November & December Goals

Here's how I kept track of my progress this month. I also had a checklist on the wall. 

It's the last day of the month and I've got goals on my mind. It's time to reflect on what I managed to accomplish this month and what I hope to accomplish next month. I wasn't initially sure how to organize this, but I think I'll sort them by how well I did. So, here's my analysis of how I did achieving the goals I set for November. 

Read four books this month  - Did it! I read two entire Harry Potter books aloud to the kids, as well as two books to myself, and began several others, as well as an audiobook.

Go on a good date with my husband  - We managed to go on TWO dates this month! We went to dinner and out shopping for the first and saw a movie for the second.

Attend karate lessons each Monday - Did it, and loved it!

Do something one-on-one with each child - Did it! I had a date with each girl, and they loved it.

Print out one more of the Spielgaben guides to keep handy - Did it! I printed just the pages we were planning to use.

Figure out a way to make Social Studies more of a priority and study it each week - We ditched our old curriculum, bought something new, and are enjoying it so far!

Encourage Lexi to read independently every day - Turns out, she's already doing this each night before bed! I encouraged her by allowing her to stay up a bit late.

Publish at least two posts that get over 100 views - Blew this one out of the water. Ten posts had over 100 views and one had over two hundred. I was pleasantly surprised!

Write a "throw back" post using one of my old journals as inspiration - Check!

Submit one article to Scary Mommy - I submitted two. Both were rejected, but I am glad that I tried. 

Reach Fit Bit goal at least five days per week - I averaged four days per week of reaching my goal.

Complete a video work out two days per week - I missed two work outs but otherwise completed this goal.

Do a hands-on lesson with Lydia twice per week - We did one activity per week. She asked to do a different set of activities so we started that up.

Blog every day during the month of November - I only missed two days!

Narrow down the focus of my blog and find my voice - I want to be able to write about whatever, but I did find that my homeschooling and parenting posts were the most popular. So perhaps my voice is "Weird Homeschooling Lady with Strange Ideas".

Try out two new healthier lunch ideas - I tried out one healthy lunch idea. It was stir fry. 

Figure out how to organize Lexi's room so it's not a huge mess - We rearranged and dejunked the room, added a new cart/night stand by her bed for her things, and added a reading chair. It's still kind of a mess.

Complete the "Live Abundantly" Bible study five days per week. - Abandoned. I started this, but I honestly felt like I was going through the motions and not getting anything out of it, so I stopped. I didn't want to spend time doing something just to check it off the list. 

Complete two pages in my 2014 photo book. - Abandoned this after I discovered I did not have any blue ink in my printer and could not print photos. 

Paint/decorate Lexi's room so it is no longer so pink and girly - Abandoned. After I took a closer look and realized she still draws on the wlls/furniture sometimes (when does that end?!) I decided it was NOT worth putting in the money yet. Maybe when she is older.

Visit the zoo before it gets too cold to go - Did not get there :( We were busy on the days that were nice. Maybe we'll have a nice day in December?

Take a day trip to Lawrence together - Did not get there this month. We'd planned to go back because Lydia saw something she REALLY wanted to buy in one of the shops, buuuut I found it at Walmart.

All in all, I had a productive month! I managed to make a large amount of cake, I finished a quilt, hosted two birthday parties at our house, read WAY more than normal, wrote a lot, and watched quite a bit less TV. It was a good month. I liked having monthly goals rather than daily goals, and I used my planner to keep track of each day. I really liked this system, so I will continue for December. 

Here's what I am hoping to accomplish this coming month. As you can see, I've already started to pencil (pen actually, which is kind of risky!) some in on my calendar!

Personal

Go on a date with my husband

Read four books this month
Finish reading "On Writing Well"

Complete one audiobook

Complete five pages in my gratitude journal each week
Participate in some kind of service project before Christmas

Wellness

Earn my orange belt in karate

Reach Fit Bit goal four days per week

Complete Metabolic Aftershock two days per week

Complete Walking at Home DVD three days per week (while listening to an audiobook! two birds, one stone!)

Family & Friends

Take each girl on another Mother/Daughter date

Host a family game night and invite siblings to come
Get the cats to STOP pooping in the basement!!
Take a drive with the kids to go see Christmas lights
Have a movie night with a friend

Homeschool

Complete one Spielgaben activity with Lydia each week
Finish Lexi's 2nd Grade Reading program
Help Lexi learn her music notes

Writing

Write an average of 5 posts per week

Publish a Faces of Homeschooling post each week
Write one Homeschooling is for Crazy People post

Look for other places to submit my work


So that's what I am hoping to accomplish this month. 
What about you?

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge.

Too long, DID write - Week 4

Hello friends! I hope you all have had a great week and a nice Thanksgiving too!

It's been a busy week over here! Between feeling sick one day and celebrating Thanksgiving another, I skipped writing two days. I thought it would be better to just skip than to write halfheartedly. I appreciate your understanding :)

Only one day remains for the 30 Day Blogging Challenge! Wow! This month has gone by quickly. I don't think I'll write every single day this next month, but I do plan to continue writing frequently. It's been a lot of fun. I hope you've enjoyed my blog as much as I have! Fellow bloggers, I highly recommend you join Sark e Media's Blogging Challenge. You get an informative email each day (usually with a challenge to try) and a supportive community to help you along your journey as a blogger.

I also wanted to let you all know that I am on the brink of being ready to reveal the next chapter of Faces of Homeschooling! I'm just waiting on a few pictures and then I'll be ready to give you a peek into the lives of some very interesting homeschooling families. 

And now, here's a recap of what I DID manage to write this week :)

Day 1 

 27 Helpful Things Cats Do 

A fun list of obnoxious helpful things that my pesky pets have done in the short 20 months we've been cat owners.  

Day 2 

 I am thankful 

I reflect on what I am grateful for this year. 

Day 3 

 Do Whatever You Want Day 

I explain the details of a fabulous new holiday that you will NOT want to miss!

Day 4 

Six Useful Things I Really Want for Christmas 

 I describe some really wonderful dream items that are on my wish list this year. 

So there you have it! Take a minute to catch up on what you've missed, and be sure to follow Too Long, Didn't Write on Facebook so you don't miss out on future posts!

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge. 

Six Useful Things I Really Want for Christmas

The holidays season is at hand and I've decided to dream big this year. I'm thinking useful gifts. Practical. Problem solving. We don't need any more candles or stuff for our kitchens, do we? The items on this wish list solve actual problems and would help all of us to enjoy the holiday season more. These magical gifts would make the holidays brighter.

1. A new date for Christmas

Ideally, Christmas would relocate to the end of January. Right now, Christmas falls right at the beginning of winter, leaving us with months of cold crummy weather and nothing to look forward to.  The long winter days wouldn't be so bad if we knew Christmas was on its way. Plus, Thanksgiving could get the time it deserves instead of being lost in the shuffle between jack-o-lanterns and stockings.  Let's spread these great holidays out. January 25th would probably be the easiest. This would increase the chance of getting snow on Christmas, which, in my opinion, is the only time snow is magical rather than a giant hassle.

2. Santa Goggles

Slip these goggles on and look at the nearest child. Green? They don't believe in Santa anymore. No need to censor yourself. Red? The kid's a believer. Don't ruin it for them on accident. These can help you spot those awkward getting-older kids who are right on the brink of having their magical dreams crushed but haven't crossed over yet. You don't want to be the one who drops that bombshell. Kids who are of the scroogey, non-believer type bent on ruining the fun for others (yes, these kids exist, my cousin was one of them) would flash neon colors so you could steer your innocent little believers away. 

3. Revamped Elf on the Shelf

Instead of just spying on your kid all day, give that Elf a useful job.  The new Elf on the Shelf takes away one toy your kids don't play with every night leading up to Christmas and donates it to a child in need. Not only would that make it easier to find space for new toys, but it would also spread the holiday joy to kids who might not receive anything. We don't currently use the Elf (just another thing for me to forget) but if he helped me convince my kids to give away their old things, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. 

