Happy New Year, beloved Islanders!!!
Normally, I share all the details leading up to and through the holiday. Normally, I share decor and gifts and games and everything. This year was different. This year, I sat back and enjoyed my holiday break. It was refreshing and relaxing and, as much as it was the same, it was different... in a great way. We spent Christmas morning with family. I gave MaseFace his gifts and they were a hit. LITERALLY!
Christmas morning turned to afternoon at my brother's house and folks made plans to head to my place for the annual spaghetti dinner. Oh, I decorated. The entire house was beautiful.
The decor started outdoors where my lovely wreath made its debut. I made the wreath using flocked greenery (the term used to describe the faux snow look on artificial garland or greenery) as the base for the design and I loved it so much I decided to bring the flocked look inside in the form of garlands.
We had some awesome ideas and crafts this year.
Speaking of crafts, the craft room tree? It was gorgeous!
OMG! Speaking of epic, my favorite treat this year was the Santa belt Oreo cookies! Remember when I told you I would get my money's worth out of the mold? Well, I meant it!
The Santa belt Oreo cookies made for the perfect additions to our neighbor tins. I love how they turned out! I'll speak to other highlights soon enough. Today, I just want to conclude the first week of 2017 with an accountability post.
Each month, I set goals. I write them in a journal and I look forward to crossing them off of the list upon completion. Something about physically marking things as DONE is so rewarding for me. This month, I set four goals. I'll share some as they are completed. My areas of focus for the month are:
Happiness: I chose one form of personal advancement to complete this month that will increase my personal fulfillment and general outlook. January will be the first month of my decision to foster healthy relationships; in 2016, I wasn't a good friend. It is easy for me to get caught in the cycle of life and to accept any moment of free time as an opportunity to rest or catch up on something else. I work, I am a staff writer for Yandy Smith's Every Girls Love, I have clients - interior design clients, my branding and marketing clients, brides and events, graphics clients and more, I support ministries at church, and more. When I'm not working in one of my many roles, I'm enjoying time on the island or with Munch or... I need some fun with my fab friends sometimes... This month is the month to start. GIRLS NIGHT, ANYONE?
Home: I love making time to complete things around the house. Sometimes, however, I get off track by completing projects without rhyme, reason or prioritization. As a result, I wind up making more work for myself and I remain annoyed by areas and things that drive me batty (like the touch-ups on the main level from before I moved in or getting the strip for the air coming in through the garage and front doors on the lower level). Rather than distracting myself with random ideas and projects, I'm going to tackle the storage room. I'm deep cleaning and working my way through the house so I can focus on this area without any other distractions. I plan to donate, trash and organize in every inch of the space to increase the functionality and appearance.
Budget: 2016 was the year of convenience for me. I went from eating out as a treat to eating out all the time. I stopped for breakfast on the way to work, left for lunch, then picked something up for dinner. I haven't done one of my typical grocery runs in about 6 months! This month, I will pack my breakfast and lunch everyday.
Business: I need to finalize a billing mechanism and invoice for one of my interior design clients. I've been avoiding this task because I need to find a balance between the hourly rate and the services rendered that encompasses all of the residual tasks I've completed. It will require extensive consideration and review; it won't be easy but THIS is the month to finalize it.
BONUS GOAL: I want to watch more documentaries and read more books.
Books: My friend and success coach, Sheena, started a Facebook Book Club. It's a virtual environment focused on finding books that foster a mindset for success, business, productivity and motivation. I enjoy reading. I read more when I make time for it and this club, a group of women to hold me accountable for completion, is PERFECT for me. In 2017, I am committing to reading books MORE than I Facebook. ... is that even a verb? Can one Facebook? Whatevs. Wanna join us? Here's the link to join the group Read 2 Grow.
Documentaries: Welcome to Leith. From what I've read, this is going to be a gut-wrenching story of one man's attempt to turn a tiny town (population of 24!!!) in Dakota into a real-life white supremacist capital. I expect this story to turn my stomach and provoke my thoughts... I mean, how tolerant am I of the freedoms this country offers? How divided and vocal have people become immediately following the Presidential election of 2016? I want to raise my own awareness, to spark a conversation, and I invite you to watch and do the same.
Anyhoo, there you have it. My goals for January and beyond. What do you have planned? Have you set goals to bring your dreams to fruition? Bite-sized goals make progress possible and make goals attainable! Don't let a day, a week, a month or another year go by without making an investment of time and energy into yourself!
Happy New Year!
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