It's that time of year! One of my favorite New Year's "rituals" is reading my goals from the past year and seeing how my reality matched up, then setting goals for the next year. I also love chatting with Ben about our big combined goals and making plans for how to reach them. It's so helpful to talk through these kind of things with someone else...whether it's your husband, a friend, or even a blog. :) Honestly, that has been one of my favorite things about blogging throughout the years. It's like an online diary where I can record my hopes, dreams, and goals, and refer back to them in the future. And what's even better is when it's a conversation, not just one-sided. On that note, I would loooove it if some of you take the time to comment with your feedback, advice, and your own goals for 2017. It seems like these days, all the conversation is moving to social media, and that's cool too...but I kind of miss getting comments in response to my blog posts. Is traditional blogging dead? Oh well, at the very least, I'm posting this for my future self. Here we go, my top ten goals for the new year!

1. Figure out where we want to live - The housing market in the Seattle area has exploooded over the past few years, and we feel like it's a bad time to be first-time buyers here. We could keep renting and see if prices drop...or we could move even further out, making Ben's commute super sucky...or we could get a house where the mortgage really stretches us. But none of those options are very appealing. We're both open to moving to a more affordable area, and the more we discuss it, the more we're actually excited about the idea. We'd like to raise our kids somewhere with a slower pace of life, less traffic, good schools, and the possiblity of owning some property. More affordable areas often check those boxes. So we've pretty much decided that we want to move...now we just need to decide where. We're looking for the right mix of cheap(er) housing, good jobs (at least one), people we know, beautiful nature, and things to do.

2. Buy a house - Obviously this goal is dependent on #1, but I'm hopeful that we can accomplish both in 2017. After all, housing prices are a big part of the reason why we'd be moving in the first place. If we go somewhere cheaper, we should have a lot more options within our price range which should make house hunting more fun and successful than our experience in 2016. Theoretically, anyways. Fingers crossed!

3. Get smarter about how we spend money - Now that we're down to one full-time income, we're trying to get smarter about how we spend our money. We quit a few subscriptions that we didn't use enough to be worth it, started shopping at a less expensive grocery store that's a bit farther away (go WinCo), and have been making coffee at home. I'm also looking into a less expensive phone plan (anyone tried Google Fi, Republic, or Cricket?) and have been checking for coupon codes every time before I make an online purchase.

4. Continue traveling - This goal has been on my list the last two years, and I want to keep making it a priority. Ian can fly for free on our laps up to two years old, so I really want to take advantage of that while we can and squeeze in a few more big trips (maybe even an overseas one?). At the very least, we've promised my brother that we'll visit him in Illinois this year.

5. Lose weight - Yet another classic resolution that I've had on my list for years. Argh. Last year, I learned some healthier recipes, went on lots of walks, and started eating more veggies--but I also had a baby. I would really like to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight (and ideally, my wedding weight) before I get pregnant again. It's tough though, because I'm still breastfeeding Ian and I don't want to lose my milk supply. Or maybe that's just my excuse and it's actually tough because I just want to eat sweets and be lazy in the house...haha.

6. Get out of the house every day - Speaking of being lazy, I'm a total introvert and a homebody, and I would probably be happy to just hang out at home for days on end. My tendency to stay home has gotten even worse with Ian, because it takes even more effort to get us both ready and out of the house. But I'm usually happier when I do manage to get out, whether it's going for a walk, getting together with a friend, doing errands, or just stepping outdoors for a bit. So I'm challenging myself to get outside every day this year. I know that might sound pathetically easy if you're a naturally energetic and outgoing person, but honestly this will be hard for me. I'm hoping it will end up helping with other goals though--help me to exercise more, help me remember to set up dates with friends, and help Ian experience lots of different environments and conversations.

7. Document daily life with our "big camera" - This was one of my mini-goals last year too--to take more pictures of our everyday life with the big camera instead of my phone. This is for two reasons: 1) so the photos will be better quality and 2) so I'm on my phone less. Sometimes I pull out my phone for a quick picture of Ian and fifteen minutes later, I'm still on it, checking Instagram or email or whatever. With the big camera, I feel like I'm more in the moment. Also, I'd really like to improve my photography this year and the first step to that is taking more photos.

8. De-clutter - It's starting to look like we're hoarders...we've definitely accumulated too much stuff for our little 1200 sq ft house. If we stay here, then we absolutely need to pare everything down. And if we move to a different place, I don't want to pack up a bunch of stuff that we'll just end up storing or getting rid of there. Might as well deal with it now so we have less to move!

9. Update this blog - I'm super excited about this goal, and the fact that I'm finally in a place where I can put a little more effort and focus into blogging. It's always been a side hustle for me, squeezing in DIY projects on weekends and writing posts in the evening after my "real job." I haven't put any significant effort into the behind the scenes stuff since 2012, when I started this blog...and everything has evolved a lot since then. There's a laundry list of things that I've been meaning to do: make my site mobile friendly, update my about page, put some work into my social media channels...I could go on. It's actually pretty embarrassing. So this year, I'm hoping to tackle that list and make this blog feel more professional. 

