2016 Resolutions

It seems like forever that I've been making New Year's Resolutions. Some years I do better than others, but I keep on. Here are my ambitions for this coming year:

1. Keep eating healthier & probably lose a little more weight. I think the amount I've lost so far has made a big difference to the amount of pain I have from my osteoarthritis, but I don't want to go lower than a healthy weight. Once I'm at that point in a few months, I'll work on maintaining good eating habits & drop the food diary that I'm keeping at the moment. 
2. Meal planning follows logically from #1. I want to get back on the wagon with this one so that we can grocery shop more effectively, waste less food & eat better with less work.
3. Find a workable routine with my physio exercises for both my hip & my shoulder. I want to strengthen both to heal up the tendinopathy in my shoulder & further reduce pain in my hip. Hopefully I'll be able to shift from boring exercises by myself at home to more aquafit & try pilates classes.
4. Less screen time for me. I spend way too much time online when I could be doing things like #5, #6, & #7 on this list. I think I'll go back to using RescueTime to try to log & reduce wasted time on my various devices.
5. Work on more creative projects like sewing & visual art. Having the chance to follow my inspiration & drift from a simple cutting exercise for Linny into a collage, then a big multimedia decoupaged canvas recently was fabulous. I need to do more of that.
6. Read more. I'll aim for at least a book a month. That should be off to a great start when my copy of the Velocipede Races arrives in the next month.
7. Take more time for myself on a regular basis. I find I'm a much better parent/spouse/human after I get time off. I just can't function properly if I'm with my husband & children 24/7 with no time alone. 

Once I look at the whole list, it seems rather typical--lose weight, exercise, me time. But I guess that's why these things are so common as to be cliched resolutions--we all need to do them. 

Are you into resolutions? If so, what are some of yours for 2016? If not, do you have any tradition of setting intentions or a motto or a word to go by for the year?

Follow Spokesmama here too:

2015 Resolutions

It's that time again, when everyone decides they're going to hit the gym, lose 20 pounds, start some sort of self-improvement project or other, right? I've seen people talking about their list of intentions, or their goals for the year, a few people are still calling them resolutions (but I guess that's just totally 2014?). Whatever you call them, I like the practice of taking stock & explicitly stating what I want to do during the year.

I often find my resolutions can become more of a to do list, or they're too vague to really be trackable. This year I'm trying to stick to fairly concrete things that I can assess the success of, or habits I want to get into. Here's my list:

1. Be more conscious of my language in front of the kids. Not just swearing, but using negative words like stupid, etc, that they pick up so easily.
2. Take better care of myself. I feel like in 2014 I really let this slide & my life suffered for it. A big part of this is doing my physio exercises as close to daily as I can get so I can get past this hip pain once & for all, then start going to fitness classes again. Going to massage at least monthly is another big part of this.
3. Put a bit more effort into Spokesmama.com. I'd like to get into a rhythm of blogging five times a week. I have done over a year of seven-day-a-week blogging, & then had another year or so of slacking off, so somewhere in the middle would be good for me right now. More consistent social media promotion of the blog is a goal too, along with writing more bike related posts. I want to shift in this direction, focussing a little more on family cycling, but old habits of using this space mainly as a diary & baby book are hard to break.
4. Volunteering. It just feels really good to do this when I can squeeze it in. I want to do at least one event for Modo, keep up with my Mount Pleasant Family Centre Board of Directors work, both of which I've been doing in past years. This year I also want to donate blood at least four times. My first blood donation appointment is set for January, so we're off to a good start. I feel like this is really important. I am eligible to donate & it's something I can make the time for every couple of months or so. It only takes an hour or so but can make such a huge difference in someone else's life.
5. Spend more time with family & friends. Specifically hosting them for dinner/lunch/brunch at least monthly. The get-together we hosted in the holidays reminded me how much I like seeing everyone & how infrequently we've been doing that in the past year or so. I want to try to see everyone a lot more in 2015. 

So there you have it: five items, or really five categories of things to work on. I could probably have added in quite a few more, but I think these are the most important ones. 

