Mom's Plans

My Goals for Week 35 and a Recap of the Last 8 Months

2026-06-01T19:16:04Z

Only four more months left to accomplish my yearly goals! I’ll let you know how that’s going, but first, here are the goals I want to accomplish this week:

My Goals for This Week (Week 35)

Walk for 10 minutes 8 times this week
Go to the gym 4x this week.
Write up two book reviews for the many books I’ve completed this year but haven’t written about.
Study Japanese for 60 minutes this week.
Climb 38 flights on the stair climber.
Complete two items on my spring cleaning list.

A Recap of The First Seven Months’ Accomplishments

We’re almost at the 2/3rds mark for my goals! Here’s where things stand:

1.) Go to the gym regularly (4 to 5x a week) and increase all the weights I’m currently lifting over the next 12 months (Goal=200 times this year). I went to the gym 8 times in May, 10 times in April, 13 times in March, 12 times in February, only 2 times in January (it was a crazy month!), 8 times in December, 11 times in November, and 16 times in October, so 80 times so far. (40% complete)

2.) Master the stair master and climb 100 flights of stairs. This was on pause for about five months when I injured my knee; I started the year at 6 flights of stairs, and I’ve worked my way up to 33 flights. (33% complete)

3.) Eat 6 to 10 fruits and vegetables a day. This is hit or miss. I definitely have to focus on this more.

4.) Honor my body and all it does for me by learning and practicing intuitive eating. I found a nutritionist who specializes in intuitive eating and have seen her 7x. I am getting the hang of it, slowly but surely.

5.)Do yoga or Tai Chi regularly (Goal=150 times this year). I was failing, but lately I’ve been starting my morning with Tai Chi. Now, if I could get in the habit of doing yoga before bed, I might still complete this goal! I did Tai Chi 10 times in May, 1 time in February, 2 times in January, 5 times in December, and yoga 3 times in November for a total of 21 times (14% complete).

7.) Read 5 books about health/wellness. Oof, failing at this goal. I almost finished Glucose Revolution ,before I had to return it to the library. That’s it!

8.) Study Japanese, or read a book, or do some combination of both for 45 to 60 minutes a day. I’m slowly (very slowly) getting back into my Japanese study, but I’ve been reading up a storm. I finished these books in the last eight months:

Lovely War (review coming soon)
The German Wife (review coming soon)
When the World Fell Silent (review coming soon)
Heartwood,
The Man Who Fell from the Sky
The Housemaid,
The Runaway Sisters,
Yellow Crocus, (review coming soon)
I Can Fix This, (review coming soon)
Nobody’s Girl, (review coming soon)
Mustard Seed, (review coming soon)
Beyond Seven Forests,
The Shining, (review coming soon)
What the Silent Say, (review coming soon)
Homeschooled: A Memoir,
The Correspondent,
The Flower Sisters,
Book of Forbidden Words, (review coming soon)
Necessary Lies, (review coming soon)
The Emancipation of Veronica McAllister, (review coming soon)
Golden Poppies, (review coming soon)
The Changing Lives of Joe Hart, (review coming soon)
The Personal Librarian,
The Second Life of Mirielle West,

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Meal Prep & Menu Plan for May 31 2026

2026-06-01T00:44:32Z

This post contains affiliate links. I keep making my meal plan and forgetting to take pictures, so then I don’t post it. Hopefully, I’ll start improving with this!

I’ve been trying to integrate some more Japanese foods into our diet. My husband makes lots of Japanese foods on the weekend, but I’m trying to cook more during the weekdays.

Monday
Lunch–ravioli, broccoli
Dinner–Oyakodon (starting at minute 10:59), rice, miso soup

Tuesday
Lunch–leftover Oyakodon, miso soup
Dinner–Beef Enchiladas,

Wednesday
Lunch–leftover Beef Enchiladas, salad
Dinner–fish tacos with cabbage slaw

Thursday
Lunch–ravioli, steamed broccoli
Dinner–Yakitori Donburi, (although we liked this, my husband told me it wasn’t authentic)

Friday
Lunch–leftover Beef Enchiladas, salad
Dinner–Sourdough Pizza, roasted cauliflower

What is your family eating every week? Any good recipes to share?

