My Birthday

And just like that, my birthday has arrived marking another year for me. Today I turn 38. Birthdays have always been a mix of celebration and reflection for me, but this one feels a little heavier, a little more tender. Time has moved so quickly, and I find myself standing at a crossroads of sorts—closing certain chapters while opening others and some doors I am just not ready to walk through. 

One of the hardest doors I’ve had to close is the one of continuing to have children of my own. It’s a chapter I'm sad to say goodbye to, and letting go of that dream has not been easy. There’s grief in that, and I won’t pretend otherwise. But life, in its mysterious way, has also given me unexpected gifts. And I am deeply grateful for the 4 beautiful souls God has gifted me. They are definitely the best yes I have ever done, hands down.

                              

And a new door. This year, I stepped into the world of homeschooling a 4th grader. It has been challenging, stretching me in ways I didn’t anticipate, but it has also been one of the greatest joys of my life. I call it “bonus time”—precious hours spent learning, laughing, and growing alongside this sweet child. 1,000+ hours I will never regret getting back. I see flourishing, not just in my sweet boy, but in myself too.

A continual journey for me seems to be centered around my health. As I spent a large part of my morning unable to move around, I felt so stuck. Literally and figuratively. Sometimes we are called to a life we never imagined. Sometimes, that is for the better and we are thankful for that. And sometimes that's the hard thing about being in a hard moment. I am trying to find gratitude even in being in the hard. 

Recently, as part of our homeschool journey, we read a book about Benjamin Franklin from the Magic Tree House series. His life struck me as profoundly remarkable. With only two years of formal education, he became a man of endless curiosity and tireless service. He helped shape a nation, yes, but he also shaped everyday life—starting the first library, organizing the first fire station, improving postal routes and roads, even inventing the rocking chair. He even created a list of goals all humans should persevere with the goal of making life better for those around them as one.

I’ve been carrying his story with me, turning it over in my mind. It makes me wonder about my own life, my own mark. I may not be flying kites with keys or drafting declarations, but I, too, want to leave this world better than I found it. How do I do that? 

At 38, I am still asking the big questions: Who am I? Where is God calling me? How can I use my gifts, my time, my heart, to make a difference? These questions don’t scare me as much as they used to. Instead, they feel like companions—reminders that life is not about having all the answers, but about living faithfully into the questions.

So here I am, another year older, carrying both the weight of what has been and the hope of what is still to come. I don’t know exactly what my legacy will be, but I know this: I want it to be rooted in love, in service, in creativity, and in the small, everyday acts that ripple outward in ways we may never fully see. I want people to see me and to think of Jesus and how faithful I was in my convictions. 

If Benjamin Franklin could do so much with so little, perhaps the same is true for me—and for all of us.

Here’s to 38. To closed doors, to open ones, and to the courage to keep walking through them.

My Week of Personal Trials

Wow, I have really been struggling lately. Although I am so blessed and thankful for the life God has provided me with, some weeks are just hard. Really. Hard. I struggle with even writing this post as sometimes it's just easier to sweep the bad stuff under the rug. Some challenges I've been facing:

Pneumonia

I went to the doctor the other day after having chest pains. Coincidentally, my jaw hurt as well, which can be a sign of a female having heart issues. By the time I saw the doctor, I was very scared I was having heart issues. I didn't want to have a heart attack while home with the kids. Can you imagine how bad that scenario would be?

It turned out my heart is good and strong, but I wasn't healthy. I was sick with pneumonia. This was so hard to hear because it's impossible these days for me to slow down with 2 young kiddos. Being sick and still taking care of kids ranks as one of the hardest things to do, in my book.

And flash forward another 3 days... Our whole house had pneumonia. The fun continues...

Eeek, a Mouse

Living in the country has brought its fair share of wildlife. It's better when observed outside, but when it comes inside, it's a whole other story. 

I was preparing for my in-laws to visit by making our guest bedroom downstairs. As I went up the stairs I found my daughter and dog sitting on the stairs. Our daughter was petting our dog, who was sprawled out messing with something. That something turned out to be a mouse. I quickly got everyone upstairs and shut the door for my husband to deal with the situation later.

I really don't care for mice. My husband did clean up when he came home (thanks love) and we have set traps in case there were more. We are all relieved that the traps have not been set off and there have been no more sightings.

