Happy New Year!
I’m hoping I’m not the only one treating today, the 3rd of the month, as though it’s the 1st.
It was amazing how it worked out with getting Monday as a second-Sunday, and not having to get back to real life until Tuesday 🙂 Especially because Sunday was filled with a headache and the sofa for most of the day.
photo of our living room via my Instagram
we hosted New Years and I made the champagne “bubbles” above!
I can post a tutorial later this week if you like!
I have a lot of posts for the coming week that are “new year” related, so bear with me.
It’s just too hard to wrap it all into one.
Plus, Thursday of course needs to be devoted to Coffee Talk entirely 🙂
So, for today I wanted to share some of my intentions and promises for 2017.
In 2016 I think I found my stride with fitness, got a lot healthier overall, and put myself a little bit more out there with the blog.
But there are tons of resolutions and intentions that I definitely didn’t follow through entirely on. Some resolutions for 2017 below!
Read one new book per month
Yep. Starting with one of the most #basic of them all.
I used to be so good about this, but lately it’s been more laptop + magazines than books at night.
I read two great books over break (review to come soon!) and am reading my-boyfriend-andy-cohen’s book now every night before bed.
Try three new recipes per month
I love to cook, but I get in the habit of making the same dishes over and over.
And I feel as though in 2016 I didn’t branch out as much as I used to?
So for this year, I want to not only spend more time in the kitchen, but actually MAKE the new recipes I am constantly pinning on Pinterest.
Listen to a self-improvement podcast weekly
I have gotten really, really into my podcasts. They have been a great way to zone out while driving, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, you name it! I don’t know what I did without them!
Instead of it all being silly tabloid gossip, I am wanting to branch out to more thought provoking podcasts.
I love Joel Osteen and he does a great 30 minute podcast weekly, so I am committing to listening to that and to finding others to help me become a better me. Let me know if you have any recommendations!
Be better with phone calls + messages friends
I used to consider myself fairly great with this, but now that I am the one that has moved away, I feel like I’m not checking in as often as I would like!! It was easy at first when we were traveling back up to Chicago frequently to forget that the lack of real face-time was permanent, but now that it’s been so long since I’ve seen some friends, it’s time to devote more time to keeping up those relationships.
and I have an annual Scottsdale girls trip next month with 3 of my cross-country loves so some REAL FaceTime will be amazing!
Try one new workout class per month
Over the last few years, I have committed to working out and no longer need to make that a resolution. It has become of huge importance for stress relief and mood boosting for me, and I can say without a doubt I really do love to work out -SLASH- mostly because I would be emotionally unstable without it.
What I am not good about is venturing out of my comfort zone. Trying a new class, especially without a friend (I miss you Em!!), terrifies me. So this will be a hard one for me!
Better balance with Nutrition.
I’m going to be doing a whole health + fitness post since I love that stuff so much, but one thing I do want to focus on more this year is having more balance with my favorite fried foods.
I finally
So…. Balance 🙂
but living somewhere that has Chick-fil-a is extremely difficult…… because sadly I know firsthand that a salad does not balance out a large waffle fry dunked in ranch and polynesian sauce.
Really dive into budget and finances
I want to make a big spreadsheet with EVERYTHING – down to the monthly Netflix payment – to see what I am really spending a month before any of the fun extras. And then of course to compile the cost of the all of the fun extras. I used to always set a certain percentage into savings each month and now that our expenses are different than they were in Chicago it’s time for a money-mindset reset!
Have a better nighttime routine/Better sleep hygiene
Seriously this is where I am horrible and never, ever keep this resolution.
I would stay up until 2 am every night if I could…. I just don’t get tired at night!
I know that the main thing I need to do is turn off ALL electronics at least an hour before bed, but that is so hard for me because that is when I tend to enjoy blogging and Pinterest and reading my favorite sites the most since I have the most energy.
Ugh. It’s a vicious cycle.
BUT. I am determined! I need to at least give it a try. I think maybe I won’t toss and turn for an hour before falling asleep if I actually try to really shut down.
That’s why I want to do more reading before bed as I mentioned above, but as my husband knows, that too can be a gateway drug for me. Reading doesn’t make me tired – it makes me want to keep reading and reading and reading and not put the book down.
…….. I really am such a child
Have a better Blogging schedule
This one I fail at year after year 🙂
and it goes along with the nighttime resolution above, and the quit procrastinating resolution below.
I like writing at night. I feel my best self at night. But I think I could enjoy my nights more if I did a bit more on the weekends for the blog and planned a bit better throughout the week. I also feel like I could have much more content than I have now if I planned a bit more….. because the list of ideas that come to me at night never get touched again until nighttime (and then my husband makes me turn off the light and close the laptop so I can’t keep him awake…. so really… like most things, I just blame him. This blog would be AH-mazing if he didn’t make me quit tapping on the keyboard so he could sleep :D)
Also, with the blog, I want to :
put myself out there more
(I know say this everyyyyy year, but I’m an introverted extrovert)
connect with my readers more
work on my photography skills
work on images for posts and improve the blogs aesthetics
more fun posts (!) with new subjects and more serious posts with more writing
PROOFREAD MY POSTS. (I know, I know. I swear I have a business degree from Miami of Ohio and am not a complete grammatical dumbass)
Watch less television
Don’t worry!
It’s not what you think!
Well…. it kind of is?
I have no intention of stopping watching the shows that I love and discuss on a regular basis. LORD NO. I would die.
With the addition of podcasts into my routine, I have realized how much time I spend with the television on, even if it is just as background noise. I want to get better about listening to more music and podcasts while doing productive things, even blogging, instead of having the television on. When I go the music route or podcast route, I have a much happier and fulfilling day or night. I also think I would be able to finish blog posts in half the time if I didn’t have an HGTV show I am half-ass watching on in the background.
…. but don’t worry…. the good stuff STAYS.
Print photos off of phone, make albums, and frame for the house
This drives me nuts about myself.
What’s the point in taking photos if I’m not going to do anything with them?
DO SOMETHING WITH THEM.
Tackle Home Projects
We owned our condo in Chicago and I loved it so, so much. But one thing I realized when we sold and moved faster than we ever anticipated was that I never got around to so many of the projects that I had planned for our place. Even though I know we will be in this house for many years, and I love it already, I don’t want to keep putting things off longer than necessary.
basically, quit procrastinating.
QUIT PROCRASTINATING
I am the biggest procrastinator ever. If you are a long time reader, I’m sure you know this.
It’s time to BUCK UP. I’m a grown ass woman. sometimes.
I would like to think I’ve gotten better…..
but really I think it’s just our move that made me get better?
Actually, I think the move made me get better with a lot of the things above? It wasn’t even me intentionally doing anything…..I am worthless.
What I mean is….. our life is so different here and we aren’t constantly out and about with friends and we can’t step outside and walk to a bar or restaurant or shop at the drop of a hat. It’s just…. different.
I’d like to say it’s that we drink far less than we used to, but I think it’s more than that 🙂
I started working out more because let’s be honest I have more time on my hands.
I cook more because there aren’t 75 million restaurants I want to go to, and there isn’t the option of walking to Potbelly’s and having my favorite salad or sandwich in my hands 3 minutes after thinking about it. Or sushi. Or Starbucks. Or a liquor store within a 60 second walk…….
Basically, our slower paced life is allowing me to do a lot more of the things I’ve said I’ve wanted to do, so it’s time to stop procrastinating and really DO IT.
Go for more walks outside because I can.
blah blah blah……
I really went on a tangent there, and I swear in my head it was going to come full circle, but now I feel like I lost it.
But. Quit Procrastinating.
Get up earlier. Get sheyite done!
I’ll pretend you all know what I mean……
I’ll quit while I’m not ahead and have already written too many words that have probably gone unread.
Plus, Kylie says it best.
Happy New Year!
I love reading everyones resolutions so let me know yours as well!
