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Sunday Planning & Goals {Intentional Homemaking #8} AVirtuousWoman.org

Sunday Planning & That Time I thought I Broke My Back

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Sunday Planning & Goals {Intentional Homemaking #8} AVirtuousWoman.org

So Thursday was just like any other day. We had a full, hectic morning – doctor’s appointments, music lessons, etc. By the time I got home, it was time to make lunch and then we got started on our homeschool.

I’ll say right now that last week didn’t go exactly as I had envisioned. I should have realized that since we had appointments basically everyday that I would not get much else done than the very basics!

Anyway back to Thursday… just before time to make supper my husband asked me if I’d walk with him down the street {4 doors} to visit his brother and sister-in-law. So I did. We had a short, but nice visit and then walked back home hauling their Christmas tree with us so that my husband could burn it.

Anyway, before I went inside the house, Mykal asked me if I would mind pulling the cover off of our outdoor water spigot. We wrap it in the winter to keep it from freezing. I’m not sure why he wanted me to pull it off, but he did. So, as I was walking across the yard, my special girl Caroline who is my favorite black Lab and means so much to me was behaving in a very rambunctious fashion. Overly playful. I’m used to that. I have been annoyed on more than one occasion because she’ll jump on me when she’s excited. But I love her anyway.

Well, this time, instead of jumping on me, she came up behind me very quickly {running} and I didn’t see her coming and I’m not sure if she meant to run into me or not {who knows what goes on in a dog’s head} but she plowed right into me and knocked me off my feet.

Literally knocked me off my feet.

My feet went flying upward into the air and my head, neck, and shoulders flipped toward the ground and I hit. really. really. hard.

In fact, I hit so hard that I screamed out and panicked in my head because the pain was so intense. Very few times in my life have I ever shouted or screamed in pain. My husband heard me and came running over. I was laying in a muddy section of our yard and he tried to grab my hands to pull me up as I screamed. All I could say was No!

The pain was so intense that I was sure I’d broken my back and I was afraid for him to move me. It also knocked the wind out of me which must have contributed to my fright. I just knew he was going to have to call 911 and have them haul me out on a board.

Well, I didn’t break my back. And my dog, who I still love with all of my heart has no idea that the reason I’ve been laying in bed or in the recliner with a heating pad the last few days is all because of her crazy antics.

Sunday Planning & Goals {Intentional Homemaking #8} AVirtuousWoman.org

Three things.

  • I’m so grateful I fell in the mud instead of on our asphalt driveway.
  • I am even more aware now how things can change in an instance and sometimes we just don’t see it coming. Which is why we need to live in the present moment fully embracing the gifts we’ve been given.
  • And lastly, I’m so very thankful that I didn’t break my back or my neck.

I know it sounds melodramatic. I don’t mean for it to. But that’s what all went through my mind in those few moments before my husband pulled me to my feet and helped me hobble into the house.

I’m feeling some improvement today. Still incredibly sore and my neck doesn’t like it when I move around too much, but I’m trying to slowly get back on my feet and move around some so it doesn’t stiffen up too much.

Other happenings last week…

  • Laura had an evaluation with the Orthodontist – he said to come back next January and she should be ready for braces. Sarah and Emily are currently sporting braces too. So we see the orthodontist a lot. Hannah was blessed with perfectly straight beautiful teeth.
  • Sarah had a doctor’s appointment with a new doctor – loved the doctor! They scheduled an Ultrasound for this Monday of her gallbladder and abdomen and will be scheduling a colonoscopy and endoscopy soon. We’re hoping to get a solid diagnosis this time.
  • Emily has joined the community choir and I’m thinking about joining. Also, Emily has her own guitar student now!
  • Laura began working on a new song I’ve been dying for her to learn on the violin – Pirates of the Aegean by David Bruce.
  • And, Hannah continues to work on her skills for Freestyle 2 in ice skating. I believe she’ll be ready to test at the end of February!

