Making Good Habits, Breaking the Bad

(Title, no relation to the awesome TV series)
My New Year's Resolutions? Well, here they are ...

1. Cook a homemade meal once a week.
I bake occassionally, though it's harder for me to cook a good and well-rounded meal. I hope to try out one of these recipes a month and cook at least one homemade meal a week, in hopes of living a healthier lifestyle that allows me to enjoy food and take my time preparing it.

{Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich}

2. Remove my mascara every night before bed.
I never go to bed without washing my face, but I do have a nasty habit of leaving my mascara on for multiple days at a time. I tell myself this routine saves me time in the morning, but really, my lashes end up looking like a clumpy mess. I also hope to use my SmartLash serum every night (it worked wonders when I used it a few years back), and use these tips for no clump, healthy-looking lashes.


{Mascara, via}

3. Be wise with my money.
My friends and family know me as an online shopaholic. It's to the point where Ronnie will hand me his laptop when he's watching sports, just because he knows I'd rather unwind from the day by shopping online. Most importantly, building my savings fund and tithing to God is better than the item I'll tire of in a few months. I've downloaded this handy app to track my spending and reduce my tendency to impulse buy while I'm surfing the web late into the night.

{Via Jonathan Adler}

4. Rest: with tea, candles, cozy pajamas, and get lost in a book.
I have a really hard time doing one thing at a time. I'm a notorious busy-body, needing to multitask at every second of the day. Something I tell myself all the time is to "stop and rest." This past summer was the first time I really got to slow down and do things I love. I believe it is so important to follow God's lead and take a Sabbath every week, not only to myself, but to enjoy time spent with Him.

{Anthropologie Tea Cup, via}

5. Join a homegroup at church.
I've finally started attending a church regularly and think my days of church-hopping have seen their last. I'm excited to get plugged into a homegroup next month with a group of young women like myself. I've found myself craving purposeful friendships and I'm ready to see what God has in store for me and new relationships.