I haven’t shared a monthly resolutions post since January and think it’s time I press the reset button on sharing these monthly goals and aspirations. Some are silly and little and day-to-day decisions I just need to make; others are deep and require much more digging into my heart and mind. Anyway, here are the nine things I’m working on in May.

1. Quit checking phone
We live in a technology craved culture. Everyone spends their days and nights glued to a computer screen, tablet or phone and lately, I’ve been too obsessed. I find myself constantly checking gmail, Twitter and Instagram and…why? What’s the point? This month I’m trying to take a step back and check my phone on a need-to basis; and rely only on email and social networks for what they are meant for: connecting; not obsessing. This blog post is a must read if you’re in a similar situation!

2. Dig deeper into community
Connecting with people who believe the same thing I do is important and something that often falls off my radar in my rushed days and weeks. Even when it feels awkward and forced, I want to truly dig deeper into community and meet people who I can be myself with, open up with and pour my heart out to.

3. Uncross arms
Yeah. I do this too much and it’s not cool. Trying to stop this bad habit ASAP!

4. Begin today
“I can do this tomorrow or next week or next year.” I have repeated the same lines to myself over and over and I’m just sick of it. There are so many things I want to do and experiences I want to have and I often put them in the future category, when they really could and should fall in the today category. I’m going to begin today, right now.

5. Start each day cheerfully
There’s nothing quite like starting mornings off on the right foot and I consistently find that my entire day is better when the morning begins cheerfully. A few things I do {not all at once} to begin my day cheerfully include: journalling, doing yoga, going on a walk, sitting down to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea before I get ready, stretching. The most important thing for me each morning is to not be rushed. This allows me to start the day serenely and optimistically, which in turn, often lasts throughout the entire day.

6. More Pilates!
Taking a hiatus from being a gym rat to go to more pilates classes. Why? Because I enjoy it. I feel great afterwards and it’s a different time of calm, energized and empowered feeling that I don’t often get from the elliptical.

7. Outfit experiment
I’m sick of wearing the same things every day. I have a closet full of clothes and need to actually mix my routine up and start incorporating new items in there! New meaning: new to seeing the light of day.

8. Laugh and cry hard and real
Laughing and crying are two of the surest ways to show your emotion. Laughing for me equals happiness, silliness, joy and lightheartedness. Crying can, of course, be happy but often means I’m frustrated, depleted, hurt and broken. Rather than shake these two things off, I want to make sure I am being real and actually feeling the laughs and feeling the cries.

9. Love always
No matter how crazy and stressful and hard and sad my day may be, love always wins. This is promise I’m clinging to because frankly, there is no other way for me to survive. This month I’m trying to love others by choosing to be patient, kind, forgiving, encouraging, humble, hospitable, caring, compassionate and respectful. I’m choosing to love if when it’s messy and difficult and view love as the fountain that never ends.

Your turn! What are you working on this month?

More monthly resolutions here!

1. Read 3 books

I absolutely love to read – and often don’t allow myself to just sit down and enjoy a book. This month, I’ve been trying to read more. I recently picked up I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron {highly recommend!} and These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen from the library and finished in a few days. Right now, I’m in the process of reading The Secret Lives of People in Love by Simon Van Booy. What are you reading? I’d love any suggestions!

2. Recipe experiment

Speaking of books, I’ve also been flipping through the Happy Herbivore cookbook and encouraged to try new recipes! I don’t necessarily cook a ton but instead end up assembling meals together – salads, hummus and veggies or chips, etc. I want to take time to actually cook myself meals and try new types of food! First on my list: Mediterranean-style quinoa.

3. Sing in the morning

Instead of dreading my morning routines, I’ve been trying to take control and change mine entirely. I’ve been trying to journal and stretch after waking up but I’ve also been trying to blast music and start singing. I’ve played and sang to everything from Taylor Swift’s latest album to 90s pop music and find my mood is improved when I give myself a little freedom to be silly in the morning. Singing helps!