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The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson {A Book Review}

2026-05-28T12:14:42Z

This post contains affiliate links. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, especially fiction set during World War II. However, I always like it when I find historical fiction set during a different time like The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson.

About the Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson

I listened to this on audio, which I enjoyed. The book takes place in two different times–1928 and 1978. The 1928 section focuses on Rose and Violet, twins who have very different personalities. One sweltering summer night, one of them heads to the dance hall with the other teens in her town, but she never returns home thanks to an explosion that kills several people and traumatizes the town for decades to come.

In 1978, a 15-year-old Daisy comes to town. Daisy’s mother, Lettie, is running away with a man who doesn’t like kids. Daisy is to live with her grandmother, the surviving twin of the 1928 explosion. Daisy finds the small Missouri town of Possum Flats boring until she gets herself a job at the local newspaper. The editor puts her to work writing blurbs about this date in history, but when Daisy stumbles upon the story of the dance hall explosion, nothing can stop her. However, she runs up against strong resistance from most of the survivors, who all have secrets to hide and are anxious to keep that dark time in the past.

My Thoughts on the Book

This book is based on a true event, the Bond Dance Hall explosion, that happened in West Plains, Missouri on April 13, 1928. Ironically, the author lived in this town and never heard of the tragedy until 2010! In 2011, a non-fiction book was published about the event: The West Plains Dance Hall Explosion by Lin Waterhouse. (I haven’t read that book yet, but it’s on my list.)

The tragedy is terrible, and knowing it’s a true story is even worse. The author does an excellent job showing how such a tragic event changed the town and all the people who experienced it forever.

While the book focuses on the events from that terrible night, it’s also a story about women–grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters. I enjoyed the story she weaved around the event and appreciated the larger-than-life small town characters she created.

I give The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson 5 out of 5 stars on the Mom’s Plans’ scale.

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My Goals for Week 33 and a Recap of the Last Two Weeks

2026-05-18T13:53:26Z

I made small goals two weeks ago, but I had trouble accomplishing them. Life is very busy this time of year–the girls had prom, one had a friend visit from out of town. . .and this week is equally busy–one all-day homeschool tech competition, three track meets, shuttling the kids to and from their jobs. I don’t know if I lack motivation or if I just need to accept that during this last sprint to the finish line of having high school children, I won’t be able to accomplish everything I want. I don’t know. I’m on the wait list for an audio copy of Atomic Habits, hoping that can help. Here are the goals I want to accomplish this week and what I accomplished (or didn’t) the last two weeks:

My Goals for This Week (Week 33)

Since this is going to be a very busy week, I’m setting super simple goals:

Go to the gym 2x this week.
Write up two book reviews for the many books I’ve completed this year but haven’t written about.
Study Japanese for 60 minutes this week.
Continue to track my food intake and use the hunger and fullness scale.

A Recap of The Last Two Weeks’ Accomplishments

Walk for 10 minutes after breakfast and lunch. I took 12 walks. (If I did this daily, it should have been 14.)
Go to the gym 4x this week. I went 3 times.
Write up three book reviews for the many books I’ve completed this year but haven’t written about. I wrote one.
Study Japanese for 60 minutes this week. I studied for 52 minutes.
Continue to track my food intake and use the hunger and fullness scale. This was hit or miss.

You know what I did a great job of? Reading books and listening to audios. I can’t wait to finish the reviews of the books I’ve read so far this year and share them with you:

The German Wife (review coming soon)
When the World Fell Silent (review coming soon)
Heartwood,
The Man Who Fell from the Sky
The Housemaid,
The Runaway Sisters,
Yellow Crocus, (review coming soon)
I Can Fix This, (review coming soon)
Nobody’s Girl, (review coming soon)
Mustard Seed, (review coming soon)
Beyond Seven Forests,
The Shining, (review coming soon)
What the Silent Say, (review coming soon)
Homeschooled: A Memoir,
The Correspondent,
The Flower Sisters, (review coming soon)
Book of Forbidden Words, (review coming soon)
Necessary Lies, (review coming soon)
The Emancipation of Veronica McAllister, (review coming soon)
Golden Poppies, (review coming soon)
The Changing Lives of Joe Hart, (review coming soon)
The Personal Librarian,
The Second Life of Mirielle West,

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Beyond Seven Forests by Amanda McCrina {A Book Review}

2026-05-14T13:19:45Z

This post contains affiliate links. I can’t remember where I heard of Beyond Seven Forests by Amanda McCrina, but I’m always interested in good fiction set during World War I because there isn’t much I’ve found, especially considering how much World War II literature is available. At just 192 pages, this is a short but powerful read.

