Good morning! February is less than a week away. I haven’t been blogging as much as I had hoped so I think this is a fun way to catch up on what has gone on!  So here’s my January recap!

Here’s what I’m into the January 2017 edition:

Celebrating:

We have some exciting news! We are expecting a baby! After several weeks of feeling like a walking zombie, I am finally starting to feel like myself again.  I’m sure you’ll be seeing more posts about baby in the near future.

Reading:

I bought Sally Clarkson’s The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of of Belonging and Becoming last year and am finally getting to it. I’m about halfway through and if you are trying to be a more intentional mom/wife I’ve found lots of great tips on being more intentional with traditions and how to make my home not only more inviting but a place of refuge for our family!

I also checked out a bunch of books this week from Sonlight’s reading list for the kids to enjoy (look under the products link and click on the year of school your child is in).  I have done this before and we’ve always enjoyed the books that have come from those lists.  If you haven’t checked out their reading lists before, I highly recommend them (especially the read-a-louds).

Trying:

I received a Silhouette Cameo 3 for Christmas and I’m a little embarrassed to admit that this thing has a learning curve!  I’ve watched some Youtube videos trying to get a handle on how to use it.  I’m looking forward to being able to make my own planner stickers, crafts, and vinyl projects.

Going:

We have spent hours and hours at Junior High basketball games.  (I’m so thankful for our stadium chairs!) It’s been a lot of fun as most of these girls have played together for about 5 years.

Pinning:

Last year I became intrigued with capsule wardrobes.  Although I have yet to create one, now that I’ll be in maternity clothes soon, I definitely think it’s a smart idea to try.  (And with the chance of needing different clothes after baby, I think it’d be a smart investment!  I don’t know about you but after each baby, my clothes never fit the same, even if I am in the same size!)  You can find out all about them on my Pinterest board!

Loving

Last week the kids had a snow day (which was really just an ice day) but it was awesome.  I love having them home, doing crafty projects and spending time together.  We don’t have many days where we just stay home and spend time together so I cherish those moments so much!

Not Loving:

In the last week 4 out of 5 kids have been home with a stomach virus.  They’ve been pretty miserable with stomach cramps.  Hopefully we are about finished with all that (I had it, too) and we all get back to normal.  I feel a house deep cleaning session coming on very soon!

Thinking:

I am a planner so I’ve been thinking ahead to my 2nd trimester.  I am almost there (thank goodness)!  I have always struggled during the first trimester with fatigue and then the 2nd trimester I feel fantastic.  I’ve been working on a list of freezer meals to make during my 3rd trimester and projects I want to tackle while I’m feeling well (and before the kids get out of school).  Some of the projects on my list are putting the nursery together, cleaning out the storage room, having a garage sale, etc.

Starting:

My 2017 word of the year is create so I am taking it to heart!  My mom and I have worked on sewing a blanket for Arianna that is made out of minky and flannel.  It’s soooo soft!  I also found these adorable burp cloths and wash cloths on Pinterest that I want to put together for the baby.  I haven’t done any sewing for years so it’s felt good to bring back an old hobby.

Finishing:

I’m a great starter but not such a great finisher. (Can you relate?)  I’ve struggled with this for years.  Here are a few things I’ve finished or will finish this month: cleaning my office and laundry room, decluttering the kids’ art supplies, and reading The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of of Belonging and Becoming.

How about you? What’s on your list for January?

Happy Wednesday! Thanks for joining in the party!

Welcome to Women With Intention Wednesdays!

Here is what you will find at Women With Intention Wednesdays:

• This is a link up party where you come to encourage one another, have fun, and share your best posts to help women live their best life!
• In other words, any post that you have written about Christian living, homemaking, relationships, healthy living, living a frugal life or that helps another woman can be included in this link up! Please just them family friendly (I reserve the right to remove anything that I feel isn’t appropriate).
• This link up is beneficial for every woman! Whether you are a blogger or a reader, this is one you won’t want to miss! I’m very excited to offer this link up as a place to not only build new relationships between bloggers but also by providing an awesome resource of information for my readers!

Here are the *NEW* 2017 rules of this link up:

1. You must link directly to your post (no homepages, please).
2. Please link up no more than 2 posts each week and please do not link up the same post week after week.

3. For every link you add, please visit the link before you and one other of your choice. If your links are consecutive visit the blogger before you and your choice for the 2nd link. It’s impossible to build relationships when no one communicates! Please don’t link and run!

4. By linking up you give me permission to share your posts and photos on this blog and social media. I will from time to time feature you here on the blog or on my social media channels. All features will be linked back to the original source.
5. You also give me permission to email you a quick reminder that the party is live. You may opt out anytime. I don’t spam my readers with emails.
6. Answer the community building question below so we all get to know each other! That’s the purpose of being here! 🙂

7. By being a regular link up participant you are invited to pin to my Pinterest board Women With Intention Wednesdays.  I have ~2,900 followers and this will be great exposure for you.  You will need to follow me on Pinterest, email me at womenwithintention@gmail.com with your Pinterest information (name and email address).  After I have verified you as a regular contributor here in this community I will add you and you may add your content that is appropriate to my readers and followers.  I reserve the right to remove you if I find your content unacceptable without any notice to you.

8. I’d love for you to share this link-up with other bloggers.  This isn’t mandatory but if you like it here, please share with your friends!

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Community Building Question: What is one thing about your home that brings comfort to you and or others?

We have huge windows in our living room that I intentionally have never covered with curtains or shades.  We can see for miles on a clear day from those windows, the sun shines in, and during the summer our cows and calves are right outside in the pasture.  I’m not sure the windows bring comfort to others but they definitely do for me!