A 2016 Resolutions Update

Back in January of 2016, I had big plans for the year. I made a list of resolutions and promised that I would keep up with my progress every month. I did pretty good blogging about my progress the first few months, and then summer rolled around, and the last time I blogged about my progress was in July. 

#whoops #bloggerfail

I kind of figured I needed to recap before moving in to this fresh slate of 2017. And pretty soon, I hope to update with 2017 goals and resolutions. As soon as I think of some. 

1. Study Scripture: Well, I had really good intentions. But, I was not as good as I should have been. In fact, I didn't even make it through the entire month of January with the Jesus Calling devotional. On the flip side, I'm pretty sure I prayed multiple times a day this year and we went to church as often as we could. I know that it doesn't make up for me failing to have quiet time with God, it is what it is. 

2. Kick Toxins to the Curb: This resolution is continuing until the New Year. I mean, it's a daily thing to get rid of stuff that just isn't good for us. Thanks to Young Living, we replaced the girls shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, dryer sheets, dish soap, hand soap, and DJ is even using oils now. We're going to continue replacing products this year and I'm looking forward to fully changing over our products. 

3. Exercise, Eat Healthy, & Say Goodbye to Coke & Sugar: Whew, that's a tough one! When I started out the year, my goal was to walk/run 1,000 miles throughout the entire year. #thatdidnthappen But I did exercise and run more often.

 Eating healthy is still a struggle. But, we are working on it and making huge gains. In the fall we slipped in to a steady diet of fast food and quick meals. It always happens during football season. DJ isn't home, I don't feel like cooking, and our nights are busy. But, we're getting back in to the swing of things, and I'm looking forward to working on eating healthy this year. 

I successfully gave up Coke this summer! This was a huge one for me!!!! And, I'm still super proud of myself. Every once in a while, I'll crave a good coke, and then I remember the calories, sugar, caffeine, and headaches, and I'm good with denying myself. 

As far as sugar goes. #dowehavetogothere I'm still a huge chocoholic, but I'm learning to say no and eat smaller portions. 

4. Rock my Young Living Business: Whew, this has been one heck of a year! I have learned SO much about myself, about leading, and about loving people. I reached the rank of Silver, and my paychecks are helping us to achieve some big goals. Am I in this business for the money? Heck no. I 100% believe that every family needs Young Living. Every  mother needs to empower herself to the health and wellness and well being of their family. So, I still have big dreams and big pans. And I won't stop until every single person that I know has Young Living in their home. 

5. Serve Others: I had really hoped that the girls and I would be able to do some service projects this year. And, boy was I overwhelmed with back to school, after school activities, and doing it 90% alone because of DJ's work schedule. It was an ugly fall, and I'm so thankful that it is over. Wife and mom-ing is crazy hard during football and I am learning to give myself grace. 

That being said, I was too overwhelmed to just take on something else. So, I opted to volunteer in the church nursery twice a month instead. I get to rock babies and give moms a break and I have met some amazing inspirational people that volunteer alongside me. I'm so thankful for our conversations and time together. 

And this Christmas, the girls and I decided to take not one, but three angels from our church's Christmas project. The girls cleaned out their toys, I cleaned out their closets, we took them to a resale store, sold them, and we were able to use that money, and my Young Living income and purchase for three children this year. 

6. Take Time for Family & Say No: I'm still working on this saying 'no' thing, but we have had a lot more family time this past year. We took trips, had Friday night pizza/movie nights, went to ball games, and had family come and visit us. 

I'm becoming more comfortable with saying 'no'. I say 'no' a lot more to commitments at work, and I'm learning to say 'no' to the girls more. I fully want the girls to participate in every single activity that they desire, but there is simply not enough time and energy. Gretchen had to give up playing basketball this year, and I wouldn't let Megan get involved with the little cheerleading team, and I'm really wanting to enroll Adalyn in gymnastics as well, but we said 'no' to each of those things. And y'all, it was hard, and my heart broke. But, we needed to have nights of night running all over town. We needed to have weekends for family time and catching up, and we needed to save money. We also began private speech therapy lessons for Gretchen, and I knew that adding on that, we couldn't commit to more. I'm learning that it is okay that they are not involved in every single thing.

