Resolutions: Quarter Year Review

I'm pretty excited that I'm actually posting this progress report! It's good to think about goals throughout the year and writing about them helps me... or at least I think it will. (You can view my original 2014 Resolutions post here). Annnnd, here goes: Resolution 1: Eat more veggies.

Progress: This one gets a big thumbs up from me... a pat on the back, etc. For a while I was making a concious effort to add vegtables to my meals. NOW it feels pretty "normal" and usual to have some sort of veggie with my meals. It's getting to the point that my meal doesn't feel complete without it. Since that was kinda the main point of this resolution I'm gonna say: YAYYYYY! Of course I need to keep going, but I'm definitely on track with this resolution -- BIG TIME.


Resolution 2: Correspond more!

(New desk -- more correspondence? Maybe... but definitely lots of memories of this desk being in my grandparents house when I was growing up!)

Progress: I have sent several letters already this year... and I'm up to date with sending birthday cards (at least I think so?). I'm not doing PERFECT with correspondence, but I'm learning to go ahead and send people things as I think of them. I even have sent off a few packages of fun things to people -- "just because." This resolution is really fun for me because I enjoy making people smile/making their day/sending people mail... and such. So, hopefully I'll be able to keep this up throughout this year! :)


Resolution 3: Decorate the house.

Progress: Progress on this resolution has been pretty minimal. I've worked on decorating a few places more, but haven't really put anything new up on the walls or anything. Hopefully there will be big changes in the near future... But this review is a good reminder to keep working on this one!!


Resolution 4: Decorate for holidays AND (the kicker) take down decorations in a fairly timely manner.

Progress: This one is a big win thus far!! I put up decoration for Valentine's Day, St Patty's and for Spring/Easter! I love having fun stuff like that around the house... And Skylar is fascinated by all the colorful stuff that's been up. I've also done pretty well taking down said decorations in a timely manner. Looking forward to more seasonal decorating in the future!! :)


Resolution 5: Exercise.

Progress: Okay. This one is definitely a work-in-progress. I'm still not getting to the gym as much as I would like, but I have been able to lift and/or do exercises at the house a few times a week during the last couple weeks. So, I'm gonna keep trying, keep pushing, and add in exercise as I can.


Resolution 6: Work on the office.

Office

Progress: It's a freaking mess still, but progress is happening! Finally. The picture above looks... better? Maybe a little? (Ignore the bed, that won't be there forever -- but it FITS! LOL). But I'm finally getting things organized and clearing out areas and spaces. So, hopefully this one will be a full success soon!! I can't wait to have a more functional office space!! :)


Resolution 7: Dishes. I resolve to do more dishes when I have a spare moment. To make a better effort to get them done when I can and to not let them pile up so much or for as long as I do. Additionally, I want to strive to have the whole kitchen clean/dishes completed (nothing in the sink/counter waiting to be cleaned) at least once a week.

Dishes

Progress: I'm calling this one a successful work in progress. The above picture is what I have "around my sink" right now... and it's not terrible. I usually DO have the kitchen fully clean at least once a week and I am getting better about doing dishes while Skylar is playing or when I'm talking with Jimmy or something. It's still a chore I don't really love, but I'm getting better about keeping up with dishes. :)


Resolution 8: Use nail items and accessories that I own but don't use much. This resolution is a goal to be more creative and use more nail art items when I do my manicures. I also want to work towards crossing off more nail art methods on my “want to try” list.

Progress: A partial success! There are still items I want to use and more methods I want to try, but I am branching out some and I'm getting better at remembering to add small additional details to my manicures. I think this one will also get better as I have a dedicated space for doing my nails (that's something I hope to set up in the office while working on organization there).


Final Thoughts: I am posting a progress report! That's PROGRESS, people! LOL. But seriously, just reviewing these was useful... at least I think so... Hopefully there will be even more progress the next time I post one of these in a few months (probably sometime in July). Learning and growing is definitely part of this year. I can hardly believe I'm 31 years old now.... But there it is. I'm officially and firmly "in my 30s." For better or worse... (yes, I'm a heck-of-dramatic today).

Annnnyway, still striving to be a great mom (my little girl is so awesome -- I love her so much)... a supportive, helpful, wife... and of course, figuring out something for me to put some of my time into that's for me. That's still in development, but I'm getting closer I think! More on that in the future!! This year is only one quarter over! Still lots of time. :)

Until next time! ♥

2014 Resolutions and Goals:

Just like last year all this month I have posted in my Instagram about my resolutions this year and now it's the end of January (and the Chinese New Year!) So... here goes! (in no particular order)

Resolution 1: Eat more veggies. My "goal" is to eat more healthy in general, but specifically to have more nutrient rich vegetables as a larger portion of my meals!


cardstack

Resolution 2: Correspond more! I love getting letters and fun things in the mail, so I'm going to work on sending more things to people in my life in order to share the wealth!! (Starting off with this stack of belated Christmas cards!)


