2014 was such a growing year for our family. I spent some time looking back over the year and it still amazes me all that happened! Just for fun, here’s a run-down with some of the highlights:
January:
The year began with a bang: I released my second book in January, was on Good Morning America, traveled to NYC for a media tour, hit the New York Times list — all within the first few weeks of January! Crazy!
Kathrynne also turned 9 this month and had asked if she could plan her own birthday party. She blew me away by writing out meticulous and detailed plans, choosing the activities, making the guest list, putting together invitations, sticking with a budget to buy all the supplies, and putting together all the party favors!
That girl has mad party-planning skills — and she loved every minute of the planning part! It’s been so fun to see her blossoming, growing, and maturing. Her personality is so different than mine in so many ways and yet she has the biggest heart and loves me so fiercely that it constantly humbles and touches me.
February:
I recorded my book as an audiobook the first week of February. We broke it up over three days since I’ve learned that my voice only holds out strong for around 4 hours.
The third week in February, we took a much-anticipated trip with two other couples to Belize. It was such an adventure requiring many different methods of transportation, lots of new sights, tastes, and experiences. And we had a wonderful time of unplugging (mostly) and just resting and soaking up the sun and beautiful views.
March:
This month was booked solid with traveling and moving preparations. We had initially planned to move April 15th, but when we started looking in earnest for housing to rent, the house we found and loved wasn’t available until May 1, so we extended our move date until April 30 which bought us a little more time.
Jesse spent the month taking care of the hundred and one moving details and wrapping up things with his law firm so he could officially shut down right around the time we moved.
I traveled to Colorado to spend a few days with three dear friends of mine (Michele, Renee, and Kathi) in a cabin Buena Vista. It was such a good time — especially because we were able to rally around Michele right before her cancer surgery.
The next week, I traveled to Colorado (again) for radio recordings with Focus on the Family and then flew from there to Illinois for the Hearts at Home conference. The following week, I was back on the road again — this time to Nashville for the Teach Them Diligently conference.
April:
We started getting into the final stretch of our big moving day, so the month of April was packed with, you guessed it, packing and paring down the house.
It was also full of many, many goodbye get-togethers. Honestly, while I felt so loved by so many people, goodbyes are so hard for me so this part of the move was really draining. I wanted to be strong for my husband and kids, but I had many moments when I wondered what on earth we were doing!
This was an especially hard month for our kids. They’ve been so brave in the whole move thing, but they all had to grieve in their own ways and we did our best to have lots of conversations, be cognizant of their needs, and to make sure that we did all we could make the transition as smooth for them.
I only had one trip this month — and Jesse got to come with me! We went to South Carolina for another conference and my parents and most of my siblings came to. For most of them, this was their first time to hear me on stage and that was a big unnerving for me. But they were all so encouraging and I punched another fear right in the face!
The week before we moved, Jesse went to Phoenix for a conference on email marketing. The timing of the conference wasn’t that great, but he really wanted to go and since we had wrapped up just about everything at home, it worked out just fine — and I’m so glad he went because he learned so much and had a great time.
(We’ve known for quite some time, that we’ve outgrown our current email service, but we’ve struggled to figure out what to upgrade to. We spent a lot of time this past year researching different email services, researching, test-marketing, and talking to business owner after business owner. We’re so grateful to have finally landed upon a solution the past few months… and I think it’s going to be the perfect long-term solution!)
May:
Our moving day arrived. There were so many bittersweet things about this day… so many emotions. Excitement. Sadness. Eagerness. Fear. All rolled up into one.
My sister, Olivia, drove with us to TN to help us unpack and that was SUCH a gift. We ended up driving the 15-hour trek straight through and made it to TN completely exhausted, but grateful to have arrived!
It was so weird to drive up to “our” house for the first time. We’d rented it sight unseen so it was a little surreal to drive up and know this was going to be home to use for the next two years. (Our good friends the Scheers had gone through it and done a video tour for us long-distance, though, and we’d had extensive conversations with the landlords. Otherwise, we probably would have never felt comfortable signing a two-year lease without seeing the house first!)
