Word for the Year : NOURISH

Over the years I've seen people talk about choosing a Word of the Year, and I've always thought it was a cool idea - but not something I thought I would try. How do you even choose one word? 

Starting 2026, for the first time, I feel like I want to zero in on one intention. I have a lot of goals, but they sort all orbit around one idea. So, I turned to Chatgpt and asked to help me narrow it down to a word. Chat gave me a lot of options, but said I would know which one felt right - so odd, but that's exactly what happened. 

Here's what I landed on for my word for 2026: 

NOURISH

Body: 

Right now I want to focus on nourishing my body with good, wholesome, fueling things. While I haven't made any long term commitments, I haven't had any alcohol for a few months - and I can't believe the difference. I'd like to keep that going, and just see what it looks like for me. 

I've also made a goal to up my protein and other nutrition metrics and see what it does for me! I've got to nourish my body since I ask so much of it. Especially as we get closer to my half marathon. 

My Oura ring has been so happy with me the last few months as I've slowly incorporated these changes at the end of 2025. I want to keep things going into this year. 

Mind: 

I want to nourish my mind in two ways. First, I want to cut out all the noise! I'm all about Bricking my phone and hopefully cutting my connection to social media. I just don't feel good when I spend a lot of time there. I love to see pictures from family and friends, but I am doing my best to turn off the rest. 

I also want to nourish my mind by being kind to myself and working in more rest days. My ideal rest day is a day at home where I can just find peace and quiet. No pressure to do anything! Which is hard, because I rarely sit down, even at home. This is permission to relax mentally and not feel like I have to be accomplishing anything specific. 

Life:

Nourishing my life means saying yes to what fills my cup, and avoiding what drains it. Gosh, this is so hard. I've had a hard time in the last few months with saying no, and just letting my batteries get low. I want to do more cup filling activities like focusing on my hobbies. 

One thing that always fills my cup is my friends. I want to do more to nourish my friendships by doing more fun things together! I'd also like to get out of my comfort zone and invite more people over and try to reach out to new people. Focusing on other people always makes me feel better, it's just easier to stay home instead. 

Have you ever dedicated a word for the year? Naming my goal really made me feel grounded. Now, to decide exactly how to implement all this...

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

Word for the Year : NOURISH

Friday, January 2, 2026

May Goals

May Overview:

I'm calling May my month to get it together. Now that we are back from vacation, and we are looking ahead toward Summer - I need May to set myself up for success. Hence, this goal list! We have a few things scheduled for the weekends in May, but nothing crazy. My Etsy shop is on vacation mode still and I'm not planning to open it for the month. I've also canceled what I can and moved things around so I have a lighter plate. It's hard to say 'no' but I'm reminding myself that saying no to some things makes room to say yes to others. 

Goal #1 - Limit Social Media Usage

I can't believe how much time I spend scrolling each day. Mostly, it's just out of habit. It's truly not great for me mentally, because the algorithms end up showing me so much negative content. I love videos of creative people singing and dancing, or funny videos of animals and kids. So, I'll see some of that, and then it switches up and I end up seeing sad videos of neglected animals, or arguing/confrontational people. Not to mention just the time waster that social media is. 

I went ahead an deleted a couple of apps from my phone, and set a timer for Instagram. Any reduction in usage I will consider a win.

Goal #2 - Workout 30 Minutes a Day

This is a goal I'm taking very seriously. I can do a whole post on my physical goals in the future. This month I wanted to commit to a 30 minute strength training workout each day this month. I've found that my preference is to stack a few Apple Fitness workouts that target different areas, mixing things up. I'm loving the Core workouts - they are so effective. I'd like to keep running in my workout schedule, but the priority is strength training. So, 30 minutes is the minimum, but ideally I'll also work in a walk on most days. 

Goal #3 - Eliminate 2 Expenses

I'm sure most people experience this, but I've noticed how quickly you can go blind to expenses creeping in to your budget. We are planning on doing some bigger trips at the end of the year and I think I'd like to eliminate 2 of our bigger unnecessary expenses in preparation.

One being our dog groomer. It's been awesome to have the help with grooming the pugs, but I simply can't justify how expensive it is. I mainly like the help with trimming nails. The pugs absolutely hate it! But, I am capable, so it makes sense to eliminate this luxury. I'm not saying our groomer isn't worth the price, but it's already expensive and then adding tip makes it kind of ridiculous.

The 2nd thing I'm thinking I'll move on from is my Hand and Stone membership. It's awesome to have a massage or facial each month, but it's definitely not necessary. I justify it because I don't get my hair or nails done, this is the one thing I did to pamper myself. In addition to the relaxing element, I was having neck and shoulder muscle issues because I was sleeping with the wrong pillow. New pillow acquired, and I'm working on strengthening those muscles. On top of all of that, my favorite massage therapist took a leave of absence. My membership is on pause, so might as well go ahead and cancel and put $100/month back in my pocket. 