Resolution 3: Decorate the house. We started this at the end of 2013, but I definitely want to keep at it in 2014. My hope is that we'll be mostly done with this project by mid-year. ;)


Resolution 4: Decorate for holidays AND (the kicker) take down decorations in a fairly timely manner (like within a week or so of said holiday's passing).


Resolution 5: Exercise. This was a resolution last year... (And many years previous, really).. But something has GOT to give! I miss the energy... I miss the post-work-out high. I miss the feeling of accomplishment. I even miss the feeling of sore muscles (not CRAZY SORE, but somewhat sore... Who likes crazy sore?). So I'm back on the horse. Trying again. Etc. 2-3 times a week is my goal for now. It's not ideal, but it's something.


Resolution 6: Work on the office. This picture is of "my half" of the office (give or take). It's not a usable space by any means. My goal is to work on this so that I can do projects up here and have some safe spots for Skylar to play while I'm doing it. It's also a room I want to decorate, but first things first: I need ORDER and to clear out clutter. Wish me luck!


Resolution 7: Dishes. If you know me at all you know that dishes are my most hated chore... That I consider them a "nemesis" of sorts and that I truly dislike doing dishes as much as they easily pile up! (Yes, I'm being dramatic. Deal with it.) . . Ok. So. My resolution is NOT to always do dishes right away... Or to not leave them overnight sometimes. Because it's just not realistic to set those things as goals. Instead I'm going to resolve to do more dishes when I have a spare moment. To make a better effort to get them done when I can and to not let them pile up so much or for as long as I do. Additionally, I want to strive to have the whole kitchen clean/dishes completed (nothing in the sink/counter waiting to be cleaned) at least once a week.


Resolution 8: Use this stuff! I know that's simplistic, but I really just want to be more creative and use more nail art items when I do my manicures (and if I work on other's mani's). I also want to work towards crossing off more nail art methods on my "want to try" list:

Also: fan brush method, using acrylic paint, & a "spotted mani" using hairspray or spray hand sanitizer.

(I've actually tried the first two in this list, but I want to knock out more of them!)


Final thoughts: I will try to post progress reports this year! Haha. That should be a "goal" in and of itself for this year... I also have a couple general goals. I really want to work on being a better mom... on being more patient, learning better ways to communicate with my daughter... and just generally accept and embrace this life and enjoy it more. Don't get me wrong, I love being a mom. But some days are definitely better than others and sometimes I get discouraged and stuck in a rut. To help with that last part... there's my final goal...

This is something I want to work towards throughout the year, but is bigger than just one resolution. So... here goes... I want to dream and grow and develop something creative that's *mine*. It doesn't have to be something that brings in money (though that would be nice), but it does need to be something that I do that I take ownership of and control. Some of my ideas right now are pretty big and some are really small. It's just a general concept I want to figure out and determine how to pursue something important to me as well as be a good mom and wife.

So, what about you!?!? What are some of your resolutions or goals for 2014?

xo, Emmie

My Favorite Things:

You may or may not know that April is a special month for me. It's my birthday month! In "honor" of my birthday (I turned 30 a week ago -- so it's kinda a big one) I will be blogging about myself a bit more than usual... Starting with this post! Backstory: I have a friend who started a blog around the same time that I did. LM blogs monthly about her current "favorites" and obsessions (you can check out her April blog about this here). I decided to take a page from her this month and write a post about my current favorite things. Without further ado, my current faves and obsessions:

Salted Caramel.....ANYTHING

I've seen people say that salted caramel as a "thing" has been overdone. I say nope. Nada. NO WAY. It's sooooo good! So, keep making Salted Caramel... ANYTHING. Seriously. Creamer. Candy. Cookies. Just... YUM. (and speaking of salted caramel, here's a Salted Caramel Shake that I'd like to try...)


Alex & Ani Bracelets

AlexandAni-ED-SZ I have LM to thank for these lovely bracelets being in my life. They are SO MUCH FUN. I keep requesting bracelets for special occasions. I previously noted receiving the "E" and the key from Jimmy... and for my birthday Jimmy/Skylar gave me an "S" and LM gave me my birthstone and an off-brand "Joy" bracelet. I used some birthday money to buy the "because I'm a girl." I'm really enjoying the memories attached to the bracelets and slowly building up my collection. AND it's really fun to have something like this to share with a dear friend many miles away! :)


Harley Quinn (full name: Princess Harley Quinn Banana Hammock Graham*)

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I adore our kitty. She's a sweetie and definitely more than a "thing," but since I haven't blogged about her yet I thought it important to include her. THe best experiences I've ever had with cats have been tabby cats. Harley is no exception. She's amazing.... I'm so thankful my wonderful friend Mary found her for me (she was my Christmas present several years ago -- Jimmy knew, I did not). She's a lap kitty who is playful and cute and snuggly (in fact she's currently cuddled up against me!). I cannot imagine not having her in our home! ♥


Cadbury Caramel Eggs

I think it's safe to say that I'm in love with all things caramel right now (not JUST salted caramel). Because that's the case it's probably surprising that I had NEVER tried the Caramel Cadbury egg -- until this Easter... and WHAM it's a game-changer. Cadbury cream eggs have long been a favorite of mine, but this year the simple caramel filled egg just SLID into first for my favorite Easter candy of all time. SO YUM. (I have a couple left to enjoy sparingly... and then *sob* no more until next year...)


