SMART New Year's Resolutions

The start of something new has always been a great motivator for self-improvement whether it be the new calendar year, new school year, new job, move to a new home, and so on.  Hence, the desire to make New Year’s Resolutions.

Most people MAKE New Year’s resolutions, they just don’t stick to them.  Usually, lack of success in achieving your goals has little to do with willpower and motivation and a lot to do with strategy.  New Year’s resolutions are nothing but self-improvement goals.  About half of all Americans make resolutions and about 10% of those keep their resolutions.  So what’s the secret in keeping your resolutions, in other words, achieving your goals?  I am a big fan of the classic SMART goal system:  Make your goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.  

Specific:  Stating your fitness resolution as, “I want to go to the gym more often” is not specific enough.  Instead, you might say, “I want to go to the gym at least 3 days/week”.  Also remember that how you intend on achieving your goal should also be specific.  If you intend on going to the gym 3 days/week, you need to schedule the workouts just like you would your Dr. appointments - put them in your phone, datebook, etc.

Measurable:  If something can be measured, it can be changed.  “Be a better person” may be difficult to measure whereas “increase my charitable donations” is measurable.  As you measure your progress, feedback helps you adjust, which moves you toward success. 

Achievable:  Is your goal within reason?  It doesn’t have to be easy, but it should be something you can achieve.  If you say that you want to have all of your closets organized and cleaned by the end of the week, that may not be achievable.  But if you set your goal at one closet/month you are more likely to accomplish it.  

Relevant:  Are your resolutions relevant to YOUR life or someone else’s? If your goals are truly ones that YOU want to achieve, ownership will contribute to success.  

Time-bound:  Although most people like to make New Year’s resolutions that last all year, a year-long goal can be quite daunting.  Instead, start out with one short-term goal for January.  Once you achieve it, make another, and so on. 

More helpful hints:  Get social support by sharing your goals with family or friends, maybe even partner up with someone with the same goals.  I never cancel a workout when I am meeting a friend at the gym.  At least get an “accountability partner” who will check in with you weekly.   Lose the “all or nothing”mentality.  Something is better than nothing.  If you can’t eat healthy every meal, start with one and work up from there.  Most important, when you fail, get right back up.  Don’t turn a temporary failure into an excuse for giving up.  Get right back up and start again.  I was definitely off of my healthy eating regimen Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (and probably a few days before) but by December 26 I was right back on.  

Will 2017 be the year you stick to your New Year’s resolutions?  Happy New Year! 

Push Reset On Your Holiday Decorations

I was shopping the after-Christmas sales years ago, before it became extremely popular.  At first, it was just Christmas wrapping paper, ribbon and tags.  Within a few years, I was adding Christmas decor to my seek-and-find list as I carefully updated my holiday decorations.  I remember purchasing my Dickens Village the day after Christmas one year at 75% off.  Now, the popularity of the after-Christmas sales has forced merchants to start even before Christmas.

When we first built our home, the ever popular forest green and burgundy dominated the color scheme of my Christmas decor.  With two young children, many of our decorations were also handmade treasures, compliments of my two little artists. Additionally, pets and little hands guaranteed that tree ornaments were unbreakable (at least the ones on the lower branches) and many of my decorations were soft - stuffed animals and throw pillows.  Our environment of pets and toddlers seemed to dictate my decor.  

The forest green/burgundy theme was later replaced with a Victorian-themed tree as well as Victorian Christmas decor.  Remember that trend?  With that change, I put up a second tree displaying the many “kid ornaments” in our newly finished basement since the kids spent a lot of time there with their toys and friends.  I am sure many of you remember the “tree in nearly every room” movement.   

Each year since birth, my children received an ornament from my husband and I with full intention of gifting them all of their ornaments when they left home so that they could start their first tree (for some reason, this has offended them, like we were divorcing them or something).  I'm pretty sure that I thought it was a cooler idea than they did.  Regardless, they took the ornaments, displaying some of them on their new trees.  BTW, my suggestion this year to replace our current mismatched stockings with all matching ones next year, as our family is growing, has met with the same shock and appall.  

As my children got married and left home, it was time to retire the “kid tree” in the basement along with our Victorian-themed flocked tree and purchase a more natural looking pre-lit Monroe Fir (complete with pine cones) and shop the 50% off ornaments and decor sale at one of my favorite shops, Pottery Barn.  These rustic luxe ornaments and Christmas decor suit the current decor of our home.  With two grand babies on the way, I have also incorporated a fun Santa collection.  

