New Year, New Me? Do You Have New Year’s Resolutions?

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com. 

We all know how it goes, the last months of the year keep us super busy with family, the holidays, and other engagements, and we as women tend to put everything and everyone else before us. It never fails, but we do it because we love our friends and families and do it without a blink of an eye. Yet, here we are at the start of a new year feeling exhausted, maybe a little off balance and asking ourselves, what have I done for MYSELF lately? Do we start by creating some new year’s resolutions? Join a gym? Commit to a weekly date with your book club? It really depends on what you feel will bring you balance and joy. 

I’m big on self-care. I’m big on giving myself time for workouts, home facials, and solo trips to Target to unwind and give myself the things I need to feel good. Feeling good isn’t just about how my jeans fit, but how I feel inside and out. Do I feel balance? Am I rested enough so I don’t become snippy with people? Am I truly giving the effort I think I should give myself in the gym? Am I eating well? Am I giving myself enough pats on the back for being a good mom or wife? I ask myself these things throughout the year, but really try to hone in on this at the start of the year when motivation is high and the feeling of new beginnings is swirling in the air. The new year is a time for a reset, not a full start over. Just a little extra nudge in the right direction for a happy healthy life. 

One thing that’s bringing me some joy is relaxation time watching some shows that I normally never get to enjoy. My days are busy and tv time is limited. But I’ve been able to give myself some quiet tv time with these new AfterShokz Aeropex open-ear headphones. My family all has different tastes in tv shows so now I can watch what I want on my laptop or iphone while everyone else watches what they want on the tv. What’s unique about these is that they don’t fit inside the ear but work through bone conduction. The sound creates mini vibrations and delivers directly to the inner ear. Crazy, huh? They’re also lightweight and waterproof which makes them great for super sweaty workouts so I get my fitness on!

But no one likes to workout when they aren’t feeling well, right? The last thing I want to do is lift weights or go for a run if my stomach is feeling off or I haven’t had a good night’s rest. In the past year I’ve been exploring different CBD options for muscle soreness and better sleeps. CBDistillery has Full-Spectrum hemp derived softgels and CBD isolate gummies to help me get a better nights sleep and reduce those aches and pains from my daily workouts. I get peace of mind knowing that their products are third party tested for efficacy since there are SO many brands on the market that really are mostly junk and not useful at all. It does take some time to figure out the right dosage since everyone is different, but once you commit and figure out your routine, you truly feel so much better. I know the next time I need to buy CBD, I’ll be getting it from CBDistillery again. 

Now that I’ve got my sleep in order, what about keeping the tummy happy? Sometimes we overindulge or have some nausea from eating something that didn’t agree with us. The worst is when that happens outside of the home. I like to keep some of these UpSpring Stomach Settle Drops in my car so I can grab a couple if I feel a little queasiness coming on. The lemon-ginger-honey flavor of these nausea relief drops reminds me of one of my favorite tea flavors and helps settle things quickly so I can go on with my day.  Best of all, I can always pick them up on one of my weekly Target (or Walmart) runs when I run out!

Usually if I need a little energy before a workout I reach for my favorite pre-workout energy drink. But that isn’t something I can rely on all day for on-going energy. Keeping a balanced diet as an athlete is something I keep in the forefront of my mind. I try to stay educated on the best way to maximize the usefulness of food fuel and ask my trainers questions often to make sure I’m making good choices. It was only in the past year I found out about what MCT oil could do for me. In years past, the word oil = fat, which meant I basically ran the other way. But little did I know that MCT oil is a great source of natural fuel and energy for the body in the correct amounts. Nutiva MCT oil is medium chain triglycerides that come from organic coconuts with their powder version having the added benefit of acacia fiber. Fiber helps us feel fuller longer and keep the digestive system flowing if ya know what I mean (wink, wink). These can easily be added to shakes or other drinks I have throughout the day to get my daily dose of healthy fats — even your coffee without you noticing any type of difference in taste or consistancy! It’s a great way to get some added fuel for your body without jitters from excess caffeine intake. 

One thing that I’m always on top of is skincare. I love, love, love exploring skincare options that suit my skin’s needs. As someone in my thirties, I need to make sure I’m exfoliating and moisturizing regularly. Alpha Skin Care has a great little set of products that help my combat wrinkles and acne while keeping my complexion feeling hydrated and fresh. The Refreshing Face Wash has AHA’s that effectively washes away dirt, sweat and makeup starting the exfoliating process. The Renewal Lotion uses glycolics (my favorite anti-aging ingredient) to resurface the skin while evening skin tone and texture — something that’s super important to me. And you can’t forget the final step, the Essential Facial Moisturizer that hydrates and nourishes leaving my skin feeling healthy and soft. I rotate cleansers based on how my skin feels but have been keeping the Renewal Lotion in more routine use so my skin adjusts and looks good. 

While all the things above are great for looking and feeling great, a cluttered mind can create havoc even when you’re doing everything else right. I don’t have a lot of time to read, but am making the commitment to check out this Buddha’s Office book that helps you find the “right” way to work that fits your lifestyle by incorporating more mindfulness and purpose  into everything we do. I think it’s a great way to approach things and I plan to work on this more in the upcoming months.

I think it’s really important for me as a mom to incorporate a happy and healthy lifestyle because it’s something I want to instill in my daughter. Staying active not only leads to better self-esteem, but builds life skills like leadership, teamwork and creating a lifelong habit of remaining active. It’s really exciting to see HER get excited about exercise and going to the gym with mom. She can’t quite do everything she sees mom doing just yet, but loves to be included in just about anything related to working out. Most recently, I joined a push up challenge and it’s so cute to watch her try to do a few pushups while I get mine done. 

I know when she gets a little older she’ll want to join in on the fun by joining sports or dance classes to stay active. I love organizations like the NEYS (National Endowment For Youth Sports) that makes it their mission to make sports accessible for all — including girls, those that are disabled and those who might be in economically challenged regions of the United States. Their goal is to raise $100M annually to provide grants for those who could benefit from youth sports programs , and I think we could all agree that all kids could benefit from this! Because I love what the NEYS is doing, I have decided to take the American Youth Sports Pledge to help spread the word about their mission. I’ve seen the benefits of a kids active lifestyle right before my eyes and see a bright-eyed, independent girl growing right before my eyes. What’s not to love about that?

I think the best piece of advice when it comes to new year’s resolutions is to take one day at a time. Whether your goals are short-term or long-term, small or big — the key to sticking to or renewing commitments is to give yourself grace if you slack off or fall off track for a bit. Give it your best, but know you can always get back on track should you veer off the path. 

Have you come up with new year’s resolutions you would like to commit to? 

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