I'm not a fan of lofty resolutions...they're kind of like strict diets if you ask me. Short-lived, no real results, and just make you feel guilty. BUT I do like setting goals every year. I try to be realistic and honest with myself, and I've found that the process helps me to narrow down all my random thoughts into some specific things that I want to focus on. Last year, we managed to knock out some big goals--moving cities, buying a house, and getting pregnant again. This year, I don't really have any BIG life goals in mind. Instead, I hope 2018 will be a year of enjoying where we are. Hanging out with people, appreciating what we have, and savoring this time of life. We're in a good place right now, and I want to simply enjoy it without putting pressure on ourselves to figure out the next big thing. After all, life is not about acquiring and achieving as much as possible. So my goals this year are all pretty low-key. I'm open to new changes in 2018...but I'm also content with things continuing along the same steady path. I love the quote below, it pretty much sums up how I feel. I hope I can keep that attitude in mind throughout the whole year!

GOALS FOR 2018

1. Have friends over more often - We like having people over to our house, but we haven't done it much since we moved. Either the house is too dirty, or I don't have the energy to make a fancy dinner, or we wait til the last minute and assume everyone has plans already. Well, this year I want to kick those excuses to the curb. Having friends over doesn't have to be stressful...it can just be afternoon coffee and games, or spaghetti from a jar and salad from a bag. And who cares if the house is perfectly clean? It's about spending time together. I think the reason it sometimes feels overwhelming to invite people over is that we don't do it often enough. If we've never had someone over to our house, we feel like we have to impress them and prove that we don't live as messy slobs. But it's more laidback with the people we see regularly. So here's to having people over more often this year, in a low-key, casual, no-pressure way!

2. Explore the area around us - We probably won't be able to take any international trips this year (unless you count Canada!) due to limited vacation time + new baby + saving our money for remodeling. But that doesn't mean we can't travel! There's a lot to see within driving distance of Spokane, and this year I want to take advantage of that and do more small trips. Glacier? Yellowstone? Banff? There are actually a lot of really great possibilities that I haven't been to since I was a kid--and Ben has never seen.

3. Meet local creatives in Spokane - I'm not sure what my next step will be career-wise, but I have a feeling it will be something local (I'm toying with the idea of eventually starting a decorating/staging business). In all the years I lived in Seattle, I only met a few creatives in person...partially because I was intimidated by most of them, but also because we weren't sure if we'd stay in the Seattle area. Now we're settled in Spokane, and we plan to be here for the foreseeable future. Plus this smaller-town community seems less intimidating. So I want to start getting to know people and building connections! As an introvert, that's definitely waaay out of my comfort zone, but I want to challenge myself to reach out to at least a few people this year.

4. Make time for reading & relaxing - It's going to be an adjustment for me to have a baby and a toddler this year, and I know my free time will be pretty limited. Luckily, my mom lives nearby and has offered to watch Ian on a regular basis once the baby comes, which will be a huge help! I'll mostly use that time to work on blog posts, clean the house, and get practical stuff done...but I also want to give myself some time for reading, taking naps, and watching shows while snuggling the baby. Sometimes I feel guilty about relaxing and taking time for myself, but it's necessary for my well-being! So I'm putting it on my list of goals so I can feel good about making relaxation a priority.

5. Renovate the kitchen - This is my one big goal for 2018! It's a little intimidating since we've always rented before, so renovations are new territory for us. Decorating is gradual, evolving, and easy to rearrange. But renovations are all at once, hard to change, and SO much more expensive! I want to make sure we don't waste a bunch of money or end up dissatisfied with the end result. In my dreams, everything goes really well, we love the process, we learn how to do some things ourselves, we get to know a good contractor we can trust, the kitchen turns out fabulous, we stay on budget, and we're motivated to tackle the bathrooms afterward! Is that too much to ask for? Haha. :)

What are your goals for 2018? I'd love to hear!

The Home Depot provided me with product and compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own​.

I'm welcoming in the new year by welcoming you into our entryway! When we first moved in, we loved the tall ceilings and all the natural light this space gets, but other than that it was looking pretty blah. Enter a fancy new light, a pretty tufted bench, and some other decor pieces from Home Depot, and it's making a muuuuch better first impression on our guests. I still have dreams of ripping out the boring brown tile and doing something prettier here, but other than that I'm very happy with this space.

When you come in the front door, there's now a pink upholstered bench to your left, where you can sit to put on/take off your shoes. Best of all, the top lifts so we can store hats and gloves in there. It's been really handy to have that extra storage space this winter. Above the bench, there's a simple wall mounted coat rack for the coats we wear regularly (the rest of them are still in the coat closet, on the opposite wall).