I'm also learning to say 'no' to outside commitments. There are times when DJ wanted us to come to football practice and we just could not, or times when we had to leave events early or show up late. And as much as I hate missing out on my people, I'm learning that I need the extra time to play catch up, get something done, or even for my children to nap so they would be happier when they arrived. 

So, did I accomplish everything I set out to this year? No. But, I am so happy with the progress we've made. It was a great year for personal growth, and I'm looking forward to 2017. 

Mid-Year New Year's Resolutions Update

Back in January, I made several New Year's Resolutions, and I figured I would blog each month about my progress! And, then I haven't updated since May! #whoops #timegoesbyfast

So, it's the middle of the year, and I figured I would update now and then again in September. Because with school beginning in 4 weeks, I may not get around to it in August! See, I told you time goes by fast! 

So, let's get to it: 

1. Study Scripture: Once again, I'm failing miserably here.  I had assumed that I would be a lot better about setting aside some quiet time each day, and then I realized that I hadn't studied scripture and realized that I lost my daily study. And, then this week, I found my book again, so I'm going to work on setting aside some time this month. 

2. Kick Toxins To the Curb: So, I really feel good about where we are with this. I've mentioned before that thanks to Young Living, we've been able to cut out tons of toxins! We've switched everything in our laundry room, the girls bathroom, and now that Young Living has dish detergent, everything in our kitchen! I make all of our cleaners using Thieves cleaner from Young Living, and we use baking soda. As far as food toxins, we still have ups and downs, but I've been buying more organic products: think Annie's, and I haven't opened up a can of cream of crap soup in I don't know how long! 

3. Exercise, Eat Healthy, Say Good-bye to Coke & Sugar: So, this summer started out STRONG! Thanks to the team nutritionist at football, we started wife workouts in the evenings. Back in June, I was going every single day that we would have work outs, and then I would come home and run a mile or two in the evenings. I even lost 3 pounds! And, then vacation happened and womp, womp..... I totally fell off the bandwagon. I'm working on getting back on the bandwagon, and let me tell you, it's much harder to get back on, than it was to jump off! 

So, let's talk about coke for a minute..... coke is the only caffeine product that I drink. I have never drank coffee or tea, and I only drink milk, water, coke, and maybe juice if it's my only option. In February, I gave up coke for Lent, and then I slowly started to add them back in. And then I slowly started giving them back up again. I cannot tell you the last time I've had a full coke, okay, well, it was in June sometime, but when I've had a coke, it's because we were traveling and making quick stops for dinner. The last time we did this though, I only had a few sips and once my meal was finished, I went back to water for the rest of the drive. I make sure to have my Yeti cup full of water and with me, or I have a bottle of Smart water with me. When we eat out, I order water, but I have to admit that there are times when I want a coke again. Like, when we eat Mexican food or pizza. To me, a coke just goes with them! But, I've been good and stuck with water. DJ and I took the girls to the movie on Sunday afternoon, and while I took the girls to the restroom, he stayed behind and ordered popcorn. I brought a water in with me, and he bought me a coke! I reminded him that I'm giving them up, and even though I felt bad that he had purchased a coke for me, I didn't give in and drink it. In fact, the last time that I did drink a full coke, I ended up with a terrible headache, and remembering that feeling has helped me to give them up! So, while it's been hard, and I'm a bit nervous about how I'll do this fall, I'm sure I'll finish the summer strong and sans a coke in hand!

Now, on to the sugar- it has been really hard since we have been traveling so much. We also have celebrated birthdays a lot, and I can't turn down a good bakery product. We also, ate our way through Waco. Now that we are finished with summer travels, I'm working on cutting out those sweets too! 

4. Rock My YL Biz: I shared before, that I hit the rank of Silver back in February! And, then if, I'm being honest, it was super hard to maintain. However, I achieved Silver again in June, which was my one year month of joining Young Living. I honestly did not join Young Living to make money and I just thought I would try the business side, and this month, I'll receive a paycheck that is almost as much as my checks working my full time job! As a SLP in the public schools, it's nice to have the extra income coming in because we were paid in June, and we don't get paid again until September 20th! If you are considering getting involved with a multi-level marketing business, I would highly suggest it! If I could tell you anything to help you say "yes" it would be this: ----------  Find a business with products you 100% believe in and support and use. 

