August Goals

It's a new month and I can hardly believe it! I say it every gosh darn month, but goodness me- July absolutely FLEW by! I've always felt that after the Fourth, Summer seems like it goes so fast. We've had quite the month- we've lived at the pool on the weekends, we've had lazy, movie watching days, and we've celebrated birthdays.

February Goals

Hey friends! It's another Monday and of course, I'm behind on sharing my monthly goals with y'all! But- HELLOOOO February! So good to see you! January went by like a whirlwind.

We had a great weekend, no set plans so we did the usual- a trip to Target, HyVee, and did a few things around the house.

Friday night we headed up to Ames to the ISU gymnastics night. They had Daddy/Daughter princess night but we all decided to go. The girls loved it and got to walk in the "Princess Parade" before the meet. I love taking the girls to Ames and sharing my love for the Cyclones with them.

Saidey kept asking "Why that bird dancing, he supposed to be angry!" She thought he looked like an angry bird from the movie!

Sophia loves Cy-cones! =)

So does Saidey!

And then on Saturday we watched the Cyclones Men's bball team take down Kansas! WOO HOO!!

Let's take a look back at my January goals and how I did:

1. Get office furniture: SEMI check! I got a couch and some cute accent chairs. I still am on a hunt for a desk, desk chair, a shelf, and of course, some decor.

I got two of these chairs and am going to create a cozy, sitting spot in my office

After sending these to the wrong address, (just to the neighbors across the street) I got my business cards in the mail! Feeling official now! =)

2. Credentialing- I have my applications sent in for the companies I want to start with. One of them has progressed to the second step so that's good news.

3. Trips- No progress. We haven't even touched this subject yet... hopefully more to come on that in February!

4. Organize: This month, I decided to tackle the girls' bathroom vanity. It was a mess of lotions, bows and headbands. I picked up a few storage containers from the Container Store and got to work. I'm super happy with how it turned out and it's functionality.

An organizers dream come true! =)

We were in really poor shape under their vanity...

A mess of pony tail holders, headbands and bows

The angels are singing!

Everything has a place!

These storage containers can be found HERE

So, now for my FEBRUARY goals!

1. Valentine's- We decided on these for the girls school... super easy and they can help me assemble! The finger lights were SUPER cheap on Amazon as well as the self sealing envelopes. I just need to get the cards printed and we're good to go!

We have 5 teacher gifts to do and I'm thinking I'm going to do this:

I think this is super simple to put together and can be reasonable on the wallet, too. 

2. Organize- I'm going to tackle another area of our home this month- I just haven't decided which one! Our basement storage area is a HUGE goal but to be honest, I'm putting it off! Check back here next month to see which area I chose! ( I know, I know, I'm letting myself off the hook by not choosing a specific spot now #donttellonme)

3. Plan Saidey's birthday party- Saidey's birthday is towards the end of March, but I'll need to start putting some ideas together. We've decided on a magical unicorn party. You can see my Pinterest inspiration here:

4. Trip- We're thinking of an adult only trip to Chicago this Spring to celebrate Will's graduate program graduation. He is SO close to being done and will have his master's degree- so proud of him. We also want to start planning a family trip for the Summer, too. 

4. Get a trim! I've been growing my hair out for about 7-9 months now and I got it trimmed FOREVER ago and so I really need to just get an appointment scheduled to get it trimmed. 

This was a picture of me at this time, last year:

woah- hello close up! But look at that SHORT hair!! 

AND NOW! I can't believe the difference! My goal is to grow it out to right above my chest, maybe longer, we'll just have to wait and see. I've been THIS close to chopping it all off again several times throughout this process.

Alright, so there's my FEBRUARY goals! 

Happy Monday- I'll be back later in the week sharing my FIVE mama must haves! 

Thanks for visiting! 

PS. I'm linking up for the first time for Mom Life Mondays! Check out all the other amazing blogs and mamas! 

xoxo

January Goals and Some EXCITING NEWS!

