Tag Archives: new year

Jan17

Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions With These Solutions

Posted on by
Standard
Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions With These Solutions

Are you making a New Year’s resolution for a more healthy lifestyle? If so, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, many of these resolutions often fail due to a lack of planning and support. Even when you make the conscious choice to live healthier by implementing simple steps, such as switching your food choices or being more active, these decisions can be tricky to maintain in the long term. In reality, most of us end up unknowingly self-sabotaging because we lack support. Here’s what to do about that and where to find the support you need this year:

Creating a support system:

Creating a support system is key to successfully turning your healthy resolutions into reality. No matter how much we plan and prepare, there will be times when we simply lack the motivation to make healthy choices. This is why having a support system is so important: It helps provide encouragement and accountability to keep us on track. Having a supportive group of friends, family members, or colleagues will give you a group to share in your success and push you to keep improving.

Picking the right insurance:

Having the right insurance coverage is an important part of any health plan. Whether you are trying to make healthy lifestyle changes or just need financial protection, having the right insurance can make a huge difference:

Medical Insurance: Medical insurance is a great way to get access to preventative care like physicals, screenings, and vaccinations. It can also provide financial protection for medical emergencies, helping to ensure that you receive the care you need without breaking the bank. As not all policies are made equal, you want to research the best option for you.

Life Insurance: Life insurance is a way to provide financial security for your loved ones in the event of your death. It can provide funds to pay off debts and provide financial support to those who depend on you. More importantly, it’s part of a long-term health plan involving your family. Unsure about the right policy for you? It’s worth reading about it, starting with these National Life Group reviews for guidance.

Seeking specialist support:

Why do everything alone when you can find guidance from experts?

Hiring a personal trainer will help you reach your health and fitness goals this year. Personal trainers offer personalized support and guidance to help keep you motivated and on track with your fitness journey. They provide custom advice and support and can also help you create a fitness program tailored to your individual needs and abilities.

ny2

Unsplash Image

A nutritionist can also be a big help in achieving a healthier lifestyle. Even if you think you already know what a healthy diet looks like, seeing a nutritionist can provide insights on how to add variety and make sure you’re getting the proper nutrients for your specific needs.

Don’t let your New Year’s resolutions die out this January. Seize the opportunity to go further and give yourself a chance for success!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Advertisement
Jan8

New Year, Same Us

Posted on by
Standard
New Year, Same Us

Hello! One of my favorite things about being married other than annoying Johnny every day for the rest of our lives is the holidays. I am a huge fan of birthdays, holidays, and any occasion that calls for a family get together and being able to double the celebration time with Johnny’s family is such a treat! This past weekend, Johnny and I celebrated our third New Year together and we just had to show out in our best for the handful of people that saw us lol. Check it out:

image_50731009image_50431489(5)image_50438913(3)image_50445313(2)image_50423041(2)

As you can see, “act more normal” was clearly not one of our New Year’s resolutions. In fact, we didn’t make any! However, we both have several projects and goals that we’d like to see come into fruition this year. I currently have a rough draft for a children’s book and I am meeting with a potential illustrator in a few weeks. I also would very much like to continue gaining clout with my social media presence and blog. While I am a word gal, Johnny is my music guy and he has plans for a new honky tonk band with two of our musician pals. So, no resolutions per se but lots of exciting things to work towards!

Let’s be real, the past few years have sucked eggs. Since 2020, I have gone into every new year thinking the best and then craziness broke out with the pandemic. This is the first time that I have felt, dare I say, hopeful for a new year ahead of us. It is also nice to kick start 2023 with the major goal of self publishing a book. I have never done anything like that before and I am ready to sink my teeth into a brand new challenge. I also have a very rough draft of a sequel written already and a majority of the writing I did was to the tune of Johnny’s guitar. It’s a match made in heaven. ❤

Maybe I feel a bit better about 2023 because nothing could be worse than the last few months of my 2022 lol. I can’t wait for Johnny and I to have success in these side hustle projects and have my fingers crossed that the curve balls will be kept to a minimum!

What is something that you are looking forward to this year? How did you celebrate the new year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan1

Happy New Year!!!!

