2017 Organization Goals

So for 2017, one of my main goals is organization! For some motivation, I am sharing a few of my favorite pins in hopes of getting myself inspired. Hope you enjoy!

 I love this idea for my back foyer. Especially the chalk board to keep up with appointments/reminders for the family!

 I'm loving this idea to keep my cookbooks organized & how pretty!

This is definitely my main goal. Organize my pantry! This would seriously change my life and make me happy to cook everyday!

What are some of your goals for 2017?

2016 Goals Accomplished + 2017 Goal Setting!

2016 Goals Accomplished:

Travel
Cruised MSC Cruise Line for the first time in May
Had couples facials at the cruise spa
Went paddle-boarding for the first time (& most likely the last time because I was so scared that a shark was going to pop out of the water, so I didn't really enjoy it)
Went on a catamaran with free flowing margaritas/beer
Went to the beach 2-3 times
Visited St. Augustine again
Visited Disney Springs- went on the hot air balloon ride

House Stuff
Bought new weed trimmer, pressure washer for the home
Ordered Surround speakers & installed in ceiling
Bought + installed butcher block in laundry room
Ordered new woven blinds online & put up in bedroom
Had concrete poured on both well-house and garage
Hubby designed new retaining wall with flowerbed by garage entrance
Cleaned out garage- can actually fit 2 cars now! Made $1K + selling things & + donated to Goodwill
Finished painting exterior rafters
Finished painting exterior hardi-siding + trim
Worked on Landscaping- planted crepe myrtle trees, fruit trees, trimmed around all trees, put down pine-straw around flowerbeds
Hubby installed hood vent in kitchen
Put up interior window trim & painted
Painted 5 interior doors
Bought new furniture- coffee table, buffet table, TV stand, European clock, bedroom mirror, living room mirror, 2 living room end tables
Made over IKEA bedroom stands with new pull handles
Purchased new pillows for living room & new dinnerware
Cleaned out my closet & got rid of lots of jewelry, shoes and clothing since I work from home Consigned & made over $200 this year

Business
Published 3 books on Amazon
Started a new Book Club on Facebook
Collaborated on a live Facebook Marathon for a top business leader
Applied for some new virtual work & submitted 2 video interviews (got out of my comfort zone creating videos of myself!!)
Learned how to design a Square Space Website from scratch
Created styled stock photography & opened a store on Creative Market
Created a free opt-in & grew mailing list
Grew FB Business page
Re-branded entire business
Began writing 2 more books- hope to finish in 2017
Updated my LinkedIn + Resume
Learned much more about social media scheduling, accounting systems & lots of other geeky stuff!

Blog
Had a blog makeover!
Grew my FB Blog Page
Designed new email banner for blog inquiries

Health
Discovered Bullet-Proof Coffee + Golden milk
Eliminated soy, gluten, dairy, eggs, stevia & any organic products with sneaky additives

Spiritual
Learned to trust God even more
Prayed over my anxiety and God delivered me of it!  I now hand over all of my problems to God and don't worry about them anymore!

Self Improvement
Set better boundaries with people
Eliminated more negative people out of my life/personal space

Miscellaneous
Purchased Amazon Prime
Costco Card Renewal
Found a new organic market- Lucky's Market! My new favorite store!
Purchased newer car/better on gas
Sold Suburban
Sold Lake Lot + buyer agreed to pay 2016 taxes! (prayed over this & God blessed!)
Visited Aldi's for the first time and actually liked it! (our closest one is in Jacksonville)
Bought a replacement Keurig + Kcups
Helped Brother on his new house + made some extra money
Won an amazing $50 Gluten Free Giveaway package from Canyon Bakehouse

2017 Goals:
Finish up house projects (well-house, kitchen back-splash, trim, fire-pit, stain concrete, garage walls, a/c cover, landscaping)
Travel more, work less! (Use up free plane tickets)
Enjoy weekends more doing local things
Keep praying about my business vs working for another company
Goal Weight/Tone up
Grow nails
Have professional photos done

I was so busy this year as you can see! I really just want to slow things down next year and enjoy life more. I'm so done with being busy all of the time and I just want to enjoy our new home and have more travel and adventure.

What did you get accomplished this year?

Is it too early for Christmas??

Happy Monday y'all!! Don't judge, but I decorated the house in Christmas decor this weekend & wrapped a few Christmas gifts. I LOVE Christmas!!

Personally, for me, the weekend was insanely productive!

House:
>> Cleaned out the garage- now we can park the car inside!
>> Cleaned the yards (trimming trees, throwing out old flower pots)
>> Raked Pine-straw & spread in flower bed
>> Sifted through dirt & moved so that we can get ready to plant remaining crepe myrtle trees
>> Emptied the trash
>> Went to Lowe's to get samples for retaining wall & Publix to pick up some groceries
>> Washed shower curtain
>> Cleaned off deck

Miscellaneous:
>> Gave hubby a haircut
>> Washed & vacuumed the car
>> Burned some old boards
>> Wrapped a few Christmas gifts
>> Unboxed Christmas items & decorated the house. I love Christmas!
>> Ordered a cute jacket (my Christmas gift from the hubby)

Business:
>> Created some new social media graphics for my blog/business
>> Sent invites via FB Business pages to increase growth
>> Sent invoices to clients
>> Responded to inquiry for graphic design work
>> Completed a video interview for a virtual job that I applied for (talk about out of my comfort zone- but I'm so proud of myself for doing it!!)

I still can't believe it's November! I will be back with 2016 Goals accomplished + my 2017 Goals next blog post. I love looking back on everything that I have accomplished- my favorite time of year!

Have you planned your 2017 Goals yet?

Weekly Updates

Happy Friday y'all! How was your week? I currently have a load of laundry washing and just finished washing a few dishes. Even though I stay pretty busy, I have been making a conscious effort on slowing down in my life instead of being so stressed & chaotic. I have also realized that I have to stay away from people who are so obsessed with being chaotic, busy and rushed because they cause my anxiety to worsen. That's the life that they have chosen for themselves, but it's not the life that I want. Okay, enough about that- on to this week's updates!

Here is what went down this week:

|| Visited my Mom last Friday & brought pizza and lasagna for dinner
|| Scheduled hair Appointment for next Wednesday
|| Ordered costume for upcoming Fall Party!
|| Ordered Fall Booties. I am so excited to get them in!
|| Additional client work/hours
|| Applied for some VA work with an awesome company
|| Lots of yard-work! I love working with the hubby, picking up sticks + pine-cones when the weather is so nice in the Fall!
|| Finished the concrete- I ordered top soil which they delivered yesterday and later we will order gravel and plant crepe myrtle trees
|| Cleaned Pantry, Fridge and Freezer (now I need to go food shopping this weekend!)
|| Cleaned Bathroom/organized cabinet
|| I also won a huge gluten free giveaway from Canyon Bakehouse! I actually buy their products, but it was nice to win some that I haven't tried yet.

Another big thing is that I started writing a new book about Health. After going through the past couple of years dealing with GI issues, weight gain, anxiety, etc., I figured that I needed to write a book on everything that has helped me heal. I have prayed for God to show me the things that I am doing that has harmed my body and he has shown me several things lately that has helped me lose some additional weight (6 lbs) and feel better! It's a huge epidemic in the world right now and I want to be able to help other people live a healthy, fulfilling life and not be overweight and sick all of the time.

Honestly, the research part for this book has been so much fun! I always love learning about new ways to live a healthier lifestyle. I have been doing some guinea pig testing (on myself) for the book including an 8 day detox replacing coffee with green tea. That was definitely one of the hardest parts!

That's pretty much it for this week. I am headed outside to go for my daily walk and prayer and then I am going to sit down and figure out a weekend getaway that I can plan soon. I would love something that is full of fun fall-like things- pumpkins, apples, mountains! I want to enjoy this Fall season to the fullest!

What are some things going on with you this week?

Working towards my Goals!!

Life has been crazy lately, but in a good way. We have been working hard this year so that we can leave 2016 with a bang! 123 days left to work on those goals!

So my main goals to finish by the end of this year are:

1.) Reach my happy size- I don't care what the scale number or clothing size is, I just want to look and feel amazing! Muscle ways more than fat- seriously, just look at the photo below to see my point! Seeing this has seriously changed my mindset from focusing on numbers to focusing instead of being healthy and toned!

I recently switched from the Ketogenic diet back to the Whole 30, only because I just can't keep up with eating so much fat each meal. Also, because I was really missing eating my fruit and the Keto diet discourages eating too many fruits.

via mysweatlife

2.) Finish the house construction! The only thing remaining is the interior trim, kitchen backsplash, well house and the concrete pour for the drive for the garage. We do want to also work on landscaping later and another project that we want to work on is to do pallet walls for our garage + some organization.

3.) Clean some more in the Garage- I have really focused on decluttering this year and have gotten rid of SO much! But I do still have a few things that I would like to go through and sell on swap and shop. I'm a little OCD when it comes to being organized, so I'm not your typical person. I just want everything to have a place.

4.) Possibly trade in owning a business for a 9-5 I have to be honest, I miss having paid vacations, sick leave, etc. When you're the boss, you don't get paid for the hours you work or the time off that you take which can be a huge downside.I never thought I would want to go back to a 9-5, but after running my own business for almost a year, I really don't think it's for me. And that's okay, I'm very glad that I followed my dreams and honestly I have learned so many new things that I can apply to my new job! (I will talk more about my decision/reasons in a future blog post).

5.) Fit in 1-2 more weekend vacays and relax some. We do have a December week long trip planned, but we have been working so hard that we need some mini-breaks.

6.) Girls Shopping Trip!  Once we reach our fitness goals, my sister and I are planning a shopping trip for possibly this November. I'm so ready to go shopping for some cute clothes! Honestly, I haven't bought much all year because I have not been happy with my weight.It's the one thing that really motivates me to get up early and work out every day!

Here are some things that I have been working on the last couple of weeks to work towards our goals!

>> Successfully completed HIIT workouts every day of the week! On my 4th week of working out without missing a day!
>> Eliminated dairy products starting last Wednesday- I want to see if it helps me in my weight loss, allergies + toning
>> Added social media share icons to my Blog (feel free to share via social media, email!)
>> Hubby fixed the 2 deck caps
>> I painted behind the deck columns and touched up the base trim + touched up 2 last areas
>> Finished painting all of the house + windows!!! If we ever build again- it definitely needs to be a single story or have someone else paint it- I'm so over painting!
>> Listened to some amazing sermons last week & had a clarity moment which helped me so much!
>> Have been working the past 2 Saturdays & made some extra money working with the hubby to put in ceiling & wall project for my brother

I also may have some very good news on one of our huge goals that may be coming to pass soon!! I have been doing so much praying over our future this year and leaving everything in God's hands. I know that God is working on things, even when we can't see it! I honestly am beyond excited to finish 2016 off strong and start the new year with an amazing start!

A Peek Inside my Healthy Fridge!

I don't know about you, but I love peeking inside of healthy fridges!! Since I have a lot going on this week, I thought I would do a short & sweet post showing you what's inside my fridge. Are you ready?!

 I'm trying to drink less dairy so I stocked up on coconut creamer. Target had it on sale for $1.90 plus I had a $1 off coupon when you buy three. I'm not that great with coupons but I try!

 This cauliflower "rice" has been so amazing to help kick my rice addiction!!

 Publix had the Udis pizza on sale for 2 for $10 this week!

 Grass fed Butter for Bulletproof coffee!

 Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs are on sale at Publix this week for $3.99- I bought 3 cartons!

 Organic fruit

All of the grains pictured are for the hubby since he is still eating grains. Sadly, I can't have any of those but honestly, I don't miss them quite as much as I did in the beginning. I also picked up some organic chicken, ground sausage, grass-fed steaks and beef.

Like I mentioned in my last post, I am back on the Ketogenic Diet which makes me feel amazing! What I love about eating this way is that I have tons of energy and also that I don't have to limit what I eat. I'm also seeing results from my HIIT daily workouts. I am on week two and this week, my sister, Becky is now joining me in getting healthy and toned! Right now we are doing mostly burpees, jump squats, planks, high knees, etc. and we are definitely feeling the burn!

We are planning on doing a girl's shopping + Starbucks day once we both get to our goal weight. Shopping is definitely the best way to get me motivated! 

What type of eating plan do you prefer?

4 1/2 months remaining in 2016!!

Happy Monday! I had such an amazing weekend because the hubby and I painted all weekend and I am hoping to finish up by mid-week! We are already planning to visit Lowes this week to pick up supplies to build some nice shutters.

While we are on our weekend vacay the other weekend, I was able to do some thinking about the things that keep me stressed and I came to the conclusion that it's the fact that our house is not finished. So I have decided to put my business on hold for right now and do minimal client work so that I can help the hubby get everything finished. When you work a full time job, it's just not fun to come home and have such a long to-do list so I want to help take the stress off of both of us.

Here is what we accomplished this past week:

>> Sanded & Painted deck stair boards
>> Painted bottom trim around house
>> Hubby built another trim header for one of the interior doors
>> Sanded, pressure washed and painted 95% of house
>> Finish painting last 2 windows
>> Touch up paint at the very end
>> Cleaned out walk in closet & have 2 huge bags of fall clothing to consign
>> Cleaned out garage and donated to Goodwill
>> Sold some more on Swap and Shop
>> Deep-cleaned fridge & freezer
>> Bleached all bed covers
>> Cleaned Garage Doors
>> Cleaned cob-webs from underneath deck (we live in the woods so we have tons of spiders!)

And my dishwasher is currently running as I type :) I love having a clean house!

My sister and I had previously talked about meeting one day to help each other get things done, so she came over the other week and helped me on the garage. We had the best time and hanging out together really helped us get our bond back. We have been through some rough times the past 2 years and I honestly thought we would never be close again but now it's like old times! I am so excited about what our future holds and being able to hang out more!

Today, I am working on painting the last side of the house and I plan on getting a nice walk in before it rains here. The main things that we have left to do are the interior trim, paint last 2 windows, last touch ups and shutters. Once we get those things done, we plan on getting the concrete poured for our garage and also our well house. Our biggest project this year will be the well house, so we're saving it for last. We are also hoping to get our crepe myrtle trees planted along the drive and gravel poured. I really want us to go into 2017 having our home pretty much completed! We only have 4 1/2 months left in 2016-how crazy is that?!

On a side note, the hubby and I just had our 17 year Wedding Anniversary! We are making plans to go out of town in the next weekend or two to celebrate it officially. I am so in love with my husband and am so excited for what is in store for our future together!

So that's it for today- I'm headed back out to finish painting and I'll be back later on this week. Hope you are all having a fabulous Monday!!

What goals have you accomplished for 2016?

BulletProof Coffee + Accomplishments this Week

Wow, this week certainly did fly by fast, right?! This week, for me has been pretty productive. I have had my high energy days and some not so much. I am on Day 8 of my new diet, The Ketogenic Diet and some days I'm running around with so much energy and some days I am exhausted from the detox. I have lost 8 lbs so far on this diet! I'm hoping to get to my goal weight within the next week and I plan on rewarding myself with some retail therapy!

I have also noticed that my allergies are much better and I haven't had issues with anxiety or depression since I have been on the diet, so that is a huge improvement. I have been so excited about it that I have been telling all of my family about it and how much this way of eating, has helped me. Also, I post free books weekly on my Book Club- The Book Clique and I posted a couple of free downloads for the Ketogenic diet if you are interested! Make sure you follow so that you get access to free kindle books every week!

The one thing that has really helped me get through this week is the BulletProof Coffee that I told you guys about last week- that stuff is amazing! When I'm feeling tired, it really gives me so much energy to get the things that I need to get done. I have really been taking advantage of my high energy days and getting quite a few things knocked out.

Business Updates:
>> Applied for a few affiliate programs to help monetize my blog
>> Updated my Blog Media Kit
>> Emailed some companies about collaborations
>> Emailed over 35 free copies of my VA eBook in exchange for Amazon Reviews (I also sold several copies in the last week- woohoo!!)
>> Pitched an article to HARO. The source was from the Huffington Post, so I'm hoping that it gets published!
>> Updated my business website
>> Emailed several readers for new reviews on my Facebook for my VA eBook
>> Lowered my VA eBook price from $9.99 to $7.99 so that I can reach more people. I know that it's worth so much more, but I'm more interested in helping others achieve their dreams of working from home, like I have!

House Updates:
>> Touched up Paint in a couple of rooms
>> Repaired a DIY piece that the hubby and I made together. I plan on hanging it this weekend!
>> Hubby did some caulking on the interior trim to get it ready for me to paint
>> Re-arranged the deck

Personal:
>> Made Hair appointment for next week
>> Actually took some downtime and had a spa day at home. I need to do that more often!
>> Made Dentist appointment for next week
>> Daily- listen to sermons, exercise via speed-walking/water aerobics
>> I finally bit the bullet & joined SnapChat! You can follow me @malpollard The hubby and I have been having so much fun with it!!
>> Also helped my Mom in the past 2 months do some de-cluttering and cleaning. She is always so giving and helping everyone else so it was nice to help her for once.
>> My brother's house burned down a couple of months ago so my hubby went to help with my other brothers to re-build their pool house. They worked for almost 13 hours straight and was able to get it fully framed! So excited for them after going through such a tragedy.

And as always, my regular domestic duties around the house- dishes, laundry, cleaning and cooking. Right now, I have to do everything all on my own, but one day I plan on hiring a housekeeper. I think for going through a week of detox, this is not a bad list of accomplishments. Just think of all that I could accomplish after getting over this detox period! I can't wait to see how much better I feel once I get through this period.

Let me know if this post helps you or inspires you so that I can do more posts like these. I always want to share my tips so I can help you feel your very best & have the best life possible! For me, life is about giving back & when you find something amazing- share it with the world and help others.

I'll be back soon with more fun updates! Happy early Friday!

xoxo, M

Hello May!!

I honestly cannot believe that it's May already. This year has really flown by quickly! Lately, I have been on a mission, working on decluttering our home & garage. My word for 2016 is Simplify.

I used to love to purchase things all of the time, but the more that I have to go through things, the less stuff that I actually want. The more that I get rid of, the less weighed down that I feel! It's amazing how little you truly need to live a good life. 

I told someone the other day that all I need in life is God, my books, coffee, travel, husband! I would much rather spend my money on travel and good food than materialistic things.

Some of my goals for May include:

>> Pray more, worry less (always on the top of my list!)
>> Finish cleaning out the garage (sell on swap + shop and have a sale/donate)
>> Go on a 1-week vacation!
>> Keep up the healthy eating + daily running (lose 5 lbs)
>> Finish painting our house, put up shutters
>> Sand & Paint interior window trim on all windows
>> Install baseboard trim + putty, sand & paint
>> Possibly purchasing a used vehicle with good gas mileage

I think that's about it. I'm keeping it sweet & simple for this month since we have two Mother's Day parties and also graduation parties this month.

What are your goals for this month?

There's No Rest for Those Who dream of Success

via lushlity.tumblr

I always say that I am going to slow down in life, but there's no rest for those who dream of success. I'm going to keep hustling until I get to where I want to be!

Here are a few things that I was able to accomplish this week:

>> Cruise dining seating set up (table for two is a  must)
>> Hotel purchased
>> Taxes submitted & paid!
>> Designed Opt-in for Blog Email List
>> Emailed companies RE: collaboration opportunities
>> Finished eBook on Money Saving Tips
>> Lined up 20+ Reviewers for new eBook
>> Added my new eBook to both websites
>> Cleaned couch cover, shower curtain + liner
>> Hubby installed hood vent above stove
>> Hubby installed 5 new window trim
>> Hubby caulked cabinets
>> Cleaned yards
>> Sold a couple of items on Swap & Shop (working on my decluttering goals!)
>> Merged cell phones to save money
>> Ordered 2 extra iPhone cables, computer speakers, and vitamins
>> Joined more business Facebook Groups (Entrepreneur, Author Groups, etc.)
>> Joined all of the free Kindle Book sites (let's just say I have a TON of new books to read!) If you haven't already, sign up here to get access to my free kindle book list!
>> Started a new Book Club online (see below) & created graphics for blog and social media
>> Submitted & set up my book promotion starting next week + created graphics for marketing (My VA Business book will be discounted, so be sure to look out for it starting Monday!)
>> Mended several pieces of clothing
>> Added new book link to email signature
>> Cleaned garage (threw out quite a bit!)
>> Daily running + healthy diet
>> 2 outside tanning sessions (read a book that I've had forever!)

Goals in the next 4 weeks:
>> Move remaining house items from Albany
>> Finish cleaning out Garage & have a sale
>> Finish painting exterior house
>> Successful Book Promotion
>> Weight Loss
>> Schedule hair appointment
>> Finish a couple of product reviews

For me, life's all about what you make of it. It's not up to anyone else to make your life better; you get to choose how your life plays out every day. I choose to work hard and become the person that I dream of being and believe me, it's not easy! It means working 10-14 hour days on my business and my books, social media marketing, personal house updates, exercising, etc. If I've learned anything in the past year, it's that I write my own story and I can sit around and choose to focus on the negative or the things that I don't have in life or I can choose the positive things and look forward to all of the wonderful things that God has planned for my life!

Speaking of being positive and inspired, if you love to read, come join my new book club on Facebook where I post quality free & bargain books during the week. "The Book Clique"- I sort through free & bargain kindle books to find the quality ones to save you on time! I post lots of great books on self-help, spirituality, business, etc.

Working towards our Goals; one Day at a Time

 

Hi Lovies! I hope that you had a great weekend! I really enjoyed mine and was able to get so much accomplished. The hubby and I have a new plan to paint 4 exterior rafters each per day this week and our goal is to finish that part by this Thursday or Friday. Then we can move on to touch-ups, window trim, etc. Once the painting is finished, we can put up shutters.

I read a book over the weekend about being successful in life and the author was talking about how time is so expensive and that we shouldn't be doing things that we don't want to do just because others want us to. He talked about how we waste time with people who drain our energy/negative and how we should use our time more wisely. Some things that I am applying to my life is to start getting up earlier so that I can get more done. Every day, I feel like I don't have enough time to get everything that I need to get done. In order to finish our goals and to be successful, I am going to have to start sacrificing some sleep. I don't need 9 hours of sleep per night; 7 hours is ample enough time.

We have also been working on some health goals as well. Because of our food allergies, we have started a new healthy eating and exercise plan.

>> Decrease coffee to 1 cup per day (coffee can cause your body to hold on to fat cells)
>> Decrease dairy intake (using coconut milk for coffee creamer)
>> Decrease sugar intake (using agave + stevia)
>> Daily walking break for 20-30 minutes
>> Drinking 6-8 glasses of water per day
>> Eliminated Gluten, eggs, and soy altogether

We also started back taking our vitamins. I have gotten back on the vitamins to build up a good gut health since I had some health issues last year. Our new vitamin intake includes probiotics, chlorella, daily vitamin, slippery elm, MSM, calm with magnesium. I just put in another order with iHerb. I do my shopping here because I earn loyalty points that I can use towards future purchases! For first time customers, you can also get free items. Just use the code above.

I also cleaned out some of the garage on Saturday and Sunday. We are going to get the rest of our things and have a Garage Sale coming up on May 6th and 7th. I hope to clear out half of the garage! My goal this year is to declutter and get our house finished. For us, it's all about making lists of what needs to get done and mark it off one thing at a time. I am so excited to have our goals accomplished by this year so that we can sit back and enjoy what we have worked so hard to build!

What are some of your goals that you are working towards?

I published my first Book on Amazon!!

Hi Lovies! There's a reason that I haven't blogged in a while....I finally finished my eBook and formatted it for the Kindle! My new eBook "The Ultimate A-Z Guide to Running a Lucrative Virtual Assistant Business" is now available on Amazon!! If you are a member of Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for FREE ($9.99 to purchase)!! Get your copy here!

This week was extremely emotional for me, I have so much weight on my shoulders with running a business, writing a book, client work and trying to work on our house daily that I had a couple of mini-breakdowns before all of this happened. Of course, I prayed through it asking God for his guidance. On Wednesday, I decided to take most of the day off of work and I was talking to my Mom about my business and my book and while I was talking out loud, I had a moment of clarity- I am meant to be a writer! How could I have not seen this all of my life? Once I had this moment of clarity, God reminded me of two dreams that he had given me about 9 months ago. The first dream was that I was in my home office and I was so happy because my new career was writing and I was getting paid for it! The second dream was that I was to become wealthy off of royalties- when I think royalties, I think about books, cds, etc. On my goals list at home, I have two goals- one is to become wealthy and the second is to help the less fortunate. I want to use my money to help others who have had a hard time in life - I know what that's like and I want to help others in their time of need.

Having God show me exactly where I need to focus in my career is a MAJOR breakthrough for me!! I had been struggling in my business because of being overwhelmed with so many people wanting me to work with them and I didn't want to stretch myself so thin that I had no time for God, my husband or even myself. It was causing me to have anxiety, so I started praying and God answered! (Like he always does!)

I can't even begin to tell you how exciting all o f this is for me! For those who don't know me, I've been writing since I was a little girl, mostly in my journals. All of those years being a nerd, getting the award for reading the most books in book clubs, being in spelling bees- all of it is paying off! I have also already written 1/8 of my new book- this one will be more of a chick lit inspirational type book based loosely on my life. I'm so excited to start my career as a writer!

Also, If you do read my new eBook, whether you purchase it or download it through Kindle Unlimited, I would love it if you would spread the word and also leave a review on Amazon. This would really help since I am a first time Publisher on Amazon.

I hope this post helps you to follow your dreams, don't give up! There were so many times that I had break-downs and just cried and prayed, but I never gave up. I just kept working even when I just wanted to lay in bed. Success is not for the lazy, working hard and praying is what got me to where I am now!

What are some of your hopes & dreams and what are you doing to work towards making them happen?

xoxo,
Melinda

Never Ending To Do List!

 via The Every Girl

Honestly, it feels like my entire life consists of one HUGE to-do list. Especially with me running & marketing my own business, my hubby working full time & on top of that-we have a new house that needs several things finished! You will never find me complaining about being bored or lonely!

So the hubby and I were talking the other day and we came up with the idea that we could work on accomplishing 1 thing per day (or more) on the house to do list in order to get things done faster! We have 366 days (1 extra day!!) this year, so here we go!

I am keeping myself accountable and letting you all see what we accomplished the past 2 weeks!

Hubby's to do's is- H and my to do's is- M.

|| Cleaned out fridge - M
|| Painted Toilet Brush Holder - M
|| Painted rusty Hammock - M
|| Puttied deck step boards- M
|| Cleaned behind Fridge - M
|| Deep cleaned all sinks- M
|| Cleaned out 1/2 the garage (baby steps...)- M
|| Organized & threw out computer cords - H
|| Installed speakers- H
|| Cleaned yards (when you have 3 acres it's constant upkeep!) - M
|| Put up new clock- H
|| Installed trim on 3 windows in bedroom- H
|| Mudded areas- H
|| Painted rafters & hardi-board on main side of house- M
|| Put in vents on main side of house -M
|| Cleaned deck railing - M
|| Painted exterior overhangs - M
|| Put Putty in exterior hardi-boards- M
|| Put up new bedroom mirror - H
|| Removed hand-built scaffolding on side of house- H 
|| After returning blinds, ordered 3 more of the higher quality ones- M

Other To-do's:
|| After having my new iPhone 6s for over 4 months, I finally set up my apple pay!
|| Wrote 3 blog posts for the week
|| Brought on a couple of new clients
|| Listened to 2 sermons- last Tuesday
|| Stripped bed & did Laundry, Dishes, Cleaned Floors, Cleaned off DR table
|| Trying to make a habit of making my bed everyday (you guys, I have never made up my bed my entire life!) But it feels so amazing when I do!
|| Cleaned & organized makeup vanity area
|| Researched & Found remaining furniture (will have it in a couple of weeks!)


Today I plan on puttying the deck stair boards & get them ready to sand & paint, sand all 3 overhangs and hopefully paint them this week. Also, the hubby is going to finish taking down the hand-made scaffolding & finish mudding around the hood vent area so we can get that installed this week as well! We are making it a goal to finish painting & building + installing shutters this month. Lots to do, but the only way to get it all done is to do something every day (or several things, in my case!!)

Hope you all have an awesome week!! xoxo

Bring on 2016!!

This weekend was another busy one! The hubby and I are doing a 6-week challenge to see what we can accomplish before 2015 is over!

 This week I:

>> Did some cleaning- pantry, fridge, closet, laundry, dishes, mopped wood floors

>> Re-arranged Entertainment Center

>> Kiltzed remaining rafters- now I have to go back & paint them

>> Hubby put up my two new office pictures

>> Had a Blog Makeover! Still need to do a photo shoot for the Header

>> Ordered custom leather luggage tags via Etsy

>> Sold iPhone 5

>> Set up & had 1st Skype (for the record- I still hate being on video!)

>> Set up my Newsletter, Designed Newsletter Header & sent out first newsletter! Also created Signup-forms for Facebook, Sign-up button for website

>> Wrote blog post for The Dream Virtual Assistant

Look-back on 2015:

>> Housework- installed Wood-flooring, shelving & extra racks in walk in closet, finished Hard-board exterior siding, Painted all interior doors, stained underneath deck, kiltzed about 100 rafters on second story, Painted 2 1/2 sides of house, 

>> De-cluttered & donated 2 truckloads to charity

>> Joined unroll.me in January & it changed my life!

>> Hubby bought me a Vita-mix for my Birthday!!

>> Celebrated 16 year Wedding Anniversary with my amazing husband! 

>> Finally updated Estate Planning

>> Stood up for myself & stopped caring about approval from other people & stopped listening to people's negativity about my dreams & goals (I wrote about it here)

>> Mended relationships with my family

>> I ended up getting sick, lost 20 lbs. & reached my goal weight

>> Bought furniture for entire house including chair, love-seat, office desk, bed, dining table + chairs, dresser, wine-rack, Patio furniture and grill, new mattress & new pillows, dinnerware, coffeepot- pretty much everything!!

>> Purchased a new riding lawnmower

>> Visited new stores- IKEA, Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, Crate & Barrell

>> Hubby pulled groin, hurt ankle & got food poisoning which put us behind on housework & I reverted back to being a Nurse (see post I wrote here)

>> Re-opened my Fig & Peach Etsy Store and then decided to close it- have my hands full withmy new business.

>> Renewed my Passport but ended up with a terrible photo!

>> Traveled to Puerto Rico, Turks & Caicos, Bahamas (beach-front couples massage), Savannah, Destin, Amelia Island

>> Tagged along with the hubby to Savannah for his school/exams & had fun eating, shopping my way through Savannah!

>> Dined at lots of great new Restaurants!

>> Went on first Carnival Cruise- worst cruise ever, but we made the best of it (definitely sticking to Celebrity & Royal Caribbean next time!)
>> Took a photo with a two Iguanas on me- that was a first!!
>> Visited Conch Graveyard & found some amazing huge conch shells for my souvenir travel collection

>> Made decision to put in notice to leave 8-5 stressful job & go after my dreams finally!!

>> Started my online business The Dream Virtual Assistant & worked with over 10 clients all in 6 weeks! 

>> Read lots of great books! Big Magic, 4-hour Workweek, Nice Girls Can Finish Last, The Woman I wanted to Be, Girl-boss & more!

>> Joined new Boss Facebook Groups-have met so many encouraging, supportive business women!

>> Listened to some inspiring podcasts!

>> Set up CRM, Accounting, Business Bank Account, Logo creation, Skype, Marketing,Signed up for Hoot-suite, Buffer, Tailwind

>> Upgraded to an iPhone 6s in rose gold for my business and for better reception

>> Had a Blog Makeover!

>> Revamped my Twitter, Facebook &  Pinterest Page (Rich Pins, upgraded to Business, re-arranged boards visually, etc.)
>> Wrote over 4,000 words for book
>> Purchased a selfie stick for vacations
>> Purchased new 5 piece suitcase set

>> Learned to trust in God even more! God gave me a vision about my career future & every since I put my trust in God & made the leap, things have been going better than I could have ever dreamed!

And I know that this is my blog, but I am so proud of my amazing hubby for accomplishing several goals of his own this year! Including taking & passing 2 exams, doing tons of work on our new house (too long to list!), supporting me through all of my stress and + leaving my job & getting back to designing house-plans! I'm blessed to have such an amazing husband:)

2016 Goals:

>> Grow The Dream Virtual Assistant even more! Create an E-book + Grow my Email List

>> Travel more! Use free Delta airline tickets

>> Start back running

>> Adopt a pet? Thinking maybe a Hedgehog, teddy bear hamster...

>> Photo-shoot with the hubby

>> Have more adventures! 

>> Have a Garage Sale & get rid of remaining clutter!

I am always excited for a new year- it's brings a fresh start and a new slate to wipe clean! Thirty-nine days and counting!

What are some of your accomplishments for 2015 and goals for the new year?

Crazy Good||

 My dream office via EveryGirl

Hi Lovies! Another crazy good week- busy, busy but getting so much done over here!

This week I:

|| Designed + Ordered new Business cards!
|| Finally got GoDaddy email to be redirected to Gmail- now I have a dot com & it was free!
|| Talked with CPA about Business & what I can write off/Accounting Practices, etc.
|| Had two more new clients this week + 2 more VA Consultations for potential clients
|| Listed my business on every directory that I could find!
|| Completed accounting for the business
|| Booked weekend trip to the Beach! Shopping + Beach + Seafood- yes please!!
|| Signed up to try out Tailwind, after trying Buffer- I love how TW works so far!
|| Finished up a book that I was reading

Last night, I stayed up until 1:30 finishing up some work on a Holiday Guide List for a client- I had two coffees from Starbucks & there was no way that I was going to sleep anyway! It was really nice waking up this morning, only having to work on tweaking it.

Today was a pretty great day- it was the first day that I've actually had extra time to go walking or have any time for myself. Since the business start up part is behind me, I now have extra time to focus on marketing, work + some me time. Tomorrow, I have a couple of projects to work on in the morning, then I will be packing for our weekend trip to the beach!! So that's it pretty much- off to have some dinner + relax!

How has your week treated you?

Happy Monday!!

via notyourstandard

Happy Monday Lovelies!! I haven't blogged in a few days because I got a bit overwhelmed with the not so fun parts of starting a business. Accounting, CRM, Invoicing,etc. I'm happy to say that I was able to accomplish everything last week and it is such a huge weight off my shoulders!

So here is what I got done last week:

Business
|| Business Accounting/Invoicing System set up
|| Business Bank Account set up + Business debit card
|| Ordered a Target Red-card for my Business (5% back!!)
|| Had logo created via Etsy (for invoices)
|| Updated pages for my website (about me, hire me, etc.)
|| Cleaned up Twitter + IG sites
|| Ordered iPhone 6s in rose gold and upgraded memory to 64- will be using phone for business, so I will need more room for apps + accounting, etc.
|| Emailed Amy my VA listing to put on Skill-Space


Personal
|| Ordered Suitcase set for our upcoming trip
|| Cleaned upstairs + downstairs fridge
|| Painted more exterior rafters
|| Cleaned downstairs garage
|| Cleaned house interior lights
|| Laundry + dishes
|| Cleaned bedding
|| Made parking reservations for vacation
|| Created a new personal Swap & Shop page to sell things that I don't need- went through & cleaned out closet
|| Hubby put up Door trim & molding in bathroom

Today, I have some client work to do, a new potential client phone appointment & later I plan on taking some more classes online. I also need to call my CPA to ask a few questions and work on some accounting. Fun day ahead! I'm currently making a cappuccino and then getting to work!

What were you able to accomplish over the past week?

Getting my Hustle On//

    

It's Day Two of being at home and I love it! Some people would probably get bored or not have enough things to fill their time, but not me- I have so many goals and things that I want to accomplish! 

Here are some things that I accomplished on Day 1:

|| Made hubby breakfast and packed a lunch

|| Gave hubby a haircut

|| Had a healthy breakfast for once! Scrambled eggs + GF raisin toast + grapes  (usually have a banana or protein bar for breakfast)  

|| Completed 8 Restaurant Reviews on Trip Advisor

|| Put up dishes

|| Washed bedding/made bed + another load of laundry

|| Cooked Chicken & Rice Casserole for dinner

|| Completed Blog Post

|| Listened to 1 Being Boss Podcast

|| Signed up for Photoshop Course

|| Fed the squirrels

|| Walked with the hubby for 20 minutes

|| Sent important emails RE: Blog & Career Opportunities

|| Hair Treatment

|| Made hair appointment at Madison Grove

|| Read 80% of "Nice Girls Can Finish Last"- I highly recommend this book to women are too nice and tend to not get back what they give to others and how they can change their behavior to get what they deserve! The author talks about you can still be nice, but be firm in what you ask for and expect in life and remove the people who take from you but are never there in your time of need.

This morning, I am currently listening to my second sermon of the day and finished reading my book from yesterday. I also just downloaded Photo Director 5 to start learning some new photo editing and I plan on beginning my Photoshop Course today as well so I can refresh my memory. So yes, busy day of learning ahead and I'm excited!

Hope you all are having a lovely day where-ever you are!

Spiritual Growth + Grateful//

Sitting here, taking a break from doing laundry + cleaning house before we get ready to leave for our 8 day Cruise early tomorrow morning. I am feeling so grateful today, because this week has been a really good one for me. So many great things happened and I just have this feeling that some wonderful breakthroughs are about to happen in my life!!

A few things that happened to me this week + some reasons that I am grateful:

>> I met a great friend this week- sometimes you just meet that person and hit it off instantly & have that spiritual connection + same morals & level of faith- that rarely happens to me, but it did this week! I love when I can talk to someone about God & be on the same level- that's an amazing thing!

>> I made up with my sister & we talked things out, I have forgiven her for things that were done and we have met up a few times for coffee and things have been going really well. I'm excited to grow our relationship better and stronger.

>> Among all of the reasons that I am grateful, this one seems the most trite. But, it did make me really happy so I am adding it to the list. I finally fit back into a pair of my old skinny jeans! I haven't fit into these jeans for several years, so that's a pretty great way to start off my vacation!

>> Had some spiritual eye-opening things happen to me this week- Revelations really. I'm excited to keep praying and see what God has in store for my life//

>> I stood up for myself against a bully at work & didn't run away or cry like I used to- I was cornered (once again) privately (they were actually waiting on me to walk into this room so that they could attack me) and this person verbally attacked me about several things and I stood my ground, I was firm but nice at the same time and walked away. I refuse to continue to allow another person to run over me or try to bully me- I'm tired of it. I'm the nicest person until someone continues to pick at me and push me and push me. God doesn't expect for me to be a punching bag for anyone- I don't believe in retaliation, but I believe in standing up for yourself. I was so proud of myself, I can tell that I have become a much stronger Christian. "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Matthew 10:16

>> I have more confidence in myself  lately and I have noticed that I care less of what others think of me or if they choose to like me or not. I'm a strong Christian and I am fully dedicated to living a life devoted to God and that means that I won't be accepted by this world- I don't want to be part of things that are not of God. I want to find more like-minded Christians that truly believe in God and live dedicated to him and don't put limits on what he can do. My faith in God is huge- in my eyes he can do anything that I believe and pray for. God is so amazing- He is the most wonderful presence in my life- I refuse to live without him- I couldn't and wouldn't want to face this world on my own//

I am excited for things that God is bringing into my life- I feel the seasons changing- just a small shift, but I have been feeling it lately. This vacation has come at the perfect time in my life- I need a break to get away and just pray and talk to God. I am so excited to just relax and not worry about things. I will be back in about 10 or so days from now to blog all about my trip!! See you then!

What are some blessings that have happened to you lately?

The Weekend//

Hello lovelies! Hope that you enjoyed your weekend! I just got back from Target around 9:30 and had two strong coffees at Starbucks, which is why I am currently awake at 11:05!! I had a nice weekend- mostly painting and catching up on things. Honestly, I have been taking it pretty easy around the house-trying to not overexert myself. I slept in on both Saturday and Sunday, so that was nice.

• Posted Swap & Shop Photos 
• Cleaned freezer + fridge downstairs
• Primed Rafters
• Helped hubby do some nail-setting and putty on the house exterior
• Finally caught up on the Bachelorette!
• Blogged
• Organized all of my notes into my journal (I am obsessive about making notes)
• Tidied house- dishes, cleaned bathroom, put up laundry
• Updated my Social Media Platforms
• Organized 1 photo album!
• Trader Joe's- Food shopping for the week
• Returned pair of shoes at Target (moccasins that came apart at the seams)
• Purchased chalkboard for office area + gorgeous photo frame (new project for the bedroom)
• Picked up more caulk + paint supplies at Lowe's
• Used my free coffee drink at Starbucks for a Venti Espresso Frappucino made with coconut milk + agave +  2 extra shots espresso (try it! so good!)
• Started reading this old book that I found on the free shelf at the Library- I feel like God put it there just for me. It really inspired and motivated me to not give up on my dreams in life- I'm starting to feel excited for things again// I haven't felt that way in a long time.

This upcoming week, we will be doing more priming, caulking, sanding, covering windows with plastic + tape. Hopefully, we will be painting this weekend. The prep work is the worst part! 

Well, I think I better head to bed so I can be rested up for the work week. Hope that you all have a Happy Monday!

Whole 30 Diet//

Lately, I am still feeling really tired and unhealthy, even with all of the new vitamins, exercising daily and healthy foods that I have been eating, nothing seems to help. I have been doing some research and realized that with my current symptoms, I am most likely having food allergies to gluten and soy. I feel like this is the reason that I am not losing weight and feel tired & puffy all of the time; so I have decided to start the Whole 30 diet- which is similar to the Paleo Diet.  For the next 30 days I will be eliminating all grains, soy, legumes, dairy, sugar and alcohol from my diet. 

I have already found some great recipes and some blogs that I can follow so that I can keep myself accountable + motivated. I am going to need all of the motivation that I can muster, especially with eliminating some of my favorite foods like cheese and wine. But honestly, if it helps me feel better + lose some stubborn lbs, then it will be worth it! 

Tomorrow, I am going food shopping to stock up on gluten-free and whole foods, at this point, I barely have anything to eat in my pantry! I am very excited to start this journey and will hopefully start to feel better within the first week. I will come back here weekly to update my progress and any changes that I see.

Wish me luck!!