Free Mug Cozy Patterns

I thought it’d be fun to share some free Tea Cozy Patterns. You know. Just because.

  • 10 Free Mug Cozy Patterns
  • Mug Cozy Pattern
  • DIY Mug Cozy

My One Word

My One Word for this year is HOME. I really want to focus this year on doing something each day to make my home cozy for my family. I want to create a space that feels like home.

[Tweet “I’m being intentional in homemaking this year and creating a space that feels like home . “]

One of the things I’ve been buying a lot lately is really wonderful pillows for our sofas and chairs all over the house. I think they just add a sweet element of coziness!

Our Cozy Family Room... @ AVirtuousWoman.org

Menu Plan for the Week

Menu Planning really helps me during the week. We stay so busy, but we rarely eat out. Which means I cook three meals a day most days. Without a plan, I’d be lost!

[Tweet “Without a menu plan, I’d be lost at mealtime!”]

Sunday Planning & Goals {Intentional Homemaking #8} AVirtuousWoman.org

 

Breakfast

  • Cream of Wheat and Toast
  • Blueberry Muffins and Cheesy Scrambled Eggs
  • Oatmeal with Brown Sugar, Walnuts, and Almond Milk
  •  Bread and Butter Pudding and Sliced Oranges
  • Grits and Fried Eggs
  • Vegetarian Sausage with Tea Towel Biscuits
  • Cereal and Almond Milk

Bread and Butter Pudding @ AVirtuousWoman.org

Lunch

  •  BBQ Sandwiches and Macaroni and Cheese
  • Macaroni and Pea Salad
  • Spaghetti and Garlic Bread
  • Shepherd’s Pie
  • Stewed Tomatoes and Quinoa
  • Hot Dogs, Coleslaw, and Potato Chips
  • Potluck at Church

Supper

Honey Lime Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos @ AVirtuousWoman.org

  • Pasta with Tomatoes and Italian Sausage {vegetarian}
  • Salad with Feta Cheese, Dried Cranberries, and Toasted Walnuts
  • Veggie Burgers, Potatoes, and Broccoli
  • Honey Lime Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
  • Kim Bap, Pot Stickers, and Cho Bap
  • White Lima Bean Soup and Cornbread
  • Leftovers or Tacos

Snacks

  •  Oranges
  • Grapefruit
  • Apple Slices with Dip

Goals

In the Kitchen

Because last week was so hectic, I never got around to making my Amish Friendship Bread starter. So on Wednesday I’m going to do my best to put that together. If you’ve never made Amish Friendship Bread, it’s wonderful. You can read my full tutorial here.

I did make my favorite Sausage Cheese Balls last week and they were really good. We had them for snacks and even breakfast on the go one morning! These would be perfect for Game Day!

Perfect Sausage Cheese Balls {with a vegetarian option} @ AVirtuousWoman.org

I also did not get around to making my homemade freezer hash browns – maybe on Wednesday or Thursday this week.

I have an alarm set for 9 pm every night to juice for my daughter. She drinks cabbage juice for her Chron’s Disease.

Cleaning

None of my Cleaning goals were accomplished last week. I know.

So guess what’s back on the list for this week? I was even seriously considering paying my daughter to clean the house. Surely it’s the back pain talking. I hope to be well enough by Tuesday to get some real cleaning done! We did get the tree taken down, but all of the Christmas ornaments are piled on the dining room table waiting to be packed away.

  • Get the Christmas stuff organized and put away.
  • Get my sunroom back in order.
  • Get the laundry done.

Reading

  • I’m just starting to read the The Love Dare. As I continue to to choose to love my husband more, it’s the perfect way to jump start my marriage this new year.
  • I’m going to be reading the book of John in the Bible.
  • Read aloud: Where the Red Fern Grows

Homeschooling

My homeschooling goals have not changed much since last week. In the middle of the week I decided I was NOT happy with our History book. Which would explain why I have such a difficult time finding time for History each week. So, we went back to an old favorite that my older kids used years ago – The Mystery of History Vol. 1. I don’t really like mid-year switches in curriculum, but I’ve don’t it before and I think we’ll just enjoy this book more.