The goal is to remove just 2 expenses, but I feel like it might snowball into others. 

Let me know what you are working on this month! What are you saying 'no' to, to make room for yeses? 

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

May Goals

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Current Goals

Walk Every Day

There is enough evidence out there that walking is great for you, so I don't need to rehash that here. But, I have personally noticed a difference in my disposition when I get a daily walk in. I love walking with my husband specifically because it's a great way to catch up with him uninterrupted. But, even if he can't go with me, I still enjoy it. I've been catching up with friends via Marco Polo on my walks (I'm sure they just love hearing me out of breath 😂) and of course it's great audio book time. My goal right now is just to close the exercise ring on my apple watch which is just a 30 minute goal, but I've been trying to walk longer if possible.

Work On My Skincare

This month I'm turning 34, and just feeling a certain way about my skin. I've always taken a simple, minimal approach to skincare - firmly believing less is more. I do want to make a bigger effort to keep a routine and maybe add in a new product or two. I did just try this mask from Bubble and it's really good. I'm not sure if I'm the targeted audience for Bubble - but the packaging is really fun. I've also added the serum to my Walmart order.

Book Journaling

One thing that's been on my mind recently, is trying to be more creative. Remember during the pandemic when we all had time to play with hobbies? I've been feeling resentful that we've gotten so busy again and it's pushed *fun* out. Then again, the amount of time I waste scrolling, or watching tv can certainly be adjusted to make room for hobbies. So, to try and scratch this itch - I've started a book journal! It's a cute little notebook of graph paper from Erin Condren. Their notebooks are a 10/10. I have a referral link for $10 if you want to give it a try. I will do a whole post once I get more pages done, but it's been really fun! Right now I'm just doing a few spreads of reading goals, 5 star books, and a page for each book I read this year. 

Learn Procreate

In the same vein, I really want to use my iPad more fully. Procreate seems to be the cream of the crop in iPad apps. I got the Apple Pencil Pro with my new tablet and have had a lot of fun drawing and taking notes. Procreate has so many abilities and I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of it's capabilities. I'm sure there is a bunch of Youtube videos out there, but I would even be interested in a Procreate class to try to learn the ropes. 

Shop this Post:

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

Current Goals

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Things I'm Doing To Get More Organized

It's no secret that I love being an organized person. Truthfully, I had to become a person who enjoys being organized, because there is no other way I could accomplish what I accomplish without plans and schedules. Dare I say I miss the days of the pandemic when the biggest decision was what to make for dinner and we had time for hobbies! (I do not miss the fear of the unknown and all of the anxiety that came with it let me be clear.) 

In the last few months though, I've started to feel a little overwhelmed with everything we have going on. Mostly because I lost some good habits, and I realized I wasn't feeling good about that. I like what we are busy with, I just don't like that I let some essential things slide through the cracks. 

For example, while we have a *solid* don't-have-to-think-about-it morning routine, our evenings have been a total bust. The time change didn't help, but I find myself plopping on the couch too early and staying there until it's time for bed. 

Here's what I'm actively doing to try to get back on track:

Purchased A Google Home Hub (again)

We had one of these for a long time, like the first generation one. Maybe a year ago or so I think it got struck by lightening. The screen was all wonky and messed up after that. So, we recycled it and just never replaced it. When I started brainstorming about how to create a sort of 'command center' for our family I realized how much I missed this kind of screen. (I even talked to Blake about literally building a digital calendar screen out of a tv - like this one I saw on Etsy. He could totally do it as an IT professional, but I just started to think about how complicated I was making it.) It just so happened that the Google Home Hub Max was on sale and I saw how many cool features it has and realized this was just a good fit. 

There are a lot of reasons why it made sense to get one of these, like we have a Google thermostat and all kinds of wifi lights that are set up through Google Home. Plus, I really missed the digital picture frame! This screen is awesome, and I smile every time I see my photos. And, it has a camera in it, so we can use it as a security camera when we are out. 

I've been walking into the kitchen each morning and checking out what I have on the calendar. This has also helped me add just about everything to our Google calendar and that's helped so much. With everything we have going on, if it's written down that eliminates the fear of forgetting something important. 

Also, we took advantage of the schedules feature and starting having our lights come on at specific times, and go out at certain times too. I really like that, and I feel like it's made a difference in the routine. 

(Tour My Paper Planner Here)

Still Paper Planning & Family 'Meetings'

Even though I'm relying on our digital family calendar more, I am still paper planning. This is more for personal to-dos and reminders. For example, Blake doesn't need to know what orders I need to work on for Etsy. I also keep track of my work hours and other random things that only I need to know in my planner. Since Blake and I eat breakfast together most days, this is when I've been jotting down what I have on my plate for the day and discussing what I need him to take care of or he needs my help with. It's like a 3 minute family meeting and I makes me feel like we are on the same page. 

