Yes, another resolution post, like we haven’t all seen enough of them in the last week or so. I know, how cliché, but I love any opportunity to take a look at where I am, where I want to go, and develop a plan on how to get there. I want to share a few of my 2023 goals just for some inspiration because I know I love to hear what everyone is excited by lately even if I don’t want to achieve their same goals.
I like to pick at least one goal for several areas in my life instead of just getting stuck on one type that can seem overwhelming.
- Fitness: Work up to running 6 miles/5 days a week. It’s been forever since I’ve had a true running plan and I miss the consistency and love how my mental toughness increases when I do a workout no matter my mood. Plus I am working on building muscle through strength training. It’s never been my favorite so I’m making it my mission to commit to it this year and find what I like most. I like pushing myself physically and it’s been awhile.
- Health: Focus on small habits to up my wellness game. Specifically I want to have protein at each meal, pay more attention to eating intuitively, especially with portions/stopping when full, and delving into personal habits (why I do what I do). Researching wellness/health trends is one of my favorite things so I know what to do.
- Finances: Create a new income stream. Ideally something I enjoy as a hobby that can be monetized.
- Adventure: Travel at least once a month. I haven’t been on a plane since December 2019 and I’m going stir crazy, but road trips to little towns not too far away count as well. I want to explore more.
- Food: Cook more actual recipes. I love to bake and watch cooking shows. I am the master at roasting vegetables and protein and making easy soups but when I follow recipes I’m amazed at how much better my food tastes. I also want to experiment with new techniques, ingredients, and trying classic recipes I’ve never made.
- Bonus Challenge: Only buy clothes that are thrifted (thrift stores, Poshmark, etc.) as much as possible. This one is part eco, one part finances. It will obviously help me save money if I’m not buying new items but also make me get more creative in “shopping my closet” to create outfits. I’ve felt guilty for quite awhile with being such a consumer of new clothes when most of my favorites are from thrift stores anyway. Obviously I’ll allow myself to buy new undergarments (hah!) and if something is needed out of pure necessity.
Even though I love the goals I’ve chosen to work on I still give myself grace and not make them too absolute. If I slip up a day or even a week, it is my choice to get up again and restart. If I had said on January 1st “I will work out every day” for example, odds are I will screw it up and feel like a failure. However, I made my goal more about the overall process. I used to think the 80/20 rule with wellness was stupid because, what am I supposed to do? Be tracking my meals and calculating if I ate correctly exactly 80% of the time and splurged the other 20? That just never felt doable or sustainable. Lately though I’ve realized that the 80/20 concept is more like a figure of speech to not take literal. It is about sticking to your goals most of the time and allowing yourself that wiggle room for the more fun moments, the treats, and the mistakes. I think many people don’t set “resolutions” because they don’t want to be disappointed when they “fail.” In my opinion, if you are committed to a goal you truly desire you will be motivated to keep going. Make your goals personal. Don’t start January with a typical resolution that you hear everyone and your neighbor making. That will not excite you. And never forget that even the biggest goal you wish for the most will not always sound exciting and you will not always have the motivation. A little bit each day, one step at a time is how we grow and change.
I love this quote when I feel like my daily habits aren’t adding up: “Your days create your weeks. Your weeks create your years and your years create your life.”
~Whitney
P.S. I have other goals that I’m keeping more private. Plus, I realized I was rambling far too long on each of my bulleted goals above when I really wanted to stick to a simple post. I think I’ll go into each one more in depth later on.
This. This is why I brave the crowds and go to Wal-Mart occasionally. $3 turkey hair clips are a must-buy. 
And…tiny bragging but the official Hello Dolly Broadway instagram used my picture! I was pretty excited about that. I’m famous! hah!
I went thrift shopping for the first time in months and hit a pocket of excellence. Including the above pictured Free People dress. My haul also includes a sequin skirt, and a fabulous vintage sweater that I’m sure one of the Golden Girls wore. (Newsflash: That means I love it.)
And I’m convinced I need to buy the two bags of 
I saw the bags while getting my first Cranberry Bliss Bar. I NEED to find a healthy homemade recipe this season. They’re so good but not really worth the sugar too often for me. Once in a while is just perfect!
I’m an old cat lady, except even sadder because I don’t have a cat at the moment. Hah! I loved this sign so much. I’ll just skip the nap bit.
I had just grabbed ice cream when we decided it was necessary for one last souvenir. I bought a mug…it makes me feel super collegiate while drinking my coffee.
On the way home we found some cute shops in New Canaan as well. The fox is my spirit animal. I had to pose.
Our night ended in Westport at the prettiest 
For November Folino is doing a wine and pie pairing event! Now that’s my kind of party. Any takers??
They had two kinds of lobster rolls. One was warm with butter, and the other was cold with mayo and herbs. Both were amazing. We got one of each and then split them! I couldn’t decide my favorite. The french fries were also seriously great. I didn’t leave one on the plate.
We found a beach down the road that was free to walk on since it was October. It was so windy but really fun to just walk around and look out at the water. 
The next day was New Haven. The little shop was called Maison Mathis and had a great vibe.
I’m a tad OCD about researching things so I did my homework and knew about most of the cafes within 5 miles of the Yale campus. We hit
Our third day was for traveling home. I found a cute, organic spot for brunch called 
We need to talk about the rainbow, unicorn bagels. I thought they were legend and only existed in a big, fancy city bagelry. Isn’t that bagel bin a beauty?
It was even prettier inside! I’m 100% sure the bagel was amazing and would have been despite it looking like Play-Doh. Light, fluffy, airy. Mmmm.
Some macarons made their way home with us. The chocolate one was fudge and creamy.
Dark potato chips are a weakness. These did not disappoint. 
The first thing that’s around the corner when you walk in, is the coffee and juice bar! That made me happy from the first step inside. 
I went for a mix of 1/4 hazelnut, 3/4 iced Columbian. Very excellent.
Just a girl among her coffee bean barrels.
I’m obsessed with lobster rolls and order them whenever possible. I LOVE that Connecticut has them to-go! Seriously, one of my favorite goods and I’ll take them any way I can get them. 
Since Stew Leonard’s is a “dairy store,” they even had part of the assembly line in the store to watch! 
Anyone else LOVE grocery stores, food, and shopping for treats?