  • My main goal right now is to get us on a better schedule.
  • Make sure the girls are diligent to get everything checked off their Daily Homeschool Checklists.
  • Laura needs to spend more time each day practicing her violin.

Capturing Life, Laughter, and Love 2015 Instagram Challenge

Have you joined the challenge with me? I love Instagram and I’ve been really enjoying looking at all of the photo challenges daily! If you haven’t joined yet, you can do so in the box below!

  • Or click here for more information.

Here’s a one of my challenge photos from this past week of the sunset:

Capturing Life, Laughter, and Love 2015 Instagram Challenge @ AVirtuousWoman.org

What’s on your to do this this week?

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About Melissa Ringstaff

My name is Melissa Ringstaff and I've been blogging here at A Virtuous Woman since 2001. I'm a pastor's wife and homeschooling mom living in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Southeastern KY. I believe in finding freedom from perfection and living life with purpose and I want to help you do exactly that.

I'm so glad you've stopped by to visit with me. I hope we can be friends!

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Home for the Holidays

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy here.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Havok

    January 25, 2015 at 2:35 pm

    Hope you are feeling better soon! Luckily it was something (relatively) small to remind you to live in the moment, though! It's easy to get so caught up in getting things done that we forget that each day really does matter, and each day should bring you happiness in some way, versus just going to appointments or checking everything off of a list!
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      January 25, 2015 at 2:54 pm

      Thank you! :)
      Reply

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purposenotperfection

Freedom from perfection. 🪁
Live with purpose. ✝️
Proverbs 31 for modern women. 👱‍♀️
Wife + Mama + Homemaker + Kentucky
Life: @melissa.ringstaff

