It’s a new year and I’ve made a few resolutions that can help make my life better. I feel like sharing them with you on this blog helps legitimize them so I have to follow through.

First, I want to reduce my carbon footprint by recycling more. Nothing makes a person more concerned about the future of the world than having a baby, so we’re extra conscious about what we can salvage in the recycling and what we have to throw in the trash. This means saving all the plastic bags and remembering to turn them in at the grocery store. It also means washing out yogurt cups and ice cream cartons, milk jugs and coffee creamer. We’re pretty good about recycling cardboard and paper already, but we’ll continue to keep our eye on everything that heads to the trash and ask, “does that have to be thrown in the garbage?”

Second, I want to spend more time in the moment. I’m adopting a new mantra: relax and enjoy. We just celebrated our first Christmas with Leigh and I don’t think I was able to fully appreciate the happiness of the occasion. I get wrapped up in little details that not even I remember after the moment passes. His first birthday is coming up and I know it’s easy to make things overly complicated for an occasion he’s not even going to remember. I want to celebrate with him and enjoy the milestone together. This means I’m not planning a huge shindig with a bouncy house or pony rides. I just want to be able to relax and enjoy my son’s childhood. The first year is almost over and I have no idea where the days went.

Those are the two things I want to work on this year. What are your resolutions?