Five Resolutions for a New Year

I swear, I had these written before New Year's, and hard to believe, but so-far-so-good for the first 3 weeks!  I love wiping the slate clean each January to reset and make the most of a new year.  A lot of these goals will look familiar from previous years (here was 2017), but after being mildly successful last year, I thought I'd take the reasons why the resolutions didn't work and try to be more specific to make it happen in 2018:

1. Eat Better: Year after year, I make a vague resolution for myself, but it's hard to follow through because I'm not specific.  So, obviously it fails.  Here are my thoughts for 2018 to eat better and improve my metabolism: drink hot water and lemon every morning, eat a protein-filled breakfast everyday (egg whites), drink a cup of tea (without sugar) each day, drink a glass of cold water a half hour before lunch and dinner, pack my lunch 4 days a week (aimlessly walking around Whole Foods everyday is my biggest problem), and don't eat after 9pm.

2. Use Untappd: Mike and a few of our friends have this beer app, and it looks like so much fun.  This one started out as a joke, but now I want to do it.  I'm megd_taylor if you use it and want to be friends!

3. 10 Miles Per Week: Here's another one (like #1) that's been rough in the past: working out.  Instead of saying I'll work out each day or every other day, how about I put a concrete number on it?  This way, I can get everything done in a couple days or spread it out throughout the week.  Let's see!

4. Answer texts when I get them: OMG my downfall.  I can't be the only one who elaborately thinks up replies in her head but never actually writes them?  I really want to do better at this in the new year!

5. Learn my new camera: Our Christmas present to each other this year was a new camera.  I can't wait to learn more about it, and simply reading the manual (who'd have thought?!) has taught me things I didn't even know my old camera could do.  I had fun with it over Christmas (a few photos here) but am still struggling with motion and dark shots (see examples below).  If anyone has a good online class or YouTube videos for a Canon 80D, I'd love to watch them!

What are your goals for 2018?

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DIY Post-it Note Goal Board

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BackToSchoolGoals #CollectiveBias 

We are just over halfway through the year - time to check in on those New Year's Resolutions.  (Here were mine!)  How are you doing with yours?  Mine are... okay... but regrettably could be better.  It's those long-term goals that always get me.  Whether it's putting them off (since you have a whole year to accomplish them) or just gradually forgetting over time, I'm never super successful with those.  On the other hand, shorter goals or objectives (like my summer bucket list) are always so much more attainable.  There's a shorter amount of time to get everything done, and usually the items on it are less lofty.  This got me thinking, how can we keep our goals in the forefront of our minds throughout the year, whether it's the new year or the start to a new school year?  Well, I think I have the solution.  Did you know you're 42% more likely to accomplish things if you write them down*?  I want goals that I can stick to, and I have a project today to keep those goals stuck in your mind (almost quite literally) each day: DIY Sticky Note Goal Board.

The "back-to-school" time is the perfect opportunity to refocus.  Even though I'm not heading into the classroom this September, I still love shopping for school supplies, and this time of year is the perfect opportunity to update my desk before the busy fall season. 

The bright colors of Post-it® Notes keep my eyes front and center on what I'm trying to achieve, and this goal board has the perfect spot in my home to see it everyday.  The great thing about this board is that you can change it whenever you want to.  I love that feeling of checking something off my to-do list, and removing a sticky note from the board and recycling it because I've accomplished it gives me just that.  This would be fantastic for school-aged children to remember their homework or busy moms to make time for, well, everything!

You can purchase a full range of Post-it® and Scotch™brand products at your local Walmart when you head there to buy your school supplies.

To create your own DIY goal board, you will need:
- 11" x 14" photo frame
- 11" x 14" poster board
- Post-it® Notes 3" x 3" Cube Pink Wave and Orange Wave, 400 Sheets/Cube
- Scotch™ Double Sided Tape
- Decorative paper
- Calligraphy markers
- Scissors

I also purchased 4-packs of 4" x 6" Post-it® Super Sticky Notes when I was at Walmart, because I love this bigger size for list-making.

