Four Simple Goals March 2015

Recently, setting these goals every month has really been doing the opposite of what it should be doing: I start to feel pressure to complete things that I'm not really feeling any more.  This month is the deciding month on whether I drop the monthly goal thing for a bit and focus on completing what I feel should be completed.  It's like I set these goals and then a day after the post goes live I change my entire idea of what I should do this month.  I loved doing these little goals in the beginning but I think I'm getting away from what this used to be for me.  Anyway, here are March's goals:

Finish a prototype of a secret, awesome project - It's not really that top secret and it's only awesome because I think it is, but I have a secret thing I've been wanting to come up with for the past little while.  This month should be about finishing a prototype....and figuring it out if it can be done at all!

Focus on the Facebook page - I want to get back into my Facebook page.  It is platform that I really struggle with yet I feel could really help me out in the long run.  I already added a fun cover image and am working on overhauling what goes on over there.  If you haven't liked my page yet, I'd love it if you did!  Click here to find me!

List 2 pocket scrapbooking card designs in the shop - I've been meaning to do this every since I quietly opened it in February.  However I've just either not been inspired or too lazy to put them together.  Here's to getting at least two done and listed.

Follow through more - This is going to go hand in hand with my planning this month.  For example I've planned out doing some YouTube videos but then I don't follow through with posting them.  I want to come up with a plan and stick to it!

March is going to be full of changes and hopefully everything falls into place.  I have some fun posts planned and I just overall want to focus on continuing this little dream and exploring what I can do for myself.

What do you have planned for this month?

xoxo, Moefour

Revisiting February 2015 Four Simple Goals

Hey there March!  I can't believe March is here and it's still snowing out.  I just can't even handle this.  I know up north here snow can last until May (May!) and it did last pretty well into spring last year I think but I'm excited to know we're one month closer to warmer weather.  Let's be real here.....I neeeeeeed Summer to show up.  I am ready to start complaining about how hot it is.

Anyway...let's see what did (or, let's be honest didn't) happen with February's Four Simple Goals: 

Finish 2014 Project Life - Guys, I wish this happened.....but it didn't.  I am making it an unofficial goal of March.  I also need to get with it to start on this year.....thats another unofficial goal for March!

List 3 Planner Pages in the Shop - Guess what?  I've listed like 8 planner pages.  That's right, my shop is up a running now.  I am taking it slowly.....I'm adding when I feel like it.  I don't want to put too much pressure on myself to do things.  So I'm working on different inserts and then adding when I feel like I should.  If it doesn't feel right I don't do it.  So far it's been working for me.

Progress on the Upstairs - We've made only a little progress.  Zach's parents came and helped us out last weekend but it is a lot of work for two people who work full time.  We have loads of other things we want to do to relax and working on the house is not one of them!

Have a date night - It really shouldn't have but it kinda just got pushed aside.  With some crazy life stuff this past month Valentine's day got moved around too.  So it was just an over all weird month to get anything done, I guess.

Sorry this wasn't really a great update on my goals.  I'm actually thinking about stopping this feature for a while (I think I mentioned this before) because I'm starting to feel like I'm not accomplishing the things I set out to do but I am accomplishing different but still important things.  Important things like a zillion photos of my dog curled up with Zach & I because pretty much we didn't get out of bed the whole month of February!  I'm going to try for one more month.....and then we'll see how it goes.

What did you accomplish this month?

xoxo, Moe

ps. If you want a lot of cute corgi photos, please follow me on Instagram!

Read my past Four Simple Goals here.

Four Simple Goals February 2015

What is up February!?! Can you believe we are already into the second month of the year......ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME??  Life goes by too fast, I'm realizing that now that I'm older.  To keep it going here are my four goals for February 2015:

Finish 2014 Project Life Album - Yep, the last 4 months of the year still aren't in physical form.  I still have loads of Christmas photos on my phone and I just really, really, really need to get the album done.  Not to mention I need to start on my 2015 album!!

List 3 Planner Pages in the Esty Shop - I think last time I listed this type of goal I later decided that it wasn't for me.  However, I've figured out a better way to do my printable planner inserts and really want to start my shop back up.  I've struggle recently with this and that's why I decided to start offering so many printables on my blog.  Every time I think about the shop I get stressed, but I still want to make.  So I thought offering free things here would make me less grinch like - sometimes I feel really greedy when thinking about what I could sell out of the things I make.  I tend to think if I can make it I should sell it.  But there's a lot of things that go in with selling your handmade stuff and after shutting down our vintage shop I feel like physical items just aren't in the cards for me right now.  I say that as I have plans for making some physical planners to sell in the shop eventually!

