This was the best year of my life. 

California has felt so unlike home for so long--we've been here for almost a year and a half and I still find myself missing the East Coast and all the people we love who live on that side of the country. But in 2017 I finally let go and said yes more, even though my goal was to simplify my life. Instead I wrote two books, became a Pure Barre instructor, moved into a new place, and had a baby.

And yet somehow by taking on what sometimes seemed like an unending number of new things, I learned what really matters to me: family, health, happiness, friendship--that's it.

We live in a cozy house with a sweet pup and our amazing daughter who has already changed our lives forever. We paid off our student loans. I worked harder--both professionally and physically--than I ever have in my life. I wrote to-do lists that were long and aggressive and somehow I managed to check most of the items off. 

And now that that's all done, maybe in 2018 I will finally slow down a bit--Sophie will see to that. More evenings on the couch nursing, more quiet mornings with coffee in hand, more afternoon walks with Ender, more visits from friends as the baby grows. Six weeks ago she was a newborn who could barely stay awake throughout the day and yesterday she looked at me and gave me an honest-to-God smile. The days are long but the years are short--I know this already; and I intend to savor every moment of this next one.

Happy New Year, friends. 

2017. 

How odd, to see those numbers grouped together and know that it's starting tomorrow. I can't believe we're here already. This year flew by, and I know everyone says that, but it's surreal to think that just three months ago, we were living in Charlotte. Now we have a new home, a new coast of the country to explore, and we're staring at the blank slate of a new year, wondering what we'll do with it.

I'm not always great with New Year's Resolutions--they start out with the best intentions (and usually they have a clear focus), but they end up looking like a To-Do list from any other day. Drink water or exercise more turns into keep the house clean and then suddenly I'm adding fold the laundry as I call Rob and ask him to bring some dinner home.

But it feels wrong to me to start a new year without some type of resolution. So, like a lot of others, I sometimes like to choose a word to focus on these next twelve months. It's easier to give yourself a little room--to apply a word or thought to everything you do instead of coming up with specific goals. And this year, for me, it's simple...literally. I woke up yesterday with the word so clearly in my mouth before my eyes even opened.

Simplify.

I have recently found myself longing to simplify my life in every way I can. For so long I've been looking for balance in my life, but even the steadiest balance can topple over at any moment. I want my life to be easy to manage. I'm so enamored with the idea of minimalism, but even as I get rid of things I want more--more room in my kitchen, more money in my bank account, more black sweaters in my closet. Rob and I have switched gears so much that, even though we've made it this far with quite a bit of success, sometimes I feel like I just grabbed everything I could carry and ran with it, whether I really needed it or not.

It's easy to forget your intentions when you bite off more than you can chew to get to them.

So in 2017, you'll find me focusing on the things I really need, and reevaluating the things I thought I had to have. I mean this in more ways than just getting rid of clutter--I want these next 365 days to be intentional in every way. My career, my health and fitness, my daily routines, my goals for the future--I'm ready to take a step back and find a way to make it all work for me, instead of the other way around. Even (and especially) if it means simplifying things.

Happy New Year, friends--I hope 2017 brings you everything you need.

Well you guys, we made it--Monday after the holidays is here and I just can't even believe it's January of 2016.

I have never been so happy to put a year behind me than I was with 2015, and now that we're here, I feel like I have so much to look forward to in 2016. Alt Summit is this month and I'll once again be traveling to Salt Lake City to attend, and then Rob and I have a Miami vacation planned for early February. There will be a few weddings and hopefully lots of weekends with friends in the spring, summer, and fall. Our lease is up in August and we're thinking about moving from our two-bedroom apartment to a three-bedroom house with a yard. There are a lot of little exciting things in the pipeline but overall, I'm praying for an uneventful year.

I started my first Whole 30 on January 1st after spending New Year's Eve on the couch with a bottle of champagne, a couple large bags of potato chips, and one too many days of looking in the mirror and feeling bad about what I saw. So now I'm four days in and already feeling so much better--day two is no joke though. I'll be sharing my experience with The Whole30 once I'm done, because up until December 31st of 2015, I was actually kind of anti-food/diet challenges.

I want to be able to say that things are going to be different and that I have a ton of things planned for this year (both on and off the blog), but the truth is that pretty often I'm still taking things one day at a time. I know that life isn't magically going to get easier because the calendar changes at the end of the year, but it's been nice to spend these two weeks of holidays resting and relaxing; reminiscing and getting inspired for the year ahead.

As always, I appreciate all of you so much. I hope you had the happiest of holidays, and that you get out there and crush it this Monday! Let's do this thing.

Photo by V.A. Photography.