Well hello stranger! I missed you! Did you miss me? Where We Are Blog site traffic would argue not so much! But I hope that’s because you were all powered down enjoying your holidays, time off from work, and spending time with the people you love.

Now let’s talk resolutions.

While every year I vow to be a better friend, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, coworker, ME!- this year, not only do I truly mean it but I’m putting it in writing. In no particular order, this is what I am telling myself to do to live my best life in 2014.

• Choose joy every morning. Choose to send light and love to the universe and find beauty in the world even on the nastiest of days.
• Resolve to drink more water and eat more fruits and veggies every day. If you can fit in a run, that’s freakin’ awesome but strive for balance and don’t be too hard on yourself woman!
• Read more. Even if it’s just glossy magazines. Quit “should-ing” all over yourself. You should be reading fine literature? Says who? If Better Homes & Gardens is what inspires you and Us Weekly makes you giggle- OWN THAT!
• Greet people with a smile. Including strangers. You never know who could use one.
• Hug more. Kiss more. Not including strangers. But let my loved ones know they are loved.
• Do not take yourself too seriously. Learn to laugh at imperfections and know that whatever it is, it is NOT as big of a deal as you think it is right now.
• And finally, do what makes you happy. Period. Say ‘no’ to that party you don’t want to go to and ‘yes’ to that mani pedi even though you could do it yourself.

And to that point- this blog makes me happy. Sharing our renovation with the blogging world has been a joy. I am so pleased that you all continue to “tune in” each day to see what we’ve accomplished in the house or hear my silly little tips on organizing or parties or wrapping gifts! And this is by no means the end for Where We Are Blog. A homeowner’s job is never done and I can’t wait to share with you our second floor bedroom, that sun porch, our backyard, and whatever else we decide to tackle.

For now, I realize that to fit in all on my list above, I do need to scale back. Instead of writing everyday, you’ll now see blog posts 2-3 times per week. I hope you continue to check out WhereWeAreBlog.com. Or like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/whereweareblog and see the posts fly through your news stream. Or sign up to follow via email on the right sidebar here and have posts delivered directly to your inbox. And if you’re a real blog reader, you can find us at my favorite blog aggregator Bloglovin’ here. In other words, keep reading. I’m still here!

I wish you the happiest and healthiest new year! May the best days of your past be the worst of your future. Cheers!