Me Time

Do you ever feel like your mind is in a thousand different places? I usually enjoy multitasking. I love being busy and I love having a lot going on around me. On the flip side though I've learn that I need time to myself to unwind, to feel human.

Lately I have made an effort to be more conscious of setting aside time for me, whether that time is spent relaxing or working on something creative. Often times these things are opposites and I feel the pull when it comes time to me to decide how to spend my free time.

During the day my mind is mostly busy with work. Of course there are times when I will get an email or hear a song that will remind me of something I want to do or something I need jot down but overall, I am set with my tasks at hand until I leave there for the day. From the time I get home until Macie's bedtime around 7:30, we are busy with dinner, baths, playtime, reading books, and bedtime. Once Macie is in bed sleeping, I am available for a little me time, sometimes however this is where the struggle begins.

Something along these lines is a familiar internal battle I have....

Should I take a relaxing bath and read?

Should I work on my Year of Creativity, I want to blog, improve my writing, and connect with the awesome group of women on this journey with me.

I could always grab my markers and spend some time lettering, or coloring and wind down for a bit with a glass of wine.

Do I go sit with Henley for an hour of snuggles, playtime, or TV with just her?

Should I start a movie with my husband to spend some time with him?

And as always, I could work on something around the house --- laundry, bathroom cleaning, picking up, etc.

It never ends. I want to do it all---I want to read all 27 notifications on Facebook and I want to read all of the unread blogs in my feed. I want to take a long, hot bath while reading a few chapters of my book. I want to close out the night with an awesome blog post that you all will love to read but realistically, that can't happen.

My mind is this open browser with a million tabs open and sometimes I feel like a toddler haphazardly clicking the mouse, opening and closing them all at random. Most nights I can successfully choose one of these options but sometimes I can't decide and end up being sucked into my phone by default and waste the whole night away, leaving me frustrated with myself.

I am glad I took the time to decide what I want to work on for me for this year because I feel now at least I am aware of the struggle. Before I wasn't even aware of these internal struggles I was having. I would just end up in bed dissatisfied at the end of the night because I didn't actually do anything, even becoming bitter at times.

I'm not perfect and I am still working to find the right balance for me but I'm getting there. I've had some great nights lately, even if it's just two hours of doing something that I want to do. I feel like acknowledging things I want to work on or things I want to do helps me to focus and not feel overwhelmed, therefore making me a happier, more relaxed, wife and mother.

Tonight was spent working on some watercolor hand lettering and finishing this blog along with some tickle time with Henley. I am not one to believe it's possible to have it all but sometimes it can feel pretty damn close.

One Little Word: Intention

Yesterday, New Year's Day, I started looking around Facebook, Instagram, and the Blog World at various posts and hashtags and ended up down quite an enlightening rabbit hole. I came across the hashtag #onelittleword and fell completely in love. I have heard of people picking a "word" for their year but when I sat down to think through what I wanted for 2017, I couldn't really choose a word that I thought fit me so I didn't.

Well a few weeks and tons of great posts later, I have chosen my word. I was in the shower and it clicked. Everything on my list really comes down to one word. Intention. I want to be intentional this year. I don't want to be that person that just rides through and ends up four months down the road off track from where I want to be. I've been excited about my lists of goals and to-do's but this clarity has me so pumped! Intention!! So easy but it just took me some time to get there. 

As with everything in my life, to the planner I went. I setup a #onelittleword page in my notes section and went to town with some lettering, definition, and quotes that really capture what I want to see for myself this year. 

Today is my last day of my twelve day streak so I am going to go soak up every minute of it. 

Have a good day!

New Year, New Restart

I mentioned the other day how much I enjoy the new start that the New Year brings and this year is so exception. I have my 2017 Planner ready to go and I've already sat down and laid out my 2017 Goals and Plans. I noted all of my plans in the first section of the planner so I am able to refer back often and see my progress.

I separated my goals into four categories and thought I'd share with you are few of them.

Financial - 

• Reach my yearly goal for our savings account through set weekly deposits
• Retirement account setup for my husband
• Setup college accounts for the girls
• Payoff our main credit card balance
• Stick to Mint.com budget and check progress weekly

Health - 

• Visit the dentist twice for cleanings
• Workout consistently three to four times a week
• Drink Shakeology daily
• Meet daily step goals
• Reach weight goal and maintain it

Family - 

• Disney trips for girls' birthdays
• Schedule dates with the husband monthly
• Take the girls out on one-on-one dates
• Swim lessons for March for Macie
• Weekly lunch dates with husband

Personal - 

• Keep up on blogging at least twice weekly
• Monthly updates to my photobook
• Reading challenge 40 books
• Stay positive and above the B.S.
• Continue working on my creativity (hand lettering, calligraphy, and most recently photography)

Do you guys like setting goals at the start of the new year? What are some that you are working on this year?