do small things with great love

Well, it’s 9:00 pm on the night before my birthday and I am sitting in bed listening to the sound of waves (on our speaker) while Otis sleeps. What a year it has been!

This time last year I was about seven months pregnant with our little guy, and Pete and I were spending a little “babymoon” in NYC. We really had the best trip. It was just perfect.

Obviousssssly things have changed a lot since my last birthday, not only am I now a Mom, but we are still living through a worldwide pandemic * deep breath * Although things have felt a lot more “normal” lately, Covid is still very much affecting our lives.

As you’ve probably noticed, I am a big fan of lists & goals. I’ve always loved coming up with goals at the start of a new year, but have never really thought to do it when I start my new year of life after my birthday! Instead of coming up with my usual cross-off type of goals, I’ve decided to just come up with some intentions for my next year of life :)

you gotta nourish to flourish;
I have been thinking a lot about the food we make, eat and consume and I know we can get so busy that we don’t always have time to make meals that we love that are healthy. I love to cook and so does Pete and we enjoy our meals together so much! I’ve got so many great cookbooks and recipes that are asking to be made. I’ve been making homemade energy bites and granola, and am excited to make more things like this. Also loving making food for Otie too. Gonna keep drinking lots of water and really upping my fruit and veggie intake.

learn to rest not to quit;
This is a tough one that I’m sure a lot of people feel the same way. It can be tough to find time to do it all on any given day, but having a little one makes it even tougher. I tend to start things and not finish them and can get frustrated when not seeing results as soon as I hope. I need to remember to be patient and kind to myself and not do too much. At the end of the day, I want to clean and accomplish something but a lot of the time what I really need is to just relax & do nothing.

be a fun & patient mama;
This is still all so new to me. Every day is different, Otis is growing and learning and it’s tough to keep up. We really have so much fun every day, but that’s not to say that there aren't moments of stress and frustration. Otie is really such a sweet, happy boy, and Pete and I are so lucky. Every day I take time to remember how grateful we are and count my blessings. As our little boy grows and deals with all the new things the world is throwing at him, I want to continue to be patient and present always.

make time to create;
One of the happiest places for me to be is working on something creative. Anything from blogging, podcasting, hand lettering, making pom-poms, working on some sort of DIY etc! I always feel really good and accomplished once I am done and am thankful I took the same. It’s easier said than done to be able to make time for these types of things but it’s something I always want to try and make time for.

be eco-conscious;
This was one of my goals for 2020 and I am really proud of how well I’ve done so far. I’ve been working at building up a collection of great eco-conscious products. Anything from reusable cups, containers, spray bottles, food pouches, to beeswax wraps. I’ve also made some of our own household products and switched out ours at home to ones that are green & safe. Love this initiative and can’t wait to continue to make a change.

These are just a few of the things I want to work on this year but lastly, if Covid has taught me anything it’s to take time to slow down, relax, and enjoy the little special moments in life. I love the little things.