do but I haven't had much time to do it over the past year.  Now that I'm getting back into it, I'm enjoying it so much!  Hoping to read at least two books this month!

Linking up here and here today.

I love to hear any comments, tips or thoughts anyone likes to share so please comment below!

Also, follow me here to see more of our daily lives:

Instagram: @kelseymannpeacock

Twitter: @kmann

Pinterest: @kmannpeacock

Enter your email on the right in the Follow By Email box and get an email update anytime I post on the blog!

Thanks for reading!! 

April Goals

Tomorrow is the first of April which means it's time to share my goals for April!  Before I do that, let's recap my March Goals.  See my original post here.

March Goals Recap

1. I read this book this month! 

Not the best book I've ever read but it was a quick read & made me think in a different way.  It was made into a movie so I may look into renting it at some point.  There is a sequel to this book (Where She Went) that I may look into for reading this summer!

2. The office isn't quite finished but it's almost there. I'm going to do a separate post on it soon to share how it turns out!  We love the color scheme and pieces we've chosen.

3. I have made some progress with pictures this month but still have some work to do! This is going to be a continuing project I think : )

4. Start a devotional.

I started this Jane Austen devotional this month.  I love Jane Austen & the Bible, so seeing how they draw lessons out of the two is very interesting!  I haven't been very good about doing it every day (going to try to do that in the month of April) but I love it so far.

5. I have been better about getting up earlier & going to bed earlier. I have far from perfected this but it's getting better and something I will continue to work on! I always feel like I need to stay up and get stuff done around the house but regret that when my alarm goes off the next morning.  Laying down earlier helps me not feel so tired in the mornings which makes them more productive & enjoyable!

6. This month I lost 1 1/2 pounds!  Not the four I was hoping for but progress is progress :)  I have only myself to blame.  We've been so busy lately that I've gotten into a habit of just grabbing what is convenient instead of planning my meals.  Hoping to slow down and refocus on this next month.

April Goals

 1. Do a devotional or read my bible every day.
My relationship with God is so important to me and I need to get into a habit of setting aside some time each day to just focus on communicating with Him and studying His word.

2. Make some progress on landscaping.
We are working on redoing all the landscaping in our front & back yards.  I'm going to document this on the blog and I'm hoping I'll have lots of updates this month!  We're so excited for the beautiful weather and to spend time together working on our yard.

3. Spring clean the house and closets.
I am going to start changing over our closets this week from our fall/winter clothes to our spring/summer clothes.  At the same time, I hope to get rid of a bunch of stuff that we no longer wear or need.  The second part of this is I want to spring clean our house.  Reorganize cabinets & closets, deep clean floors etc.  Stay tuned for more of this on the blog!

4. Start a new exercise routine.
I had some neck and back trouble last month and as a result of my x-rays, I am supposed to limit high intensity exercise that would bring all the problems back that the chiropractor fixed.  I ordered Yoga for the Warrior to try and am excited to take rides on my new bicycle now that the weather is better! I'm hoping that those two activities combined with our nightly walks will help me get back into an exercise routine! 

5. Lose 3 lbs.
I'm determined to refocus on mindful eating and meal planning this month.  I want to go back to prepping food for the week so that I have healthy options that are easy to grab and that will keep me mindful of what I'm eating.  I'm hoping this combined with increased exercise will get me closer to my goal!

6. Read 1 book.
I'm going to make it a continuous goal to read at least one book each month.

  I love to hear any comments, tips or thoughts anyone likes to share so please comment below!

Also, follow me here to see more of our daily lives:

Instagram: @kelseymannpeacock

Twitter: @kmann

Pinterest: @kmannpeacock

Enter your email on the right in the Follow By Email box and get an email update anytime I post on the blog!

Thanks for reading!!

March Goals

I have decided to start writing down my big goals for each month and share them with you to help hold me accountable!

These are my March goals:

1. Read 1 book
I love to read!  It used to be one of my favorite things to do but this past year has gotten so busy that I've only read a couple of books :(  I'm going to make a serious effort to read at least one book each month.  If you have any suggestions please post them below!  I'm always up for a good book suggestion :)

2. Finish home office.
We have made a lot of progress on our office at home but I would like to be completely finished with it (decorations & all) by the end of this month. 


3. Make progress with hanging pictures in the house.
I have so many pictures that I need to get printed and hung up at the house!  I try to do a few each week but I've fallen behind and need to get quite a few on the wall this month.


4. Start a devotional.
This month I am going to make an effort to do a devotional each day.  I think it will keep me more centered on focusing on Christ and is an important component of my day.