Posted on by
Standard
Happy New Year!!!!

Hello everyone and a very Happy New Year to all of you!!! I am so thrilled to be able to celebrate another holiday here on lifewithlilred and continue on with another year of daily content and fun on my page. Most importantly, I’m excited to share it with all of my dear friends and readers and I thank each and every one of you for stopping by! I don’t know about all of you, but 2022 mainly sucked eggs for me so here’s to lots of good things in store for 2023. And, yes, I definitely did type 2022 first instead of 2023 lol I’ll be doing that for a while. *Face palm*

I have never been one for making New Year’s Resolutions like working out or eating less Taco Bell and when I have, I didn’t keep them. Rather, I like to set goals that I want to accomplish in the new year and see what happens. For example, it would be awesome if the followers on lifewithlilred and my social media platforms (Instagram @lifewithlilred94 and Facebook is: Sarah Mushenheim) increased and I will be working hard to achieve that. I would also LOVE to take a mini vacation of some kind with Johnny, which would be our first time doing so. Maybe this summer?!

As you might have deduced if you keep up on my page, the last several months of 2022 were not good for me in any way shape or form. So, I am trying to manifest all of the positive things to come mine and my family’s way in 2023. I think we could all use a break! During happy or sad times, however, it always brings me joy to sit down and write a post for my blog and I am so thankful to have that and all of you as a constant in my life – no matter what the year is! ❤

I hope that all of you and yours have the happiest, most prosperous, and safe new year. Have a blast celebrating and keep it locked for another year of your favorite Lil Red blogger! Here’s to 2023 – Let’s make it our best year yet!

Happy New Year!!!!

image_50735105(1)

Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions? Was 2022 a good or bad year for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov18

Essentials To Boost 2023 For Your Children

Posted on by
Standard
Essentials To Boost 2023 For Your Children

2023 is on the horizon, and there are a lot of factors that you need to think about when it comes time to try to improve the year for your children. There are loads of things that you can do in the family that will help to make the coming year better and more exciting for your kids, and it’s important to think about the different ways in which you are able to do this.

Being the head of the family these days comes with its fair share of struggles and challenges, and the more you can do to deal with these effectively, the better it will be long-term. There are plenty of things that you have to think about that are going to play a big role in this, and being able to boost the coming year for your kids can play a huge role in making family life better. These are some of the key essentials that you can use to help you achieve this:

Extend the home:

Making positive changes to your property is something that plays a massive role in allowing you to improve the year for your children, as well as giving them more space and comfort. There are a lot of ways in which you can extend your home more effectively, and this is even something you can discuss with your kids in advance as well. Maybe you could turn the attic into a reading nook? Or, perhaps, finish the basement and turn it into the ultimate game room!

Look after finances better:

As a modern family, there are a lot of responsibilities and considerations to make, and one of the biggest things you need to get right as a parent is to make sure you manage money better. With the cost of living crisis beginning, it is essential for a lot of families to look for ways of being able to tighten their purse strings. The more you can do to help you look after your money, and ensure the family is more financially comfortable, the better. There are a lot of different ways in which you can achieve this like focusing on cutting costs, saving money little by little, and making better financial decisions.

Improve family health:

Working on improving family health is absolutely vital and you can do a lot to make sure 2023 gets off on the right track for the family, health-wise. One of the key things that can help you when it comes to achieving this is to swap your family’s diet for something healthier and more nutritious. It is also important to think about some of the best ways of being able to create a healthy family dynamic. This means you need to think about boosting mental health and well-being, and this is something that plays a massive role in helping you work on boosting your family health.

Plan more activities:

One of the best ways of making the most of 2023 is to plan more activities. How about visiting some adventure centres? Weekly family hikes? Cooking a meal all together? Being able to enjoy multiple different activities and keep your children active and engaged gives the opportunity to bond and have lots of fun too!

