What I Want for 2013

Well HELLO there! It’s been awhile, I know, but I have good reason for it. I needed a little break from blogging and instead of feeling like I had to crank stuff out anyway, I allowed myself to do just what I needed and took some time off. When I felt like blogging again, after the holidays, I came down with the nasty bug that is going around but I’m on the up now and feeling better, at least human again

So, Christmas has come and gone and so has 2012! Can you believe that? How was your New Years Eve? Ours was great, despite the cold, and yesterday, on New Years Day, David and I had a guilt-free day of lounging around watching TV and napping. It was exactly what my body needed to start healing.

On New Year’s Eve day I reminisced with David on all the wonderful things we accomplished in 2012. It was a year full of travel and life changes. I got engaged and married to my best friend, became a stay-at-home wife, went on several amazing trips, camped, hiked, and played in the snow and accomplished one of my biggest goals, getting my 200 level yoga teacher training certificate. We opening our tasting room in Carlton and brought on two more full-time employees. Crazy how fast things can change!

Aside from all of this, I’ve grown emotionally in ways I never really thought possible for me. It’s been a year of many ups and a few downs and I know 2013 is going to be even better!

As I reflected on all of this I began to see a common theme, 2012 was all about creating the life David and I want for ourselves. One filled with love, adventure, travel, and constant emotional and physical  growth. This left me wondering, what do I want for 2013?

I decided to write down a list of things I resolve to work on and accomplish in 2013 and I want to share a few of them with you.

First and foremost,

HAPPINESS

Not that I am not a happy person because I believe I am but I still externally search for happiness instead of seek it within.  There are times when I still think to myself, ‘when I have this or that’ I’ll REALLY be happy. When my blog gets THIS many views I’ll be really happy with it. When I FINALLY fix up this room or build this, I’ll be HAPPY with my home. By now I think it is safe to say that almost everyone has heard that true happiness isn’t what you have on the outside but what you have on the inside. My goal for 2013 is to focus on what I DO have and not what I DON’T have find a place of true contentment and authenticity.

Spirituality

This is a bit more personal and I normally don’t share much on this topic but one of my goals is to get a better idea of who I am on a spiritual level. This is actually a little hard for me to explain because it’s not conventional nor necessarily something I can put into words. For me, it’s a feeling and I want to trust in that feeling more that there is something greater out there, something on a much deeper, soulful level.

Read and Write More

Writing for me is a space where I can create and dive deeper into who I am. It’s the best way I communicate and gives me that feeling of living. That feeling of overcoming writer’s block is almost euphoric when you type out exactly what you are trying to express but have had a hard time putting words to it. Reading on the other hand is your opportunity to keep learning. Learning about life and about yourself. I graduated college at the age of 26 and use to joke about being a forever student but in many ways, there is so much truth to that. We all have the opportunity to be a student in life. Books are the texts books of life and when you think about how many books are out there, you can find peace in the fact that you will, if you choose, never stop learning.

HEATH & WELLNESS

Diet - Generally, I am  a pretty darn healthy person but I feel like I can always do more. I want to start adding more fresh green juices and smoothies to my diet. I love juicing and drinking smoothies but it’s harder in the winter because you don’t exactly want something cold. I want to focus on real whole foods and cooking a majority of our meal, which we are pretty good at but still, there is always room for improvement. I also want to step outside of my comfort and try new and interesting recipes instead of always making our tried and true go to meals.

Gardening- I’ve said this for the last two summers but this year, I really want to get into gardening. I should give myself more credit though, I’ve come a long way but I want to really understand the concepts behind growing a thriving vegetable garden and I also want to work on our landscaping by adding depth, texture and contrast. It’s been sunny here the last week and all I want to do is get outside and work in the yard but it’s a little premature I think.

Mentality - About a month ago I  incorporate a regular meditation into my day. Before I would really only mediate when I got super stressed out or while I was practicing yoga. For the past month I’ve started with five minutes a day. Sometimes I do guided meditation and others I just sit and watch my thoughts without placing any attachment to them. I’ve already noticed a radical shift within myself. My yoga teacher once told us what her teacher told her and that is if everyone meditated for 5 minutes a day, the shifts in our lives would be incredible and life changing. Five minutes a day, that’s all! It can be a struggle and I don’t always feel up to it but I remember how great I feel afterwards, how calm and at ease. I crave meditation now and it’s opened me up for positive changes in my life.

Get Movin’ - I’ve always been a very active person and I only hope to grow more in this area. My goal is seven days a week of something active. It doesn’t have to be a full-blown workout but whether it is a yoga or cycling class or a little walk around the property, I’m encouraging myself to always be active.

ORGANIZATION!!

It’s time to get organized. I’ve been saying this for basically ever but I think I finally found the motivation to clean out the house and only keep the essentials. Not only do I want to rid our home of clutter, we have a shop and a barn I want to get cleaned out and cleaned up. One thing that people may not realize is that when you live where you work, there really is never a day off. It’s hard to relax because you are constantly looking around thinking of all the things you should be doing. Well, I think it’s time to get a little motivation and get those things accomplished. Like our garage for example. I can’t believe I’m going to show you this but I have to because when you see the after it will really mean something to you.

This is only the garage! My goal is to start getting this whole place organized and more functional.

Where I want to take Bullfrogs and Bulldogs

This is something I think about all the time. Honestly, I haven’t been blogging lately because I had a major burnout,  always feeling like I had to create and produce something. I’m not good with that kind of pressure. If I feel like I have to do something then I lose my passion for it. I haven’t created one project in about a month and honestly, it’s been so nice. I love to create and build things but I have to do it at my own pace. So, my goal for 2013 is to have more variety on Bullfrogs and Bullfrogs and to show you more of ME! I like the idea of having a completely random blog full of all of the craziness of life because that is reality. Whether that is something I build or create for our home, something I cook, and health tid bit or something fun on the farm, who knows! It’s a day by day thing and I can’t wait to share more with you in 2013!

But I’d like to know, is there something YOU’D like to see more of from me?

So there is a sneak peek of what I have in store for 2013. I’m so excited for this year because I know it is going to be even bigger and better then 2012. I can’t wait to share all of life’s adventures with you!

Thank you so much for being a part of it and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!