Well, people- it's 2017 already! We had a WONDERFUL NYE and got home in time to have a relaxing day on Monday. We got all the Christmas decor down and stored away, did laundry, watched the Iowa game, and played with all of our new stuff!

A fresh, clean start to the new year! 

It's January and of course that means it's time for January goals! This month is a little different though because several of my goals are related to my exciting news I have to share! So, that first!

Last Fall, I started looking into what it would take to start seeing therapy clients privately and ended up speaking with an old supervisor who was also looking to expand her practice. Things moved forward unexpectedly and I am so excited to announce that officially in February, I'll be moving into an office space with 5 other ladies to provide therapy services! I will continue my work at my full time job and work nights and Saturdays, or as needed. I already have started seeing clients in a temporary location. Right now, I am only accepting private pay and then once I start getting credentialed by insurance companies, will accept those insurances. So, if you know anyone in need of therapy- send them my way! =)

Here's a link to my website, you can check out!

Here's my Psychology Today profile too, where appointments can be made through. 

 But February 1st is the BIG date and there is SO much to do! From creating an LLC, to office furniture, to taxes and accounting, to figuring out all the little details- do we want to pay someone to clean or clean ourselves, to working out details of the lease and business accounts. Billing and insurance is something that I've had the luxury of not having to do and that is all changing here in the next month. Oy vey. It's been a little overwhelming to say the least and I will be honest in saying that I am a little terrified. I wonder if I will be able to build a caseload- will people come? I also feel a little traitorous- you don't go into this field for the money so doing private practice feels like I'm moving to the dark side, in a sense. I know I have to get over that and I have to know the benefits that someone would get by seeing me. I have to know my worth. Again, it's definitely a work in progress. So, for the past few months- my world has been filling out insurance applications, building my website and working with the other ladies in finding a space that would work for all of us. I could not have done it without them! I am so excited to start this journey for 2017!

That also brings me to my monthly goals

The first being all about starting in February:  1.) Get office furniture (I will need everything- from a desk, to chairs, a couch and toys for kiddos) I will need to start scouring Craigslist and other furniture stores to hopefully get stuff on sale.

2.) Credentialing- I am working on filling out the MOUNDS of paperwork needed to be credentialed by insurance companies. I am starting with one and then going to go from there. I am also going to fill out the paperwork to accept state insurance but that's a total of FOUR applications. In their defense, the main one is the longest and the other three are much shorter. I could probably recite my NPI and license number by heart now for the amount of times I've had to write it down.

3.) Trips- Will and I need to sit down and figure out trips that we want to take this year. We've been meaning to schedule a trip to Florida to see my grandparents but with so much going on, it's been difficult to say the least. We also want to take a couples trip to celebrate Will's graduation this Spring.

4.) Organize- We've only lived in our new home for going on four months. And already, our junk drawer has accumulated to its max. On Monday, I finally tackled it and got it organized. I made a list of all the areas that I would like to organize. One space at a time. So, next space for January will be the girl's bathroom vanity. I've gotten a lot of inspiration from here and of course Pinterest!

Before 

After (I also moved the junk drawer to the bottom- when we moved in, I worked on the kitchen at midnight and so now I've had some time to figure out what works and what doesn't. 

I think that'll be it for January! I can't wait to keep you all updated on my adventure into private practice and be able to share some pictures of our office space.

Happy January and 2017!

August Goals

A new month already. I hate saying it every.single.month. But. WHERE DID JULY GO?!?!?! 

AHHH seriously guys! I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I barely blinked once and we're already into August seeing as that we traveled to Italy, celebrated a six year old little lady and put our house on the market and put in an offer on a house. All in one month. 

August is now a time for back to school madness, the IOWA STATE FAIR and lots of birthday celebrations! (SHHH... someone is turning the BIG 30 this month!)

I missed writing about my July goals.. they were pretty set with an upcoming trip and birthday party to plan.. but you can see my June goals here...