5. Serve Others: Sometimes we have to remember that our act of service isn't always what we do on the outside and for strangers. Sometimes the biggest act of service is what you can do at home every single day. And, I'm having to remember that often. I still have a heart for missions and honestly, I would love to adopt or foster children, but I know that the timing isn't right at this minute. So, I'm working on serving our children and my family (DJ) and doing the best I can. 

It's been really difficult the past several weeks with all of the terrible news in the world: Orlando, shootings of African Americans, and shooting of the Dallas police. The morning after Dallas happened I encouraged my Facebook friends to do a random act of kindness in order to show love to a stranger. And then DJ and I got in the car and drove to Waco. Once we arrived we ate lunch, went in to a store, and as we were walking back to our car, a lady stopped to ask if we had cash so she could buy herself some food. I didn't have any cash on me (I never carry it) and I told her that I didn't have anything I could give. I know she was down on her luck, and my heart broke for her. When we got back in the car, I remembered my "random act of kindness" post on facebook and I thought, that was it. That was my opportunity and God put this woman there and I missed out. Later that afternoon, DJ and I saw her again. We were driving, and she was at the park, and I told DJ we should buy her some food and take it to her. I'm sure he didn't think I was serious and we continued driving around downtown Waco, stopped at a food truck, and we were wondering what we should do next. I told him that we needed to find a gas station so I could buy her some food. We quickly found one and $15.00 later, I had some bread, a huge bottle of water, peanut butter, snack bars, and much more, and I even grabbed some cash. And then we drove back around the park, and around downtown, and we even chased down an unmarked police officer (which probably wasn't the smartest thing to do after the Dallas police were attacked the night before.) He told us that Waco had several "urban campers" and that we likely would find her at the park. But, we never did. We looked Friday night, and throughout the day on Saturday, and she was gone. So, we dropped the food off at the local Salvation Army before we had to head home. I'm not saying this to toot my own horn, because I feel like I miserably failed this woman that God had placed in my life, and I'm hoping that somehow the food found her at the Salvation Army kitchen that evening. 

6. Take Time for Family & Say No: So, with all of our traveling this summer, we've been together as a family a lot! We've made some great memories and we've spent so much time together. I love that we're able to really be with each other during the summer with little obligations. 

We went to Dallas. 

 And the girls had a blast on a day we spent just for them!

And we've had pool days and lake days, and lazy days thrown in! 

7. Be Debt Free: We are still working on this, but I feel like we're making good progress! With my Young Living check this month, I'll be able to make a large payment toward our credit card!

8. Finish House Projects: Well, if you stopped by on Tuesday, you'll see that I shared a little Show & Tell of our house! We have finished all of the rooms in our house, and even Adalyn's big girl room! DJ and I installed pavers in our backyard a few weeks ago to help extend our patio a bit, and he's obsessed with maintaining our lawn. So, I am finally at a point where I feel like I can stop buying for our house...... except I do want to update the entry way console, but that's neither here nor there! This week, I cleaned out our entry way closet, and soon I'll be working on cleaning out the girls closets a bit better and donating some of their clothes. I have a huge pile that I need to drop off at Goodwill, and some clothes that need to be consigned. But, I really feel that we are in a good place in our home and not much else needs to be completed! 

So, that about wraps up how I'm doing on my goals for the year! Remember, if you created goals for yourself, don't give up! We still have 5 months left! 

May Resolutions Update

Happy Cinco DeMayo! 

I'm still scratching my head and wondering how it's already May and that we have 11, yes ELEVEN days of school left! I mean, that's pretty fabulous news! 

So, at the beginning of the year, I set out with several resolutions for 2016, and each month, I'm documenting my progress and sometimes lack thereof. But, I also want to keep myself real and accountable, and I knew this would be a super good way for me to do that, and also to remotivate myself each month!

I received an email last week from Jon Acuff- have y'all heard of him? He's an author and motivational speaker, and developed the 30 days of Hustle program. He wrote in that post, about how people have already given up on their New Years Resolutions and that by May, we're all like "it's May- the year is almost half way over, and it's too late to start now!" (I'm obviously paraphrasing a bit!) But, his point was that it's never to late to start (or re-start) something that you've set your mind to. Thus, his 30 Days of Hustle program. He also said in that post, that this best month to work on your goals, is that month! And, it's common to give up on your goals, but who says we have to be common?

