Happy New Year! The beginning of the year is always a favorite time of year for me. Although I'm sad that Christmas is over, it just feels so refreshing to be in a new year. I always make resolutions in my head but am rarely able to stick to them, so I thought if I wrote them down and released it for all to see on the Internet I'd be more likely to keep with them.
Budget my money.
I'm currently trying to save for my own place, but I'm also in the midst of paying off student loans. This past year I've done a lot of spending (specifically at Sephora - hey, it's all material for the blog, right?) so in the new year I'd like to take some time each week to budget out my money. I'll determine how much I'll make from work, then split it up into money to save for my student loans, money for my car payment and gas, and money to put into my savings account to save for my own place. I want to still allow myself some spending money each week (I've found that putting myself on spending bans hurts more than it helps!), but I know having a set amount I'm allowed to spend will help with my overspending habit. I might even get really fancy and keep this in a spreadsheet. I love making spreadsheets. If I only stick to one of these resolutions, I'm determined for it to be this one.
Find some form of exercise I like.
I used to do ballet, and I did it for most of my life, but the classes just don't fit into my schedule anymore. This past year I've tried running and just couldn't stick to it, but I know I need to do something to exercise. I took yoga classes in college and loved it, and I tried keeping up with it on my own, but I eventually fell out of the habit. I've recently found the Yoga with Adriene YouTube channel from Vivianna Does Makeup, so I'm thinking I will start doing yoga again. I liked doing it on my own because I could just do it whenever I had some free time, so with the videos I'll be able to do it at home but still get a class-like experience.
Eat healthier.
This is on my list every year, and while I start strong at the beginning of the year (and often have a resurgence in the summer), I fizzle out by December (or let's be real, September). I'll always have too much of a love for chocolate and burritos and mac & cheese to eat completely healthily all of the time, but this year I'm really going to try to make healthier choices. I'm really going to have to try to find healthy lunch ideas I can bring to work, because this is where I suffer the most - those microwave mac & cheese bowls are just so convenient! Please leave your favorite healthy lunch recipes in the comments!
Take vitamins.
During my health kick this summer, I bought some vitamins to start taking every day. I was taking a multivitamin and also fish oil every day, but I've since forgotten about it and the bottles have been sitting in the cabinet ever since. This year I've been sick more than I think I ever have, so I really want to get back into taking my vitamins, eating healthy, and exercising to try and strengthen my immune system.
Keep up a hobby.
Right now, blogging is my only hobby. I actually started this blog because I didn't have any hobbies and really needed one, and I have since fallen in love. But I'd like to do something to get away from the computer every once in awhile. Every time I try to get into a new hobby, I don't really stick to it for long (except for blogging!). I tried sewing after I begged my boyfriend for a sewing machine for my birthday or an anniversary, but it was too hard and I have since let it fall by the wayside (much to his discontent, sorry Brett!). I want to get back into sewing, but I'll have to get some help from someone because it's proven harder than I thought to teach myself. I also would love to take up painting. I took an art class in my last semester of college, and it was one of my favorite classes I've ever taken. We studied different forms of painting, like fresco, egg tempera, and oil, and I'd really like to keep going with that. I'll have to find a class that's local.
Watch this blog grow and improve it!
I'm already amazed with how much my blog has grown since it started in September, but I'm excited to see it grow even more! Starting this blog is one of the best decisions I've ever made. It makes me so happy to sit and write about something I'm passionate about, and it makes me even happier that there are people who enjoy reading it and who always leave lovely comments for me. This year I'd love to start posting more frequently than the 3 posts per week I'm currently doing. I'm always looking for ways to improve, from the design to the photography to the writing. This year I'll really work on making it the best it can be!
Did you make any New Year's Resolutions? What are yours?