Directions for making your own sticky note board:
1. Decide the parameters of your goals.  I chose weekly, monthly, and yearly.  Other suggestions could be daily, seasonally, or even creating columns for different members of your family or aspects of your life (home, work, blogging, etc.).
2. Lay out the 3" x 3" Post-it® Notes, 3 across and 2 down to approximate spacing.
3. Write out your headings on white paper: 'Goals For...,' 'This Week,' 'This Month,' and 'This Year' - or whatever you choose.
4. Cut out your headings and and use the double-sided tape to adhere them to decorative paper.
5. Cut out the decorative paper for a border around the headings.
6. Tape the headings above the Post-it® Notes.
7. Outline each Post-it® Note to serve as templates for your future goals, and remove the sample notes from the poster board.
8. Frame your goal board and hang it on the wall.

There you have it!  Now you're ready to stay on track throughout the summer and into the new school year.  As I mentioned, I'm doing much better with my summer bucket list than my 2017 resolutions, so much so that I am already updating my bucket list to create new goals for myself.  I shot under par a couple of weeks ago, but that round still had two bogeys.  Now, I want to shoot a round with a "clean card," meaning that no holes are over par.  

What's so great about this changeable board is that I can update it whenever I want.  To see even more ways to keep up with your goals by clicking here.  How do you keep yourself on track?  What are your goals for the new school year?

*Matthews, G. (2007). The impact of commitment, accountability, and written goals on goal achievement. Paper presented at the 87th Convention of Western Psychological Association, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

And A Look Forward...

New year, new goals.

Time for those resolutions.  The last two years (2016, 2015) have been about bettering myself (healthy eating, exercise, and makeup), blogging, and family, and this year looks like it will be much of the same with one additional: travel.  We are looking forward to using our Southwest Companion Pass (every time Mike flies, I fly for free) in 2017!

1. Visit 3 new-to-us cities: combining that pass with our baseball bucket list is going to make for an awesome summer.  Our dream is to see a game at every MLB park together, and so far, we've done San Francisco, NYC (Yankees), Atlanta, Denver, and this year we're looking at Dallas, Chicago, Seattle, St. Louis, or Kansas City - any suggestions?

2. Style my hair everyday: Okay, don't laugh.  Last year, I really did well with my "wear makeup everyday" resolution.  While it might only be mascara, concealer, and blush, I really did feel more put together walking out of the house every morning.  This year, I need to stop leaving for work with wet hair.  I think if I spend 5 minutes blow drying it each morning, I will have even more confidence throughout the day.

3. Improve my health: Here is my vague, perpetual resolution.  This year, my ideas are: vitamins, more salads for lunch, consistent eating, and finding more outdoor activities I enjoy.  We'll see how it goes!

4. Cook one recipe from every cookbook I own: Thank you, Christy for this one!  Mike and I have definitely been better about cooking for one another, but I have all of these cookbooks with pretty photos that I need to use.  I am going to go sticky note crazy this month and find delicious recipes to make all year!

5. Stay in touch: Two years ago, I sent birthday cards to friends and family.  I love the way it feels when I got a card, and while I fulfilled that resolution for most of the year in 2015, I didn't send a single one last year.  Unlike my makeup resolution that really created a lifestyle change, I think I need one more try to get the same to happen with this one.  This year, in addition to birthday cards, I want to try to make one call per week and be more purposeful about replying to messages (emails and texts) when I receive them.

Lastly, because we all want to start our year and resolutions on the right foot, I am hosting a giveaway over on my Instagram page: Tartelette palette, new brushes, and a $50 Sephora gift card to look good and "look ahead" to the new year!  Click here to check it out and enter!

Alright, I've Got Them!

My 2016 resolutions!