Do you make resolutions (or intentions or goals or a To Do list) this time of year? If so, what does your list look like? I'd love to hear about it in the comments...

Follow Spokesmama here too:

2014 Resolutions: The Score

It's that time again, when I take a look at my long-lost list of resolutions for the year & see how badly I did. Here's the lowdown.

1. Start going to Mama Fitcamp again. Trying to ignore the number on the scale & the size on my clothing tags to just focus on how being more fit makes me feel. Hmm. I did go to Fit4Two spinning classes for a few months, which was awesome. But once Bronte was mobile, it wasn't safe to bring her to mom & baby spinning. Sadly, a hip issue has derailed much other exercise than cycling, including the bootcamp style stuff they do in Mama Fitcamp.
2. Eat more vegetables, less sweets & even fewer meat products with nitrates in them. We may have eaten a bit more in the way of vegetables. Hard to say. Fairly sure we have eaten less nitrates-laced meat products in the past few months. However, I never really cut down on sweets. 
3. Downsize my fabric & craft supplies collection so I can use my sewing room properly (it's just stacked floor-to-ceiling with stuff right now). I got rid of a small load of stuff by donating to Our Social Fabric (visit this post for more details on that awesome organization). Room is still crammed to the gunnels.
4. Start doing keyword research & search engine optimization on my blog posts. Nope.
5. Write more about cycling & car-sharing. I published one or two posts a month on average about biking & car-sharing, which is less than I wanted, but probably more than before.
6. Be more patient with my family. Not sure I managed this. I may have become even less patient, to be honest.
7. Get out of the neighbourhood on day trips more often on the weekends. Living car-free means we don't tend to travel too far from home most days. However, when we've done little trips out of Vancouver proper, booking a Modo car & sometimes adding in an errand in the vicinity or on the way, it's worked out well. We did a few weekend outings here & there, but not monthly as I was hoping to do.
8. Be more careful with our spending. I don't feel the need to do any extreme financial dieting, just cutting back on buying things we don't necessarily need. Like clothes for the kids--they both have enough clothes that it's hard to organize it all in our little house. I did buy fewer clothes for the kids in the latter half of the year, I think. Bronte hardly needs anything with all the adorable hand-me-downs she gets from cousins. Linnaeus gets enough given to him as gifts & from friends here & there too. The fact that I have two very active, mobile children means I'm less likely to do any shopping at all, so we may have cut back a little on spending. Meal planning helps with saving a little on groceries, definitely. (more on meal planning here)

Hm, so some successes, some failures. What about you? Did you make resolutions this past year? Did you succeed with any of them? Do you think they're worth bothering with?re

Follow Spokesmama here too:

Project #EcoClutterBuster

For a long time, I've felt overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of things in my house. Things I use, things I love, things I hate, things I haven't used for years, broken things, things waiting to be given away, things, things, things. We have two small rooms at the back of our house (about 150 square feet total) that started out as a sewing/crafting/blogging room & a den/guitar playing space for Oliver have both become storage rooms (translation: near-impassable junk hoards).

It's so hard to keep it all organized & I lost the battle with clutter years ago. I find myself fantasizing about somehow getting rid of nearly all of it to live in a tiny house, a la Jay Shafer, with my possessions numbering in the hundreds. Okay, I'm not going to do that, but I do want to make a big change this year.

I've decided this is going to be the year of reducing how much stuff we have. But. Big but. Part of the reason I've held off on getting rid of many things is that I hate sending them to the landfill. I have several bags of clothing that I'm going to donate at some point. Quite a few baby things that I've been meaning to consign, give to friends or donate. A box of unused kitchen items & another of toys & games for a yard sale we've been meaning to have for ages. I need to think about where this stuff goes after I get rid of it--that shouldn't just be the landfill, making it some other generation's problem. I will do my best to recycle or otherwise sustainably divest myself of all these things.

