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

Resolutions {2013}

Throughout the month of January I posted several resolutions with a corresponding picture to inspire me on my Instagram. My goal is to truly work on all of these things throughout the year and post progress reports every so often. I'm thinking that I'll post the progress reports (PRs for short) every 2-3 months, but to kick things off I'll post the resolution and an initial PR for the month of January. So, in no particular order, here are my Resolutions for 2013: Resolution #1 Read More. I have so many books on my "to read" list. I want to start working my way through them finally. At this point reading at all would be an improvement to the last few months. So, my "goal" is to read at least 2 books a month in 2013!

Resolution1

Progress Report: In the month of January I read two books. So, YAY for meeting my goal. It was an underwhelming goal on purpose because I wanted to keep from being discouraged -- but I do feel like I should be able to read more than 2 books a month... so, I'm mentally shooting for more (hence my slight disappointment at literally reading only 2 books my first month working on this resolution). BUT I should keep in mind that they were long books (Harry Potter books to be exact). They were both 600 pages or more, so I wasn't skimping on the 2 books I read. Additionally, I'm only 5 days into February and I'm already 476 pages into the 5th Harry Potter book (and loving it). It feels good to read and get excited by the literary world again. I think I'll enjoy keeping up with this resolution!

Resolution #2 Make/do something off my Pinterest at least 4x a month. I'd like to do something once a week, but until Skylar is a bit bigger its hard to do crafts a lot. Really, I just want to start DOING the things I see as "good ideas" regularly... Instead if just "pinning" them and forgetting them. This resolution could include recipes, dress style, hair & makeup ideas, & polish inspiration.

Resolution2

Progress Report: I am rocking this one! In January in just the baking blogs I posted on here were 5 pinterest recipes! I actually referred to it more than that! But I'm definitely trying to use the ideas and things I've posted to Pinterest with intention! Yay!

Resolution #3 Exercise! (this one is explained BY the picture)

Resolution3

Progress Report:This resolution has been a pretty major failure during the month of January. I have gone out walking with Skylar a few times, but between her being sick for a week+ and the weather being SUPER cold at times (though the nice days we have tried to go out), I have not exercised much. I really want to find a gym... and that needs to be a priority in February/March/April.

Resolution #4 Cook Dinner more often. For a while I used the excuse that we were unpacking & the kitchen wasn't put together to avoid cooking dinner every night. The funny part is, I LIKE cooking! It gives me a sense of accomplishment to cook and/or bake food for Jimmy and I (& eventually Skylar). This is a meal I made recently... Mashed Potato soup with Pumpernickel toast (no that's NOT burnt toast).

Resolution4

Progress Report: I succeeded in making some pretty yummy dinners in the month of January -- but I also "dialed in" some by serving left-overs or using frozen stuff. If I were to grade myself I'd probably give myself a C+ or maybe a B- if I was being generous. I think I can do MUCH better and keep branching out with cooking... so here's to more good, healthy, and inventive food in the coming months!

Resolution #5 Drink more wine! (Especially before buying more!) and loooook I'm working on this one right now!

Resolution5

Progress Report: With the exception of a few very inexpensive bottles of wine purchased at Trader Joe's, I avoided buying wine in January. I also shared several "old" bottles with Jimmy and friends. So, I've delved into the "stash" and will continue to enjoy a glass of wine a few times a week. I must say this might be my favorite of my resolutions... ;)

Resolution #6 Blog more. Specifically I want to blog at least once a week (I'd really like to work up to once a day or every-other day, but baby steps!). I also have a "back-log" of subjects to post about... & I want to work on those. Briefly they are: Skylar's Birth (including labor), Online Community, Super Secret One (I know what this means), Re-post and re-formate the "in the NICU" Skylar posts (for posterity) & Nailpolish (this may be a series of posts).

Resolution6

Progress Report: I blogged 4 times in the month of January. It wasn't *quite* once a week since all 4 posts were during one week, but I'll still count that as progress. I think the "issue" is that I don't have blog time worked into my day (or week). I don't really have a specific time that I do it, so it's not as likely that I'll get around to posting even when I fully intend to do so. This is something I'll work in for the next couple months.

Resolution #7 Finally learn to crochet! I can knit, but I really want to master crocheting this year!

Resolution7

Progress Report: I have not actually worked on this resolution much at all yet and I'm okay with that. I do fully intend to LEARN to crochet this year, though... I just need everything to settle down a bit (hah ... in other words my house needs to be in order and the rest of the unpacking needs to happen and organization, etc) and then I'll get to this one. So, check back with me in a few months! ;)

Resolution #8 Clean up after myself. This is embarrassing to admit (especially as an almost 30-year-old), but I have a bad habit of using something & not putting it back when I'm done; completing a project & not putting away the things I used right away; eating breakfast or lunch & not even clearing my dishes to the sink area consistently; of... well you get the idea! So in 2013 I want to work on breaking that habit. I want to learn to put things away as soon as I'm done with them! & if that's not possible at times (re: Skylar needs me or something) I want to work on taking care of it as soon as I can -- before leisure time. (This is a picture of my clean & organized nightstand to inspire me to keep it that way by putting things away & not letting them get stuck randomly on that surface!)

Resolution8

Progress Report: I actually only posted this resolution a week and a half ago (or so), and my nightstand still looks like that! Considering how consistantly cluttered it usually is, that's some major progress! So, I think I'm making progress on this resolution. I've been paying more attention to when I'm leaving things un-done and seeking to finish, clean up, and work on being less cluttered in general. I still have a long way to go when it comes to general organization -- but at least I'm not making many more messes as I go anymore. :)

And there ya have it! Those are my resolutions, for 2013!

Do you have any resolutions for this year? What are some of your resolutions???

Xo, Emmie