I'll be honest, this is a great time for Blake to be reminded of just how much I do. He works 9-5 M-F. I do not. But, I do run a Etsy shop, I have a part time job, I have several cleaning job accounts, and I spend many hours doing volunteer work. We are very tired in different ways at the end of the day. I think it's a good thing for him to see what I've got going on, just because it makes him more alert to acknowledge my contribution to our family and not just wonder what I did that day. (Some people don't need this, but I do. It's a words of affirmation thing for me.)

Evening Routine

Okay, so this is what I narrowed down to be the biggest area needing improvement. As I said before, our mornings are in a fantastic rhythm. It's because we do the same things every morning without thinking about it. A friend helped me realize it wasn't always that way though. You have to work up to a routine you don't think about. 

Our evenings, have just been lame. It's so dark, so early! I've learned that if I sit down on the couch, I get cozy and don't want to get up. Because of that, I was going to bed with a messy kitchen, or not having finished whatever I started earlier in the day. It's not that I need everything to be perfect, but seriously who wants to wake up to dishes?

I'm still brainstorming on this, but I feel like I have a 'bare minimum' that needs to be done each night. Once those things are done, then it's time to relax. Still working on this, and maybe it'll be a future post with what I've got. But since acknowledging this, we both have been better about getting some essentials done before calling it a night. 

Meal Planning

I wouldn't say I've 'slacked' on meal planning, per se. In fact, the majority of our meals are at home, and thought out. I'm just making more of an effort to try new recipes, and plan out a week at a time. I renewed my Plan To Eat subscription for the year during their black Friday sale. And, I've really been enjoying cooking through The Defined Dish cookbook lately. My brother got a Celiac diagnosis a month or two ago and I sent this cookbook to him since it is my favorite and all the recipes are gluten free (or can be made GF). I was flipping through it with him to show him the recipes I like, and ended up getting inspired to make them all. Literally every recipe in there is a 10/10. She's got a new cookbook coming out at the end of the month I'm thinking would make a fun thing blog about as we try the recipes. 

Anyway, I'm just making a big point to meal plan once a week and shop once through Walmart pick up. Having the meal plan off my plate and automated in this way is such a relief during the busy season. 

Decluttering

A failsafe way for me to feel like I'm in control of my life! Recently, in a Day In The Life post, I showed how I went through and decluttered some of the house. Just doing that helped me feel so good! I also moved around some decor and just that little refresh helps so much. Having an organized environment is so important to me. 

Shop This Post:

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

Things I'm Doing To Get More Organized

Thursday, December 14, 2023

End of the Year Goals

This is our friend's porch - it's SO pretty!

Get Delly Healthy

We've been struggling with Delly the past few months. She's going on 13, and I'm having a hard time accepting that she's a senior dog! She got an eye injury in August that has just been the slowest thing in the world to heal. It doesn't help that we get it so close to better and she ends up scratching it again. We've been really vigilant and extra careful, and I am determined to get her all fixed up for real this time. One thing that's really been helping is a supplement specifically for senior vision. She likes the taste and I think they are helpful in supporting the healing process.

But more than that, Delly really struggles with her mobility. It's gone downhill this last year. We try to keep her active, but it's just sad to watch. Our vet recommended a new arthritis shot for dogs, and my goal is to get her in for a consultation and give it a try. I just want my old dog back ya know? I realize that's just the reality of it, but I really miss puppy Delly. 

Completely Pay for 2024 Vacations

At the start of 2023, I took on a few cleaning jobs. I used to do regular cleaning a few years ago, but got burnt out on it. I decided to take on some new jobs and actively ask for referrals. My regular day job slowed down this year, and we reworked my work days - so these cleaning jobs have been a nice supplement. In fact, I've been able to use all the money for extras so far this year. As of this week, I will have completely paid for our flights and cruise that we are taking to Alaska next year, all using this cleaning money. So, for the remainder of the year (and maybe into January) I'd like to save every penny for another trip we hope to take. Super cool to be able to fund these trips this way. 

Actually, just this month I've taken on 2 new clients so I hope this won't take long at all.

Get Back To Bookstagram

In 2021, I started a Bookstagram account. I read so much, and friends are always asking for recommendations so it seemed like a good way to share what I was reading. Then I hit a reading slump, and it felt like every book I had read for like 2 months straight was just meh. Those were absolutely not books I wanted to share. Which made me get out of the habit of posting! I've been debating about what I wanted to do with the account, and decided to use it to only share my 5 Star reads. That made it feel a lot less intimidating! Plus, I share almost everything I read here on my blog, so a lot of it will just be copy and paste and that makes it easier. My goal is to keep that up (and hopefully have a lot of 5 star books to share!) and be more active on that account. I'd like to see where I could take it. 

Blog More

I know I'm breaking the cardinal rule of goal setting by not being specific here, but I'm not sure how else to say it! I've been blogging since 2014 (this is my very first post LOL) and it's always ebbed and flowed. Some years I posted multiple times per week, and really for the last year I've basically gotten out a single post per week. I don't feel bad about that necessarily, I just know I could be doing a better job at brainstorming and taking pictures for posts. I'd like to give it more effort and share more! 