4. Book a trip

I’m having a major travel itch right now. I want to book a trip home for spring, but also a trip to somewhere I’ve never before. Maybe it’s because I can’t stop scrolling through my photos from my trip to Paris… On my travel list currently: Seattle, Denver, Boston and pretty much anywhere outside of the United States.

5. Enjoy right now – now

This is something I majorly need to work on. I am always looking forward to what’s to come in the future. This isn’t a bad of thing in and of itself, but if that’s all I focus on, I’ll deprive myself from enjoying right now. I’m trying to slow down and soak up simple, special moments and enjoy where I’m at. A recent trip to the beach to watch the sunset was a wonderful reminder and way to enjoy that moment in the moment – without focusing on my phone, what other people are doing or what else is going on. How do you enjoy the present moment?

6. Invest in friendships

When I was younger, I was way more focused on quantity over quality – I wanted to be friends with lots of people. Now, I’m more focused on digging deeper into the friendships I have with a smaller group of friends. I’m really lucky in that I’ve made some wonderful friends here in San Francisco and three of my best friends from Ohio also moved here. The way I define “investing in friendships” simply is to spend time with people that I love. To ask questions. To send handwritten notes. To go somewhere even when I don’t really feel like. To tell people how much I appreciate them. It’s obviously easier to invest in friendships when you see someone everyday, but I want to be extra conscious about investing in my long distance friendships – like with these four lovely ladies below.

7. Remain calm

I’ve caught myself getting worked up over small things or letting little things frustrate me way more than they should. I want and need to remain calm – to take that extra deep breath, to count to ten before I respond, to just be. What I wrote almost two years ago still is true: Instead of being ruled by your emotions, but ruled by peace and calmness. Whatever I’m going though does not need to be handled with anxiety and mood swings.

8. Write thankful list morning and night

Saying thank you has proved to be a powerful force in my life. I strongly believe that writing down what I’m thankful for and what makes me happy allows me to find even more things to be thankful for and happy about. I write Thursday Thankful Lists to document the things that week I’m thankful for but want to challenge myself to write down at least five things in my journal each morning and every night. This quote from one my favorite books is always a good reminder: The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agent who bring fullest Light to all the world….” To be thankful means to be brave.

2. SHOW LOVE: It’s so easy to show love to people who we are in tight-knit relationships with. I have no problem loving my parents, sisters, friends and people I’m surrounded with every day. Something I need to work on is showing love to absolutely everyone I encounter. I shared in this blog post “…it’s important to look at love from a larger scale. We are called to love e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e. That’s right, the bus driver. Your coworkers. Your neighbors. That person from high school who annoys you like no other. The person you pass by in the park…You can love someone {and everyone} you meet by choosing to be patient, kind, forgiving, encouraging, humble, hospitable, caring, compassionate and respectful.” That’s a big resolution this month {and always}

3. LEARN TO BRAID: It’s ridiculous that I grew up in a family of four girls and did cheerleading for six years and STILL can’t braid! I usually half-attempt twist things that just look awkward. Learning to braid is on my to-do list this month, even if that means spending hours watching YouTube videos to figure it out. I just love this fishtail braid my friend Holly did last time I visited home!

4. LAUGH MORE OFTEN: How many times each day do you laugh? I get nervous sometimes that I’ll go a day without laughing – which would just be…not okay. A really good laugh is like a cure – I automatically feel refreshed and rejuvenated after a hilarious moment. Striving to laugh more often also forces me to “lighten up” a bit and stop being so uptight and worried about pointless things.

5. TAKE A 30 MINUTE WALK EVERY DAY: Swimming is my workout of choice, but I want to add in a morning or evening walk to my weekday routine too. It’s a great way to appreciate and enjoy where I live and “wind down” from whatever may be going on that day. Plus, when you add in a good friend for a great conversation, it makes it even better!

