Tag Archives: new year’s resolutions

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I really cherish this time of year, the week of relative quiet and calm between the busy holiday bookends. Well, as much quiet and calm as can be achieved with two small children in our midst. We get to have Chris home for most of the week, play with new puzzles and games, eat lots of Christmas cookies and drink from our newly-replenished tea and coffee supply, and share some lazy time with friends and family.

This time of year is also obviously filled with reflection on the past year’s highlights/failures and a renewed sense of hope that a new, blank calendar brings. 2012 already? How did THAT happen?! So I’ve been thinking about resolutions for the coming year. I do love to make a list of goals and it helps to share them; a sort of accountability that only comes when you reveal your wishes with others. Not that I really want people to say, “so Ash, how’s that weight loss coming along for ya now that it’s been a few months since you had Phoebe and you’re still lounging around in those maternity jeans?!” Yeah…

So onward to 2012 and my personal wishes:

  • create my own art (again)
  • consume more whole, clean foods (bye bye, Christmas cookies)
  • get rid of my credit card debt (inspired by And Then She Saved)
  • create a regular yoga practice (why hello there, yoga mat, it’s been a while)
  • take on a few more small-business clients
  • read more, surf less (like a real book with pages)
  • walk more, drive less
  • laugh more often
  • be a better friend (like pick up the phone and actually speak to a live person)
  • savor this fleeting caterpillar-time with my little birdies
  • plan more date nights with Chris
  • sweat (inspired by the Lululemon manifesto. I love this!)
  • unclutter

How ’bout you, lovelies? What’s in store for you in the coming year? Do you like to create resolutions every year? Feel free to leave a link here to yours…

Happy New Year! XO

resolve 2011

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Hello lovelies. How’s 2011 treating you so far? Are you thigh-high in snow too? Feeling motivated by the possibilities that a whole new calendar year offers? Or stumbling through a post-holiday daze and feeling frumpy, dumpy and slightly grumpy like yours truly? Sigh. Raise your hands, let’s take a quick inventory…

I’ve been trying to get excited about a whole new year, but now that we’re a few weeks into it, it feels pretty much the same as before the big holiday rushrushrush and brings similar challenges. Are you experiencing the same kind of post-partum (new year) feelings? I didn’t think I wanted to make resolutions this year, but I’ve been living in an annoying paradox: ungrounded and yet stuck. I decided to revisit last year’s thoughts on resolutions and craft some for this year to give me some direction and a bit more kick to my glide. I’m not sure revisiting last year’s post was even such a great idea because I never made it into that bikini that only lives in dreams I still aspire to wear. Even with Wren still nursing, geesh. Funny boob tangent… Wren says “nurse!” now and it sounds a bit like “nuts!” and while she says it, she pats her chest with both hands like the cartoon gorillas. Funny little birdie!

Ahem. Where was I? Oh yeah.

Part of me wants to just focus on one big, very important idea: Mindfulness. While another piece of me (the squirrely part) wants to take concrete, specific, measurable action (Stop using those yucky Clorox wipes! Lose ten pounds! Do something creative every day! Wipe out all consumer debt! ). So I’m going to wed the two in a ceremony right here. Will you be my Maid of Honor, lovely readers? Will you help to remind me to be mindful of the Now, while I chip away at specific goals bit by bit? Thank you in advance. I heart you and thank you for clicking in on me today.

As for 2011, OK, I think I’m ready for you now. Challenges and all the fluffy stuff too. Go!