Noelle lately: December 2016

Looking back on 2016, it has been quite an eventful year! I think we can all agree that it’s been one for the books. This year has been such a monumental one in so many ways that I thought I’d reminisce on all of the highlights. From celebrating two friend's weddings, lots of friend's pregnancies, catching up with old friends to our own wedding and everything in between, I have a lot to be thankful for. Cheers to all of the wonderful people in my life and the exciting opportunities that have panned out this year. 2017 has big shoes to fill! Without further ado, here’s my 2016 highlight reel…

1. Celebrating my Bachelorette party with my best friends.

2. Welcoming baby Adeline and baby Logan into the world.

3. Christmas in North Carolina.

4. The time we had with Chance this year.

5. Celebrating my parents turning a year older.

6. Seeing Mumford & Sons for the third time.

7. My best friend's wedding.

8. Cleaning the Okatoma river with this crazy crew.

9. Marrying my best friend.

10. Honeymoon in the Bahamas.

It's hard to believe we only have a few more days left in 2016! I thought I would post some 2017 resolutions/goals that I'm hoping to accomplish in the new year. I've found in the past that writing these down helps me stand a better chance of following through with them.

1. Take Time to Relax
This year I want to make more time for my personal life. I had an amazing 2016, but it was definitely jam packed. In 2017, I plan on making my health and happiness a priority just like I would any other aspect of my job. I am going to take time for things like eating right, setting aside time to relax, and spending quality time with my friends and family (with my cell phone tucked away). It’s wonderful to work hard and accomplish your goals, but if you are too exhausted to do anything else besides your work, what’s the point?

2. Clear Out The Clutter
Last year, I started to de-clutter and simplify our lives. I really want to take it to the next level this year and that applies to every aspect of my life. I want to clear the clutter out of my home, my car, my wallet, my closets, my countertops… The list goes on. I feel so much more organized and less stressed when everything is in its place, which is hard to do when there is just so much stuff everywhere. We did quite a few donations last year also, but I want to start doing monthly donations to charities and organizations that need all of the extra stuff that we have lying around. From clothes to beauty products to home decor, I always have so many things that I don’t need that someone else could appreciate and love way more than I do.

3. Take Those Vitamins
This might seem silly, but one of my 2017 resolutions is to actually remember to take my vitamins! To start 2017 off on the right foot, I'm bringing them to work so they'll be in my face all day as a reminder. This year, I’m going to be on top of it!

4. Become A Morning Person
Waking up early has never been my strong suit and you can usually catch me hitting the snooze button more than once. I’m the worst when it comes to giving myself enough time to wake up and get ready in the morning! Ideally I’d like to save myself enough time before work to enjoy my morning juice, get in a quick workout, and make a balanced breakfast.

5. No More Procrastinating
I've been getting better about my tendency to leave the hardest task, or the one I’ve been dreading the most, to the very last minute. It always causes me unneeded anxiety, and I realize how easy it would make everything if I just dove right into my most complicated (or least fun) to-do item first. I have a feeling that fixing this one thing will help in a lot of different areas in my life… from work tasks to cleaning my apartment to running errands.

6. Conquer the Whole Money Saving Thing
Why is saving money so difficult? A lot of times I feel the ability to set money aside for the distant future is nonexistent, which is becoming more stress inducing the older I get. My 2017 resolution is to redesign my retirement fund plan and master a savings method that will lead to a long-term and satisfying result—thereby curing the occasional sleepless “what the heck am I’m doing with my life” night.

Until next time...