Happy New Year!!
2013 was a very good year for us! New Years Eve last year was when Andrew and I found out we were going to be welcoming little Miss Ellen into the world! And 8 months later, she was born (on LABOR day!), healthy and screaming! Our lives have definitely changed SO much since then, all for the better of course, and I can not wait to see what 2014 has in store for our little family!
I have never been huge on New Years Resolutions (most of the time because I never really keep them). So, I will make my list of things I would like to accomplish by the end of 2014 and we will see where things go! I guess one of my resolutions would be to follow through with the rest of my resolutions! HA!
1. Blog more. This is one I think I did pretty good at in 2013, but then once Ellen was born, I have kind of pushed to the side. Finding time to do anything else on top of working, designing, and Ellen has been a struggle. Just need to find my groove!
2. Read more. I’ve never been much of a reader anyway, which is why I have ZERO vocabulary. But it’s definitely something I enjoy doing whenever I get the time. I have a ton of books to start with…just have to make the time! Even if it’s one chapter a day.
3. Sewing. Guess what I got for Christmas? A SEWING MACHINE! Yes! I see lots of pillows in my future. Maybe I’ll make a pillow reading nook for all that reading I’ll be doing this year! (see above)
4. Healthier lifestyle. I mean, cheez-its, beer, and ramen aren’t a food group? I would love to say I’d like to lose 30 lbs. But I think the healthier lifestyle sounds a bit more feasible. And the lbs. should start to come off as I keep up with it (I hope). But looking at a scale and counting calories each and every day just sounds like torture. Better eating and getting out more sounds a whole lot better!
5. Be more positive and a good role model. This is one I definitely struggle with on a day to day basis. It’s easy to get upset and frustrated at the little things. But in the grand scheme of things, how much does it really matter? I have a wonderful husband, with a healthy BEAUTIFUL daughter. We both have great jobs and family and friends who would do anything for us. Everything we do now is especially important, too, now that we have a little person running around. I can always see her watching our expressions and even sometimes trying to mimic them. I would hate Ellen to grow up to be a Grumpy Gus with a scowl on her face all of the time.
6. Build my personal business. Which one? I’m not sure yet, but my plan is to make at least ONE of them into something big! I do so many things ON TOP of my full-time job at Ross. I design stationery (wedding invites, save the dates, party invitations, printables, etc). I do custom “fake” calligraphy. I do designs for marching bands, winter guards, drum lines, and performance ensembles around the country. I enjoy doing them all!
7. Cook more weeknight dinners. It’s easy to get into the habit of getting home and just grabbing whatever I can out of the fridge or pantry. Our weeknight dinners usually consist of anything you can make in under 10 minutes most of the time.
8. Learn to say “no”. If only I could add more hours to the day or even freeze time. Then I’d be set! But unfortunately, I can’t. I always find myself stressed out because I feel if I say “no” to someone or something, I am letting them or myself down or I feel like I’m being selfish. I think if I let things go and learn to say “no”, I will become WAY less stressed, will be able to devote more of my time to the things I am already currently doing, and it will also allow me to try new things! (see numbers 1-7.)
I think these 8 are a good start! I mean, there are so many other things I would love to put on this list, but let’s be honest. I think I will have my hands full with these for now!