You Say You Want A Resolution…
The last few months have held a lot of change and transition for my family… I launched this blog in November, with a VERY limited knowledge of anything computer-y, just having heard over and over from many friends and family that they thought I’d be a great blogger. So with a lot of encouragement from my husband, a new laptop, and a used copy of WordPress For Dummies, I jumped in with both feet and dedicated myself to finding some semblance of success with this new challenge.
[Side note, my greatest fear is failing publicly. So everything about this venture has been terrifying and nerve wrecking for me. I hope to find my stride and confidence soon though…]
The blog has basically taken over a ton of my time and energy, and I work a lot of late nights trying to learn something new, or schedule something that needs to be posted soon. So although I do have some very significant business-y goals for myself in 2017, I’m also aiming to find a bit of a better balance in the new year as well. One particular facet of my life that has significantly dropped off over the past several months is reading (even more than it did when we welcomed #thelittleone to our family, because let’s face it- it’s tough to stay awake, let alone concentrate when you have a new baby in your house).
[Wonder why I blog about children’s literature? It’s because I can actually finish those books… If I blogged about anything longer, it would probably take a year or two for me to finally make my way through a book and share it with you.
Ok, not really, I’m exaggerating… slightly.]
In all seriousness though, I have a huge collection of books lining my shelves- in my office, living room, dining room, boxes in the basement- no joke, tons of reading is just begging to take place at my house. And 2017 is going to be the year that I invest that time in reading…
I was so inspired by my friend Vicki from Babies to Bookworms‘ post about starting 2017 with some life changing books that I decided to peruse my shelves for some of the books I’ve had sitting for a while and resolve to read in the new year. Here’s the first six books I hope to make the time to tackle… [I tend to be very into non-fiction, self-help sort of books. I’m warning you that you won’t find a lot of romance or science fiction on my bookcases, and this list very much reflects my tastes].
Push Back: Guilt in the Age of Natural Parenting
Amy Tuteur, MD
You likely can’t tell from this blog so far, but I’m a mama with a fairly crunchy side- a bit chewy, if you will. I’ve got a shelf full of essential oils and homeopathic rememdies, and I’ll strap some amber on my teething kiddo before I break out the Tylenol. But I’m also a mama with a limited budget (have you priced some essential oils lately?!) and limited time (researching parenting options is like jumping down a rabbit hole… 9 days later, I may reappear having read every article, blog post, & review available, and ready to make a choice. Maybe. Oh wait, here’s some new information I just need to consider first…). I’m hoping this choice, written by Amy Tuteur, is going to help me let go of some of my mom guilt, and allow me to sleep easier at night, knowing I have done the best I can within my own circumstances.
Movers, Shakers, Mommies, and Makers: Success Stories from Mompreneurs
Gibbs Smith Publishing
This will likely be one of the first reads I take on this year, as the cover, and photos inside are just so incredibly inviting. It looks like the perfect choice for a busy mama like myself who is hoping to find some degree of success with her small business in 2017, and I need that sort of inspiration to help me get (and stay) fired up about all of the hard work that is ahead of me!
The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections
Amanda Blake Soule
This choice is particularly interesting to me this year, as I think it’s fairly similar to the type of book my husband has been encouraging me to consider putting together in the future, after I’ve been blogging longer. We’re a pretty crafty household as well, so I know we’re going to get a lot of great ideas from this book, written by the mama who blogs at SouleMama– I can’t wait to check it out more closely soon!
Always Too Much and Never Enough: A Memoir
Jasmin Singer
I’ve always been a sucker for a good memoir, and if we’re being totally honest, there’s no way I could pass up one that prominently featured ice cream & jimmies on the cover! This one chronicles a woman’s journey with both body acceptance and fueling her body in a healthy way. I can’t think of a better memoir to break open in the new year, when so many resolutions center solely around quick fix weight loss solutions and unrealistic body expectations.
Adventures for Your Soul: 21 Ways to Transform Your Habits and Reach Your Full Potential
Shannon Kaiser
I can’t speak for anyone else, but after the last several years of craziness (deaths in the family, moving to a new home, welcoming a new baby, and more), my soul could seriously use all the help it can get. This book is talked about often, and rates highly with reviewers, so I’m looking forward to jumping in to it. Anything that promises to help me find ways to manage some stress and change my mindset is worth a look, in my opinion.
The Good Mother Myth: Redefining Motherhood to Fit RealityAvital Norman Nathman, Editor
As I mentioned earlier in the post, the mom guilt around here lately has been REAL. I am so excited to have pulled this little collection off my shelf, because I’m absolutely at a point when I could use a reality check about expectations and outcomes, and some inspiration to just brush off some of the guilt I struggle with as a busy mama. I’m thrilled that this is a collection of essays, because it means even on days when I’m too busy to make significant progress in one of the other books I’ve chosen, I likely have enough time to sit down and read an essay or two. (Maybe even in a bubble bath after the kids are asleep… cause, you know- destressing and reducing guilt, it’s a multitasking mommy’s dream!)
Because I am really committed to accomplishing this resolution this year, and because I really know how I work best in terms of accountability, I created a printable progress chart that I can hang in my office as a visual reminder of where I am in my progress. [Yes, I know it’s nerdy. No, I really don’t care about that.] My personal goal is to read (on average) 2 books a month, making my overall plan 24 books in the year 2017.
Coincidentally, 24 is also the minimum number of nights per month #thebigone needs to read at home in order to pick a prize from his teacher’s prize chest at school. So I’m thinking this printable will translate well into a way to track summer reading, etc. Two birds, one stone, win-win, all that jazz.
If a free printable is what you need to keep yourself on track with your own reading plans this year (or those of your kids), you’re more than welcome to use mine. I plan to color in one volume each time I finish a book, so I can quickly track my work on this particular resolution.
How about you? What sort of resolutions did you make for the new year? What goals have you set for yourself for 2017? I’d love to hear about them in the comments, so please feel free to share!
Printable progress log, comin’ atcha!
If you’re trying to decide what you want to read first this year, here’s some more great ideas!
Love printables to plan, organize, and get creative? Look no further!
PS. Are you following me on Instagram yet? If you’re not, this is the perfect week to click over and follow along! Through the end of the week, I’m participating in an awesome ‘Take Better Care of Me’ New Year Goals giveaway, and I’d love for you to have a chance at winning all the goodies! Good luck!
Stacy Russell
Great list of books to read in 2017. I haven’t heard of any of them so I will check them out. My favorite author for mothers is Sally Clarkson. Her last book “Life Giving Home” is great but she has several others.
Kate
Thanks so much for stopping by, and the suggestion Stacy! I haven’t heard of Sally Clarkson before, but I’m off to do some research (and if I’m being honest, probably make a purchase, haha!).