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One Little Word for 2014: CHOOSE

January 6, 2014 8 Comments Holly & Nat

Do you know about the One Little Word movement started by one of our favorite creatives, Ali Edwards? You can read more about it here. It’s pretty awesome how many people are doing it now. This year, Nat and I decided we would like to try it, and today I’m sharing my word with you guys 🙂

Choose. 

It is a pretty normal word, and something we do every moment of every day. We make thousands of them in a year. Some of them are mundane. Some are life-changing. Some go completely unnoticed. But ultimately, our choices make up who we are.

I’m not sure I like what my choices have been saying about me. I’ve realized that for the past several months, I haven’t always been present in my own decision making. Life has been so busy that I have been allowing my circumstances to take over my ability to choose the things I should. At the end of the day, I find myself going to bed, exhausted, wondering what I really chose to do that day.

I am not making time for the things that are most important because I’m filling my days with never ending to do lists, appointments, car pools, play groups, blog posts, practices, etc. And then I blame my grumpiness on those things, even though I’m the one who chose them. I’m wishing I would have spent more time this year just slowing down, playing with my kids, and not worrying about checking things off a list. I don’t want to be a victim to my circumstances any more. And I guess I’m just tired of being a grumpy mom and nagging wife.

I am realizing more and more that it is MY attitude that determines the feeling in our home. If I am in a bad mood, it affects everyone in my family. I want a happier family. I want happy kids, so I better start figuring out how to be a happier mom!

So, this year I am going to try really hard to CHOOSE to be happy every day. I know I’ll still have hard days. And SUPER hard days. But I can still choose to find joy in something that happened that day. And if I fail one day, I will try again the next day. I will keeping choosing joy until it comes naturally.

I am also going to make a conscious effort to CHOOSE my kids. Day after day.

I am a mom. It is the best job in the world, and it’s also the hardest. But I chose it. I love my kids with all of my heart. And I want them to know that I am choosing them every day. I will choose them over the dishes getting done, I will choose them over Instagram, I will choose them over a shower if I have to! Sometimes I just need to stop what I’m doing, and rearrange my to do list to play with them right then.
In 2014, one of the biggest changes I am going to try to make is to CHOOSE the life I want to lead over the things I want to have. I have loved following along with Mandi’s “financial cleanse” this past year, she blogged about it at Tidbits from the Tremaynes. She cut out a TON of unnecessary spending and put a total of over $50K in savings in 2013!! Isn’t that amazing? Haha there is no way I could come close to that amount, but she has inspired me to bite the bullet and get serious about saving money. I have a bit of a shopping problem… when I have a bad day I don’t eat ice cream or write about it in my journal… I go to Target and TJ Maxx. But it’s not just when I have a bad day. It’s when I have a good day too! Haha, I told you I have a problem 🙂 When we’re bored during the day, we go to JoAnns, Down East, and then Target. Always Target. I have a love/hate relationship with that place. 
Anyway, I am going to try my own version of a financial cleanse by doing a family budget, (I really have never lived by a budget so suggestions are welcome!) and then having one specific goal each month. At the end of each month, I will report back on how I’ve done and how much money I’ve saved. If you want to join along with us –I’m making Nat do it with me– you can share your progress with us on Instagram (sisterssuitcaseholl and sisterssuitcasenat) with the hashtag #suitcasesavings
Hopefully by the end of the year, we’ll all have saved a suitcase full of moola!
JANUARY: FAST FOOD FAST


This month, I’m kicking it off with a Fast Food Fast. No fast food of any kind or eating out for one month. This is kind of killing two birds with one stone because we will save a ton of money, and we’ll eat healthier too! I am choosing a hard one for the first month because I want to prove to myself I am serious about this challenge. We eat out quite a bit, so this is going to be pretty rough. No eating out at all, including getting a Dr. Pepper at the McDonald’s drive through. Man oh man. I hope I make it through this.

It doesn’t mean you have to give up soda for the month, I think that would probably kill us off. Right my sis? But I am limiting myself to sodas I have at home or an occasional treat at the gas station, because if I get it at a fast food drive through I will be tempted to add some fries or nuggets for the screaming toddlers in the back 🙂

Who’s going to join us??

With all of my goals this year, I am determined to choose progress over perfection.
I am somewhat of a perfectionist and I tend to give up on things if I can’t do them perfectly. This year, I am going to try to celebrate small successes and look for progress. Small changes will lead to great things.
So I guess to wrap things up, I’ll leave you with this quote. I have no idea who said it, but I love it:
“The Amazing thing about life is that you choose what you allow into it, you choose how things affect you, you choose how you react. Happiness is a choice. MAKE IT.”
Have you chosen one little word to live by in 2014? Leave a comment and let us know!

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Filed Under: Holly, new years, one little word, Suitcase of Savings

About Holly & Nat

2 Sisters. 2 States. Sharing our latest creations keeps us close. We are moms, wives, daughters, friends, creative souls, singers, living room dancers, Jimmy Fallon fans, & consumers of dirty Dr. Pepper.

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Comments

  1. Mandy Beyeler says

    January 6, 2014 at 7:38 pm

    great focus for 2014!!

    Reply
    • Nat and Holly says

      January 7, 2014 at 12:42 am

      Thanks Mandy!

      Reply
  2. Emily DeBry says

    January 7, 2014 at 12:34 am

    Love this I need to jump on board this one word too its going to be a great year best of luck

    Reply
  3. Andrea Williams says

    January 7, 2014 at 3:13 am

    This year I am going to SOAR. No more waiting for life to happen. I am going to make my dreams come true.

    Reply
  4. Mimibs says

    January 7, 2014 at 3:18 pm

    I love this. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  5. McKenzie @ Girl Loves Glam says

    January 10, 2014 at 5:24 am

    I love this word! I choose you girls as my friends! That is what I choose!

    Reply
  6. Courtney Killpack says

    January 13, 2014 at 2:52 pm

    Love all of these quotes! Thanks for linking up to Be.You.Tiful link party my darlings!

    Reply
  7. Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke says

    February 2, 2014 at 6:24 am

    this is SO me: I am somewhat of a perfectionist and I tend to give up on things if I can’t do them perfectly.!!! LOVE this!

    Reply

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2 Sisters. 2 States. Sharing our latest creations keeps us close. We are moms, wives, daughters, friends, creative souls, singers, living room dancers, Jimmy Fallon fans, & consumers of dirty Dr. Pepper. Read More

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