Progress on the Upstairs - I hope we can get to painting this month.  That is my goal.  It is so hard to work all day then come home and work on the house.  I'd rather sleep or blog or cuddle or anything else!

Have a date night - I really want to do a nicely planned date night.  Not just hey, let's go get dinner kind of deal but a really nice, planned out date.  Ideas are appreciated!


What are your goals for the month?  Anything exciting you want to tackle?

xoxo, Moe

Revisiting January 2015 Four Simple Goals

January is over.  What the actual heck is happening?  Why is time moving so fast?  Why does everyone say that?  Anyway, today I'm going to revisit my January goals.  I am so in love with setting four goals for the month and then reporting back.  It's like baby steps for getting things done!

Discover my word for 2015 - I've already written a whole post on it here but my word for 2015 is explore.  I'm excited to see where this word takes me as I'm ready to explore different parts of my life and to see what it is I really, really want from life.

Work on the upstairs - Zach has been great about working on the upstairs and now it's my turn.  We've picked up the rest of the drywall to get it up around the stairs.  I've learned about mudding the drywall, and then it's my turn to paint.  I am not looking forward to the rest of the work but I am looking forward to it being done.

Plan our Kentucky trip - So far I've gotten the days down

Make a list of blog tags - This was so hard to do but I made a list of over arching tags then a list of the tags that would go under them.  Next month is to work back on a few posts and align them with the new tags.  Hopefully I won't mess up any links that I have with in my blog but I don't think I'm changing anything major when it comes to tags.

So there you have it, my little Four Simple Goal catch up for January 2015.

What did you accomplish the first month of the new year?  What will you do next month?

xoxo, Moe.

Four Simple Goals January 2015

Hello 2015!  I've seen a lot of people going on and on about how 2014 was not a great year for them. I think that 2014 was a pretty good year for me....I know I've grown a lot and I think I succeeded in a lot of areas.  If you remember this post from the beginning of 2014 (seriously, go read it.  I'll wait.) then you may remember that I chose a word last year to live my life by - this word was Focus.  I also started keeping up with the Four Simple Goals challenge on my blog by setting 4 goals each month.  Around the middle of the year I realized I hadn't really focused on my word - Focus.  But then again I'd been focusing on the areas of my life I wanted to through my four simple goals.

I feel so accomplished this year because I kept up with four simple goals for a whole year!  Now, I didn't reach all my goals - somethings just got left behind - but I did set goals each month and I'm pretty sure I met probably 35+ of the total 48 goals that would have been set.  Maybe I'll get an exact number for you later...but here are my goals for January 2015:

Discover my word for 2015 - I'd been thinking about it for a while and I might be set on the meaning of the word I want by not the word itself.  Does that make sense?  Like I see some things I want to plan for in my planner...and they are scary.  There are things I want to do this year but they scare me a bit.....so I'm not sure what word that would be!  I really liked Focus last year and I really want to find a word to encompass my year.

Work on the upstairs - Zach has been really great at getting a lot of the upstairs done.  But we need to get cracking.  I can't wait to have it all done...it's the getting there that I really don't like.

Plan our Kentucky get away - I really want to take a weekend getaway at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky so I need to get on planning that.  I know I'll put it off, and put it off ..... then we'll never go, so I want to get that together this month.  I need to see about a dog friendly hotel vs camping, find out about any tours, and see if there are any antique stores along the way.  We plan on taking the drive down or the drive back up to stop along the way and check out some antique stores.

Make a list of blog tags - This was a goal a few months ago and when I started it I was immediately overwhelmed.  I am going to make a list of all the blog tags I'd like to use and hopefully start getting any sub tags together too.  I just want to have a better organized blog for myself and you, the readers!

Hope your 2015 is starting out with a bang!

What are your goals for 2015? How did you feel about 2014?

xoxo, Moe

December 2014 Four Simple Goals

I am so very happy that I've kept up with this little project here on the blog this year.  I also plan on bringing it onto next year as well.  Shortly, well probably in January, I'm going to outline my goals for the year.  I know I do it every year and every year I forget and life moves on....but I really think that this Four Simple Goals project has kept me on track for completing goals.  I think my planner has really helped with that as well.  I can see what I'm doing and keep track of it.  Anyway, on to December's goals:

Finalize the planner inserts for the shop - That's right, I'm thinking of opening my design shop up again with planner printables and journal cards.  I have a few things designed right now but I need to finalize the designs.  I plan on listing everything in January after I'm home from visiting my family.  Right now I want to focus on finalizing the designs, sizes, packages, and prices.

Get a massage - Last year Zach got me a gift card for a massage and I've been hoarding it....for a year!  So, for my birthday, I'm going to use it to get a massage!  Now just to call and make the appointment.

Start Vlogging - I know there is such a thing as vlogmas...so maybe I will participate by doing a weekly vlog video on Sundays.  Way back in college when I got my first little flip cam, I really wanted to start vlogging...but I felt weird.  Now I just really want to try.  YouTube is fun!

Focus on App reviews - There are soooo many apps I want to review for you all but then I just put them off.  I really just need to type them out and get to them!  I am going to make a list of the apps I want to review and then just do it!  That's what my planner is for right??

There you have it...my four goals for December.  Yay!

What will you accomplish this month?

xoxo, Moe

Revisiting November 2014 Four Simple Goals

What's up guys?? Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I had a few posts I wanted to get up last week but it just didn't happen....and I'm ok with that.  I have been wanting to post more & more & more & more but sometimes I just feel like the posts I have aren't ready yet or that I've said way too much and need to edit them down.  But anyway, let's just get into November 2014 goals:

Complete a No Spend & follow my Budget - I think I did it.  I did cave one day and spend about $10-$12 at CVS during their beauty clearance.  Soooooo.....I wasn't too bad, especially because I got a Physicians Formula foundation for $0.62!  Yeah!  I also did follow my budget because I didn't overspend but I do need to figure out more on how much gas I use.  I though that I'd fill up once a week for about $35-ish bucks but with travel and just running around I think I filled up more than 4 times this month.  I don't quite know how to budget that but I think I did rather well in November! 

Add at least 2 new designs in the Zazzle shop - This did not happen.  I tried but I just felt so dang overwhelmed with the options that Zazzle offers.  I didn't know what to make...I just wasn't feeling inspired.  I know this is something I need to focus on in the new year I just don't know what to focus on.

Clean up the blog tags - I sat down to do this and I realized that there are soooooo many tags on my blog that are unrelated and so many tags where I have multiple of things that are similar.  I think this is going to be a bigger goal next year because I have a lot of posts and they need to be categorized better.  I need to think on this more!

Cook 3 more meals - This did happen...yay!! The first meal was I made delicious fried chicken fingers.  So. Stinking. Good!  The second meal wasn't a total success but it was a stepping stone to keep trying - I made some pasta sauce myself.  It was ok, but I know I can make it better.  The third meal was Chili.  The first time I made chili, it was meh.  This time it was pretty great.  So I have at least two recipes under my belt that I can make and adapt.

November was an ok month.  I wouldn't say it was my best month, but hey it's coming up to the holidays so I need some time to relax!! 

How was your November?  Did you get anything accomplished?

xoxo, Moe

November 2014 Four Simple Goals

November is here y'all and I can't even believe it.  We are in the final stretch of the year and I just can't believe it.  We've got like 9-ish weeks until the brand new year and I am so surprised!  What will 2015 bring?  Well, before we get too far ahead our ourselves, let's just set some goals for November 2014:

Complete a No Spend and follow my budget - Last weekend I offered up some free budgeting printables for your planner and I am dedicated to keep using them.  I've already used the Bill Tracker for some time now but this whole little set should really help me out this month.

At least 2 new designs in the Zazzle shop - I need to get back into doing things for my Zazzle shop.  It is a serious source of passive income and I need to devote more time to it.  I've wanted to get back into posting more there but I just wasn't feeling it.  I liked to make whole invitation sets but thats proved to be toooooooo much for me so I just want to post at least two designs to my page this month.  Hopefully this will rekindle my interest in this because it can really be a create source of income for me!  Plus, they have a butt load of new products that I haven't even played with yet.

Clean up the blog tags - This will be the most challenging goal.  I have so many tags for my posts and I can't even find some of the posts because I didn't tag them properly.  The first part of this is going to be making a list of all the tags I'd like to use on the blog.  Hopefully I don't open up another can of worms and screw up some links in some older posts!

Cook 3 more meals - We do cook or prepare food at home a lot but recently I've been getting into experimenting in the kitchen.  I used to cook in college - not like gourmet stuff, but it was more than a boxed meal.  Recently I've been getting adventurous in the kitchen and I want to cook three more meals of my own invention or from an adapted recipe.

