Wow happy 2018, happy January, happy Tuesday, and happy fresh start! I love this time of year because it gives us the perfect excuse to ditch old habits, finish old projects, and face future ones head on. Resolutions have never really worked out for me (come March I’ve generally forgotten them), but for the last two years I made a list of goals to complete by the end of the year.
In December, it’s usually a mad rush to complete the ones that I still haven’t checked off, but it works! I keep the list in my phone under the notes app and look at it whenever I think to do so. It’s basically my overarching to do list for the year, divided into categories: Personal, home, work, and finances
I thought it would be fun to share a few of my (many) goals with you today in hopes that it inspires you to create your own list of 2018 goals!
Work: Send quarterly surveys. I’m getting a head start on this one and put am halfway done putting a survey together that I hope you’ll take to help drive my content for the next few months. I want to know what you want to see more and less of. Stay tuned for that later this week.
Personal: Set up our last will and testament. This was actually on my list from last year so I just rolled it over to 2018. Now that we have a child, Anel and I really need to get on top of doing this. Have any of you had any success writing your will online? I feel like we should probably do it in person with a lawyer but it’s so expensive! Any advice is appreciated here.
Home: Design my home office: When we moved into our house, was the first room that I finished… And then a few things changed. First we got Boots and the light colored rug was no longer an option. It was gross within a matter of months of taking him home. Then we had a baby and had to turn the room into her nursery. So my current office/closet space is a hodgepodge of things that don’t go together and it’s not very creatively inspiring! I want a space that feels inviting, comfortable, and clutter free so I can be my most productive self.
Finances: Hit our yearly savings goal. Every year we make a savings goal that we then divide up over the course of the year so that we know what to put away each month. Our accountant, Brittany, helps us set up our goals based on what we can afford. She’s amazing!
Work: Buy a new camera. We’ve had our Canon 5D Mark IV for over five years now and it’s time for an upgrade. I use it every single day for work, so it is a smart investment for both my business and Anel’s. Cameras are crazy expensive, so I’m saving up money in my business account to pay for it by the summer.
Personal: Go on a trip with Anel without the baby. I had to leave Amalia for two nights when I went to LA last month when my grandfather passed. It was my first time away from her and that mixed with the loss was almost unbearable and hit me like a ton of bricks. That being said, I ripped the band aid and am now confident that she is just fine without me for a few days… and that it’s 100% worse for me than it is for her. Anel spent the whole weekend with her so I wasn’t worried about her child care, but one of our goals is to go away for a night or two without her by the end of this year.
Most likely my in-laws will take care of her, so she’ll be in great hands but the thought of leaving her without either of us still tugs at my heartstrings.
Home: HVAC help. We bought our house from a developer who installed a new heating system and central air which was a big plus to the home. At the time, we didn’t know that he did it in a really lazy/sloppy way and now we’re paying the price for that. Downstairs is always hot and upstairs is always cold in the winter and vice versa in the summer. And the sunroom (an addition they put on) isn’t insulated so it gets freezing in the winter. We had to buy an electric fireplace as a temporary fix (although it looks pretty great).
Personal: Try sleeping with a silk pillow case. This is obviously a smaller/sillier goal, but I decided to include it in the ones I shared to show that your goals don’t have to be giant, hard to achieve action items. I actually already have a silk pillow case and just haven’t wanted to use it because it seems so uncomfortable. But both my hairdresser and dermatologist suggested it for damaged hair and wrinkle prevention respectively, so it’s time to give it a go. I’ll, of course, report back on how it works.
Work: Amp up my Twitter game. I’m the worst at Twitter which is unfortunate because it’s a big part of what I’m “supposed” to do as a blogger. I am great at updating Instagram and my Insta stories but never seem to remember to post to Twitter. I have no idea why! That has to change this year.
Ok so those are a few of my 2018 goals. What are yours?
Faux Fur Vest c/o (Marked down from $139 to $49!!) / Similar Plaid Shirt (mine is sold out) / Clutch / Jeans c/o / 50/50 Boots / Sunglasses
Faux Fur Vest c/o (Marked down from $139 to $49!!) / Similar Plaid Shirt (mine is sold out) / Clutch / Jeans c/o / 50/50 Boots / Sunglasses
Photos by Carter Fish.
Happy new year, Julia! As a trusts and estates attorney, I strongly discourage you from using an online will. I can’t even tell you how many problems I’ve seen created by them. They are not customizable enough for most people, and sometimes are sloppy with the “boilerplate” provisions that may or may not apply to the state you live in. So what often happens is that you save a few bucks now but your family ends up spending so much more to administer your estate when you pass than if you had a will drafted by an attorney who took into account the whole picture. A good estate plan is more than just a will; it should also include a power of attorney, health care directive/living will, and, since you and Anel are small business owners, possibly some business succession planning. Anyway, that’s my 2 cents of legal advice. I live in NJ but I imagine you can find a good attorney who will not charge an arm and a leg for your estate plan in CT. Good luck!
I agree with this! I worked as a summer associate at a small firm that did T&E, and it always took more time to fix a will created online than it did to prepare a will from scratch!
So good to know, thank you both! I just reached out to a local attorney who was recommended to me so hoping that works out!
