Well our trip is officially over and we are back at home in Atlanta, and per usual I am the only one awake past 10:00 at night, when I am writing this. I miss my family and Savannah already, but I’m pretty happy right now with our cat cuddled up on my lap.
Most years I don’t have any resolutions. It’s so… disappointing when you can’t keep them. But I found myself in a terrible rut in December. I stopped working out, started eating unhealthy, not accomplishing anything, feeling like I wasn’t being a good mom to Maddie Grace because I wasn’t playing with her enough or always looking at my phone when I was playing with her, and I felt like I wasn’t doing enough to teach her and foster her growth. Not to mention our house is complete mess and there are approximately one zillion projects I’ve been saying I’m going to do to get our house looking better that I’m yet to even start. So for the sake of accountability, I came up with some resolutions that I am starting on immediately because I know that these will lead to a happier and more fulfilled life for me. If you’re in a similar situation and looking for a way out feel free to make some of these your resolutions as well because I guarantee they will help. So here we go:
1. Break Free of Attachment Issues. I love that Maddie Grace loves me. But I can’t even leave the room that she is in without her screaming bloody murder. Our parents won’t even babysit anymore because she does this terrible screaming at the top of her lungs and WILL NOT STOP. And mama needs a break sometimes. So first and foremost I am determined to overcome this attachment problem. How? Still working on all the details but for starters I’m going to start leaving MG more places without me. I’m joining a gym (see next resolution) with a childcare program that I’ve been told is great so hopefully I’ll be knocking two resolutions out with one stone by regularly separating myself from her and working out. I’m also going to make a point to attend church every Sunday (see resolution #3) and leave MG at the nursery and once again knock out two resolutions at once. If anyone out there has any other ideas for how to successfully tackle this resolution please let me know, I’m desperate.
2. Workout Regularly. This one doesn’t need much explanation. I am going to the gym TODAY, signing up, and then making a point to be at the gym at least 5 days a week. I’m also contemplating signing up for the Country Music Half Marathon. I was a big fan of half marathons before getting pregnant, but I’m not quite sure my body is up for it at this point in my life. Maybe?
3. Attend Church Every Sunday. Tom and I used to be great at attending church every Sunday. That was pre-baby of course. We even volunteered in the preschool at the 9:00 session and attended the 11:00 one and were able to do that every Sunday. We have both decided that our sporadic attendance needs to change. Probably the biggest reason for this sporadic attendance is the fact that MG does not handle the nursery well at all (see resolution 1) and it breaks my heart to leave her knowing that she will have a screaming fit until they eventually call us to come get her, which they always do. I think though that the accomplish both of these resolutions we just need to suck it up and drop her off and get our butts to church.
4. Grow My Blog. If you’ve followed with me a while you may have noticed that my blog has grown a lot in just the last few months. It’s not huge, and my intention isn’t to become the biggest blog ever, but I’m thrilled to have gained the followers that I have! Some days I don’t know if it’s worth the time I put into it, and I feel like giving up quite frequently, but every time I gain even one blogger it makes me more determined to keep working on this little blog of mine and to make it work. I love sharing my story here and the connections that I’ve made through blogging, and I’m not ready to let go of those yet, so here I am still forging ahead with this blog in 2015. You can’t get rid of me that easy.
5. Eat Healthier. I say this every year. I really need to do this one too because my diet is disgusting. THIS YEAR y’all, this year. However if I need to put money on one resolution that won’t get accomplished, it’s this one.
6. Make Sure Maddie Grace is Learning and Growing. As a stay at home mom, I worry that I’m not teaching MG what she needs to be learning at this age. I worry that she’s not getting the socialization skills. So my resolution is to make sure I’m taking her to classes, and environments where I know she will grow and learn. I signed her up for baby swim lessons that begin next week, and have already marked in my calendar all the library baby classes for this month. I’m also going to arrange play dates galore with her. We also have decided that we want her to start a mother’s morning out program at a preschool next year, and here all the preschools have registration in January that fills up fast, so we are researching where to send her and making sure we get that all set up.
7. Organize Our House. I used to be good about this, but I feel like right now it’s so bad I don’t even know where to start. I’m on it though and as soon as we got home tonight I threw MG in the Ergo carrier and started cleaning and organizing.
