// 26 Before 27 - Goals and Intentions

I'm only two weeks tardy to the party this year! I didn't want to rush my list and fill it with a bunch of useless mumbo jumbo. I'm trying to be very intentional with my time this go around since I know bringing in a new baby will have a learning curve of adjustment. I also wanted to make sure I sprinkled enough stuff to cover personal attention, family, business life, and all around fun. There are definitely other things I hope to accomplish in the next 12 months, but these are what I decided to write down for my annual list. (Here's my 25 Before 26 list if you're interested!) Some are easier than others, and some are ones that I carry over almost every year. Let's hope I can check them all off before turning 27! (I can't believe my next birthday will be my 27th! Where is life going?!) Without further ado...

Despite the fact that Mike and I own several businesses, we don't have a formal business plan. We sort of had one for Honeybean, and then we just started winging it. Now that he's going to be in school full time and I'll be ~*bringing home the bacon, I thought it'd be nice to really lay out a concrete foundation for where I see our businesses going in the future. I definitely have long term goals that I'd like to achieve with each venture, but I don't really have a map on how to get there. Let's give it a whirl!

I successfully sewed some baby leggings the other day (two pair actually!), and I sort of have the nesting bug! I want to do all sorts of little bits and bobs for him, but my patience (and skill set) is limited. Right now I have canvas shoes, bibs (with bowties!) and more leggings on my radar. They seem simple enough, but I'd really like to have a nice little collection of handmade goodies to have for him when he joins us.

Truncated to save you an eternity of scrolling! Click to read the rest of my list!

// The Art of Intentions: Tips For Making + Achieving Your Goals

I've shared a few weekly intentions posts around here, and I love the excitement that tends to come from them. Not only from myself, but from y'all. You get so fired up and I feel like that just sort of migrates its way through the internet, which in turns fires me up. It's kind of awesome when you have that, ya know? My first set of intentions went off without a hitch. I made sure that they were things I truly wanted to achieve, and then I did them. My second list? Ehhhh, not so successful. I think I accomplished 3 of them. I hate failing at anything, so it really got me thinking about the art of intentions and how to ensure success. Here are a few things I've come up with. Hopefully they'll help you make and achieve your intentions!

Intentions shouldn't be something that "make or break" you. They should simply be things that would bring joy, relaxation, and satisfaction to your life if completed. Things you intend on doing. Things that won't totally wreck your world if unattained. You can totally turn every day tasks into intentions, but I've found that in order to be unstoppable in attaining them, you must really, really want them. My first set of intentions featured things like "send more snail mail" and "read Desiderata every day." Those things bring me actual joy in life. I get happy popping a handwritten card in the post. I feel rejuvenated when I read Desiderata in the morning. Heck, I even feel more motivated if I don't see dirty dishes out of the corner of my eye. My second set of intentions ended up being things I just threw together to have a list. That was totally detrimental to my success. Sure, I love to paint signs for fun, but it wasn't something that would complete me in any way. Getting up at 6:30am every day was great in theory, but it was freezing cold and pitch black outside, and even my husband couldn't pull himself from the covers. I managed to get up around 7:30 every morning, which is a feat in itself, but it wasn't the 6:30 I set out for. You see what I mean? I've noticed the same trend in my 25 before 26 (and previous) goal lists. Throwing things on a list just to have a list is totally counterproductive! Instead of feeling motivated and inspired by reaching our goals, we're simply claiming to attempt something we have no desire to really do. Then we "fail" to complete them and we're left feeling unsuccessful and frustrated.

Here are a few tips to help you make and achieve your intentions!