Crying

I don't know if it's the combo of all of the above, providing around the clock care for two active, young children, the weather keeping us inside more, and/or hormones but I have had a week of crying. My days feel challenging. Sometimes a good cry helps.

It's just one bad week, not a bad life. Thank goodness for a toddler who will hold my hand, an infant who can find the humor in any situation, and a husband who works by night as a superhero.

Hair Cut= Donation Time

I have been contemplating for awhile completely chopping my hair! I love my hair long and prefer it this way, but sometimes a girl just needs a fresh start. Last week, I finally decided the time was here. I cut about 13 inches of hair off! My before:

And my after:

 

I am still adjusting to the new look! It's quite a change to wash and style short hair versus long hair. One day at a time!

There are many places to donate hair and many places require at least 8 inches for a donation. I chose to send mine to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program. It's very easy to donate, I just took my hair (in 2 ponytails) from the salon, put in a ziploc bag, and then stuck it in the mail. 

 

It was that easy to donate hair and hopefully help someone else!

Living Life Exhausted

Life gives us such funny moments, don't you think? Sometimes, we may have to put some distance to our moments though before we find them funny! That has been my week. I have been busy and I promise you, there have been tears shed!

I have had my share of moments to laugh at as I find a new level of exhaustion. My hubby has been out of the country for work, family has come and gone with visits, and my little one is teething which has lead to almost no sleep the past week. I thought I would share with you some of my funny moments, in case you need a laugh yourself. Go ahead, laugh at my expense, I don't mind:

1. I have a keurig and drink coffee on days I absolutely can't wake up. A few days ago, I poured the water into the spot where the k-cup goes. What a mess to clean up, water was everywhere!

2. Upon waking, I put on my reading glasses because I didn't have the energy to put my contacts in. I ran around the house picking up from the night before and started breakfast. My mom walked in and asked if I was going outside or if I just like wearing my sunglasses inside. Yeah, I never even gave it a second thought as to how I still couldn't see nor did I notice the room getting darker.

3. Since we are doing some painting at our new house, I had to stop at a local hardware store and get some paint rollers. I was at the checkout when I realized I didn't have my wallet (aka: NO money). My mother-in-law saved the day by stopping in and loaning me some cash. Still embarrassing. 

4. You would think with #3, I would have learned to take my wallet with me or, at the minimum, stick some cash in my car. Once again, I found myself running to town to pick up fast food, only to discover I forgot to grab money! I turned around and made dinner at home. Great way to save money, I guess!

5. I ran a quick errand while my mother was watching my daughter (this time the wallet made the trip) and amazingly everything went smoothly. I came home, went to take off my shoes, and gasped in horror as I realized I wore 2 different sandals on my errand run!

It may be time for this momma to call it a week! 

Okay, I did actually have some very successful moments, too! My mom came to visit and we spent an afternoon shopping. I got this new tank and absolutely love it!

I am kind of embarrassed to admit I have already worn it a few days this week! It is going to be a great on-the-go, throw-it-on tank for me!

I also got Payton signed up for swimming lessons! We have been "practicing" by swimming in our pool almost daily! Grandma enjoyed this time, too! 

How has your week gone?

College or Not?

Mel at brokeGIRLrich was gracious enough to let me do a guest post on her blog on how my college education enhanced my career. See an excerpt:

                   Recently, a friend of mine said, “If I could give back my masters

                   degree to get rid of the student loans that came with it, I would.”

                   This is an individual that I went to grad school with.

 

                   She got me thinking about how I wouldn’t change having a college

                   degree for anything. Going to college was one of the better

                   investments I have ever made in my career. Let me share with you

                   why it can pay to invest in yourself and earn a college degree.

Click on over and join the discussion... Is grad school worth it? Also, if you are considering college but are worried about how to pay for an education, be sure to check out my E-book.

RELAX

This week, I seem to find myself overwhelmed because, to be completely honest, there are more things on my to-do list than I can handle. My husband told me this morning he hasn't seen me all week, and he is right! I sometimes forget that I am just one person. Do you ever do that?

So, when all things become chaotic and I am being pushed to my limits, what do I do? Well, I want to panic and create massive to-do lists so I can see everything I have (over)committed to but that only increases my stress. This is actually the perfect time to focus on decreasing my stress. 