You guys, that post totally re-motivated me in to remember how much of the year that we still have left! I don't want to look back in December, and think "wow, I wish I would have started sooner!" I want to start right now, every month, and even if I've failed- which you'll see that I have. That I'll be able to pick up right then and there and start all over again. 

So, here goes- my little recap of the month of April. 

1. Study Scripture: Once again, I'm failing miserably here. The other day, I did read one of the Bible studies on my Bible app, but that was about it. I'm hoping that this summer, when we're home every single day, that I can carve out intentional time and dive in to God's word. As always, the girls and I listen to Christian music radio in the car, and my prayer life is major intense right now.  I was thinking last Friday, in a rather defeated state of mind, that friends are super hard to come by in this time of my life. , and that's another story for another day, but this song popped in to my head, and I had to remember that I am loved, and that sometimes when I feel that other's aren't loving me, that I still need to be loving them in return. Spiritual music totally speaks to my heart. 

Fun fact: the lead singer from Stars Go Dim is also our worship pastor. 

2. Kick Toxins To the Curb: This month may have been a little more difficult in the food department. As I said before, I feel like we've been very successful at cutting out common toxic items in our home- from shampoo for the girls, body wash, laundry detergent, deodorant, dish soap, cleaning agents....... we don't burn candles, and we definitely do not use air fresheners and them smell of every day perfumes and scents now make me want to hurl and give me an instant headache. I am buying more organic products than I have before, but sometimes it's really hard to not grab a can of Cream of Chicken soup and cook a casserole that I'm craving. It's quite an adjustment cooking from scratch, or just eating grilled chicken and veggies. 

3. Exercise, Eat Healthy, Say Good-bye to Coke &Sugar.  So, just like last month, I've been using  my FitBit and most days I'm able to get  to 10,000 steps. And, for the last two weeks, I've been able to go on at least a 2 mile walk/jog/run three times a week, and I'm following it up with a Ningxia juice pouch. At the beginning of the year, I had committed to walking/running a total of 1,000 extra miles this year, and I haven't been counting and I've pretty much given up on reaching 1,000. I mean, I do have a lot of the year left- so I don't want to say never, but, I'm also being realistic! If I can just keep up with my evening runs, then I'll be happy! I'm doing fairly well giving up coke. I have been trying to either cut out coke or sugar each day. I can't do both, but if it's a "no coke" day, then I'll treat myself to a little something sweet, and if it's a "no sweets" day, then I may have a coke. I am finding myself turned off at sugary sweets- skittles, candy, things like that, but chocolate is still a weak spot. And, I am still super good about limiting my soda to only one glass when I do have one and I definitely don't have one every day.  I'm telling y'all, this area is a struggle and it always has been for me. 

4. Rock My YL Biz: I shared last month, that I hit the rank of Silver back in February! My team is growing and I have the goal of reaching Gold by the end of the year. But, I'm also remembering that I didn't start this business to make money! I decided to try the business side, because I found a company and a product that I 1,000% believe in, and I'm seeing first hand benefits for myself and my family. To me, that health and wellness by far exceed any amount of money I could ever make. Not only, that health and wellness for myself, but for my friends, my family, and everyone in between! 

5. Serve Others: In April, I was able to donate a  Young Living gift basket to the Tulsa Babywearing Organization. I loved being able to wear my babies in the Ergo, and even now, I still can wear Adalyn, and I'm all about the ease of babywearing. So, it was exciting to be able to donate to a cause that is near to my heart. And last week I church, I decided to volunteer in the children's program again. Last spring, I volunteered in the two year old classroom, and then they asked for volunteers to be yearly, and I didn't feel like I could make the commitment. When I walked in to church on Sunday and saw the sign up, I knew that I wanted to commit to serving again, and I was overjoyed when the newborn class wasn't full and there was still a spot for me to serve! I can think of nothing better than rocking brand new babies and giving moms a break on Sunday mornings! 

6. Take Time for Family & Say No: April was SO much fun! Our first two weekends were busy with birthday parties, but we went to a baseball game, explored a local Cherokee village, and had tons of time playing outside, going on walks, and being together. DJ and I also squeezed in a date night to the Carrie Underwood concert.  I have absolutely loved that time with my family! 

