New year, big intentions!

Happy New Year! 

I am currently sitting in my immaculately clean house, a little hungover and JAZZED to be into the new year. Seriously. I could shout it from the rooftops. In shorter terms, last year had to have been the most exhausting year of my life. More than any year in college like, EVER. I battled a full time job, a two hour commute every morning & evening, two gigantic moves, keeping my relationship alive, ditched my social life and did my absolute best to keep my blog up and running. What I really should say is, I was an absolute and complete monster. I was unhealthy and horrible to be around like 80% of the time. Don’t get me wrong, 2017 had some major ups. A huge trip to Italy, a few wonderful photo shoot opportunities and a sneaky getaway here and there. We even managed to launch a new site refresh and film our first two videos. Did I mention I also finally quit my full time job?! Because that had to have been the best part of 2017. 

I have so many goals and intentions for 2018. I’m going to cover a few big ones but believe me, this is the turn around year. This is the year I am claiming my life back (in my best Oprah exclamation!). Below I’m covering just a few things that I really hope to accomplish and enjoy from this year. I am wishing you utmost happiness as you head into the new year and I am so excited to have you hear on my platform 🙂 

2018 Goals!
PERSONAL:
Feel healthy again: Believe it or not I used to be a 5x a week exerciser. In college this was my pastime. Seriously, I used to run 5K’s on the weekend and my diet pretty much consisted of chicken and vegetables for like the entire year I was 21. It was a different time in my life and more of my personal focus. This year I could seriously count on two hands how much I actually ‘exercised’. I would love to find a happy medium. Jared and I recently joined a local gym and this week I went and bought some great ‘meal prep’ type of foods to help us get a little back on track. I mostly miss the energy that I felt from being healthy and fit. 

Adulthood Reading: I’ll admit that I am notorious for falling into the dark Netflix cave at night. Jared loves watching sports and any TV in general and I naturally get so sucked in. I used to be really captivated and read a ton through out high school and college. I want to start a new ‘adult’ reading chapter of my life. A little bit of romance, a little mystery and hopefully some self help and knowledge. If you have any good book recommendations that hit any of these categories for 25 year old, send them my way in the comments!

Be more positive: Easier said than done isn’t it? This last year I felt like every other day the sky was falling. I had 0 balance in my life and it made me feel crazy and pessimistic. I was always worrying about accomplishing as much as I possibly could and I found myself just unpleasant to be around sometimes. I know this sounds so horrible but I feel like I have to admit it, to change it. I’m going to drink more wine, wear more fuzzy socks and let my hair down a little more this year. 

PLAY:
Tackle the backyard: Now that we live in a house I really want to dress up the backyard for some great summer parties! My first and foremost project was sprucing up the kitchen and now that it’s almost finished I’m ready to move outside! I want to deck out the space with twinkle lights, an herb garden and get the whole space 

More Ladies Nights!: In December I had a gingerbread house making party with a small group of friends and it was practically therapeutic. We drank pomegranate margaritas, ate massive amounts of cheese and built gingerbread houses to Christmas tunes. At the end we had lasagna for dinner and a white elephant gift exchange. It was so refreshing to have everyone over, not have to split any dinner bills and just give everyone a great night. I am lucky enough to live near my best friends that I went to high school with and I am certainly going to make these nights more of a monthly staple!

International Travel: This last year I received an incredible opportunity to go to Italy for Giovanni Rana Pasta. Jared and I made a vacation out of it and toured most of the Northern part of the country. My eyes just opened so wide. I came back so inspired and filled with new culture and knowledge. I think traveling is so important for a relationship and can really make you appreciate your partner. My goal is for us to take at least one international trip each year now. 

BUSINESS:
Shoot more video: This year I made (2) videos and while I know that doesn’t seem like a ton I am pretty proud of it. Video takes a ton of work for me and I will admit that I 100% need help producing it. I don’t shoot it well, I have no idea how to edit and I have a certain kind of style that I am trying to achieve. I really hate the hands in video ‘tasty’ style videos. They have no personality and literally just keep your brain addicted because of how fast the rate is. I am determined to make some great quality videos that are nicely crafted and that you will honestly enjoy. Stay tuned because this is happening in February!

Post consistently: Looking back there are some months where I had a solid 10-12 posts and some months with just a small handful. This is 100% blamed on my lack of inconsistent time and schedule. I am determined to post every 2-3 days each month with fresh and vibrant content for you! This is my shout to myself to be accountable. 

Take on more photoshoots: My runner’s high basically. By far this is my favorite content to produce. This last year I was able to style and execute three photo shoots and the high I have after each one is invaluable on the dollar scale. The days leading up to a shoot are pretty exhausting and by the time the last shot is taken, that moment is indescribable. It is the best kind of tired. After planning, researching, gathering props and actually executing the shoot the moment it’s finished I feel so accomplished.