New Years Resolutions (In March)

It's been a minute, hasn't it!

Last year, I started this blog so that I could have an outlet that not only was creative, but also a great way to keep me writing and taking photos. I loved writing the posts and hearing feedback. I can't even explain how sweet it was to read messages from people about how much they enjoyed reading my blog.

But then a job promotion happened, followed by leaving said job for another full time job, and then just life in general happened. (Oh, and EJ turned two !! and decided to turn into a big kid over night.) I felt like I could hardly keep my thoughts together most days, let alone sit down to write them out! But here's a few moments from the year:

I honestly contemplated just starting all over and creating a new blog with a new, exciting angle so my failure to keep up with my little bitty blog wouldn't be so apparent, but I realized that the whole reason why I started this blog in the first place was to share my passions. And, although, my passions from last year to this have shifted and priorities have rearranged, I think it's important to let people in on the journey and show growth. In doing so you invite others to be okay with changing and grow in their own journey, whatever that is.

Last month, I was talking to Josh about New Years resolutions (yes, in February haha) and after thinking about them for a good, long month I realized it was hard to nail down because I didn't necessarily have the typical "new year, new me" resolutions. Instead, I decided to set goals for myself and for our family.

Resolutions are easily and often broken. Goals are more of a journey, goals keep you going and give you a "why" to your "what", which is the most important thing to keep in mind. I decided that this year would finally be the year where I slowly but intentionally make it a point to live as healthy and holistic as possible.

It can get so incredibly overwhelming to see people share this about organic food and that about living chemical-free and the other about how amazing fermented food is for you. When I stepped back and looked at my life, I felt like I had to change so many aspects of my life to achieve this holistic lifestyle that I wanted for my family.

Now, I don't doubt that any of those things are good for you, but I want to see and experience it for myself. So this year, I decided, would be the year where I'm finally intentional about living a healthier lifestyle. But, instead of overwhelming myself with all of the changes in every aspect of my life all at once, I'll do them intentionally and one at a time and share with anyone and everyone that is interested in hearing.

So this is where my blog comes back into play! I might still share the occasional outfit picture, but mostly I want to share my journey to a healthier lifestyle because I truly believe that if I can do it, anyone can do it!

Goals for 2017

• Eat healthier - Eat more real food, cut out preservatives, eat organic when possible, make more meals.
• Be more active - I actually for the first time in my life got a gym membership! (Thanks to my sister who basically and lovingly forced me into it!) It's amazing how much more you value something you invest in.
• Try new things - so far I've started going to spin classes (love!), started a new yoga class, and I started brewing my own kombucha.
• Cut out chemicals - did you know our skin absorbs like everything? Chemicals are everywhere, from our makeup to our household cleaners and your skin can absorb every bit of it. Yikes!
• Try essential oils - but like, actually give them a shot. Not going to lie I was pretty skeptical, especially the ones for emotional support, but I'm definitely becoming a big believer in them!
• Save more money - pretty self explanitory! But it starts with cutting out unnecessary spending and being more mindful of what I already have.
• Take better care of my skin - I'm 26 now and my skin is only going to get older! Plus, preventative is always better than reparative.
• And while we're making this long list, let's go ahead and add capture more moments. I'm all about being in the moment and putting my phone down often, but one thing I want to do this year is capture more moments, both exciting and mundane. That, and actually get in more pictures, not just be the one to capture them. 

So there you have it, my list of "healthy" goals for this year, and at the end of the year I'm going to evaluate what a difference each change has made and whether or not it was worth it. If they're worth it, I'll probably have formed some habits by then and it feel much easier to keep up with, and if they're not worth it, I'll just go back to eating microwave popcorn and drinking cheap red wine for dinner. 

What were your New Year's resolutions?

xo Kristina