8. Paint Our House. I have SO many house projects I want to do. I’m not kidding when I say a zillion. But baby steps here – if nothing else I want to paint the entire house (inside and out) by New Years Eve 2015. I wouldn’t mind if we went ahead and updated the bathrooms and the kitchen floor by then too, but that may prove to be too ambitious. On that note I also want to decorate my home and create a beautiful space to live in and raise my children in. One step at a time.
9. Be More Intentional With My Time. When I’m playing with Maddie Grace I want to be playing with Maddie Grace, not looking at my phone. Same for when I’m hanging out with my husband, or with any of my friends. Social media can wait and will always be there but these sweet moments with my family are fleeting.
10. Expand my Graphic Design Skills. I don’t even know how photoshop works, I use pic monkey for everything. I love graphic design though and am determined to master photoshop, and be able to create really great images by myself.
11. Travel More. Tom and I love to travel. We used to travel a lot. But it all kind of ended when I got pregnant. I want to go back to traveling all the time and make sure our kids get to go all kinds of cool places.
12. Get Maddie Grace’s Scrapbook Up To Date. It’s so behind it’s not funny. Well maybe a little funny. I want it up to date and to keep updating it so I don’t forget any little memorabilia or moment.
13. Get Pictures Printed and Organized. I have also been putting this off forever. I need prints for several presents I owe family members, and to hang around the house. Not to mention I have this phobia that one day the internet and google will disappear and my computer will crash and all my pictures will be gone, so I like to have hard copies as well.
14. Craft. Read. Write. Study. Explore. I really want to do more crafts to share with my readers, and because I love crafting. I keep using my baby as an excuse when really I could craft during nap time, which is when I typically bake and try new recipes now. That said I’m running out of resolutions and I also want to make sure I read and write more this year, participate in more Bible studies, and spend more time outside exploring the world around me.
15. Enjoy Every Minute. More than anything I want to be happy in 2015. I have decided to shut negativity out and focus only on the positive. I want to be full of joy and have it wear off on those around me. I have been so blessed and have no reason not to rejoice that each day is another day I get to spend with the world’s best humans.
There are so many other big things I want to accomplish in 2015 it was hard to limit this to just 15. In fact I really wanted the first one to be cuddle with my cat more, but then I realized that would probably decrease my productivity and result in very few resolutions being accomplished. Do any of mine strike a chord with you? Let me know below!
And here is a picture of a cold rainy day we spent in Charleston earlier this week, because I felt this needed some baby goodness.
I love the way the new year gives the feeling of renewal. These are all awesome things to work on. May you have an amazing year!!!
Me too! Thank you and you too!
Great goals!! Eating healthier and organizing the house are on my list too! Good luck with the attachment issue – that's so tough! I think every mom struggles with that one, so just know you're not alone 🙂
Thank you 🙂 it's so hard!
Great list… I have #2, 5 11 & 15 on mine as well!
Those are good ones!
this is great! I need to make my list.
It helps to write them all out!
Good luck with all your resolutions!
Thank you!
Hi,
Idk how I started following you on Instagram but I am and I read your blog for the first time today! Great post. Some of your resolutions are the same as mine especially the fitness, blog, and home ones. Last year I felt the same way about my daughters learning do I put her in a preschool program and I am SO glad I did! She has grown so much in the short time she has been attending. Also that will hopefully help her with her attachment and give you mommy time to accomplish those other resolutions! Looking so forward to reading more 🙂
Thank you so much for the comment! Good advice – I'm hoping to get MG in a preschool next year for 2 days a week next year because I think it will help us a lot and give me some free time!
These are all great resolutions. I definitely need to work out more.
It'sso hard to find the time!
I love putting goals down on "paper". It makes me so much more likely to achieve them. And that little one is darling!
Yes me too! One thing on my never ending to do list is to write out all of my goals and hang them up in the office!
Great list! I have some of the dame goals as you, especially working out. That's the hardest one to keep for me.
I know, who really has the time, right? For me that and eating healthy – probably the most important ones and the hardest to keep!
Amazing list of goals! Don't feel too bad about not being able to leave your little one! My oldest (now 6) would not let me leave her with anyone for about 2 years, and then it took a good 6 months for me to be able to leave her in the nursery during church. But, with all of that attachment, she is now the most outgoing little girl that I know! Being a mama is hard, just remember to give yourself grace! God gives it to us, we need to also extend it to ourselves 🙂