The week of the move was a whirlwind. My sister helped us get almost everything unpacked — I knew we had a busy summer, so it was important to get it done right away or it might not happen for months! — and the community welcomed us so warmly. Within the first week, we had met most of our neighbors and many of the folks who have become dear, dear friends to us. And that was such a gift!
I can’t believe my baby is 5! So grateful he still loves mama snuggles!
We went back to Kansas for Jesse’s brother’s graduation and to celebrate Silas’ birthday (it was very important for him to celebrate his birthday in Kansas and we wanted to honor this as a way to help him make the transition more smoothly).
The following week I flew to DC to speak at a conference, the following week to speak at a conference in FL (and got to go to Disney late that night for a few hours — my first time to go to Disney! I just wish my family had been able to come with me!), and then a few days later I flew to Arkansas for a radio taping with Family Life.
I love this boy more than words can express! And he loves his mama well — here was a tea party he set up for us and invited me to. 
June:
My brother and his wife came and visited us for a few days and we had fun exploring some new areas and showing them some of our favorite TN places.
Kathrynne also started swimming lessons this week and Silas had soccer camp. We wanted our kids to plug in as quickly as possible, so we encouraged them to each one activity that they’d like to participate in over the summer and we signed them up for it almost as soon as we moved.
Kathrynne wasn’t being pushed in her swimming classes, so we asked around for some more recommendations and found a homeschool swim team that she was able to qualify for — which was thrilling for her as making a swim team had been a months-long dream for her.
Kaitlynn turned 7 this month and asked to go to the mall for her birthday (typical fashionista!). We had a fun mommy-daughter date.
She also started ice skating lessons again (her chosen activity). She had taken lessons before in Kansas, but this time around, she had a new drive and commitment to them and, pretty soon, she started really advancing.
The ice program encouraged us to enroll her private coaching, in addition to group classes, and we’ve been so proud of how hard she’s worked! Her goal was to make it through all eight levels of Learn to Skate by the end of 2014. She’s finishing up the final level and now has her sights set on the Olympics… which might be aiming just a wee bit high, but I’m not going to any way discourage her enthusiasm or drive!
June was also the month that we for sure knew we’d found a church home here in TN. We were pretty sure that we had picked out a church that we felt would be a good fit for our family, but you never know until you go and visit for at least a few weeks.
We were so grateful that not only was Fellowship Bible everything we’d prayed for and hoped for in a church, but it was so much more. We’ve been beyond blessed by the gift of this church — especially the depth of the preaching.
Jesse had a sort of identity crisis that started in June and lasted well into August. It was a hard, hard, hard few months for him — and for us all. I’m positive our kids have never seen Mom and Dad struggle and argue so much.
I had expected this might happen, but I was completely unprepared for how difficult it would be for me. I didn’t know whether I was supposed to be the sweet, loving, listening, and empathetic wife or whether he needed some hard, strong truth to be spoken to him.
He struggled to figure out who he was apart from his job. He realized that he’d always defined his value and worth by what he did (stressful positions as an attorney/running his own law firm) instead of who he was as a person.
He struggled with some really dark days and was depressed and stressed. I am so grateful for the solid people around us who walked with us through this time and encouraged us, prayed for us, and loved us in the middle of our mess. It wasn’t pretty, but I truly clung to the belief that it had to get worse before it could get better. And it did — as I tell you about in part 2.
…to be continued tomorrow.
If you have plans and hopes to get some areas of your life in order this coming year, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite 18 ebooks to help you organize your home and life, manage your time better, and be more organized in your grocery-shopping and menu-planning.
Note: Some of these are only available as Kindle ebooks. Others are available as Kindle ebooks, PDF downloads, or even printed books, too.
21 Days to a More Disciplined Life
Do you have ideas, hopes, and dreams for what you want to accomplish in your life, but you feel like you're being held back by a lack of personal discipline? Are you easily overwhelmed by your big ideas or projects, and you just don't know where to start and how to make real progress? Do you find yourself making "all-or-nothing" plans for transforming your life, and then three days later you crash and burn under the weight of your plan?
What You Can Expect to Learn From This Book:
- How to prioritize and name your goals so that you can accomplish them faster than ever.
- How to expose the obstacles that will come up, and then make a plan to conquer them.
- How to break up a goal that feels insurmountable into bite-sized pieces.
- How to stop making excuses and get the job done now — and then enjoy the rest of your day!
- How to put accountability in place to help you stay on task and motivated.
Say Goodbye to Survival Mode
Are you exhausted and overwhelmed with life? Do you wake up feeling like you're already behind — and you haven't even gotten out of bed? Do you spend most of your days just trying to make through the day?
If that's you (or someone you know!), you need to get a copy of my book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode. I wrote this book because I get it. I've walked the road of feeling spent, worn down, and burnt out. And after burning the candle at both ends for far too long and hurting my health, marriage, and family in the process, I finally reached a breaking point.
The day I finally hit rock bottom and said, "I can't live like this any more!" was the day I realized I didn't have to live in such a frantic, stressed, and overloaded way. There was a road out of survival mode!
In Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, I share candidly about the struggles I faced along the way and the strategies I learned for success. This book is not a fix-your-life-overnight handbook (sorry!). Instead, I'll take your hand, and gently guide you through a step-by-step journey so that you, too, can:
- feel healthier and more energetic by setting priorities and boundaries,
- eliminate stress with savvy management of your time, money, and home,
- get more done by setting realistic goals and embracing discipline,
- and rediscover your passions—and the confidence to pursue them!
Living Well, Spending Less by Ruth Soukup
This book from my friend, Ruth Soukup, released today and the print book is currently #4 on Amazon!!
In this book, you will be inspired by Ruth's authenticity and honesty as she shares her own journey from constantly spending time and money chasing after more to discovering she already has all the makings of a rich and full life right where she's at. If you struggle to simplify your life and wish you could savor the here and now, this book will inspire and encourage you.
This just-released ebook is packed with step-by-step encouragement to simplify and organize almost all areas of your home and family. Stephanie is encouraging, realistic, and down-to-earth. Plus, she gives you ideas that you can tweak and adapt for your own family’s situation. There are also links to printable forms and lots of helpful articles and resources at the end of each chapter.
Tell Your Time: How to Manage Your Schedule So You Can Live Free by Amy Lynn Andrews
This little ebook's wisdom has done more for my efficiency than any other book or time management product I've ever read or listened to. It's well worth your time — and it works, provided you actually do what the ebook tells you to do.
28 Days to Timeliness: Tips and Confessions From a Semi-Reformed Late Person by Davonne Parks
Do you feel like you're always behind and late? I know the feeling. As I've often alluded to here, I've struggled with getting places on time all of my life. Some of you don't have any issue with this — and I try not to envy you. Others of you can likely commiserate with me in the always-behind-and-barely-making-it-out-the-door issue.
By the grace of God, I've made some huge strides over the past few years in getting places at least almost on time (we've even gotten some places early recently!). I've also been working diligently on getting things done early so I'm doing a better job at not waiting until the last minute for projects and deadlines.
I'm so encouraged at the progress I'm seeing and the fruits I'm reaping of various habits I've been working on putting in place. But I still have a long way to go! That's why I so appreciated reading 28 Days to Timeliness.
28 Days to Timeliness was written by a Davonne Parks, a "semi-reformed late person" (as she calls herself) who wants to help others figure out how to streamline their routines so they can get out the door faster and stop being late. Each chapter is broken down into 28 short, easy-to-read segments that will take just a few minutes to go over each day. The beginning of each segment contains an inspirational quote, and included at the end of every chapter is a practical course of action that can be taken to really initiate the discipline of being on time.
Davonne and I might as well be two peas in a pod. She gets me. I laughed at her stories (I even shared her hilarious wearing PJs to church story with my husband — who thought it was so funny that he shared it at a recent family gathering!). I nodded my head in agreement with so many of her points. And I picked up new practical ideas for overcoming lateness.
What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam
Since getting up early has made such a difference in my life, I was especially excited to read Laura Vaderkam's ebook, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast. It's a short read, but packed with lots of inspiration as to how to use your mornings well.
It's not enough to get up early, though, you also need to make sure that you wisely prioritize your time and energy in the early morning hours so that it effectively benefits your day — and your life. In this ebook, Laura shares a peek into the lives of some very successful people — and how they are structuring their lives to make the most of the morning hours. What works for them might not work for you, but I promise you'll be inspired to make the most of your mornings — whether or not you are an early riser.
One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler by Tsh Oxenreider
I read this ebook over the course of a week and a half–in little bits in the morning as I was doing my warm-up and cool down on the treadmill before my morning run. I enjoyed the book so much that I had trouble getting off the treadmill every day because I just wanted to keep reading!
As you probably well know by now, I love the concept of breaking things down into bite-sized manageable pieces. And Tsh's ebook does just that. It gives you 52 bite-sized steps you can take to become more efficient, streamlined, and organized.
You know those things you always say you want to do someday? Like planting a garden, switching to natural cleaners, composting, setting up a system for paper clutter, organize your photo collection, learning to cook from scratch, setting up menu plans, planning regular date nights, or regularly turning off technology? Tsh gives you the tools, motivation, and encouragement you need to slowly make those positive changes you've hoped to make. And she makes it simple and doable.
Now I have to tell you: Tsh suggests that you pick one project per week for a year–thus the 52 projects. However, I'd suggest to maybe slow the pace down a bit and just pick one project every other week or once a month. That way, you can really take your time and let the changes really sink in before moving onto something else.
Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy
This book is jam packed with practical ideas for prioritizing your time and life so that you make the most of your days. One of my biggest takeaways from the book was the challenge to start the day out by doing the things you like least first, you'll get them out of the way so you can enjoy your day more and be more productive and fulfilled. Read more about some of the things I gleaned from this book here.
Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Simple Living by Tsh Oxenreider
I was excited to read Organized Simplicity, but truthfully, I figured the message of this book would probably be something I was well familiar with. And I figured the book would be filled with ideas I was mostly already living out.
Well, I was wrong. In fact, it's hard for me to describe in words how reading Organized Simplicity impacted me. The beauty of the book drew me in, but the message of the book convicted me more than I ever imagined it would.
As many of you well know, I love simplicity and I strive to only have a things we love and use in our home. But in the last few months, consumerism and busyness has inched its way into my heart and life — without me even realizing it.
Reading Organized Simplicity was a wake up call for me. It forced me to examine my life, stuff and to-do list in a whole new light. I realized that maybe I wasn't as much of a minimalist as I thought I was — especially if you were to open some of my closets and cupboards!
I usually go through our whole house from top to bottom twice a year and aggressively eliminate things which we no longer love and use. And while this book inspired me to do another total house overhaul, more than just eliminating stuff, it caused me to dig down deeper and examine my heart and what simple living really means for our own family.
Tsh's thoughts in chapter seven on streamlining your life so you can savor the moments that matter especially hit home for me. Life can become so busy. Organized Simplicity really challenged me to be purposefully intentional and prioritize my life so I don't miss out on those precious fleeting moments.
The Early to Rise Experience by Andy Traub
This ebook is not for someone who isn't willing to endure some discomfort and put forth some effort. If you're happy with how your life is and you're satisfied with your mornings and your productivity, then you probably don't need Early to Rise.
Or, if you're a mom who has young ones and you're thankful for every second of sleep you can get, you also probably don't need to read this ebook. {The last thing you need is to feel guilty for getting sleep that your body desperately needs!}
However, if you struggle to get up in the morning and you struggle to be productive during the day wish you could regularly get up earlier and get more done in the mornings, Early to Rise will challenge and motivate you. It's broken down into easy, manageable steps to get you started on the path to consistent lifelong early rising.
Goals & Priorities Diary
If you want a structured way to turn your goals into daily tasks that you actually get done, then you'll want to check out the Goals & Priorities Diary from Get Organized Wizard.
It contains:
- Monthly Goals Planners that guide you to set and plan your goals for the month
- Daily Priorities Planners that help you focus each day on your top priorities first
- Goals Lists for you to brainstorm your goals for the current and next year
- Goals Achieved And Rewards Log that help you recognize and celebrate successes.
It's a simple but powerful approach that helps you spend time where it counts, and have more time for goals that genuinely matter. The Goals & Priorities Diary is a structured and motivating way to organize your life, achieve your goals, and get important things done.
Organize-In-5 Diary
Want to get organized in 2015 but feel cramped for time? Get Organized Wizard has a great resource to help you out — and it's available for just $4.95 right now!
The Organize-In-5 Diary gives you a 5-minute organization task for each weekday in 2015 and then you'll get a 5-minute relaxation task for Saturdays. This plan tackles your home, closets, computer, health, finances, work, time management, relationships, family, and more! Even if you have a very full schedule and little extra time, you can still get your home and life in order with this ebook.
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam
We all have exactly the same amount of time: 24 hours in each day, 168 hours in each week. We all get to choose how we're going to use those hours — whether wisely or frivolously. Laura Vanderkam's book, 168 Hours, is based upon the premise that, if we were to step back and look at our week as a whole, we have more time than we realize. And we are probably squandering more time than we think.
This book gives real-life, practical examples for becoming a better manager of your time. It profiles a number of different individuals in different situations and shows how they are using their time well or specific ways they could improve their time usage. This book is not about stuffing our lives more full with longer to-do lists and more responsibilities, but about focusing on a life well lived. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to better steward their time or find more fulfillment in how they spend their 168 hours.
Abundant Simplicity: Discovering the Unhurried Rhythms of Grace by Jan Johnson
I loved this book. The cover and layout have an instantly calming effect and the author did a great job of challenging you to consider the rhythms of your life and whether they are in sync with the priorities you want to have.
She encourages you to not just strip your life of all the non-essentials and pare down to the basics, but instead to really examine why you're doing what you're doing, why you own what you own, and why you're leading the lifestyle you are. This book is deep, rich, and soul-stirring.
Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Achieve Tomorrow's Success by John Maxwell
If you want to make the most of your days, Today Matters will give you practical, step-by-step help and inspiration. The author makes a case for why today is your key to success and outlines 12 decisions and disciplines you should implement into your life and work toward mastering in order to achieve greater fulfillment and success in life.
Plan It, Don't Panic by Stephanie Langford
This ebook on menu-planing is a fantastic resource for anyone who really wants to menu-plan but is struggling with how to do it. Written by my friend, Stephanie, it provides the tools, step-by-step help, and practical inspiration you need to successfully plan and follow menus.
Even though I've been menu planning for years, this ebook breathed new life into my resolve to menu plan and gave me lots of helpful suggestions and fresh advice. I found some new tips and websites to try out that I'd not heard of before and also found it very helpful to step back and examine if my current method of menu-planning is working well for our family or not.
This ebook covers menu-planning on a budget, eating from the pantry, how to create rotating menu plans, how to incorporate freezer cooking into your menu-planning to make life simpler, and how to serve your family healthful meals without spending hours in the kitchen every day.
The wide range of topics it covers includes:
- Find the method of meal planning that will suit you and your family best
- Tweak and perfect your meal planning style with unique tips and strategies
- Make it easier to work around special/restrictive dietary needs
- Become a grocery-shopping ninja and never go to the store without a genius plan in place for maximizing your money
- Learn how leftovers can become your best friends in the kitchen
- As well as how to store your recipes, easily find your favorites, plan for hectic times, and even what to do when you mess up…
You want to know one of my favorite parts of the ebook? She included full four weeks of meal plans at the back of the ebook. Reading through fully-laid-out menu plans that others have put together always gives me new ideas and suggestions to try at our house. I also loved all of the helpful printable forms and worksheets at the back of the ebook.
Your Grocery Budget Toolbox by Anne Simpson
If you are hoping to cut your grocery bill this coming year, but you want to still eat healthfully, I highly recommend this comprehensive ebook. Anne shows you in detail how to eat well on a limited budget and how to do so without spending a great deal of time and effort to do so.
This ebook is well-written, in-depth, and worth every penny — especially if you are new to frugal living and feeling discouraged about the high prices of quality groceries.
What books would you add to this list?
