Hello everyone! This past year 2015 was a great year for my family! I started this “blog” so I will be more accountable to my goals and resolutions for this past year, and I fell short of posting more frequently. I hope that through my new health and fitness adventures, I can keep this blog more updated week to week!

HEALTH + FITNESS

Lose 15% of my body weight Yes, I actually lost 25% of my body weight! New goal is to maintain 🙂

Eat breakfast every day Yes, this is now a staple with me working out so often, and mostly in the morning hours

Take a daily multivitamin I am 1/2 successful with taking a multivitamin; I take them when I remember to in the evening before bed.

Exercise four days a week Check! I have been successful with 5-7 days a week!

Walk 10,000 steps everyday This has been a little harder lately with the taper blues…but I am still pushing!

Train for first 13.1 Done, done, and done 🙂 3 1/2 marathons run this year, and 1 more in a couple of weeks!

Drink 100 ounces of water every day

Complete a juice cleanse I completed the Raw Generation 3-Day Juice Cleanse; wasn’t easy to steer clear of work snacks, but felt great after!

Complete a 30-day challenge I competed (against myself) in a monthly Kickstarter Dietbet challenge; I successfully lost 4% of my body weight in 30 days!

Complete a 90-day challenge While it was more like 6 months, I competed (against myself) in a Transformer Dietbet challenge; I successfully lost 10% of my body weight in 6 months!

Eliminate something from my diet each month (i.e. sweets, fast food, caffeine, etc.) – This didn’t really happen – I am eating a lot cleaner than I was at the beginning of the year, but I didn’t consciously eliminate foods each month.

Schedule annual doctors appointments – I had my annual women’s appointment back in March, but I have failed on all other appointments. I still have a little time…

PERSONAL GROWTH

Find a Bible reading plan (such as this one) that works for me … and use it regularly! – I did not accomplish this task; I hope to have more focus and drive in the coming year to accomplish this!

Seek opportunities to improve (i.e. parenting, cooking, organizing, wife skills, etc.) 

Keep a blessings/gratitude jar 

Pamper myself with a facial or mani/pedi every other month – nope; but I did get a gift card from my amazing husband for my birthday 🙂

FOR OAKLEY

Schedule one play date a month – I did not actively set up play dates once a month, but we spent a lot of time with family and friends throughout the year (those count as play dates!)

Schedule family pictures

Make a special craft or memento – I have plenty of ideas, we shall see if those are made in the next couple months 🙂

Read a book before bedtime every night – Generally, this happens 🙂 There are surely nights that it is just time for bed…

Spend more time with the immediate and extended family – With as many running events I had in KC, I have seen family quite a bit this year 🙂

HOME LIFE

Buy new comforter + bedding for guest room – check!

Buy new comforter for master bedroom – check!

Buy new side tables + lamps for master bedroom

Save money for hardwood (or wood-like laminate) floors on 1st floor

Save money for new carpet on 2nd floor 

Make our home more energy-efficient – got new light bulbs 🙂

Have a technology-free weekend 

Find a cleaning schedule…and use it! – My cleaning schedule is…clean when you can 🙂

Try a new recipe every month – While we have not set a schedule for this, I feel like we have made “experiment” meals at least once a month…

Host a dinner party with other couples/families 

Host a “Friendsgiving” 

Host a game night – We did not host a game night yet this year, but we have attended a couple

Use the Crock Pot once a month – This has easily happened, especially the past month!

Save loose change and cash out at the end of the year 

Purge the entire house and donate or toss things we don’t use – I have recently went on a purge through my old clothes; I took 8-10 garbage bags of clothes, a box of books, and an unused vacuum to the Goodwill last month. I am still working on our closet and will be taking more soon!

Have my car detailed inside and out – My loving husband has detailed the outside of my car once or twice, but I have yet to detail the inside!

FOR OTHERS

Surprise Husband with a meaningful gift – This has happened a couple times (and has yet to happen for the holidays)

Attend a wedding – or a few – Went to a couple weddings this past summer 🙂 Love you Sarah, Sarah, and Loren!

Attend a baby shower 

Leave a 100% tip for excellent service

Send a “just because” gift to someone – I sent my best friend a gift card to Starbucks on a whim 🙂 Mostly because I missed her and our coffee dates!

Send 12 handwritten notes (one per month) – This has not happened, but maybe I can make up for lost time this fall/winter!

Celebrate special milestones (i.e. birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) with snail-mail greeting cards – Again, I have not been good about this; Will try harder this fall/winter

ADVENTURE

Have a ladies’ night once a quarter – This did not happen

Attend a college sporting event

Attend a professional sport event – KC Royals baseball! #GoRoyals

Visit a popular landmark I’ve never seen before

Go hunting

Go to a drive-in movie

Take an unplanned day trip

Shoot a bow-and-arrow

Complete a fitness challenge – I completed the Runners World Run Streak (#rwrunstreak) back in the summer!

OVERALL

Enjoy life just a little more everyday

Be thankful for the many blessings I have in my life

Try a little harder to keep in touch with friends and family