I know I'm a little late to this party since we are almost a week into the new year, but we didn't get back from our holiday trip to New England until the 3rd, and vacations don't count for resolutions - sooooo here we are. Last year was probably the first year in my life that I actually tried to keep my resolutions all year and did surprisingly well, so let's see how this year goes!

Eat healthier. I know this sounds like a generic resolution, but hear me out. With our weight loss in 2015, we mostly focused on exercising and cutting back on the snacky bad stuff. We really didn't change our actual dinner diet too much and enjoyed our share of mac and cheese as well as pre-packaged foods. You want to see something crazy I found? Check out this "then and now" from Christmas 2014 and 2015. I know it's a slightly different angle for year to year but still, shit! Right?!

Well, right now I still enjoy my second helping of chicken parmesan (with pasta!) but don't eat 5 cookies or a giant sundae for dessert. Progress, right?! I've eliminated some calories, but now I want to focus on making those calories I do eat as nutritious and possible. My goal is to start small with changes like brown rice instead of white rice and finally buying that spiralizer to cut back on carbs, but after that, we will see how the year goes. Any ideas for healthy foods I should try?

Run. Run. Run. This is a short-term one since my 10k and half marathon Disney race are in just under 2 months, but until then, I actually want to get running and be ready. Afterwards...eh, I might not run for 3 months, but that's really okay with me assuming we'll stay active with tennis, golf, and kickball. Mike is fantastic about motivating me to go to the gym with him and have active date nights, but not so much with running. Even though he's excited to run the 10k with me, it hurts him every step of the way to run because of an old botched foot surgery. We're happy he's found the elliptical as a zero-impact way for him to get cardio in, but all of the running motivation will have to come from only me.

via

Wear makeup everyday. Well, I'm going to try...  I did a test run between Christmas and New Year's, and I was successful there, so wish me luck!

Better blog photography. Mike's dad got me a Best Buy gift card, and we went earlier this week to pick up this amazing 50mm prime lens.  Thanks to Rebecca Jo and Allison for all the help with this one!

Listen more. Especially when watching tv, both Mike and I are known for zoning out into our phones. One of us will say something to the other, and it'll take a solid ten seconds to stop reading whatever it is, acknowledge that the other one said something, and try to decipher an appropriate response (based on the bit that we actually heard).

Resolution Recap

Wow, did this year fly by or what?  I feel like I was just writing my resolutions for 2015!  For the first year I can remember, I actually did a pretty good job keeping my goals throughout the year.  Here's what they were:

1. Send out birthday cards
2. Exercise every other day
3. Blog better:
     A. Blog smarter with new and unique ideas for blog posts
     B. Blog more personal
     C. Blog harder: proofing and photos

I wrote every birthday in my planner in big, red letters, and only forgot 5 or so birthdays (most of whom I remembered to send belated cards to).  I haven't talked about it very much on the blog, but Mike and I have actually become much more active this year.  With tennis, kickball, golf, and the gym, together we have lost almost 50 pounds.  More than making it a task everyday to work out, Mike and I have enjoyed finding new things to do together that are also active.  I even attended a Barre class with Charleston Blog Society!  Last was the blogging one.  I've tried really hard to be personal and blog about life down here in Charleston.  I had a lot of fun working with new brands as well as having the opportunity to try new products.  I appreciate all of my readers so much and am thankful for all of you!

To be completely honest, I'm still trying to figure out my resolutions for 2016, but I imagine that they will closely mirror those I had this year.

• What were your resolutions for 2016?
• Were you able to stick to them all year?

New Year's Resolution Update and Swap Reveal

Well, we're one month into the new year or 1/12 into our resolutions for those of you who are counting.  This year, I actually decided to set real goals for myself (here they are if you missed it last month).  So far, I've only had to send one "belated" birthday card - I said I'd send them but never said they'd be on time haha, I've been exercising (and eating) pretty well and now have a goal to do the Princess Half marathon in February 2016, and I've been trying to create more exciting blog content and find new blogs to comment on and follow each week.

