With out going overboard on New Year resolutions I have a few things that I am committing myself to this year. It has been a crazy adventure since we got to Puerto Rico in 2012 and I have been giving myself a lot of “room” or leeway to not do things to my normal standards. For the last half of 2012, there were a lot of things happening and they all contributed to our lives being a little crazy:
- Tavis changed jobs and it required 6 months of us living on the road and moving states every few months.
- During that job training I was pregnant with our son, Aiden. He was born the last month of Tavis’s training and we moved states to the next training location when he was 3 days old. (That adventure is a blog post itself but we will get to that later.)
- When Aiden was 6 weeks old, we moved full time to Puerto Rico. (Although Tavis started in July, we were not moved into our house until December.)
- I (we) had to transition to life with a newborn, while simultaneously learning how to function in a new country where I did not speak the language, know where to shop for food, or have any health care providers.
- Even though we are pretty well adjusted to living in the Caribbean, there are certain difficulties that most Americans don’t think twice about. Water, electric, internet (working from home can be hit or miss) and shopping at a grocery store are all a little different down here.
Call it an excuse or whatever you want, I am ready to up my game and really get things back on track. We have been in Puerto Rico full time for 2 and a half years and it is time!
Here is how I am planning on making 2015 the best year yet!!
- I am going to stop putting things off just because our location is not certain. For 2 years I have been reluctant to hang pictures on the walls or spend time or money decorating because I felt like there was a good possibility that we were moving back to Florida in a few months. I have boxes that have not been unpacked, pictures and mirrors on the floor…I refuse to live in limbo any longer. Without spending too much money, I am committed to make our home a relaxing haven, one room at a time. It might take me all year but I believe that your home should be a place to rest, the cement box we live in does not feel that way. I have my work cut out for me! The first 3 things on the list are the master bedroom, family room and carving out a space for an office.
- I am committing to meal planning. I used to meal plan before we moved here but there are several things that throw me off track and I am going to overcoming them. It is a regular occurrence that I go to the grocery store and there are numerous items that they do not have in stock. I plan to get past these issues by stocking enough extra freezer meals for 4-6 dinners a month. Hopefully this will prevent me throwing in the towel and going out to eat… that is a real budget kill!
- The point above touches on this but, freezer meals will be a BIG help. I plan on starting to make freezer meals once a month to use when things get crazy or when I cannot find the ingredients for the meal that I was planning on making. I would like to make enough for 3 nights per week plus the extra 4-6 per month that I mentioned above.
- I want to reduce my monthly food spending by 10%. I have a budget and I am pretty good at sticking to, but I want to get better! With the food challenges mentioned above, I sometimes give myself a little too much wiggle room and make excuses for myself… “Milk costs $7 per gallon and we have a 2 year old… That is why I was over my budget this week…”, “They didn’t have the cheaper cuts of meat today so I ‘had’ to buy this…”, “The discount club didn’t have this item so I had to go to the closer expensive market…” The list goes on… If I get better about meal planning, I think this category will take care of itself.
I decided that I want to put all these goals out there so that you guys can help keep me accountable. I keep telling myself that I am going to do this next month and it is not happening.
A few other things that I am going to make sure to continue are:
- Continuing to workout regularly. I have been pretty consistent this year with running and weight training. I am making it a priority to continue that this year and step it up a bit.
- Keeping a healthy diet with mostly fresh vegetables and protein. We travel A LOT so this can be challenging but when I stick to it it feel SO much better :).
This year has the potential to be the best year yet and I am determined to do my best to see that it is. What changes are you planning on making this year to make it YOUR best year yet? Let me know what you are planning on doing this year by leaving a comment below.
This post was written at the encouragement of a blogging group that I have been participating in this year. Please take a minute and check out the ways that these bloggers are going to make 2015 the best year yet!
