I’m not a big resolutions girl but for the past several years, I’ve come up with a specific number of goals based on the year (19 for 2019, 20 for 2020, etc). This year, I’ve decided to forgo the number and instead break up my goals into three categories: home, personal, and family. I didn’t worry about a specific number but instead just thought about what I would like to accomplish or focus on this year in each area. This year I didn’t do very many little goals; most of the things on this list are either big projects or ongoing goals. We’ll see what 2022 has in store but I’m feeling optimistic about these goals!
Goals for our Home
Update the flooring! This has been a top goal of mine ever since we moved in almost three years ago. We will likely approach this in stages, but the entire house needs updated flooring. I believe all the carpet is original (over 20 years old) and after the previous family raised four boys here and then our very active toddlers and dogs moved in, you can imagine what kind of shape it is in. It’s worn down, stained in many places, and fraying around some of the edges. It is past time to replace it!
The main floor currently has a mix of carpet in the playroom and living room, faux wood laminate in the office, and a peel and stick vinyl everywhere else. I’m excited to improve the feel by installing one cohesive flooring throughout. I’m going to keep the basement and our kids’ bedrooms carpeted (and just update the carpet) but everything else will get a new look. This is obviously going to be a huge project that will require lots of planning so it’ll probably happen in the second half of the year but I’m excited to start pouring over samples and hone in on a vision.
Main Floor Powder Room. This is one of only two remaining rooms that I haven’t touched since we moved in. I’m ready to put some effort in to updating it!
Finish the Guest Room Stencil. Last year I started stenciling the guest room to give the walls the look of wallpaper. I started out with one accent wall but I have decided I’d like to continue it all the way around the room. This will probably be the first project I tackle this year – even though it’s going to be pretty time consuming I think the end result will be worth it. The guest room also has the final boob light in our house and a top goal of 2022 is for that thing to go!
Update the Kids’ Bedrooms. As my kids continue to grow, we’ll be making little updates to their rooms. This year we’ll be upgrading to big kid beds and updated bedding. Also, now that they’re old enough to play in their rooms by themselves more, I’ll probably update their storage to keep a few toys upstairs (right now there are just books in their rooms).
Have the foyer painted. I started painting the main floor last year, but our foyer is two stories and because of the way our staircase is, there is just not an easy and safe way for me to paint the second level by myself. It’s a job I need to hire out and this is the year to get it done! Right now the foyer looks pretty ridiculous with just a paint line ending halfway up the wall – haha!
Living Room. The living room is the other room in the house that we haven’t really touched since moving in and I have big dreams for this space. It’s a unique room and has so much potential! We’ve kind of just left it as is the past two years because it worked fine for life with small children, but I’m more than ready to give it some much needed TLC.
Patio Updates. We have a great outdoor space and love entertaining on our patio in the summer. We’re not going to do a complete patio overhaul at this point, but for now Justin and I want to make simple updates like hanging string lights and building planter boxes to update the space.
Personal Goals
Exercise at least 3 times per week. I have not been consistent with exercise lately and I’m very ready to get back in to a regimen and make this a habit!
Buy thoughtfully and intentionally. I love to shop small, but I am also really interested in looking at the things I buy as investments in the world I want to live in. I’m less interested in just buying things to finish a room and more interested in finding items that are purposeful – sustainable or from a small business or ethically made or thrifted or high quality and made to last, etc. I think this is going to translate to less things, slower progress, saving up for a purchase, or searching longer for just the right item and I’m 100% okay with that.
Prioritize Sleep! My sleep habits are seriously lacking lately and I want to set myself up for more success with better sleep by going to bed earlier, keeping my cell phone out of the bedroom, and having no screen time within 30 minutes of bedtime.
Update the Blog Menu. I want to spend time updating the way my book recommendations page is set up as well as the drop down menu for our home and past project. Just some tweaking to make things easier to find and reference here!
Family Goals
Take our first family vacation! We have done vacations with our extended family before but we’ve never done a trip with just the four of us. We are really excited to make that happen this year.
Dates with Our Kids. Last year Justin and I each took a kid and had a special day date with them – he took LJ golfing and I took Vi to the zoo. It was such a fun day and we thought we would do it more often but then we didn’t. I would love to see us do this more frequently (ideally once a month but for now, at least more than once a year!) It’s such a great way to bond with our kids and make them feel special.
Be intentional with making life feel special. This is a hard goal to quantify, but I just want to try to think of simple ways to make days feel special with my kids. Maybe it’s just a pizza picnic on the floor instead of sitting at the table or celebrating minor holidays like Popcorn Day. Maybe it’s a special hot chocolate drink after a day of playing in the snow or making our own ice cream after a day of swimming. Maybe it’s colored bubbles in the bath or washable paint on the sidewalk. It’s so easy to just get into a routine of getting through the days with little ones but these are such sweet, magical years with the kids and I want to be better at making this a year of FUN too.
Here’s to making 2022 a great year!
simplify the chaos 
Can’t go wrong with exercise! It’s a hard habit to maintain though, since it literally is a pain to do. Anyway, wishing you all the best!
Thank you so much!