About Beyond Seven Forests by Amanda McCrina

Renia is an 18-year-old countess who works in the medical field. World War I has taken everything from her–her family, her fiancé, her lifestyle. She goes to work and then walks miles home, though the physical structure of “home” now is but a shell of what it was. With a blizzard approaching, she declines a doctor’s offer to stay in town to ride out the storm and chooses to go home instead. That decision changes her life.

She returns home to find her house is no longer empty–instead, two Polish men who are fighting for the Russian army are there. She must survive a blizzard while invaders are in her home. They will demand her limited food and her assistance, but how can she assist the enemy and keep herself safe?

The story is told while Renia is on trial for “disrupting the war effort.” The tension builds throughout the story, but the verdict is no surprise.

My Thoughts on the Book

I enjoyed this book, especially since I find it challenging to find good books about World War I. However, the opening of the story is confusing, and I almost gave up at that point. However, subsequent chapters were easier to understand, so I’m happy I continued with this book. Overall, I was happy with the story.

I give Beyond Seven Forests by Amanda McCrina 4 out of 5 stars on the Mom’s Plans’ scale.

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Home Schooled: A Memoir by Stefan Merrill Block {A Book Review}

2026-05-05T00:08:02Z

This post contains affiliate links. I always read books about homeschooling with interest because most of them, unfortunately, don’t have much good to say about homeschooling. I read Homeschooled: A Memoir by Stefan Merrill Block, and I found that he, too, had very few positives to say about homeschooling, but the title of the book is misleading.

About Home Schooled by Stefan Merrill Block

Stefan is in 4th grade when his mom pulls him out of school to homeschool him. The family has just moved from Indianapolis to Plano, Texas, and his mother decides to homeschool him to nurture his brilliance. (Another reason is that she is lonely at home alone and wants Stefan with her.)

However, Stefan actually receives very little homeschooling. His mother likes to take him out to eat and to the beach. She has him drive by his old school and shout “suckers” to all of his classmates who are outside for recess. Her version of homeschooling is more like unschooling, but it is often no schooling at all, especially when she starts a tutoring business out of their home.

A better title for this book might reflect something about his mother’s mental state. Stefan’s maternal grandfather was in and out of a mental hospital, and I wonder if his mother might have also had mental problems. She has some strange beliefs, like having Stefan crawl around on his hands and knees all day, every day, to help his handwriting get better. (He has dysgraphia.)

My Thoughts on The Book

While this book is a reflection of his mother’s disturbing mental state, it’s also a reflection of Stefan himself and his difficult and unhappy childhood. It’s more a coming-of-age book in the shadow of a mother struggling with mental issues and codependency.

Stefan does eventually give some background about why his mother is the way that she is, but I would like to see more information about her life that led her to the place where she felt her youngest son was her entire reason for living. I would have also liked more perspective from Stefan’s older brother and his father. Those two are barely mentioned in the book except in passing. How did they feel about Stefan and his mother’s relationship? Did they notice anything off about it? Or were they just happy not to have her attention on them?

I give Homeschooled: A Memoir by Stefan Merrill Block 3 out of 5 stars on the Mom’s Plans’ scale.

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My Goals for Week 31 and a Recap of the Past 7 Months

2026-05-04T14:14:01Z

I haven’t written about my goals for a while, but I’ve still been working towards them. First, here the goals I want to accomplish this week:

My Goals for This Week (Week 31)

Walk for 10 minutes after breakfast and lunch.
Go to the gym 4x this week.
Write up three book reviews for the many books I’ve completed this year but haven’t written about.
Study Japanese for 60 minutes this week.
Continue to track my food intake and use the hunger and fullness scale.