The biggest difference, and my favorite part of the whole entryway, is the new chandelier. It's the Olivia 5 Light Crystal Chandelier, and it's gorrrrgeous. It was a bit of a challenge figuring out how to wire a new light on a 17 ft ceiling...but we did it. Or rather, I should say, Ben did it with the help of his brother and two extra-tall ladders. We wanted something grand and dramatic (but not gaudy), and I think this chandelier fits the bill perfectly. The crystals feel really fancy, but the simple sphere shape keeps it from being over-the-top. A huge improvement on the light that was there before.

Past the stairs, we have a midcentury style console table with drawers for envelopes, stamps, and other small items that are nice to have accessible. Above it we hung a big round mirror with a simple modern frame. On the table, I put a skinny table lamp for extra light, plus a few small organizers for holding things like keys and mail. And under the table, I put a bigger basket for extra storage (right now we have throw blankets in there).

The last addition to the entryway was a fiddle leaf fig plant. I've wanted one of these for years! We killed all our old houseplants in the move (terrible) and at first I thought I should just admit my plant-killer status and start over with fake plants. But I decided to give it another try, and so far this guy is doing great! I think he likes all the natural light that the entryway gets.

This space is so much more welcoming now! Since the entryway is the first thing people see when they come into your house, I think it's well worth spending a little time, effort, and money to make it feel decorated and considered.

P.S. Have you ever browsed The Home Depot site for decor? I think most people think of them as a destination for big renovation projects involving lumber, tile, paint, etc. Maybe plants and lighting too. But they have so much more online than what you see in the stores! I've been really impressed with their selection of decor and furniture. Definitely worth checking out! You can shop all the items from our entryway and see more ideas here.

Well, that's it friends! Another year on the books, and what a year it was. Before we move on, I wanted to pause and reflect on 2017, both personally and with regard to this blog. I always strive to be honest with you guys, and while I don't think it's healthy to be introspective all the time, I do like taking time for reflection every now and then. The first day of a new year is a natural time for this, and it's a one of my favorite traditions...to quiet myself, pause all my activity, consider what my goals and priorities really are, and make sure I'm doing things with intention and not just on auto-pilot.

Truth be told, 2017 was the hardest year for me yet with blogging. Early in the year, I got an email asking me to remove a photo that (though properly credited) I hadn't asked permission to share. They threatened legal action, which scared me enough to go through my archives and delete any posts with photos that weren't my own. Needless to say, that took out a big chunk of my old blog posts, since I used to love sharing inspiration, trends, and ideas. I know many people are happy to have their photos shared (with credit, of course)...and I know I could reach out and get permission ahead of time for blog posts moving forward, but I felt like the safest course of action was just to stick with my own photography.

However, this made each blog post pretty time-intensive this year. Taking my own photos requires me to plan ahead so I can shoot when there's good natural light (and this year, there was the added necessity of shooting during Ian's naptime). Besides the photography itself, it also takes time to style the room, edit photos, crop and resize, and upload them...a lot more work than simply posting inspiration photos and writing about why they caught my eye. You may have noticed that most of the posts I managed to publish this year were sponsored posts. That's not because I was indiscriminately accepting any sponsorships that came my way (I still turned down a lot)...it's because I just did not have time for additional blog posts besides the ones with deadlines.

I don't mean to complain...blogging is still a DREAM job and I realize how lucky I am to get paid for something I love. But I have to admit, this year there were multiple times that I considered throwing in the towel...for multiple reasons. One of them is that I'm just not that excited about DIY projects anymore--and that used to be a big part of this blog. I used to spend hours thinking of ideas, planning them out, and executing them. And I had fun doing it! But this year that just seemed exhausting, and I found that I'd rather simply buy something I love rather than try and recreate it myself. So my DIY posts pretty much died this year.

Another reason I felt defeated in 2017 was the (very unhealthy and detrimental) habit of comparing myself to other bloggers. Being an "influencer" (although I hate that word) has become such a common thing. Now there are an endless number of people with huge Instagram followings, and that's what a lot of brands care about when deciding who to work with. It's hard not to feel like your worth is defined by a number--and meanwhile, my Instagram barely grew this year. So I felt, often, that I would fall behind, unless I wanted to devote a bunch of time to strategies for gaining followers (which feels weird and unnatural to me--plus, I was trying to spend LESS time on my phone).

Lastly, the biggest reason is a positive one--becoming a mom! When Ian was born and I quit working full-time, I naively thought that I'd have more time for blogging since I would be home all day. And when he was a newborn, that was true. But as he got older, he got more interactive and busy, and he took less naps. Now he's down to one nap a day, which is also the time I use for prepping dinner, cleaning, and (occasionally) relaxing with a book or a show. I don't want him to see me on my laptop all the time, and I also don't want to spend my whole day blogging anyways. Ian loves getting out of the house and going to the library or the grocery store or the park (when it's not winter!) and I love planning playdates with my friends and their kids (lots of my friends in Spokane are also stay-at-home moms, which has been really nice). So I just haven't been focusing on blogging as much as I thought I would this year. And that's a good thing! It's been a joy spending time with Ian and watching him grow and learn. This is such a fun stage of life, and I wouldn't trade it for more work, that's for sure.