Even 10 minutes of relaxation can make you feel more calm and help you to refocus on your tasks at hand. Here are 5 ways to relax:

1. Make a list and do 1 thing!

Okay, so I said I wanted to write down my massive to-do list that is stressing me out, but that will only increase my stress! Instead, write a list of at least 5 things that calm you down. That could include: going for a walk, talking to a friend, listening to music, taking a bath, etc. Now, pick one thing off that list and do that activity right now!

2. Breathe

Take a whole minute (yes, 60 seconds) and breathe in deeply through your nose, hold that air in for a few seconds, and then slowly exhale. Repeat this exercise until your minute is up. Focus only on your breathing during this time.

3. Work those muscles

Starting at your toes, clench your muscles as tight as you can and then slowly release. Do this, working your way up the body. So I, start with my toes, then legs, then stomach, move to hands, and lastly clench and release my arms. You will feel much better afterwards! Repeat as needed!

4. Stress Ball

Stress balls are very inexpensive and easy to find (or make). With a stress ball, clear your mind and squeeze the ball in your hands for 60 seconds. Close your eyes if you need to!

5. Unplug

Give yourself a moment (or 10 minutes) by stepping away from the electronics. This includes your phone, computer, and television. Let the room be silent and still. Take a seat (or lay down, it makes no difference to me) and be in the moment. Clear your head and just sit still. Maybe take a nap?

The point is, it is nearly impossible for you to be stressed and relaxed at the same time. If your body is relaxed, your mind will be "tricked" to relax, too. Even if only for a moment!

So, what way did I relax? I took several deep breathes and cuddled my little one! Now, I feel much better about tackling my to-do list!

How has your week been going?

Essential Steps to Preparing for Your Move

With our big news that we are moving, I now get the joys of preparing for the actual move! Yeah, me! Uh, not. Moving is my least favorite experience but having moved 4 times in 7 years I have become quite the pro.

We don't actually close on our new house until next month. You may be thinking there is nothing we can do until then. That's far from the truth! There are actually many things I am doing to prepare for this move! Here are some things you can do before the big moving day:

1. Eat!

You read right! When it comes to moving, you do NOT want to move a fully stocked kitchen! The less food you have to move, the faster this process will take. 

In fact, cold items will require special considerations when moving (like wrapped in paper or coolers and should be last item moved out, but first moved in). Non perishables (canned food) may look easy to move but they get heavy very quickly!

With 30 days of planning, the goal is to make as few trips to the grocery store as possible. No need to add more food that may need to be moved. The focus is on using the items currently in our house for meals so there will be less food to move.

2. Plan meals

Since we are already talking food, I also use this month to preplan meals for moving day (and for the days you will be unpacking). Moving is exhausting, takes forever, and leaves you with zero energy to cook. If you have help moving, you will most likely have extra mouths to feed, too so keep that in mind.

Eating at home is almost always cheaper than picking up fast food or eating at a restaurant. During the move, you will want to focus on quick, easy to prepare meals. I will be planning to have frozen pizzas, sandwich supplies, and a few freezer meals (beef & corn enchiladas, for example) ready to go prior to the whirlwind of moving!

3. Declutter

Now is really the time to do some major sorting. Anything you see that you can part with? Those items need to go, pronto! 

Start with the areas full of items you rarely use and you tend to just shove stuff in. You know what I am talking about! For us, those areas would be bedroom closets and a miscellaneous shelf in the guest bedroom. 

When we are just cleaning and sorting, I will generally keep the stuff. Hey, I may need it one day! With packing for a move you really have to ask yourself, "Do I really use this? If not, is it really worth the extra box to pack, load, unload, and unpack." You may find many items not worth coming on your next venture.

I have already cleaned a storage shelf and closet out. I think I packed 3 boxes, but am getting rid of at least 3 boxes, too! Dang, it feels good to lose some baggage!

4. Pack!

So, if you are working on #3, you may as well pack as you sort. This is the best time to pack because you can take your time. When it's moving day, packing is more like a rat race to the finish line, but packing prior is a slow walk through the park.

Again, focus on packing items you don't need daily. This includes storage items, photo albums, crafting items, hunting supplies, tools, jewelry, shoes, camping supplies, off season clothing, and miscellaneous kitchen items. My personal goal is 1 box per day. Within the month prior to moving, that will give me at least 30 boxes all ready to go on moving day. Don't forget to label each box with what's inside and where it goes!

