I’m the kind of person that likes setting goals for myself. I like to plan, organize and have a routine. I like to have an idea of where I’m headed and how I’m going to get there. I like to challenge myself to go further and to do more.
Goals help me to bring about the changes I want to see happen in my life. Sure they need some tweaking here and there, but that’s just part of the process. I’m always changing and wanting to try new things. When a goal is no longer serving me I want to have the freedom to ditch it and either move on to something else or to just wander aimlessly for a time if that’s what I want. So even though I do really well when I’m trying to meet my goals, I also like to just lay back and enjoy whatever life has to offer at times, having no plan in mind.
Anyway, all this to say, I’m working hard to make Growing Up Herbal more about my life. I want to be real and honest with you, and sometimes that’s tough for me. Sometimes it’s much easier to put my “teacher” or “expert” hat on, give you some info or to-dos, and not get personal. But, that’s not really all I want GUH to be.
I want a community of like-minded mamas who can support and encourage one another. I want to bring a group of women together who want to learn and grow and inspire each other to be all they can be.
That’s where sharing my life comes into play. I can’t simply be some blogger on the other side of the screen. I have to be real, and to do that, I have to share myself and my life with you.
Okay, so here are 5 goals I have for the remainder of the year.
5 BIG Goals I Have For The End Of 2015
1. A New “Look”
Yes! Growing Up Herbal is getting a new look! I’m so stinking excited to be working with Jamie from Just Make Things to help me clarify my vision for Growing Up Herbal, develop my brand and visual identity, and bring all of it into view with a brand spanking new website!
I’ve wanted to work with a branding expert for like… forever, and I’ve finally saved up enough money (thanks to you and your support) to do it. I’m loving the process so far, and I can’t wait to give you sneak peaks into what we’re creating together. Be sure you follow GUH on Instagram for daily glimpses into my life and business!
2. Complete Our Home Projects
My husband and I bought a house a couple of years ago. In fact, this Thanksgiving will be our 2-year anniversary in our home. We did a lot of work to the inside before we moved in. You can check out my House To Home posts here, here, and here.
Since those posts, we’ve done a lot of other projects that I haven’t blogged about. Some of those big projects included adding on a mud room, building bunk beds for the boys room, putting on a new roof, and getting new windows installed. We’ve also done a lot of work outside clearing out dead trees from the woods, smoothing out our LONG mountain-side driveway, and clearing out an area for the boys swingset, trampoline, and zip-line.
This place is comin’ along ya’ll, and I’m loving it more every year! It truly is becoming our little mountain home.
This year our big project has been redoing the outside of the house so we’ve been steadily making progress. We’ve scrapped and peeled old paint off our porch so we could stain and repaint it. We’ve gathered old, distressed cedar shake shingles so we could put them on the gables of our house. We’ve torn off all the old siding and back porch, and we’re putting up Hardie Board in its place. Oh yeah, and we have to paint that too.
I’m not sure how much we’re going to finish before winter snows come our way, but we’re doing the best we can! I can’t wait to make another House to Home post about it all soon.
3. Maintain Weight Through The Holidays
Okay, so you may be wondering why on earth I’m talking about my weight with you, but like I said earlier, I’m being real and honest here and this is one of my goals for the end of the year.
I recently, finally, lost all my extra baby weight from baby #4, and I really want to work hard to maintain my weight throughout the holidays.
I’m a BIG fan of food. Especially delicious, real food foods, but honestly, real food has made me fat.
Gasp! There it is folks. I said it. Real food has made me fat.
Well actually, my baby made me fat, but then my love for real food kept me from losing it. And yes, I was breastfeeding and the weight still didn’t come off.
No matter, I had to take a break from my idealistic real food mindset for a while, get rid of some bad habits and replace them with good ones and change how I viewed food and my four-babies-later, 30+-year-old body all at the same time.
All this to say, I’m back to the weight I was when I married my husband, and I’m maintaining my weight while eating what I want (in a smart, balanced way). I feel healthy and energetic, I feel like I look good, and that makes a huge difference in… well, everything.
4. Finish My Herbal & Aromatherapy Studies
Like you, I’m a busy mama, and I have a lot of things going on that make me feel spread thin or distracted at times. This results in me saying no to some things or getting behind on some things.
My natural health studies have been one of those the I’ve gotten behind on.
Thankfully not too behind, though! I’m one unit away from finishing up my studies with HANE in their Intermediate Herbal program (I should finish this month), and then I’ll have more time to finish up the aromatherapy course I’m taking with Vintage Remedies before the end of the year… hopefully!
I’ve really enjoyed my time with HANE, and I’ve grown so much in understanding how to use herbs in a more artful, confident way. With that said, I’m ready for a break! The intermediate course is a long course with tons of info, and I’m feeling a bit studied out! LOL! Plus I need to get a move on this essential oil course I’m in the process of taking!
After these courses are completed, I don’t really know what I’ll do next. Maybe I’ll take more courses or maybe I’ll focus on something else. I’m really not sure yet, but I’m excited to see what next year will bring.
5. A Handmade Holiday
Every year I make handmade gifts for my friends and family, and I love it! Not only does it help me to share a bit of natural living inspiration with them, but it helps me to get creative in my kitchen and relieve some holiday stress at the same time. You can check out my last handmade holiday post here.
This year, I’m taking things a step further. This year my plan is to not only make handmade gifts to give away, but to go handmade in other areas as well. I’m talking about holiday decor for my home (I’ll be sharing some of this with you soon) as well as the foods I make for get-togethers.
Many times, during the holidays, we can get busy and take shortcuts. I’m guilty of it for sure.
