New Year: Plans for 2016

Hey guys! We haven’t chatted in 2 weeks and I miss being here quite a lot!

Since this is my first post of 2016, I wanted to give you an idea of what I have planned for myself, life and this blog this year.

I figured the best start to this is my “focus word.” If you’ve read blogs for a while, you’ve probably seen them release a focus word at the beginning of the year. And it’s the “word of the year” for them. I thought I’d take a go at that this year and share my own:

Contentment

Not to be confused with complacency. I want to be content with where I’m at in life.

• Content with my weight, but still continue to make strides in making a difference with it.
• Content with the home I live in, because I’ve witnessed much worse. I crave character, but this is a solid house that keeps us sheltered with more space than we could ever need. I’m ready to stop dreaming of other houses and focus on making the one we have the most beautiful and comfortable one it could ever be.
• Content with my employment. I’ve longed to leave my job for years now. I haven’t been able to because of finances. This is where I am, it pays our bills, we are debt free because of this job and God has always made sure I’ve had it when we’ve needed it. Which means I probably need it right now, so I’m going to trust his plan and keep chugging along.
• Content with this blog. This blog is supposed to be a happy place, not a place of frustration. I had the opportunity to work with so many of the brands I wanted to work with this past year. I made it into several online publications that made my mom proud. I want to continue creating content here that I enjoy and I hope the people who want to see it, do see it and enjoy it.

I want to be content.

Some things I want to do for myself this year is to slow down and refocus on things that are important to me.

This past year I made buying choices that I’m not proud of. I want to live a greener life, which includes beauty, personal care, household care and more. I’m going back to that value and am replacing all of the chemical laden products (and products that are tested on animals) with cruelty free, better for the environment and better for me options.

I’ve had a lot of health problems come up the past few years. I’m only 25 years old. I’ve read in numerous places that the chemicals in products around us can negatively affect our bodies. And it makes sense to me. I want to get better, feel better and do better.

I have a lot of projects and materials for projects that have been sitting around collecting dust for the longest time. I’ve started working on a purge of sorts to get rid of the materials for items I’m no longer interested in cmpleting, finish projects I think someone else might like, and pare down the supplies I have to things I will use soon with a clear vision of what I’m doing with it.

The spaces I plan on tackling this year and will be sharing on le blog this year are the kitchen (a facelift, it’s not a bad space at all), the dining room (the space really needs paint and a few pieces of furniture), and the bedrooms (one has been an “office” and it’s just an excuse to hoard stuff so it’s got to go). I’d also love to do a bit more sprucing up outside the house with the exterior and landscaping, but that may have to wait until the following year.

There won’t be a whole lot changing as far as content. Still have lots of remodeling stories coming, tutorials for DIY projects, thrifted treasures, home advice, interior design and the like. I may be posting a bit less especially as the weather turns colder (I have arthritis and have trouble getting about to do projects when it gets cold). But you can expect the same me, same blog, just less stress, more happiness and contentment.