5. Plan the move

No matter what, moving days are crazy, hectic, and exhausting. A little preplanning can go a long ways though! Create a plan of what you think moving day will look like. This will help you to know what to expect.

For us, we will most likely rent a trailer. The first load to move will be furniture. Our next load will then be boxes. We are still deciding if we will enlist in the help of friends and family or hire movers. These decisions, of course, must be finalized before moving day.

What do you do the month before a big move?

Dry. Brush. Say what?

Five years ago my husband and I went on our honeymoon, a cruise to Puerta Vallerta, Cabo, and Mazatlan. It was amazing!

We swam with dolphins, drank margaritas by the pool, ate, went to shows, ate, snorkeled, danced (at the club and also with the dolphins), ate some more (yes, there was lots of food and no, we didn't refrain), and even gambled a bit. All in all, it was a spectacular vacation!

 

While we were on this trip, my hubby surprised me with a massage (a luxury only done on very rare occasions, like on vacation). I was so excited to be pampered!

My masseuse on the cruise did an excellent job! At the end of the massage, she started making recommendations for a continued skin treatment regime. She mentioned needing to use a dry brush daily for improving circulation.

"Say what," I asked.

"You know, a dry brush. Dry. Brush," the masseuse replied.

Okay, until that moment I had no clue women were running home daily and secretly whipping out their dry brushes. After further explanation and insistence on using this item, ahem... daily, I walked out with about $100 in skin care products and a dry brush. That was definitely not in my budget at that time (or now).

Flash forward five years and I am still using that dry brush daily and believe that it does wonders for my skin! It takes only a few minutes a day and I use just before my shower. I start at my feet, working my way up my body making short, upward movements across my skin (although some people will say to do circles). The rule is to always brush towards your heart. 

There is tons of information online about dry brushing and how amazing it can be for your body, including reducing/preventing cellulite, removing dead skin cells, better circulation, and improved digestion. See here, here, and here for more information. This is the dry brush I own (and love).

Honestly, I don't know 100% about any of that but I did come out of my first pregnancy stretch mark free and have never had cellulite. I figure, if it is preventative, I will just keep doing what I'm doing. So, maybe I missed the memo during my first twenty-one years of life about dry brushing, but thank goodness for a very convincing masseuse!
 

Do you dry brush? Why or why not?

A Day in My Life...

I follow many blogs and one of my favorite posts to read enlighten me about a typical day in that blogger's life. When I think about my own life, my "typical" day has changed significantly over the years as I am sure many of yours has as well. Once, I was a high school student and had my days filled with dance team practice, sports games, classes, studying, and friends. I then ventured off to college where my days (and priorities) switched to academics, my boyfriend (now husband), shopping, friends, parties, and finding myself while learning to be away from my family.

Flash forward a few several years and now I am married, with a child, 2 dogs, a mortgage, and a job. Man, does life change fast?!?!? It seems like just yesterday I was saying goodbye to my parents and climbing into my packed (to the brim) Pontiac Grand Am and driving off to college. I digress.

My days are more or less defined by my child these days. For me, that is exactly how I want it and I wouldn't have it any other way! 

Before I go through my schedule I want to forewarn you that although I wish I could be like other fellow momma bloggers who rise an hour before their child to work out, shower, pray. and read, that is not the case for me. I LOVE my sleep, am not a morning person, and therefore let my child be my alarm clock. In many ways, I wish I was that mom as my day would probably feel a lot less, ummm, crazy busy. So there's my self-disclosure! Here we go. A somewhat typical weekday with my little:

Wake up.

Change and feed my little one. Eat breakfast together. 

Do a little cleaning. Today, I vacuumed while holding the little one as she screams at the noise if not held. I would have taken a pic if I had an extra arm as it is a sight to see! We then take and send a silly pic or two to the hubby.

Change diaper and change outfits (current one had some moisture leak through, whoops). We then play together for a bit!

Nap time for baby. I work on what needs done! Today, I blogged.

Change diaper again, feed baby, and then lunchtime. I had leftover baked potato and my little one had green beans. She is my fav lunch date:

Then, it's playtime again and I try to return some calls and throw a load of laundry in the washer. By the way, do you ever feel like this is you:

Laugh out loud! I received this in a baby center email today and it totally fits!

 Okay, back to my day! I also prepare whatever I need for dinner. We are having chicken and rice so I pull chicken out of the freezer.