• Only "intend" toward goals that will actually benefit and motivate you in some way. For some people this is washing the dishes directly following every meal (this actually motivates us a ton!). For others it may mean waking up 20 minutes early to get a quick work out in. Intentions and a to do list are two separate things.
• Don't overwhelm your list or yourself with too many goals. If some weeks you only have one or two intentions, that's fine! Put all of your energy and focus into those two things. If other weeks you feel like you can tackle ten intentions, you go girl! Get it done!
• Try to choose intentions that benefit multiple areas of your daily life. A perfect example for us is keeping our house clean each day. A clean house is seriously the biggest tool I've found in how motivated I am each day. A clean house not only looks and feels nice, but it also makes me more likely to be productive. Win/win!
• Think up small rewards for each completed intention or list. Whether you want to treat yourself for each item checked off, or wait until you've tackled the whole list, rewards are great tools for motivation. It can be as small or large as you'd like. Nurture your positive actions!
• Stagger your list with varying degrees of difficulty. Maybe two-thirds of your list is super easy and doesn't require too much effort, but the other one-third is a larger goal to tackle. Complete the easy stuff and let that motivate you to do something bigger and better!
• Break your list down into individual days if needed. I prefer to do weekly intentions, and then a daily to do list. My to do list always includes more menial tasks, but I try to make time to put one or two intentions on it each day. It helps round out my plan and keep me on track.
• Don't get frustrated if you don't complete them. The best part about intentions is that they shouldn't make or break your entire day/week/being. Use them as motivation to succeed, but don't beat yourself up over not completing every single item. Over time you'll start to see a pattern in the way you set goals and achieve them. Maybe you'll learn something new about yourself and hopefully that will help you on your path to short term goal making.
• Make more intentions and lists! Regardless of your track record for completing them, don't stop making these intentions. Make them part of your Monday morning routine if you have to! Just like anything else, practice makes perfect. We'll perfect our methods over time and start to learn what's really important to us as individuals. Even if you totally bomb the week before, don't let that stop you from getting back in the saddle.
• Once you've completed an item on your intentions list, try to continue doing it. Make that intention a habit. Make it a priority to send snail mail or be prompt with your dishes. Let that joy and satisfaction be consistent.

Intentions can be a great first step in terms of self discovery. I've already learned so much about myself just by creating intentions lists for 6 weeks. I've become so much more productive in my daily life, even with things that have nothing to do with my intentions. If you make it a weekly habit, I'd love to hear what your list entails!

Here's my list for this week... short but sweet!

• Clean the office. Let it be the streamlined, productive space it was intended to be.
• Wash the dishes after each meal rather than waiting until the end of the day.
• Make at least one new friend. Online or off - reach out to someone who intrigues me.
• Find time for a coffee date with Mike. Talk business, talk life, talk whatever. Just enjoy it.

How about you? Do you intend on doing anything special this week? Let's hear it!

// Making It Count: My Weekly Intentions

Lately I've been paying much more mind to living with intention. I've noticed how uninspired and burnt out I get when I'm just forcing myself to work, work, work. Things get done, but not in a very efficient manner. Then I'm left feeling too worn out to play with Toby or enjoy my evening with Mike. I thought I'd whip up a little weekly intention list to help remind me of what's important in life. Sure, it's important to work hard, but it's also important that I trim out enough time to play Power Rangers with Toby or help him wash his hair. It seems silly to even think about that, but I think a lot of self employed/work at home types deal with this.

This week my list includes equal parts family, friends, business and self. I want my business ventures to succeed, but not at the cost of my family time or general enjoyment. Over the next 7 days I intend on fulfilling each and every one of these personal goals. They're pretty simple, honestly, but I'm hoping they'll make a world of difference.

This week I intend to:

• Send (at least) five pieces of snail mail. A postcard to my penpals, a short but sweet letter to a dear friend, and maybe a little note to my mailman just to let him know I appreciate him.
• Do something for myself every day. Whether it's lay in the hammock and read a book like yesterday, or pouring myself a glass of wine to enjoy in my bubble bath... a little goes a long way.
• Tackle something I've been putting off. Ugh, I guess that'll include a call to our bank to get all of our account information (interest rates, etc) in order to better manage our money.
• Try to not raise my voice. I'm a parent and a wife... and a human being. And sometimes I just lose my cool. Whether I'm cursing the entire shelf I just knocked over or shouting because Toby isn't minding the rules, I'd like to be a little more collected.
• Read Desiderata every day. I owe a lot of my mindset to this very poem. I've said it time and time again, and I'll say it a million more times during the life of this blog, I'm sure. I notice a huge shift in my attitude and my day when I read this in the morning.
• Do one thing to propel *each* business forward. Businesses can only survive if we nurture them. I intend to work on Him + Honey's new branding, establish new product sheets for Honeybean, work on the wireframes for the blog, organize all of my sign supplies, and compile an updated PDF portfolio of my design work.
• Plan (at least) one unplugged evening. My home life shouldn't suffer because I'm not the best at turning off work mode. Vow to spend more time playing with Toby while the weather is nice, and enjoying life off of the internet.