5. Get up earlier.
I hate to be in a rush in the morning and it's amazing how much more you can get done with some extra time.  Part of this is going to bed earlier too.  I like to stay up late and that makes it very hard not to hit the snooze button in the morning!


6. Lose 4 pounds
I have been making an effort to eat healthier and exercise but not a big enough effort.  I've lost some weight but would like to step it up this month.  I chose 4 pounds because that works out to be 1 pound per week and 5 sounded too lofty ; )  I'm pretty good with healthy ideas for most meals but I always struggle with healthy lunch ideas (preferably low-carb).  If you have any suggestions, please share!!

If you need a yummy recipe for dinner this week try my honey garlic chicken! We had it for dinner again this weekend and it was delicious : )

Find my recipe here!

I love to hear any comments, tips or thoughts anyone likes to share so please comment below!

Also, follow me here to see more of our daily lives:

Instagram: @kelseymannpeacock

Twitter: @kmann

Pinterest: @kmannpeacock

Enter your email on the right in the Follow By Email box and get an email update anytime I post on the blog!

Thanks for reading!!

26

Last year I set 25 goals for my year of being 25 and as I just recently turned 26, I decided it was a perfect time to review those goals and see how I did!

25 Things to Accomplish During My Year of Being 25

1. Finish my MBA
I completed my MBA in December and can't believe it's been almost a year since I finished it!

2.  Pray more, worry less.
I have definitely made an effort to take everything to God in prayer more this year and it has made an unbelievable difference on my stress level.  There are still times I try to handle everything myself but I am trying to break this habit :)

3. Take time to enjoy the little things.
When I made this goal I had no idea I would be getting married this year!  So many little moments to soak in and I loved every minute of it :)
4. Practice the power of no.
I still have not perfected this art but I have slowed down on my activities and taken time to really focus on my marriage and family.
5. Give back.
I did not accomplish as much on this goal as I wanted due to my unbelievably busy schedule this year.  I'm making this a goal for this year.
6. Eat clean.
I have been better about trying to eat healthier but I have a feeling this will always be a yearly goal I need to strive for.
7. Travel to another foreign country.
Jared and I traveled to the Dominican for our honeymoon so I can mark this off the list!  
8. Sleep.
HA!  I have slept more since we returned from our honeymoon than I probably did the rest of the year combined ; ).  I am making this a goal for next year too because wedding planning and house preparation definitely trumped sleep this past year!
9. Read for pure enjoyment.
This is something I want to spend more time on in the coming year.  I love to read and want to take more time to do it.
10. Spend more time outdoors.
Once again, if I wasn't working on my job, wedding or house I was probably asleep so this will have to be a 26 goal too : )
11. Exercise more.
I did exercise more this year but will continue to try and increase the time spent on this.
12.  Be creative.
Planning the wedding and decorating our house has definitely allowed me to use my creative energy this year!
13. Give up soft drinks.
Caffeine is what kept me going some days this past year.  I will definitely try to reduce my intake going forward.
14.  Simplify.
Sharing closet space with Jared has definitely inspired me to simplify my closet. We both love having a clean and organized house which makes life so much easier!
15. Watch a sunrise and sunset.
I've caught part of each but still want to take the time to sit down and watch both in full.
16. Be more timely.
Ehh.  Good intentions right?!  
17. Read the Bible.
Although I feel that I have the closest relationship with God I have ever had, I need to spend more time studying his word.
18.  Do more random acts of kindness.
I will continue to pursue this in the coming year.
19.  Learn something new.
I feel that I have learned so many new things this year.  Planning a wedding and buying and preparing a house have brought us so many lessons!
20. Keep blogging.
I haven't been able to blog as much during the past year as I wanted to but am trying to get back into a schedule with it.
21. Develop a vision.
I feel that I have a clear vision for life right now and am loving it!
22.  Decide on my next educational pursuit.
Right now I'm still enjoying being finished with my Masters but am still open to potentially going back for another degree.
23. Be happy.
25 has been the year of happy.  I'm Mrs. Peacock :)
24. Make the best decisions for me.
So many big decisions took place this year and I feel like I have stayed true to what I know are the best decisions for my life.  
25.Enjoy the year.
I have definitely enjoyed this eventful year! I started a new job, got engaged, bought a house, Jared and I were married, we went on our honeymoon and moved into our new home!  It has been such a wonderful year and I can only hope that 26 continues to be as wonderful.  Being married is so wonderful and I am so thankful that I get to start my 26th year with my husband by my side :)