So thats what I'm gunning for in November 2014.  I think in the new year I'm going to do a recap of all the goals I've set for myself this year.  I say it every month but these little goals really make me feel like I'm getting something accomplished.

What are your goals for the month?

xoxo, Moe

Revisiting October 2014 Four Simple Goals

October is over....my favorite month just flew by.  I got about zero of these goals done.  I just wasn't feeling it this month I guess.  Sometimes I find myself really wanting to do something but I have zero motivation to do it.  Like, I'd really like to open up my etsy shop again and work on some stuff in my Zazzle store but I am just not feeling it.  But anyway, lets just look at the goals, shall we:

Get the Blog Sidebar & About page organized - Well, I did it.  I finally took out the post grad part of my about me.  Can you still claim that 3 years after graduation and when you have a full time job?  I mean I still feel like I'm parading around in my adult suit but I guess moving into your late twenties means you can't really consider yourself fresh out of college.  I need to find a new way to identify myself!

Clean out the garage (again) - didn't really happen.  However we pulled all the carpet up from the upstairs in getting ready to do the remodel, doesn't that count? No, it doesn't.

Make something new - I made a few new things this month actually.  I got a loom for loom knitting and I made a hat.  I'm not quite sure that I like loom knitting.  I thought it would have been something easy to do but I don't quite like the end result.  It's definitely easy but I think that crocheting is easier.  I also made a DIY soft box that I might share in a Make it Monday later on.

Go to the Pumpkin Patch - We didn't do this but we did get our pumpkin carving on.  I got some big ol pumpkins from a local market down from my work.  So we just sat in the floor and carved away.

It always feels good to look back on my goals even if they didn't really get accomplished the way they were intended.  This Four Simple Goal project keeps me accountable.  Here's to a successful November!

xoxo, Moe

Four Simple Goals October 2014

For nearly a year I've been keeping up with setting 4 goals a month revolving around me, family, and the blog. It's been pretty neat to see things accomplished since I've never been to great at setting an achieving goals before. I'd always set them then forget them and eventually get around to them. But I'd never been able to intentionally set and meet goals easily before. Setting four small goals each month revolving around the important things in my life has really helped me break that pattern and see some progress. Here are October's goals:

Get the blog sidebar & about page organized - A lot that is in my sidebar and on my about page has nothing to do with my blog or my shops any more. And it's getting to be weird looking. I'm not sure if people are clicking through and then wondering what the heck is happening or not but I know I need to take charge of it and put my best blog-face forward.

Clean out the garage (again) - It's gotten to be a place to throw everything again and thats not what this is all about. We need to clean it out so I might finally get back in the pottery mood....yeah, that hasn't happened yet either.

Make something new - This is a pretty vague goal I know but I want to try to make something new. Maybe I'll try weaving or loom knitting (I actually bought some loom knitting stuff). Or maybe I'll make a book, who knows. I just feel like I'm in a rut again and need something new to try my hand at. I feel like that always brings me out of it. Even though I need to finish some Project Life albums!

Go to the pumpkin patch - Last year we went to a small farm with a little corn maze but I'd like to find a place were we could go for the afternoon that maybe has some hot cider, a bunch of carved pumpkins, a corn maze, etc. Just a place to really spend the afternoon. And to get a pumpkin or two to carve!

Also I was just informed that our little pupster is going to turn 9 years old on October 14th so I have to do something to celebrate.  Dogs care about their birthdays, right?

Happy October!

What are your goals for the month? Anything new you want to try?

xoxo, Moe

Revisiting September 2014 Goals

Well now, September just flew by. I can't believe that Summer is over. It feels like just yesterday the sun was shining bright and it was hot as crap outside but now the air is a little crisper and the sunlight is streaming in differently through the windows. I'm excited because October is my favorite month but in all honesty the stores have their Christmas stuff out and I've already started the countdown. But let's talk about September's goals:

Clean out the shed - Hooray!! This was finally accomplished in September. Of course it was in preparation for the big remodel upstairs so it was cleaned out then promptly filled with a bunch of our other stuff as we got it out of the way to start work upstairs. Check and check!

Bill organization - This wasn't too hard, mainly I just wanted a place to corral bills so they wouldn't get lost. I put a littel thing together on my desk, it's not perfect but it's started. Now to clean of my desk!

More Freebies for the blog - I've kept up with this I think and actually have a giant freebie coming up in honor of our 3 year anniversary. I've also been trying to offer freebies all over the place.

Another SCA Event - This got pushed aside as I had to buy a new car unexpectedly. My old car finally bit the dust right before the weekend we were supposed to go to a really fun event called Vikings come home. I don't know if we'll go to another event in the coming month because of the rennovation but we'll see. Maybe there will be some fun Christmas ones coming up.

All in all September was a crazy, challenging month for me. It started off normal and then all of a sudden I had to make some crazy decisions! A lot of things got switched around and put on the back burner for a little while. We'll see how October goes!

xoxo, Moe

Four Simple Goals September 2014

Now that I'm back to blogging I'm really excited to keep up with these little goals.  Let me be the first to tell you how manageable goals have become to me now that I've been breaking them down in to smaller chunks.  I feel like I have a lot of experience with goals and goal setting - when I was in school they drilled into us about setting goals with the SMART method and a bunch of other stuff....yet I never really got the hang of it.  Now I feel like I can set & achieve smaller goals and feel accomplished.  Also this little check in helps as well!  Here are my goals for September:

Clean out the shed - Yep rolled that one on over to September because it did not happen in August.  I got side tracked on a bunch of other home goals that got done like the laundry room, and organizing my dresser drawers.  Oh, and I organized my craft shelves.  Hooray for that.

Bill Organization - I need to create a place to keep our to-be-paid & our paid bills.  It seem like it's just not something that gets prioritized and then I'm scrambling to find the things that need to be paid.  I touched on this problem in this post back in August.

More Freebies for the blog - I've been really into making free things to share on the blog and I want to keep it up.  So far I've been trying to make some free journalling cards to share showing how versatile the PicMonkey site can be (here are the ones for September).  Also, it's pretty great not having to bust open Photoshop to design things.  yes....I use photoshop to design things!  Always have :)

Another SCA Event - We got busy doing a bunch of other stuff recently and hadn't been to an event in while up until this last weekend.  I mean at the beginning of the summer we were gone like 4 weekends in a row!  I'm thinking the ones in the fall are going to be really fun and really want to go to at least one this September.

What are your goals for September?

xoxo, Moe

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Four Simple Goals for August

Well hello there blogland...how have you been?  I'd say that even though I've posted a little bit here & there during my blog break I've been doing a little bit of reflecting & falling in love with blogging again.  I want this blogging space to be mine - I want to blog for me, to blog what I want, and to feel happy blogging.  Through this little break it was hard for me not to blog - but I didn't know what to say, what to post, or how to be creative.  And there was no forcing it either.  So I took a step back & just waited for it to pass.  It seems I always get this way during the Summer where I just feel lost.  I think it might be because I'm too busy enjoying the warm weather & loving that it's Summer....who knows.  But I'm back at it with a whole slew of things to blog about so let's start back to the Four Simple Goals project I started & kept up with til May.  Missed June & July - so I'd say that's pretty good considering I start & stop projects all the dang time.  Here are August's Four Simple Goals:

Clean out the drawers - In our room my chest of drawers is back with random things & clothes.  the bottom drawer became a catch all for stuff & it really should be reserved for clothes.  So I'm going to clean that mess out this month.

Clean out the shed - The shed next to the drive way is great for housing spare boxes but it's pretty much a wreck right now & needs to be taken care of.  We've got some empty cardboard boxes & some storage bins....it's time to get organized.

Button Swaps & Ads - I want to get back into button swaps but I'm not sure I want to get into sponsorships.  I don't want to accept sponsors because it's really too much work for me but I would like to share the love & put my name out there again.

Take a Day Off - This is simple - I want a day off to recharge.  I'm thinking of taking a day off just because.  Because I want a day for me and I want to do me things.  And I want to know that everyone else is working!!

So those are the goals I have set out for August.  Here's to keeping up with projects you start right?  Happy August!

xoxo, Moe

Four Simple Goals for May 2014

Time for Four Simple Goals for May!  I am so happy the weather is getting warmer so that means some goals should include warm weather things right?  Hooray!  This month is going to focus on Spring cleaning too...last month we did the garage..boy you must think my house is a wreck with all the cleaning we have to do!  But seriously, I'm sure you know this, but it never ends.  There's always something somewhere to get cleaned.  I told Zach last month when we were doing the garage that I'd rather organize the whole house than pick up a single leaf.  Yard work makes me feel like I'm getting no where every time I do it.  But it's a part of life I guess!  Here are May's goals:

Maintain the gardening - plants, mowing, weed wacking, etc

I want to spend a little time planting each day - mainly a plantfest on the weekend - but just keep the front yard getting prettier as the summer comes nearer. This is laying the ground work to enjoy our yard during the summer.  I'm also going to include setting up the patio with nice twinkle lights & just making that a pleasant place to relax while grilling.

