It’s here, It’s here! The new year! It’s here! Olivia and I had a good talk today about goals the things that we wanted to achieve in 2017, as we grabbed a Starbucks and drove to Costco to fill up the post-holiday empty refrigerator. She had aspirations like find jeans with a slushie patch on them, and go to every single playground in Sherwood Park. Me, after thinking about my own, came home and jotted down a few of the things that I would like to do this year.
Last year, we nailed everything on our list. We have all the life insurance, we rocked the work-life balance, we had another kid (Oh, hi Stella!), we travelled on many weekend trips, planned a trip to Europe that we’ll be leaving on soon and started a new project. We had plenty of date-nights, got a bit more organized and lived with less stuff - a trend I hope to continue in 2017.
Here are a few of the things I want to cross off of my list this year -
Learn to knit | I want to be able to knit the kids things. I want to make ridiculous sweaters and force them to wear them. I want to be able to make mittens that don’t cost $30 at a market and I want to find something to do with my hands while we’re binge watching Netflix, that isn’t biting my nails or doing something on my phone.
Buy Less | We’ve been very, very good at this in 2016. After the big purge of 2016 where we got rid of half the stuff in our house, and the continual going through of the items we have to make sure that they’re always being used, I want to encourage the kids to live with less. At four and seven they’re miniature collectors (or hoarders) so I would like to bestow the gift of learning about minimalism, on to them. It’s hard, and I still want all the things when I walk through Homesense - but now, I rarely come out with something unless it makes me ridiculously happy.
Read more | In 2016, I failed any reading challenge that I tried to complete and maybe read 6 books all year long, while we were on road trips or on Vacation on the beach. This year, I want to read more, but I want to read more non fiction and go back to taking down time, while learning something new.
Be a more Focused Parent | I’ve gotten better at this since a few years ago, and lately, it seems that we’ve found the elusive work/life balance - and I anticipate that will get even easier as Violet goes to kindergarten in the fall. This year, I want to focus more, completely focus, on the kids, one on one, and together, to continue to maintain and develop those essential relationships with them. More one on one dates, finding an activity that we can enjoy together, and meaningful conversations are on my list for 2017.
Make Healthier Choices | In 2016, I nailed the drinking more water (Okay, fine, most of it is sparkling - but that still counts, right?) and the making healthier choices when it comes to eating. Nearing the end of the year, we even reduced the amount of times that we relied on take out every week to one or two (an improvement on what it was), but this year, I want to commit to a workout program. This week, Jamie and I started an exercise program, with incentive for when we complete the full program - because it’s easier when you reward yourself. It was admittedly awful, as I hadn’t exercised in a year - but, it was good for us, is good for us, and it’s something that I want to continue.
24 Hours of Adrenaline | I don’t think my bike left the garage once this past summer. I was uncomfortable, pregnant and there it hung, sad, on the wall. This year, I want to be ready to do 24 hours of Adrenaline, in Canmore, with Jamie - because that would be an epic date weekend.
Explore More | We received a generous gift for Christmas and we’re leaving it up to the kids to decide how and where to go with it. The top running choices are Cuba and Iceland, and they’re weighing the options (and searching through photos) to see how, and where they would like to explore. This year, I want to explore, a lot, with the kids. Jamie and I have a trip planned to Amsterdam and Paris, in March (but we’re not bringing the older kids), and I want to plan a summer trip to New York, and spend Christmas in the mountains, and somewhere in there, I would love to fit in an epic road trip to Utah during the summer (I still need to find a friend with kids to come along) - but I want to explore more, explore harder and travel the kids now that they’ve begun to develop a love of exploring and traveling too!
What’s on your list for 2017?
