How I knew he was the one.

HOW I KNEW HE WAS THE ONE

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Today, with Valentine’s Day approaching, we’re talking about how I knew my husband was the one. At the end of the video, he shares what he believes has gotten us this far.

If you’re married, I’d love to hear how YOU knew he or she was “the one” in the comments!

I knew he was the one because he was respectful.

My husband respected my parents, got alone with my siblings, and was kind to my dog. Those things mattered to me. He was in the NJROTC when we first met, then he joined the Army. One of the core values of the military is respect, so I knew that it was an important trait to him as well.

I knew he was the one because we were friends.

It was helpful for me to get to know my husband without the pressure of being in an official relationship. I enjoyed learning about him in the context of friendship. Starting with friendship has given us a good foundation to get through some tough times.

I knew he was the one because he valued my opinion.

My husband wanted my feedback about his decision to join the military. Although I didn’t fully realize the repercussions of my enthusiasm in agreeing with his life choice, I was proud of him for doing something admirable and brave.

I knew he was the one because he made me confident in us.

After he entered the military, we had to grow up fast. We got married at the ages of 17 and 20, because of an impending deployment. My husband gave me such peace with his faith that it would all work out.

Every marriage has ups and downs, but I’m glad that we chose to learn together, grow together, and find compromise together, for 12 years and counting. 🙂

I share what my husband believes has been most important for our marriage at the end of the video.

Today, with Valentine's Day approaching, we're talking about how I knew my husband was the one. At the end of the video, he shares what he believes has gotten us this far. #valentinesday #love #dating #marriage

Recent Posts:

https://www.abeautifulhorizon.com/save-time/
https://www.abeautifulhorizon.com/rough-homeschool-day/
https://www.abeautifulhorizon.com/morning-routine-planner/

Woman Sitting at a Desk

SAVE TIME >> 5 Tips for Stay at Home Moms.

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Want to save time? Let’s chat about time management, time-saving hacks, and habits that go along with those hacks. I believe in productivity by doing LESS instead of “all the things” as a stay at home mom!

Save Time with Walmart Grocery Pickup

Walmart Grocery Pickup is seriously a life-changer! You order fresh groceries, Walmart does the shopping and loads your car for FREE. How easy is that? Here’s $10 to try it, if you’re new. http://r.wmt.co/iuEk3

Save Time with Looping Meal Prep

I love the idea of prepping a months worth of meals in a day, but honestly, I’m not there yet. What I call “looping meal prep” is the best way for me to get a few steps ahead without overwhelming myself. My favorite storage containers are wide mouth mason jars (https://amzn.to/2DLYqwI) with plastic non-rusting lids (https://amzn.to/2TuKr48), and these 3 cup rectangular glass containers (https://amzn.to/2sZOEko).

Save Time with a Robot Vacuum Cleaner

I have this vacuum (https://amzn.to/2DMviFB) on a timer to go off every evening. Having this external reminder to clean up the floor and get dinner started has been so extraordinarily helpful! This was my best big purchase of 2018. It saves me so much time and helps us remember to start our evening routine on time!

Save Time with Dry Shampoo

My favorite brand of dry shampoo is Batiste (https://amzn.to/2TqYhnM), and I’ve tried several! I’ll still rinse off after my workout, but not having to wash and style my hair every single day saves me so much time!

I LOVE listening to audiobooks and podcasts!

The earbuds I use (https://amzn.to/2Tq3b4J) enable me to listen to something interesting while getting tasks like dishes and laundry done! This adds something to my life that I otherwise struggle to find the time to enjoy.

My favorite time management Audio Books:
Essentialism by Greg McKeown (https://amzn.to/2CURNGI)
Deep Work by Cal Newport (https://amzn.to/2SlNe23)

My favorite podcasts regarding habits and productivity:
The Purpose Show
Lead to Win with Michael Hyatt
Terri Savelle Foy
The Chalene Show
The Brendon Show
(I have a BUNCH of podcast shows in my app, but I plan to add shows to this list only if I have listened to a fair amount of episodes from that particular show. I’ll be adding to this list in the future!)

BONUS – Watch to the end of the video for a bonus tip that helps us keep up with the dishes as a family who eats the majority of meals at home!

Recent Posts:

Rough Homeschool Day? Here’s what I do!
Morning Routine – The 5 W’s of Waking up Early
HOW TO STICK TO NEW HABITS AND ROUTINES
5 Time Saving Tips for Moms

FTC Disclaimer: This video is not sponsored. Some links contain affiliates. Thanks for supporting my mission to empower moms!

Rough Homeschool Day? Here’s what I do!

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Today we’re talking about how I get through a rough homeschool day. Being a homeschool mom is fantastic. I love homeschooling my kids. But, some days can be hard, and I either have to reevaluate or push through. I’d like to hear your thoughts in the comments!

First, I check the basics.

Have they eaten a satiating meal? Is our bedtime routine pretty regular? Have they gotten some energy out? Could it be the simple basics that are making this a rough homeschool day?

Then, I think about the atmosphere.

Is there a tense feeling in the air? As in, you’re about to throw in the towel, but that would only mean more laundry later. How can we lighten things up? Can we find an inspiring historical figure to learn about, who valued their education? Can we use our imaginations in learning today? Does this rough homeschool day call for a quick dance party to shake things up? Here is our favorite Spotify playlist for dance parties!

Sometimes, it’s time for a heart to heart.

We’re on the same team! Let’s work together! Take a moment to pray with your child and ask God for wisdom in how to move forward. What an example we can be to our kids, when we show them who we go to when we don’t have all the answers!

Try using teaching aids and rewards.

YouTube can be a crazy place, but it can be a goldmine for teaching concepts in simple and interesting ways! I would suggest previewing videos, especially if they are not from a trusted source. Some of our favorite videos are linked below.

Letter People
Liberty Kids
Tour the World
Tour the States
Skip Counting
Octonaughts
Wild Kratts
School House Rock (Interjections, Verbs, Count by 5s, Conjunctions. I haven’t seen all of them.)

I’m also not above a good bribe when we’re really having a tough one. A trip to the park, a small treat, or extra read-aloud time can be great motivators!

In the end, Mama’s gotta push through or pack it up.

I’m not a parenting expert, nor do I pretend to be one on the internet. I can’t tell you what the magic sauce is going to be, but I can enourage you! Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and ask for wisdom. Is this a day that we need to just buckle down and get things done, or have we done enough for today and we can start fresh tomorrow?

Either way, please know that I’m cheering for you! I believe that you are equipped to do the work that you have been called to do. When you ask for the wisdom to teach your child, it will be given to you. Hang in there, Mama! You’re not alone on this journey. <3

Download the free printable for your homeschool binder here!

More posts that you might like:

Morning Routine Planner

How to Save Money

How to Keep New Habits and Routines

SIMILAR VIDEOS:
HOMESCHOOL MOM TAG: https://youtu.be/U0_RFP1sw_Q
SAHM MORNING ROUTINE: https://youtu.be/92J-UEB7MCg
CHORE ROUTINE FOR KIDS: https://youtu.be/7LFBeEhL_y0
MOM WORKOUT WITH KIDS: https://youtu.be/2tXmuw8QADs

Desk with ruler and notebook
Morning Routine Planner

Morning Routine – The 5 W’s of Waking up Early

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Is it one of your goals to start waking up earlier this year? If it is, do you have a morning routine? This free planning worksheet can help!

In the video above we are talking about the 5 W’s of Waking up Early. You can get the free printable below by clicking “add to cart”! It will walk you through the creation of your own morning routine.

I have wanted to be a morning person for a long time, but I lacked one thing, clarity. Last year I read The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin. I realized that I’m a questioner at heart , which means that I have to be super clear on the details in order to make something a priority.

So, This is my year. This is the year that I get super clear and take the plunge. I’m going to be that person who wakes up earlier to go after her goals. Wanna join me?

First, print out the morning routine worksheet.

Grab a cozy blanket and a cup of tea. Or don’t, if that’s not your cup of tea. Yes, I certainly am one of those people. I like making this a big deal. It feels more like an official start. 😉

Next, we’ll dig deep to determine our “why”.

Why morning? Why will this help me? How will this reduce stress in my life or improve my day? In contrast with the everybody’s doing it, so I should do it mindset, you will decide why it matters to you!

Then, we talk about the when, where, and what.

I ask thought-provoking questions in the worksheet, in order to help you determine your preferred course of action.

To finish up, I encourage you to write out the who.

I’ll give a little extra encouragement to the moms out there with a personal story of mine from last year. Basically, if you’re ready for this, your kids will adapt.

Let’s get clear on the habits that we want to establish. Let’s focus on our goals. Without direction, we tend to drift from one thing to the next.

If you have something that you want to do this year, it’s time to get intentional about it! Let’s start by writing down our plan.

So, Check out the free printable. Join me. Let’s get clear with our morning routine and goals for the new year. I believe in you!

–Juli

One of my New Years goals is to wake up earlier to work on building my side hustle. I love this free planning worksheet to plan my early morning routine! #girlboss #wahm #sahm #sidehustle #workathome #morningroutine

Other posts you might like: How to Stick to new Habits and Routines, How to Save Money when your Finances are out of Control, What to do with the Stuff you Declutter from your Kids’ Rooms, and How to do a Digital Detox. Each post has a free printable!

Christmas Experiences for Kids

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This year I’m buying my kiddos tickets to a Christmas concert, new pajamas, and a trip to see family.  We are going to be providing experiences instead of gifts to our kiddos this year, since they already receive gifts from family members.  This list is just for fun.  Take what works for you and leave what doesn’t.  I’d love to hear how you approach Christmas gifts and experiences with your kids in the comments.  Do you go all out, or take a more minimalist approach?  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Experiences. Concert, hot cocoa, tree farm, lights sight-seeing, caroling, operation christmas child, new jammies, movies, popcorn, decorate cookies.