1. How to Set and Keep Goals to Make This the Best Year Ever | Jen @ Girl in Garage
2. 15 Ways to Stay Organised at Work During 2015 | Elizabeth Harrin @ A Girl’s Guide to Project Management
3. How Personal Style Will Help You Achieve Goals Faster in 2015 | Cherene Francis @ Aura Image Consulting
4. Completing Those Unfinished Projects in the NEW YEAR | Angela Lerew @ Unexpected Elegance
5. 42 Ways to Practice Perfectly & Become an Expert at Almost Anything | Amy Garro @ 13 Spools
6. Easy Exercises to do on a Cruise Ship | Amanda Woods @ Adventures All Around
7. 10 Simple Ways to Eat Healthier This Year | Dawn @ Reveal Natural Health
8. 31 Days to a More Fabulous You | Julie Bonner @ Mom Fabulous
9. How to Make This the Best Gardening Year Ever | Kendra Spencer @ a Sonoma Garden
10. 5 Ways to Make this Your Best Monarch Season…Ever! | Tony Gomez @ Monarch Butterfly Garden
11. 12 Scriptures for Goals and Guidance | Julie @ Loving Christ Ministries
12. How to Build a Starter Emergency Fund in 30 Days or Less | Jackie Beck @ The Debt Myth
13. Family Verse of the Week Challenge for 2015 | Jamie Yonash @ Life is Sweeter By Design
14. Hot Work at Home Jobs for 2015 | Holly Hanna @ The Work at Home Woman
15. A Year of Intention | Hilary Bernstein @ Accidentally Green
16. 2015: Our Best Year Yet | Ashley @ Leaving the Rut
17. Create a Better Life Story | Bronwen Warner @ Tummy Time and Beyond
18. Get Ready to Get MDfit | Tom and Anne @ Eat & Be Fit
19. 5 Free Ways to Learn Something New This Year | Sarah Fuller @ Earning and Saving with Sarah Fuller
20. Healthy Leek Soup | Mirlandra @ Mirlandra’s Kitchen
21. Health Resolutions: Baby Steps to a New You | Ellen Christian @ Confessions of an Overworked Mom
22. 5 Ways Busy Moms Can Get Motivated to Work Out | Diane Nassy @ philZENdia
23. Be Prepared for the New Year | Jennifer Dunham Starr @ The Memory Journalists
24. 3 Steps to a Healthier Life in 2015 | Joe Goodwill @Average Joe Cyclist
25. New Year’s Resolution: Cook More Often! | Kim Pawell @ Something New for Dinner
26. I Should What? 28 Ways to be Happier | Karen Young @ Hey Sigmund
27. 9 Ways to Get Healthier In The New Year | Amy Maus @ Home and Farm Sense
28. In 2015 Resolve to Take Control of Your Money | Kristia @ Family Balance Sheet
29. Eucharisteo: A Year of Thanksgiving | Lani Padilla @ Simply Fresh Vintage
30. No More Tears at IEP Meetings: Make This Your Best Year Ever! | Lisa Lightner @ A Day In Our Shoes
31. Learn to Save Money on Groceries | Melissa Buckles @ Everyday Savvy
32. How to Achieve Your New Year’s Resolution – For Real This Time! | Michelle @ Dishes and Dust Bunnies
33. 52 Weeks to a Better You: Week 1 – Go to Bed Early | Mindi Cherry @ Moms Need to Know
34. Food Street: How a Community Has Joined Forces to Start a Street Farm | Sam Walker @ Bubble ‘N Squeak
35. Organizing Coupons with the Binder Method | Sara Steigerwald @ Sisters Shopping on a Shoe String
36. How to Make This Year the Happiest Yet | Shambray @ Shambray.com
37. A New Year, A New You | Sharon Rowe @ How to Get Organized at Home
38. 5 Ways to Get Paid for Losing Weight This Year | Anna @ Real Ways to Earn Money at Home
39. Tips for Successful Whole30 | Deanna Michaels @ From This Kitchen Table
40. 75 Ways to Be Healthier in 2015 | Maryea Flaherty @ Happy Healthy Mama
41. How to Make 2015 the Best Year Ever! | Jennifer @ My Boys & Their Toys
Bonus links:
Fashion Resolutions: How to Add Style to Any Outfit | Ellen Christian @ The Socialite’s Closet
I’d really like to try freezer meals. I think it would be a huge help on busy nights.
WOW! What a full year you had. I want to visit Puerto Rico so bad! I can’t wait to hear about more of your adventures there. My husband was in the military for 9 years and we moved 7 times. It was crazy, but I’m thankful for the amazing places we lived and the people we met along the way. Happy New Year to you and your family!