2023 will be here before we know it and you can make it the best year yet for your family! Spend time together, make improvements where you can, and continue to move forward as a strong family unit.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Nov8

Focusing On Creating A Healthy Diet

Posted on by
Standard
Focusing On Creating A Healthy Diet

As the new year draws closer, many of us are already turning our minds to resolutions. We want to make positive changes in our lives that help us to be healthier and happier. But why wait until January to put these into place? Sure, the festive season may be approaching and we may indulge in a few unhealthy habits. But it’s better to lead a healthy lifestyle the majority of the time with a few slip ups here and there than to lead a downright unhealthy lifestyle for the next couple of months. One area that many of us end up focusing on is diet. We all need to eat a healthy, balanced diet to provide our bodies with the fuel they need to thrive. But where should you start with this venture? Here are a few suggestions that can help on this journey:

Consider Your Goals:

First, ask yourself why you’re setting yourself this goal. Have you noticed that your diet lacks certain elements and you want to fill those gaps? Have you been feeling run down or out of energy? Are you experiencing obesity and want to return to a healthier weight? The goal of your challenge will alter how you approach it. If you feel that you are experiencing health problems as a direct cause of your diet, consult your doctor before getting started. They may be able to make recommendations, such as target daily calorie counts or carry out tests that could find that the issue isn’t your diet at all. For example, if you’re drained and tired, you may be experiencing a B12 deficiency because your body can’t absorb B12 naturally. You might find that bloatedness is due to lactose intolerance and you need to cut dairy out. Alternatively, they may be able to recommend specialist treatment for obesity such as bariatric professionals.

Five a Day:

A good place to start is ensuring that you get your five a day. There’s a good reason that five portions of fruit and vegetables are recommended. Many of us fail to achieve this, but we need a variety of fruit and vegetables to give our bodies the vitamins and nutrients it requires. Make sure your portions are as varied as possible. Your plates and snacks should be colorful.

Cut Out Junk:

Way too many of us eat way too much junk food. Ideally, you should avoid junk food on a regular basis. These types of food – fast food, takeaways, junk snacks – are often packed with excess sugar and salt. They also tend to have high levels of saturated fat. Try meal planning and meal prepping to get yourself into a better habit of eating freshly prepared foods at home.

Stay Hydrated:

Of course, you need to stay hydrated too. Make sure to drink roughly eight glasses of water a day. You should also try to eat plenty of water rich foods, such as melons, berries, cucumber, and celery

Eating well is a habit that you will need to form, so stick with it over time and you’ll quickly find you’re doing it without even having to focus on it!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan6

Maintain Your Self Confidence With These Tips

Posted on by
Standard
Maintain Your Self Confidence With These Tips

Your self confidence is something that can always be improved on. Even the most confident people still have days where they falter! What confidence requires is taking a direct effort towards affirming yourself, towards expressing who you are, and in finding inspiration where you deem it most necessary. In this new year, it could be a wonderful time to work on building that confidence up and maintaining it. Here are some tips to help with that:

Confidence Helps Us Take Risks:

Confidence helps us take risks and be okay with the potential for failure. It can help us head out and make us want to try new things, or a new challenge. Taking risks can help us build confidence. Think of how an agoraphobic, under careful therapeutic maintenance, will help manage their condition by taking small steps outside, steps that can often be seen as thoroughly worrying and risky in their mental space at the time. Once they come back, that exposure makes them realize that actually, their acceptance of the perceived risk has helped them grow, just a little, and a crack in their struggle is found. Could this principle apply to parts of your life?

Confidence Helps Us Care For Ourselves:

Confidence allows us to understand that taking care of number one isn’t so bad. It’s not narcissistic to do this, because the more you care for yourself, the more you can care for others. This means going out and visiting a local dentist to have that problem seen to, making your exercise regimen more solidified, or learning when you need to take a day off to help recuperate your mental health. Confidence can help inspire us to look after ourselves as necessary.

When You Realize Your Worth, Confidence Builds:

A good way to build confidence is to watch yourself. Most of us are our biggest critics, because we see everything behind the scenes, including when we lose our temper, when we’re mean, or too proud. Yet often, we forget to look at when we’re kind or supportive of another, when we want to think about our hopes and dreams, when we sacrifice ourselves to care for someone we love. When you watch yourself in this way, you realize that you’re not that bad at all. Perhaps you have something worth keeping. Maybe, if you were just a bit more sure of yourself, you’d be able to spread that good even further. If more people realized that, the world would be a better place. It’s okay to start with you.

