(I'm Back!) And My Word Of The Year is PROCESS

I used to draft resolutions as a child.  Every year I did it. Now, because of my to-do list, I started simply doing "word of the year".  Last year, my word was "reinvent".  It was a time to reinvent myself in so many ways, one of which was going from a SAHM to a full-time working mom.  It was a year of awakening to my passions (such as writing and parenting) to learning how to be present and content in any circumstance.  

Towards the end of last year, I found myself thinking more about how and why I did certain things.  Maybe it was because there were times the house was chaotic and I just couldn't find time for enough sleep.  Yet, there were times I was successful at creating peace and order.  

So this year, I chose "process".   I could have went with reorganization, or minimalism.  But these words didn't quite capture what I wanted to do:

• Build more routines into home life and capture more time to spend with family.
• Find more pockets of efficiency at work and find ways to be more productive.
• Be more compassionate towards myself. 
• Automate.
• Create better habits and make it second nature (wonder if I can find ways to make cleaning or dishes more enjoyable!)
• Use captured time to also contribute, serve, and create. 
• Unleash more of my creative side.

Learning, defining, implementing, testing, and adopting a process in one's life, all under the umbrella of grace, is what this year will be all about.  At home. At work. In my life. And at play.  It doesn't matter what subject is, but it will be about thinking and understanding how I can do what matters most in the midst of life's responsibilities. 

Do you have a word of the year? If you think it's a nifty idea and you want some assistance thinking of one, try the following exercise:

1. What's been on your heart? 
2. How would you describe it?
3. Pare it down to one word (use a thesaurus if need be).

Rosemary and Paprika Oven-Roasted Chicken (tried and true!)

It's chicken night! Need a new recipe?

We all know of chicken recipes that are so-so... so when there's a keeper, there's a keeper.

And I'm telling you people, this one here is a keeper.  I think I even impressed myself when I made this (ha ha).

The beauty of this recipe is that you may already have the following in your pantry:

*  Paprika

* Crushed rosemary leaves (I like mine freshly chopped!)

* Minced garlic

* Course ground black pepper

* Pinch of salt

Seriously, you can impress someone with this dish tonight. It's that easy.

Making The Most of Spring: Our Bucket List of Activities

Spring is definitely the time for venturing outside and seeing new growth!

Now that the sun's been out for a while, I wanted to share a spring bucket list of activities we're doing this year (and some I'd like for us to do for the future).

How To Make a Gratitude Journal

Learn how to make your own gratitude journal.

Could you benefit from a gratitude journal? Practicing gratitude is indeed a life changer--for adults and for kids. It changes the way you experience the world and it can alter your perspective from what you think your story is to the real blessings and abundance in your life. When you change your thoughts, you change your feelings. When you change your feelings, you can change your actions. That's what gratitude does. It gives you the courage to act.

This post will talk about why I made a gratitude journal and also show you how to create a journal for you or for your children. It's a great way to get started on developing a grateful heart. It may even change your life!

I've even included a special printable at the end of this post if you want to make it at home, for a play date, for home school or even at Sunday school. When my son becomes older, we're definitely going to create one together.