Since I'm a blogger & I like to share, I thought I'd take you along for the ride with us over the next few weeks or months as we clear out the incredible quantity of junk we've accumulated. I'm not going to set any schedule for this or plan any set time to be complete that I can't stick to. Let's be realistic: I've got two small children to take care of, plus a few other things on my plate. I don't want this to become a hugely stressful endeavor--the goal is to reduce stress here.

What I will promise, however, is:

1. We will try our best to divert everything we get rid of from the landfill. 
2. We'll tell you about how we did it here on Spokesmama, Instagram, Facebook & Twitter--watch for the hashtag #EcoClutterBuster
3. We'll share with you the resources & information on organizations that recycle or upcycle things we don't want.
4. Before & after photos. 

I think #4 is going to be the hardest, possibly. I have to publicly admit that I'm a slob & show you the absolute worst room in my house in all it's cluttered glory. Here's hoping that knowing that you're all watching & waiting for the 'after' photo will keep me on track to get through this mountain of unwanted stuff.

Gulp. Well, here goes with a 'before' photo: 

#EcoClutterBuster: sewing room before. Gulp.

Now that I've promised to take you along with me, sharing the good the bad & the ugly, can you promise me something in return? Come back & read my posts (subscribe here for the utmost ease!), follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Google+ & Twitter. Watch for & use the hashtag #EcoClutterBuster to share encouraging comments, or your own experience & tips to downsize without sending things to the landfill!

Follow Spokesmama here too:

5 Strategies for Sticking With Your Resolutions + An Online Resource

How are you doing on your New Year's Resolutions? Already ditched a few, maybe? Not to fret, I've got some help! A list of strategies to help you stick with your goals, plus some online resources for you. It can be kind of tough to find really reliable information out there--anybody can put whatever they want on a website & call it 'expert advice'.

To avoid the questionable fad diets, the scaremongering & the just-plain-wrong information out there, here's one I trust: the government of Canada's Healthy Canadians website, www.healthycanadians.gc.ca. It's got tons of information & tips on healthy living for the entire family. You can also find information like safety advice on common household products, important safety alerts & recalls, information to help you support the physical & emotional health & safety of your kids, plus tips to help you choose nutritious foods.



Now, on to the strategies for sticking to your resolutions, straight from Healthy Canadians:

1. Take small steps. 

• Be realistic about what you want to change in your eating habits. Often people decide to change without thinking it through. Begin by getting familiar with Canada's Food Guide & start slow by setting 3 small goals for yourself, instead of one big one.
• Choose healthy goals that are easy to achieve. Once those have been reached, then choose some new ones. Examples:
• Increase the amount of fibre in your diet by making half your grain products whole grain each day (e.g. choosing whole grain bread instead of white).
• Reduce your sugar intake by limiting sweets, alcohol & other sweetened hot or cold beverages. Remember, maintaining positive change takes time, so be patient on your journey toward a healthier future.

2. Be specific

• Think about healthier foods to add to your diet--not just about what to eliminate. Write them down, or use My Food Guide to develop a customized approach for healthy eating that's right for you.
• Small changes over time will make it easier to track your success & feel good about meeting your goals. You'll also be motivated by your success to make even more changes.

3. Tap in to your network

• Having the right support system in place will help you meet your goals. Examples: 
• Get the family involved.
• Ask the kids to help create a meal plan every week.
• Invite a friend or colleague to join you on your journey toward a healthier future.
• Trade meal plans & recipe ideas.
• Commit to spending 20 minutes walking together every lunch break.

4. Try and try again

• Expect that you may have setbacks. Some goals will be harder to achieve than others. The key is to get back to it & try again. You may have to make some adjustments to your timeline, but it'll all be worth it in the end.

5. Celebrate your success

• After you've accomplished each goal, reward yourself with a fun family outing, make a date with friends, or find another way to celebrate your success.

How do you do it? Have you got any tips of your own to share for sticking with resolutions? What did you think of the Healthy Canadians website?

Follow Spokesmama here too:

2014 New Year's Resolutions

Now that the crazy rush of Christmas is over & we have a little time to relax, I've been thinking about New Year's resolutions. I make a list every year & though I doubt I've ever accomplished everything on my list, I feel like goal-setting is a worthwhile endeavor anyway.