10. Less comparing, more community - I have a tendency to compare myself with other bloggers on Instagram, and I hate it. There's always something to covet, something to be jealous of, someone who seems to be doing life "better." I know social media is just the highlight reel of people's lives (and sometimes it's staged anyways--not real life)...but it's hard to keep perspective when you're scrolling through sooo many perfect photos. When I started blogging, part of what I liked was the community and connecting with like-minded people all over the world. There were a limited number of bloggers I followed, but I felt like I "knew" each one a little bit, and reading their blogs made me feel inspired and connected. Gradually, I've stopped reading and commenting on blogs as much, and instead have followed more and more people on Instagram. It's easier and quicker, but it's emptier and more superficial too. This year, I want to go back to engaging with people in a more meaningful way: actually reading their blog posts, getting to know them, and leaving comments, rather than quickly double tapping photo after photo. I'm hoping that will help me feel less jealousy and more camaraderie!

I have lots of other little goals and to-do's, but these are the ten that I really want to focus on this year. I'd love to hear what your resolutions are too! Cheers to a great 2017.

I thought it would be fun to do a little online shopping for pieces that fit the "modern farmhouse" aesthetic, inspired by the house I posted yesterday. I've been really gravitating towards this style lately--it's just the right mix. Of course, the best "farmhouse" pieces are genuine antiques that have a sense of history, so it's best to look locally for those: antique malls, thrift stores, estate sales, Craigslist, etc. But modern pieces are easier to score online. One of my new favorite sources for modern furniture and decor is InMod. They have a great selection of beautiful modern designs, at prices that are reasonably affordable. I've partnered with them on today's post to show you some of my favorites! Let's furnish the imaginary house of my dreams.

Dining room: farmhouse dining table / modern pendant / phantom armchair / wine bottle candleholder / fiberglass side chair / midcentury sideboard / gold bar cart

Living room: fur pillow / linen sofa / arc floor lamp / trunk side table / tufted ottoman

Kitchen: jute rug / glass pendant / copper barstool / wire chair / tulip table

It was fun doing a little wishful shopping! InMod has sooo many beautiful options that would work for the "modern farmhouse" style. Definitely check them out, especially their Origins collection.

Thank you to InMod for partnering with me on this post!

Happy January, happy 2017, happy first post of the new year! I thought I'd start out the year with a house tour because it's been way too long since my last one, I stumbled across this GEM of a house, and it's local (Medina, Washington--land of Bill Gates). The start of a new year always has me dreaming about houses and while this one is waaaay out of my price range, that doesn't mean I can't draw inspiration from it!

Ben and I don't quite see eye to eye on our "ideal house." I love homes built before the 1940s for their charm, character, and attention to detail. Ben wants something built after the 1960s so we won't have to deal with lead pipes, knob-and-tube wiring, poor insulation, etc. I can see his point, but I still want a house that has a sense of history. Which is why I love this modern farmhouse, built by Ben Trogdon Architects and H2 Design + Build. It's the perfect blend of what we both want. From the gorgeous exterior to the vaulted ceilings in the dining room, to the furnishings themselves...I'm definitely filing this one away as inspiration for if we ever build our own house.

The dining room is probably my favorite, closely followed by the one below.

Birch tree wallpaper, yes please.

All the heart eyes for that bathtub...and the marble tile.

I also love how the faucet comes right out of the wall instead of from the sink. It's the little details...

So dreamy, right? I would probably add a little more color if it were my own home, but other than that, I wouldn't change much. What's your favorite room?

All images via Ben Trogdon Architects

December 24th is not only Christmas Eve, it's also the day my little baby will be six months old! I am planning to do a nicely bound baby book when he turns one, but we've already taken so many pictures during these first few months, I thought I should go through and print off some favorites before it gets too overwhelming. So I got a classic, basic photo album and printed off some 4x6's. I thought some of you might enjoy seeing the pics too (at least my mom, haha) so here's a little walk down memory lane!

This is our very first picture of Ian, right after he was born.

These pictures are from his last day in the NICU. They had a photographer there that day shooting pics for free, which was so nice and perfect timing!

From our first day home.

Seriously, is there anything sweeter than watching your husband become a father?

We were (still are) obsessed with his tiny toes...

...and fingers (high five!).

And his EYES! They're still blue. I'm super excited because I always wanted blue eyes + Asian features, and it looks like Ian will have that combo.

Then we took our little two-month old on a massive road trip. What an adventurous baby (or crazy parents?)!

And when we got back home, he was big! Or at least, much bigger.

Here's our big boy now! He's rolling over both ways and working hard on scooting, weighs around 14 lbs (4x his birth weight!), is super smiley and giggly, loves back rubs and cuddles, and I'm pretty sure he's starting to teethe because lately he has been gnawing on everything. 

Hope you enjoyed getting a peek at our first six months with Ian! I'm going to take the rest of this week off to kick back and hang out with family. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! xo