How about you? Any weekly intentions you'd like to share? xo

// 25 Before 26 - Goal List

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I really love making these lists every year... even when I don't even come close to finishing them (ahem, last year!) My 23rd year was great for goal making and achieving, but last year was full of so many life lessons and experiences. My list took a backseat to being a mom, being married, and being a business owner. This past year also taught me that goals don't need to be huge or lofty or "hopefully maybe with a miracle obtainable"... They just need to be things that make life a little bit sweeter. There's nothing on this list that is mind-blowing or awe-inspiring. Instead, there are 25 things that I think will add some sort of value to my life, no matter how big or small. Don't get me wrong -- I still have plenty of lofty, over-the-moon type things to aspire to, and some that I most certainly hope to make a reality in my 25th year. But those are the goals that I realize shouldn't be rushed. I (hopefully) have a lot of life ahead of me. I want to make sure those things come organically and in due time. 

Now, I know I'm two and a half weeks late in sharing my goal list, but I'm already stoked on how many of these things I've started to cross off. It'll be a fun year, that's for sure! 25 doesn't scare me nearly as much as it did 3 weeks ago.

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25 Before 26

oo1. Visit a state I've never been to // I did this one in 2011 and it made for a fun day trip to Milwaukee with Mike and Susannah. Maybe this year we'll take a quick day-or-two trip to Mississippi?

oo2. Learn "Gotta Have You" by The Weepies on my ukulele // I started learning the song with Mike over a year ago, but then wedding things picked up and I never played my uke. 2013 is the year!

oo3. Quit biting my fingernails // I'm 3 weeks strong on this one and I'm hoping that'll seal the deal!

oo4. Kneecap tattoo or take my half-sleeve into a full // Ahh, priorities! Priorities that break my mom's heart.

oo5. Host a BBQ or potluck at our new house // make use of our deck and the gorgeous Tennessee sunshine!

oo6. Do 25 Random Acts of Kindness throughout the year // I had intended this to happen on my birthday, but at least now I can really put some time/effort into them!

oo7. Get my motorcycle license... finally // Nevermind the fact that I've owned a motorcycle for nearly a year already. Too bad my legs are too short to properly/safely ride it. Guess we'll be on the hunt for something a little smaller in the future.

oo8. Complete a "A Day In The Life" post at least once per month // Um, it's been a long time since I did one of those...

oo9. Build and plant a flowerbed (or three!) that I'm proud of // Try really hard not to kill everything in it.

o10. Spend time each week reading comments on my blog, visiting your blogs + returning the love, and also clicking through to a few buttons on y'alls sidebars to see what they're all about // Keeping the blog love alive and helping ensure blogging stays fun for everyone.

o11. Create a dedicated design page on my blog along with a updated portfolio // I'll also be working on multi-tier packages and design options to help ensure any and everyone, no matter the budget, can have something snazzy. 

o12. Finally open that PO Box and do more "penpal" type stuff // Snail mail!

o13. Shoot guns // At a range (indoor and out), in the woods, etc ... I miss spending Sundays at the rifle range!

o14. Go on at least one family day-trip // Explore a small town or big city for everything it has to offer.

o15. Get rid of at least 100 items of clothing // I got rid of 58 the week of my birthday (and technically I sent them off a few days after I turned 25... does that count? We're going to say it does...)

o16. Grow vegetables! // As many as our raised beds can muster! Also try to not kill these... Sigh.

o17. Finally sew a motherfriggin' dress! // It's shameful how long this has been on my list... and it's even more embarrassing that I was actually a fashion design major when I started college. Oh bother.