Harry Potter.

Okay, I know I already wrote a whole blog post about the books (and I'm still IN LOVE with them -- they are awesome!), but I've started watching the movies... and oh-woah that's a whole other thing! I'm so excited about the whole of it... the movies, the books... everything! I haven't finished the movies yet... but I have enjoyed three of them and I'm quite impressed by how well adapted they are! They're not perfect... no movie will ever live up to my imagination (cuz, you know, my imagination ROCKS), but I do appreciate that these movies are visually stunning, well casted, and include some of my favorite parts from the books.


Amazon.com

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It's probably ridiculous that an online shopping website is one of my favorite things, but as a stay-at-home-mom I don't get out all that much (seriously, it's a production to go anywhere -- We're going places -- but not every day). A lot of the time it's so much easier to just order something from the comfort of my own couch (with Skylar on my lap). Add that we have Amazon Prime and it's just amazing. Sure! I can wait 2 days to get that cheaper and better product! To get that product that I would have to SEARCH for in Walmart or Target or wherever... YES. Thank you, Amazon Prime! :)


Nail Polish

I love me some nail polish and really I could (and probably should) write a whole post just about this! It's becoming an obsession I think. Pre-birthday I counted all of my nail polish bottles... and I have... *drum-roll* .... 305 polishes! Of course that was BEFORE I received birthday presents and bought these beauties at Sephora today:

PolishJPG-ed-sz

I also may start MAKING polish in the very near future... My neighbor actually gave me a kit for my birthday to start making polish at home... I'm so excited! I cannot wait! I need to get some free time AND inspiration at the same time... but homemade polish here I come! :)


Nathan Water bottles

I have no less than 5 of these bottles... various colors and even one that is made of metal:

I love them for 3 reasons. 1: They usually fit in a cup holder! This is huge!! A lot of water bottles are too big and don't fit well, but this one does pretty well in almost every case. :) 2: The top closes easily and quickly and almost never leaks (when it functions correctly... I've had one bottle that didn't close quite right and that one would leak a little). 3: Skylar first learned to drink out of a water bottle with a Nathan bottle and continues to prefer it. It's so easy to drink out of and I will probably own more... cuz, well, I'm obsessed. heheh... Oh, and one more reason I love them: bright colors! I've been really attracted to everything bright lately and these bottles feed that love! :)

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment... but maybe I'll make this a regular "feature" if you guys are interested... probably will depend on the way this post is received... SO COMMENT if you wanna hear more about my "favorite things." ;)

xooxoxoxox

*Bonus points to those who get the name reference! ;)

Lets Talk About Polish

I've fully been intending to post about nail polish. It's a passion of mine that pretty much everyone who has spent any time with me in real life knows about. I enjoy painting my nails (and my toes sometimes -- but not as much). I also enjoy paining other people's nails. I think I'm decent at it... and if you know me let me know if you want me to paint your nails sometime! :) Anyway... I digress. Nail polish. I like all types and brands (for the most part -- though I am getting pickier), and I enjoy discovering new types, textures, finishes, colors, etc. One newish (in the last few months) discovery I've made is INDIE POLISH. I say that in all caps because, well, it's awesome. It's polish made by people personally -- polish that isn't mixed by a big machine and shipped out automatically, but rather polish that is crafted from the ground up by thoughtful, interesting people (or sometimes groups of people). I find the whole "scene" fascinating. Instagram has helped me really get my feet wet about brands and seeing them "swatched" and getting information directly from the Indie Polish creators. I've loved being able to interact with them so simply! It's definitely very cool.

One polish I don't actually have yet, but am fully interested in trying is Pretty & Polished. Another place to view (and purchase) their polishes is etsy. Their shop is here: Pretty & Polished's Etsy.

I'm actually writing today because there is a give-away from these lovely polish makers. The giveaway is to help market their upcoming spring line (which looks just fabulous if you ask me). Here's the flier:

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I will definitely be checking out this seller and their polish very soon and I'm so excited for the giveaways (there are several on Instagram too). Who doesn't love a chance to try something new for free!?!?!? *smiles*

Until next time... (and there will be another nail-polish-post-next-time very soon),

Emily