Today is Freedom Day

Today is a day that we celebrate and reflect on our freedom.  This is not only our independence as our own nation, but the very state of our freedom in this country.  

My husband served in the military for 9 years, devoting himself to the cause of freedom.  That is not to say that he agreed with everything the military did, but his reason for being there was to aid in freedom's cause. 

Our family as a whole believes deeply in the principles that our country was founded on.  One of my heroes  is our third U.S. President, Thomas Jefferson. His wisdom rings down through the ages.  He wrote, 

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes."  

Every generation.

Us.  Me.  You.  

We cannot spend this day thinking only of the single act that identified our country as independent.  We cannot rest on the acts of our forefathers and expect that to carry our freedom forward.  No.  We have to pay our own debts to our nation, speak loud our voices, and participate in our government and communities.  

This is the legacy we leave. 

Reading List

I have been bitten by the reading bug again!  I love that e-readers make it so much easier to store, find, and transport books. It is also so much easier to read in bed at night (pretty much the only time I have to read).

I have been collecting books here and there for a long time now, and am lucky enough to have some friends with great taste in books as well that are willing to share.  I decided it was time to set up a reading list so I can make my way through this vast library that I have accumulated, and see how far I can get!

Without further adeu, THE LIST!

-          Matched Trilogy

-          Shatter Me Trilogy

-          Hidden (Marianne Curley) – first in the Avena series

-          Crewel (Gennifer Albin) – first in the Crewel World series

-          Tyger Tyger (Hamilton) – first in Goblin Wars series

-          The Shadowguard series

-          Six Times a Charm series

-          Magic After Dark

-          Fat Vampire series (not sure about this one – was free & had decent ratings)

-          The Witches of Santa Anna – complete set

-          The Fallen Star Series 1-4

-          Wheel of Time Series (Robert Jordan) – 0-14

-          Glamour (Penelope Fletcher)

-          Bloodlines Series – 1-3

-          Gameboard of the Gods – Book 1 of the Age of X series

-          Dark Hunter Series – 1-26

-          Dark Swan Series – 1-4

-          Discworld – 1^st book in the series

-          Game of Thrones Series – 1-5

-          Heroes of Olympus Series – 1-4

-          Percy Jackson series – 1-5

-          Obsidian Trilogy

-          Mortal Instruments Series – 1-5

-          The Riftwar Saga (Raymond E Feist)

-          The Empire Trilogy (Raymond E Feist)

-          Krondor’s Sons (Raymond E Feist)

-          The Serpantwar Saga (Raymond E Feist)

-          The Riftwar Legacy (Raymond E Feist)

-          Legends of the Riftwar (Raymond E Feist)

-          Conclave of Shadows (Raymond E Feist)

-          The Darkwar Saga (Raymond E Feist)

-          The Demonwar Saga (Raymond E Feist)

-          The Chaoswar Saga (Raymond E Feist)

-          Faerie Tale (Raymond E Feist)

-          The Farseer Triology (Robin Hobb)

-          The Liveship Series (Robin Hobb)

-          Rain Wild Chronicles (Robin Hobb)

-          Soldier Son Series (Robin Hobb)

-          Tawny Man Series (Robin Hobb)

-          Renegade’s Magic (Robin Hobb)

-          Long Earth Series (Terry Prachet)

-          The League Series (Sherrilyn Kenyon)

-          The Selection Series (Kiera Cass)

-          Ghost Hunter Series (Victoria Laurie) – 1-5

-          Oracles of Delphi Keep (Victoria Laurie)

-          Psychic Eye Series (Victoria Laurie) – 1-11

-          Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter (Tom Franklin)

-          The Giver (Lois Lowry)

-          Good Omens (Neil Gaiman)

-          I am Malala (Malala Yousafzai)

-          Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

-          The Book Thief

-          The Four Agreements

-          The Host (Stephenie Meyer)

-          Nora Roberts Books

-          Wolf Pact (Melissa de la cruz) – First in the series

-          A New Earth

-          East of Eden (John Steinbeck)

-          Orange is the New Black

-          Orphan Train (Christina Baker Kline)

-          The Simarillion (J.R.R. Tolkien)

-          Lucas Davenport Series (John Sandford) 1-23

-          The Fault in Our Stars

-          Matched, Crossed, Reached (3 books)

