2017 Resolutions

It's been a while since I've sat down and actually given good thought to what my resolutions ought to be for the new year. (And yes, I'm well aware that January is already halfway over.) For 2016, all I wanted to do was lose weight. For 2015, I was 7 months pregnant when I rang in the New Year, and resolutions were the last thing on my mind. And for 2014, well, I don't remember a thing.

Now that life has fallen into routine, here are my resolutions for 2017 (with the help of Owen pictures)...

1. Spending More Time Outside/Getting Active & Healthy

Last year, from January to mid-October, I lost about 25 pounds or so. I was also eating right and often went out for a nice jog/stroll, but once we got back from our Florida trip, all that came to a stop. Moving and settling into our new apartment, the holidays, and my multiple sicknesses played a huge factor; but, let's face it, I did get lazy. So once I'm feeling 100%, I WILL be more active and spend less time on the couch.


2. Keeping My Temper

I'm known to lose my cool, and it's not always a gradual process. I can go from a 0 to a 10 in a second, and I usually say/do something extremely stupid; and 90% of the time, I regret it almost right away. With that being said, I will be more mindful of what my actions could lead to and if it's worth it. This incident happened a couple of days before Christmas, and it's been hanging over me ever since.


3. Reading

If your child does not own "I Want My Hat Back" by Jon Klassen, then you need to go out and get it. Now.

There WAS a time (long, long, looooong ago...) when I read a novel every month. Last year, I only read ONE book. Several months ago, I started reading "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and I just can't get myself to push through and finish it. It's not that I'm disinterested in the story, but I would rather do other things during my (limited) free time...but I realize that these things - watching TV, browsing Pinterest, playing pool on my phone, etc. - are not very productive and, at the end of the day, a waste of time. I'll shoot for 6 books this year, since 12 maaaay be a little too ambitious for me.


4. Spending Time with Matthew

I have a 19-year old brother, and his name is Matthew. We are a whopping 10 years apart, and that has had an impact on our relationship. When I was learning about tampons and maxi pads, he was learning how to crawl. When I was a reclusive and brooding teenager, he was a little boy obsessed with video games. And by the time he was 16, I moved out of the house and got married. I never felt that we had that super tight sibling bond, and I sometimes (regrettably) acted as a third parent to him when I shouldn't have. I really hope that he and I get closer because he's the only sibling I have.

Today, he came over, and I made all of us a pancake breakfast. Afterwards, we watched a couple of movies, I introduced him to Bob Ross, and then he treated us to lunch. It was a great day, and we promised to try and have a nice sit-down meal AT LEAST once a month.


5. Living Simply/Clutter-Free

While we were moving into our new place, I realized just how much stuff that we had, and it gave me anxiety. I also unearthed some things that made me ask myself, "Why do we still have this?", or, "Why do we have 10 of these?" Before having Owen, I loved collecting things - nice coffee mugs, cute little trinkets, cool figurines, etc.; and then after having him and having bought/received ALL the things that came with him (toys, books, stuffed animals, baby stuff, blah blah blah), my want of having "stuff" decreased tremendously. So when we moved, we purged (a LOT) and also rented a storage unit (for Ralph's collectibles). So far, I'm liking this minimalist/simple lifestyle. People may find it "boring" or "too plain", but it really helps when there's a toddler around. :)


6. Promoting Positivity

I'd like to consider myself a "glass half full" kind of person, and I think now, more than ever, is a good time to promote positivity and add value in others' lives. And now that Owen is a little older, I will do what I can to teach him kindness, gratitude, and love (among other things). If I could help improve the life of just one person this year, then I'd be good with that.


In my mind, I thought I had more than 6 resolutions, but I think this is plenty. Let's have a happy and prosperous 2017!