Bringing “Au Naturel” into 2015

Happy 2015 everyone! Sorry for the radio silence over hear. The year is starting off at 500mph and I’m just now coming up for air. I wanted to stop by and loosely talk about goals. You may have noticed that I didn’t share any 2015 goals on the blog this year. Every year at this time I get really excited about what the future holds and pretty thankful that the universe has given me a “do over” card. Not that 2014 called for a do over, in fact 2015 was one of my favorite years so far. Even with a really awesome 2014 it’s still nice to have a clean slate to dream big and conjure up more magic. I have a feeling this year is going to be the best yet.

This year, I’m trying to really focus on letting things happen naturally without to many drastic changes or forced transitions. 2014 was the year of MASSIVE change and I’m ready for a little more calm. In the spirit of letting things unfold naturally, I’m also striving to bring more “natural” into my life in the form of whole food eating, adopting a more consistent yoga practice, attaining streamlined wardrobes & home, and incorporating more natural products in my home.

Challenge One: Eating “Whole” Food – I’m currently smack dab in the middle of my first Whole30 challenge, day 16 to be exact. If you know anything about me, you’ll know that I’m one of the pickest eaters you’ll ever meet, with vegetables not being my strong point. Times are changing, folks! I’m happy to report that eating a plant-based diet 75% of the time has really been amazing. Although I’m still craving sugar in the evenings, I’ve learned to like so many things in just a short time. You can read more about the Whole30 program here.

Challenge Two: Yoga – I used to practice yoga every Tuesday and Thursday but have recently fallen off the regularity wagon. My goal is to sign up for this online yoga studio to be able to practice yoga in my own home and also practice a wide variety of yoga disciplines. I’ve heard great things about these classes. Any of you tried them out?

Challenge Three: Streamlined Home & Wardrobe – This is going to take some real dedicated time, but I’m on a mission to live with less. I tend to have a “collector’s spirit”, so breaking up with some of my sentimental objects will be tough. I know once my home feels clutter free and every object ideally has a purpose, I’m going to feel much lighter. As the saying goes “You can’t take it with you”. Erin of Design for Mankind has inspired my to really streamline my wardrobe and donate what I don’t need.

Challenge Four: Natural Home & Health – Last summer when we made the move from Saint Louis to Denver, I left most of my traditional cleaning supplies at the old house because I knew they were pretty toxic and there were better options out there. Once getting settled in, I purchased the most natural options I could find and have been living with natural cleaning products ever since. I love how my home feels clean, but not pumped full of chemicals. This year, I plan to take everything one step further and incorporate essential oils in where I can. Here’s a few of my favorite blogs that talk about adding essential oils into your daily life. Casey, Drea, Amanda.

Sorry for such a long-winded post. I hope I was able to inspire some of you to incorporate a bit more “streamlined natural” into your 2015. If you have any great resources for natural living or any really amazing natural blogs to read, I’m taking suggestions. Cheers to a cleaner/healthier 2015!!