Melissa Ringstaff
Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just because there was a pandemic. Our family has faced many trying times in the past but 2020 gave us some doozies.  I’m looking forward to a new year. The beginning of the new year always feels like a fresh start to me. It feels like HOPE.  But the truth is, whatever heartaches and hardships you and I were facing on Dec. 31 will most likely still be there on Jan. 1.  That’s why it’s hard to keep New Years resolutions. It’s easy to feel motivated for a few days or a couple weeks until we realize life hasn’t really changed and things are still hard.  But if we want to see real change it takes hard work and real effort. It takes showing up every day - even when it’s hard.  Whether that means working on your fractured relationships or setting healthy boundaries or cultivating self disciple... whatever that hard thing is that you need to work on ... it will only get better if you work on it.  We aren’t promised an easy life. But we are promised an “Ever Present Help in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1  *
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#faithblogger #faithfulness #faithandfamily #bibleverseaday #christianbloggers #dailyverses #christianlife #jesuscalling #shereadstruth#proverbs31women #proverbs31life #10virtues #daughteroftheking #jesuslovesme #womenoffaith #faithquotes #proverbs31
We’re coming into the new year with all the same We’re coming into the new year with all the same problems we had in the last year. And that’s okay! Life doesn’t have to be perfect to still be amazing. Perfectionism is a joy stealer. Let’s determine to enjoy life right now in all its messiness.  I believe you can find freedom from perfection and the confidence to live your life with purpose. #purposenotperfection  #christian #Jesus #love #quotes #quoteslife #quotestoliveby #godisgood #votd #lifequotes #inspirationalquotes #life #motivationalquotes #inspiration #bible #bb #bestoftheday #happiness #wordofgod
🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. 🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. It’s a ministry to your family and all who enter your home.  But I want you to know: You don’t have to be perfect. ❤️  There’s a fine line between teaching your children to be neat and insisting on perfection. No one can meet that kind of standard and it can be detrimental to the emotional health of your family.  What we want for our homes is to provide a space that is neat and clean enough that your family and friends feel comfortable and well loved.  There is freedom in accepting the fact that you’re not perfect. Not to make excuses for slovenliness - but to give yourself grace.  It’s when we recognize our weakness that we find ourselves reaching out to Jesus to receive the power that comes only from him. As homemakers, when we can find grace for the moment when we accept His Gift.  “But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. Ezra 9:8  Let His Grace wash over you, cleanse your weary heart. Homemaking isn’t about creating a perfect space. It’s about creating a home where loved ones feel cared for and nurtured. 
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking #wearethehomemakers
❤️Your attitude about homemaking matters.⠀
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A homemaker by definition is someone who manages and makes a home. 🏠⠀
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But, anyone can clean and organize a home. ⠀
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☑️ Homemaking is about more than checking off the items on your to do list.⠀
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Learning how to be a homemaker means you learn how to make your home feel like haven of peace and love. You seek out ways to make your home feel inviting. You work at it.⠀
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There is no easy button for homemaking. There are easier, more efficient ways to do chores, but the chores still have to be done. If you live in a house, you will create the need for the house to be tidied every day and cleaned on a regular basis.⠀
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Having the right attitude about homemaking is the first step in learning how to be a homemaker.⠀
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The good news is, even if you’ve been struggling with your homemaking, you can always go to God and ask Him for help. ⠀
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He sees the unseen work of your hands. And He loves you very, very much. He wants to help you succeed. ⠀
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking  #youngwife #housewife
🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regu 🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regular time with Jesus every day, you’re not alone. Lots of busy Christian women struggle to find time for a daily prayer and devotion time. ⠀
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But I still want to encourage you to start your day with God! ⠀
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⏰ If it’s hard to spend 30 minutes in the morning for a quiet time, I want you to remember you can still begin your day with God – even if that means saying a short prayer before your feet hit the floor in the morning.⠀
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✝️ I also want to encourage you to memorize this verse:⠀
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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.⠀
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 📖⠀
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In the morning you can recite this verse and say a prayer. It doesn’t have to take a long time. Although – if you do have time – you will be greatly blessed by spending more time in prayer and devotion.⠀
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📌 Free Printable Morning Prayer Prompts on the blog today: https://avirtuouswoman.org/morning-prayer-prompts/  #linkinbio ⠀
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#faithblogger #faithfulness #faithandfamily #bibleverseaday #christianbloggers #dailyverses #christianlife #jesuscalling #shereadstruth #Christ #Church #Christian #Jesus #Jesuslover #JesusChrist #JesusisLord #CreatorGod #Devotional #verseoftheday #Love #Faith #biblestudy #God #dailydevotional
🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be inte 🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be intentional with how I plan our days. I love any opportunity to create a good memories at home for my family and guests. ⠀⠀
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📌 If you're looking to make this holiday season really special, you need to be intentional. Goodness knows 2020 has had a lot of ups and downs. And maybe you feel like it's been mostly downs. ⠀⠀
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🎄 But the holiday season is a chance to focus on celebrating the life we have right now. Things don't need to be perfect for us to celebrate life right now!!⠀⠀
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☑️ Inside the pages of my Purpose 31 holiday planner, you'll find 8 weeks of planning and cleaning all laid out for you. Recipe pages, journaling pages, and more - 120 pages total. ⠀⠀
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✏️ The Purpose 31 Holiday Planner is by far one of the most popular resource I produce each year. ⠀⠀
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Thousands of women have downloaded it over the last four years I've offered it.⠀⠀
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So, even though it's early still, you can go ahead and downlaod it. Print it out and then set it up so you're ready to go.⠀⠀
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I usually take my holiday planner down to Office Depot and have them spiral bind it with a plastic cover for about $5.00. This year, though, I just bought a new 3 ring binder at Walmart, printed off extra cover pages to slip in the clear sleeve, and created a binder with it. ⠀⠀
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📌📌📌 If you use the planner this year, be sure to share and tag me in your photos! ❤️⠀  Download: https://avirtuouswoman.org/holiday-planner/ #linkinbio
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking #christmas #holidayplanning #planningaddict #plannercommunity #freeprintables #thanksgiving #christmastree  #plannerobsessed
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