August goals

1.) Back to school shopping- we've gotten Sophia Pottery Barn backpacks since she started Pre-K and this year we're going with PB backpacks again- she loves picking out her favorite! I love the quality and the fun prints! This year, we decided to go with the large size. We will probably do school supply shopping next weekend (Iowa has a tax free weekend) and then start doing a little clothes/shoes shopping here and there, too. Hello Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! =)

2.) Sign the girls up for gymnastics- Sophia LOVES gymnastic classes and at the start of her Kindergarten year, we decided to take some time off. Mostly so that she could adjust to full day Kindergarten without a lot going on during the weeknights. Well, that break turned into more than a year of not getting back into it. Every time we drive past the building where gymnastics is at, we get a reminder from Sophia that "you guys never put me back in gymnastics!" 

3.) Sell our house! Does this goal seem a little unrealistic to you? Maybe. But we are sort of feeling the pressure as we put in an offer on another house with the contingency that we sell ours. They accepted (WOOO HOOO) but now we're really feeling anxious to get a sale. Other homes around our area have been flying off the market. Since we put it officially on the market, we've had seven showings (since last Tuesday). The other upside of selling quickly is that we can relax a little on keeping it "show ready" at all times. Although- it's a little sad to say that now I have an excuse for my OCD tendencies. =)

4.) Take one last summer adventure as a family- we want to go to Chicago AND St. Louis before the Summer is officially over. A little over ambitious? Maybe. But we're going to try to make it happen! 

5.) Compile a list of 30 things I've learned in my 30 years. Last year, for my 29th birthday, I made a list of 29 things I want to accomplish before my 30th birthday this year. Check it out here... and look for another post to see how I did! 

Alright, those are my goals for AUGUST! Bring it on! I can't wait to see what August has in store for us! 

May Goals

April?? Hello? April? Where did you go April? 

This is what I'm feeling right now. I'm not sure where April went. Last I knew we were in February and now we have a month of school left and I'm going to have a 1st grader and how can this be?! WAAAH. Ok, sorry, went off on a tangent there. 

If you've been following this blog for any time, you'll know that this year I've taken a few weeks off the blog here and there. I haven't done a monthly goals post in a LONG TIME. So, new month, new start. Here goes.

geniusquotes.com

1.) Teacher appreciation gifts and end of the year gifts

Did you know it's Teacher Appreciation week this week? Don't forget your teachers this week guys, they do amazing work that I can't even begin to understand. Sophia's teacher this year- hands down- amazing. She was an amazing teacher for Sophia's Kindergarten year- so calm, caring, and nurturing but also encouraging  and firm and we've seen Sophia's confidence both socially and academically SKYROCKET. I am confident in saying a lot of this has to do with her teacher. 

Check out my Pinterest board- Teacher Gifts for ideas 

2.) Family picture ready

I love family pictures and I actually love coordinating outfits for everyone. But this year, we're adding my sister, mom and step dad, too which brings outfit planning onto a new level. At least I have two other ladies to help me out! I can't wait for Jennifer Reding to take some pics later this month!

3.) Organizing winter clothes/clothes overhaul

I have the girls' Winter stuff mostly sorted out and their closet is mostly transitioned to Spring/Summer clothes. Now, the task is sorting those out and organizing them either to donate, sell or put in storage. I also would like to go through my closet and pull out things that haven't seen daylight in a while to give away. 

4.) No spend month

It's time for another no spend month. If you remember, I did this last year, around this time. I tried (tried being the operative word) for 30 days to not spend money on anything extra (clothes, shoes, jewelry, nail polish, Target One Spot). It simply made me more mindful of my purchases and question if it was a need vs. want. Also, I was held accountable by my husband when I tried to talk a want into a need. 

Ok, so there are my MAY goals. Thanks for joining me today! 

Have a good one! 

