Making List and Getting Things Done.

 

September Is Flying By… So I’m Trying to Get Ahead 🍂

Can you believe it is already Wednesday, September 9th, 2026?

I honestly do not understand how this year is flying by so quickly! It seems like we were just celebrating the beginning of 2026, and now here we are heading into the final few months of the year.

But you know what? As crazy as it is to watch the calendar move so quickly, I am actually feeling pretty good about where Mr. C and I are right now. We are making some long-term goals and choices, and we are trying to be more intentional about getting things done instead of waiting until the last minute.

And apparently, that includes thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas already! 😂

Getting a Head Start on the Holidays

Mr. C has already started thinking about things we can buy for our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners that can sit in the pantry until we need them.

And honestly, I think this is a GREAT idea.

One year we waited until Thanksgiving was right around the corner and discovered that we could not find sage seasoning anywhere! I mean, who knew sage was going to become the hottest commodity in Oklahoma that year? 😂

We ended up borrowing some from one of our neighbors just so we could finish Thanksgiving dinner.

So this year, we are trying to be prepared.

We are starting to think about what we want on the menu, what we can buy ahead of time, whether we will host or someone else will host, and what we can pick up now so we aren’t running around like crazy when the holidays arrive.

The same goes for Christmas.

We have already been buying Christmas presents like crazy, and I am actually pretty excited about that. Having a good portion of the gifts purchased ahead of time will make the next few months SO much less stressful.

My plan is to make a list of everyone we need to buy for, mark off what we already have, and then see what is still missing.

Future Karen is going to appreciate Present-Day Karen for doing this. 😂

Today’s To-Do List

Of course, thinking ahead doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of things that need to be done right now.

After work today, I have several things on my list:

• 💡 Pay the electric bill — it is due tomorrow, so I definitely don’t want to forget this one!
• 🏦 Stop by the bank and make my last loan payment. It isn’t due until the 15th, but I would love to go ahead and get that taken care of.
• 👜 Change out my work tote. The one I’ve been carrying just isn’t quite sturdy enough, so I think it is time for something better.
• 🥤 Place a small grocery/drink order — probably around $35 — to get some more drinks for the house and fill in a few grocery gaps. If work isn’t too busy, I may even get this done between calls.
• 👚 Empty the dryer, hang up the clothes and fold everything.
• 👗 Pick out my work clothes for next week. Yes, I know it is only Wednesday, but I LOVE having my outfits ready to grab and go. It makes my mornings so much easier.
• 💌 Write two pen pal letters — one to Joni and one to Melissa. Once those are finished, I should be caught up!
• 💰 Work on October’s budget so I can see exactly where I am going to stand going into the new month.

It may sound like a lot, but honestly, most of these things aren’t huge jobs. It is just a matter of getting them done instead of letting them pile up.

And I have discovered that there is something really satisfying about checking things off a list. ✔️

A Little Birthday Gift… Five Months Late 😂

This morning I had a conversation with Whitney, my cousin Dakota’s wife.

She said, “Hey, I’m going to bring you your birthday gift!”

And I immediately thought, Oh yeah… I have your birthday gift too!

There is only one tiny problem.

Our birthday was in May. 😂

So naturally, that conversation sent me straight to Amazon.

Whitney loves cactus-themed things, and I recently found out that she is also getting into pen paling. So I had the PERFECT idea for her.

I ordered her:

🌵 Cactus pen pal letter sets
🌵 A cactus composition book
🌵 Cactus washi tape
🌵 Cactus stickers

I am going to wrap everything up really cute in some green paper and give it to her at our company picnic later this month.

I think she is going to love it!

Now, if I were a better cousin/friend, I would probably drive out to her house and take her something to eat since she has had back surgery. I could make a casserole or something and let her know I am thinking about her.

But she lives about 30 minutes away, and sometimes life just gets busy.

And you know what?

I’m learning that it is okay.

I haven’t forgotten about her. I care about her. And I am doing what I can do.

Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to do EVERYTHING perfectly that we forget to give ourselves credit for the things we actually are doing.

I’m working on that.

Looking Ahead

So here we are… September 9th.

The holidays are coming. The year is winding down. There are bills to pay, budgets to make, laundry to fold, letters to write, groceries to buy and Christmas presents to finish.

But there are also plans.

There are goals.

There are little things we are doing today that will hopefully make life a little easier tomorrow.

And I think that is what I am enjoying most right now.

Mr. C and I are trying to look ahead instead of always looking behind us. We are making plans, getting prepared and figuring out what we want the next few months—and eventually the next few years—to look like.

Maybe that is what this season of life is all about.

Not having everything figured out.

Just taking it one list, one goal and one day at a time. ❤️

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Hope that you had the best day ever, and drop a comment down below from where you’re reading it from.

Cheers, 

Karen❤️

Word for year 2026 Intentional

                                 Word of the Year and Target Areas

I had a bit of insight yesterday and realized that intentional really is the perfect word for my year ahead. As I think about how I want to move forward in 2026, everything keeps circling back to being more purposeful with my time, my energy, and my choices.

One big area I want to work on is doing more things outside my comfort zone. Crowds definitely aren’t my happy place, but I don’t want that to stop me from being more social. I also want to be very intentional about spending more quality time with family and friends—because that’s what really matters in the long run.

Getting Out More (Even When It Feels Uncomfortable)

One place that makes stepping out a little easier is Cotton Blossom Winery. They host so many activities throughout the month, and most of them are completely free—which I love. Things like book club, puzzle races, bingo, singo, trivia nights, live music, and outdoor family movie nights.

They also offer paid workshops for those times when you want to try something new and creative—sand art, succulent workshops, charcuterie classes, sip-and-shop events, and paint-and-sip nights. I really like that they offer a good mix of free events and ones that require a little out-of-pocket spending.

For example, in January, they have bingo, puzzle races, Modern Family trivia, another bingo night, and live music with Randy Brown. I really want to push myself this year to attend more of their events instead of just talking about it.

Initial Target Areas for the Year

I’m trying not to overload myself, so I’m keeping my focus simple and realistic:

1. Less time on social media – being more mindful of how much time I spend scrolling.
2. Continue eating better and exercising – progress, not perfection.
3. Saving for a vacation to New York City – something fun to look forward to.

Home Projects & Life Logistics

We also have several projects around the house that need attention—replacing and upgrading a few things, fixing small items, and making room for a little more creativity in our everyday life. The key for me is not being overly ambitious each month, just taking things one step at a time.

First up on the replace-and-upgrade list are the hot water heater and the pressure tank for our water well. We’ll also need a new refrigerator at some point, but the hot water heater will most likely come first. We’ve been having issues with it for quite a while now, and honestly, we know we’re running on borrowed time.

It feels like everything wants to go out at once. We’ve been watching the hot water heater and pressure tank closely, keeping our fingers crossed and hoping they hang on just a little longer.

Vehicles: Another Big Piece of the Puzzle

We also need a new vehicle. I was really hoping to get our Jeep paid off first, but unfortunately, Mr. C’s truck has completely died. It’s not worth repairing at this point, and it’s just not in the budget to have it overhauled.

We truly need two vehicles. I work about 30 minutes from home, and while Mr. C is usually home, we live out in the country—so you never know when a trip to town will be needed or when he might need to help Brody and Savannah with the kids.

We’ll see how far we get with all of these projects as the year goes on. I’m reminding myself that progress is progress, even if it’s slow.

Here’s to being intentional, one step at a time. 💫