Workout Again

Exercise will always be important to me. I feel like it's just been on the backburner lately. Most of it is just lack of routine! I'm not training for any races at the moment, so I do know that's part of it. I have no desire to run right now, admittedly. I have been enjoying the Barre classes on the Peloton app, and I think I'd like to lean into that. My goal here is to make a schedule (a reasonable one) and see if I can make exercise part of my daily habits again. 

What are you trying to accomplish before the end of the year?

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

End of the Year Goals

Monday, November 6, 2023

3 Goals for 2022

I wouldn't consider these new year resolutions, but like everyone else I do start to think about ways to improve this next year. In the last quarter of 2021 I learned something about myself (well, maybe just noticed it for the first time). It started when I began using Duolingo to learn Spanish. The app has a way to keep track of your 'streak' of days you log on. I found that I really really did not (and still don't) want to break that streak. It's really motivating to keep it going. Plus, the streak keeps going even if I just do a few minutes on the app. So, I noticed that picking up a little habit and doing it everyday is very motivating for me. Going forward, I'm going to pay attention to that tendency when I try to pick up a new skill or habit.

3 Goals for 2022

Monday, December 27, 2021

Let's Finish 2019 Strong!

There are 65 days until 2020! It seems like as I get older, the faster time flies, and it's kind of jarring. We have so many exciting things planned for 2020 that I have been thinking of 2019 as a prologue. The prologue of a novel really sets up the story, and so, I'd really like the rest of this year to set up the next in the best way possible.  In fact, the post I shared on January 1, 2018 was all about doing something today, that you will thank yourself for tomorrow. 

I still feel very strongly about that life strategy. What better way to set up next year, than starting right now? There are 3 areas of my life that I am going to focus on, and doing so will really help me finish the year strong. Those areas are Health, Wealth and Self.

Let's Finish 2019 Strong!

Monday, October 28, 2019

January Goals

Typically at the start of the new year I share a goal that I want to accomplish. I've had super successful ones like not drinking soda in 2016 and some moderately successful ones like the goal I set for last year of not buying any new clothes. I only made it a few months with that one, but I'm really happy I got that far!

In July of 2017 I started a new series here setting monthly goals. My productivity skyrocketed in the later part of last year and I really think that setting those monthly goals had a lot to do with that! 

So, instead of one big goal for the year, I think I'm going to continue to set these monthly goals since they seem to be working well! Just a few alterations going into 2019...In the past I would set 5 goals each month, but I'm not going to be rigid about that. Some months may just end up with one goal, or even 10. 

December Report

Continue exercise streak. I'm really proud to say yes! I wrote about how good I felt after exercising 24 of 30 days in December. That includes a rest day each week and getting through a stomach bug! I'm in a really good routine right now and I'm excited to keep it going. 

Do another social media free weekend. Done! It get easier and easier every time I log out. Here are my tips on how you can do a social media detox! 

Get the yard winter ready. It has been so hard to keep our yard looking nice recently. The grass was dead, but the weeds were growing because of all the rain and mild temperatures. I was able to get it mowed one really chilly morning! It's looking good right now but it's going to need a lot of work in the spring. Pressure washing is definitely in my future. 

January Goals

Paint the dining room. When Blake and I added a gallery wall to our dining room, I needed to patch up a few holes. Unfortunately when I pulled out the paint can, the paint was ancient and the label was worn off. This leaves me with two options! Either try to match the paint, or start fresh with a new color. I have been debating which option to go with for a few weeks now, and I just need to make a decision and get it done.

Watch batteries. Two of my watches have dead batteries and Blake has 3? watches that also have dead batteries. I need to take our collection up to the jewelry store here in town and have them all replaced so we can enjoy wearing them again! 

No new clothes. I had a few 'holes' in my wardrobe this season, so I feel like I bought so many new clothes in the last few months. I should be set, so I am making it a goal not to buy anything else! Hopefully I can keep that up past January. 

Consistently get my 10,000 steps. Since getting a new Fitbit and making exercise a priority in the last few weeks I've been getting my step goal. I would really like to get 10,000 steps every day in January. Realistically I know that I might not get it every day, but I would really like to try!

Leave a comment below and tell me what you are going to be working on in January! 

Pinterest - Twitter - Bloglovin - Blog Disclosure

January Goals

Friday, January 4, 2019

How I Feel After Exercising 24 Times in the Last 30 Days

 After indulging in some pretty delicious and unhealthy foods on our cruise last month, I felt really inspired to clean things up when we got back home! The first morning we were home I laced up my tennis shoes and did a 30 minute workout. And then I did it again the next day, and the next. In fact, in my December goals post earlier this month I deciding I would try to keep my streak going all month long. I'm pretty pleased to say that in the last thirty days I've worked out 24 times! 