I workout (Zumba and 10 minute abs today) with my assistant:

She watches, dances, and laughs. Yes, laughs at me.

This wears us both out so after another diaper change (yes, lots of diaper changes) it's naptime again! I continue to work on my blog stuff with Friends playing in the background!

Since I feel icky from a workout, I shower. Then, it's more playtime for the little and me until the hubby gets home (my favorite part of the day)! I do try to pick up before he gets home so our house looks less chaotic and feels less overwhelming.

The calmness feeling dissipates about 2 minutes after the hubby gets home when our little one runs through the house again. 

We take a family stroll through the park, I cook dinner, we eat, and then we focus on getting our little into bed.

After our little one falls asleep, the hubby and I literally crash on the sofa where we remain until bedtime! Whew, what a day!

I go to bed early most nights and typically am up several times to give our baby her pacifier and complete at least one feeding (sometimes 2-3 feedings) during the night.

Oh, Happy St. Patrick's day everyone! I went through the whole day forgetting about this fact! That would have never happened before baby but that is how my mind works now!

What does your typical day look like?

What Am I Currently Reading?

I read all the time! I thought I might take a moment to share the book currently open on my lap:

This book focuses on several different people who have come to a "fork in the road," so to speak. They all, by coincidence, end up together in a summer house, renting different rooms. This book had me hooked from the beginning! The personal struggles each character is going through can easily be related to struggles I have gone through myself or know others who have.

What book is on your table, waiting for you to open?

Tips for Using a Nebulizer with Young Children

This week, my little one unfortunately got sick. Conveniently, her sickness arrived just a few hours after I wrapped up the 12 hour flu bug. No bueno!

I ended up taking her into the doctor's office because she sounded so congested, was coughing, and was wheezing as she would breathe. After struggling to watch my daughter be poked and prodded with every test ran imaginable, we learned she just had a viral infection. The doctor recommended we continue what we've been doing (lots of rest, plenty of fluids, ibuprofen as needed, humidifier, mattress slightly propped where her head lays in bed) and provide nebulizer treatments three times a day for a week. No problem.

Wait, what?!?! I had never used a nebulizer and had no clue what I was doing! After a brief talk from the nurse on how to provide a treatment, I began preparing my first treatment. At home. All alone.

Don't worry, we survived!

Flash forward to today and I have quite the hang of distributing nebulizer breathing treatments to my 10 month old. Little ones have a hard time sitting still, even for a 5 minute treatment. Here are some tricks I learned:

1. Stay Calm

Little ones feed off of their parent's feelings. Take a deep breathe, you will get through this! The calmer you stay, the calmer your child will be.

2. Pre-plan with Your Child

As you start to think about getting the breathing treatment ready, share with your child what is coming next for them. We all have somewhat of a fear for the unknown. Take that fear away by telling your child that it is time to do their breathing treatment. Even with a young child (like my 10 month old), talking calmly about what is to come can help them to better deal with the process!

3. Create a Routine

Since this treatment is very important for your child's health, create a routine that works for your little one. For us, that meant allowing some tv time (generally our tv stays turned off during the days). 

I had to switch it up frequently though. Sometimes, the tv wasn't enough. We also used books, singing, dancing... You get the idea!

4. Make it Enjoyable

Although you are using the machine for a more serious purpose, kids live for fun! Try to find a way to make this experience enjoyable for all! Our little one enjoyed watching the steam come out and we were able to point out how fun that was! 

5. Reward Good Behavior

Each and every time your child completes their breathing treatment, give a genuine thank-you. Let them know they completed an activity that is very important. We also gave hugs and kisses! Rewarding behavior increases the chances that the good behavior will repeat the next time you complete a breathing treatment.

Having a little one sick has been no fun! On the plus side, the extra cuddles have been amazing for this momma!

What tips do you have?

What Does it Feel Like to be Alone?

A few days ago, my mother called me and mentioned that one of my siblings was struggling and "felt more alone than he ever has in his life."

My brother is going through some major life transitions. He has moved away from home, but this was the first time his move was permanent. After graduating high school, he tried out a few jobs away from home and looked into college, but he would always land softly back into my parent's comfy abode. *As a side note, I sometimes think we were raised by 2 different parents as returning back home never seemed to be an option for me after I graduated high school. We'll save that for another day.

This move was different though. He got a full time job (complete with benefits) and purchased his first house, 3 hours away from home! This time, in many ways, this move is more permanent than a 3 month stint away from home.