Last year I put a lot of things on hold because of my pregnancy & the birth of Bronte. I'm glad to be able to focus just a little bit more on myself again this year. Here's my list for 2014:

1. Start going to Mama Fitcamp again. Trying to ignore the number on the scale & the size on my clothing tags to just focus on how being more fit makes me feel.
2. Eat more vegetables, less sweets & even fewer meat products with nitrates in them.
3. Downsize my fabric & craft supplies collection so I can use my sewing room properly (it's just stacked floor-to-ceiling with stuff right now).
4. Start doing keyword research & search engine optimization on my blog posts.
5. Write more about cycling & car-sharing.
6. Be more patient with my family.
7. Get out of the neighbourhood on day trips more often on the weekends. Living car-free means we don't tend to travel too far from home most days. However, when we've done little trips out of Vancouver proper, booking a Modo car & sometimes adding in an errand in the vicinity or on the way, it's worked out well. 
8. Be more careful with our spending. I don't feel the need to do any extreme financial dieting, just cutting back on buying things we don't necessarily need. Like clothes for the kids--they both have enough clothes that it's hard to organize it all in our little house.

Nothing too too ambitious here, mostly things that I think I can accomplish along with all the work of being the main caregiver to two small children.

Now I turn it over to you: did you make any resolutions this year? What are your top three?

Follow Spokesmama here too:

2013 Resolutions: The Score

Last year, in early January, I wrote a list of anti-resolutions, sort of: 10 Things I Have No Intention of Changing in 2013. It was playing along with the Listicles topic of that week, but I was also giving myself a break on resolutions because of another reason, which you can figure out with some simple math. Bronte was born in early September, so on January 6... :)

Nonetheless, I looked back through my list to see how I did on not changing any of the ten things. Here's my rundown: 

1. Eating pretty much whatever I want. I know dieting is on the resolutions list for a lot of people & I don't mean to put you down for that. I didn't go on a diet when I was pregnant--unless you count eating more ice cream, chocolate, chips & pretty much more of everything--a diet.
2. Using social media every day. Yup, definitely didn't miss a day. I may try to manage my social media usage a little more this year, so I don't feel like I'm on so often that I may as well just get an implant.
3. Staying in my pyjamas & bathrobe well into the afternoon on lazy days. Yup, definitely did a lot of this. Now that Bronte's born, getting out of my pyjamas before noon on days we don't have to go out really seems like an accomplishment.
4. I'm going to keep trying to exercise an average of 40 minutes a day. This one I did fail at. I didn't excercise more than 40 minutes a day, but I'm pretty sure I didn't make the 40-minute average most of the year. Again, I use Bronte as my excuse. 
5. My hair colour. Didn't dye my hair--though I was tempted to at least use some temporary colour on it, as I have no dress codes to follow these days.
6. Eating out.  We did eat out quite a bit... until September. Then the restaurant eating nearly ceased. Getting all four of us ready & out the door to a restaurant is just a bit daunting at dinner time. We did snack at cafes a lot, but that's about it. Now that Bronte's older & a bit more predictable in terms of feeding times, I think we'll resume our weekly sushi dinners out.
7. Wearing whatever I feel like. I had the excuse of being pregnant so people would give me a pass on what I was wearing, but I still managed some stylish-yet-comfy outfits thanks to lovely maternity hand-me-downs & the wonders of spandex.
8. Watching crappy reality TV. Yup. Definitely nailed this one. 
9. Having a fairly disorganized house. Our house did not get more organized over the course of 2013, nope. Again, I plead pregnancy & newborn as my excuse.
10. Writing Listicles! I was pretty consistent with joining in the fun, but sort of dropped out in the last few months. I do like the weekly challenge of coming up with a list according to someone else's topic though. Will have to add this in to my resolutions for 2014.

So, all in all, it looks like writing out a list of things I'm NOT going to change worked out quite well for me. Did you write resolutions for 2013? If so, how'd you do? If not, do you think you will this year? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

Follow Spokesmama here too: