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February Goals and Intentions

February 1, 2017 No Comments

If you’ve been around for awhile following me since The Petite Mrs blog or prior you’d know I love doing goals and intentions posts. It really one of my favorite posts to write because they motivate me through the month. I don’t ever do perfectly on them and I check in often but I definetly get more accomplished when I know what expectations I put on myself. So for February these are some points I want to aim for, most are simple daily routine things I want to get on top of. The intentions at the bottom are my biggest priority.

Goals

Read nightly/complete a book/review it
Less time on phone, Sunday media free
Talk to friends more
Make more business connections
Drink more water
Write more in Instant Happy Journal
Keep house neat
Use planner weekly/daily
Stop biting my nails
Get 2 VA clients (one mini successful-12/31/16)
Get active/go to gym 2-3x weekly
Keep blog successful 4x a week
Organize online life/pictures/data/documents
Use Fitbit regularly
Use my resources available to me (how to’s/planners/checklists etc) to set a plan for routine

Intentions

A) Book review- Feisty and Fearless and You are a Badass

-Read every night until You are a badass is complete, put status updates on Goodreads

-review on Goodreads rate for other readers book 2 for yearly challenge

B) Get 2 VA clients and get testimonials from those clients to build brand

-Promote the VA business in groups, on social media and through word of mouth and referrals

-Create design for infographics for VA business

-Try to gain one new small skill for services

C) Keep my blog successfully written 4x a week

-Draft a week in advance ( I kept up but not ahead in Jan. )

-Stay on top of Hootsuite and social media for my blog/VA

-Vary topics weekly-pets, life, linkups and more!

I hope I can check most of these off the list and feel more accomplished overall in the new month of February. I’m hoping to get you to share your monthly goals as well. Leave any exciting ones below!

GTKY with Belle Brita January

January 31, 2017 No Comments

Getting to Know You is a monthly interview series that Brita created after the dissolution of Guys Behind the Blog. While Brita and her husband both answer the questions each month, feel free to use these questions to interview anyone in your life! Or just share your own responses. Link-up goes live on the last Tuesday of each month (or any day you choose to link up*).

Optional Rules:

Follow me, Brita! Twitter – Pinterest – Instagram – Bloglovin
In your linked-up post, link back to this page, please!
Make sure you link the relevant post, not your whole blog page.
Check out a few blogs while you’re here, and leave at least one comment.

Here’s the questions she provided for this month.I’ll be writing as much as I can in great detail for myself and to be clear in explaining to you what I did or did not do and everything I’m hoping to accomplish in the future.

What goals did you accomplish in 2016?

I was decently consistent and if anything I realized how important that is for a blogger. After checking my numbers off and on, you can clearly see and notice follows and engagement alone based on consistency of posts. People get bored and confused waiting and checking to see if you have a post out or not. If you aren’t on a schedule of some kind- they will never know what to expect and when. I was clear this year starting off saying 3-4 times a week (maybe more?) is the precedent set here this year. These are easy tasks for me to accomplish, 3 great solid posts plus a linkup at the end of the week. Our linkup goes live on every Sunday (Bloggy Brunch) and if you’re curious, please come link your favorite past or present post with us.

Do you set New Year’s resolutions? Why or why not?

I didn’t set any resolutions. I think the second you call something a resolution then it probably wont happen or be brought to fruition. I can call them goals or intentions (see this post) and be successful by them and true to myself. I have a lot of things I want to follow through with and make happen this year. I have a lot to achieve so hold on tight for the new ride that will be 2017.

How do you work for what you want?

I try to work hard and steady. I tend to give up and quit too easily but I’m aware of that now and don’t want to do that anymore. Otherwise my dreams won’t come true if i keep kidding myself. I want to make a schedule and meet my goals. And not let myself fall by the wayside in the meantime. By creating small goals and attaining each step as it comes. It’s the best thing to do!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I see myself having lots of growth and thriving in most areas of my life. I want to have our home life, routine and budget in a better place. We have a lot to do in 5 years time- which can pass very quickly. We need to get a professional budget planner and we are wanting to do that sooner than later. I hope we can be close to getting a home of our own or owning a rental property. My marriage is a goal of mine, to be stronger and more in tune. We are at a good place for being seven years later but being more connected is always good. I just want to be happy, healthy and blessed. Which I know I will be.