6. LISTEN MORE: As a naturally loud and outgoing person, I usually don’t have any problem speaking up in any given situation. I’m learning {slowly} the value of listening more than speaking – and engaging in conversations by listening well. It’s one thing to hear what someone says, but it’s another to truly pay attention and take in what they’re saying. I want to be a good listener – to others, to myself, to the world around me.

7. READ THREE BOOKS: Living in the digital age we do, I often find myself staring at a computer or phone screen most of the day. I’ve always loved reading so lately I’ve been consciously carving time out of my day {usually with a cup of tea before bed} to read. Right now I’m reading Lucky by Alice Sebold and Be the Miracle: 50 Lessons for Making the Impossible Possible by Regina Brett {still}! If you have any good book recommendations, send my way please! 8. FIND “WHAT MAKES MY HEART SING”: This is something my mom always asks me when I’m in funk or just feeling out of sorts thinking about where I’m at in life. She asks me directly, “What makes your heart sing?” This means – what do I feel like I’m called to do? What makes me happier than anything else? What is my purpose? What makes me feel alive? I’m not able to completely pinpoint the answer to the question yet, but it’s something I’ve been thinking and praying about a lot lately! I think figuring out what makes my heart sing isn’t going to just magically come to me, but instead will be a gradual process of figuring it out.

9. STRETCH: Self-explanatory…I need to do this more!

Thanks for reading! Do you have any resolutions this month? You can find more monthly resolutions right here. xx!

2. CELEBRATE OFTEN! Who says that celebrations are reserved for birthdays and holidays? In May, I’m treating every day and every experience as a celebration. I think spending some time in Ohio visiting college friends in Athens + my family {THIS WEEK!!!} will make it extra easy to celebrate on a daily basis.

3. FLOSS. Annoying {but necessary} things like flossing don’t become habits until done every single day. There’s no way around it; I just need to force myself to floss more often!

4. GIVE MORE COMPLIMENTS & HUGS. It’s sad to me when I meet or talk to people who haven’t ever been told how wonderful and beautiful they are or how much better life is with them around. I’m vowing to consciously compliment people more regularly and tell them just how special they are to me. Along the same lines, there’s something so special about big hugs and I’m giving more this month! Period.

5. SPEND MORE TIME WITH THOSE THAT I LOVE. I absolutely LOVE meeting new people, but I don’t want to neglect the people that mean the most to me in the meantime. This month, I want to spend more time with the people I love the most. I couldn’t be happier to spend time with my parents, grandparents and little sisters {one below!} later this month.

6. EMBRACE CHALLENGES: Really bad things happen and we go through rough patches in life sometimes. Rather than view challenges and ups and downs as a roadblock, I am going to embrace the not-so-good times. Embracing challenges, rather than be defeated by them, gives you the encouragement and motivation to move forward to a better and happier life.

7. SAY YES MORE: When I first moved to San Francisco, one of the best pieces of advice I received was to say yes to every opportunity. Pretty great, right? How exciting and cool would life be if we experienced more by saying YES? In the past year or so, I’ve slowed down and noticed myself “passing” on situations and indirectly saying NO to experiences. That has got to go! This month and moving forward, I’m saying yes more and more!

8. LIVE LIFE ON PURPOSE: This may sound cliche, but I don’t want to look back on life and realize I just let things pass by. I want to be an active participant in my own life! It’s important to do things purposefully and for a specific reason. This month, I want to live life {both the little & big things} intentionally!

9. BE JOYFUL. It’s a pretty simple solution = Happiness + Joy > Negativity and Grumpiness. I want to be full of out-of-control and unexplainable joy this month; I want to be as cheerful as possible!

More monthly resolutions here: September, October, November, December, February, March

Image 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

2. Enjoy company: With lots of visitors coming this month and lots of good friends here, I want to focus on really soaking up the in-person time I have with some of the best people I know. I want to catch up with them – not through Twitter updates or Instagram pics but through one-on-one conversations!

