Welcome to my weekly post I share a peek into our lives, talk about things I’m loving, share links to interesting articles or helpful ideas I’ve collected throughout the past week, and just talk about whatever is on my heart! ?
It was a great week! Full of lots of time with friends and tackling some big work projects and other house projects!
I enjoyed getting to watch my friend’s four kids one morning this week while she had an appointment. The weather was gorgeous that day and we loved getting to play outside.
I bought this shirt from Amazon and absolutely love it! (And it comes in multiple color and has free shipping — and it’s just $12.99!)
We were supposed to go camping with our Community Group this weekend, but the weather said 100% chance of rain and strong storms all day on Saturday, so we came up with a last-minute plan B that included a cookout at our house.
The ladies also went and got pedicures on Saturday.
And then we had a Guys vs. Ladies Escape Game Competition. The ladies got out before the guys, but they had a harder room to escape from and they set a new record for the fastest time escaping from the room.
And then we all went out for pizza!
5 years ago, we realized that us both working full-time in completely separate jobs (me as a blogger, him at his law practice) wasn’t working well. We weren’t spending enough time as a family, we were often going in two separate directions, we didn’t have much breathing room or downtime as a whole family, and there was a lot of stress.
So, we started dreaming of what life could look like or what we felt like would be a better and healthier setup for our family. And then we began planning and praying toward that end.
It meant big changes (moving to TN, Jesse closing down his law firm, restructuring our online business, me becoming the bread winner, quitting homeschooling, and completely revamping how we do life).
It didn’t make sense to a lot of people. It was unconventional. It required leaps of faith and willingness to take risks. It also didn’t happen overnight.
But it has been 100% worth it. I sat across the table from a friend last night and she looked at me and said, “It seems like you’ve found a really healthy pace of life!”
And I have. It’s not perfect, mind you. There are still bumps in the road and days when I wish for 8-5 jobs. But our whole family is happier and healthier and more grounded today than we’ve ever been.
I share this to encourage you: if your current situation isn’t serving you and your family well, remember that you’re not stuck. Get creative. Get brave. Start dreaming and thinking outside the box. And begin taking small steps in the direction that would be healthier for you and your family.
It won’t be easy and it might not pan out exactly like you’d hoped or pictured, but it will be worth it to pursue a life that is more in line with your family’s goals and mission and heartbeat.
I am so excited about the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle and I want as many people as possible to get to benefit from this amazing deal.
In case you missed my other posts on it, it’s an amazing collection of 129 different resources to help you as a homemaker. There are ebooks and printables and ecourses and more — on topics like self-care, decluttering, time management, menu-planning, saving money on groceries, homeschooling, parenting, working from home, healthy living, faith, and much more!
It’s $3600 worth of downloadable products for just $29.97! How’s that for a deal??
Wait! That’s not all!
Do you remember when I offered the 4 Weeks to a More Productive Life coaching group I offered back in January? Well, we edited the videos and content and put it all into a course format and we’ll be offering it for sale on our site in a few months.
But you don’t have to wait a few months to get it! When you purchase the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle, it’s included as one of the downloads!
Hurry! This Offer Ends on Monday!
But remember, the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is only available until Monday at midnight. Ready to order? Just click below. Want to read more about everything in the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle? Go here.
2018 Goals Update
Personal Goals
1. Read 100 non-self-help books that will build me up/encourage me/inspire me/recharge me. (Fiction/story-driven/biographies/inspirational living books/devotionals.) See the list of 44 books I plan to read this year.
**Progress: 18 books read so far this year
2. Read through the entire Bible.
**Progress: I’m using the Robert Murray M’Cheyne plan and am all caught up— yay!
3. Write one handwritten note to someone every week.
**Progress: 16 notes written so far this year
4. Run 500 miles.
**Progress: 128 miles run so far
Marriage Goal
5. Go on an overnight trip with Jesse without the kids.Jesse and I went to NYC together in January.Family Goals
6. Read 10 books aloud with the kids.
**Progress: I’ve finished one book so far.
7. Take the kids to South Africa.
**Progress: We nailed down dates for our trip!
8. Go on a family road trip.
Financial Goals
9. Save up to pay cash to finish off an office for me and workout room for Jesse and me in the basement in our new house.
10. Replenish our Emergency Fund (we dipped into it to replace my car when it got totaled because of the carpet beetle infestation.)
Business Goals
11. Increase our gross income from the business by 8%.
12. Launch 5 new courses.**Progress: We launched 4 Weeks to a More Productive Life launched in January, Content Creation 101 in February, 4-Week Blog Coaching Program in March, Email List Setup 101 in March, and Make Over Your Mornings LIVE in April.
PRATHEEBA says
This –> “if your current situation isn’t serving you and your family well, remember that you’re not stuck. Get creative. Get brave. Start dreaming and thinking outside the box. And begin taking small steps in the direction that would be healthier for you and your family.”
Thank you for the encouragement. I saved these words in my desktop to go back and reread agai.
Crystal Paine says
You’re so welcome! I’m so grateful that it encouraged you!
Savannah says
Hi Crystal, I appreciate your weekly recaps as well as sharing the highs and lows of daily life. We are at a point where family and friends do no understand the choices we are making, specifically choosing to continue to rent when we are able to buy a home. I feel like I’m going blue in the face explaining our reasons. This week I just gave in and have decided to stop giving reasons after reasons and just simply state that it’s our choice for our family in this season of life.
Crystal Paine says
Honestly, we stopped trying to explain our choices a long time ago because most people just don’t get it at all. So we usually don’t even bring it up or talk about it much at all — because the choices we’ve made aren’t ones that most people in our life would want to make or that would work for them, and we totally respect that!
Theresa says
Hi Crystal! Great summary of your week. Seems like you had a full but fun week. There is a typo in your description of the escape room. You say “the ladies beat the girls” but I think you meant to say “the ladies beat the guys”. Have a great week!
Crystal Paine says
Oh! Thanks for catching that!
Rebecca says
Do you think you will offer Making Over Your Mornings LIVE, again? I didn’t see that it was offered until it was over :(. I would love the chance to take it in the future! Thanks!
Crystal Paine says
We might — but it will likely not be for another year. I’m so sorry you missed it. 🙁
Lindsey S. says
I’ve been following your writing for 11 years, and it’s so wonderful to see what a full, rich, and amazing life you guys have, as you continue to grow, try new things, and are shaped and molded by God. What a fun weekend filled with people. We recently found ourselves in an impromptu small group, and your experiences with yours make me want to give it my all in intentionally building deep relationships with these new friends. Thanks for sharing your journey!
Crystal Paine says
Thanks so much for your encouragement, Lindsey! I always love your updates on Facebook — they inspire me!