It’s a new month and time for a new challenge!


For May, I am challenging myself to cooking at home.  April was a crazy month with lots of commitments, appointments and illness.  Needless to say, I’ve been waving the white flag while dialing the closest pizza delivery place. A LOT.  Our budget (and my waistline) are hurting because of it, so it’s time to hop back on the meal planning wagon and start again.  With the exception of my half marathon weekend, since we’ll be out of town, the plan is to cook every meal (and snack and drink…no coffees!) at home.  A month of experimenting in the kitchen, trying new things and eating hearty, healthy meals again.   


Join me!
Set a goal for May, simple or ambitious.  Here are ten ideas to get you started:


+ Limit the amount of processed food that you bring into the home.
+ Make a few recipes from cookbooks you own.
+ Cook a dish using a vegetable you haven’t tried.
+ Make one family favorite meal.
+ Shop at the local farmer’s market.
+ Incorporate a few slow cooker recipes into your weekly menu.
+ Make a homemade version of something you would normally purchase.
+ Bake a dessert you have never tried before.
+ Include the children while in the kitchen: teach them a recipe, let them help, etc.
+ Knock out two recipes from your Pinterest boards.

Are you in?
Comment below with your cooking at home goal.  I’d love to cheer you on! 

A few days ago, I posted this on Instagram:

The baby is down for his morning nap and the big kids are playing downstairs, so I’m sitting in the sunshine and planning my day. The past few months have left me a little frazzled…the constant feeling of “catching up” has taken its toll. So for April, I have committed to slowing down, taking time for quiet, and getting my priorities in order. Here’s to new habits and more peace! #bwfcups2015

A photo posted by Ashley (@bigwhitefarmhouse) on Apr 6, 2015 at 5:48am PDT

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!

We are halfway through the March Health & Fitness Challenge!  For those of you who are participating, how are you doing?  What small changes have you been incorporating into your day?  And if you’re new here, welcome!  There is still time to jump in!

This challenge has been really motivating for me so far and I’m learning a lot about myself.    

As a reminder, this was my challenge:

I’m following a half marathon training plan, so most of my workouts have been runs.  I do try to fit in one cross-training or weight session a week.  Still need to decide what new exercise I want to try too.


I’ve been doing most of my runs on the treadmill, mid-morning during a school break.  With warmer weather coming, though, I’m dying to get outside.  Last Saturday was raining, but I still couldn’t wait to get out there.  To be alone (no kids who just have to tell me something!) and in my own head for five miles was awesome.


As for my diet, it’s a work in progress, but I’m taking steps in the right direction.  I’ve given up almost all sugar and after the initial detox, I don’t even really miss it.  I treated myself to a cookie (made for for Sunday dinner) yesterday and felt sick afterward.  I think I’ll be sticking to my dried fruit “dessert” for now.  


A salad has become my lunchtime staple.  I make it with lots of romaine lettuce, whatever veggies we have on hand, ham, a bit of cheese and a little yogurt-based dressing.  Sometimes a handful of croutons too.  It is delicious and keeps me full for awhile.   

One thing that I love about health and fitness is the wealth of information.  While it can be overwhelming, I like to see what’s out there, experiment a little, and see what works for me.  I’ll post a record of the workouts I’ve tried and the books/articles I’ve read at the end of the month.  There is so much to learn!  


Let’s finish out the month strong, friends!

Welcome to the third month of my Year of Challenges!  


Can you believe it is March already?  Despite the snow outside, spring is just around the corner and with that comes the shedding of over-sized sweaters and bulky sweatshirts.  I tend to hibernate in the winter, putting off workouts and eating way more than I know I should.  But neither are great habits to have when you don’t have extra clothing to camouflage and baby weight still to lose.    


March is my time to stop making excuses and to start taking better care of myself.  You too?  I’m out of the new baby fog and ready to put in the work.  I won’t tell you that I’m working toward a “bikini body”…because, um, hello body that birthed five babies.  But I am hoping that this month will work as a little boot camp of sorts, whipping myself into gear and creating better habits.


I’ll also let you in on a little secret: I’m training for my first half marathon in May.  This is a big dream of mine and I’m really excited to cross this goal off of my life list.  It’s also even more incentive to work toward an athlete’s body.       


So here we go!  


My challenge this month:

• Walk 10,000+ steps daily
• Continue to work on drinking at least 5 glasses of water everyday
• Eat at least one salad/green vegetable a day
• Try one new type of exercise (maybe pilates?  barre?)

We’re halfway through February already!  How did that happen?  How are you doing with your organizing goals?  I started out strong, but fizzled last week.  I’m chalking it up to a hard week and hoping to jump back in, finishing strong.  Wish me luck!


Need a little inspiration?  I do!  Here are a bunch of great links from around the web:


+  I already do many of these, but I’m thinking I should add the rest to my daily routine: 10 Things I Do Everyday to Keep a Clean & Organized Home


+ Organizing your Knitting Supplies

+ Do you use a home management binder?  This mini edition (with free printables!) is cute.


+ Another adorable free printable to help your kids put their own clothes away.  


+ Cord Labels: I think this would also be helpful for those random cords you have hanging around and always forget what they are for! 


+ How I Made $2.145 Last Month by Decluttering


+ I need a self-serve snack center in my pantry!


+ How to Declutter: Conquering Decluttering Paralysis

Every Thursday in February, I’ll be sharing my progress for the February is for Organization challenge.  (I’m following Money Saving Mom’s prompts for 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home)  Today is a short update – I’m only three days in! – and written in bullet form.

DAY 1 Assignment // Write down 5-10 goals for the week.  Get rid of 7 items.  15 minute quick pick-up of the main living areas.  Clean out purse/diaper bag.
+ I was crazy motivated today and excited to get started!  I knocked out the goal list during breakfast.  
+ It was embarrassingly easy to find seven things to get rid of.  A few were decor items that I’ve been holding onto “just in case” and since they haven’t left the closet in more than six months…well, they found themselves in the donation box.  
+ Cleaning out the diaper bag was simple too.  I didn’t have much to throw away, but it was a good time to replenish diapers and organize everything inside.
+ I had the kids “race the clock” with me to clean the first floor before bedtime.  They love a challenge and we “won” with three minutes to spare!  

DAY 2 Assignment // Complete 2 things from the goal list.  Get rid of 7 items.  15 minute quick clean of the kitchen.  Clean out the refrigerator.
+ My goals to complete were to wash all the sheets and to wrap a package to send to friends.  Two projects I’m happy to have checked off the list!
+ I went through a stack of papers I’ve been saving and threw out at least 10 things.  Why do I hold on to this stuff again?
+ I organized everything in the fridge, but am going to wait until this weekend to deep clean the shelves.  There will be less food to have to take out then too.
+ I did a quick clean of the kitchen by myself after the kids went to bed and dare I admit it was magical?  The silence, the clearing of countertops without someone asking for a snack, the filling of the dishwasher without any helpers…my kitchen was sparkling and Mamma had a bit of alone time.  Win/win.

DAY 3 Assignment // Complete 1 thing from the goal list.  Get rid of 7 items.  15 minute quick clean of my bedroom.  Clean out the freezer.
+ We were out of the house most of the afternoon, so I didn’t complete most of today’s assignment.  I did pick up my bedroom and quickly added a couple toys to the donation pile.  I’ll catch up with the rest tomorrow.

Have you been cleaning or organizing this week?  Let’s keep each other accountable!

It’s February and that means it’s time for a new challenge!

Are you and your kids going stir crazy yet?  The weather here is still pretty frigid, so we’ve been spending most days inside.  As I type this, the boys are wrestling in the living room, while Sophie dumps out her blocks for the tenth time today.  And me?  I’m looking around at all.the.stuff.  The clutter, the toys, the laundry…I’m craving simplicity and order in a big way.