With this advice, we hope that your confidence continues to bloom and maintains its blossoms year round in 2022.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan1

Happy New Year!!

Posted on by
Standard
Happy New Year!!

Howdy everyone and Happy New Year! We are officially in 2022, which means a whole new year of opportunity and, of course, fun on lifewithlilred. 😀 I am so excited to be rolling out another three hundred and sixty-five days of daily blogging and have my fingers crossed that 2022 won’t be as much of a dumpster fire as the past two years. Here’s to hoping, anyways!

In this new year, my wish is for everyone to find comfort in better days ahead. We are living through a pandemic and it is scary on a good day. I wish for safety and good health for all and that we can revel in the happy moments of 2022.

While I also wish that the passing of time would slow down (I’ll be twenty-eight this year!), I am so thankful that I get to spend time with each and every one of you every day. May 2022 bring us good fortune, great successes, and a slightly less anxiety provoking time!

Happy 2022! ❤

What are your New Year’s resolutions (I, as always, have none!)? What are you wishing for in the new year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec29

Improving Your Health In The New Year

Posted on by
Standard
Improving Your Health In The New Year

Many new year’s resolutions involve losing weight or earning more money. But aside from improving their appearance or bank balance, there is one meaningful resolution that is well worth making this new year. Focusing on improving your health in 2022 is a new year’s resolution that will make a significant difference in your life. Here are some of the ways that you can focus on improving your health in the coming year and make some really positive changes in your life:

Identify Your Goals:

It is hard to reach your goals if you are not entirely sure what you want to accomplish. Deciding on specific areas of your health you hope to improve will help make it easier to focus on achieving this. Simply saying you want to get healthy can make it hard to measure your progress and challenging to see measurable results. But, setting specific goals such as exercising three times a week or breaking free from an addictive habit will ensure you have something clear to aim for, which will help you to stay on track.

Understand What’s Holding You Back:

Often new year’s resolutions are goals people want to achieve throughout the year but keep delaying. Thinking about why you have been holding back on your resolutions is an excellent way to break through the barriers preventing you from taking action. Once you have identified what is preventing you from reaching your goals, you can establish methods to overcome these barriers. When you know what has been holding you back in the past, you should find it easier to commit to successfully reaching your resolutions.

Make a Plan:

After deciding what you hope to achieve from your resolution and identifying the barriers holding you back, it is time to begin making plans. With a clear plan, you can work towards your goals, making steady progress along the way. Thinking about the practical methods you can use to achieve your goals will provide you with a road map to get started and guide you toward achieving them.

Sometimes, getting started on your journey towards achieving a goal is the hardest part. So, putting an action plan in place should help you to start and then continue onward towards realizing your goal. Maybe you plan to beat an addiction, so taking a look at rehablist.org is a great starting point when making your plan. Or, perhaps you want to take a physical exam at your doctor’s office and make your health plans based on this. Whatever your situation, making a plan with a clear starting point is valuable.

Seek Support:

Trying to commit to something as important as improving your health can be challenging, so it is helpful to seek support. Finding the proper help through friends, family, or counseling will make it so much easier for you to commit to focusing on your health in the new year and beyond.

There is no better time than a new year to improve on your health. Use the tips above to be your best, healthiest self in 2022!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan24

New Year’s Resolution Check In

Posted on by
Standard
New Year’s Resolution Check In

Hello! We are already getting close to wrapping up the first month of 2021 and if you made New Year’s Resolutions, then now might be a good time to reflect on these past few weeks and see how you have been faring. Consider the following and make adjustments accordingly so you can achieve all of your goals this year:

How often are you working on your goal?

If you have been dedicated to working towards your goal several times a week, you might want to buff up the time you’re spending by an extra five to ten minutes. However, if you’re struggling to work on your goal during your set scheduled times – don’t fret! There is no need to be hard on yourself. Rather, make a schedule that you know you can accomplish and then add more time to it gradually. Remember, a resolution is supposed to last you until the next New Year so it’s important to not let yourself get discouraged or burned out.

