The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

{a year of challenges} April is for Quiet Time

A few days ago, I posted this on Instagram:



I’m a perfectionist, driven by a desire to do my roles well.  I want to be the best mother I can be, the best homeschool teacher I can be, the best business owner I can be…and on and on.  


The standard I hold myself to…well, it’s unrealistic.  My heart knows this, but I still continue to push and push.  I think we all know how this story ends.  It’s April and I’m frazzled.  Instead of feeling accomplished at the end of the day, I’m overwhelmed, frustrated at my lack of “getting anything done” and critical of my abilities to juggle it all. 


It’s time to start over.


I am declaring April the month that I slow down, re-prioritize and get my head and heart in the right place.  It’s the month of quiet time.  Every morning, I want to sit down, read my Bible and make a plan for attack.  Instead of running around like a chicken with its head chopped off, I want to work with more purpose and peace.  I want to create a general daily routine for this season in our life, a flow to our days.  My hope is that I can get the chores accomplished, while still leaving plenty of room for wasting time with the kids and my husband.      

Here’s to making new habits and creating more peace!

{thrive goals} March Review, April Goals & a Free Printable!

A fourth of the year has already come and gone, can you believe it?  I’m finding it ironic that I chose the word “thrive” for 2015…so far, I feel like I have been anything but thriving!  Perhaps the lesson for myself is redefining what that means in my wonderful, full and messy life?  I’m thankful for new months and new chances to try again.   

 March Goals

1. Read three books.
I ended up finishing two: The Secret Keeper and Where’d You Go, Bernadette.  Both were really good!

2. Workout goal: Complete what you set out to do.  
Done.  I completed the full mileage for every run and didn’t listen to the mind games telling me to quit early.    

3. Try making a bib for TJ.  
I had high hopes for the one, but after realizing that I needed a new needle for my sewing machine, I quickly forgot.  Oops!  

4. Start working on Sophie’s big girl room.  
Done.  I’ve made lots of progress and only have a few odds and ends to finish.  Sophie loves her room and is so proud to show it off.  Now to get her sleeping in there all night! 

5. Complete the lesson plans for the last nine weeks of school.  

Done.  I finished the plans for history and science (complete with activities!) and have a rough outline for math and spelling.  Five more weeks to go!     

April Goals

1. Order M’s standardized testing.
2. Sell unneeded school books and clothes on ebay.
3. Drop off boxes to our local donation center.
4. Switch out the kids’ cold weather clothing and put in the warm.
5. Work on a new daily routine for spring and summer.



What goals do you have planned for April?

{a year of challenges} March is for Health & Fitness: What I’ve Learned

{via}

Playing a bit of catch-up from my Holy Week break!  

Last week, I finished up my March is for Health and Fitness challenge and I think it was a huge success.  This month long bootcamp was just what I needed and I’m proud of what I accomplished.  A few notes about what I’ve learned along the way:    


Weight Loss Update
I am so excited to write that after a three month plateau, I lost five pounds and five and a half inches!  To help figure out how many calories I should be eating to lose weight while nursing, I used this calculator.  Based on that recommendation, I probably eat around 2000-2200 calories, give or take, depending on the day.  I tracked my food for a few weeks to stay accountable, but I’m now confident enough to go without it.  


Veggie Intake
One of my goals was to eat a salad or green vegetable every day and I’m happy to report that I did 29 out of 31 days.  Eating a big, hearty salad for lunch became routine.  I tried to incorporate more veggies in with dinner.  I added spinach to my post-workout smoothies.  I still have work to do, but I think I’ve made baby steps in the right direction.


Water Intake
Water is still a work in progress for me, but I’m improving!  I’m learning that a huge part of running is hydration.  I’ve started drinking a glass of water as my coffee brews in the morning.  I’m also trying to chug and be done with my morning coffee instead of babying it (and microwaving and microwaving…) all morning long.  I fill big glasses to have with my meals and even have one bedside.  More baby steps.

Half Marathon Training
95% of my exercise has been training for my half marathon in May.  By month’s end, I clocked in 58.5 miles!  Every week gets a little harder, but is an opportunity to push myself a little further than before.  It’s hard to describe what running has done for me…with every mile (no matter how slow), I feel a little bit more like the athlete I’ve always wanted to be.    

A few articles I found helpful and informational:


A Sugary Drink with a Toxic Secret
How and Why You Should Warm Up Before a Run
10 Ways to Enjoy the Long Run
Eat Like a Genius: Nutrition for Runners
Learning the Skill of Barefoot Running (this video has tips for posture that have been really helpful for me too)
Foam Rolling Exercises for Runners

Look for my new challenge for April later this week!

{around here} Week 13/52: Week of 3.30.15

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:

 looking for quiet and Holy Week seemed to be the perfect time to start.  Less time on the computer, less stressing over long to-do lists, and less “noise” created for myself.  I feel like I’ve become a little overwhelmed with life in general and I’m taking the first steps to slow down and re-evaluate.  

 trying ring bearer and flower girl outfits on Sophie and J.  They are adorable and can’t wait for the wedding.  J keeps saying, “How much longer ’til we’re goin’ to our weddin’?” and I have to remind him that they are going to be in a wedding, not attending their wedding. 

 keeping my Fitbit in my dresser drawer.  I have worn it every single day since last June (!!) and the change has been similar to feeling like I forgot to put on my wedding band.  The reason behind the Fitbit’s retirement is complicated…it’s just time.

 watching Sophie rotate between her three new pairs of shoes, sometimes on an hourly basis.  As much as she is a sword-fighting ninja, the girl loves herself some footwear!  She was in heaven in the shoe aisle at Target, oohing and awwing and declaring “these cute” over and over again.  We were there for Easter shoes and summer sandals, but she ended up with a pair of cowgirl boots (picked out by her Daddy) too.    

 reading See You in a Hundred Years and Overcoming Dyslexia (I’m finally almost done!)

 listening to the kids and their sweet knock-knock jokes: “Knock knock?” “Who’s there?” “Love you.”  “Love you who?” “I love you Mama.” (J’s latest) 

missing a handful of my workouts at the recommendation of my husband.  I’m training at a level I never have before and the combination of that with poor sleep due to a teething baby…well, I’m a bit fried.  Yesterday’s run was hard but good (holy moly, the wind was brutal) and I’m prepping for my first 8-miler Saturday!  

 homeschool notes:
+ We had a short week due to Holy Week.  We’re also taking a week off for spring break, which is our first since Christmas.    
+ In science, we learned about the phases of the moon and created them using Oreos.  
+ M is reading The Hobbit and while I thought it may be too hard for him, he’s taking it slow and loving it!

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