A Recap of The First Seven Months’ Accomplishments

We’re almost at the halfway mark for my goals! Here’s where things stand:

1.) Go to the gym regularly (4 to 5x a week) and increase all the weights I’m currently lifting over the next 12 months (Goal=200 times this year). I went to the gym 10 times in April, 13 times in March, 12 times in February, only 2 times in January (it was a crazy month!), 8 times in December, 11 times in November, and 16 times in October, so 72 times so far. (36% complete)

2.) Master the stair master and climb 100 flights of stairs. This was on pause for about four months due to my knee. I just started again yesterday; I started the year at 6 flights of stairs, and I’ve worked my way up to 20 flights. (20% complete)

3.) Eat 6 to 10 fruits and vegetables a day. This is hit or miss. I definitely have to focus on this more.

4.) Honor my body and all it does for me by learning and practicing intuitive eating. I found a nutritionist who specializes in intuitive eating and have seen her 4x. I am getting the hang of it, slowly but surely.

5.) Walk 1 to 2 miles most days (Goal=200 miles this year), I’m taking this goal off the list. I find it cumbersome to count my miles, and I’m doing other cardio, so I don’t always walk as much as I need to to meet this goal.

6.)Do yoga or Tai Chi regularly (Goal=150 times this year). So completely failing at this one right now! I did Tai Chi 1 time in February, 2 times in January, 5 times in December, and yoga 3 times in November for a total of 11 times (7.3% complete).

7.) Read 5 books about health/wellness. I am almost done with the first one, Glucose Revolution.

8.) Study Japanese, or read a book, or do some combination of both for 45 to 60 minutes a day. Japanese study didn’t happen at all, but I did finish these books in the last seven months:

When the World Fell Silent (review coming soon)
Heartwood,
The Man Who Fell from the Sky
The Housemaid,
The Runaway Sisters,
Yellow Crocus, (review coming soon)
I Can Fix This, (review coming soon)
Nobody’s Girl, (review coming soon)
Mustard Seed, (review coming soon)
Beyond Seven Forests, (review coming soon)
The Shining, (review coming soon)
What the Silent Say, (review coming soon)
Homeschooled: A Memoir, (review coming soon)
The Correspondent,
The Flower Sisters, (review coming soon)
Book of Forbidden Words, (review coming soon)
Necessary Lies, (review coming soon)
The Emancipation of Veronica McAllister, (review coming soon)
Golden Poppies, (review coming soon)
The Changing Lives of Joe Hart, (review coming soon)
The Personal Librarian,
The Second Life of Mirielle West,

The post My Goals for Week 31 and a Recap of the Past 7 Months appeared first on Mom's Plans.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans {A Book Review}

2026-04-28T20:55:28Z

This post contains affiliate links. I had heard the hype about The Correspondent by Virginia Evans and was intrigued. However, around 80 pages in, I couldn’t figure out why. I did persevere and finish the book, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.

About The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

The entire book is written in letters–letters Sybil sends, and ones she receives. I actually enjoyed this format. I know some people found it difficult to keep all of the characters straight, but that wasn’t a problem for me. The problem for me was Sybil herself.

Sybil Van Antwerp is 72 years old when the book opens. She is a divorced, retired lawyer who has two grown children. She is rigid in her routines, doesn’t like to travel, and won’t go overseas to visit with her grown daughter. A neighbor has taken a liking to her and is always thinking of her–giving her treats and flowers.

Through the letters, it’s clear to see that Sybil can be sharp and critical, especially with the words she writes to friends about her children; sometimes she comes across as cold and unfeeling.

But as the book continues, her world slowly opens up, and Sybil begins to change. The story ends nearly a decade after it started.

My Thoughts on the Book

I considered not finishing the book because I didn’t like Sybil. She was mean and two-faced, especially when talking about her children.

As she got older, she mellowed, but honestly, I didn’t believe the way she turned her life around in her late 70s. I just didn’t buy that she would change that much.

I did appreciate that as she aged, she was able to self-reflect and see the wrongs she had done. I wish the author had made it clearer if she restored her relationship with one of her children. I’m guessing from the adult child’s end, there isn’t much peace about their relationship.

I give The Correspondent 3.5 out of 5 stars on the Mom’s Plans’ scale.