o18. Get my Concealed Carry Permit // Yes, I'm a liberal and yes, I want to have my CCP. No, I will not always carry a gun on me. Regardless, it's a fun thing that we can all do as a family (my parents, me and mike)

o19. Build some daggum furniture // This one was on my list last year... and I failed to do it. But now that we're more permanently settled, the furniture ideas are overflowing!

o20. Shoot at least 1 roll of personal film per month // This can be a disposable camera, or professional-grade film like we use for Him + Honey. Either way, I need to get in the habit of photographing more. Mike and I used to shoot several rolls of film per week... I miss those days!

o21. Buy a GOOD fitting pair of jeans! // This goes against my entire ~*style persona, but I actually really do want a nice pair of jeans... I just haven't found them yet!

o22. Successfully bake at least one batch of macarons // But let's be honest, the second I successfully bake a batch, I'll never stop. Hmm... think this has anything to do with the inability to complete number 21?

o23. Go on a solo trip/vacation with Mike // Could be for one night, could be for seven. Could be an anniversary trip or "just because". Making our marriage a happy and fun one is a huge priority.

o24. Give my office a MAKEOVER! // Now that we've decided just how we'll add on to our house, my office will be making the move from the northwest corner to the northeast (and upstairs! You know, renovations allowing...) A lofty dream for now, but I need to make it suitable for the meantime. Who knows when we'll make the big reno.

o25. Learn to edit video // So often I want to create a video for content on LCH, but something holds me back. It's not my nervous speed talking, sometimes-weird accent, or even the fear of seeing myself in action that stops me, but instead: the ability to edit the video. Cool effects, even just a title bar, etc. I'm determined! Anyone have any great tutorials/resources to share?

Do you make any birthday/yearly goals? If so, what kind of goals are on your list?

Out With The Old - In With The New

To say that I've been blessed with an amazing 2012 would be silly, because to me it's just so obvious it need not be spoken. I became a mom, I got married, I celebrated with all of my best friends from every corner of the country, etc. Just thinking about how different my 2012 was from my 2011 is mind-boggling. It makes me really excited for 2013.

I could go back and share with you all my favorite posts and experiences from this past year, but rather than relish in any of that, I want to make room for new adventures and goals. (I mean, I still have to share our wedding photos and honeymoon part 2, so just bear with me. There will be plenty of 2012 highlight reels in that regard)  Today I want to send 2012 off with a excited wave + goodbye, and usher in 2013 with arms wide open. (*cue absolutely terrible Creed song being stuck in your head* Oh, only mine? Awesome)

Twice a year I make a pretty lofty set of goals. New Years and my birthday (and let's face it, I'm getting up there in years so those "24 before 25" lists get a little exhausting!). Usually New Years resolutions are more "blanket"/generalized goals and ideas, and my birthday list is comprised of goals that have more of a dedicated ending/result. I feel like resolutions (if you make them!) should set the tone for the coming year. Last year my blanket resolution was to be more organized. I'm still not the best, and it took a long time to even get started, but I incorporated some organizational techniques into my daily life that I don't think I'd be able to function without now. (I'll be sharing more of these techniques on the blog soon! What good is a good idea if you keep it to yourself?!) When you live and work in the same ~1,200 sq. feet every single day, organization is key. It's definitely something I want to take into 2013 with me (and I hope all of these goals roll over to 2014 and beyond), but this year's theme is "Growth". Growth as a family (not in quantity of members, but in quality of life), growth as a business, and growth as a person. I think each of these 7 resolutions below will help me achieve that. Here's what I'm hoping for 2013...

All too often I find myself tweeting or tumbling things that aren't positive. They're quick rants, shared frustrations, or just negative in general. I really need to be more aware of my passive aggression, too. I'm a firm believer that you get back what you put out into the world, and no one likes to be constantly bombarded with whining and complaining. I found myself doing that on more than one occasion and I know how much I dislike it, so it's only fair. I'm not saying don't be truthful and honest. Sometimes a frustrated tweet or comment can be a good thing (and your friends will rally you with support so you know it's not *that* bad), but just in general, I'd like to share more positivity in hopes that it radiates with someone.

