Checking In With Plans for 2016

Not much has been going on here. We've been living and loving and figuring out routines.

 As is normal for the beginning of January I've been thinking a lot about my goals and plans for the year. 

 I plan to walk, run and be active. I plan to be healthier and stronger.  I plan to love myself more, because my guys deserve a happier Mama and wife.

 I plan to craft more. More sewing, more crocheting, more scrapbooking; but spend less and use what I have.

I plan on blogging more. Sometimes it might just be interesting to me, sometimes not. We'll just see where it goes.

I plan on purging what we don't need, so we can really enjoy what we have. 

So lots of more with a little less mixed in. I hope everyone is having and continues to have a wonderful 2016. 

2014 Intentions

Goodness! How did we get half way through the month already?! Last year I tried to pick a word (Discover), but this year I couldn't think of just one. I want to simplify, discover, purge, learn, write, love, enjoy. This year holds so much promise of being incredible. We will welcome our third boy in May, Munch starts Kindergarten in the Fall and Nox is showing signs that he may be potty trained by the end of the month, which means Preschool!!

I am determined not to stress too much about any of the unknowns that a new year brings. Last year, I felt like a ball of stress almost the entire year and it was exhausting.

This year I don't have resolutions. I have intentions, things that I want to do, but if life gets in my way then so be it.

Pre-Baby Intentions
1. Get Carpets Cleaned (2 years with 3 cats, 2 kids and 1 dog...way too long...would be SO much easier without any carpets!)
2. Purchase minivan so I have a place to fit all the kidlets.
3. Get family pictures done.

4. Write more letters. Particularly to my little sister and Munch's buddy in Austin.
5. Complete a 40 bags in 40 days challenge. Or 40 things in 40 days. Purge, simplify, clean. :o) This is supposed to be a project for Lent, but I think it's a great challenge no matter what the time of year! If you search Pinterest an overwhelming amount of pins come up, but I love me some free printables and Sugar Tot Designs has both a free printable and a good explanation of the project.
6. Blog more and keep up with the blogs I love to read.
7. Learn to use my camera outside of Auto...so far I've just learned how to use my awesome remote. Really not sure how I lived without it and the boys LOVE it.

8. Make lots of nursery goodies - right now I'm searching for the exact right fabric. Always the hardest thing to do.
9. Catch up with Project Life. I'm pretty behind at the moment, but I feel like I can get 2014 done and out of the way in time.

Post Baby Intentions
1. Start running again. I have missed it SO much. Every time I see a runner I feel a twinge of jealousy. Cannot wait till I get the doctors okay to start once Silas is here.
2. Get newborn/family pictures. I may do newborn shots on my own and then get my sister to take family shots when she comes to visit. We shall see :o)
3. Write more letters
4. Try to keep up with Blog.
5. Keep up with Project Life. I love doing this project, so I don't think I'll have too much of a problem. May get behind, but that's okay.

2013 Resolutions

1. Blog more. I've gotten really bad about only blogging once...MAYBE twice a week. I'm hoping that this year I'll be blogging much more.

2. Find the girl I was in February and March of 2012. I'm going to start tracking my food again tomorrow and on Friday I will officially start up my Fat Ass Friday posts again, whether or not there is a linky party to join. John and I are getting a 3 month/winter membership to the rec center so we can use their gym and have NO excuses for not working out. Rain and cold will not stop me from reaching my goals!

3. I really want to craft more this year. I seemed to have fizzled out sometime after April and never got my crafting mojo back. Well, I'm hitting my overflowing Pinterest boards and I'm going to start crafting again.

4. Continue with mile a day. Technically, I think it was supposed to end on New Years Eve...but I find that posting it on instagram has almost given me a boost in motivation. So I'm going to see how long I can go. Started 2013 off with 3.4 miles and it felt great!

5. PROJECT LIFE! I've been working hard to catch up on 2012. Snapfish has a few more hours left on there 99 for 99 cent deal and I'm trying to talk advantage. The big variety pack is due to hit Amazon on Friday and I have my planner ready to go. I'll have more on how I've set up for this year next week. I should have the title page and first week done by then. I love LOVE this project...and I adore looking over the pages I've completed. It feels so great to have all those memories recorded and so many photos printed. Before they were just sitting on my computer where no one could see them.

6.  Read these books and then read some more. Currently on my nightstand:

• A Feast for Crows - George R.R. Martin My 2nd or 3rd time reading this series. Cannot wait for the next book to come out!
• Caught - Harlan Coben My mother gave me this book. It takes place in the same area of NJ I spent my tween/teenage years.
• Switch Bitch - Roald Dahl Accidental find at Half Price Books. I'll read anything Roald Dahl, can't wait for this one!
• Start Something That Matters - Blake Mycoskie My sister's close friend Flo (Made by Firenze hosted an amazing giveaway last month and I won a pair of TOMS...on top of also giving money to a charity in my name she also included this book. (Such a wonderful, generous surprise!) I am really looking forward to reading it. I love the TOMS One for One program.
• Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade - Diana Gabaldon This is a spin off of her Outlander novels. I really enjoyed the first Lord John and am looking forward to sinking my teeth into this one.
• Game of Thrones: Graphic Novel Volume One - George R. R. Martin Technically this is my husband's book, but if he isn't done with it by the time I'm finished with the rest of my list, I'm gonna snag it.

7.  Sit down and actually learn how to use my camera. I got it in 2011 to use for my Munch's birthday and then my In-Law's officially gifted it to me that Christmas...still don't know how to use it to it's full potential. John got me some filter lenses for it and I am determined to learn how to use everything.

8. Cook up a Feast of Ice and Fire. There are some really fantastic recipes in here. They are mostly Medieval recipes with quotes from the books naming their locations. Some recipes even have modern versions. We thought about having a Game of Thrones premier party, but I'm just not sure how that would work with the munchkins.

And that's my 2013 game plan. It looks like a lot, but I don't think I went overboard.

Wishing EVERYONE a happy and healthy 2013.