Loneliness. 

To borrow words from one of my favorite authors currently (it's amazing how having a child expands your world), Dr. Suess, in his book, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

"All Alone! Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you'll be quite a lot."

Being alone is one of the worst parts of adulthood. Unfortunately, none of us can escape moments of loneliness. Although I have never lived alone and am rarely alone, I still have plenty of memories where I felt alone.

My most recent experience was after the birth of my child. There are weeks on end where, as a new mother, I would find myself sitting in a dimmed room, trying to get my child to sleep, and feel very much alone. During this short time, my schedule flipped with my child and I slept when my husband and family were home and awake and I roamed the house with our newborn at night.

Loneliness.

Being alone is very real, sometimes unpleasant, and very lonely. Yet, remind yourself we all experience this, one of the many reminders that you are human! Entering into adulthood, there seems to be more opportunity for loneliness to sink in. It is up to each of us to decide how to deal with our feelings of isolation.

A final quote from Dr. Suess:

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go..."

A Moment to Read

I love to read! I have since before I can remember! When I was in graduate school, I interned under a licensed psychologist, who seemed to always enlighten and inspire me.

One day, in a therapy session with an 8-year old client who claimed to "hate reading" and was struggling academically the psychologist said:

"You know what not liking to read means? It means you just haven't found the right books! Once you find the books you like, you won't want to put them down and you will change your mind forever about reading."

The psychologist went on to explain she didn't like books either until she was in middle school and was introduced to the Nancy Drew series. To this day, she claims mysteries to be her favorites.

I took that message to heart that day. My story was much different than hers as I always loved to read. Any free time I have, which is very little these days, you will find my nose stuck in a book. My reading interests vary (depending on my mood) but right now I am loving books that make me laugh out loud!

I want my daughter to love reading, too. I try to read with her at least once a day!

How often do you find time to read?

Tips for Setting New Year's Resolutions

It is that time of year again where many of us are starting to reflect on what we want to happen in the next year. Some of us will set New Year’s resolutions within the next couple of weeks. Many of us will also unsuccessfully break those resolutions before the end of 2014 (a few may even give up before the end of January… not naming names or anything).

As I begin to make my own resolutions, I wanted to share some tips for making yourself successful in obtaining your resolutions for 2014:

1.       Be realistic. Know your limits.

·         Do you really have the time to write 5 books this year?

·         Do you think you can successfully achieve climbing Mount Everest before the end of 2014? 

      

     You know what you are capable of. Don't set yourself up to fail. Aim for success!

2.       Keep the goals small and achievable. If a goal is too large, it can seem progress is not being made. Keeping goals small and incremental gives more opportunities for reward and increases self-confidence and competence.

3.       Use positive statements; that is, express goals positively. Such as, “I want to become healthy by exercising at least 3 days/week,” rather than “I want to not be overweight.” Although, both statements may be true, focus on the positives.

·         Make your focus be on the appropriate behavior you would like to achieve rather than on what you are lacking.

4.       Be precise and specific: Use dates, times, and amounts to measure achievement, to know the exact goal to be achieved, and to take satisfaction from having completely achieved it.

• Each day of exercise, I will exercise a minimum of 45 minutes.
• Each week, I will block out 3 days and timeframes that I will exercise for the week.
• Every two weeks, I will earn a reward (I am thinking chocolate) for maintaining my exercise schedule.

5.       Set priorities: When you have several goals, give each a priority. This helps to avoid feeling overwhelmed by too many goals and helps direct attention to the most important ones.

6.       Record goals on paper and place them where you will see them daily (such as the main living room, bathroom mirror, next to bed, in your bible, in your car) to continue to motivate you and remind you of your goals.

7.       Record your progress! Keep track of where you are and where you have left to go.

8.       Celebrate along the way! Each time you move a step forward towards meeting your goals, CELEBRATE!

9.       Tell others about your goal(s)! They can help to support you, give you motivation when you need it, and also encourage you to continue when you hit a “bump.”

10.    Plan for setbacks. Heck, we all have a rough week (or month). Don’t let that deter you from meeting your goal. One off week doesn’t mean to toss your whole plan for change in the trash! Give yourself a break and start again!

I hope this helps you as you successfully work towards your New Year’s Resolutions.

So, what resolutions are you making for the New Year?