4. Master Holiday Calendar

This magical calendar system automatically coordinates family gatherings. It takes tricky work schedules and out of town in-laws into account and selects a date for everyone to get together. It also keeps track of which side of the family got to celebrate with you on actual Christmas last year so there are no more hurt feelings if someone's gathering gets moved to the Sunday after. Say good-bye to rushing from house to house on the holidays and hello to more relaxed, enjoyable visits. 

5. Calorie Deferment System

Between Halloween candy and those magnificent Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts, calories should not count at all in the last few months of the year. This system allows you to take all the calories you consume around the holidays and spread them out evenly over the next calendar year. 

6. Pneumatic tubing between my house and Amazon

This would take all the crazy out of holiday shopping. No more fist fights on Black Friday or that awful realization that you are out of time for online ordering and have to brace the stores. Simply order your items online and they arrive instantly through the tubes. This gift keeps on giving. After Christmas, Just send your duplicates and unwanted gifts up the tube and replacements arrive automatically. No need to wait in long return lines at the store. Amazon needs to get on this.  

If these ideas don't pan out, I'll take a couple of coffee shop gift cards and some new jeans in the next size up.  It'll be a long winter.

What do you want for Christmas?

Which of these gifts make your life easier?

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge

Do Whatever You Want Day

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I didn't write yesterday because I was too busy eating tons of appetizers, holding my precious niece, and visiting with family. It was a wonderful day.

I wanted to let you know about a very special holiday we Franzens developed last year. Today, which some of you refer to as Black Friday, is actually what we call Do Whatever You Want Day.

What's that, you ask? You've never heard of such a thing? Allow me to fill you in on this most wondrous occasion.

It all started last fall, when I was in the throes of obsessively watching sitcoms in the basement. I believe I was on a Big Bang Theory binge when the idea struck. As usual, we'd spent Thanksgiving with my husband's father's family, enjoying the chance to catch up and visit with relatives we sometimes only see once per year. It's always a great time. The day after, however, I was exhausted and I just wanted to chill. I wanted to sit in the basement and plow through a couple seasons of The Big Bang Theory before the DVDs were due back to the library. I didn't want to feel guilty about saddling Tim with the girls all day. I wanted us all to have a break.

So I declared it Do Whatever You Want Day and everyone felt like a winner. The girls chose to watch their favorite shows and play video games, Tim read and did random things on his phone, and I got to finish the borrowed DVDs before the late fees started rolling in. Everyone got to relax and do what they wanted, which was pretty much just be lazy and zone out in front of a screen.

We have rules about "screen time" at our house. The girls are not allowed to watch TV or play video games until 4PM. Once 4PM hits, they can turn on the TV and chill for a bit before dinner, baths, and bedtime routines begin. I figure if they were at public school, they wouldn't be sitting in front of a screen all day, so I don't want them doing that at home. I think it's fine for them to have a couple hours to laze about after a busy day of school and play. We all deserve the opportunity to relax and unwind after we've been working hard. By the time 4 hits, we are all ready for a bit of a break. It works for our family to have things clear cut like this.

So that's part of why Do Whatever You Want Day is such a treat for us. We get to be lazy and shake off the rules knowing that we'll be back to the grind of work and play soon.

This year, I spent the day in bed, reading voraciously. It was so nice to finish a book without feeling guilty, being interrupted constantly, or staying up super late. Tim alternated between reading and, again, doing random things on his phone. The kids set up Lexi's new Rock Tumbler this morning then alternated between watching TV and playing games. It was a good day.

Black Friday seems to be a good fit for us to celebrate this holiday. Tim's company gives him the day off and we aren't people who go out trying to score good deals on Christmas gifts. After the craziness of Lexi's birthday, Thanksgiving and more, it's the perfect day for us to relax and do what we want without feeling guilty. Another great day for this holiday is the day after Christmas, when everyone just wants a chance to enjoy their new gifts in peace.

I highly recommend you give Do Whatever You Want Day a try. All you need to do is pick a day when you and your family members need to relax, let go of any guilt you may have knowing that you'll be back to the grind tomorrow, and take some time to enjoying doing, well, whatever you want!

If you decide to give it a try, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

This post is part of the 30 Day Challenge.