As far as "saying no", well, I am really good at telling my kids no, but I am NOT good at telling other people no! I tend to over commit, and then stress out, but I'm a people pleaser and I do not want to let anyone down. So, chances are, if you ask me to do it, I'll tell you yes! 

7. Be Debt Free: I'm happy to report that I was able to pay more toward the credit cards and savings account this past month than I have in a long time! It felt good to pay toward things, put money aside, and still feel like I was okay with buying extras!  

Like, a few new dresses! 

8. Finish House Projects: Right now, I'm feeling pretty good about our house projects! The front yard is finished, dining room- check, kitchen- check, office- check, Gretchen's room- check, Megan's room- check...... However, I still need to buy curtains for our master bedroom, and we need new chairs for the living room and a coffee table. I have finally decided that I did not need an end table, which I had been struggling with, but I figured that if I went with a coffee table, that an end table wasn't needed. But, I have no idea what sort of coffee table that I want! Wood, glass, an ottoman...... there are too many options! I also told myself that this summer, we needed to complete Adalyn's big girl bedroom, so I'm debating on if we want to tackle that project which will include painting, putting up her big girl bed, and figuring out how to decorate it and what theme to use. I'm leaning toward ballerina's, because she loves her ballet baby, and then I've thought about horses because she loves those too! We also have Megan's old quilt which is floral and a little shabby chic, but the more I think about it, the more I don't want to use it. Just as I think we're finishing up, new projects pop up! 

So, that about wraps up how I'm doing on my goals for the year! Remember, if you created goals for yourself, don't give up! We still have 36 weeks left this year! 

April Resolutions Update

So, at the beginning of the year I set forth with several goals for the year, and each month I'm updating here on the blog how those resolutions are going! 

You can read my updates here and here, 

1. Study Scripture: Here's the deal, this is the one area of my life that I need to work on. I struggle with this one all the time. I'm reading my daily Bible verse and we always listen to Christian radio in the car. I definitely pray every day, but as far as really digging in to the word, I need to set aside some major time. 

2. Kick Toxins To the Curb: We're still making good progress using Young Living. Girls bathroom products: check, Cleaning products: check, Laundry room: check. We are in the process of working on our bathroom/personal care products, and transitioning more in to organic food. I'm hoping to be organic, grass-fed by the end of the year. 

3. Exercise, Eat Healthy & Say Good-bye to Coke & Sugar.  So, I have my FitBit and 5 days a week, I can successfully get to 10,000 steps. However, I'm still struggling to find the motivation to really work out and go on a run. At the beginning of the year, I had committed to walking/running a total of 1,000 extra miles this year. Well, I stopped counting back in February, and in March, I only worked out a few times, so I'm fairly positive that this goal will not be met. 

As far as giving up coke, I'm hit and miss. I gave up coke for Lent and did pretty well. If I'm honest, I had 4-5 in the 40 days of Lent! Now that Lent is over, I have a coke, but it's very occasionally. If we eat out fast food, I'm more likely to get a coke, but more often than not, I'm turning to water, especially if I can flavor it with essential oils. 

As far as sugar is concerned, I have good days and bad days. It's definitely going to be a work in progress. 

4. Rock My YL Biz: So, in February, I hit the rank of Silver with Young Living. I received a pay increase and the Aroma Complete- a collection of oils worth over $2,000.00. Since then, my team is continuing to grow. I'm working on a post for later this week that will talk about the next step to take after you've made the oily plunge! I'm also working on a beauty class using oils and other Young Living products that will be hosted on Facebook soon! 

5. Serve Others: Each month, I'm wanting to do at least one "service" project. This can be something as simple as giving to someone in need, volunteering time, baking cookies for someone, or making a donation.  Last month, DJ and I took the girls to Lowe's Build and Grow. The lady that was checking us in complimented my Rustic Cuff bracelet. I love the Rustic Cuff brand and part of the brand is "buy one, give one" and you're encourage to buy yourself a bracelet and then buy a second to give one away. The owner, Jill, is known around town for giving free bracelets away, giving store credit away, and just for making the ultimate sacrifice of gifting to others. I've heard stories of people meeting her around town and she gifts the bracelets that she is wearing. Anyway, as you're part of the Rustic Cuff family, you hear about every day women gifting their own bracelets. Either to co-workers, friends, family, or complete strangers. Your "knower" goes off, and you know it's the right time to give. Anyway, the lady complimented my bracelet and said how she has seen them all of the time but she doesn't have one, and that she always thinks they're so pretty. Once DJ and the girls had gone off to their activity, I stayed behind and gifted my cuff to her. It was a simple cuff, but she was so grateful, and I'm happy that I was able to bless her in a small way. 

6. Take Time for Family & Say No: Last month we went on a family trip over Spring Break. We had a blast vacationing together, riding rides, touring caves, and having dinners out. Since getting back we've been a little busy with spring football practice, and birthday parties! So, we haven't had as much family time as I'd like, but I think it's always difficult in the Spring because there are so many activities going on.  

7. Be Debt Free: March was a little set back in this. I'm not worried though. Maybe because I'm rarely concerned about budgeting, and I probably should be a little more than I am, but with summer coming, the girls and I are home more and I don't have to pay daycare, so this is just a little set back, but in the long run, it will work out. 

8. Finish House Projects: We've been super busy getting house projects finished! We pulled weeds in the front flower bed, re-mulched and planted flowers. DJ took off the Monday after spring practice finished up and did yard work in the back yard and got our patio ready. He sold his smoker and we're in the process of buying a new grill. We also bought a swingset for the girls (thanks Mom!) and they have loved playing outside! On my list inside, we need curtains for our bedroom, and I've decided that I need new dishes after having the same ones for 10 years, but I'm thinking that will be a birthday present! 

So, that about wraps up how I'm doing on my goals for the year!

In May, I'll be doing another update for y'all! 

March Resolutions Update

So, at the beginning of the year, I set out and made New Year's Resolutions, and I promised myself that I would update each month on my progress toward each of my goals. 

So, here we go. 

 1. Study Scripture: Um, I'm failing pretty miserably.  I bought Jesus Calling at the beginning of the year and I haven't made it very far. I try to read my daily Bible verse on my Bible app, and my prayer life has definitely seen an increase, but I haven't been digging in to the Word as much as I should be. 

2. Kick Toxins To the Curb: I'm super proud of us with this one! We are still working on changing out products every single month and we're making really good progress. As I continue to order through Young Living, I'll continue to make progress. I really feel like I've been able to take charge and get rid of our previous branded products. 

3. Exercise, Eat Healthy & Say Good-bye to Coke & Sugar.  I ended up giving up Coke for Lent. and while yes, I have had 2 cokes during the Lenton season, I'm not craving them like I use to. Sugar is still a downfall, and I'm working on that. I have lost a few pounds so that's a win, but I haven't been exercising like I should. I told myself I'd walk/run 1,000 miles this year and I have a lot of catching up to do! I'm still below 100! But, I did just get a Fit Bit (thanks mom!) and I'll be putting it to good use and working on 10,000 steps each day. 

4. Rock My YL Biz: Um, February was epic! I'll be revealing a little more at a later date, but I had a huge goal to hit and I did it!

5. Serve Others: I'm wanting the girls and I to do one service project each month. In February, I was able to donate to two local organizations and we also cleaned out and gave some things to Goodwill. So, I can check this one as complete for last month!

6. Take Time for Family & Say No: DJ may not have noticed, but I definitely had the phone put down more last week than I've had in the past. I'm beginning to find Facebook not as intriguing as it once was and I'm trying to get as much done during the day so my focus can be on my family at night. 

We are also heading to Branson soon, so we will be squeezing in some family time, and with our trip to Indiana, DJ and I were able to spend time kid free!

7. Be Debt Free: Without going in to too many details, because our financial business is our business, we are making great progress toward this goal. 

8. Finish House Projects: We finished Gretchen's bedroom a few weekends ago. We are almost finished with Megan's, and we re-arranged toys in all of the girls bedrooms. 

I also managed to get the upstairs craft closet organized and labeled.

I'm not sure what we will be organizing this month other than getting out a box of clothes that has been sitting in my bedroom for several weeks. I plan on taking those clothes and toys to Once Upon A Child sometime over Spring Break. 

So, there we have it! All of these are still a work in progress, but I've been able to put some things in the fore front and others not so much- each month I'll make other things a priority and I'm hoping by the end of the year I'll have made some great progress!

New Year's Resolutions

 Well my friends, we made it! We made it through another year, and we're on to the next. Is it just me or do these years just fly by? I mean, I use to think that my college days were the best of my life, but I was wrong. Right now, these moments- moments with my little my family, my people. These are what make the best moments. The best memories. 

And, we're on to a new one. 

I'm not a big New Years Resolutions girl. I haven't made resolutions in a few years. I always fail, so I never bother. But, not this year. No ma'am. This is going to be a big year for my family. I can feel it. The end of 2015 was pretty epic. I mean, I kind of feel that God's putting pieces of the puzzle in to place, and things are just fitting the way they should be. I have that warm fuzzy feeling, that this year may be the very best one yet. I'm sort of determined that it will be. 

It's a New Year, and a New Me. 

Well, maybe just a more well-rounded me. 

I've kind of dubbed 2016 as my "selfish" year. This year, I want to focus on myself. I want to make me a better person. I've set some goals and to-do's for myself in order to make this year my best one yet. 

1. Study scripture. I go to church, I pray daily, I listen to Christian music radio. But, I fail to read my Bible. Every once in a while I pick it up, I read through a study guide on my Bible app, but it's often quick and not quite intentional. Last week, I went to the Christian bookstore and bought "Jesus Calling." The devotions are short and there's a section for writing on each page. I love that I'll be able to journal along with my devotions and have everything together. 

2. Kick Toxins To the Curb. We started our mission years ago, but only did so much. We use cloth napkins, make our own cleaning supplies, we cloth diapered. But, there are still so many toxins in our every day products that I'm wanting to get rid of. I'm determined that this year will be the year that we clear out every single toxic product in our home. Thanks to Young Living, I've been able to jump start, and we're officially cleared out of toxic cleaning products, and our laundry room is toxin free. I'll be blogging bi-weekly about our adventures and progress. 

3. Exercise, eat healthy, say good-bye to Coke and Sugar. Let's be real friends. This is going to be an every day struggle. I mean, I'm going to hate myself by the end of the year. I know this one is going to be baby steps. Actually, I'll probably be crawling through most of the year. But, I joined a challenge group on Facebook to walk 1,000 miles this year! And, i'm not talking about the walking that I already do every single day. I'm talking 1,000 extra miles. Like, I will have to intentionally figure out a way to walk about 2.8 miles extra every single day. Can I be honest, I may shoot for 500 miles in a year, because 1,000 might be overkill. 

4. Rock my Biz. When I started my Young Living journey I knew right away that I wanted to rock the business end. But, I also wanted to make sure that I was pushing a product that I 1000% believe in. I mean, it's great when people sell products, but I need those products to fit in with my life choices. Once I actually started using essential oils and seeing benefits and life changes I knew I was all in. My goal is to hit Silver by this summer and Gold by the end of the year. I'm dreaming big my friends. 

5. Serve others. One reason that I'm so passionate about my Young Living venture is because I want to be able to give freely and without hesitation. God has really been working in this area of my life. I want to have a servant's heart and I want to teach my girls the importance of serving others. I plan on meeting God right where He's been asking me to, by committing to a family service project each month. It may be as simple as making cards for people or random acts of kindness. We may participate in our church's children's program service project, or we may participate in their Second Saturday service project. We may bake cookies for the fire department. I just want to serve others. 

6. Take time for Family and Say No. I have a problem with saying yes too often. I hate to let people down. I totally over commit. This year, I want to focus on being home and being with my family. 

7. Be Debt Free. DJ and I have decided there will be no vacations this year. We want to go in to 2017 being debt free. 

8. Finish House Projects. We need to do a few things to finish up the inside of the house. Bar stools, curtains in our bedroom, Adalyn's big girl room... We also need to fence the back yard, put gutters on the house, and do some landscaping out front. We may even plant a garden in the back. 

Whew. I have some work to do! I thought I'd update monthly on how I'm doing with my resolutions. That way, it keeps me accountable. 

So, what about you? Are you making resolutions this year? 

And, can you do me a favor- pray for me! I'm going to totally need it! And, if you'll leave me a comment below, I'll be praying for you too!