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My 2026 Spring Cleaning To-Do List: Update 1

2026-04-22T14:52:46Z

We’re making progress! Over the last two weeks, we’ve gotten several items done on our spring clean list. Here’s the update:

Master Bedroom

~~Changing out winter bedding for spring bedding;~~
~~Wash winter bedding and put it away (It’s so thick, this will require a warm spring day, which may still be a few weeks out)~~
Clean windows
Dust bookshelves
Vacuum the entire bedroom (move furniture to get in typically unreached areas)
Bring out spring clothes & put away winter ones
Clean the closet
Buy & install room-darkening curtains

Master Bathroom

Clean the window–All I have left to do to knock out the list for this room!
~~Change out the winter shower curtain & bath mat~~ (I did this, but now I feel like the bathroom is darker. My husband told me to give it a few days to get used to. Clearly, it doesn’t matter to him!)
~~Clean baseboards and heating vent~~ (Cuddle Bug did this for us, thankfully!)
~~Sweep & mop bathroom~~
~~Deep clean the tub~~
~~Change the shower liner~~

Kitchen

Deep clean oven inside and out
Clean the refrigerator inside and out
Sweep and mop the floor
Wash all rugs
Wipe down cabinet fronts
Deep clean the dishwasher
Clean the toaster

Living Room

Clean the ceiling fan
Try to get the acrylic paint out of the carpet (Any suggestions for how to do this?)
Clean the windows and put the screens in
Vacuum the stairs

Household Maintenance

Call the counter company about the crack in the corner of our new(ish) counter
Call the window company about replacing our screen/storm door that is broken
Get estimates for having the house power-washed and get it done
Have the air conditioner maintained
Change the heater filter
Repaint the front door

Car

Vacuum Car
Wash car mats
Install hatchback cover

Landscaping

~~Pull out two small bushes~~
~~Plant 2 rose bushes where the other bushes were~~ (We pulled out two of the bushes, but the one bush that is still here was too large; we’ll work on that later. The rose bushes are protected by chicken wire because the bunnies will strip the rose bushes clean; it will take a few years before I see roses, I think.)
Edge the sidewalks and driveway
Put down new wood chips in the landscaping because ours are mostly gone.

Whew. That’s our list, and it’s a big one with our time constraints, so we plan to chip away at it little by little and hopefully have it done by June.

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My 2026 Spring Cleaning To Do List: Keep Me Accountable!

2026-04-07T11:13:26Z

Last year was crazy because multiple family members had health issues that took several months or more to resolve. We were in crisis mode, and I didn’t accomplish much anything around the house. This year, life is much more peaceful, and I’m suddenly seeing everything that needs to be done! So, I created this spring cleaning list and hope you will keep me accountable.

Master Bedroom

Changing out winter bedding for spring bedding;
Wash winter bedding and put it away (It’s so thick, this will require a warm spring day, which may still be a few weeks out)
Clean windows
Dust bookshelves
Vacuum the entire bedroom (move furniture to get in typically unreached areas)
Bring out spring clothes & put away winter ones
Clean the closet
Buy & install room-darkening curtains

Master Bathroom

Clean the window
Change out the winter shower curtain & bath mat
Clean baseboards and heating vent
Sweep & mop bathroom
Deep clean the tub
Change the shower liner

Kitchen

Deep clean oven inside and out
Clean the refrigerator inside and out
Sweep and mop the floor
Wash all rugs
Wipe down cabinet fronts
Deep clean the dishwasher
Clean the toaster

Living Room

Clean the ceiling fan
Try to get the acrylic paint out of the carpet (Any suggestions for how to do this?)
Clean the windows and put the screens in
Vacuum the stairs

Household Maintenance

Call the counter company about the crack in the corner of our new(ish) counter
Call the window company about replacing our screen/storm door that is broken
Get estimates for having the house power-washed and get it done
Have the air conditioner maintained
Change the heater filter
Repaint the front door

Car

Vacuum Car
Wash car mats
Install hatchback cover

Landscaping

Pull out two small bushes
Plant 2 rose bushes where the other bushes were
Edge the sidewalks and driveway

Whew. That’s our list, and it’s a big one with our time constraints, so we plan to chip away at it little by little and hopefully have it done by June.

Do you have a spring cleaning list? If so, what’s on yours?

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