I was thinking about habits that I have created over the years and the things I do as an adult without even thinking twice about. It is so interesting to reflect on what becomes “normal” in our daily or weekly routine. Creating new habits can feel completely overwhelming because we can allow ourselves to make it a bigger thing than it actually is or needs to be. I am all about simple, easy changes that accumulate over time as opposed to big and bold change (unless necessary for a specific reason). I truly believe creating consistency in anything is the secret sauce with establishing any new routine or habit.

I thought I would share my top five tips that have helped me with creating and maintaining my own personal habits. I would love to know anything that has worked for you!

1.Start Small

Many times when we want a change, we want to go full out or nothing at all. We set these huge goals for ourselves and place unrealistic expectations on what that is going to look like. When creating something new, start small and allow yourself those “wins”. Keep the big picture in mind and recognize you can continue to build upon each small change.

2.Set Realistic Expectations

If you start smaller with your behavior change you can also set more realistic expectations for how that is going to look in your personal life. Nothing has to be 0-100, even when implementing something new. Decide what works for you and how you can stay committed and accountable with yourself. Once you feel comfortable and successful with the new behavior, you can add on from there!

3.Have A Plan

All new habits sound great in our minds, however if we go into something new with no game plan, we most likely won’t be successful. Decide how you are going to implement the change and think about what that will actually look like in your day. Do you need any outside resources? Do you plan on implementing it the same time of day? Is your family involved?

4.Keep Track

When starting something new, documenting or keeping track can help you stay motivated and see the big picture. You can pre-write what you are wanting to change in your calendar and cross it out as you complete it, or you can track as you go. Keeping yourself accountable is a huge piece of it, until it becomes more natural and mindless!

5.Give Yourself Grace

It is okay to have a bad day. You have not failed at something if you fall short of your goals. Habits take time and consistency. Keep the big picture in mind!

Additional Habit Posts: Toddler Health Habits, 10 Daily Health Habits , Wellness Habits 2019

As always, sending light and love!

Blessings,

Jac

This year my family is really focusing on specific goals and trying to follow through consistently each month. Goal setting can be extremely exciting and fun, but also exhausting once life takes over. Usually, starting something isn’t too bad, however maintaining and staying consistent with things can be a challenge. You can check out more on goal setting here: Top 5 Tips

Today I wanted to share some family goals we have set for the year and areas we are choosing to focus on. The first five are more finance based and the second are more lifestyle. I would love to know anything you or your family are currently working on!

Goal One: Reduce Grocery Costs

I mentioned at the beginning of the year, this is something we are really trying to be more mindful of. You can check out those two posts here: Part One & Part Two

Goal Two: Use What We Have

If you are like us, you may have gotten into a pandemic mentality where you think you still need an excess of items just in case. Don’t get me wrong, having an emergency stash is great, however we are now to a point where we need to use up items we have before any repurchases. This covers multiple areas including food, makeup, clothing, baby items, etc. We are really trying to be mindful of what we have and practical with our purchases.

Goal Three: Limit Subscriptions

I mentioned this in my cutting costs post which you can check out here. I feel like we are in a time where there is a subscription for literally everything. I am all about a good subscription service, but wow they can add up so fast and end up being a huge chunk of your monthly bills. We have gone through all of our subscriptions and really thought about what we need/use!

Goal Four: Increase Stock

We have been investing since we got married, however we want to dive more into stock and riskier options. This is newer territory for us, so will be a learning process but definitely something we want to do!

Goal Five: Complete Projects On Our Own

We moved a little over a year ago (right before COVID) to a new city and home. There are quite a few projects we have been wanting to get done and have received outrageous quotes from multiple companies. My husband is extremely handy in those areas so we decided to complete what we can on our own over this next year, and then reassess the projects we need to hire help in. Although it is time consuming, it is definitely worth it and creates fun memories as a family! We are currently working on our landscaping which has been quite the task!

Also having family members help can be another great option. For example, my mom enjoys painting and has offered multiple times to touch up all our baseboards, trim, etc. If you have anyone who is skilled or is offering to help, take advantage!

Stay tuned for more lifestyle goals next! I would love to know what you are working towards!

As always, sending light and love!

Blessings,

Jac

Awhile back I shared what I was using to introduce my son to letters, sounds, and numbers. You can check out that post here: Educational Materials . I also have additional information and resources on my Youtube & Instagram (IGTV). For those who don’t know me personally, I am a former first grade teacher and current ESL (English as a second language) teacher!

We have been working on at home lessons for about a year now (started a couple of months after turning 2). Our current lessons include calendar time, letter/sound review, word family practice, beginner readers, sight words, name, letter formation (writing), number identification, and counting. I thought I would share some of my favorite materials that we are using right now. You can also check out some resources I created under Toddler Time!

Stay tuned for videos of actual lesson examples!

1.Calendar

I love this calendar because it is easy and includes multiple concepts like days, months, years, seasons, weather, and feelings. I hang it on my son’s closet door and keep extra pieces in a zip lock bag!

2.Alphabet Cards

This is personal preference, but I like using cards that have upper and lower case, as well as an example of the beginning sound. I got mine from Dollar Tree a long time ago, but the ones linked are similar!

3.Magnetic Letters

I use magnetic letters for everything such as name, cvc words, and word families. I personally used these in the classroom and prefer the ones that differentiate vowels and consonants (red and blue).

4.Beginner Readers

I love these books, however I know there are many options out there. There are also pre-readers which is great to use before the first set or level. Each book focuses on a word family and will have one or two basic sight words! As my son masters a book, I place it in his independent reading tub!

5.Sight Word Swat

I really like using this because it is simple and fun for kids. There are color coded cards with the levels and words which is great! We work on a sight word that is in the book we are reading to make the connection and extra practice!

6.Wipe & Clean Book

These books are great for any writing skill or goal you have for your child. We are currently using the one linked for upper and lower case formation, however they have so many different ones available!

7.Spelling Game

My son has loved playing this recently! We are only practicing CVC words, so I will choose a card and cover the spelling. We will sound it out and he will place the correct letters underneath and then check to see if he was correct!

8.Number Puzzle

This is still one of my favorite materials to use because it includes numbers 1-20! We have been using it since day one!

You can also check out some of my favorites from last year here:

As always, sending light and love!

Blessings,

Jac

*Amazon links are affiliate links. If you choose to use, you will be supporting me!