This year, 2013, I set some really specific goals for our family:

Spend less

Cook More

And only one for my business:

Write the darn book I have been harboring in my brain for so long.

I am always afraid to share my goals because I don’t want to come to the end of the  year and have someone ask me, “How did it go with your goals this year?”, in which I answer, “Uh, great {not}.”

I was never taught how to manage money as a child or young adult, mainly because there wasn’t any to manage.  I started working at age 14 in an ice cream shop and from that day forward, I bought my own clothes, my  own car, my own furniture for my 16th birthday, and well, you get the idea.  Then as a Navy officer I earned more money than I ever thought I would make and boy did I enjoy spending it all.  Flash forward years later and I am surrounded by lovely things…shoes, clothes, a beautiful home with beautiful furniture, accessories…and I am at a place that I don’t want anymore.

Now, don’t get me wrong here.  I still love things.  I especially love shoes, as you know, but I don’t want more of anything right now except time.  I sensed this shift in my heart starting about 2 years ago, but it didn’t really hit me until late last year.  So, when I spent some time with God asking about what lies ahead for our family, my business, my blogging, I kept sensing these two things: Spend Less. Cook More.

Why does God care about cooking for Pete’s sake?  I don’t know except that more cooking leads to less spending which leads to more family time.  Ah, He’s such a smart God. I could only see one problem with God’s plan-I don’t really enjoy cooking.

I don’t enjoy cooking because it makes a mess and everyone eats so fast and then there all the dishes to wash and things to put away.  And it takes so much time.  There I said it.  But I want to honor God in my life so I set out to find meal plan I like and can live with and actually enjoy making the food in spite of the mess. Here is what I settled on:

And…

I have talked about emeals before and how awesome they are, but they introduced a Paleo meal plan and that made them more awesome!

My first week of buying groceries from Everyday Paleo was $187 and that included everything for every meal for one week!  I love it.  Last night, I whipped up our dinner in 15 minutes, but most of the time a little more planning goes into it.  I’m not minding it, surprisingly.  The meals are simple, filling, and crazy nutritious.

So, 10 days into the new year, I am learning.  I am learning to plan more.  I am learning that less really is more.  I am learning to not care so much about the mess in my kitchen when it means more time with my family around the table.  There will always be a neat freak inside of me and the need for order, but I am learning.  When I say to other people, “things can’t fill up your soul”, I am learning that along with them.  I am probably more surprised than anyone else that I would be enjoying the Cook More goal.

Next week I will share more on the Spend Less goal, which is far less comforting to talk about.