So 2017 wasn't the best year for me as a blogger...but it was a great year for me personally. I managed to accomplish a lot of my 2017 goals (moving to a more affordable city, buying a house, traveling as much as possible, getting out of the house and spending more time with friends). I didn't lose weight, but I did get pregnant again, so I give myself a pass on that one. :) I'm already in my third trimester as of yesterday--it's going by so fast!!! So far, no warning signs of preeclampsia so that's a good thing too.

I feel like this time of life is so precious, I really want to soak it in and enjoy.  I have goals and plans and ideas, of course...but I also want to live in the moment, be content, and spend lots of time with friends and family in 2018. I don't want to worry so much about the direction of this blog, whether I'm falling behind, or what my next step is career-wise. Those things will come. When I really reflect on what brought me joy last year, it was the personal stuff. So my goals for 2018 will probably be mostly personal stuff as well (I'm working on a post with all of them right now). I still plan to keep blogging in 2018 (we have lots of house projects planned, which I'm excited about!), but I'll be honest...it's probably gonna be another year where blogging isn't my first priority.

Anyways, I could go on but I feel like this post is already really long. If you actually read the whole thing, I hope I didn't come off sounding negative! I still love blogging! But I wanted to be honest, and share some of the struggles I've had with it in 2017. I'd love to get your thoughts, whether you're a fellow blogger, small business owner, or blog reader. Thanks for bearing with me on a wordy, reflective post...I don't do these too often but I always feel the urge around the start of a new year!

This is a sponsored conversation with ARM & HAMMER. All opinions are my own.

After all the noise and hubbub of Christmas, I'm ready to simplify and get a fresh, clean start for the new year. And with our second baby coming in March, it's especially important to get as much as possible taken care of now, so it will be easier to stay on top of all the little daily tasks when we have less time for them. Throughout the year, my tendency is to deal with the things that are immediately necessary (like paying bills), really obvious (like a pile of dirty laundry), or fun to do (decorating and shopping!)...and I procrastinate the rest. But once in awhile, I actually get motivated to deep clean, organize, and tackle the stuff that I've been putting off. And it usually feels really good. So while I'm in a productive mood, I'm gonna try to cross off as much of my to-do list as possible...before I revert back to my lazy procrastinating ways. :)

In the last week, I've washed our windows, wiped down the appliances, dusted baseboards and lighting fixtures, cleaned the dishwasher, replaced vacuum bags, removed stains from Ian's old baby clothes, and cleaned the carpet on the stairs...all things that are necessary to do, but easy to procrastinate. Maybe it's nesting, maybe it's just the start of the new year...but either way, I'm on a roll and actually enjoying it!

The funny thing is, I normally hate cleaning...but there's something really satisfying about these once-in-awhile tasks that I don't get from doing the dishes or hanging up laundry. There's the rewarding sense of being DONE, instead of an exhausting, never-ending cycle. I'm gonna try to stay on top of all these little things in 2018, so we can keep our clean home happening. That way, we can spend our weekends enjoying LIFE instead of catching up on housework!

To help me with that goal, I'm all about products that are quick, easy, and effective...like ARM & HAMMER™ Pet Fresh Carpet Cleaner (available at Walmart stores and Walmart.com). It absorbs allergens, eliminates pet odors, and breaks down stains. You just sprinkle the powder, brush it into the carpet, wait 30 minutes, and vacuum it up--leaving your carpets clean, dry, and smelling fresh!

Ben's always been the cleaner in our relationship, and I've always been the messy one. Well, to give myself some credit I do most of the grocery shopping, cooking, and laundry...but in our seven years of marriage I have NEVER cleaned the bathrooms. I know, I'm lucky! But now that I'm a stay-at-home mom, I want to learn how to do these things so I can knock them out during the week, and save our precious weekend time for the fun stuff. Ben's always said that he doesn't mind cleaning and finds it therapeutic--which I thought was extremely weird. Now I (kind of) get it. I don't think I'll ever LOVE cleaning, but I do enjoy crossing things off my list and feeling productive. And most tasks are actually less daunting and time-intensive than I think they'll be...especially when I can listen to a good podcast while I'm at it. :)

I've been thinking more about the rest of my goals for 2018, and I'll do a post about them soon. In the meantime, this is probably my last post of 2017, so Happy New Year!!!