Wood magazine plans: New Year's Ramblings

I am not a great writer. I overuse commas, I create run on sentences and I don't always convey my thoughts in the best way...so please cut me some slack. I am not a life coach or a therapist, but I consider myself a pretty decent human being. One that has made mistakes, one that tries to see the best in everything, but one that doesn't always get it right. These are just a few of my thoughts going into 2015.... (I will be back to home decor soon, so don't worry and please bare with me! )

There is nothing really magical about January 1st. It is just another day on the calendar...like every other day. For some reason though, it creates a feeling of new, another chance, a clean slate, a fresh start. We are all excited for a new year as we close the door on the last one. For some that means saying goodbye to fond memories and to others that means letting go of hardships. For me, I am thankful for 2014, hardships and all. Life experiences are part of our story, they are what makes us the people we are today. They do not have to define us but they are the words to our story.

So going into 2015, a new chapter in my book of life, I have goals....just like most people. There are some simple ones....drink more water, get more sleep, exercise more, blah, blah, blah. I will do my best!

Then there are some that are really important to me and to those I love the most.

-Being present in the moment...not nodding yes and saying "uh-huh" while I scroll through my phone when my daughters or husband are trying to tell me something and knowing I didn't really hear what they said.

-Not saying "maybe later" or "in a minute" knowing that I do not mean what I am saying and those phrases are just being used instead of "no".

-Saying "yes" when I can. I posted on Instagram about this. I think as moms we often say no (or "in a minute" or "maybe later") because we don't want to deal with a mess, we are stressed out or because we have such a habit of saying no without considering saying yes. What I find when I say yes, is that it makes me slow down, it gives me a chance to see my kids do something they enjoy, it gives them a chance to discover new things and most importantly, it shows me that I can learn a lot about them (and from them) when I say yes!

-Say "no" to things that do not benefit my family or friends. I worked on this last year and it was such a relief. I think sometimes we want to do it all....even when we know we need to manage our time better!

-Schedule time for "me time". Save the Instagram scrolling, Pinterest pinning, Facebook liking, TV watching for when the kids are at school or in bed.

-Blogging more...I PROMISE I will be posting the infamous paint tutorials I promised my IG followers! Pinky swear!!

-Realizing that while I am not saving lives, teaching our leaders of tomorrow or discovering a cure for cancer...I do have a passion and a gift and I need to use it. I cannot even tell you how neat it is to have you all follow me on Instagram and Facebook, comment on my photos, read my blog posts and send me pictures of something I inspired you to do! It makes my heart happy! I cannot wait to challenge myself to do more in 2015!

-And lastly, be me. Be comfortable in my own skin. Be confident in what I know I do well and work on the things that need improvement. Push myself to try new things and take a step out of my comfort zone! Be the best "me" I can be....in every aspect of my life. That doesn't mean be perfect, that means putting my best effort into everything I do and living with no regrets!