A word

I've never been one to make new year's resolutions.  I do like to make goals and plans, but as a new year's habit - not my thing.  I don't actually resolve things often, though regularly.  Lately my word I'd like to be more resolved towards is: intentional.  I want to be intentional about being intentional.  hehe

This is true in my ever-learning and evolving journey of parenthood.  Brad and I desire to be intentional as parents, in everything.  Last night, I remarked that I need more hobbies and interests.  I don't like that any "down time" I get at home is spent looking at the screens of my devices.  I might be reading.  I might be playing a game.  I might be posting on forums.  But Kdubster doesn't see that. Momma's just looking at the screen.  He thinks I'm obsessed with pictures... that's all he thinks the screen is for.  Unless it's for a baby beluga youtube video.

Anyway, thrifting is one of my hobbies.  I've got in some good thrift time already day 3 into my spring break.  I've scored lots of clothing and books for my boy.  There seemed to be an age gap in our hand-me-down stash from Kdubs dear cousin which is FUN for me!  Shopping!

I'd also like to be intentional about reading from the Bible and reflecting on it.  It is hard to always write a reflection on Bible reading, tweeting requires a screen, and doing homiletics on a passage can seem a bit like work some times if done all the time.  So I thrifted from my basement an awesome scribble book in which to doodle and create some typography art and collections.  I'm excited for it.

Another intentional effort Brad and I embarked on this month is a tighter budget.  We've been doing decently in the past couple of years.  We've been able to pay our bills, save money, and still do what we like to do.  But we want to be more intentional about our pennies (or nickels... since pennies aren't in circulation any longer...) We've established the envelope system, like Dave Ramsey or Gail Vaz-Oxlade, for some of our expenses.  This has been really really awesome, for me in particular.  It seems so counter intuitive, this whole budget in cash thing.  A budget seems to limit, at least that was my thinking prior to having a solid budget jotted down.  But when I could see that I had this much spending money each month, for whatever I choose, it was actually freeing!  When considering something I'd like to get, small, little, usually not very significant things as such as my spending habits, I used to hmmm and hawwww wondering whether I should or not.  Is this too much?  Is this worth considering?  But now, I know whether I can get something.  There's the added forethought of well, there's 2 more weeks left to this month and I might be going out with a friend next week.  I better make sure I have something to carry with me then!

We don't do everything in cash.  There are a few categories that work better on visa or debit, but the same idea is there.  The $ is already allotted from income we've already received, versus allotted but spent and paid for with next month's money (when we spent on visa only).  This seems much more intentional.  We feel good about it and hopefully the Lord blesses this labour as endeavour to be much more intentional about the resources He's provided.