Hiya friends!

April check-in time! A little late but better than never! Here's a look at how March went and how well I stuck to some of my monthly goals...

Reading 2 books a month. Yes! Have you read "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed or "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats" by Jan-Philipp Sendker? Both were on my list this month and both I enjoyed! While they had completely opposite settings (mountainous trail that runs from Mexico to Canada vs. small town, mid-twentieth-century Burma) they both had themes of finding something that was lost. The first book told the true story of a woman's adventures on the PCT to find her true self, while the second read more like a fairy tale mystery where the narrator discovers the truth about her father's mysterious past. Have I enticed you yet? There's just something about reading a lost and found story that inspires you, right? I just re-read the Prodigal Son in Luke earlier this week and MAN, how moving is it when we find our way back home to God after straying for a little while? Just a thought! Moving on to...
SheReadsTruth. The reflections through Holy Week were such a great way to get in the zone each morning, and made Easter that much sweeter! I started a new plan called Prayer in the Bible last week that will go on a for a few more, so be sure to join along if you're interested!
Blog 3 times a week. Ay yi yi. Not so much. Considering either adjusting this number or making myself make it happen. Not quite sure what I will do, but next month's posting rate will tell.
Go crazy with my Etsy shop. I haven't added anything new to the shop recently, but I've been doing a lot of custom orders and addressing of wedding envelopes which has kept my plate full! Making Things Happen was such a great experience and I'm already learning so much about how to align the business to my core, which is a beautiful thing. I was also introduced to a new printer that may allow me to extend the types of products sold...like this iPhone case SO FUN! Hopefully by next month I'll be able to introduce you to a few more offerings.

I'm adding this one to April's goals, so hold me to it!

Be outside. Love the sunshine. Soak up the new season!

Lots of love,

Caitlin

Hi hi hi!

So, I mentioned some New Year's Resolutions awhile back, and today, I'm holding myself accountable. To make sure I'm staying on top of my 2013 goals, I'm going to check in on those efforts monthly. I've heard the first step to accomplishing your goals is to write them down and another is to share them with people to really seal the deal. Hopefully these efforts, along with my true desire to make 2013 super special, will help me accomplish the things I've been wanting to do. Not all of my resolutions apply to this month, but a few of them do. So here's where I'm at:

Reading 2 books a month. Check. I've read Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury, The Luminous Portrait by Elizabeth Messina, Claire de Lune by Jetta Carleton, and I'm halfway through Rediscovering Catholicism by Matthew Kelly and Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. This is wayyy more books than I thought I could read in one month, and I can promise you that I'm still a productive, social person even though I've had my nose in so many books! The big thing is, reading gives me such peace. Even if it's just reading a few pages. I love being pulled into a good story (like Unlocked) or learning about a subject I need to work on (The Luminous Portrait) and diving deeper into the theology of my faith (Rediscovering Catholicism). There are just so. many. things. to learn about out there, and books let you dip into them all. Reading (like running) also helps calm my brain when I have 800 thoughts swirling in my head and I need to calm all that craziness down. You know what I'm sayin?
SheReadsTruth. Check. I was a little behind on the Advent plan, so I finished that up in January and hopped onto the Soul Detox plan when that started! I've started sharing verses and thoughts from the daily devotional on Instagram and Twitter and love seeing other people's responses to the plan on social media. (Here's a post about #SheReadsTruth if you are unfamiliar!)
Be involved in a ministry church. Working on it! Hopefully after tomorrow I'll have more to share about this one. I'm super interested in getting involved with both the young adult and youth programs at church, and my husband and I are getting lunch with a church staff member tomorrow to see where we'd be a good fit! So excited. We are so glad to have this community nearby, and we are pumped to find ways to take on more of a leadership role!
Blog 3 times a week. Just about. I still need to make this a priority! I'll get better!
Go crazy with my Etsy shop. Yes! I've added a bunch of listings and am continuously learning ways to make the shop look better and be more visible. Each order makes me SO HAPPY because I love knowing that a little something that I made will help brighten someone's day. Since I love letters, I especially love when cards or notecards are purchased because I know the customer will be sending love in the mail on the cards that I make! So so cool. I also received orders for 2 fun custom projects today that I can't wait to share soon.

What were your resolutions?! How are they going?! I'd love to hear them. Let's hold each other accountable!

xoxo, Caitlin

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