Getting Ready for Restoration!!

Wow, where do I start?! So much has been going on and the hubby and I have been working insanely crazy to the point of exhaustion. We are both in need of a much needed break; but before we get to that, let's talk about what we were able to accomplish the past week!

Past Week Accomplishments: 
>> I have been picking up limbs and sticks for an entire week from Hurricane Hermine
>> Ordered 18 tons of dirt and helped hubby with filling dirt for our concrete drive for the garage
>> Hubby framed out and dug for the well house and the garage drive
>> Cleaned Roof
>> Cleaned Deck
>> Ordered Propane
>> Ordered Tub Tool
>> Ordered Lawn Mower Blades
>> Ordered some healthy food items, drinks on Amazon and Jet
>> Ordered a Kate Spade iPhone charger (when our electricity was out, I really relied on my back up chargers! Plus, they are great to have while on vacation & there is no access to an outlet)
>> Hubby cut wooded area
>> Purchased a new Ryobi weed trimmer- amazing!
>> Ordered a replacement Keurig + some kcups
>> Picked out our new Kitchen Backsplash- Natural Color Hexagon
>> Booked Hotel for Beach Stay! ( I'm so excited for some R&R, including some delicious seafood, beach, reading books & shopping!)

I have to tell you, something is going on behind the scenes and God is working!! This scripture keeps showing up on my Pinterest, Facebook, etc and I wanted to share. I read it aloud to the hubby and felt God's presence around me. God has seen the struggle that my husband and I have gone through for over 5 years now. There were several things that Satan stole from us but I have been diligently praying for restoration and for God to bless us with seven-fold what Satan has stolen from us.

I really don't discuss our problems or things that we go through with anyone or share via social media- that's why I have my blog so that I can safely write here. I hope that writing about the things that I go through, will somehow help someone else and at the same time, allow them to see how prayer works and how good God is!!

We have been through so much throughout these past 5 years when all we had to depend on was God, when everyone else walked out. We went through losing our dog of 15 years, losing half the money on selling our home, losing half of a salary that we were accustomed to, my husband losing his Father, his job. We had to work a hard job on the road for almost 8 months and it was not easy, but we worked hard and trusted in God for our future. We went through struggling with almost 8 months of unemployment- literally, no one would hire us. It got to the point that we didn't know how we were going to make it but God got us through until the last few dollars and he performed a miracle and I got a great job and soon after the hubby did as well!

God has been beyond good to the husband and I throughout the years. It has been a struggle for us, but it has made us depend even more on God to get through things. I have watched him heal our dog when he was completely paralyzed, I have witnessed being on our last few dollars and he deliver us with jobs and money, I have watched God help us financially when things have gotten rough. But I don't complain that we have gone through any of these things. Yes, we lost money on our home, yes, we don't have the same financial lifestyle that we had before and we have had to make sacrifices but God has taken care of us every time!

Everyday, sometime during the day I go on a walk up and down our drive and I talk to God about what is going on in our lives and I pray over our future. I pray mostly about God restoring what Satan has stolen from us. I watch my husband every day, diligently work even though he deserves more and is meant for greater things, but he never complains. My heart hurts for him and I pray over him daily for God to bless his future and for him to be successful and be in the favor of God. One thing that I really love about my husband is that he is extremely intelligent but he is never boastful or proud about it.  In this day and age, that is extremely rare. I have been watching God bless us in the past few weeks about some things that I have been praying over and I know that he is working on our future. The hubby and I talk about things that happen and we both know that it is God working! Right now, I couldn't be more excited for our future and the blessings that are on the way!

What are you praying/trusting in God for today?

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!

My July 4th Weekend + Some Accomplishments

  

Our July 4th weekend was pretty busy but fun! Saturday, we were invited to a pool party (and yes, I did bring a bottle of wine and had only 1/2 glass) and did so much swimming! Sunday we visited my family and ended up staying most of the day. My Mom and oldest brother wanted to hear all about my new diet and I set my brother up with the free Kindle app on his iPhone and sent him some free Amazon Books so he can read all about it.

My brother hugged me when we were leaving and told me that I pretty much saved his life (he is fighting some health issues and I told him to eliminate the grains and sugars and that alone would help him tremendously). He did that and lost over 5 lbs in one week and as soon as I saw him, I instantly could tell that he had lost weight and looked healthier! It really means so much to me when I have an impact on someone's life :) And no, I'm not a health or fitness coach (although, maybe I should be?), but I've been a health nut since I was very young. I'm obsessed with a holistic and healthy lifestyle and love experimenting with foods and herbs!

Once we left my Mom's late Saturday afternoon, we decided to get our food shopping done for the week. We hit up our local Co-op, Trader Joe's and Target and of course Starbucks for a Venti triple shot espresso frappucino w/2 pumps sugar free vanilla. I love that I can have that on my Ketogenic diet!

Monday, we worked on the house all day since we played most of the weekend and we ended up getting so much done! We took a break to grill some grass-fed burgers and the hubby had a Henry's Hard Soda (no more alcohol for me!)

>> Painted Front Door on House
>> Two new clients!
>> Purchased our trip for this winter (super excited about it!!)
>> Mowed Grass
>> Hubby purchased several plants and a new pressure washer from Lowes. The pressure washer is so easy to use that I can even work it!
>> Listed more items on swap & shop (sold one item)
>> Cleaned in between all of the deck boards
>> Scrubbed the hubby's gas/stainless steel grill
>> Vacuumed Patio Cushions

By Tuesday, it was time to get back to work for the week!

>> Did some client work
>> Paid someone to update Blog Header Photos (I can't wait to see how it turns out!)
>> Listened to three sermons back to back on Wednesday. It was everything that I needed to hear! The same message "God is working it all out, just leave it in his hands." And that is exactly what I plan on doing!
>> 6 new positive reviews in the last couple of weeks for my VA eBook!
>> Cleaned out and organized all of my online folders
>> Received another amazing review from one of my clients! I love my clients, they are the most wonderful and inspiring women!
>> Housework- lots of laundry, dishes and cooking!

Things have been going amazing and I'm sticking with my Keto diet. I'm still at same weight loss- around 9 lbs. but I feel great and that is the most important thing!

It's late afternoon here right now and it just started raining, so I may not be able to paint the bottom garage door like I had planned, unless it clears up soon. But I do have plans to hang some pictures and a mirror tonight (with the hubby's help, of course).

How was your July 4th weekend? Did you do anything exciting?

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?

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

January Accomplishments & Goals

                                                                  via The Glitter Guide


Some days I just don't feel like I've accomplished much until I write it all out and I'm always amazed by how much that I have actually accomplished!! 


Goals accomplished for January:


House Accomplishments:
|| Cleaned out my closet & consigned a TON of clothing, shoes, jewelry
|| Ordered my 3rd Verismo- the first 2 would not work. This time they are sending me their newer model- so hopefully, the 3rd time is the charm!!
|| Ordered a set of surround sound speakers for our home
|| Ordered 3 pair of woven natural blinds for the bedroom
|| Rearranged furniture & loving the new vibe!
|| Cleaned out junk drawers, pantry, under the bathroom sink
|| Hubby put up 4 new pictures + a mirror for me!
|| Did some after Christmas shopping & updated to all new Christmas decorations, tree skirt, ornaments, etc. (My stuff was all hand-me downs from family) I also bought Christmas           gifts for this Christmas already!
|| Installed new butcher block in Laundry room- hubby worked really hard on getting this     done and it looks amazing!!
|| Purchased a new mirror for the bedroom, a clock, 2 side tables for the living room (still on the hunt for a coffee table, buffet table and wall art- we're getting there!!)
||Purchased Amazon Prime (trying to decide whether to keep Hulu & Netflix)


Work Accomplishments:
|| Started my "Morning coffee with God" routine (put God first & my business second)
|| Hubby installed PDF Nitro so that I can create fillable forms, questionnaires- he's the best!
|| Designed Square Space Website & Transferred everything over to new site
|| Increased my IG Followers by 200 in a week, & Twitter followers by 60 in the past week
|| Created a Free Business Marketing Tip Sheet for my Opt-In
|| Available in my Shop Now: "How to Ditch the 8-5 and Start Your Dream Business" 
|| Opened my online Styled Stock Photography at the Creative Market & Etsy
|| Worked on my Business organization- organized all of my projects in Asana including a House Project for my hubby & I to get our House To-Do List accomplished!
|| Re-branded my entire business including my website and designing new Banners for my Twitter, Facebook & Newsletter
||Decorated my new office & installed Office 2016 Software which I am loving!


Goals for the remainder of January:
|| Clean out the Garage & get rest of things from storage- have a sale!
|| Put up Kitchen Hood-vent
|| Hang Clock
|| Purchase Wall Mirror for Living Room, Coffee Table, Buffet Table and Wall Art
|| Install Speakers
|| Install Blinds
|| Put up Interior Trim
|| Paint Exterior Rafters
|| Finish Painting Exterior Siding (Once it warms up!!) 


What have you been able to accomplish so far for 2016? Please share!