This is one that I really want to figure out. I chart out my editorial calendar upwards of a month in advance, just to get a generalized outline of what might be going on the blog. They're usually not 100% confirmed, and everything can change with ease, but it helps me get an idea of what I need to be doing on a daily basis to stay on schedule (Hello 2012 resolution!). Unfortunately, I sometimes leave those posts until the morning of to be written... then that requires me to rush, figure out a format, skimp on the graphics and just throw it up there. It's not fun. I'd like to be anywhere from 6-10 days ahead of schedule. Not 100% of the time, as I'd like to allow for the present time, too. But at least the foundation of posts. I'm much more efficient when I behave this way. It'll help me, the blog, our businesses, and even Mike, too. Gotta keep his sanity intact for when mine runs for the hills!

I'll probably sound like a hypocrite because it's not like I plan to stop shopping at fast-fashion/mall stores or anything, but this is more of an "overall" statement. Better blog posts, not necessarily more. Better home splurges, not more. Spending a larger chunk of time at a dog park with the pups rather than a couple of 10 minute spurts (though they do tire quickly... haha). Purge a lot of our belongings to make way for a better quality of life in our new home. Maybe not being so afraid to go out and invest in a nice pair of jeans (!!!) that won't make me hate the entire pants experience. This blog is the biggest example of how I hope to make this resolution apparent. I have so many new and fresh ideas for where I see LCH. Even if it's not in line with the growth in the past, I actually feel excited about what lies ahead. This resolution alone has the power to make for an incredible experience if I'm just open to letting it happen.

Another resolution that is much like #2. My day to day is never ever the same. Sometimes I'll wake up at 7:30am and be in my office typing away at the keyboard on the blog, Him + Honey, or design work clear until 2am the next day.  Other days (like today) I half-heartedly roll out of bed at half past 9, then lay on the couch with a blanket until a quarter past 10. I'm lucky to be able to be flexible and take breaks when I want to, but I think our family could really use with some stability in a schedule. Especially with Toby getting ready to go to preschool and Mike and I both balancing a work at home schedule. I think if we had set hours we'd be able to enjoy doing more things as a family, and we'd be more successful in our projects, too. It's tough because I've yet to find a schedule that works for me (or both of us at the same time), so I may be coming to all of you for advice!

This one speaks for itself. On the road, as a parent, as a wife, as a business owner. I've lost my cool on many occasions when I really shouldn't have. All it would've taken is 10 seconds of breathing and I would've been fine. Patience has never been my strong suit and this is the year I plan on changing that. Everyone around me (Toby, Mike, my clients) deserves the utmost respect and if I could just remember to simmer down on occasion, we'd be golden. (Coincidentally this is the virtue we've been practicing with Toby for the past few weeks... Guess we'll learn together! At 4 and 24 years old haha)

I'm really bad about "being busy" and wanting to "go go go!", and even feeling guilty for taking a mid-day Netflix break or whatever. That's so ridiculous! It's nice to feel busy and important, but truth be told, I do most of that to myself. I make myself busy. I take on projects when I know I shouldn't. I say yes to things when I should be spending time with my family instead. I focus on making sure we're financially comfortable as opposed to being happy (for the lack of a better term). I really don't need to be that busy, and I could even balance my very same schedule with ease if I'd just employ resolution #4 (Find a work at home schedule that works). My inability to adhere to set hours makes our whole family tired and worn out. I don't need to do 17 projects or have 12 businesses. We can get by on just one or two with ease, but I have this craving to constantly work and succeed. It says a lot about our society, but even more about me because I know better and I can choose to go against the grain. Here's to scaling back and putting my whole heart into things that truly inspire me and make me feel like a successful person/wife/mom/business owner.

