September 2017 Family Goals

September is here and we love it! The change in weather brings with it a new routine, plenty of fun outdoor activities, and some of our favorite seasonal foods. September always feels like a new beginning – maybe because we have equated this month with a new school year for the majority of our lives. It always feels like a fresh start to us! September is also the month we found out we were expecting Peter two years ago! It truly is one of our favorite months!

We are mostly settled in the convent house. We moved at the end of August, and we are quickly making it into a home for the three of us. Because we are only living here for a year, we are leaving a large majority of our things in storage. It feels so good to live simply and with only a few essential items.

Beginning with our pilgrimage this summer, we experienced several events that led us to a profound change in heart to start radically simplifying our lives. Since July, we are buying just the essentials to live (neither of us have online shopped or entered a mall – and we have absolutely no desire to) and we are using only second hand items. We are making our own cleaning products and soaps, too. This is such a joy for us because we know exactly what ingredients we are using, that they are both environmentally safe and safe for our family, all while saving us money!

Our heart really changed after watching ‘The True Cost’ on Netflix. The clothes, the designers, and the fashion blogs that promote goods that are not ethically made used to be so glamorous and now are so empty to us. Please watch this documentary. It is so important to be aware of what you are purchasing or promoting, under what conditions your items were made, and how the lives who made your items were affected during your product’s production. We are accountable for what we consume. Please take the time to educate yourself regarding this. No piece of clothing is worth someone’s life – just so we can “look good” or be “in style”. Ethically made items, and the morality behind them is such a passion of ours. We would love to talk to you more about it. I will be starting an ethically made “Feminine Favorites” series, along with some outfit of the day posts in our Fashion section! We cannot wait to share them with you.

Peter’s bedroom and play room are painted! We want to make his playroom into a little Montessori learning area for him. It is incredible learning about Montessori teaching. It is something we want to implement into Peter’s education – starting now! Already, in just a few weeks, the Montessori lessons we have incorporated into his daily routine are allowing him to flourish and grow. Children are capable of so much!

This month we are focusing on settling into our new routine here at the house, enjoying some autumnal activities as a family, and getting outside as much as possible before the cold weather comes. We hope your September is happy and blessed!

September 2017 Family Goals
– visit and join our new local library
– plan our Our Lady of the Rosary Feast Day (October 7th) party
– set aside time each week to meal plan
– spend time outside everyday with Peter
– work on our first ethically made “Feminine Favorites” and outfit of the day posts on Finding Philothea
– pick out, carve, and decorate pumpkins together
– go apple picking
– make Mom’s apple pie
– donate extra coats and blankets to the homeless shelter
– find a second hand toddler-sized table and chairs for Peter’s Montessori room (praying we find one on the side of the road!)

– M & C