Happy 2014

Happy {belated} New Year!

I know I'm a couple weeks late,
but how did you ring in 2014?
My mom (Nani) was in town, so we got to enjoy our holiday traditions with her!
We stuck with our tradition of eating cheese fondue & chocolate fondue,
then playing/eating Candyland,
but things were a little different this year...
You see, we couldn't find our Candyland game.
It's still packed in a box somewhere.
I don't know why I thought I had already unpacked it,
because clearly I didn't.
We ended up playing the Dora the Explorer version online instead.
Little Dudeman didn't seem to mind one bit though.
It was a memorable end to one year,
a great beginning to a new one,
& we loved having Nani there celebrating with us!

Let's take a look at last years resolutions, shall we?

2013 Resolutions:
1. Read scriptures daily (Need to work on that daily part)

2. Kneel for daily personal prayers (I did okay, but need to work on kneeling every day)
3. Create a better budget & stick to it (YNAB has been amazing, but we need to be more disciplined)
4. Keep our home clutter-free (Fail.)
5. Have family home evening every week (Again, we did okay for a couple weeks then slacked off)
6. Exercise & play together as a family (That whole exercise thing? Yeah, it didn't happen.)
7. Have more park days (It helps having a "park" in the backyard)
8. Read at least two books ("The Host" & "A Memory Apart")
9. Invite people over (Need to work on that.)
10. Be a better me (wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, leader, etc...) (I'm not the best person to ask, because there's always room for improvement in my opinion, but I did my best.)

2014 Resolutions:
1. Read scriptures daily
2. Have family home evening every week
3. Get out & enjoy nature as a family
4. Use YNAB phone app often to stay on track with our budget
5. Get unpacked & keep our home clutter-free
6. Invite people over
7. Have date night once a month (at home dates are fine if we can't get out)
8. Write at least five blog posts each month
9. Read at least four books
10. Have more patience with the kidlets

Wish me luck!

xoxo

New Day, New Start, Happy Heart

My sweet Grandma came up with this wonderful saying & said it often...

"New Day, New Start, Happy Heart"

I remember that saying not only when I think of my Grandma,

but I think of it whenever I have a rough day,

when I get frustrated with the kids,

when I'm feeling down or discouraged,

when I see the cluttered mess that my home truly is,

when I realize that I haven't blogged in over a month,

or simply at the end of the day when I feel like I wasn't as productive as I had hoped.

It's a sweet reminder that each day I can start fresh.

I can have a positive attitude & decide how my day will play out.

If it doesn't end up playing out exactly how I wanted at the end of the day

(it usually doesn't)

There is a new day ahead of me to try again.

I want to apply that saying to every aspect of my life this year, including my blog.

I want to try to remember that

every.single.day.

I have the power to make that day better than the last,

& in turn have a better week, month, or year than the one before it.

I firmly believe that this positive attitude & outlook on life

can work miracles,
brighten days,
form good habits,

heal a broken heart,
create self-confidence,

help someone realize the hidden blessings in their day-to-day life

& make every day truly count.

If we start each day with a clean slate & a positive attitude,
we can accomplish so much more
than when we are dwelling on the negative
& thinking of the things we wish we would have done differently yesterday.
You can't change the past,
but you can most certainly change your future.

Have a positive day & remember:

"New Day, New Start, Happy Heart"

xoxo