-          The Witches of Santa Anna

-          Denial

-          Love Letters to the Dead

-          Feedback

-          The Maze Runner

-          12 Years a Slave

-          Kingdom Keepers

-          House Full of Insects

-          Sharp Objects (Gillian Flynn)

-          The Monuments Men

-          Every Secret Thing

-          Still Writing

-          Ordeal (Linda Lovelace)

-          Infinite Possibilities

-          Daring Greatly

-          Staying Strong

-          The Breeders

-          Hot &  Heavy (fierce fat girls on life, love & fashion)

-          Pretties (Scott Westerfield)

-          Silver Linings Playbook

-          Pretty Little Liars series

-          Brain on Fire

-          Flowers in the Attic (V.C. Andrews)

-          Watchmen

-          Dark Places (Gillian Flynn)

-          The Hangman’s Daughter

-          The Immortal Life of Henrietta Locks

-          Parenting with Love and Logic

-          Uglies

-          The Declaration

-          Delerium

-          The Unit

-          Variant

-          Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

-          Thirteen Reasons Why

-          Escape

-          Stolen Innocense

-          The Life of Abraham Lincoln

-          American Outlaw

-          Hunter

-          The Virgin Suicides

-          Just a Geek

-          Fall Out

-          Glass

-          Unbearable Lightness

-          Crank

-          My Booky Wook (Russell Brand)

-          Perks of Being a Wallflower

Have you read any of the books on my list?  Do you have any suggestions or reviews?  I would also love to know if you are reading anything good lately.  Feel free to share what is on your own personal reading list!

top 100 family films

We have been working on exposing our kids to classic movies that we loved when we were kids (and even now, as adults). This has been a tradition for us every Christmas, as we shared our favorite holiday movies with them.  

More recently however, we have been branching into the classics in general.   Each weekend we introduce a new one, snuggling up together to watch it.  It has become one of our most treasured family traditions.

So far, Anna's very favorite has to be The Never Ending Story. 

When I say "classics," I mean movies that throughout time have impacted children in big ways.  They may be from the 1940's or they may be from the 1990's.  Being a classic has very little to do with age, and a lot more to do with the impact it has on our culture.  

Between our own favorites and some suggestions from our amazing friends, we have compiled a pretty good list of movies we want to share with our kids. (For our purposes we aren't going to list Disney cartoon movies, because let's face it - they're ALL awesome, and should be a part of a child's media experience.) 

Without further adeu, THE LIST!

1. The Never Ending Story (1 & 2)
2. Mary Poppins
3. The Goonies
4. Labyrinth
5. Wizard of Oz
6. Bedknobs and Broomsticks
7. Secret of Roan Innish
8. The Secret Garden
9. Big
10. Princess Bride
11. Willow
12. Chronicles of Narnia
13. Back to the Future (1, 2, & 3)
14. The Little Princess
15. Little Women
16. The Sound of Music
17. The Dark Crystal
18. American Tail
19. Secret of Nimh
20. The 10th Kingdom
21. Hairspray
22. Grease (1 & 2)
23. Harry & The Hendersons
24. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
25. Newsies
26. Fly Away Home
27. Footloose (the original)
28. Dirty Dancing
29. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
30. Freaky Friday (the original)
31. Addam's Family & Addams Family Values
32. Star Wars (the whole series)
33. Anne of Green Gables
34. Annie
35. Pippi Longstocking
36. The Parent Trap (original)
37. Milo & Otis
38. Casper (live action movie)
39. Hook
40. Pollyanna
41. Fern Gully
42. E.T.
43. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
44. Curly Sue
45. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original)
46. Babe
47. The Muppet Movies (any and all of them)
48. Who Framed Roger Rabbit 
49. Pete's Dragon
50. My Fair Lady
51. The Karate Kid (1, 2, & 3
52. Field of Dreams
53. Sandlot
54. Anastasia
55. Ninja Turtles (1, 2, & 3)
56. Little Monsters
57. Mighty Ducks
58. Ghostbusters (1, 2, & 3)
59. Ferris Beuller's Day Off
60. Indiana Jones (1, 2, & 3)
61. Adventures in Babysitting
62. Hocus Pocus
63. Beetlejuice
64. National Lampoon's Vacation (any and all)
65. Clue
66. Superman (1, 2, & 3)
67. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
68. Honey I Shrunk the Kids
69. Three Amigos
70. All Dogs Go to Heaven
71. The Wizard
72. Flight of the Navigator
73. Now & Then
74. Jumanji
75. Cool Runnings
76. Men in Black
77. Mrs. Doubtfire
78. Groundhog Day
79. A League of Their Own
80. Home Alone (1 & 2)
81. My Girl
82. Kindergarten Cop
83. The Mighty Ducks
84. Rookie of the Year
85. Ever After: A Cinderella Story
86. Masters of the Universe
87. Roger's And Hammerstein's Cinderella (the original)
88. 3 Ninjas
89. Sidekicks
90. Angels in the Outfield
91. Free Willy (1 & 2)
92. The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings (original animated version from the 70's)
93. Mac & Me
94. Herbie / Love Bug (any of those)
95. The Incredible Mr. Limpett
96. The Last Unicorn
97. Chipmunks Movies (any of the cartoon ones)
98. The Boy Who Could Fly
99. Shirley Temple (Any of her movies)
100. Teen Wolf

