Here I am in my third year of publicly announcing what I resolve to do in the New Year. Each new start I get, I give deep thought to what I wish to accomplish in the upcoming months and I am proud that I did well this past year.

I gave myself separate goals last year, and I think that divided my attention and wasn’t a whole-life change. Whole-life is what I aim to live, so perhaps the conscious separation held me back. Because of this I plan to give myself a plan for the year and hope that the benefits spill themselves over- like fitness goals help the whole family move more and blog goals help me spend more time with the kids.

Last year I did well responding to many comments on the blog and I pitched a lot and with confidence. This brought me, more than anything, more confidence to write, share and keep pushing! I had some success with running, but I got pregnant early in January and felt it before I had confirmation (let’s just say this NYE won’t be as exciting). And as far as disconnecting- Dave and I are still working on putting down the phones. …and an interesting, things happen for a reason twist, is that I wanted to give Addie less time doing, and I succeeded, at the cost of multiple MRIs and surgeries- so this year, I’m looking for LESS of that!

So, what does 2015 have in store for me?

This year, I resolve:

 

 1. Give back to my body. If anything, my body did right by me this year. In less than 3 hours I birthed a beautiful baby girl with (seriously) no memorable pain- the afterbirth was Hell-OH!- but my Millie, pure perfection like her big sis. This year, I need to ramp up my health, which I’ve started by having a Beach Body coach to help motivate me and hold me accountable. A fellow blogger also just sent me essential oils… and I’m learning about them now, so stay tuned to hear how that goes! I’ve also begun to heal my 21-year ankle issue by making an appointment with an orthopedic specialist next week.

2. Take care of my skin! I’ve always been good about SPF, but once I got pregnant with Addie, I stopped washing my face- seriously! I was using a product with benzoyl peroxide, which shouldn’t be used while pregnant, so I just used soap or whatever was close, and I would get breakouts and it was a mess. I had a whole stash of face stuff fit for anyone under the age of 25, but not 30… so I started anew. With a fresh stash of Ava Anderson’s 4-piece skin set, I’m on the way to healthier skin and less abuse! I’m excited to use less product and keep moving my home towards being organic!

3. Shut. It. Down. Dave and I have been better, but not the best, at shutting down the technology. Whether at night or together or with the kids, a more conscious effort to put down the phone or shut off whatever show (even if it’s only PBS) is on in the background is going to be part of a huge effort this year!

4. Bedtime. We’re terrible sleepers. Dave and I will go to bed at 11:30, 2am… whatever. We’re both awful at setting aside tomorrow’s tasks for, well… tomorrow. We both strive to get everything done as soon as we think about it, which means that what we think about to get done the next day often leaves us tired and cranky- a perpetuating circumstance I would love to put an end to! For this year, I am hoping to just keep my list by the bed and write down what’s left to do, instead of beating myself up about it.

5. Give experience. We have stuff. We don’t have a ton, but we have enough and I don’t want more… what I feel we can never have enough of is experience. This year, I resolve to give us ALL experience. New exhibits, hiking trails, more time outside exploring- trying a new place to eat, even if we can only afford one plate to share as a snack… just explore and experience it all! To see, feel, smell, hear, touch and be everywhere! I want to learn to take the train with both kids into Boston. I want to take more classes with Addie and Millie and even try a cooking class with Dave, or a photo class by myself (by. my. self.). I’m excited to experience 2015!

6. Menu plan. A few weeks ago I started writing down what we would have for dinner each night based on what we had in the house. Following this list, I knew what I needed to pick up to make the ends meet at each meal. The planning resulted in well-rounded meals being prepared before Dave got home from work with no struggle, surprise or worry. It takes a bit of planning and some liquid funds to be able to pick things up, but it feels well worth my sanity and the family’s health!

7. A house. When I think of leaving our home, I cry. I don’t tear up, or feel nostalgic, I cry. This is where Dave and I learned that we could do anything as long as we were together. This is where I bonded with my father-in-law over drywall and my mother-in-law over house planning. This is the first place my sister came and stayed in a place I hosted. This is, most importantly, where we brought the girls home to. I truly love our home, but we’ve outgrown it. With a commute of over 500 miles a week, we simply cannot afford the time apart from Dave anymore, and know we could have a newer home for the money we spend on gas and car repairs if we moved over the border into Massachusetts. I dream of having a small kitchen workspace for Addie where she doesn’t have to climb, a playroom (the imagination zone, if you will) for the girls, and a small office and craft space for me so I can pull out my sewing machine again. A garage so we don’t have to navigate the car pile-in during storms and maybe even a pool so Addie can keep swimming and teaching Millie how to be strong, too! Whatever we find, I know we will make home again… but I will miss this place where two became three, and three became 4.

8. PURGE! This goes along with moving, but also with health! Addie, I realized, has doubles of things! She’s a blessed babe, and while many of her toys are hand-me-downs, 2 hand-me-downs does not equal better than one! So, I started just giving these things away! I felt bad at first, but realized no child needs 2 mixers in a play kitchen or 2 riding toys that are almost identical or a board book of a book she already has. Spread. The. Love. This year, I resolve to give what is good when it is not in use!

9. Budget. Still honing in on the house thing… is budgeting. This year we did better than last and we’re learning how to pay off our debts, whether they’re medical or student loans or credit. It’s been a learning curve, for sure, but with both of us (Dave and myself) focused on getting into a new home, I think we’re more on track than ever. Part of my resolution is to not carry credit cards- not even one for emergencies, unless we’re away from home- and to put aside a portion of money before I buy anything. This means if I plan on getting anything besides groceries or a necessity, I open up my savings account and deposit at least $10. I paid for our doula team last year, and I know if I just stick with being strict on my spending, it will make my saving so much easier!

10. Live every single day. I don’t like the idea to live everyday as though it were your last… if I did that, it would probably include illegal activity and certainly very little responsibility, but the truth is an arrest record doesn’t look good and neither do dirty clothes. So… I have to do laundry, and not the money kind (see what I did there). With that in mind, a clean home and laundry and cooking and tidying can be shared, and while my way isn’t Dave’s, learning to accept his help and move on frees me to be with the girls more and to pursue my own passions. Sometimes I feel like leaving clothes unfolded or dishes in the sink make me less of a mother or wife, but the smiles and muddy foot prints of a day spent enjoying life (EXPERIENCE!) are, in reality, what makes my family complete. I resolve to live 2015. Just live.

So, Reader, what’s the #1 thing you resolve to do in 2015?