Clean something each night
I've realized that I've been slacking on my cleaning because I just don't feel like it.  But then, when it comes time to enjoy being home...my house is a wreck.  I've gotten off track of the put shit away train I was on and I need to get back to it.  So this should be a huge goal this month!  I want to clean at least one thing each night...maybe I'll make a little check list, because Lord knows a 26 year old needs a chore list.

Take a little getaway - get organized & go camping

Zach & I just need a little weekend vacation.  It would be so fun to just pick up & go one weekend.  We got a tent last year but never used it.  It's time to start planing a camping trip!  We've got a lot of fun camping gear Zach got at a yard sale one weekend so we might be roughing it real good.  I just really want to do an over night at a camp ground, maybe go to a museum or see some caverns, etc.  Nothing too primitive!

Crochet two more bags
Another little goal for myself is to crochet more.  I want to make a few crocheted bags for summer & have been pinning a lot on Pinterest.  My over all goal is to make 7 before the end of Summer which would be labor day.  Who knows if I'll really use them but it's a chance to try out different textures, patterns, and stitches.

So hopefully we'll get some stuff done this month.  What are your goals for May?  Is the weather getting warmer where you are???

xoxo, Moe

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Revisiting April 2014 Goals

The end of another month has come...where is 2014 going?  I feel like this is the first time ever where I'm really wondering where time goes.  I'm really keeping track of time with these Four Simple Goals posts - is that a good or a bad thing?  This month I didn't really accomplish too much, honestly, when it comes to these goals.  But lets check out how I did on April's Four Simple Goals:

Plan for our garden in the Spring

I really don't know if a veggie garden is in the stars for us...I feel like it might be too much work that we don't want to do (read I don't want to do).  But I don know that I am going to do a tiered pot system on the deck off the kitchen for herbs & as a pretty display in our front garden.  Planting in the ground just didn't work for me last year.  The only in ground planting I want to do is something that spills over the front of the flower bed in the front & putting another hosta in the empty space in the flower bed.  So yeah...I guess I did plan.  I finally made up my mind.

Organize Closets/Cabinets

I guess the biggest closet in the house is the garage!  We finally cleaned out all the vintage stock we had since we're not doing that any more.  We're going to list it in a big lot on Craigslist & be done.  Sometimes you have to just move on - I know it might seem fleeting but you only live once & I think you should try as many things as you can, you know?  Anyway - now we have room for the camping stuff and perhaps I'll finally get around to setting up the kiln.

Collaborate on the blog with others

This is actually something I decided I don't want to do.  While I'd love to .... I also don't want to put unneeded pressure on myself.  My blog is my blog.  That sounds a bit harsh but I've found the more pressure I put on myself to do something to please others - like having to do my part a blog collaboration, etc - makes me not want to do it.  I never want to feel pressured to post and sometimes when I try to do something following a long with others - even if it's just a link party - I start feeling like I'm not doing what I want to do.  Not that blog collaborations are full of pressure but sometimes I just feel pressured.  I don't know how to explain it....but for now I want to keep this a place for me to share me.  Maybe I'm insane but I hope you get what I'm trying to say!

Work with Zach on a regular post on the blog

This is something we've talked about a little but haven't settled on.  I'd like to do more cooking together - in fact we made shish kabobs the other day & I didn't take a single picture!  But then again I want to live my life too....I dunno I feel like I'm very torn with blogging right now! gah!!!!

So I guess I completed a few things this month.  These goal posts really keep me accountable & I can't believe I've kept up with the posts so far.  Super surprising since I tend to let things like that slip!

What did you accomplish this month?  Anything worth bragging about?  Let me know!

xoxo, Moe 

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Four Simple Goals for April 2014

I don't what it is with me publishing unfinished posts recently!  This was up all day with no intro text & just these four goals!  Anyway.....April means Spring & a lot of these are spring cleaning related.   Here's what I'm hoping to get accomplished this month:

Plan for our garden in the Spring

We need to transplant & prepare for a little vegetable garden that we want to maintain this year.  You may also remember our fail at an herb garden.  Well, I'm totally all over it because I'm going to put planter boxes off the side of the patio for an herb garden.  I also need to plan what I'm going to do for the front yard this year.  I spent a lot of time planting stuff last year, then I hated it.  So I need to take like a Lowe's gardening class!!