Remember, you don’t have to pull out your wallet to reset your decorations.  Try incorporating some of your older treasures, especially ones with sentimental value.  The old ceramic tree that I made for my grandmother when I was a pre-teen still sits in my front entryway every Christmas.  The Longaberger basket that belonged to my mother holds pretty seasonal pot pourri on my coffee table.  Keep your sentimental pieces and offer your retired decorations to your kids or give them to charity.  Years ago, when my daughter moved into her first apartment, many of my former decorations really helped her get started on her collection of Christmas decorations.  

Some of my favorite stores to shop great sales for pretty decorations include Pottery Barn, Home Goods, Joann Fabrics and Kirklands.  Although it may be easy and comfortable to use the same decor in the same places in your home year after year, try a change up every few years and incorporate new holiday decor to spark up your holiday decorating.  I know someone who removes his Christmas ornaments from his tree after Christmas and replaces them with New Year’s ornaments.  I’m not quite there yet, but sure sounds like a lot of fun for a New Year’s party! 

Remembering Loved Ones With Christmas Traditions

Does your family have Christmas traditions?  I find it interesting to learn about the different ways families celebrate Christmas and how their traditions began.  In most families, some traditions were started many, many years ago and the generations carry on the traditions.  As children get married and have families of their own, they start a few of their own traditions.  Even grandparents start new customs with their new grandchildren.  

One Christmas tradition started by my mother with me and my brothers was the reading of The Littlest Angel on Christmas Eve.  When I had children, I carried on the tradition and my brother did the same with his children.  My grandbabies, great nephew and great niece were gifted this beautiful story by my father in hopes that they too will learn to love it and keep my mother’s memory alive.  

Another fun Christmas ritual is our annual Christmas Eve party.  Sharing Christmas celebrations between our kids’ paternal and maternal grandparents, we found ourselves home for Christmas Eve every other year on the years we celebrated Christmas Day with my husband’s family.  On those years, we had a Christmas Eve party, serving tortellini soup, spiral ham, appetizers and the homemade Christmas cookies I had been baking since mid-December.  We would attend the Children’s Mass (the kids were usually participants), and the kids would open one gift before putting out milk and cookies for Santa and the reading of The Littlest Angel.  Now that our children are married and divide their time with their spouses’ families, we still have our annual party, having our celebration with them on Christmas Eve.  

A tradition that is a favorite with the kids (defined by my adult children and their spouses) is “Find the Pickle.”  This Christmas tradition gives the finder of the pickle ornament a special gift.  The kids practically knock each other over searching for the pickle.  For them, it’s not about getting the extra gift, it’s about beating each other out for the prize!  It’s a lot of fun - can’t wait for the grand babies to be old enough to compete with their parents!

Another favorite tradition is our "Christmas in the Country" celebration with my dad and my brother's family the weekend before Christmas.  We all travel to my dad's home in the country, a real treat for my urban kids, complete with matching pjs, activities with the cousins, and an evening of game-playing.

Finally, the most meaningful tradition that I hope to instill in my family during the Christmas season is the tradition of giving.  Each year, we contribute gifts to families in need through The Giving Tree in our parish.  Additionally, as I purchase gifts for my family, I like to choose some that benefit others.  This year, the kids all received screen cleaners in their stockings, proceeds benefiting the Riley’s Children’s Foundation.  It’s important to me to stay grounded and remember the true meaning for the season.

After my younger brother passed away many years ago, my mother never talked about death.  She always spoke in terms of life and eternal life.  When you carry on family traditions, you carry on the memory of your parents, their parents, and so on.  We are all a beautiful mix of generations that lived before us.  What better way to honor and remember them than to carry on traditions that were important to them.   What better way to guarantee that traditions never die.  

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Christmas in Virginia

With two babies coming in January, it was necessary to get creative with our Christmas celebrations this year.  Since none of the kids could travel, the only option was to have two holidays - one in Virginia and one in Chicago.  The first would be with my son and daughter-in-law at their beautiful new home in Virginia.  Since purchasing in September, they have begun to transform their abode into a charming east coast home starting with the amazing farm table they built together during the Thanksgiving holiday.  Using wood purchased at the local lumber company and a lot of time and determination, they created a piece of art that will be the center of their growing family for years to come. Their beautiful Christmas tree that shines through the front window is adorned with vintage ornaments (many from their childhood), Virginian painted pine cones and a handmade ruffled tree skirt.     

