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22 Ways to Make 2017 Your Best Year Yet

Are you looking to get more organized in the new year?  Save money?  Have a better marriage?  Or just be happier?  No matter your goals, there is an article here to help you get there!

New You – Finances

4 Things I Sacrificed to Afford to be a Stay at Home Mom

 

If you’d love to be a stay at home mom but can’t imagine going from two incomes to one, this is the post for you.  This is how we went from living on an extremely tight budget (well, more like wasting money and thinking we were on a budget) with two incomes, to living pretty well on just one.  Thist post is the right place to start.

How I Afford to be a Stay at Home Mom

 

This is the next post to read if you’re looking to afford to drop to one income.

7 Ways to Save Money by Eating a Vegetarian Diet

 

We’re mostly whole food plant based now, but when I first became a vegetarian, I saved a TON on meat.  Cut out dairy and you’ll save even more.

How to Save Money by Paying All of Your Bills Weekly

 

We pay all of our bills every single week and it has completely streamlined our finances.  No longer are there weeks where it feels like we have a ton of money because no bills are due followed by weeks where we need to dip into savings because we overspent on our “no-bill” weeks.  We always know exactly how much money is coming out every week ( because it’s the same every week!) and we’re finally on top of our finances!  If that’s not a great goal for 2017, I don’t know what is!

How We Broke Our Addiction to Going Out to Eat

 

Looking to save money in the new year?  Start by breaking your addiction to restaurants.  Food is probably the most flexible expense on your budget.  Use these tips to save your family a ton of money this year.

Extreme Ways to Save Money

 

Here are some ways to save money that might seem stupid or extreme to some – but they work for us!

 

New You – Simple Living

7 Small Ways You Can Start Homesteading Right Where You Are

 

If you dream of living a simpler life, this is the post for you.  Some of these ideas might be things you’re doing already, but there is probably something on the list that you can start doing to make your life just a little simpler and easier.

 

Why You Should Consider Living in a Small Home

 

If you didn’t already know this, here it is…we live in around 1000 square feet.  It’s just me, my husband, our two year old, and our 6 month old, but our two bedroom one bathroom house is exactly what we wanted.  Not just for our family of four (we were a family of three when we bought it) but this is the size house we want for our family of 6 when we’re finished having kids.  There are a lot of perks to living in a small house!

List of Feasible First Year Homesteading Goals

 

Back to simpler living.  I call it homesteading sometimes, but it’s really just simple living.  What can you accomplish in your first year of living a simpler or homesteading lifestyle?  Read this post to find out!

New You – Relationships

How the Five Love Languages Changed My Marriage

 

Make this the year that you and your spouse or partner get on the same page.  Things will never be perfect in a relationship, but they can be pretty close to it, and this post is a great starting point!

The One Question You Should Ask Your Spouse Everyday

 

This goes back to that whole getting your marriage in order thing.  I ask Scotty this almost every day and I can honestly say our marriage is better because of it.

 

 

New You – Organization

My Much Simpler Version of a Bullet Journal

 

Are you a planner addict?  I know I am.  I’m awesome at buying just the right planner that will do everything I need it to in order to keep me organized.  I’m so good at it that I buy about 5 or 6 a year and they’re in just about the same condition today as they were when I bought them.  My poor planners never get used.  Seriously.  I suck at this.  This is my solution and it actually works.  Keep it simple stupid.

8 Tips to Purge the Biggest Problem Areas in Your Home

 

Get rid of sh*t you don’t need!  We purged SO much of our stuff about a year ago, and just today I went through my dresser and purged even more.  I’m so far from a minimalist, but even if you’re fine with having lots of stuff, there’s some crap you just don’t need!  Follow these 8 tips to get that junk out of your house.

 

Organizing Tips That Actually Work in Our House

 

I’ve made no secret about the fact that I’m not a naturally neat and organized person.  However, I’m definitely getting there by reading my favorite bloggers and watching my favorite vloggers in action.  Some of the tips that work amazingly well in their homes don’t work worth a crap in ours.  These are the tips that actually work for us!

9 Ways to Make Storage Space Where There is None

 

Whether you live in a small house or not, storage space seems to always be an issue.  These are 9 tips that we use to make storage space where we need it in our small space.

How to Clean Any Room in 15 Minutes

 

I honestly use this system every single day in our house.  Hardly anyone has time to clean anymore.  You’re always making time to clean by sacrificing time spent doing something else – probably something you’d much rather be doing.   If you can spare just 15 minutes, you can keep any room in tip top condition.

 

4 Easy Ways to Combat Procrastination

 

I’m the kind of person who stresses over everything I need to do to the point that I wait to the last second to do it.  I realize that if I just spend that time worrying on actually accomplishing something, I’d have nothing to worry about – but try to explain that to a worrier.  It doesn’t work.  Here are 4 easy ways that I combat my procrastination and I bet they’ll help you too.

Cleaning and Organizing Habits to Cultivate

 

The best way to keep your home clean and organized is to create habits that stick.  These are the best ones you can start to develop in the new year.

New You – Better You

How I’m Breaking My Sugar Addiction

 

I have fallen off this wagon more times than I can count, but I’m on day 8 of no soft drinks and I can honestly say I notice a huge difference in my energy level.  Cut out the sugar and you miraculously get moer time in your day because you’re more alert and efficient.

 

6 Ways to be a Better Parent in the New Year

 

Be a better parent.

9 Ways to be Happier in the New Year

 

Happiness is a choice.  Make 2017 the year you’re happy.  Just do it – dammit.

 

Did any of these articles speak to you?  What do you want to see more of in the new year?  I’m SO excited to spend this year growing with all of you.  Thank you – from the bottom of my heart – for reading my ramblings and enjoying my little piece of the blogosphere.  Love and light to all of you!