3. Be kind: Kindness is easier said than done and in March, my resolution is to go OUT OF MY WAY to be kind to others. There is always time in the day to be courteous to others, even if it’s just a simple smile, hello or thank you. I love the quote “if we all do one random act of kindness daily, we just might set the world in the right direction.”

4. Do four new things: I hate being stuck. This includes my job tasks and gym workouts to my meals and outfit choices and everything in between. It’s very important for me to be thinking and living out-of-the-box. This month, I am challenging myself to branch out and try four new things. So far, I’ve skipped my normal swimming workout for a completely different strength-building one, and love the switch-up in my routine! Details to come.

5. Buy passport and plan travel: Can you believe I don’t have a passport?! This month, I’ve been to the post office three times and excited that I’ll *finally* have a passport in my possession in the next few weeks. I also begin planning travel! I just booked a flight to Ohio in May to visit Athens and my family and have trips planned for Chicago in July, Pittsburgh in September and back to Ohio in October. While I’m thrilled for my many trips scheduled back to the Midwest, I need to begin planning a trip to Europe for 2013!

6. Invest in relationships: As a blogger, I love love love talking with people that I haven’t met in person, but through the online space. One of the joys of writing this blog is that I can communicate and meet people that I wouldn’t have otherwise. It’s very important to me to not let my previous relationships and in-person relationships suffer from this though! This month, I want to dig deeper into my pre-existing wonderful relationships with family and friends. This means spending time with these people more often, talking with these people more often and praying for these people more often. 

7. DIY projects: I’ve always loved a good DIY project. I do have to admit; my projects are usually home decor/fashion-focused, not “repair-like!” This month, I bought the perfect shade of yellow paint to update my desk chair and a little bench. I also bought the supplies to make my own chalkboard paint. Do you have any fun ideas for DIY projects? Send my way!

8. Positive self-esteem and body image: On Polish My Crown, I write about positive body image and self-esteem daily but find it much easier to write about it rather than believe it. Ouch, not good! This month, I want to be very conscious and aware of when negative self-talk goes through my head and actively remember that I am more than my body, job, relationships, age, income, or whatever else is bothering me in that moment. Being a queen means truly embracing just how wonderful you really are – and I need to work on it sometimes too!

2. Recharge: This resolution is something I need to embrace not just this month, but all the time! What I mean by recharge is this: taking time off each day to get away from routine, turning off my mobile/computer/Kindle, focusing thoughts on what is good and true. And of course, this means more rest, rest, rest! Afternoon weekend naps included.

3. Write more: I’ve loved writing for as long as I can remember. I’ve had stacks of journals and notebooks documenting everything from what happened that day to my life goals {at the age of like, 8} and everything in between. I love writing this blog, I love journaling every morning and night and I am working on writing for a few side projects.

4. Send one letter every day: This month, I’m participating in the Month of Letters Challenge. I’m sending one handwritten letter to everyone each day this month in order to send love to friends and family both near and far! Plus, receiving handwritten notes in the mail always makes my day.

5. Budget time and money better: This resolution is simple: don’t overspend time or money on things that don’t make me happier or better. Be smarter when investing time and money.

6. Outfit experiment: I have so many clothes in my closet that I just don’t wear. I wake up too many mornings saying “I have nothing to wear!” This month, I want to mix my outfits up more and use the items in my closet in fun, creative and cute ways! {Of course, looking to J.Crew’s winter catalog for inspiration!}

7. Make someone’s day every day: Every day may not be perfect, but every day I have the opportunity to make someone else’s day. This can be a family member, friend, coworker, random stranger, bus driver, coffee barista, anyone. It’s my job to radiate love and kindness and go out of my way to make other people’s lives a little sweeter. This can be making them cupcakes, buying someone else a cup of tea, tipping well or just saying thank you and smiling – small and simple things to make days better for other people.

