December! Say, what!? The end of the year always spurs a rekindling of intentions, fueled by reflections on the past year as well as the promise of a fresh start and a clean slate in one short month. I’m not really one for new year’s resolutions, but I also am not afraid of beginning fresh. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about all of the habits I’d like to rekindle, routines I’d like to develop and actually stick to, practices that can help my body, mind, soul, and creativity, and then trying to decide how to make it happen.  I finally decided that the best way to begin is to JUST DO IT.  Nike really was on to something.

This past week, for example, I’ve practiced ashtanga yoga three times; the first three times in over 3 years. What changed? Absolutely nothing, except for the fact that I rolled out my mat in the middle of the living room with my 2 year old climbing all over me, under me, on top of me, and instead of stopping and lamenting that I cannot practice yoga with a little one, I just KEPT GOING. And you know what? Finn did fine and I felt fantastic.

You may have noticed, but I also blogged… twice (make that thrice, now!) in the past week. Activities that once were part of my routine have dropped off, with enough excuses to bury them for life if I’d let them. But you know what? I’m not going to let the excuses win. I’m going to make a schedule, create habits, form a routine, and find a way to keep myself motivated so that the things that help me be a better mom, wife, friend, and human can become a firm and comfortably permanent part of my life again.

Today I saw a post about the 3rd annual 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge, hosted by Cheryl at Muppin.com, and it felt like a perfect tool to help me jump start back into regular writing again. Now I know better than to think I will post every single day for the next 31 days, but I’m going to use this challenge to make it a point to write every day. My goal is to post at least 3-5 posts per week again, and to write a little bit every day.

So, hi! Remember me? Here’s to a month of getting a head start on new year’s resolutions, trying on new habits to see which fit best, and finding a routine that has room for self care and exercise, creating beautiful things daily, sharing inspiration and creativity here, keeping my house in order, and of course playing and exploring with my kids and husband. It’s going to be a beautiful month.