Since we were going to be staying a week, I thought it would be a good time to check out some of the sights around Colonial Williamsburg and Norfolk.  One favorite was the Dominion Garden of Lights at the Norfolk Botanical Garden.  We enjoyed a 2-mile drive through a million sparkling lights and were in awe at how the Botanical Garden was transformed into a winter wonderland.   The best part - no need to get out of the car.  We could have even gone in our pajamas!  Another fantastic light display was “Christmas Lights at the Beach,” also a 2-mile drive-through, but this time it was on the Boardwalk in Virginia Beach.  At 6 PM, the Boardwalk closes to pedestrians and it’s open for a beautiful drive along the Atlantic through a Christmas light display.      

A spa visit is always on my “to do” list while traveling.  I booked a spa day for my daughter-in-law and me at the Greenleaf & Pebble Tea Spa in Virginia Beach, one of the best on the eastern seaboard.  We took advantage of the “Two Hours of Bliss” special with facials and massages.  Our spa experience began and concluded with tea chosen from about 100 different brews from the Tea Lounge.  These organic loose teas from around the world have benefits ranging from stress and anxiety reduction to prenatal/post-partum to anti-aging (I’ll take that one!).   The staff was amazing, prices were great, and the Tea Lounge is a terrific feature.  

My Virginia kids always find a great trendy seafood restaurant right on the sea that features fresh catch.  We were definitely not disappointed with Chick’s Oyster Bar, a little restaurant paradise right on the bay.  Not only will you find fresh seafood at Chick’s, but also over a dozen beers on tap and Chick’s Gear honoring our brave military.  

A trip to the Yankee Candle Village in Williamsburg was a smart option for one cold and rainy day during our trip.  If you love Christmas, you will love Yankee Candle Village.  Within the many shops inside the village, you can shop for decorations, ornaments, candy, toys and (of course) candles.  If you have kids or grandkids with you, they will love activities like making a wax mold of their hand, creating a jar candle or dipping a candle critter.  In downtown Williamsburg, we stopped at the Peanut Shop of Williamsburg.  The Peanut Shop has dozens of delectable peanut recipes, all with samples you can taste before you buy.   

Christmas #1 was a huge hit, now back home to Chicago for Christmas #2 and to start baby watch for the grand babies. 
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Handmade With Love

I recently attended the One of a Kind Holiday Show in Chicago at the Merchandise Mart with a couple of my friends.  The One of a Kind Show is an extraordinary holiday shopping event that features fine art and craft from hundreds of artists, designers and makers.  All products are handmade, from giftable craft to fine art.  

Although I don’t consider myself an artist and I am definitely not a designer, the show certainly inspired me with a few ideas of handmade goodies that I could for-sure create for my friends and family.   My family seems to prefer unique handmade gifts over store-bought, so each Christmas I create a gift using a little bit of talent and a lot of love.  (Last year it was Family Heirloom Cookbooks.) 

This year I decided to make Microwavable Bowl Warmers.  How often do we heat something in the microwave and get our fingers burnt when trying to remove it?  I thought of my dad who has oatmeal from the microwave every morning, my sick friend who heats soup from the microwave when she feels like eating, and my busy adult children who use their microwaves more than their ovens.  I went to google and searched “how to create a microwavable bowl warmer” and was able to create these cute little gems.  All I needed was pieces of fabric (10 X 10), microwave safe batting and my sewing machine.  For gift presentation, I placed a snowflake ceramic bowl inside of the finished warmer along with a package of organic soup and goldfish crackers, and it made a nice handmade gift for family and friends.     

Another easy and fun idea was the funny flour sack towels.  One of the artists had an entire exhibit of dozens of flour sack towels with funny sayings.  We had fun just reading them!  After researching the various ways to create these towels such as silk screening and transfer paper, I decided that the best option for me was the transfer paper.  Create the image/quote on your computer, send it to the printer using transfer paper and iron it on a flour sack towel.  It was easy and a lot of fun to create! 

When it comes to Christmas, I’m very traditional.  Although I still do my part at boosting the economy at Christmastime by buying for family and friends, a big part of tradition for me means sharing handmade things with people you love - giving a part of yourself to the recipient.    

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