8. Say thank you: It’s easy to always be thankful on Thursdays but I need to remember to be thankful each and every day. One way I do this is by writing things down every day I’m thankful for before I go to bed. I also want to make sure I’m saying thank you to the people who need to hear it!

You can read my September, October, November and December resolutions too! As always, thanks for reading and enjoy this lovely {a bit rainy here!} day. xx

Don’t forget -Here were my resolutions for September, October and November.

As always, thanks for reading and for making me just happy. xoxo

1. Celebrate often! Who says it needs to be a holiday to have a celebration? This month, I want to treat every day like a party! I want to anticipate and get excited for little, random things. Plus, with Christmas and New Years festivities this month, celebrating is a must.

2. Take vitamins. I’ve been really bad at this lately! Plain and simple, I need to remember to take my vitamins every day {even if they are the gummy bear ones}. I always end up feeling healthier and better with much-needed supplements.

3. Love unconditionally! It’s really easy and natural to love people who like you. It’s not a challenge to love and accept people who are nice to you and treat you well. But it’s a whole lot more difficult to treat people well who don’t do the same back. This month, I want to consciously make the effort to love everyone unconditionally. To me, this means to love people despite how they treat me, what they say to me or how they hurt me. I want to treat everyone with grace {undeserved love and affection}. I have been treated with so much unconditional love – from God, from my parents, my family, from friends – and I want to pour that on everyone I meet.

4. Give > Receive. It’s the season of giving! As a child, I loved loved LOVED getting Christmas presents but as I get older, my Christmas wish list is getting much shorter. I’m finally starting to feel happier and better giving other people gifts, rather than receiving. This month, I want to focus on giving. And not just presents! I want to give my time, my resources, my life to other people – in order to make their lives a little happier and more cheerful this holiday season!

5. Turn off phone more. Ugh. I wrote in this post, “Maybe if I spent half the time I’m online OFFLINE, I might be able to really enjoy life, soak up life, LIVE.” I was reminded again this weekend during my whirlwind trip to Portland to visit family that I should really focus on my life, not my online presence. Being surrounded by my grandparents and a few other family members, we didn’t talk about Facebook or Twitter or texting. We simply enjoyed each others company. This December, I want to enjoy moments with people I’m actually in the room with – not documenting the experience by constantly checking Twitter/Facebook/email from my cell phone.

6. Drink more tea. I’ve always liked tea before bed – it’s such a calming way to unwind and relax! This month, I want to drink tea during the day and in the morning as well. Here’s 33 more reasons to drink tea! Does anyone have a favorite flavor? Send my way!

7. Pray all day, every day. I pray daily – but instead of praying routinely and ritually before bed or right in the morning, I want to strive to pray ALL DAY. This doesn’t mean talking out loud or writing down my prayers, but instead being in a mindset or prayer throughout the day.

8. Never ending resolutions: It’s important for me to live by nine rules I gave myself at the beginning of January. Stay positive, live fearlessly, love everyone, believe in possibility, embrace change, remain calm, appreciate today, seek wisdom, be purposeful. These resolutions aren’t contingent on one month – but my entire life! This month specifically, I want to focus on appreciating today – really enjoying each and every moment. I want to focus on seeking wisdom – surrounding myself with people and experiences that will force me to learn and grow. This month I want to focus on staying positive – because that’s just a given.

Last week, I blogged about valuing experiences over possessions. Rather than spend my time and money on material possessions, I want to focus on experiences. This past weekend was a perfect example: long brunches with friends, hot cups of tea in the kitchen, pumpkin carving, playing in the park like a little kid, hikes, making my own Chex Mix, painting days and homemade dinners with best friends. I want every day this month to be just like that. Experiences and good times always rule out great items.

2. Don’t take on other people’s problems.

I love listening to other people’s stories. I truly do find it helpful and soothing to listen to them and offer any advice or insight I might have. I’ve had so many people give me valuable advice that has really helped and challenged me! One thing I need to work on is not taking every problem personally and trying to “fix everyone.” It’s important to validate the person’s feelings, but not take responsibility for changing or fixing the issue. This month, I want to listen actively and speak in love – but not feel the need to make their problem or issue my own. Make sense?

3. Pride < Humility

We live in a culture that craves praise. Seriously, everyone wants to be recognized. This month, I want to work on staying humble. Being “successful” is not determined by how much money I make or how many friends I have or anything worldly of the sort. I’m reminded of Proverbs 16:18: “Pride comes before deception, haughtiness before the fall.” Humility also stems from confidence. I would describe myself as a confident person, but when I don’t keep myself in check it’s easy to fall down a slippery slope of pridefulness. In November, I need to work on remembering that everything I do is not for myself – but for something greater.

4. Organize

Clothes, books, desk, living room, kitchen everything! This November I want to organize my life. Also, why does closet organizing sound fun and kitchen organizing sound miserable to me right now?

5. Journal more:

I’ve been journaling since before I can remember. I usually journal at night (sometimes in the morning). I’ve found that journaling is a key to learning, growing, healing and moving forward with life. I also feel so refreshed and at peace after writing my rambling thoughts on paper. A few more benefits of journaling? Here’s 100.

6. Meet new and interesting people:

I LOVE meeting new people and feel like I haven’t been proactively getting to know more lately. Weird how that works? This month, I want to go out of my way to meet new people – and then spend quality time with them.

7. Never ending resolutions:

As you may know, the nine tasks in the image below are what I challenged myself to do at the start of 2011. Below are details on what a few mean to me specifically, but I highly recommend reading the full list here. In November, I specifically want to live out my goal of living fearlessly! I love this Taylor Swift queen quote:

To me, fearless is not the absence of fear. It’s not being completely unafraid. To me, fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death.

This month, I want to live actively and joyfully despite the ups and downs. This month I want to be courageous!

Thanks for reading and enjoy this fantastic Friday! I’d love to know – do you have any resolutions/goals for the month? I’d love to hear! If you’re interested, here’s my October and September resolutions. xoxo

Love,
Andi

2. Be present: I’ve been catching myself thinking about the future WAY too much and really need to slow down. When will I be at a certain spot in my career? When will I meet the man of my dreams? How many kids do I want? Where do I want to live next? What is going to happen if this happens? In the opposite direction, I’ve also noticed that I’ve been thinking about the past a lot lately and been too overly concerned about past mistakes and regrets. Nope, not in October! A favorite quote of mine is this: “Being present is imperative to not overlook the opportunities that lie in front of you and the inspiration that could potentially be the catalyst of a new adventure.”  This month, I really want to focus on appreciating, enjoying and simply BEING in the exact moment I’m in – and being absolutely, wonderfully okay with it!

3. Stop complaining: If you really want to, you can always find something to complain about. For me, it’s usually the weather, public transportation system, that I’m tired or upset with someone. Yikes! Not okay. This month, that is going to end. When a negative thought comes into my head and I feel the need to say something out loud (and therefore, complain), I’m going to combat that with an affirmative statement. An example complaint: “Public transportation in SF is so slow! It takes 30 minutes to get from Point A to Point B.” An example affirmative, positive statement to prevent me from complaining aloud: “AT LEAST I have the opportunity to live in a city where I don’t need a car. I’m saving money by taking public transit.” 

4. Send handwritten notes:

I’m the queen of emailing/tweeting/texting/Facebooking my friends to catch up but this month, I’m taking it offline (somewhat). I want to make sure to send more handwritten notes to friends. I absolutely LOVE receiving old-fashioned mail and want to surprise friends randomly with little love notes this month!

5. Treat everyone equally: It’s easy to be nice to people who are nice to you back, duh! It’s also nice to treat people well that you are trying to impress. But why? What difference does it make who someone is, how they treat me, what their job or economic status is, etc. etc. etc. I’m sick our culture looking down on people who are less fortunate than we are – and I don’t want to fall in the trap. This blog post was a refreshing reminder to me that we are all the same – all equals. The homeless man on the street, my roommate, my coworkers, the random stranger on the bus, EVERY SINGLE PERSON deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. And I want to live out that action this month.

6. Stretch! Morning and night. Every day. Done.

7. The never-ending resolutions: As you may know, the nine tasks in the image below are what I challenged myself to do at the start of 2011. Below are details on what a few mean to me specifically, but I highly recommend reading the full list here. 

• SEEK WISDOM:I highly value the influence and impact of mentors and those who have already been in the situations I’m in. I want to be constantly challenging myself, enlightening myself and filling myself with knowledge. Wisdom goes deeper than knowledge-Wisdom is a deep understanding and realizing of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to choose or act to consistently produce the optimum results. Seeking wisdom means constantly striving to grow and learn daily.
• BELIEVE IN POSSIBILITY: Anything is possible and this year I want to make the conscious decision to remember this. I shouldn’t rule anything out. Instead, I’m choosing to believe that absolutely anything can happen and reminding myself I am capable. I have potential. I have possibilities.
  

>>> Thanks for reading! I decided to write out my monthly resolutions once again (remember my September resolutions?) Sharing my goals for the month in a blog post is just another way for me to challenge myself to live them out daily. Please, remind me to do them! What are your monthly resolutions? Do share! xo

2. Know when to unplug: I live in a digital world. My life and job revolve around being online – whether it’s blogging, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, anything. I seriously sit in front of my computer all day (and love it!) but I want to consciously remember to turn off my computer after work and just relax. Relax like sit down and read a book. Or enjoy a friend’s company. Or just be. Without the screen in front of me!

3. Keep in touch with friends/family more often: Living on the other side of the country means it’s not always an easy task to communicate often. I manage to text/call my sisters and parents almost every day, but this month I’m striving to Skype and talk with my grandparents, friends from high school and friends from college a little more often. That also means sending handwritten notes!

4. Experiment in the kitchen! Not only does it save money, but often I can make something I enjoy more than restaurant food. I recently made this BBQ chickpea pizza and have been whipping up smoothies almost every day. I’ve tried to catch up on reading my favorite food blogs daily (Snackface, Happyolks, HangryPants, Eat Live Run) in an effort to get food-inspired.

5. Write down 10 things I’m thankful for morning & night. I explained here that reminding yourself daily what blessings you’ve received ultimately makes you a happier and healthier person. Woo woo! I typically write down everything at night but I want to do this in the MORNING as well to constantly being aware of how much goodness is surrounding me. This switch in perception is something I highly recommend – try it!

6. Be silly! Yesterday I was reading the Curly Girl Design blog and read something interesting about silliness. We all spend so much time working and living and being in relationships that we often get caught up in “adulthood” and well, seriousness. Enough is enough for me! Leigh wrote: “I learned a long time ago that the best way to keep yourself balanced and your worry, doubt, ego and a vast variety of other life-sucking things in check is to inject a little silliness.” And that’s what I’ll be working on this month - living out of joy and silliness. That means spending time with people and enjoying experiences that truly make you laugh. LOTS. (Below: example of a hilarious, silly day)

7. Remember my Top 9. In January, I made this frame of my nine goals for this year and now it sits on my shelf [and as my phone background] to remind me daily of what I need to be DOING, how I should be LIVING. All the details can be found here. This September is no exception. I want to realllllly make sure I am striving to stay positive, live fearlessly, love everyone, believe in possibility, embrace change, remain calm, seek wisdom, appreciate today, be purposeful. Some are easier for me (staying positive, loving everyone, appreciating today) than others (remaining calm and seeking wisdom in particular) but I will be focusing wholeheartedly on all nine this month.

>>>Thanks for reading! As always, I’d love to hear what some of your September resolutions and goals are! Send them my way! Also, if you ever want/need to reach me via email: andreateggart [at] gmail.com. xoxo queens!