While losing some weight is definitely one of my hopes, I have noticed several other benefits from keeping exercise a priority this month. Namely: 

I've been having extremely productive mornings.

 Working out in the morning has always been more successful for me. If I wait until later in the day I find that I don't really feel motivated or something else gets in the way. This month I've developed a pretty reasonable and productive routine! Around 6 am I get out of bed and let the dogs out. They also demand their breakfast right away! While they are chomping away, I spend a quick 5 minutes turning on the lights and opening up the blinds. Then I change into my workout clothes and let them out again. Then I head to the living room and put in a workout dvd. Right now I'm doing my Turbofire videos, but Blake and I want to get Beachbody on Demand in the next few weeks for some more variety. 

 These dvds are between 30-60 minutes, so I pick one based on how much time I have. It's been helpful to plan that out ahead of time. After doing my workout I usually jump right into the shower and get dressed. Then I sit at the dining room table and eat breakfast while doing my Bible reading. Depending on how much time I have left, I can do a little tidy up or I have to get ready to leave for the day. 

 It's also worth mentioning that I still have my Orange Theory membership and I do those classes on days when I go into the office physically. I'm going to downgrade my membership next month because I'm only going into the office once a week. If that doesn't work out, I may have to cancel-even though I really love those classes! (The studio is an hour away next to the office, and since I'm mostly working from home now it's not as easy to get those classes in.) 

 Anyway, my point is that my Bible reading and work out are my main priorities to get done in a day-and it's SO awesome to get it done first thing. I feel like my days are set up for success and I just love how that feels. 

I've experienced more positive self talk.

 As a naturally critical person, I'm sure you can imagine how hard it is to be positive about myself. Obviously, I like myself, but I find it all to easy to find things to pick on. This month I have noticed a huge difference in the negative self talk I usually experience. 

 For example, if a pair of pants didn't fit as I hoped in the past, I would have been quite hard on myself about it. Instead, now if something doesn't fit well I have noticed thoughts more like "this should fit in a month at this rate." I haven't weighed myself in years, and I'm fairly sure no differences are obvious to other people-but for some reason exercise just gives you a little more confidence. 

I have not felt guilty about food.

 I know that I will eventually have to clean up my eating habits if I want to see real results. But, this month I have just not worried about food at all. I've been eating when I'm hungry and enjoying wine and dessert with no guilt. Maybe you don't have an obsessive personality, but when you can stop obsessing about something you usually fret over, it's so freeing. 

I feel like myself again.

 In January of 2013, I started working out for the first time in my life. It took a couple of months for other people to notice, but within a year I was smaller than I was in High School, and I was STRONG. The veins in my arms were sticking out strong. I get so proud thinking about how hard I worked then. Again, I haven't weighed myself since then (when you have an obsessive personality getting stuck on numbers is risky.) but I'd say I'm probably 25 pounds heavier and 1 pant size bigger. The problem is: When I think about what I look like, I picture myself 3 years ago. That's who I want to look like. Even within 10 pounds of that version of myself. 

 So, even though I know that 30 days of working out isn't going to get me close to that (reasonably neither will 6 months.) I feel like that person again! The clarity that comes with exercising and a clear vision is what makes me feel like me. Having sore muscles and lots of dirty workout clothes feels so familiar! 

TLDR: I love how I feel after making exercise a priority again.

 I'm really looking forward to carrying this routine into 2019, and I love to hear what you do for exercise! Leave a comment below if you have found a good program, or if you are looking for one. Have you been in shape in the past, but let yourself slip like I have? What is your favorite part about working out?! I have several favorite things, but one thing I love this time of year is to work up a sweat and then go outside into the cold air afterward. It's so invigorating! 

P.S. I am so proud of the deals I got on my new tennis shoes and the Fitbit pictured above! Nike rarely goes on a good sale, but I was able to find an older style on sale at JCPenney for $39! I got $4 cash back on that with Ebates. The Fitbit was actually from Ebay! A woman listed the exact color I wanted almost new. She said she had worn it for a few days and decided it wasn't for her. That day Ebay had a coupon code for sporting goods, so I saved $20 on top of her huge discount for being a used item. Plus 2% back with Ebates! Have I not convinced you to sign up for Ebates yet? Anyway, thanks for letting me brag on my good deals! I always get so excited when I need something and I can get a good deal with a little effort. 

Pinterest - Twitter - Bloglovin - Blog Disclosure - More Fitness Posts

This post does contain affiliate links.

How I Feel After Exercising 24 Times in the Last 30 Days

Thursday, December 27, 2018

October Goals

September Report

Add Additional Day of Exercise.  I feel like I'm never going to be happy with the amount of exercise I'm doing until it's every single day. Hashtag perfectionist. While I was definitely active in September, I still feel like I could work on this one. In addition to Orange Theory this month I went on a few runs around the neighborhood and walked a lot with my sister. One thing I am proud of is how much faster I am on the road now that I've been doing Orange Theory. Huge improvement there! 

