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These are my 2019 goals and how I will make them happen

December 18, 2018 Zoe

In 2018, I didn’t make any set goals. We had just turned our lives upside down, moving halfway around the world. Everything was different and new, and rather than making some ambitious plans to change my life even further, my main, unsaid goal was pretty much to just settle into our new lives. I wanted to make friends, to grow in my career, and to make this place a home. That seemed daunting enough, and yet I accomplished this unspoken goal, just as I achieved my 2017 goals the year before. Seeing as one of the things I offer as a coach is help with goals, I figured I should probably show you how I apply this to my own life, by sharing my own 2019 goals.

But it’s not enough to just have dreams or ideas. They have to be translated into action steps, as well as daily, weekly and monthly activities. The goals need to be clear and easily quantified, and then the steps need to be actionable, or else it all becomes too overwhelming, vague and impossible. So this is how I hope to change my life in 2019. Continue Reading

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3 Comments Fitness, Health, Rambling

Harley the 3-year-old – Happy Birthday to Baby Born Geek

December 14, 2018 Zoe

Okay, I’m really late with this post. Harley turned 3 on the 1st of December, but I’m sure she won’t mind that I’m only writing this now. It’s been a busy period. We did Thanksgiving and her birthday party, all with Dean’s mom visiting us. It was lots of fun, but also super hectic, and when combined with work deadlines, I just haven’t really had a chance to sit down and reflect and write. But now, I’m carving out the time to tell you all about Harley, the amazing 3-year-old. Continue Reading

1 Comment Rambling

3-year-old Birthday Happy Birthday

The Monster at the End of this Book – Read it to your kids

November 28, 2018 Zoe

For those who haven’t noticed, I actually have a YouTube channel running. Over there, I read kid’s books out loud. In my head, the content is for two distinct groups. It’s for the parents who are curious about which books are worthwhile, or perhaps might be wondering about some best practices when reading aloud to a kid. It’s also for kids, to be able to watch a video of their new favorite book read out loud. Go subscribe. Please. PLEASE!

I realized that I might not have mentioned this to you all enough, so I figured I’d tell you a bit more about the book I read in the video that went live this past Sunday. It’s called The Monster at the End of this Book, and it was one of my all-time favorites when I was a kid. It’s also one of Harley’s favorites, so it was an easy choice to share. There are even apps for it, where it becomes an interactive storytelling experience.

(Full disclosure: Yes, links to Amazon are affiliate links. If you click them, I could earn a small commission.) Continue Reading

1 Comment Books, Rambling, USA

Books reading The Monster at the End of this Book

Your Best New Year’s Resolutions – 5 Tips for Great Goals

November 16, 2018 Zoe

It’s almost that time of year. You know, when everyone starts looking to the coming year and making grand plans. This is the year to lose weight. This is the year to finally quit some bad habit. This is the year to… fill in the blank. I’ve written before about how I’m not always a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions, mainly because I think someone can choose to change any day of the year.

But there is something helpful about using the new year as a marker. Just as you might decide to always hit the gym on a Monday to set a good tone for the week, starting your year on a high note can really get the ball rolling. Too often, though, people make bizarre resolutions that are built to fail. No one means to, obviously, but it’s still so common that it’s a cliche to ask someone about their resolutions a few days, weeks or months down the line. This year, I’m setting some resolutions for myself, and I want to help you make amazing goals that you WILL attain. Continue Reading

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Goals Life goals New Year's Resolutions

Second Baby Answers – Our decision about baby #2

November 14, 2018 Zoe

(Photo credit: Becca Gutierrez with Rusty Metals Photography // @RustyMetalsPhotography)

I’ve written about this question a couple times. First I wondered when we should start thinking about a second baby, and then I went on a whole ramble about second baby questions and concerns. The reality is, that there is no right answer. I know that some people dream of having large families while others never want kids. Some people fall into second pregnancies while others struggle to conceive once. We were going to wait until Harley was three to even have the conversation, but I sorta jumped the gun with Dean, which ended up being a good thing.

I promise I’ll share more with you below, but the main thing that I took away from the conversation and reaching a conclusion about it is realizing how big the topic was becoming in my head. Did I want another baby? If so, when? And what about all the worries and concerns? Even when I was busy with other tasks, I’d find myself thinking about a baby, or not a baby, or the impact it would have on our family, and how much time did I have left, and what impact it would have on my body. Well, now we have a decision, and it feels like a weight has been lifted. Continue Reading

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Preeclampsia Pregnancy second baby