I need balance. The last months of 2017 really knocked me off my normal routines, so I want to focus on just creating new normals and new routines. I’ve listed out some things I want to do more of and some things I want to do less of – you know, to balance each other out.

more meal planning, less food waste

I want to keep cooking more at home. We have some amazing cookbooks now to add to our collection, plus we have Blue Apron, HelloFresh and Purple Carrot to help us out. I’m cleaning out the pantry this week and making a plan with the food that we have to maximize. Nothing makes me crazier than food that was forgotten and went bad. We’ve become mildly obsessed with this and I want to keep that focus. Also, splitting meals at restaurants because we never finish our food and it will save us a fortune.

more vegetables, less sugar


I don’t know if we will attempt a full detox again this year, but I definitely want to get our sugar back in control. During the holidays, I consumed every type of cookie known to man and I need a serious break for my waistline and my sanity.

more sunrises, less rushing

I want to see the sun come up and enjoy my mornings. Being back in an office has been tough because our mornings are rushed every weekday. I want to try some new things with our routine to be able to enjoy my favorite part of the day – even if it’s a Monday.

more biking, less driving

We got bikes last fall and I want to bike to work and to run errands as much as possible. I want to group errands together when we do have to drive. I want to spend as little time commuting in a car as possible. I miss the subway, but having a bike in Minneapolis is brilliant because there are great bike paths everywhere, so I’m determined to spend more time outside enjoying fresh air.

more yoga, less sitting

Sitting in a desk all day is a drain on my body. I want to be more aware of how long I’m sitting, taking some phone calls while walking around outside and I want to make a habit out of yoga. I want to make time multiple times each week to do yoga – both for the meditation aspect and the healthy body aspect.

more reading, less phone time

I didn’t hit my goal of 40 books last year, so I’m giving myself a redo. My goal is to read for at least a few minutes every day. There are a couple of TV shows we watch, but we have definitely cut back on how much we watch, but I do notice myself scrolling through my phone all the time instead of grabbing my book. I’ve already changed the habit of checking social media while in bed, but I want to be more aware of my surroundings and less aware of what’s happening on Instagram. I also cleaned up my phone and got rid of apps like Facebook that are just a time suck.

more self care, less chemicals

I’ve learned a ton about the chemicals that the FDA lets through in many of our beauty products thanks to Beautycounter. I want to continue this adventure. Plus, I want to get a good weekly routine of facemasks, a good bath and just a little more “me time.”

more community involvement, less anger

2017 was a year of learning and I want to continue this. I want to learn how to have a stronger voice within our community and make a difference. The more I can be a participant, the less angry I will be with the way things turn out. I think my anger came from my inability to change anything, but I’ve learned that there are so many ways to get involved with politics.

more support, less obligation

I want to focus on the people in our lives this year and be as helpful and supportive as possible. I want to share the wonderful things with our friends and family and be there when things are hard. Part of the positives of moving back to Minnesota is being able to be close to a lot of our closest friends & family. With that said, I also want to feel less obligated. I don’t like doing things just because I should. I’m giving myself some grace to say no to those things.

more nature, less stuff

I want to spend more time playing outside and exploring parks. I want to spent less time cleaning and tidying. We have a bigger house now, so there’s more room for things, but I don’t want that to mean that we fill up the space. I like empty shelves and I want to keep embracing minimalism to some extent. Plus, I want to use up some of the stuff we have.

I’m excited for 2018. We have some awesome destinations to visit, we will be celebrating a whole decade of wedded bliss, work will be a roller coaster of crazy (but the good kind) and we have a whole list of Minnesota adventures we want to participate in.

What was your word or resolution for the new year?