June Goals

Hey June- it's so good to see you! May was a great month- full of celebrations, sun and even some goodbyes. It's a new month, new start though and so let's see how I did during the month of March. 

1) Teacher appreciation/end of year gifts:

For teacher appreciation week- we went simple because 1) time 2)forgetfulness and we went with a bag of chocolates for each teacher and a sweet note from Sophia. For end of the year gifts, I got inspiration here.

 I found these AWESOME towels at you guessed it-Target for $11! They're big and soft and 

comfy. 

I also got these cute tumblers from Nordstrom but they must be all sold out because I can't find them! =(  I am also going to get a magazine, fingernail polish and probably lip gloss/EOS chapstick and either wrap it all up and tie a ribbon on it or find a cheap, cute tote bag to put it all in. 

2.) Family Pictures

Were a success! We're so excited to see the photos!

3.) Organizing winter clothes/clothes overhaul

Ok- a little bit of slack here- I hope to complete this goal this weekend!

4.) No Spend Month

I didn't do so great guys. I was more mindful of purchases and refrained from impulse buying- Hello Nordstrom Half Year sale- I'm looking at you! But with end of year gifts, graduation gifts, I definitely didn't hit my goal of not spending anything. 

Now, onto this month's goals!

1.) Tackle one area at a time to organize

I've had "organize" on my goal list for a few months now. But I didn't exactly have a plan to really bring this goal to fruition. And we all know that a goal without a plan is just a wish. And that's what I have- a perfect wish but no way to actually make it happen. So, I've decided to make a plan people. My first plan is to organize the fridge/pantry. I found these containers at Ikea but I am also going to hit up good old Dollar General and see what storage containers they have. Next month, will be a new area. 

2.) SUMMER BUCKET LIST

Last year, we created a family summer bucket list- it's that time again! Look back here Friday for the Scholtes Family Summer of FUN list!

3.) Start a list for Italy

It's a little over a month before our big trip to Italy. It's going to be that time where I bust out my notebook and pen and start my packing list. 

4.) Father's Day gifts

Unfortunately for Will, he is getting stuff for Italy for Father's Day. He needs some new shoes and needs a bag for Italy that is light, easy to squish into small spaces (small cars, people) and that is also big enough, but not too big. I plan to bring my Vera Bradley duffel which is the perfect size, but Will isn't too keen on the bright prints. So, we're on a hunt for something similar for him, minus the patterns. =).

5.) Start planning for girls 

I'm sure most of my stress surrounding leaving for Italy would be lessened if I wasn't so anxious about leaving the girls for 10 days. We went to Jamaica two years ago and I created lists of meal ideas, activities they could do while we were gone and of course, the important stuff like doctor's numbers and insurance information. I'm sure that since we're leaving for longer and going further, my list making will be on overdrive. 

So, there you have it! Let's see how I do! I will try to remember to post updates once I have the pantry all organized for you all!

Also, don't forget- follow me here on Instagram and Snapchat- Sscholtes. I tend to post more (daily) than I do Facebook but be sure to check out that page too! 

5 Things I Would Tell Myself Before I Started Blogging

Have any of you googled yourselves? Well, I have. And I've found out that I've made myself VERY available for anyone with the slight interest of figuring out where I live, where I work to how I hate bananas and hoard Bath and Body products. Which brings me to the 5 things I would have told myself before I started blogging- which hopefully, if you are ever interested in starting your own blog, you can learn from my mistakes!! 

1.) REALLY, REALLY, REALLY think long and hard on what your blog name will be. When I first started blogging, it was a simple, "Scholtes Family." I got the great idea to change it up and created "Three Gals and a Guy," a few years ago. Cute, right?! This would be the time that I wish I had a dirtier mind because if I would have, I probably would have reconsidered my blog name. I will spare you the details but if you search for my blog name, it does appear at the top in a Google search (thank goodness) but you won't want to scroll any further because yikes. And the interesting sources of page views I sometimes get? You don't even wanna know..

Don't scroll any further!! (insert monkey covering eyes emoji here)

2.) Your husband will roll your eyes because after anything significant happens, you are already planning how it will fit into a blog post. The wheels are always churning at how you can create the moment into a writable one. Not that I am so focused on that, that I miss the moment but you can catch me jotting notes after a certain conversation or situation has occurred. 

3.) An interest in photography- I never would have thought that I would care about how a picture looked. Snap, shoot and post. But one thing I've learned over the years is just how important a single picture can be. It can make or break a post. You can catch me now, carefully positioning myself or items to capture the moment just so. And then comes the editing. 

Just a few of the editing apps on my phone. I also really love PicMonkey, too but it's not available for mobile devices.. yet! 

4.) Keep a content calendar! Seriously. Without a doubt, if you want to keep consistent in posting however many times a week you've decided, this is an absolute MUST! The MINUTE I stop planning ahead and scheduling posts, is when I don't post for weeks. Why? Because so much does go into one post- it's not something you can really spontaneously throw together. I keep a monthly calendar and plan out posts to the day. However, sometimes an idea pops in and I start the draft right away. But this rarely happens.

5.) Blogging will become a source of stress and frustration at times, but always a safe place for me to reflect and connect with others. Whether I have 5 page views or 5,000, I keep on keepin on because of what it does for ME. Simple as that. It is my outlet for both creativity and personal growth, my joy and my therapy. I never imagined by simply sharing my thoughts and feelings would be such a life changer but it has.

Happy Monday all! I hope you enjoyed your weekend! 

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!