Elementary School Garden: January 2016

Welcome 2016! A new year, a blank slate.

One of my favorite New Year's traditions is creating some new resolutions! I love looking back at the previous year, reminiscing about what worked well and what I could improve, and setting some new goals.

This year, rather than setting specific goals, as I have often done in the past, I have made my resolutions a little more vague.

My first resolution is to live healthier. Having Type 1 Diabetes, this is a major goal of mine. I've kind of, shall I say, let myself go after having Natalie. It's time to treat my body with the respect that it deserves so that I can have more energy and a happier spirit.

My second resolution is to live happier. Rather than focus on what I want in the future (last year's goals included a shorter drive to work, teaching at a new school, purchasing a new house) I want to sit back and enjoy what I already have. I want my focus to be on making and developing connections with family and friends and experiencing new things, rather than focusing on tangible items.

I want to show my thankfulness for those around me, slow down, and enjoy the little things. I want to look away from my cellphone and into daughter's shinning eyes and share her adventurous and joyous spirit. I want to put down the computer and enjoy a nice conversation with my husband after dinner. I want to hold off on cleaning more and play with my dogs.

My third resolution is to Create, Connect, and Collaborate more with educators, families, and experts around the world. During the school year I plan on setting aside a little time each weekend to work on transitioning products that I have created for my classroom to be polished and ready to be posted on TPT. I plan on scheduling posts and comments for my blog and Facebook at this time. I plan on prioritizing my projects so that i can focus on the ones that are most meaningful to me and my classroom, and then sharing them with teachers all over the globe.

I am truly excited to be attending the 2nd Northeast Regional TPT Meet-Up in Rochester, NY this April. I can't wait to share what I've created so far, connect with new friends, and collaborate on some new projects with teacher educators from all over NY and beyond!

My final resolution is a big one: to find BALANCE!!! This is a goal I continually find myself returning to. Sure, I've balance out my time pretty well over the last few years....but it still never feels like I have enough. I want more time to sleep, more time to spend with family and friends, more time to create.....but I can't create more time. At the age of 30 I've finally come to the realization that maybe my issue isn't that I don't have enough time. Maybe the issue is how I am managing it. Maybe my to-do list is too long? Maybe it is ok to not check off every item on it. Maybe I need to prioritize what needs to get done.