Is your resolution something you want to do?

It’s all well and good to say resolutions that sound well and good like losing weight or taking a class for your own enrichment. But, if you’re not one hundred percent dedicated to what you’re saying, then what’s the point? If there is something that you’d like to accomplish but it doesn’t fit in with a traditional New Year’s resolution, then it’s time to change things up while it’s still early in 2021.

Think carefully about all of the goals you have in the back of your mind, big or small. You are sure to feel an “Aha!” sensation about something and that means you are on the right track. And, don’t let anyone else’s goals intimidate you because resolutions are about bettering yourself. Start small and work your way up to big moves.

Are you feeling different?

Achieving goals feels awesome and if you’ve been steadily working on your resolutions, then you might already be feeling the benefits of small gains. Feeling discouraged is a totally different story, though, and that’s the polar opposite of what making New Year’s resolutions is all about. It’s impossible to start something new and be an instant expert because good things take time. If you’re feeling a little glum, take a break for a day or two and come back to your goals with a clearer head so you don’t completely turn yourself off to the process. Everyone needs time to relax and, if that’s the case for you, then it is one hundred and fifty million percent okay.

January has been flying by and that can make New Year’s Resolutions feel even more intimidating. I hope everyone is making huge wins in their goals and I, for one, am very proud of all of your successes big or small. Keep your chin up no matter where you’re at in achieving your resolutions and you are sure to accomplish everything you set your mind to! ❤

What is one of your New Year’s resolutions? How are you faring so far? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan15

Pandemic Worthy New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on by
Standard
Pandemic Worthy New Year’s Resolutions

Hello! I, personally, never make New Year’s Resolutions. But, that doesn’t mean that I can’t help you come up with yours! I’m sure it feels difficult to set goals when leaving the house isn’t the best option so how about some ideas that you can accomplish from the comfort of home? Like the following:

Doing workout videos:

If losing weight is one of your goals, then there are a plethora of work out videos online that you can do from your living room. From yoga and Zumba to simple stretches, there is sure to be something that works for you. Maybe some of the trainers at your local gym even have classes recorded! Start with one or two classes a week and continue adding on from there once you feel ready. Hey, just one half hour class is an awesome achievement if it’s something you’re not used to. And Netflix isn’t going anywhere, I promise. 🙂

Caring for indoor plants:

If you want to improve on your green thumb, try caring for some indoor plants until it gets warm enough to garden outdoors. Not only will they beautify your space but they will help clean the air as well as give you something productive to do. Check out Pinterest and create a photo worthy succulent garden. Or grow some herbs indoors to use while you test out new recipes. It feels good to take care of a plant and help it grow and it will be exciting to track its progress every day.

Scheduled video chats:

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that family and friends do not get to see each other as often as before. If this is something that you have been down about, then pencil in scheduled video chats with those you miss. It is the next best thing to hanging out in real life and it feels nice to have something to look forward to marked in your calendar. I live for my FaceTime dates with my besties and this reminds me that I have to schedule some calls, myself!

Fostering/adopting a pet:

If you have always wanted a furry, scaley, or feathery friend to keep you company, then there is no better time than the present – especially if you are working from home. Do your research and visit a local animal shelter or rescue organization for your new best friend. If you are not ready for the full time commitment of a new pet, then fostering is also a great and much appreciated option.

If you love animals but cannot commit to having a pet, you can also help local shelters by providing old blankets or towels, food, and toys. Organize a community drive and help make a difference.

Work on a new/old hobby:

As always, the New Year is the best time to learn a new hobby or get reacquainted with an old one. Set aside a half hour every day or few days to work on a hobby that is fun for you. It’s impossible to be good at something overnight but the improvements that you will make with steady practice will help motivate you to keep working at it. Learn a new language, paint that picture from a tutorial, or try your hand at Photoshop. Practice makes perfect and by 2022 you will be amazed at how far you’ve come!

Get inspired with the tips above and carve out some time at home to begin working on your goals!

What are your resolutions for 2021? Have you been sticking to them so far? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah