Organizing my life.

Lately I've been inspired to become more organized.  I want to "have it all together."  You know, not really, but yes really.  Doesn't that make perfect sense?

In the past, I have tried to make a weekly menu, do all my shopping on Sunday for the week, and not have to go grocery shopping but that one time. 


It didn't work out so well...but now I am giving it a second chance.  Thanks to this fun printable that I found, I think I will have better luck!

 What I do is just fill this out every week, and then erase it and start over for the next week! I love it already.  If you'd like to get one of your own, just visit www.mommytracked.com

Easy, right?!  I am really excited to not be sitting on the couch at 6:30 thinking "What the HECK do I cook for dinner?"

I also downloaded a free cleaning checklist from marthstewart.com

Notice only three items are checked off so far...hehe...

it's a start though!


I've also got a "week at a glance," "to-do list," and a "bill payment checklist" sheet. 

And they will go into my cute little binder and hopefully will keep me more organized!

I know it's just hubby and I right now but the sooner I get organized, the easier it'll be once kiddos come around.. (in several years)

I'm also hoping to get started on an exercise regimen (because once I got hitched, that went DOWN the drain! hehe) as well as a daily devotional.  My mother in law bought me this book, and I already LOVE it! Thanks, Kim!

So yep, here is my stand to be organized and be better at life.  Hope it lasts!

Be sure to grab those free printables at marthstewart.com and mommytracked.com!

On a different note, I finally have a solution to my weird wall that houses the television.  You can read about that here.  I just needed SOMETHING to make it feel more cohesive..and here is what my mom came up with.


Well, here is the Before shot:

And the after:

 We just added our bench that we had in the dining room (all of the guests at our wedding signed it on our wedding days!) and added some pillows to the top. I really like how it anchors the wall, and the painting that sits above it.  And now on the other side of the wall, where the rose chair is, I will add a trio of photos to "symetric-ize" the wall.  Don't you like how I just made up that word?

 The best part about this mini-makeover is that I didn't spend a dime! It's funny how rearranging things can make a room look way better!  Now I have to choose the prints for the other side of the wall...hmmmm...

Here's to being organized!

Ronald.

This Christmas, Seth and I have decided to not exchange any "big" presents. We are only giving each other gifts in our stockings. We jointly agreed that it was a good idea for a couple reasons.

1. Since this is our first year being married and funds are a tad tight (no more cash flow from the parents!!) we didn't want to buy each other gifts because we'd rather spend it on necessities such as bills, rent, groceries...
2.  We are going to Texas and didn't want to have to haul several presents in the car and then feel weird when all of my family was staring at us while we opened them. (yes, we could choose to open them before or in a separate room, but we really just didn't want to haul them in the car with a dog and two felines. Believe me, there will be enough chaos without the presents clanking around in the back.
3. Really though, the most important reason we wanted to just exchange stockings and not spend much on each other is because we both feel that our money would be better spent on people less fortunate than us.

I have SO many things to be thankful and grateful for...our beautiful home that we rent from a sweet friend, my husband who cuddles with me every single night (guys, i love cuddling. LOVE.),our furry children who are so precious, our families who have been nothing but extremely supportive of us, a job that may not be the most "ideal" job, but it pays the bills and puts food on the table...a God that continually blesses us and our marriage daily...and the list goes on.

That being said, we feel that our money would be better spent on a family who doesn't have all those things. A family who may not have food on the table or may not be able to heat their home in the winter...we decided to give our "adopted" child, Ronald, and his family a Christmas gift.  (For those who do not know, we sponsor a child through Compassion International.)  So this year we decided that we would give the money that we would spend on each other, to Ronald's friends and family.

We were able to give Ronald, four of his friends, and his whole family money and Christmas presents this Christmas. Just thinking about his sweet mother and brothers faces when they get that gift makes me smile from ear to ear. His family will use that money to help his mother with her job selling rice pudding and maize on the streets of Nicaragua.  They will use that money for clothes and food.  On Christmas day, Ronald and his friends will be able to open a Christmas gift that Compassion bought for them.  He will get to experience the joy and love at Christmas time that he may not have been able to without our sponsorship.

Now, I'm not saying all this as a "look at me" kind of thing.  I'm saying this because it's been on my heart and I wanted to share what the Lord is doing in my and Seth's life.  I'm also not saying that buying gifts for each other at Christmas is selfish or wrong. This is just a personal conviction that Seth and I both have and so we chose to act on it. And I am also aware that there are families right here in America that need money just as much, if not more, than Ronald and his family, but this is also a personal decision that we made as a couple. Just wanted to clear that up.

As much as I don't want to admit this, I am going to be vulnerable and open.  Since Seth and I got married, money has been one of the most "worried about" things for me.  I worry that we won't have enough money saved up for when we have an emergency...I worry that we need to not spend money and instead save it for when we'll have student loans from Law School...we need to save money for our children, retirement, a rainy day..etc.  But in reality, we do have enough money to keep us comfortable, clothed, and fed.  There will be a day when Seth doesn't work at Chick-fil-a and when I am a full time wedding planner.  There will be a day when we can save money..but for now, it's not the time.  Now, we do save money.  We just don't save "as much as i'd like"...because it's simply impossible with our incomes.  BUT...one day we will be able to.

The bible states several reasons why I shouldn't worry about these things..or anything for that matter.  I was reading Matthew before I went to bed last night...

(These verses are all paraphrased and are not the actual verses in my bible)
1. Matthew 6:25- The same God who created life in me can be trusted with the details of my life.
2. Matthew 6:26- Worrying about the future hampers my efforts for today.
3. Matthew 6:27- Worrying is more harmful than helpful.
4. Matthew 6:28-30- God does not ignore those who depend on him.
5. Matthew 6:31,32- Worrying show a lack of faith in and understanding of God.
6. Matthew 6:33- Worrying keeps us from real challenges God wants us to pursue.
7. Matthew 6:34- Living one day at a time keeps us from being consumed with worry.

Goodness gracious...those are some powerful words.  All my worrying does is show lack of faith in God..the same God who created me..the same God who created and runs the world...and I can't have enough faith that he's going to take care of things?  Yikes.  That's pretty sorry, Kait.

In Matthew 6:24 it says, "No one can serve two masters".  We live in such a materialistic society where many people do serve money instead of God.  They spend all their lives collecting it only to simply leave it behind when they die.  Can I honestly say that God, and not money, is my master?  You see, me worrying about money is just the same as loving money too much.  It all comes down to one thing: Which occupies more of your thoughts and time?  For me, it's  the worrying about money.  And that's hard for me to admit.  But it's true.

So, I guess the point of all this is that God is really teaching me this Christmas.  To forget about money. To not let it consume my thoughts.  And it was really hard to watch that money leave my bank account.  But I know that this is God molding me and teaching me to not only give, but to let Him handle every small detail in my marriage and in my life. 

For the first time, I feel like I am finally letting go of this worry.  I am finally giving it to the Lord. I'm glad the Lord placed this conviction on my heart and that I have such an understanding husband who also has a heart to give.

This Christmas, we gave away the money we would spend on each other to Ronald and his family.  I am so glad we did. Thank you, Lord for placing this on our hearts.

Southern Women...

You know, on the way home from work today I got to thinkin...I am so blessed to be a Southern woman.  I am so glad that I love sweet tea, that slower laid back way of life, sitting on the porch in the rocking chair listening to the rain, picking hydrangeas from the front yard, monogrammed towels, the word "yonder" or "y'all", chicken n dumplins, grits, and all of those other wonderful things that make up the Southern way of life.  (For those who may disagree with me about that list, it is just my opinion and is not limited to any of those things...anyway..)

I got my Southern Living magazine in the mail today and I just love reading it.  It talks about SO many places that I want to go and see..i'm making Seth a list so he can remember in case he wants to plan a surprise get-away for us.. ;)  hint hint...

One of my favorite things that has come with marriage is our evening walks.  Since we moved to NC, we take Penny on a walk every evening.  It's such a great time to reflect on our day, to share our struggles, and to chase our dreams.  (That was corny, but true).  One of my dreams is to own a big Southern style home with a wrap around porch..when you walk inside you are overwhelmed by the smell of fresh apple pie and dogs.  Wait..that was a horrible analogy.  Fresh apple pie and the sounds of laughter...is that better?  But you would see a couple of dogs laying around..okay, whatever.. you get the point.  I want our home to be lived-in yet beautiful and elegant. And you know what?  I don't care what anyone says but I would like to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. HAH! 

One of Seth's dreams is to open up a Tennis and Golf shop featuring indoor tennis courts and the latest technology for demoing golf clubs.  Arizona sweet teas and a golden retriever would await you when you walk in the door.  You know those soft chewy peppermints that melt in your mouth?  He wants those at the check out counter.  I could go on forever about our dreams, and i'm sure I've already bored you with them before but I still like to talk about them..and hey, it's our blog so we can do that, right?


 Oh yeah, I also want to can my own pickles when I am older...that way I can eat them all day every day without paying lots for them.  So I guess that means I will need a garden. 

For those of you who are not aware of the happenings in the tennis world, the U.S. Open is going on right now.  What does that mean for us you might think?  Well..let's just say we are both sitting on the couch, watching Andy Roddick play some guy whose last name looks like "Tipsarevichsedechusick" with our Lacoste hats on.  Seth has the same one Andy is wearing and I am wearing a different color.  And you better believe that our television will be on EVERY single night to watch EVERY single match that Seth deems important...I'm glad I like tennis otherwise I would be one grumpy wife these next two weeks.

Now on to a little more serious discussion....

One thing that I need to be in constant prayer about is money.  When Seth and I got married, we thankfully both had some savings that we joined together. Well we spent the WHOLE summer unemployed in Georgia...we still had to feed ourselves, we still had to pay bills, and we still had to travel all over the South for weddings/get togethers/ vacations...common sense will tell you that our savings was drying out with each passing month.  Once I got my new job and Seth got his, we were really relieved.  Lord willing, we would have money each month and maybe have some left over!

Still, I have not been in prayer about how we should spend our money. I am constantly worrying that we won't have enough to make it each month and that if we spend it on one thing that is not "necessary" that we will be doomed.  How are we supposed to pay our bills, rent, tithe and still have money left over to put into savings? 

This is what the Lord says I should do:


 ²⁴"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
 ²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" -Matthew 6:24-26

I need to remember those words the next time I am worried.  I know we will be fine if we just trust in the Lord.  It's just so hard to do sometimes...but I am trying!  The Lord will bless us so much if we just put our trust and hope in Him.  I need to put my worries aside and rejoice in what I have!

So that is what's going on here in the Jones' household...


And now I will leave you all with these:

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." ~ Roger Caras

 

That is us in our Roddick hats.  Seth wore his hat because Roddick had that same one on while he was playing..I wore the other one halfway making fun of Seth and halfway because I thought he was so stinkin' cute with his love for all things tennis.. :) Oh yeah, and Penny wanted in on the fun...

Huey Cat, out of ALL the places in our house, decides to plop down on the newspaper...




Alright, enough from me...Have a great evening!