March Goals

Ummmmm.. February?? Where did you go?! Seriously. I feel like I was JUST writing a post about February goals! Anywho... it's time to share my monthly goals. And also share some completely unrelated pictures because melt my heart, they're just too precious not to share. =)

Let's recap last month's goals:

1) Make an OB appointment- CHECK, completed, DONE. NOW, I remember why I stalled on getting this done. No fun. But I feel better knowing it's done. Until next year! 

2.) Valentine's for school and daycare- CHECK! I felt like I was back in school but it was fun to help Sophia write out her Valentine's and sort through her bag of goodies after her party.

Teacher gifts 

 I know, it's tilted. Just go with it

3.) Organize- Semi Check

This goal will be on my list for a few months probably as it's a big task. I have the pantry, linen closet, entry closet, and basement storage area I want to tackle. I did sort through clothes for Saidey for Spring/Summer and started to make a list of things we need- so that felt good. But the other areas? No progression. 

4.) Plan for Italy- Semi Check

We've made progress, let's just say. There are still things that need to be worked out but at least we have a very GENERAL plan. And can I say, that NOW I am starting to get REALLY excited for this trip?! But also, a little nervous leaving the girls for 10 days... 

5.) Haircut- FAIL 

Hopefully, in the next two weeks, I will get in for a cut!

She asked me everyday this week, "When are we going back to Grandma's to see Bella?"

Meeting Bella, safe to say they're in LOVE 

Now, for MARCH goals

It's a super busy month. It feels like each month is just getting busier and busier. Such is life when Spring/Summer comes around. Wait- who am I kidding? This is our life.

1) Organize- I should probably aim to tackle just ONE area, otherwise it's just too overwhelming. 

2) HAIRCUT- TRISH, I'm coming at you in the next two weeks! Promise!

3)Saidey's birthday- order invites, figure out cake, food? See- so much to figure out

4) Easter plans- Saidey's birthday is RIGHT on Easter weekend- not ideal at all. But I need to start getting Easter basket stuff ready and figure out what we're doing Easter Sunday.

5) Focus on my blog- I'm failing, I used to do at least 2-3 posts a week and lately, nada. Zip. I get down on myself for not posting but know that I'm doing the best I can. But this month, I'm going to make an agenda and stick to it (hopefully).

So, BRING ON MARCH! 

Join me back here Friday for Friday Favorites- Birthday Parties, where I will recap all the parties we've done for the kiddos.

Believing in Myself

Happy Monday friends! If you follow me on Facebook, you might have seen my announcement that I am joining an amazing group of women and mamas at Des Moines Moms Blog. I will be contributing a post a month with the intention of creating a connection between other mama's and the community. I am so, so humbled, honored and grateful for this opportunity. Of course, in my post, I didn't go into detail about the conflict inside my own head... "you should apply, you shouldn't apply, what if you are really bad at it? Like really bad?" I kept returning to the site and looking at the requirements for applying and finally, impulsively, without letting myself think about it- I applied. When I clicked send, I might have actually had my eyes closed.

I didn't even tell Will I was thinking about applying and the night I applied, we were sitting on the couch, probably binging on Gilmore Girls, when I casually and randomly mentioned, "Oh hey, I applied to be a writer on this site- sounds fun, but I'm not expecting anything." He looked up from his computer, said, "Oh ok." and that was the end of the conversation. From the very beginning, I had an inner voice that was downplaying the situation. It isn't a big deal. No one else is probably as excited as you. You probably won't even get it.

  THIS ISN'T A BIG DEAL. 

Fast forward to December 30th. I was leaving work and got a notification that I had a new Facebook message. I was grappling with my purse, lunch bag, keys, phone and trying to lock the door. I looked down and saw the first few lines and my eyes zoomed in on "Des Moines Moms Blog." Once I got in the car, I read the full message and let it sink in. To be honest, since I didn't hear anything back shortly after applying, I  think I just mentally said "DELETED" and pretended it didn't even happen. Anyway, after messaging back and arranging a phone chat, I of course, accepted and was giddy with excitement. Since I downplayed it so much all the excitement I was holding in was multiplied and I finally allowed the excitement and hopefulness to set in and show.