Clearly the list could go on and on and on.  I am always looking for more ideas, so please share some of your favorites with me, and we'll watch them!

Edited June 2014!  I felt the need to add a few to the list, so here goes... the next 3!

1. Harry Potter (entire series - the later ones as they get older)
2. West Side Story
3. Jurrasic Park

Toxic Free Hair Care

We have been working on changing over various items in our home to toxic-free.  It is a slow process as we work through which items we can find good replacements for, but I am noticing that each change we make leaves us all feeling just that much better.  One of the bigger concerns that I had about going toxin-free was hair care.  

I have tried a lot of different shampoos and conditioners, serums, creams, gels, and sprays.  My regimen has changed and changed over the years because I have not found anything that gives me quite the result that I want.  Some leave my hair heavy, others don't condition it enough, and sometimes I feel a residue that ultimately winds up making my hair tangle and break. 

More recently, I have become concerned about the chemicals in my products, and decided to take the toxic test to see where they stood.   You can check all of your products too, by getting the free app from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), called Skin Deep.

They named the app that because toxins that touch your skin can enter the bloodstream in only 26 seconds.  That was a huge eye opener for me.

Basically, if I wouldn't feel okay ingesting it, I need to stop feeling like it is okay to put it on my body.

All of my hair care products fall into the moderate risk zone (from 3-6).  Anything from 7-10 is considered high.  For me, any risk is too high, and the fact is that there is no reason why we have to give in to using products that can hurt us, or even worse, our kids who use the same products.  

I have looked into No-Poo, Curly Girl, and other methods of toxic-free hair care, but each of them has left me a little worried about how my long, fine, wavy hair would do without proper conditioning.  So, I decided to do a little experiment.

My hair has been growing out for over 4 years, and during that time I've used all kinds of drying, damaging products with silicones, sulfates, and all kinds of other toxins.

The first thing I did was a deep conditioning treatment with unprocessed coconut oil.  I warmed a few Tablespoons to bring it to it's liquid state. It doesn't have to be very warm because coconut oil has a very low melting point, just above room temperature.  Because my hair is so long I just dipped it into the oil and then worked it into my hair.  I poured any extra on top of my head to get the roots and worked it all in, wrapped my head in a towel and went to bed.  The next morning my hair felt really oily and I was concerned about how it would come out of my hair, especially with a natural shampoo, but there was no going back now.

I received the Mommy's Club Shampoo this last week, and while it says "For Babies and Toddlers," really what it's saying is that it is safe enough to use on babies and toddlers.  Anyone can use it, and I decided if it was good enough for their fine hair and sensitive skin, why not give it a try.  So I did. 

It did a great job of getting the coconut oil out of my hair enough that I felt like my hair was clean.  Honestly I was impressed that ANY shampoo could clean that amount of coconut oil out of my hair in one washing without completely stripping my hair and leaving it damaged.  Instead it left my hair feeling really soft.  It has white tea and aloe, which are great for both my hair and my scalp, but don't add build-up to my hair.  I added in about 1/4 Tbs coconut oil after I got out and dried my hair, but in hindsight I don't think it needed it.  

I got impatient and decided to fix it while it was still a little wet, like I normally would.  This photo is while it is still damp.  My hair wound up coming out silky soft, and felt moisturized and strong.  I love how it helped to shape my big curls, and tame the frizz that I usually have going on.  

I think I've found my toxic-free hair care regimen.  The Mommy's Club Shampoo did an amazing job cleaning my hair without stripping it.  

I won't be doing the deep-conditioning treatment often - maybe once a month.  If I need any additional conditioning I will put just a drop or two of coconut oil between my palms, melt it to liquid state by rubbing my hands together and gently apply to the ends of my hair.

I would love to hear your thoughts if you try this technique!!

How to Start Living Toxic Free

I'm just a girl who has seen a lot of changes in myself and my family over the past few years that lead me to believe that the toxins in our home are impacting us. Moving toward a more natural, toxic-free life is something that I have been gradually doing for the past few years as I have become more aware of how my family and I respond to certain chemicals.  We wind up with everything from skin rashes and burns to severe gastro-intestinal issues and migraine headaches.  There is no doubt in my mind that there is a potential for long-term issues as well. I have always been pretty sensitive to things, but when I saw my kids begin to suffer with some of the same issues, I had to take a second look at exactly what we were putting in our homes and bodies.

What I found was absolutely shocking.  There are over 80,000 different chemicals that make their way into household products that most of us use every day, and the majority of them have not undergone safety testing to determine whether or not they are a danger to us.  It takes less than 30 seconds for those chemicals to make their way directly into our blood stream after touching our skin.  Truthfully, that's pretty scary.

Honestly when I hear things like that there's a part of me that wants to scale everything back to "how it used to be."  It isn't always practical in this modern world to do things so drastic, so we have been dipping our toes in the water, trying to feel out what works best for us. 

Fortunately there are options out there for those who want to make a change, like us.  We use local honey, buy organic whenever we can, and actively try to be conscious of what we bring into our home.  We garden, reduce/reuse/recycle, and use natural remedies whenever possible. There are so many wonderful ways to replace toxic-laden products with ones that are toxic-free in your home.  

The first thing I would encourage anyone to do is to find out what is toxic, and what isn't.  To do that, you can go to www.takethetoxictest.com and find out what the biggest culprits are by plugging in the products you use often in your home.  The site will give you a rating to tell you whether or not they are safe to use, and just how bad or good they are.

One of the biggest issues that most people run into when they are first starting out is cost.  My friend Allie told me about Mommy's Club, a company that allows members to buy products at a bulk discount by negotiating with companies to get special deals for their members.  In short, it's like a toxic-free version of Costco.  It's a new company so they are adding new products every day, and will ultimately be an easy one-stop-shop for everything you would need in your household from food, coffee, and supplements to cosmetics and cleaning supplies, all toxic-free and organic, and at a bulk discount price.

The best thing about Mommy's Club to me, is that their first and primary focus is spreading the message about refusing to use all the products that companies try to tell us are safe, and instead choosing to bring our homes back to the safe place they once were.  I have joined on with Mommy's Club because I believe in what they're doing.  They are changing the world, one home at a time.

There is an incredible community of people who are fighting back in a chemical-focused world.  We're taking back our health, our homes, and our futures by making single, small changes.  What will be your first step?

I've Been Painting

Just a few of the projects I have had going as of late.  I have about 15 orders I am working on as well, so there will be more updates before long!

10 Reasons Why Handheld Devices Will Be Given to my Children Under the Age of 12.

I'm sure you, like many of the rest of us, have seen this article floating around the internet.  I do believe there needs to be a balance out there, however, and someone speaking out and making sense of the issue from the "other side."

I will try to address main points in the "article" as we go.

1. Rapid Brain Growth. The author here states that handheld electronics are causing things like ADHD, developmental delays, and tantrums.  The article she cites clearly states, "longitudinal data of early television exposure and subsequent attentional problems have been lacking."  In short, this means there are no long-term reputable studies to support this theory. The article she linked is simply stating that there IS a theory.  It said that based on *available data* there was a 10% chance that children would have ADHD at age 7 if they had experienced watching TV at age 1-3.  It also doesn't mention other variables that could potentially contribute to this diagnosis.  I don't know about you, but to me that is hardly conclusive.  

2. Delayed Development. The article was purportedly written by a pediatric occupational therapist. I may not be an OT, but having had my fair share of experiences with them in regards to my daughter's development, I can say that not one of them has said that handheld devices are bad for fine motor skills (an OT's specialty).  In fact, learning to manipulate touch screens is both a motivating and functional task for anyone to learn in this modern day society.  The dexterity required will go a long way toward helping to improve fine motor skills.  I know a speech therapist personally who is an avid supporter of hand-held electronics, since they often aid in communication.  Both The Northern Arizona Regional Behavioral Health Authority and Medicaid agree and will even pay for hand-held devices for developmentally delayed people who could potentially use iPads specifically for that purpose.  Handheld devices help to PROMOTE development, not hinder it.  In addition to this fact, lets look to our public school system, who uses programs such as K-12 as fully acceptable and encouraged forms of free and public education.  Using technology to aid in learning is not a new concept.  

3. Epidemic Obesity. Okay.  I get that sitting down in a stationary position can lead to greater chance of obesity, and yes, we all know it is a health risk, blah, blah.  But lets take a closer look.  I don't know about you, but I can't get my kids to sit still.  I have to bribe them with a game on my phone or a movie on the iPad just so I can have a 10 minute conversation without "yelps" and "wheeees" in the background.  Lack of movement has not been a major problem for my kids under 12. On a broader scale, I believe the electronics industry has addressed this issue many times over and in the end it comes back to personal lifestyles, family input, extra-curriculars, and diet.  Reading is a more sedentary thing than using an iPhone (which is by nature, portable, and meant to be used "on the go").  I don't think any of us would say that books should be banned for anyone under age 12 because we have to be still while reading.  The key is to ALSO encourage movement.  Might I also say that thanks to TECHNOLOGY, we have things like the Wii, the Xbox Kinect, and other games that encourage exercise as a form of gaming.  This also improves hand-eye coordination, cognitive skills, and more.  Just saying.

4. Sleep Deprivation.  This one I can bend a bit on, because as a modern society with access to UV light at all times of the day from screens and various light sources, our bodies are not producing Melatonin at the rate they naturally should.  I think this is less of an "addiction to electronics" issue, and more of a "use of light after sundown" issue.  We use Melatonin supplements when we have issues (completely natural, no side-effects, and cheap over the counter), but we try to circumvent that when possible by keeping the lights low, turning off the TV about an hour before bed (handheld devices are still allowed based on our family rules) and having a good bedtime routine.  It helps. 

5. Mental Illness.  *Deep breath.*  Let me quote the main article here. "Technology overuse is implicated as a causal factor in rising rates of child depression, anxiety, attachment disorder, attention deficit, autism, bipolar disorder, psychosis and problematic child behavior"  You see... my daughter has Autism and Developmental Delays, both of which the author blames on the use of handheld devices.  In fact, with the rates of Autism alone being about one in 50, I would say that just about everyone reading this probably knows SOMEONE who has Autism.  Now, imagine that what this author said is true, and just by taking away the damned iPhone, BAM!  Autism would never have happened!  If only someone had told Steve Jobs, maybe they could have added a little Puzzle Piece to the Apple logo!  I have heard a LOT of wacky things about what causes and cures Autism, but I have to say this is up there in the top 5 crazy.  And that's not even TOUCHING the other things she mentioned... depression, anxiety, attachment disorder, ADHD, bipolar, psychosis, ODD.  Just no. No.

6. Aggression.  This issue has been brought up many times over and I have yet to hear a consensus among my fellow parents on this.  Generally speaking, if you don't want your child seeing violent things on TV/YouTube/etc, then monitor it.  A gentle reminder that we are focusing solely on children under the age of 12, so parental monitoring should be happening anyway, and age appropriate locks and filters can be put on just about any electronic device out there.  I also feel the need to address the increased use of seclusion rooms and restraints for children with aggression.  We are talking primarily about children with severe issues like Autism who are incapable of controlling their outbursts, and who have them for very good reasons that most of us cannot personally experience or fully understand.  I have to say that if I were in a situation where I was not able to speak due to things like audio processing disorder or brain damage from epilepsy, I would be very frustrated trying to communicate to people who often don't take the time to understand what I need.  I can't tell you how often I have seen this first hand.  Thankfully "our people" that work with Abbi are good folks, and as a result, her meltdowns or "aggression" has lessened significantly.  Regardless, the correlation between an increase in outbursts/restraints/seclusion rooms and the use of handheld devices is not at all linked.  The author is making a dangerous assumption that cheapens the very real and tragic experience that many people with anxiety, depression, bipolar, psychosis, odd, autism, and more, face every single day.  I don't think even one of them would blame their condition on the use of handheld devices.

