Don't Get SMART With Me...

Actually, maybe do.  And if you don't know what I mean by SMART, check out this link.

Seeing as how I'm fairly new at this whole homemaker thing, I'm okay with admitting that I'm not very good at it yet.  I'm not okay with staying that way.  I want to become the kind of woman that I want Madison to want to become.  Phew!  Did I get that out right?  Anyway, there are a million or so things I don't know how to do at all, and about that many more that I'd like to do way better than I can now.

For instance, I'm a TERRIBLE cook.  Really.  We have about three dinners that we cycle through.  A typical night in our house sounds something like this:
 Kelli-"I'm hungry, what are you in the mood for?"
 Madison-"wa-ah"
 Pat-"I don't know, we had chicken nuggets and macaroni last night, do you want lasagna or baked sandwiches?"
So I'd kind of like to improve upon that.  What?  Oh, yeah, SMART.  Okay, I'd like to have fifteen dinners that I'm good at making for our family by Madison's first birthday.

Completing and decorating our house is probably at the top of my "wanna do" list.  Of course, that kind of depends on how much $ we're able to allocate to materials and how much time we're willing to give for projects.  With that in mind, I'm gonna make this goal a little more ART than SMART.  I'd like to have the house in a condition that doesn't embarrass me in time for Madison's first birthday party.  Shooting for the stars, I know. :)

It's also really important to me to show Madison that it's important to present herself well.  For anyone who knows me, it's pretty obvious why this would generate a goal.  For others, I guess a pic is gonna have to clue you in:

Happy side note: I just realized the blog is almost the same color as our living room/kitchen/dining.  Yay!

See the cute girl on the right?  Yeah, that's totally not me.  I'm the slob on the left with dirty stretched ankle socks and a top that majorly clashes with those almost could have been cute camo capris.    Yes, I'm quite pregnant in the picture, ergo some might be tempted to cut me a little slack.  But here's the thing.  I'm not pregnant anymore, but I do have an infant, so isn't that a good excuse?  And next I'll have a toddler.  And then, who knows-I might even be pregnant while caring for a toddler.  Do you see where I'm going yet?  (And I don't mean onto a show for TLC about me and my 37 children.)  No, what I'm trying, ever so eloquently, to say is this: I will could always have an excuse for my appearance.  But I don't want to!


Alright, already.  I can see that this is getting a bit lengthy, so I'll cut it short and just give you guys the breakdown.

Goals for 6.22.12 (Madison's first birthday)
-Have 15 meals that work for our family
-Throw a birthday party for Madison at our house without crying the night before because I'm mortified for anyone to see the house as-is and feel proud to show what we have done with it.
-Get dressed every day(you just think I'm exaggerating)
-Look in the mirror EVERY time I leave the house and/or have company. (I figure if I'm gonna submit everyone else to the view, I ought to at least get a taste myself)
-Bake Madison's birthday (cup)cake(s)
-DIY something fun to give friends & fam for Christmas...Being cheap shouldn't equal being a scrooge!
-Find a way to serve God while being a good wife and mother.  Whoa, I don't know if I've ever called myself a "mother" before.  Crazy!
-Be a good friend.  Answer the phone.  Maybe even initiate conversations, sometimes!  Listen.  Help.
-To live by Philippians 4:8-"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Thanks for reading!
-Kelli