So here's the thing. And the thing that I particularly want to highlight. I didn't let myself get excited about this opportunity because vulnerability. Because if I had told people I applied and gushed about how I was excited about it and how I hoped to get it, if it turned out I didn't get it- OUCH. So I did it in a way to protect myself. But in doing so- I wasn't authentic with myself, Will or others. I didn't let myself get vulnerable and as we know, vulnerability cultivates compassion, connection, authenticity and realness. Something that is a process for me but something I strive for daily. This was a theme that runs throughout my life and is more than just applying to Des Moines Moms Blog. I frequently don't let myself get excited about things in fear that they just won't happen.

This has shown me that I need to rip the bandaid off- close my eyes and take the leap. Be excited. Be hopeful. Believe in myself.

So, tell me what are YOU doing to rip the bandaid off? What big leaps of faith are you thinking about taking? 

Weekend Recap and November Goals

How many things can I squeeze into just one post?! That's how I feel anyway as I'm trying to put this post together. I have so many updates- Sophia's school play, pumpkin carving/painting, Halloween night, and a new month! 

First things first:

Sophia's school play. Nothing melts my heart more than seeing this girl at school. We've overcome some obstacles and there are some days that we are still trying to hurdle over them but overall, Sophia's transition to Kindergarten has been great. It's all worth it seeing this smiling face, singing and dancing with her teachers and friends.

Because us Scholteses like to be busier than busy- we headed to Jordan Creek Thursday night and had dinner. Major mom fail- it was Trick or Treat there and I had no idea! So- a little extra bonus, the girls got some candy even though they didn't have costumes. After dinner, we headed home and carved/painted pumpkins! The girls have an absolute blast and this year we even broke out the glitter! You all know how glitter clean up goes- I am still finding rogue pieces today.

Friday night was Beggar's Night in our town. It took a few houses before both girls got the hang of it. They caught on pretty quickly that when we say, "Trick or Treat!" you get a piece of candy. #aintnofools

Our local fire department comes to our neighborhood every year and hands out candy too!

We ended the night with pizza, of course.

Saturday was rainy and cold. We started the morning off pretty lazily and then ran a few errands. We all spent quiet time in the basement, watching movies. It was pretty blissful. After we all came to, we decided to head to the mall and let the girls run off some steam. We picked up a few things and then decided to treat the girls and let them go to Build-A-Bear. It was fun until Saidey decided SHE wanted to type the information on the computer and did NOT need mommy's help. If I even so much as attempted to push a key on the keyboard or help in anyway, a fit ensued. All was better after the nice employee offered a cool sticker.

Do any of your kids do this? The moment she heard Will and I discussing that we wanted to sell this train set, it was the FIRST thing she wanted to play with. Imagine that!

I love coloring! I can't wait to start!

Sunday was BEAUTIFUL out and the girls got outside a few times and ran around with Odin. Will and I worked on cleaning the carpets and cleaning up around the house a little. I'm not sure what it says about me that seeing the fresh, clean carpet lines made me giddy but hey, whatever keeps you going, #amiright?!

The girls and I made some cookies from the new American Girl cookbook. They each got their own spatulas and despite cocoa powder and flour flying out of the bowl, the cookies came out delicious and it was a fun activity for us to do together.

With clean carpets, laundry folded AND put away, and full bellies of spaghetti and chocolate whoopie pie cookies, I'd say we had a successful weekend!

And now for my November goals! I realize this is format isn't as exciting as previous month's goals but I also know that's it's waaay easier to read this way! You can check out my other month's goals here, here, here, and here.

1. Eye appointment/haircut (scheduled for THIS Friday!)
2.) Arrange a play date for Sophia
3.) Start Christmas lists/shopping!!
4.) Finish my blog post about gratitude
5.) Brainstorm new blog post ideas

And that's it! Here's to a great, new month and new beginnings!