A Healthy Resolution

MK spoke about one of her resolutions earlier this week so today I wanted to chime in with one of mine. I tend to be very critical of myself. Setting mostly strict goals for improving myself, our home or even my relationships but when I came across this post on Ashley’s Instagram it resonated with me! Why am I so hard on myself?! Resolutions don’t have to be all about structure and bettering ourselves, they can be fun too. If I’m being honest that’s usually what I need in my life. Andy always gets on to me about my lack of ability to do things just for fun, I tend to keep a stack of to dos, cleaning, laundry etc. none of which are things I love like baking, reading, playing tennis etc.

So this year one of my resolutions is to bake one new recipe a month. I'd also like to read more! For January I’m getting a late start but I just started reading Gone Girl and decided to master cheese pennies, one of my favorite treats! 

Are your resolutions strictly about bettering yourself or do you cut yourself some slack? I’m thinking 2015 is the year for me to let go of some of those tendencies.

- Heath

PS we have book club this evening and we have lofty goals of actually reading in 2015, turned into more of a wine club in 2014, so we’d love any book suggestions you have!

image via Honestly Yum

Relationship Resolutions

Seems like Heath & I are always a little late to make resolutions - we don't really get our act back together until mid-January! I know that the month is almost over, but I haven't given up on the idea of resolutions quite yet.  What about you - do you make them, love them, hate them?  I think I like making them because I don't put too much pressure on myself to keep them, and I love goal setting and dorky stuff like that. 

I came across this article on Martha Stewart Weddings, 8 Relationship Resolutions for the New Year, and I think it's kind of fun. They range from the usual, "improve communication" to really fun stuff like "have a two person book club" and "learn to cook all of our favorite takeout foods together." 

J.D. and I had already been thinking about a relationship resolution we want to make a priority in 2015 - Once a Month Date Nights!  We'll be married 7 years this March, and what's that they say about the 7 year itch?!  Well, we're aiming to avoid that!  We do plenty of stuff socially, but truthfully, it's almost always with friends, and we're so worn out in the evenings that our nights in look less like a "date" and more like us staring at our computers finishing up work.  SO, we're resolving to 12 dates this year, one every month, just the two of us! 

We've found the perfect sitter two doors down (J.D., the negotiator that he is, has negotiated a "sleeping hourly rate" with our teenage sitter - I was completely embarrassed to hear him negotiating with a teenager on why the rate should be lower while Virginia is sleeping, though he has a point!)  And the key to us sticking to this, we're going on THURSDAY night dates.  This is key I think.  We're both already dressed for the day (for work) and we're still in "go" mode getting through to the weekend.  Seeing date night on the calendar that Thursday will be that little thing I look forward to that week, it will keep me moving.  Because truthfully, date nights on Saturday aren't as appealing to me.  If we don't have plans with friends, I'd rather just hang out around the house on the weekend (and not get dressed - lame??!)  And on Thursday night, we figure we'll spend less - we won't stay out late and we'll likely skip that extra drink.

Our first date is next Thursday!  Should be fun, and bonus, it coincides with my haircut day, which means my hair will be perfectly blown dry. :)  I'm excited, and we're thinking we'll trade off every other month who picks where we go.  Any Relationship Resolution you're working on this year?  Do you already have a true "date night"?

~Mary Keller

photo from our wedding by Melissa Schollart