I've found myself quickly unfollowing a lot of people on Twitter, Instagram, and most frequently Tumblr. I don't plan on necessarily doing a total "clean sweep" of any of them (except Google Reader!)  but if someone is notorious about sharing things that don't necessarily inspire me or make me feel good, there's really no reason I should subject myself to that sort of thing ya know? And even people who are generally really nice and polite and positive, but don't share things that I'm interested in... it just makes for social media noise. (If you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings you can always "mute" them on Twitter, but I try to be honest with myself.) I can tell you that it does sometimes sting to have someone unfollow you for a reason you don't know (Rolling my eyes realllll hard at myself right now.. It's only the internet!) but we work to build these relationships with people and regardless of what we say, we want to inspire people and we want them to read what we put out there. Instead of focusing on a select group/clique that may have formed over the years, and trying to keep appearances up just for my own sake, I want to engage with people who inspire me. Inspire me in all facets of life. I think really rehashing my news feeds will help with that. (Facebook, I'm coming for you! You're the worst...) I truly urge each and every one of you to do this one, even if you don't plan on making resolutions. Clear out your feed! Unsubscribe from people who don't make you feel good about yourself. (Even if that means unfollowing me!) Think about what they put out in to the world (and even what YOU put out there! Hello #1!) Life is too short to only breed/feel negativity. Create an online place where you feel like the best you.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Hello longest post ever! Those are my 7 resolutions for 2013. I feel excited, rejuvenated, and even inspired. I'm ready to say "So long!" to 2012 and "Hey!" to 2013.

Are you a resolution person? If so, what are some of yours?!

Efficiency (or the lack thereof)

Okay, so here's a shocker, I'm sure (sarcasm!): I'm terribly inefficient. At pretty much everything. Yeah, it's kind of sad. I'm really not the most organized person, and I promised myself that my only real resolution for the new year/2012 was to become more organized overall. I've managed to kind of corral my blog/design work into an appropriate system that works for me (shared here!), but what I still haven't managed to do is: + Organize my closet, + Organize my office and craft supplies, + Organize all past design sheets, + Organize all past blog sponsorship sheets, + Organize business and tax information. (Oh My LAW! Don't even ask about the tax drawer...) 

I've noticed that being this inefficient has really caused me to stress out. (Duh!) I spend more time looking for something than I spend using it. And my office when I/we get on a creative roll? Oh boy... it's baaaaaad. (The image above isn't a good depiction of it. That's super tame.) It's kind of embarrassing to admit that sometimes we'll go to Target to get something but I'll leave it in the bag and then the bag makes it's way into my office and then I lose it. No clue where the original item went. It's not like Hoarders or anything, but I'm just forgetful and well, lazy, is what it'd come down to. Lazy about putting things where they go. Lazy about figuring out the best place for things. It's seriously sad.

I've taken measures to help fix the closet situation by tossing out 80+ items. Some will make their way to a Kaelah's Closet sale, and the rest will get donated or thrown out. Now I need to do the shoe purging, and craft supplies, too. Working from home is so hard because the office makes it's way into the living room, kitchen, bedroom, etc. 

I need to put a stop to it. Finally.

Starting today I vow to:

• Take an extra minute or two when I'm finished with something to put it away.
• Always put it where it actually goes.
• Stop keeping things I know I won't use. Toss 'em!
• Immediately remove purchased items from the bag and store them appropriately.
• Stop buying more clothes hangers. I already have too many clothes. 
• Keep an inventory sheet of all craft supplies I have as to not buy more of what I already own.

So I'm seeking YOUR advice + expertise. How do YOU organize your life? What are some tricks you've learned to help separate your professional and private life (especially if you work at home)? Any special supply or desk organizing resources you might have? Seriously, I'm looking for any and everything. Maybe even just some reassurance that I'm not the only one out there?! Haha

Ultimately I'd like to look back on this and say "Ha! Remember that time I was so unorganized I literally couldn't keep track of my hair?" (Sidenote: That's a real thing and has really happened in our house. Multiple times. In fact, almost daily.) I'd like to scoff at my formerly-inefficient self while I file all of our appropriate tax documents in the right folder and contracts in the right drawer... yep. That's the girl I'm looking to become. And I mean, I've still got 3.5 months left of 2012 right?! Share your knowledge!

PS; Let me take this quick chance to say that if you don't use Gmail's Priority Inbox feature, you're really doing yourself a disservice. It's one of the only efficient things I've got going for me aside from my blogging notebooks! haha It's a heaven send!