Organize closets/cabinets

This might be a goal broken up into a few days/weekends!  I really (like, really really) need to get our bedroom closet under control but there are things stowed in places that just need to be taken care of!

Collaborate on the blog with others

Whether it's guest posts or group posts I want to actually get back into interacting with others in the blogging world.  I also want to be better at commenting & responding to comments I get on the blog here!  I'm horrible with that :( but hopefully this will make a habit.  I just want to interact more with others - I'm better on Twitter & Instagram.

Work with Zach on a regular post for the blog

It's always been fun when we've worked together on something for the blog.  Every year I do a big semi-how-to post on our Valentine's Day pasta making but I want to try to come up with a regular post we can do together.  Even if he's just being handy it would be nice to have him regularly here on the blog!

Hooray for April!

What will you do this month?

xoxo, Moe

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Revisiting March's Four Simple Goals

What is up Spring!? I'm sooooo glad it's officially Spring - well that the calendar says it is Spring, it's still pretty chilly out & I think it's snowed a little two times this past week.  Today I am revisiting my March Four Simple Goals and I did much better this month.  Last month I fell very short when it came to this little project.  Here's an update on my goals:

Pick out artwork for the living room & for by my desk

We've made a start on this!  We don't have it all figured out just yet but we have an idea.  We're working on a gallery wall for the wall section by the book shelf between the shelf & the window and we want a giant propaganda type poster on the wall on the other side of the window.  The gallery wall is going to be sort of a cabinet of curiosities type of theme.  Zach's already picked up a little display of plant fossils & we already know the kinds of diagrams we want, so it's a work in progress!  I don't want to put this off forever though - I want to get somethings hung!

Organize the kitchen cabinets

Yes! So much yes!  I got started on this but I tackled the biggest things I wanted to - under the kitchen sink, the junk drawer, my drawer with my checks, stamps, and important paperwork, and one of our drawers that holds the straws, etc, and Zach's drawer with his checks, house stuff, & important papers.  I still have a few cabinets to do & papers to organize but I made a big impact on the drawers/cabinets we open regularly.  I can't believe how clean under our kitchen sink is.  I'm loving this finding a place for everything mentality.  I sort of slacked last week & paid for it with cleaning last weekend.

Film YouTube videos regularly

I'm trying to keep an upload schedule of Sundays & Thursdays and so far so good.  You can watch the video from the image above here (and don't forget to subscribe!).  I'm not putting too much pressure on myself though.  I'm filming what I want & making sure I'm liking what I'm editing.  I think next up is going to be a hair care video, a video on cleaning my make up brushes, I want to do an kitchen organization tour, too.  I'm having fun just doing what I want.

Use our free movie tickets

We've used one set so far but we've still got one more weekend in March so we might use our second set - the expire on 3/31!  We also had coupons for free popcorn & drinks - too bad Zach doesn't drink fizzy stuff, we'll have left over coupons!   Hopefully we'll use the next set and I can pass off the coupons to a family behind us.

So there you have it!  A lot of things were accomplished this month!  So excited to get into the goals for next month.  At the start of this I tried to list out the goals I wanted to do this whole year but now that I'm looking at what I've accomplished, what I need to do, and what has changed I'm going to have to reevaluate what can be done each month.  But I'm loving getting a lot of things done!  You can read all the Four Simple Goals posts here.

What have you done this month?  Let me know you accomplishments!

xoxo, Moe

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Four Simple Goals for March 2014

Hello March goals!  Earlier this week I shared how I didn't get too much done when it came to my goals but I did get other things done.  The aim of this project for me is to being constantly moving forward & not just sitting around being complacent.  So, if things change I'm fine with that - I just want to challenge myself.

Pick out artwork for the living room & by my desk

Off & on Zach and I will talk about artwork for the living room...but it doesn't go any further than that.  I'd like to start hanging somethings on the wall.  We've decided on a theme for each main wall but we haven't actually picked anything out.  I think it's finally time.  I'm also going to start hanging things on my little wall space by my desk.  This is the place where I can be as creative as I want.  I'm hanging things here for me.  I have a few ideas for a changeable gallery wall but who knows.

