Back to School

Posted on by Sarah Marshall

I’d mentioned in my New Year’s plans that I was planning on starting a new field of study.

Last Thursday, I started classes to get an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education.

It’s a bit scary for me. When I was in school getting my bachelor’s degree, I did not put forth the effort that I should have and wasted a lot of time and money with my foolishness. Not that I had extra back then, but I really can’t afford to be wasting time or money at this point in my life.

What convinced me to go for it was the book Quitter by Jon Acuff. I don’t remember if it was in the book or his blog or a video of his but he tells of an older woman sitting next to him on a plane. She asked him about his book and he gave her a copy to flip through. She read a couple pages, set it down in her lap and asked him “what if you’re 60-some years old and its too late for your dream job”.

That hit me hard. I appreciate my job, I’m thankful for the flexibility it gives me and the income it provides. I don’t know that I’d be happy sitting at a desk pushing papers & punching computer keys for the rest of my working days, even if it was safe and comfortable.

So I took the plunge. I submitted an application and enrolled in Intro to Early Childhood Education. Luckily, since I have my bachelor’s degree, I don’t have to do any General Ed classes. I could jump right into the Program and should have no trouble finishing up quickly.

Have you ever gone back to school for a complete career path switch? How did it go? Any tips for someone 10 years out of college going back school??

Menu Plan Monday – January 16-22

Posted on by Sarah Marshall

Menu Plan Monday

Another week, another meal plan! We did pretty well with our plan last week. We had an unexpected pizza night after Brooke’s daycare closed on us unexpectedly and I attempted to work at home with Brooke. Oy!! We really enjoyed the Taco Pie so Keith has requested that go in our regular meal rotation. I’ve actually started a board in Pinterest for those meals that are tried and true for our family. When I’m hitting a roadblock with our meal plan, I’ll look there to find something I know is a hit for everyone!

We’ve got a couple new recipes in the plan this week.

Down Home Macaroni & Cheese
Taco Pasta
Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings
Black Bean & Cheese Enchiladas
Slow Cooker Cheesy Italian Tortellini
Black Bean Burgers

Have a great week everyone!!

Mid-January update

Posted on by Sarah Marshall

We’ve made it to the middle of January so I thought I would check in and report on some of the plans for change I’d made at the start of the year.

Mind

*Classes started Thursday and I’ve logged into class every day to check in. I am going to work school time into my daily schedule and stay as ahead of the game as possible. And I’m proud to say I got a great deal on my textbook from Chegg with cash back for shopping through ebates.
*I’ve made a list on Goodreads of some books I want to finish in 2012. I’ve used most of my reading time for my Bible in 90 Days program.
*I haven’t totally abandoned People.com or E! Online but I’ve looked at it far less often.

Body

*Still need to make an appointment with a dermatologist for a skin cancer check.
*My new habit of drinking more water has gone well. I haven’t mindlessly poured a glass of soda just because and I’ve been drinking water with dinner. There is still room for improvement but I’m happy with what I’ve done so far.
*I haven’t been doing so well with scheduling workout times but have worked physical activity when I can into any blocks of time I can. I’m also proud to say I’ve included Brooke as much as possible by getting a Yoga DVD geared for kids at the library that we’ve enjoyed and playing Just Dance Kids & Nickelodeon Fit together on the Wii.

Soul

*I’ve attended church either in person or online every Sunday so far this year.
*Haven’t decided in what area I’d like to volunteer. I’m going to allow myself to get a little more familiar with the church before I commit.
*I’m over a week behind in the Bible in 90 Days challenge. I’m okay with that. I read as much as I can when I can and unless something crazy happens, I realize it will take me longer than 90 days to do it. At this point, my goal is to finish it.
*Community service as a family I have not really put much thought or effort into as of yet. We’ll get there though!

Home

*Now that my class has started and I have an idea what level of time commitment needs to be made, I’m ready to sit down and work on our schedule.
*We sold some stuff on Craigslist and are continuing to put as much money as possible toward paying off our last credit card!!!
*Yesterday, Keith and Brooke went to the men’s basketball game and I had a couple hours all to myself!! It was nice to have some quiet time to meal plan, organize my Pinterest boards and start this blog post.

So overall, I’ve had some successes so far and there are plenty of areas that have room for improvement. Not too shabby for mid-way through January!!

How are things going for you so far in 2012? Leave me a comment or link to a blog post you’ve written about your 2012 “resolutions”.