If I’m supposed to bring pumpkin pie to Thanksgiving dinner, it’s nothing for me to stop at the store and grab a frozen one along with some Miricle Whip for the top. One reason is because I don’t take the time to make it all from scratch, but another reason is because I know that the majority of the family could care less that it’s from the store and not healthy and homemade.
But here’s the thing. I care.
I don’t want to be so busy and caught up in the holidays that I’m not present in them the way I want to be. I don’t want to remember running in the store to grab that frozen, tasteless (compared to home cooked) pumpkin pie. I want to feel relaxed and intentional about going into the kitchen with one of my kiddos and making a pumpkin pie from scratch with them. I want to breathe in the essential oil scents of autumn and winter and visualize a simple holiday in my warm cozy home with my family. I want to think about the people receiving the gifts I’m making for them.
That’s what the holidays are about, and this year my goal is to do more of that very thing.
Oh Meagan life is tough doing what you are doing, but I encourage you and love what a good hearted person you are.
Did you get any pumpkin growing in the garden? Today I will wash,cut mine throw it in the crockpot with little filtered water on the bottom and cook until soft. Once cooked, peel the skinsand I puree the pumpkin in the blender and packed the pumpkin in pint freezer jars and freeze. Two cups makes a pie. I do this now so when Thanksgiving comes I am ready..I also do this for butternut squash but I make soups with bone broth or use as a vegetable around Thanksgiving instead of Mash potatoes. The big secret of doing all this is doing little bit everyday, yet not spending all that time in the kitchen. Us ladies can’t, we live in a different era, fast paste world..this is one of my goals for today, taking one day at a time, doing what I can..
Making homemade gifts here too, lip balms, salves are done..this year, I’m able to use real bees wax from my sister beehives..
Excited to see your new website,meanwhile, we are getting busy here in this tech business.I am glad I started early in canning most of the garden harvest…drying was one of my goals too.. I got some of that done also..
I feel I accomplished little by little, each day.. My other goals for the end of the year cleaning, catching up on our wash, which I’m backed up on..knitting, sewing, caring for the animals..waiting for the cold winter just to sit back and think where I can improve myself on in the world of herbalism..life is good, doing the best I can each day that is given to me.
Thanks for sharing Monica!
Sure anytime Meagan….
Your kitchen sounds so much like mine Monica! We had so many pumpkins from the garden, and they all came early (August), so not wanting them to go to waste, I made pumpkin pie pureed and froze in 2 cup sizes for pies this winter. And the butternut and bone broth soups…all in the freezer. It’s nice to have “convenience meals” made out of real food isn’t it?
My end of year goals include personal, family, and professional, although I am having difficulty finding the right balance and feeling stretched.
I have a goal to complete the rough draft for the first three chapters to my ebook completed by December 1st (almost there!).
I want to continue offering quality content on my blog with at least one post weekly.
I have been studying hands-on growing and medicine making through the seasons with bi-monthly classes at a local herb farm. This weekend is our last class (until spring) and we will be making gifts for the holidays.It has been an exciting time and I can look back to a year ago and realize how much my knowledge has grown with the herbs. And I am so happy to be sharing the medicine with family and friends.
We moved last year and like you have been steadily working on our home and land. We enjoyed an abundant garden this summer and I am excited to begin planning my annual vegetables and adding to my perennial herb gardens. Before the ground freezes, I hope to have new beds set with compost and mulch, ready for spring planting.
Personally, I want to maintain mindfulness and presence while busy working and learning, and to be fully present with my children. Being goal-oriented, I often find myself too focused on doing and not focused enough on simply being.
I hope you find abundance and balance in your days.
I can totally relate Michelle. Thanks for sharing, and I think all mamas have that struggle in some way, shape, or form. I hope that the holidays are simple and meaningful for you this year!
Hi Meagan! I’m also so excited to work together on your brand. I’ve been digging deeper into your blog and I am so impressed with the quality and depth of your content. You have a gift, girl! Your honesty, knowledge and authenticity shine through in everything you write. I’ve been thinking about Friday’s conversation, and I can’t wait to chat again soon. Also, you’ve inspired me to try a “handmade holiday” this year as well 😉
Yay! One of the first ways I started using herbs was making my own skincare products and giving them away as gifts so getting my hands messy and being creative really helps me relieve stress, share these great gifts with others, and make my home beautiful at the same time. I hope you enjoy it this year! I have some special “handmade holiday” posts coming up in November so keep an eye out!
Meagan,
I’ve been following your blog for awhile now but have never commented, I just want to say that you seem totally real and honest, I don’t get a teacher or expert vibe from you, I feel like you’re just a very knowledgeable friend! You do have a gift, I haven’t felt a connection with any other blogs that I read like I do this one. I wouldn’t pressure yourself too much on that one, I think you’re more personal than you realize. You have lead me to so many great resources- Herb Mentor, Awesome!- one of my goals is to start my own blog and writing career so I can leave a job that is stealing my soul and I keep looking back to yours for inspiration. 🙂
-Chelsea
Awe, thanks for the kind words Chelsea. It’s really encouraging to hear your thoughts and how you’ve been helped through Growing Up Herbal. I’m glad that my personality is coming through. I really like reading blogs where I learn things and can connect with the blogger at the same time.
I’m glad you’re liking Herb Mentor. It’s great! What a resource! I’m not sure I’ll ever get through it all!
Best of luck on your blog when you start it. It’s fun and a lot of work, but what you have to say matters! Be sure to leave me a link to it when you get it up and running. I’d love to check it out!