This post has been sponsored by The J.M. Smucker Company. I received product and compensation , but all opinions are my own.

Happy New Year, friends! We are officially on the other side of the holidays here at Our Southern Home. The last of the holiday decor was packed away over the weekend. Of course, I'll be vacuuming pine needles for the next 6 months. For some reason they appear out of the blue with the real tree.

This year I kept things up a bit longer than normal. The time leading up to the big day is so very busy as a lifestyle blogger, that typically the time after is when I can really sit back and enjoy it most. I am so glad that I pushed the stop button on that urge to have it removed for New Year's Eve.

I really do enjoy cleaning after the holidays and redecorating as I pack all the holiday decor away.

It is always such fun to create a new look for the mantel. This is a brand new look here! I love the clean, less fussy look.

I've been thinking a lot about resolutions. I rarely end up sticking to those. This year, I've decided to revamp my thinking and set goals instead. The simple name change feels more obtainable to me. Instead of one big resolution like losing weight (which is my resolution each year!), I've written out a list of goals for the year. It's almost like a to-do list. I thought I'd share those with you. I'm sure it will help really keep me accountable. 

My morning starts each day with 1-2 cups of Folgers® coffee. Folgers® has 12 district roasts which I have been working my way through. Right now, I am really enjoying Folgers® Black Silk. It's a smooth, dark roast. The aroma is so wonderful and awakens me as much as the smooth taste.

My morning cup has really become my ritual. It's truly something that I enjoy to start my day.

Let's dive into these goals that I've mentioned. 

Goal #1 Rise and Shine Early Monday-Friday

Being a full-time lifestyle blogger can easily consume your days, nights and weekends. I truly love my job. I've been doing this going on 7 years now. This year, I am going to do my best to keep regular work hours. I know that may be tough, and sometimes I may have to work outside those hours, and that's ok! 

Smart phones and their abilities can really take over. I am going to do my very best to put down the smart phone every night by 8pm. That will also mean no social media after 8pm!!! That is going to be a hard one, but I know it will help me wind down, enjoy time with my husband and enable me to get a better night's sleep. 

Goal #2 Sit Down with my calendar and list each morning Monday-Friday

I LOVE getting a new planner each year. That fresh clean slate means so much! It's a new beginning. 

Each morning, I am going to start my day with a cup of Folgers® coffee and a light, healthy breakfast.

Protein and fresh fruit is simple and allows me to graze while I work to get and stay organized. 

We really do not use our formal dining room like we should. Last spring, we took the leap and sold our formal set and replaced it with this more relaxed look. My goal was to use it as a bit of an office space. It's a beautiful spot to work on the blog. It's uncluttered and fresh! Plus there are no distractions. My desk looks much neater than my hubby's in the background. Ha, ha!

I'm really excited to be using this room as both a dining room and home office. I'll be adding a large armoire soon for storage and can't wait to share. 

Keeping a daily list and a long list for projects will help to keep me on track. There is just something about crossing things off a list that gives me great satisfaction!

Goal #3 10,000+ Steps Per Day 6 Days Per Week

This is something that I've been pretty consistent about….until the holidays were upon us. A fitness tracker has really kept me competitive with myself. I try to walk daily for exercise. Listening to audiobooks and podcasts really makes the time fly by. I only get to listen to these if I'm being active so that means anything that is allowing me to get steps in…..walking, cooking, working in the yard and cleaning. 

Goal #4 Practice Yoga and Pilates

I used to regularly practice yoga and Pilates at home. I felt great and my back thanked me for it! I need to get my core back in shape. I plan to dive back into this! 

Goal #5 Continue Eating Healthy

As empty nesters, my husband and I eat really healthy, but there is always room for improvement. Now that the kids have left to go back to college, we can get back on track. I find that if I just don't buy certain things like cookies and chips, I see a huge improvement in the way I feel and look. I hope to eat cleaner in the new year.

Goal # 6 Take Time to Read Daily

This does not include my audiobooks! I want to take time each day if only 20 minutes to decompress. Getting wrapped up with a book is a great way for me to accomplish this.

Mid-morning, I hope to sit down each day with a cup of Folgers® and read for about 20 minutes. I created a little reading nook in the family room after we removed the holiday decor just for this task. I even brought down a little side table and floor lamp from upstairs. I plan to keep 2 books going at a time…..1 for pleasure and 1 for self-help. I am currently reading one on organizing your home. I'll let you know how that goes!

Goal #7 Clean Out One Closet, Drawer or Cabinet Per Week

Instead of saying that I am going to clean out the craft room this week, I'm going to break it down into smaller chores. I won't become as overwhelmed by breaking this huge chore into smaller tasks! I really want to get rid of the clutter and the things we just don't use or need!!!

I  plan to do this with my closet and dresser drawers in a big way. Just cleaning out the sock drawer 1 week is so much more doable to me with much less mess!

Goal #8 Home Goals

It's no secret that my favorite thing to do is decorate our home. It's what my blog is about after all! I can't believe it, but we will be in our home 15 years in May! It's a huge goal to continue painting rooms in our home. Paint is one of the most gratifying and affordable ways to instantly update your home. 

Last year, we took our living area from a sage green to a light gray. Just paint completely changed the look of our home. Now, I've been bit by the painting bug! In the new year, I hope to paint 3 bedrooms and our bonus room. 

Goal #9 Start Knitting Again

Before blogging and social media, I used to knit in the evenings while watching TV with my hubby and family. I found it very relaxing and gratifying. Just creating scarves and simple items gave me such joy. One year I knitted 8 infinity scarves for gifts. I miss that. Plus, knitting kept me from always falling asleep by 8:30pm. It's the one hobby that really gives me satisfaction. I encourage everyone to take up some sort of hobby. 

Goal #10 Mail My Kids a Surprise to College at least 1x Per Month

Being away from home is definitely freedom for those kids. I know they love it, but I am sure there are times that they wish they were just home. I plan to start mailing them a note, a card or a little surprise to school each month. I know college kids love getting mail. 

Goal #11 Explore My Community

The Upstate of SC is an amazing place to live! I want to plan to explore more of that in the new year. There are so many new pubs, restaurants and festivals in the area. Just strolling downtown Greenville is a treat in itself. These will make great date nights with my hubby being empty nesters. I'd love for us to plan one new simple thing to do each week together. 

I look at resolutions as correcting all the wrong in your life. I want to focus on the good with goals. Much of these involve being focused and present with my life. Learning to utilize my time in better ways will hopefully help me to get more productive, organized and energized!!! 

Do you have goals you'd like to share for the new year? I'd love to hear those!

I hope that you have a wonderful 2019! I am excited for what the new year has in store for me, my family and my business! 

 

 

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