With that in mind, I’ve decided that February is the month for organization.  I’m hoping to work past the “I’m so overwhelmed, I don’t know where to start” feelings and dive in somewhere.  Because some beats none, right?    

My challenge:
I’m going to follow the prompts from Money Saving Mom’s 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home series.  The plan is a mix of decluttering, deep cleaning and organizing and I think it’s just what I need to start getting the house how I’d like it.  I’ll be checking in on the blog every Thursday with my progress.

The end of the January is for Learning Challenge is here!  How did you do?  

As far as my personal challenge goes, I am really pleased with the outcome.  Sometimes as a mother to little ones, I feel like my brain is slowly turning to mush.  This month helped me see that it doesn’t have to be that way. Below is a record of all the things I read, listened to and explored:  

BOOKS.
1. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
2. Joy to the World: How Christ’s Coming Changed Everything (and Still Does)
3. Orphan Train


PODCASTS.
1. Brilliant Business Mom Podcast Episode 062: Blogging, Best-Sellers & The Good Life with Ruth Soukup
2. Elise Gets Crafty Episode 39: Maintaining a Creative Habit
3. Read-Aloud Revival Episode 12: The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared
4. Fountains of Carrots Episode 6: Planned Chaos with Kelly Mantoan
5. Not technically a Podcast, but just as informative: 5 Steps to a Better Facebook Page with Holly Homer
6. Brilliant Business Moms Episode 027: On Growing an Authentic Blog with Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy

TED TALKS. (Summaries come from the TED talk website)
1. Brene Brown: The Power of Vulnerability
Brene Brown studies human connection – our ability to empathize, belong, love.  In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity.  

2. David Goldstein: The Battle Between your Present and Future Self
Every day, we make decisions that have good or bad consequences for our future selves.  (Can I skip flossing just this one time?)  Danial Goldstein makes tools that help us imagine ourselves over time, so that we make smart choices for Future Us.

3. Christopher McDougall: Are We Born to Run?
Christopher McDougall explores the mysteries of the human desire to run.  How did running help early humans survive – and what urges from our ancient ancestors spur us on today?  McDougall tells the story of the marathoner with a gold, the unlikely ultra-runner, and the hidden tribe in Mexico that runs to live.  

4. Mac Barnett: Why a Good Book is a Secret Door
Childhood is surreal.  Why shouldn’t children’s books be?  In this whimsical talk, award-winning author Mac Barnett speaks about writing that escapes the page, art as a doorway to wonder – and what real kids say to a fictional whale.

5. Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts  
In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert.  But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts brings extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.

6. Joy Sun: Should You Donate Differently?
Technology allows us to give cash directly to the poorest people on the planet.  Should we do it?  In this thought-provoking talk, veteran aid work Joy Sun explores two ways to help the poor.

7. Ken Robinson: How Schools Kill Creativity 
Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

8. Jamie Oliver: Teach Every Child about Food 
Sharing powerful stories from his anti-obesity project in Huntington, West Virginia –and a shocking image of the sugar we eat.  TED Prize winner Jamie Oliver makes the case for an all-out assault on our ignorance of food.

9. Andie Mitchell: On Weight Loss
Andie Mitchell talks about her struggles with food, her background and her blog. She explores a topic that she claims took many years of reflection to figure out: the secret to lasting weight loss.

10. Rosie King: How Autism Freed Me to be Myself
“People are so afraid of variety that they try to fit everything into a tiny little box with a specific label,” says 16-year-old Rosie King, who is bold, brash and autistic.  She wants to know: Why is everyone so worried about being normal?  She sounds a clarion call for every kid, parent, teacher and person to celebrate uniqueness.  It’s a soaring testament to the potential of human diversity.

NEW BLOGS.
1. And Then We Saved: Saving where we can, so we can spend where we want
2. The Catholic Table (This post is great!)
3. by Regina: for the Bloggers and Entrepreneurs

Stay tuned for the new February challenge next week!