Use Myfitnesspal Consistently. I really did use Myfitnesspal a ton this month! I found that I am really diligent about inputting meals until after lunch. I almost always forget to go back in and put in my dinner record. I want to get solid about it because I really think it helps! Such a reality check when you have your calorie intake in black and white. In August my goal was to drink more water, and I still improved on that this month! I thought I should add that detail because Myfitnesspal has a direct correlation to that improvement. I'm in love with the way I feel when I am hydrated! Still not at a full 8 glasses a day, but man it's made a huge difference. 

Have Someone Over. Gah! This one almost happened! We planned a dinner with a couple and their son for September, had it on the calendar and then the day before we found out her dad was having a medical procedure. I offered to postpone, and she was grateful to hold off. We plan on rescheduling for this month, but I have got to get it officially on the calendar. I've already mentioned how busy we are this month, so there are going to be limited times available. But, it's really important to me that we get back in this habit! A lot of you commented that having people over is hard, would you be interested in a full post about how we do it? 

Save a Certain Amount of Money. Big ole nope on this one! I had the money set aside, and we ended up spending it on Disney passes. LOL. So responsible and mature, I know. 

Do 1 Social Media Free Weekend This Month. CHECK! I did this and wow! I had no idea how interesting that social media free weekend would be. The key to my success was deleting the apps completely off my phone. I'm really glad I did that because throughout the first day, I would mindlessly scroll to find the app and realize it wasn't there. I would have failed if I hadn't removed the temptation. The first day was hard at first because I didn't realize how often I reach for it. The next day however, was so relaxing. I truly loved it. And then on Monday when I logged back in there was SO much to see and comment on. It was actually exciting to use social media rather than just a habit! I would really like to do one social media free weekend a month. 

October Goals

To be modest with myself, I'm not making any goals for October. I've mentioned before that we have a WHIRLWIND of a month ahead of us. We have so many travel plans and I even had to change my work schedule to accommodate that. I feel like I am not even going to know my own name after it's all said and done.

If I were to set a goal it would be to keep the days inbetween simple. I want to just manage to stay on top of laundry and keeping the house tidy. I want to make sure I get out in a nature a little bit to ground myself. And I want to make sure I don't neglect the basics this month. Things like my Bible reading schedule and making sure we have good home cooked meals whenever possible. 

I hope you all have a great October and I hope we get to see some real Fall weather this month!

Pinterest - Twitter - Bloglovin - Blog Disclosure

October Goals

Thursday, October 4, 2018

September Goals

August Report

Drink More Water. Over all, I did accomplish this. I'm still not getting my full 8 glasses a day, but I have significantly increased how much I was drinking. I found out that my corkcicle cup is just less than 3 full glasses, so that really helped me physcologically. If I refill it once, I'm getting 6 cups of water fairly easily. 

I also bought these cute little hydration stickers for my planner to help encourage the habit. So, all in all, still working on this one, but I'm definitely more conscious of it. 

Make DIY Laundry Detergent. Done and done! I shared the recipe a few weeks ago if you'd like to give it a go. It works great, and I can't believe how long these batches last. 

Trim Hedges. I'm so excited to say that we have definitely made progress on our landscaping! Blake and I cut down the most out of control section of our hedges. I cannot believe the light that is coming into our living room and kitchen now that they are gone! We've got a professional lined up to help us take out the stumps and the remaining hedges. Plus he is going to trim up our 2 oak trees. The ultimate goal is to have a very minimalistic yard that is easier to care for but still looks nice. 

Here is a progress picture:

Since then we've pressure washed and cleaned this area up quite a bit. I will share an 'after' picture once we get everything taken out permanently and sod gets put down where the bushes are. 

Finish All The Light We Cannot See. Finally! Yes! I finished this book. I shared my review in this post. Spoiler alert, didn't love it. I've been doing so much more reading thanks to the Overdrive app, so you will be seeing a lot more book reviews here. 

Add Additional Day of Exercise. My first fail. I didn't manage to do this. I've got a solid 2 days of intense Orange Theory workouts each week, but I would really like to have an additional day of exercise in there. I'm going to roll this goal over! 

September Goals

Add Additional Day of Exercise. I have seen such an improvement since starting Orange Theory. I can run so much faster and I really do feel stronger. I know adding in one more harder workout each week would help me so much with my fitness goals. 

Use Myfitnesspal Consistently. Last month I started using Myfitnesspal again, and I think it's making a big difference! My goal is to write down everything I'm eating into my log every single day in September. I think this will also motivate me to exercise because it is really hard to stay under my calorie goal without having extra exercise calories to use. 

Have Someone Over. We had a really good thing going in 2017 and early 2018 where we were having someone new over each month. We love doing this because there is just something so intimate about having people into your home and sharing a meal with them. I think it can take you from acquaintances to real friends! This habit kinda fizzled early in the summer because things got a little hectic. And, it's easier to invite your close friends over all the time. Making it a priority again this month and inviting someone new over! 