Organize the Kitchen Cabinets
If you missed it, I posted an affordable organization haul on my YouTube channel that you should check out.  I already used some of those things to over haul a much used kitchen cabinet by the stove but now it's time to tackle under the sink & hopefully some of the other cabinets - who know's whats in there, honestly.

Film YouTube videos regularly

I'm trying to keep to a schedule of a video every Thursday but getting one in there on Sundays is going to be a goal too.  I love filming & I think I've found the best export settings for my videos.  They are coming out in much higher quality so I'm not discouraged.  The camera I use is an old FlipVideo cam with an hour of storage & short battery life!  But it's working.  I try to film when Zach is gone but it's the ideas that get me.  I need more!

Use our Free Movie Tickets
Movies are expensive!  And we like to see movies but we haven't seen one in ages.  We've got some free movie & drink/popcorn tickets.  So we need to get those used!  I'm not sure of what's coming out this month so who knows what we'll see.

So, those are my goals for this month - hopefully I'll get through them!

What are you planning to do for March?  Anything exciting you're working towards?

xoxo, Moe

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Revisiting February 2014 Goals

I have to say I fell extremely short on the majority of my Four Simple Goals in February.  Pretty much the only one that got any attention was the last one Play More Games Together.  We did a lot of game playing recently.  We'd play together & we played with others, so I'd say that goal was accomplished & I'd like to keep it up.  Spending family time together is something I need to focus on this year.

Some other things that I did this month not on my goals list but that I'm still proud of:

Organized a planner - I went away from blog planning probably about a year ago.  When I started my new job a lot of things changed & the blog was one of them.  I am glad to say I'm sort of back on track here & now have a blog and a life planner.  Getting organized is an over arching goal this year to focus on.  I found I'd started to forget everyday simple things so I thought a planner might be a good option.

DIY Purse Organizer - If you're looking to organize your purse, let me point you towards my DIY here.  I used two placemats to make an organizer for my purse & I've found I can fit much more in there & I don't have a crazy amount of stuff stuffed everywhere.  I've found I use a lot of stuff more regularly & am not fumbling around for my phone or chap stick.

Began an Organized House Journey - If you missed it, I posted an affordable organization haul on my YouTube channel here & I am excited to say that even though I didn't get to the closet organization on my list I did organized a few other things.  I got to a kitchen cabinet, our coffee table, my nail polish collection, & under the bathroom sinks under control.

I don't remember if I mentioned this in my first Four Simple Goals post but for this project I simply want to be moving forward.  I set goals so I have something to do - if I don't meet them I still want to do something. Sometimes I feel like life has a way of telling you what is important & I tend to go with that.  If cleaning out the closet doesn't feel right then organizing my purse, planner, kitchen, & bathroom sinks must have been the right thing to organize.  Having ideas for one thing then translating them into another thing isn't necessarily failing at the original goal - at least not for me.  Right now in my life I don't want to pressure myself into doing things, like adding to the Zazzle shop.  If it's not right, it's just not right.

Anyway, hope you're moving forward this year & I can't believe we're in the third month of the year already!

What did you accomplish this past month?  How do your goals & ideas change over time?  Are you as indecisive as me?

xoxo, Moe

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Four Simple Goals for February 2014

Last month I started a post on Four Simple Goals for each month of the year focusing on our home, my creative businesses, & our relationship and this month (of course) I want to continue the trend!  So far so good, right? Two months out of twelve?  Here's hoping!

Order fume hood, glaze, clay, etc for the studio

Last month we were going to work on cleaning out the garage in order to refocus & make it a space where we each can be creative.  It was definitely too cold to do anything in the garage this January - but while we're piling it high with crap might as well get the crap in there that needs to be in there right?

Clean out the bedroom Closet
I need to get rid of clothes, organize my shoes, & see what is hanging out in there.  I do know there are some things that are stored in the back that will stay there but it's time to organize.

Add new stationery designs to the stationery shop focusing on upcoming events/trends

Now is the time to focus on spring/summer wedding invites & other stationery.  I'm want to add more graduation announcements & just more stuff in general.  After reorganizing the shop I've found a renewed love of creating things.

Play more games together - set aside time once a week.

Zach & I rarely play games together.  We've bought a few Wii games & have Minecraft for the Xbox but we rarely play.  Theres a funny thing we do where we do our own thing eventually at the end of the night - I want to make more of a priority to play together.  We tend to separate & do our own thing - which is fine - but I think we get to comfortable taking for granted we'll each be there, you know?  I just want to not put off spending time together.

xoxo, Moe

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