A will, even with children, can be done boilerplate with no issues if you have a simple aim. However in your case I agree with Elizabeth and since you have an accountant I recommend getting them involved as well. With your business and the complexities of tax in the US your estate will benefit from a financial overview, as a lawyer is not looking at that side of things generally. This is definitely one area where cost now saves a lot in the long run. You can have a will drawn up that covers future eventualities, such as further children, but with your business it is probably prudent to assess although not necessarily change your will every five years, or when significant changes are made. Do both wills at the same time as in a circumstance where both of you die there are different rules about whose will takes precedence.
Nasty to think about but a very mature thing to have sorted.
Happy New Year! I actually just started using a silk pillowcase recently (after it sat in the box for a while) and it’s definitely making a difference for my skin and hair. In terms of Twitter, an easy starting point is to have your blog posts automatically tweet when they go up and same for Instas. Let me know if you want more details on what I use for those. Thanks for sharing your goals! Can’t wait to see what 2018 has in store!
xx
Sam
Oh awesome! I’m going to take mine out tonight… I swear 🙂
You can do a simple will from any of the online websites. Emphasis is on “simple”. If you are going to create a living will, advanced directive or trust in addition ,then you should find an attorney. The hardest thing you will need to do is designate a guardian for Amalia if something should happen to the two of you. I know that involved a lot of discussion between my husband and myself for our daughter.
Use the silk pillowcase. I use mine every night and it makes a huge difference in the state of your hair and wrinkle prevention.
I just came down here to the comments section to point out how you just wished us happy Tuesday. I loved it so much! And this tiny little expression made me think so hard about appreciation and how every single day should be celebrated – not just new year or even a month. Every single one of those 365 days is like another blessing and realising that could make our lives so much happier. Thank you for this; thank you so much!
With kindness,
https://gentileame.wordpress.com/
I love that!!! Thank you so much for sharing that thought with us. xo
I’d love to see a post about any successes you have with creating a will. My husband has one from being in the Navy, but now that we have our little guy, we really need to think about making sure he will be taken care of if something were to happen to the two of us.
Personally, I have a post-baby body goal. Not necessarily to lose the last 10lbs, but to be back in the gym full-time to compete in the Crossfit Open and just to feel healthy and strong again!
YAS mama! I just want to feel strong and fit again. I don’t think my body will ever be the same TBH, but I want to feel good about it for sure.
To be honest, don’t worry about updating your Twitter! As someone who uses Twitter for work and staying up to date on political and sports news, I like to keep my blog followings to Instagram and Bloglovin’. Not sure how “active” the fashion blogger world is on Twitter, but I wouldn’t sweat this goal. Keep your Instagram/IG Story active and keep the great blog content coming! xo Shannon
I agree–you could always link/share your Instagram to your Twitter, though the photos themselves don’t show up, just the link to the Instagram. Twitter does take some of the life/oomph out of more creative posts–it’s much better for the more urgent/negative/up-to-the-minute things like news, politics, sports, celebrity gossip, etc. Instagram and other sources are better for the photo/word heavy posts — though you might use Twitter directly for something more time-sensitive like give-a-ways, discounts, etc.
We did our Will through Legal Shield, which my husband gets through work, but we’d use it even if he didn’t. Its basically a questionnaire and since we don’t have kids we got to skip most of the questions. Very easy and it’s done! Super important to make your wishes clear so your family or friends don’t have to guess.
I started using a silk pillowcase last summer and I think it made my face break out worse than it normally does! I was so bummed because my hair looked great it in the mornings but my skin hated it. I made sure to change the pillow case every other day too, I sleep on one side flip it over the next night then switch the case, but my skin just reacted so badly 🙁
Wait no way! That makes me so sad. I’ll let you know if I have the same experience.
Happy New Year! If you do purchase a silk pillowcase, please share the brand! I’ve been thinking about it for years and find so many conflicting reviews on all. Thanks Julia!
Please let me know if you need a CT attorney for your will. Besides my father, who is still practicing, but retiring, I have other recommendations as well.
I just found a great one but thank you so much!
I used to work in the courthouse in Stamford years ago, so I know most of the long-term attorneys in town. Less of the newer ones, though a few. If you ever need another rec, let me know. I can also tell you who NOT to go to, lol.
Please, please, please, use an attorney to draft your will and other important documents. I work on the charitable side of estate planning, and I see so many things go wrong when people try to do this on their own. It doesn’t have to be super-expensive either, and the cost is a lot less than your heirs will spend trying to undo any mess you (inadvertently) leave behind). It’s not just your wills either – there’s powers of attorney, healthcare directives, guardianship of your child. Better to spend a little bit more and get it all done right the first time!
A lot of people are saying that! I contacted one yesterday so will make sure to do that. Thank you!
Hi Julia, I enjoyed reading your goals for the year to come, there is always something in your blog posts that make me think of things I would not have taken into consideration . There were just a couple of things I wanted to comment though: the first is that I agree with another of your reader, twitter is really not that important for bloggers. I think you should definitely continue with your insta stories (such fun and relatable!), insta in general and Facebook too. I have a smallish blog and I have linked my account to my twitter so my blog posts get out there but I don’t do much with it otherwise. Do you spend time reading things yourself on it? The other thing that called my attention is that you are talking about investing in a new camera. I am turning semi profesional photographer and the Canon 5D mark IV is a superb quality camera. As a matter of fact it is a profesional model and already a very expensive piece of gear. In my opinion, it is always tempting to get the latest model but it won’t necessarily improve the quality of your photos especially as the Canon 5D is a full frame model. I would suggest buying maybe a new good quality lens or maybe do a photography workshop to learn new tricks.
I look forward to reading your blog in the year to come! Julie xx
http://www.jafinthebox.com