Save a Certain Amount of Money. I'm calling September our new fiscal year! I have in mind a certain dollar amount I'd like to save this month. While I've been talking about budgeting a lot here lately, I'm still a bit wary about sharing specifics. Accountability being what it is though, I want to share that I have this goal. 

Do 1 Social Media Free Weekend This Month. I've talked a little bit about how I want to quit checking my phone so much in this post. To work towards that I want to dedicate one weekend this month to being just a bit more in the moment and not check social media for the whole weekend. I have not chosen the weekend yet, but I will let you know how it goes!

Happy September everyone! Make sure you leave a comment below with your goals for this month and let me know how your August went!

Pinterest - Twitter - Bloglovin - Blog Disclosure

This post contains affiliate links!

September Goals

Friday, August 31, 2018

3 Things I Want To Stop Doing

So, what do you think: Is it harder to start a new habit or quit an old one? 

With our current busy schedule, I've been so good at planning ahead and keeping organized. It's the only thing that is keeping me on track! As I've been planning I've been thinking about my mission statement for the year and ways that I can better accomplish that as we enter the second half of 2018. (It's almost June!!)

So many of our goals are all about starting new habits or doing something new. Like: starting a workout routine, or making a new budget. Maybe it's my mind set lately, but all I can think of are things I want to stop doing!

Here is what I'm thinking:

I want to stop talking about myself.

In all honesty, I think this habit got started because of blogging. If you come to my blog then you obviously do care some measure about me and my life. But I cannot assume that everyone in real life cares about the details I share here. 

I've noticed in many conversations lately that I'm turning the subject back to myself. Ironically, I hate it when other people do this to me. If someone changes the subject like that, it makes you feel like what you were saying wasn't important or that they don't care. That's not what I want to do to somebody, especially because I do care what they are saying. It's just a bad habit, and most of the time it's because I don't what else to say. 

Instead, I would really like to ask more questions about whatever it is the person is saying and show them that I truly do care about them and their life. It's so flattering when someone takes an interest in you like that! 

I want to stop checking my phone so often.

It's not a secret that I have an obsessive personality, so I'm not really sure how much of this I can blame on myself and blame on that. I find myself checking my phone ALL the time. It's not just when I have a notification, it's when I'm bored or even for no reason at all. 

One day I decided I was only going to check Instagram once that day. Then around 11 am I sat down to take a break from whatever I was doing and my finger just habitually clicked on Instagram! I was so annoyed that I couldn't go 3 hours. 

I would really like to be able to go all day without browsing, and then only check my phone when I hear a notification that I need to respond to. I'd like to say that I wouldn't even need to check it then, but I know myself and if I don't respond to a text right away I will forget to. 

I want to stop going to bed with makeup on my face.

I used to be awful about this! So I am happy to say I've made improvements. Half the battle was finding a skin care routine that I liked, and I'm loving my DIY system. I do that faithfully every morning. But some nights I fall asleep on the couch and then into bed when Blake wakes me up a little while later. 

Now that I'm in my late twenties, I know that skin care is crucial! This falls in line so well with my goal for the year of doing things I will thank myself for later. I know I will thank myself in the future for taking good care of my skin now!

I think what will help me, is developing an after dinner routine. It may be lame to get get into pjs at 6 o'clock but if I do my skin care routine then, I can relax and not worry about trying to do it at 10 when all I want to do is sleep. (Because face it I'm usually asleep by 9.) 

In summary:

It's important to be proud of the good habits you've got down pat! I try to think of the things I'm doing well often. Because, let's face it, it's a slippery slope and all too easy to only dwell on the things you don't like or want to change. 

But, if you want to reach your goals you do have to do an audit once in awhile! Striving to be a better person is what I would call my ultimate life goal. I think working on these three things will help me do that. The first two will help me be more engaged and more in the moment! The last thing won't necessarily make me a good person, but spending time caring for yourself is important. You can't pour from an empty cup, after all. 

So, leave a comment below with how you are doing with your yearly goals! Are your goals more oriented to what you want to start doing or what you want to stop doing? Tell me a habit you are proud of, and one you'd like to work on!

Pinterest - Twitter - Bloglovin - Blog Disclosure

3 Things I Want To Stop Doing

Thursday, May 24, 2018

I've decided not to buy any new clothes this year.

I basically have two experiences when I'm in my closet deciding what to wear. Sometimes, I hate everything in there and can't choose so I just go with an 'old faithful' outfit. And other times, I'm flipping through the hangers and I find something that I completely forgot I had. 

Both of these problems boil down to, what I think, is having too many clothes. Last year, when I ruthlessly decluttered our home, I sort of skipped the closet. I did go through my clothes, but I really only got rid of a few things. Holey socks are easy to toss! Other items were easily justified. The more I think about it, the more I'm sure I need to assess my clothing collection. For real this time. 

