I feel like I’ve started over and over and over again on my blog. I always stray away, then come back. At first, I felt really guilty; like I owed someone something. But then I realized that this is MY creative outlet so I really shouldn’t feel that way.

So here I am, reinventing myself…again.

I decided that it was time for my blog to ‘grow up’. I went back and forth on renaming my site. At the end of the day, I felt like my content had become more lifestyle-centered, with some motherhood realness sprinkled in. And I felt like it was time to mature my name a bit to encompass more than just me. so ‘house of beck’ (since Beckemeier is ridiculously long…with an absurd amount of ‘e’s) seemed an appropriate place where I can share some new things I want to focus on. We have a lot happening this year and I can’t wait to share as we go along!

______________________________________________________________________________________

So that brings us to now. 2018. A fresh year. A fresh start. So many possibilities.

I am always curious about other people’s resolutions for the new year – and to my surprise most everyone I asked said that they don’t really have one. I have to say that I don’t either. I feel like resolutions haunt me when I make them. Workout more, read 50 books this year, do this, do that. They’re like little nagging pests that say ‘good job, Lara, you failed at that one! Woop woop! #loser’ How is that good for me at all? Um, it’s not. SO this year I decided to take my ‘resolutions’ and turn them upside down. Think of them more as mottos or mantras for the year…

• Make time for the things we love. Making memories together. Less phone/screen time and more face to face time. Be present. Nurture the relationships we have right in front of us. Time is fleeting and there’s no getting it back once it’s gone.
• Take care of us. Wellness. So many times, I’ve told myself ‘I’m going on this diet to get back on track’. Do you know how many times I’ve really stuck with that? Zero. I love food and my family loves food. What we put in our bodies is so important. Eating good wholesome foods, fruits, and veggies is key, but guess what? It’s okay to indulge in dessert too. There will be no guilt about that in my house. Obviously, being active is non-negotiable when you have two toddlers… But we love to exercise and be active anyway!
  And on the same page with wellness – we are an oily tribe at the Beckemeier house (just ask my husband – he LOVES all my diffusers hahaha!). We will keep learning about and spreading our love of oils to any and everyone that wants to listen and join in. Our health is so important. I have personally seen what sickness can do to families, what it’s done to my family – it so very hard to watch anyone you love in pain. I don’t know the rhyme or reason for any of it, but I do know that if I can make some changes to our daily lifestyle to lead a more chemical-free/healthier life, them I’m going to. #oilsforlife
• More love and more kindness. There is too much negativity in the world. Too many people being mean to others. I want to add more positivity in our lives this year. We have a lot of amazing things heading our way and it’d be a shame to let negativity overshadow that. There’s no room for it! Spread the love and be nice to others. You don’t have to like what they do, but it isn’t your place to judge them. Ain’t none of yo beeswax! 😉
• In the words of George Michael ‘ya gotta have faith!’. Pray more, lean into our faith more. I want to be more intentional with the way I lead my life and set a good example for my kids and help them understand God’s love for them. I’m not perfect and I’m not going to suddenly turn into a crazy religious lady, but just like the body needs food/drink/rest – the soul needs to be filled, too. And that’s where this comes in.
• Less obligations, be more spontaneous + RELAX! Just say no. I made this a mantra last year. I feel like we are always so darn busy that the seasons just fly by. Sometimes, it’s okay to pass on something and just stay home. That is something I’m okay with doing this year!

So happy 2018 to you and your family (even if it is February 1^st…). This year is going to be one for the books, isn’t it!?!

xx

photo by abigail gorski photography.