Goal Overload!

I missed the "resolution bug" in January. It just didn't catch on for me this year. I tried to find the motivation to set  new year resolutions and goals, but, other than getting excited about green smoothies, I felt no desire to set any other goals. 

I suppose it's part of the spring cleaning fever, but all of a sudden I feel the desire to make a heck-of-a-lot of changes in my life. It's probably partly because of the miscarriage too; because I feel like I need to get my life in order before trying again. 

The frustrating part is that there's just too many things I want to do, change, clean, organize, and make, and I'm starting to feel completely overwhelmed with it all. I have no idea where to begin, which makes me want to quit before I even start. Here is a list of everything I'm wanting to do:

*Not in order of importance

Health Goals

1. Get rid of all processed foods and eat only whole, mostly organic, real food

We did this for several weeks and I felt great! Then I got pregnant and it all sounded gross. So we stopped. Now our sugar intake is way too high, Curtis isn't eating as well as he used to, and Mike and I both have some weight to lose. I really believe this will help my future pregnancies. 

2. Get rid of all processed, pasteurized dairy products  (I want to try raw milk)

We also did this for several weeks and not one of us had a cough, cold, or runny nose. After we started dairy products again Curtis got a horrible cough and runny nose that haven't gone away in months. I have also had so much nasty mucus that also won't go away. We didn't have this when we weren't eating dairy products. 

3. Get rid of most of the unnatural, hazardous chemicals in our house

I have been reading a lot about people who are "getting rid of the chemicals" in their lives. This includes face-wash, body wash, shampoo, laundry detergent, surface cleaners, sunscreen, and even some lotions and make-up. I am really interested in making my own more natural products. 

Physical Goals

1. Exercise Daily

I haven't been exercising like I want to or like I used to. Once I got pregnant I just didn't really want to do much. I took ballet once a week, and I'd occasionally go for a walk at the gym, but that's about it. It's time to get up and move more. I want to spend at least an hour a day being active. 

2. Lose Weight

Hopefully this will come naturally with eating better and exercising more. Now that I'm not pregnant anymore I'd really like to lose the last 10 lbs that I gained after my first miscarriage. We have a family beach trip in August and so I'm using that as my motivation....I don't want to be the only chubby one at the beach.

Spiritual Goals

1. Daily Prayer Morning and Night

I've been consistent with this one, but I know I can still be more sincere in my prayers. 

2. Daily Scripture Study 

I'm a good scripture "reader" but a terrible scripture "study-er." I have noticed something lacking in my life lately, and I really do believe it's because I'm not spending enough time in this area. 

3. Serve More

This isn't easy for me. It's hard for me to get out and serve others. It's especially hard with a 20 month old needing my attention almost every minute. But, I want to make it a habit to do something for someone else at least 2 times a month. 

Other Goals

-Simplify my home

 This includes every closet, drawer, cabinet, basket, shelf, etc. I wouldn't say our home is cluttered, but it's always good to go through everything at least once a year. 

-Learn how to be a better "couponer"

This one is hard because we tried the whole couponing thing for several weeks, and the annoying thing is that the coupons were always for processed, sugary, brand-name items that we rarely even ate. It was hard for me to want to buy things (even on sale) that we didn't regularly eat. It was also annoying because in order to get the really good deals you often had to buy a larger quantity. We just don't have room to store 10 boxes of cereal, etc. 

-Be a Better Meal Planner

This one will hopefully come with eating better. It's no secret that I hate cooking. It's not because I don't like to make food, or because I don't like eating together as a family. I hate cooking because I think there is an unspoken rule that our meals have to be more elaborate than I care to eat. I would rather eat rice, beans, and a vegetable than have to get out 15 ingredients for one meal. Hopefully our "whole foods" eating will make our meals less complicated. But I also don't want our meals to be boring. That's the hard part. I feel like we always eat the same 10 things (rice, pasta, beans, vegetables, salad, potatoes, yams, fruit, soup, bread). Not a bad assortment, but my creativity is limited.

-Be a Better Wife

It's also not a secret that the past few months have been hard for me. I find myself feeling very jealous and frustrated that Mike is gone all the time. I know these feelings are ridiculous...he's gone all day to support and help our family. I should only be grateful. But it's still hard. I have to remind myself that it will only be (at least for now) until August. But until (and after) then I need to be a better wife. I want to stop thinking of myself and my woes, and I want to be better about finding ways to serve him and help him. Being selfish isn't getting me anywhere. I want to be more cheerful when he gets home at night, and I want to be more helpful and charitable. This includes having dinner made, and helping him prepare a lunch for work. 

Ah, where do I even begin?!

If you have any resources or advice to share about 

*whole food eating

*homemade cleaning products
or


*couponing 

PLEASE SHARE! 

(Those are the areas that I don't know much about)