April 2020 Goals

First of all – how are you all doing? What a month! I hope you all are doing well, and that you are safe and healthy.

Our daily schedule sort of went away mid-March when the COVID-19 guidelines were put into place here in New York State. I really thrive on routine and we are slowly establishing one again as these days of social distancing become our new normal. Mike is working from home and it is a gift in so many ways. We love having him here! We are saying many prayers of thanksgiving for our health, work, and the opportunity to be together as a family. With that said, we (like the rest of the world!) cannot wait for this all to be over!

During this time I am trying new recipes, reading more than I have in years, and working hard on preparing for Moscati Scrubs Kickstarter launch. Following a routine helps me a lot and last month I came up with some nonnegotiable things to do everyday. Days are always better when I pray (specifically morning and evening prayer, the Rosary, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet), exercise, get outside, read, do some schoolwork with Peter, clean the house, prepare meals, and work on Moscati Scrubs. Of course some days don’t go as planned and I have to fight feeling unmotivated, but when I do accomplish all these things, they are my best days!

Last month I mentioned that Mike and I have been watching Bishop Barron’s videos, reading his articles, and listening to his podcast. We decided to join his Word On Fire Institute. The membership includes access to courses, articles, videos, and a quarterly journal. I can’t recommend it enough, we have learned so much!

I’m also reading Saint Faustina’s Diary for the first time. I’ve always read excerpts, but never the book in its entirety! Her holiness was always (and still is!) super intimidating to me and I really felt like I couldn’t relate at all. But, at the beginning of Lent Mike found the leather bound copy we have been looking for since our move and I began reading it.  It’s been really beautiful to read and her words and message about God’s radical mercy and love came at the perfect time in my life. Again – I can’t recommend it enough!

I hope your Holy Week and Easter are blessed! What are your goals for this month of April? Please let me know how you’re doing, too!

April 2020 Goals

• Celebrate Holy Week and Easter!
• Finish reading the Word on Fire Institute’s Journal.
• Finish Saint Faustina’s Diary before Divine Mercy Sunday.
• Celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday (I wrote a blog post for Blessed Is She about ideas on how to celebrate. It will be posted on their site April 15th!).
• Write down goals each night to accomplish the next day. Keep the list in our kitchen where I can see it often throughout the day and check off goals.
• Continue exercising with BBG. Last Thursday marked six weeks post-op and my go-ahead from the doctor to start exercising again!
• Come up with a list of warm weather outside activities to do with Peter (if you have any ideas let me know!).
• Go through our books and pick three to read by the end of this month.
• Make this Almond Cake with Raspberry Buttercream.
• Clean and organize our bathroom closet.