7. Digital Dementia.  I admit I had never heard of this, so I did a little research.  From what I've found, it is essentially saying that we "techno-junkies" over-develop one part of our brain, to the detriment of the remainder, leading to what the media is referring to as "digital dementia."  This article specifically stated that in those who are completely "addicted" and immersed in technology, the left side of the brain grows quickly, while the right does not advance as quickly.  Because the right side of the brain is geared toward concentration and memory span, researchers are saying that there *could* be a potential 15% increased chance that we will wind up with dementia. However, according to the CDC, by 2013, nearly 20% of our entire population will have dementia.  Their projected cause?  We are living longer.  Nowhere on their website or in any CDC publication that I have found has it cited use of digital media as a potential cause for concern in regards to dementia.  In fact, many studies have shown that websites, apps, and programs such as Lumosity actually help to increase memory and cognitive function.  For children, it would be things like BrainPop and BrainPop Jr.  

8. Addictions.  This is a very real concern, and I hope that most families will use technology responsibly.  I will point out that addiction is not limited to technology.  Food, alcohol, technology, and even exercise can be addicting to the point of causing harm.  It is a parent's responsibility to determine what is or is not okay, and what is or is not too much of any one thing.  There are resources out there for those who find themselves or their children facing addiction.  The big message here?  Don't over-indulge, and if you cannot seem to help yourself, try to seek help from someone who cares about you, and/or from a professional.  

9. Radiation Emission. I freely admit that I am no scientist.  I will point out, however, that the author of the article did not present confirmed information that shows a direct link between technology and harmful medical effects.  I do hope that more studies are done, but as of yet, there is nothing specifically to say that using handheld devices is definitively harmful to our health.

10. Unsustainable.  The first thing I will point out here is that the author is focusing on the negative effects of free-range overuse of technology.  We are talking 7+ hours per day of direct exposure to unlimited and unrestricted technology.  For most children, this is not a reality, or even a possibility.  With the exception of online school, most children are in the classroom, playing with friends, eating dinner, and doing homework for much of the day, even those children who have handheld devices.  I also disagree that technology is not sustainable.  Unless you take into account the possibility that technology may one day implode via the likes of Skynet, I can't see how technology is considered something unsustainable.  On the converse, some would say that technology is helping our nuclear families to become more sustainable.  We can organize our schedules, shopping lists, and keep in better communication when we aren't immediately together.  We can play games together that help us bond, laugh, talk, and exercise.  We can learn together, and find entertainment together.  

I have homeschooled my children (using both online and hard-copy supplies), and I have my middle child in a Waldorf school (which is very focused on natural play and learning).  These same children have iPhones, iPads, and video games.  We monitor their use, encourage reading in actual paper books, and spend a lot of time outside in the fresh air.  We are an incredibly techno-savvy household, but pending a visit from the Terminator, or super-cellphone-radiation powers, I have yet to see any reason why my kids under 12 should not have access to handheld devices.

32.

This photo was taken 4 days after my 32 birthday.  

Hubby and I had gone with some friends to a Speakeasy party at one of our favorite local haunts downtown.  I've been in my "thirties" for 2 years now, but I don't think I really understood what that meant to me before.

I'm growing up. 

And all of my goals in life are growing up with me, whether I have made time for them or not.  Each year on January 1 I seem to set goals that get some attention, and life moves a little forward, and things keep going with the status quo.  That doesn't mean that I am unhappy with my life.  I'm not.  I just want to take a more active part in it. 

I want to make things happen. 

I want to go to Speakeasy parties and dress up.

I want to tell people how much they mean to me, regularly.

I want to paint as often as humanly possible.

I want to actually make some of the things I see on Pinterest.

I want to be more responsible with our finances.

I want to chronicle my life in ways that are meaningful. 

I want to nourish my relationships. 

I want to eat more vegetables. 

I want to get out in the world and have active adventures.

I want to stop saying "someday" and find ways to make things happen today.

I want to plant things with my own two hands and watch things grow in the dirt. 

I want to manage my time to make each moment meaningful.

I want to stop being afraid of failure.

32.... bring it on.