Around the new year, I decided to sign up with Krista @ Classy & Sassy Mrs. and Kate @ Classy Living for a New Year's Resolution Swap Box.  I thought it would be a way to keep up with my blogger resolution by meeting new ladies as well as have someone to keep me accountable with my goals.  This was a round-robin swap, and I was actually paired with both hosts: sending to Kate and receiving from Krista - how fun is that?!

I received a fantastic package from Krista - thanks so much, girl!

She sent me a sweet, encouraging note and gifts to go along with different components of my resolutions: a planner and post-its for blogging, a salad kit and mini cutting boards for healthy eating, and a bunch of mini beauty samples she saved from different subscription boxes.  She even threw in some great toys for the kittens :)

As for Kate, I really tried to send her a little something for each aspect of her resolutions; you can head over to her blog to see a full recap!

Resolutions

Happy 2015!  But seriously, how did that happen?!  And how was this my life a year ago!?  I couldn't be happier with my state of being, state of mind, and state I'm in to start this year, so there shouldn't be anything holding me back from making it even better, right?  I have always been the worst at resolutions.  I tell myself I'll do Insanity workouts everyday or go running twice a week and that lasts for all of like 3 weeks.  To date, my best resolution was vowing to go swimming twice a week last year, and that, surprisingly, worked really well last year... and then I screwed it up by moving.  Whoops!  Let's be honest, though, I am even awful at Lent.  40 days is a long time to give up chocolate, so I was always that kid who gave up popcorn or soda (quick story: that was in 5th grade and I literally haven't touched what little soda I used to drink since, so I guess that worked!) or said "I'll only have one sweet a day" ...yeah, pathetic.

How we celebrate NYE in Charleston - a flip flop drop
(instead of a ball drop) at the beach, fireworks, and tons of live music!

Last month, I also signed up with Krista and Kate for The New Year's Resolution Swap Box.  It's a well-known fact that I love swaps as a way to meet new bloggers, and this time around I'm looking forward to having someone hold me accountable and help me with my goals.  So, this year, there's no excuse, I'm going to follow through.

Here are my resolutions:

1. Send out birthday cards.  I started compiling a list last year, and when we were in CT, we took Mike's mom's planner.  She was the keeper of all the knowledge and had everything (birthdays, anniversaries, phone numbers, Mike's friends from middle school's parents' addresses, Laura's SAT scores) written down.  I now have a full list of friends and family members and will be mailing over 70 cards from January 4 through December 30.  Leave me your birthday in a comment and I'll send you a card, too! (Not kidding one bit :) )

2. Exercise at least every other day.  We have a great little gym in our complex, but I've obviously only ever been like 3 times.  I just really want to be more active, no matter what activity it might be.  I teach kids golf in the afternoons, and we do tons of running around and games to help teach them balance and flexibility.  Mike and I also always walk when we play golf, and I count all of that as exercise.  So, if Mike and I haven't played golf or I haven't taught in a day, I better get my butt to the gym or go running.

3. Blog better.  I'm still loving my new design from Jane, Mike bought me a domain and set it up for me yesterday (www.myborrowedheaven.com - hollah!!!) and I have three goals this year: 1. Blog smarter with new and unique ideas for posts.  Shannon from The Mommy Files reached out to me before the new year and invited me to sign up for Social Fabric, so I can't start working with them as well as a few small businesses I know y'all will just love!  2. Blog more personal: I found one "real life" post in 2014 that didn't have weekend photo frills or a recipe - that'll change this year, for sure.  3. Blog a little harder with better proofreading and more time spent taking photos.  Anyone in the Charleston area have photography class ideas?

And just in case you were wondering about my husband's resolutions, I received a gchat with this little beauty on NYE.  He especially likes #5, and I can guarantee #19 will definitely be successful... as we did on New Year's Eve.