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Last month, I was flipping through the magazine that never fails to get my creative juices flowing
1. Come up with a One Little Word. If you’re not familiar with the Ali Edwards Challenge that has been going on for awhile now, One Little Word is basically a movement to pick one word and live, intentionally, by that one word for a year. One year, my word was Capture. I chose it because I wanted to work harder at capturing the everyday moments I felt I was missing out on. Another year was breathe. I had been through a rough time after having my heart attack when I had Zach, had decided to end the pursuit of another degree and blog full time, and really was going through a time of transition, so I felt breathe fit what I needed. I did Grow as my one little word at one point because I really wanted to challenge myself to push myself past where I thought my limits were– and I succeeded. While I still haven’t settled on my One Little Word for 2015, I think it’s such a great challenge, to live by that word for a year. When you choose your One Little Word for 2015, don’t forget to share it! Tweet me your word (@MamaPlusOne, #OLW2015) or share with me on Facebook.
2. Declutter. I’ve talked about the importance of decluttering before, but trust me on this one– you want to declutter your life. New Year, New Beginning, so toss some of that junk and find a way to streamline. Even if you start small (your closet or even your computer desktop background), those small steps can make a big change.
3. Download MyFitnessPal or another great calorie tracking app or tool and start writing down what you eat. Whether or not you have a goal to lose weight in 2015, it’s always good to have an idea of what you’re putting in your body and being more intentional about what you’re eating. Some days, you just need a chocolate bar, and that’s totally okay.
4. Figure out your childs’ Valentine’s Cards. Seriously. If you’re planning to DIY these puppies (and in the age of Pinterest, don’t we all practically feel like a failure if we don’t?) do NOT wait until the last minute. Trust me, it’s no fun. If you get an idea for them now, you’ll be totally ready and stress-free when Valentine’s Day rolls around. And if you’re not DIY-ing your cards? Well, it’s a good way to make sure you’re buying your cards as soon as they hit the shelves, so Anna and Elsa cards aren’t sold out when you remember the Valentine’s Party at school on February 13th at 11:15 at night. Not that that happens or anything.
5. Give yourself permission to relax. Take a bubble bath. Drink that leftover sparkling cider from New Year’s Eve. Listen to your favorite musician. Hide in the closet and eat that chocolate bar we talked about (because who needs to share, anyway?) Just take 5 minutes. That’s all. 5 little minutes to yourself (or more if you have the time).
6. Learn something new. Take a cooking class from Taste of Home’s Online Cooking School, learn a new language with DuoLingo, try your hand at a new craft that you saw a tutorial for on Pinterest… just DO SOMETHING. Something you’ve never thought to do before, or something you’ve had on your to-learn list forever, or even something you tried and gave up on ages ago. Just take some time and sit down to learn something new.
7. Clean out the fridge. We’ve all been there– Christmas leftovers hide behind the ingredients for the New Year’s party appetizers and then New Year’s leftovers take over, too… there’s bound to be some outdated slime hiding in the back of your fridge, so take some time to clean it. Really clean it. Pull out those drawers and shelves and wash them in soapy water and get everything perfectly spic-and-span. Again, it’s just a great way to start the new year. While you’re on a cleaning kick, don’t miss the other places you might have forgotten to clean.
8. Spend time with those you love. We don’t take enough time for this any more, and in some ways, I feel bad that I’m writing this on my to-do list for the month, since it should just come naturally. You see, I’m feeling some guilt that it’s in my 3 year olds’ vocabulary to say “Will you play Legos when you finish your emails?” Ouch. It’s clear what I spend my time working on… so take some time to switch off. Close the laptop, put the phone on the charger, and walk away. Unplug for awhile. Your family and your relationships will thank you. And if you need a few ideas, here are some you might want to try (yeah, so each of those words links to a different idea…).
What’s on your must-do list for January? Let me know in the comments below!
