My Fall 2016 Goals

1. Eat Healthy-ier

No I’m not going to drop words like chia seeds, kale, wheat grass and flax seeds to sound like I’m nutritionally more sophisticated than you, I’m not. I just happened to finally take a food intolerance blood test that revealed to me I shouldn’t be having everything I love, like cow milk, egg whites, rice, gluten and wheat. That doesn’t leave me with much now does it? But you know what maybe this is the wake-up call I needed to tell me, I should at least try to substitute my creamy Alfredo with a chicken salad dinner. Because I’m not going to be blessed with the thin gene forever, sooner or later my metabolism is going to realize I’m not 23 anymore and by then it may be too late.

2. Take Better Care of My Skin

I never sleep without removing my makeup. Even if I’ve had way too much to drink to be able to differentiate between the makeup remover and hair conditioner. But here’s the thing, day and night moisturizer alone aren’t sufficient anymore, with all the toxins our skin gets exposed to, it needs way more care and effort, so I’m going to be making it a point to exfoliate, put masks on my face at least twice a week and let my skin breath makeup-free as much as I can. I’ll also be using the latest in eye creams and rejuvenating oils which I’ll be posting about here and on Snap Chat Ivy Says.

3. Blog More

As you noticed, I took a month and a half off from blogging, because I wanted to forget about deadlines and editorial calendars and focus on the one thing that truly matters, my family. I used the time to play endlessly with my now one year old boy, make sure he is eating healthy nutritious meals and getting the fresh air and exercise he needs to develop in a healthy and happy way in this critical time. I used this time to also draw some inspiration and figure out a tweak my blog’s strategy to keep this more fun and interesting for my readers. I’ve gone through a lot of my popular posts, figured out what you like reading the most, and promise to deliver more of the content and topics you love ! Stay Posted and Subscribe!

4. Netflix

Lebanese cable providers are a complete abysmal. I’m so over mediocre channels that keep me isolated from the rest of the world and don’t nurture my brain or inspire me. Enter Netflix. We’re a little late to the game, but better late than never right? After subscribing I don’t think I will ever be watching regular cable again. My current favorites include Stranger Things, Narcos, Chef’s Table and How To Get Away With Murder. I just have to stop myself from binge watching.

5. Clean Out My Closet

I’m by no means a hoarder, in fact I usually end up getting rid of my outfits prematurely. However, when I was pregnant all I wanted to do was prove to myself that I would get back in my clothes post-pregnancy, but when I finally did they all seemed so boring and outdated. So I’ll be getting rid of more than 50% of my current wardrobe and actually creating some closet space. I know it’s a big goal to set and it’s going to hurt a little but the way I see it, if I haven’t worn it in a year then it needs to go.

6. No More Toxic Friends

Speaking of ridding myself of junk, I’ve decided to end toxic relationships that add no value or meaning to my life. Draining friends are like energy vampires who require so much effort and maintenance, and no matter how hard you try to keep it positive, they always manage to suck you into their negativity and create drama. I choose to surround myself with only people who will make me a better version of myself. Of course saying goodbye is always hard, but I don’t do bipolar friendships and neither should you.

7. Begin at Least One of my Pending Projects

I’ve been planning to do two major things for my career which I’m pretty sure may have a major impact on my life and the next five years of my work. One of them is a side business I’ve been hoping to launch and the other is something that’s in the works for years now, hint hint; it involves lots and lots of words. I kept putting them off, justifying my procrastination with excuses, like “I just had a baby” or ” I have a million other pending things” but you know what, there is never a perfect time to venture into the unknown, it just takes some guts and I’ve been feeling quite gutsy lately so yeah…