This was a very deep helpful questionnaire by Belle Brita blog and I felt great about answering these questions.

5 ways to take care of yourself during your period

January 30, 2017 1 Comment

Take Baths

I love taking hot baths when I feel completely bloated and have bad cramps. It immediately relaxes all my sore, achy muscles and loosens my back. Plus if you add some Epsom salts it makes the bath even more enjoyable for the same reasons. And it smells SO good too. Put on some music in the background or read a bit and just chill out.

Avoid soda, drink water or tea instead

Okay this is a hard one for me but I try really hard to cut back when I know i’m hurting. For one the sugar just sits in your gut and makes you feel more yucky and can create more bloating and make you gassy. I really like trying new teas or making new combinations with chilled water, fruit and herbs. Even just using new flavors of water enhancers-if I have them on hand. Also just by changing my hot tea to ice tea can be enough to switch things up. I’m normally a bad water drinker. And for two, soda can make your cramps WORSE. I’m not sure entirely how but gas again could be the culprit of this one, I know I read it somewhere!

HEAT HEAT HEAT

I cannot usually relax unless I have my heat pack on my lower abdominal area or to the side where I have the most pain. My number thing that ruins my day is CRAMPS. So I have to find ways to calm my body or avoid them altogether. And heat is my magic little lesson. I can still be pretty productive or so this point wouldn’t be made. (Currently in this exact situation) I’m happy when I can just watch a show, sit on my phone, cuddle my dogs and lay with the heat for awhile. Usually that makes it easier to move around and get on with my tasks. Sometimes if I feel up to it I do the house chores with a heating pack around my waist and music on. That way I knock out all three: less stress/entertainment, exercise and heat. A perfect storm!

EXERCISE

I’ve learned that it’s probably best to move especially when you don’t want to. Getting to the gym for a walk or jog, doing some at home yoga or Pilates just might be the icing on your cake and alleviate most of that pain and pressure you feel from Mrs. Time of the Month. I haven’t taken my own advice much but sometimes walking through the store is enough to make mine fade away and take my mind off the tenderness and aches that are my body in the moment.

Pain Relievers: Advil or Aleve

I take mine just as soon as I feel pain. Usually you can expect your worst days if you know your cycle. Or if you can track it. I however am currently on Mirena birth control and like many others I don’t actually have a period. However the cramps and bloating wanted to stick around regardless. Thanks. So that’s why the heat to me is so important. I can take an Aleve or two and a heat pack, watch a 30 minute show and then feel all better. I prefer Aleve- I can take it on an empty stomach and not feel sick. However still drink lots of water with it! And I think personally it works really fast.

I hope these tips helped you somehow. If not right now then sometime in the near future maybe. It’s pretty obvious to some but maybe you are just a helpless type when Mother Nature rears her ugly head. And for that I don’t blame you, I get cranky too. This way you can at least stay on top of your life and get through it in one piece.

Bloggy Brunch Week 5

January 29, 2017 No Comments

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about how this year is gonna go and I’m choosing to be positive which isn’t something I do very easily normally. So for me, it’s a big step and I’m quite proud of myself. We’ve been hearing lots about Trump and his plans. Without starting a big political fiasco, it’s a lot to take in and deal with. Whether you like him or not, things are going to change, and like I said before that’s hard for me. I’m quite pleased with how calm I’ve been this first month of 2017 when things have just been very tense and high-strung. I have this space here to vent, write and do what I enjoy most, it’s relaxing to me. Let’s get on with my featured post(s) for last week.

DIY BUDGET ENVELOPE SYSTEM:
I really liked this post because I need a new budgeting system and I have heard a lot about the envelope way. We aren’t very good with our money and budget so I should try this. I have been pinning lots of budget related pins lately so I’m gonna work on this saving versus spending in the coming months.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE OVERWHELM BEFORE BURNING OUT:

I really related to overwhelming and burnout so I really liked this post. The way she describes falling behind and feeling overwhelmed is exactly how I do when I have copious amounts of work to do. This is a great post about how to fight through making your hobby/passion last. One of my goals this year was to work on the process of everything, slowing down and taking time for each step of getting something done and accomplished.

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Hi! I'm Nora

I’m a stay-at-home wife & dog-mom. I began this blog ten years ago, I couldn’t ignore that I felt a calling to help people find comfort, a sense of belonging or a place of community whenever they really needed it. » Read more about me here on my About page!