goals...

i'm not one who normally makes new year's resolutions. maybe because i know that i won't actually keep them, but this year i wanted to challenge myself to make goals and let others know about them as a way to keep myself accountable.

here's a list a some of my goals for 2017:

1. self care! i go, go, go as a mother, and i need to stop and be more intentional about doing things for myself. motherhood doesn't overwhelm me, but i think that it's important to hold on to my own self and interests as well.

2. build this blog. it's been a dream of mine to be a full-time blogger for years now, and i really want to work hard this year to peruse this dream. i'm not giving up my grad schools plans for this anytime soon, but people actually earn a living from blogging these days! DREAM! my realistic goals for building the blog are: writing at LEAST two post per week- eventually transitioning into writing everyday- investing the money into the process, connect with other bloggers and continuing researching how to make it grow.

3. watch youtube videos to learn to use photoshop.

4. pray EVERYDAY. before becoming a mother, prayer was a way of life for me. these days, i don't have hours to spend in that "quiet place," but i can dedicate at least 30 mins to connecting with God. and no, i haven't been good at keeping up with it...

5. read the bible EVERYDAY. read above and replace "prayer" with "bible reading" and it's the same story.

6. read more poetry and literature that i love.

7. go to at least five new countries. i spent the first week of january in denmark and sweden, so i guess technically i only have three more to go!

8. less time on facebook.

9. more quality time with the kids. i spend A LOT of time with them, and we do a lot of projects and outings, but i want to make sure that as the girls are getting older, i am spending quality time with each of them to build closeness and a continued open relationship. quality time is especially important to ama, and i want to be sure that i am giving them quality and not just quantity.

10. read a parenting book. as the girls are getting older, parenting is becoming more challenging. i want to have a healthy balance of boundaries and rules along with them being fierce and powerful. also, i want to read a book about raising boys- a subject that i am clueless on.

11. get a beautiful photo shoot done with the kids! i've been trying to make it a point to take more photos of myself -i'm the one always taking the pictures- and i really want to take professional ones with nasi and the girls.

12. buy more things for myself. really, i use to be SOOO good at this! before having children, you'd never have to convince me that i should spend money on me! i had (have) a thing for expensive make-up and nice clothes, but none of that seemed to matter anymore once i had my babies! i gladly give all that i have to them -ok, and to travel!- but i do need to buy nice for myself as well. this lipstick is calling my name, and i'm going to spend $30 on it...guilt free!

13. finish old craft projects. i have a quilt that i started back when lili was about seven months old that i need to finish. so, um, yeah... i want to get into the habit of finishing things that I've started, and to make sure that i'm teaching the kids this same thing. i'm making it a point to inforce that they finish books that they've started reading, even if they find them "boring."

14. learn a new craft. crochet will be first, and then maybe weaving or macramé. i'll stay realistic and aim for crocheting.

15. plant a vegetable garden. i FINALLY have a big yard with the space to do so- who wants to help me get started?!

16. only surround myself with loving and supportive people.

17. the most cliché goal of all: exercise.

18. find a place to volunteer.

19. laugh more. because, well, no one can ever have enough laughter in their life!

20. save more money.

21. connect with friends more often in real life, and not just on facebook.


what are your some of your goals for 2017, and how can i help keep you accountable?

i'm done making excuses...

positano, amalfi coast, italy. aug 2015

i'm done with making excuses of why i'm not pursing my dream of becoming a mommy/ travel/ lifestyle/ politics/ faith/ craft/ race/ everything-in-between blogger. i've been dreaming of this since 2009, and i finally did start a blog four years ago when the girls and i were in asia- i just never really kept up with it.

i had my reasons:

stresses of life.

don't know how to grow a blog.

don't have a professional camera with expensive lenses.

don't have a cool blog design and layout.

don't know how to use photoshop.

can't decide what "type" of blogger i'd be.

some of the Christian mom bloggers i stumbled upon talked about their "great desire" to be "obedient wives," and i had no interest in that.

everyone else started their blogs years before me, and they were all soo professional looking.

the girls are bigger now and i should have started when they were little.

i should have started back again when nasi was born.

i should have been blogging during all of our trips.

i needed to live in reality and just get a masters degree and call it a day.

maybe if i lived somewhere more exciting, more people would tune in.

maybe my writing isn't good enough- i've never taken any formal writing class.

time management.

fear.

fear.

fear.

the list could go on.

normally, i'm the "i don't take 'no' for an answer," "i will crush any obstacle in my way" type person who dreams crazy dreams and goes after them. i'm pushy. i'm feisty. i'm a fighter. i wasn't afraid to travel alone around se asia for nearly four months with toddlers- without a lot of  money or a backup plan. i wasn't afraid to take a three hour bus ride with little ones from mexico city to michoacán, despite tales of dangerous drug cartels. we hopped trains in europe for a few weeks, sometimes not knowing if we had a place to stay in our next city of arrival, and i was at peace! i flew home alone from argentina with the girls and a one month-old nasi without batting an eye. i welcome the unknown and rarely cling what is familiar; i thrive in uncharted waters.

i didn't fear donald trump enough to compromise and vote for hillary clinton. sure, go ahead and roll your eyes and call me reckless; i call myself informed.

there's something about this blog, though, that gives me a racing heart and sweaty palms- it's an almost paralyzing effect. i honestly want to pursue it and believe that i have a strong voice that people want to hear, but then i come up with all of my excuses and bury the dream deep in my heart. this is so unlike me.

a few times a year, i'll have different people randomly ask me if i've ever considered blogging. then i'll get this short-lived surge of inspiration and tell myself that i'm doing it this time...but then i don't.

i'm done with making excuses; i will not live in the land of dreams deferred.

this weekend, ama started a blog and has been dedicated to writing on it everyday- she's inspired me to do the same. how can i encourage my children to go after their dreams, if i'm not going after mine?

i'm going to attend a conference for women travel bloggers this april, and i will glean all the wisdom that i can...

i still don't have an expensive camera with a fancy lens, and i still don't have a "cool" looking blog design. i don't know if this blog will ever take off and go anywhere beyond my friends reading it and the occasional share on facebook. one thing i do know, though, is that i will stop making excusing for not going after this dream. i never like having regrets anyway...

what are the excuses and/or obstacles that are stopping you from pursuing your dream?