Resolutions...

So I admit we are a little behind in making our resolutions for the new year, but better late than not at all, right? :) I actually have been thinking a lot about resolutions this whole month, so I haven't completely put them on the back burner. I usually start out well, but as the year progresses... well you know what happens. So this year, I thought I'd write a monthly blog about my progress for a few of my goals, to keep me going. I figured if I knew I needed to write a blog post about my goals, I'd have an incentive to work on them. :)
Every year I feel like I make the same goals... work out, eat better, go to bed earlier, blah blah blah. Those are still on my resolution list, but for this blog post I'm going to focus on just these 3 goals:

1. Complete a project every month
2. Cook something new every month
3. Do a photo shoot every month

Hopefully what I've heard is true... practice makes perfect... I'll learn more and get better in these areas. :)

I've recently found this blog that I love reading, called Enjoying the Small Things. I love the pictures, I love her optimism and her writing and her stories from her life. I was reading one of her blogs from awhile ago and read this,

"No one really does it all. We all just try like heck to prioritize, be with our kids, fulfill our hobbies, make a living, etc. We all do it differently, and every time you see a mama shining in one area, I promise you, there's shadowy areas that she'll need to tend to later. And I love the fact that every day is a clean slate. Even on the busiest, craziest days, there are small fueling moments that allow the bulk of life to rise to the top."

I thought about this as I was setting my goals for the year. I see others and think wow, they're so good at keeping their house clean, or making clothes and crafts, or actually starting businesses, or inviting family and friends over for dinners and being more social, etc. I find myself wanting to be like them. But I can't do it all all the time, I can try little by little to improve in certain areas though.

So now on to my January goals...

1. Complete a project. I've actually completed 3 and a half projects this month... go me! :) Scott got me a sewing machine for Christmas and so I was able to first make this jean skirt for Claire out of a pair of baby jeans.


I'm not sure how long they'll last before the stitching totally falls apart, and if you look really close you would totally see how uneven and funky they are, but I don't care. I made something for my baby! :)
Actually all 3 of my projects are for my baby. The second thing I made was a crinkle toy. She loved it for a total of 1 day... now she'll grab it occasionally, but it's not as fascinating to her. :)


The third project I finished was a bow and headband holder for all of Claire's bows. :) I just got a frame from d.i., glued on fabric and ribbon and screwed in some hooks into the sides. Now I just have to remember to actually put headbands and bows on Claire. She usually only wears them to church. :)


2. Cook something new. So I have to admit, I'm not the best cook and it's not something I really love doing either. I enjoy cooking with people, especially with Scott. It's fun being in the kitchen together making dinner or some goody. It's just not something I would do as a past-time by myself. I would like to learn how to make some new dishes though so we're not always making the same things. However, this month I have to admit, since I put it off until today I just kept it simple. So last minute I found a quick easy recipe for peanut butter fudge. It was a fun yummy ending to our FHE tonight. :)


3. Do a photo shoot. Scott had a friend from work who asked if I'd take pictures of their family for them. It was fun learning and practicing on people other than my family, although somewhat scarier too. You can look here though if you want to see the pictures from that photo shoot. By the way, since I'll be wanting to do a photo shoot a month, I need people willing to let me take pictures of them... let me know if you want to help me out with that! :)

Well that's it for this month. Wow, this is a long post! Usually Scott's the writer and I just post pictures. Hope I didn't bore you, but this is basically for my own benefit. Thanks for reading though if you did. :)