First step, Inventory.

It's really important to me that I know what I have. No more finding random pieces that I forgot about. I want to know exactly how many dresses, skirts, tops and pants I have. I'm already eyeing the bin of scarves I have accumulated. I live in Florida...I don't need 8 scarves. 

I'm not going to declutter yet.

There are a few reasons why I think I need to hold off for a few weeks before I really start getting rid of things. Mainly because, every spring and fall I rotate out my clothes. A lot of things I can wear year round, but I do like to put the other season's items in bins, and then the following season I rotate the items. Basically I don't want to see sweaters when it's 90 degrees, so I swap those for the bathing suits I had put away. >>All this to say, soon I will have to do my seasonal swap out anyway! Florida weather is super unpredictable but I'd say by March I'll be looking for my shorts. So, I don't really want to go through everything twice. 

If I'm forced to repeat clothing more often, I think it will become really apparent what I'm still not reaching for, and then I can get rid of that item. But, that will take some time to figure out. 

Other reason being:

Workout motivation.

I have a small bin of clothes that are too snug on me right now. If I keep up my workout routine I will soon be able to fit into those things more comfortably and it will be like going shopping! Plus, I think in general if you are comfortable in your body, you feel more confident in clothing. Which might be why some of the clothes hanging in my closet don't appeal as much as they could.

Benefits.

So, obviously you don't make changes if the benefits aren't worth it. I really hope that this experiment will do several things for me:

Budget: Behind eating out, I think that buying unnecessary clothing is my main spending pitfall. While hardly ever do I pay full price for an item, it all adds up.

Appreciation: It's kinda weird to say, but I think that our clothing doesn't get the appreciation it deserves. In times past, people only had one dress that they mended until it fell apart completely. We live in a world that buys clothing at incredibly cheap prices that are meant to only be worn twice before coming apart at the seams. I want to appreciate what I have, which is a lot! Also, I want to get my money's worth out of the things I buy.

Creativity: When forced, I think that this will make me try harder to create new looks with items that I've had for years. Off the top of my head I have 2 or 3 go-to outfits that are fail safes. These are looks that I'm comfortable in, they always get compliments and I feel like they are exactly my style. My goal is to come up with a couple more of these 'old faithful' outfits, as I like to call them.

Blogging: So, occasionally I share outfits here on the blog. I love doing those posts, but I will admit that I always feel like I need to have new clothes to link to. I find it challenging that I only have 3 purses but I feel like you will get sick of seeing them over and over again. (Hence, why I'm using something that goes inside my purse in this post) But, I hate that! I am a real person, who probably should only own 1 purse! I don't want to share anything inauthentic to my real life. My hope is that this goal will challenge me to showcase more realistic outfits. Besides, that's what I love seeing on other blogs. (This was one of my favorite projects I've ever done, and I'd love to do more of that.)

Strategy.

I've been thinking a lot about how this is actually going to work. When I do my inventory, I'm sure I will find that I have all the bases covered. I really do have several dresses to wear to special occasions, most of which I've only worn once. There are tons of different variations of clothing I can wear to work, and I usually wear the same few things when lounging around the house. 

The thought has struck me that there is probably going to be some point in the year when I am going to need something. For example, I have a trusty khaki skirt that I wear the heck out of, probably at least once a week. It's already worn out, to be honest. So if I stumble across one that could replace it, I really don't see the need to refrain from that. 

So, my idea is that if I need something, I will not feel guilty buying it. A need is a need. But, I'd really like to attempt to only buy those needs used. Ebay, Poshmark, or consignment are all good options. (I do buy used clothing most of the time anyway!) The strategy here being that I need to work on deciphering a true need versus just a want.  

I'm confident.

For one, I've succeeded in challenges before. The thing is, other than building up my self control, I really don't think this will be all that hard! When I started thinking about doing this, I realized that it had already been several weeks since I had purchased anything. (My money is currently going to a baby shower right now, haha.) 

About the time I realized that, I thought about going to get some new workout clothes. After I didn't find anything, I decided I was okay with it because I really do have plenty of things to wear and I work out in my living room so it's not like it has to be cute. That same day my friend texted me and asked if I was interested in a pair of VS workout pants that she had never worn. Talk about perfect timing! And let me tell you, these are the best pants I've ever put on my body. Way better than what I expected to buy that day. Basically, I think everything always works out and I'm definitely not expecting to feel like I'm doing without at any point this year.

365 days is a long time! I'm a bit nervous, but mostly just excited to see what impact this has on my budget and mentality! So, what do you guys think!? Leave a comment below if you think I can do it! Do you ever feel like you have nothing to wear while staring at a full closet? What do you think about new versus used clothing?

Pinterest - Twitter - Bloglovin - Blog Disclosure

I've decided not to buy any new clothes this year.

Friday, February 2, 2018