Looking Back at 2014

As 2014 comes to an end, it is time to look back and look ahead at 2015.  The beginning of 2014 was not the best because I was struggling to get used to being a stay at home mom, dealing with my weight gain and dealing with the day-to-day conundrums.  Once Fall came around, I woke up! And I am so glad I did. Sometimes we all need to hit our reset buttons. Your reset can be anything from making a new friend to trying something new. I did both this year, and I am so grateful I am ending 2014 on a high note. 

Looking back at 2014....

My favorite experience: Experiencing the Polar Express train for the first time with the people I love most.

My biggest accomplishment: Taking control of my health and committing to it. I began cooking more Paleo-inspired meals and actually trying out new recipes from Against all Grain board.  Also, paying more attention to my body. It feels great being a healthy role model for my family.

The best meal of 2014: anything with Spaghetti Squash! There are so many ways to cook it and Bon Appetit magazine never disappoints!

If I have a free day, I like to: Get lost at the library, take a day trip with my family ( here and here) and most importantly those beloved lazy days with my husband and daughter. 

My favorite book: The Alchemist (I read it for the second time so that I could share the reading experience with my husband, who ended up loving the book). I recommend this book to anyone who has not read it. 

My favorite movie: I had a hard time picking one so here's my top two. Chef and The Hundred-Foot Journey. 

I hope my look back at 2014 will inspire you to reflect on your year, and look forward to whats to come in 2015.  I would love to hear some of your 2014 highlights. 

*A year in the life free printout from Modern Parents Messy Kids

Currently Reading

As many of you may know I am an avid reader, and I will not deny that on the few date nights my husband and I get we sometimes end up at our local Barnes & Noble. Yes, bookstores still exist! I also really enjoy spending time alone at the Folsom library. It is a beautiful library where I can stock up on books for Luna and for us, as well as, videos or music.  I think some people these days have forgotten libraries are great places for knowledge and free entertainment!

The new books that I am about to dig into are:

The Body Book by Cameron Diaz - I browsed through this while drinking tea at Barnes and its amazing and had to come home with me.

Money: Master the Game by Tony Robbins - My husband and I enjoy reading the same books once in awhile, and we like to read it simultaneously so we bought two copies! This book has great reviews thus far and whats even better is that 100% of the proceeds are being donated to Feeding America. I am all for some financial education and donating!

The Book of Psalms (Barnes & Noble edition) - During the holidays Barnes & Nobles usually has a lot of fancy editions and this was one of them.  Its a small beautiful book that I can carry with me which is great! What better than a daily Psalm for some uplifting!

I also wanted to list a few books that I have currently read or I am about to complete:

Husband's Secrety by Liane Moriaty - Great read with suspense! 

Unleash the Power of the Female Brain by Dr. Daniel Amen - I am almost done with this one, and I definitely recommend it to all the woman in my life! 

The Conscious Parent by Shefali Tsabary, Ph.D. - I always have at least one parenting book in my rotation and this is the one to get right now! I am taking my time reading this because it is very deep, and I like that she focuses more on the issues that come into play in the parents parenting style. If your a parent check it out!

If any of you have any book suggestions, I would love to hear them. 

Entryway Follow-Up

Here's an update on our entryway. I realize it is long overdue, and figured it would be good to post it up before I start adding Christmas decor! Most of the trinkets are from Home Goods (love that store).

As indicated, we purchased the shoe cabinet from Ikea. We added new brass knobs purchased from Lowe's, and left the cabinet white. The sunburst mirror is from Target. I gold-leafed the pot for my plant.  Every space looks better with greenery. 

We painted the entryway decorator's white and painted our doors black. The rug was purchased at Ikea as well, and I will probably switch it out eventually. 

Hope you all enjoyed the peek of my entryway.  It is still a work in progress...then again, decorating is always a work in progress!