Happy New Year! I always have a very slow start to the year, I find it hard to come off the momentum of family time over winter break and get back to work. Plus, we're having deja vu to last January, where instead of the kids actually going back to school and me getting back to routine, there are snow days and ice days and “it's too cold to start the buses” days. Ahem.
December is always so busy that I find it hard to slow down and look back before jumping ahead to the excitement of the New Year–all the goal-setting, lists, pretty pens and paper (is that just me?), and renewed energy. I like this first week of January for that, you know, when there aren't six kids in the house (and a husband “working from home” because the commute is bad).
I love the one-word-for-the-year trend that's been around for a while, but I've never done it before, so I thought I'd give it a try. It fits well with what I had in mind for myself, both personally and professionally, this year. I've chosen REFLECT.
I'm thinking of reflect in two ways: one, to slow down and ponder, to take time to think and appreciate good things and quiet times. I think we all need more of that in our lives. And two, to reflect by giving back. I want to serve you better and give more back. I want to help you solve problems and ease stress and enjoy family life, all from the frugal point of view. So I've had that in mind as I've written out my blog goals for the new year.
Before doing so, I spent a little time thinking back over my blog year of 2014. One of my biggest accomplishments was being featured in Redbook Magazine in April for going debt-free. Me–in print! It was very exciting. I was also featured online in a bunch of places:
- Money Magazine: 8 Smart Ways to Save When Buying Holiday Gifts for a Big Family
- Mint: Expert Interview with Gina Lincicum about Balancing the Family Budget
- Momtastic: How 12 Real Moms Are Saving Real Money This Holiday Season
- The Centsible Life: Family CFO Interview: Gina Lincicum of MoneywiseMoms
- AllParenting.com: Light Meals for Warmer Weather
- LearnVest.com: How to Rebalance Your Portfolio and Your Life
One of the things I most enjoyed in 2014 was hosting Twitter parties through SoFabChats each month. They're really fun! I always look forward to sitting down with my lunch and chatting with hundreds of fun people from all over the country. I love how everyone shares great ideas for meals, parties, and more. I'm looking forward to doing it again this year. If you haven't tried one yet, please join me; just follow me on Twitter for the next RSVP (there are great prizes every time).
I also looked back at which MoneywiseMoms posts were the most popular in 2014. As usual, most were food-themed. Shocker! So of course you'll see more of those in the coming year as well, but I would love to get your feedback about other topics of interest.
I love hearing from you, readers. What types of posts or topics are you looking for? What home challenges do you have?
Original image by Nikos Koutoulas at Flickr
