It's gonna be a hard year
okay, I didn't expect to get emotional
Hey guys its Angel, and welcome back to my channel
Today, I'm going to talk about how I did on my 2017 goals
and what I have planned for 2018
Last year, I made a video called 17 things I want to do in 2017,
so I thought before I get into what I'm hoping to accomplish this year
I want to kind of revisit what I wanted to do last year and talk about how I did with those goals
And how that's going to impact my plans and goals in the future
so my first goal was I wanted to purge a lot of stuff.
I feel like I did okay
on that category
I definitely did not purge as much as I had wanted to
and expected to before we moved
by the time it happened I was pregnant not feeling well,
and I did not anticipate that at the beginning of the year
I wasn't really sure if we were even going to for sure have another baby or not
They literally gave us less than a month's notice to move out
But then Justin had an underway coming up so for us to do it ourselves
we only had 10 days from when they gave us the notice before we had to actually move
So there wasn't a lot of time to go through things and organize them and purge them
But we did purge some stuff with that move ,
I did purge a lot of stuff with a consignment sale in the fall
I sold a LOT... and I also gave away a lot
so I did end up purging quite a decent amount of stuff
just not as much as I wanted to
Number 2 was I wanted to use my planner more,
and again, I did okay on that.. I did use it more than I have in previous years
But I also didn't use it as much as I had wanted to
a large part of it is kind of a two-fold thing
the first is that I would sometimes hold off until I had the time and setup
to film a plan with me
so then sometimes that would mean I would put it off
so there are weeks I didn't end up doing it at all
and also Justin was the one that ended up packing my planner
I was leaving my planner and my planning supplies out
Kind of last minute, so that I could put in one of, you know, the last boxes
So I would know exactly where it was and be able to unpack it right away
And he saw it, and he just stashed it in a random box
And I had no idea what box he put it in
So it actually wasn't until about mid December that I even found it, so it was missing for almost four months
So I definitely didn't get to use it for that time period
but I did a buy my new planners for this year
I'm really excited to be much more intentional about using them this time
I am planning on filming a video about my planner lineup
And how I plan to use them
So definitely hit the subscribe button if you aren't subscribed already and you want to check that out so that you don't miss that video
The third was I wanted to try a new recipe at least twice a month that did not happen
I think I only tried a couple
new things for the entire year
But I did get an instantpot for Christmas from Justin's grandparents,
So I'm really excited about getting really into cooking stuff with that
They also gave me a really good cookbook for the instantpot
I just want to make all the things with my instant pot!
And try a lot of new recipes this year
But I've had a lot of repetition over the last few months because of the gestational diabetes
There's a lot of stuff that I can't really eat
I have to be
really really strict about how many carbs I have with each meal,
and so I go back to a lot of the same things just cuz I know that it works for me
So I probably won't be really trying much new things until after the baby comes
But that'll be in March so that's not too far off
number four was I wanted to get Cal a big boy bed
Which we did do after we moved here
it arrived when my husband was out at sea
so I actually had to wait awhile to get it assembled,
My husband and his best friend actually assembled it
when he was up here visiting for Thanksgiving
So finally, right just in time for his birthday
literally on Caledon's sixth birthday,
They assembled his really cool bed
it's like a loft bed with a slide
He loves it. [I'm] glad that I was able to check that box off
The next thing I wanted to do was to have Kerrigan be potty-trained this year
we got that accomplished in early November,
so before she hit three and a half, and she is doing really great with it
We're still using pull-ups at night, just in case,
but honestly, she's not even having troubles with having accidents in her sleep
She holds it all night and wakes up dry,
and goes straight to the bathroom to go the bathroom as soon as she wakes up
and I'm pretty sure I will make a video about how we went about potty training
what methods we used, and some tips and tricks about
How we were able to make it go so smoothly
So again, be sure to check that out
the next thing was I wanted to wean her which did also happen
it actually happened not long after I made this [2017] video
Sometime around a late January early February
I think is when that she decided to self wean
she just stopped wanting it so it happened very abruptly
very unexpectedly I did not realize the last time we nursed
That that would be the last time and that same thing happened with Cal,
so again that was a really bittersweet for me
I did actually film a video about more about how that weaning process went
We...gosh, I filmed that so long ago. I want to say back in May.
I will probably edit and post that still
if not I might reshoot it, because I definitely think that it's important to talk about
Weaning toddlers, especially the self weaning process
or more gentle weaning process for people who are interested in learning more about it
So again, hit that subscribe button
the next thing was I wanted to double my subscriber count
And I did not even get close to that
Granted my channel did it grow quite a bit
And I am really proud of how much it has grown over the last year especially when I take into account
How long I went without posting I did not post any videos at all for like three months,
and I just, I went long stretches of time without posting
and so that's kind of my own fault- not kind of- that is my own fault
for not being consistent I know I probably would have grown a lot faster
If it would have been more consistent
But I'm happy with how much it grew in spite of all that
so I think for this year, I'm gonna have a lot more conservative of a goal because doubling...
..is pretty hard to do
Next goal was I wanted to improve my filming process for our vlog Channel, so they could tell a better story
Um I don't think I really did that
I'm hoping to again try to be more aware about
explaining what we are doing and where we are and whatever, especially because
We go long stretches without filming vlog footage,
and I did that on purpose because I'm so far behind
I you know want to be able to actually eventually catch up
So I don't want to have a ton of stuff to slog through before I get to the more current time frame
I'm actually more than a year behind now, so it's the most I've been behind in a really long time
And I'm so discouraged by that. I didn't post any vlogs for so many months, and I finally posted one the other day
I'm hoping to get back into the swing of that so have not improved that filming process
And I did not post I think I said I wanted to post at least one a week or two week or something
totally not even close to accomplishing that so I might change it to
that hybrid style where part of it is a sit-down video where I'm kind of narrating what's happening, and then showing flashbacks
I might have to do that because I think that that would make for a better video
At least until they can be able to have it tell a better story and be more current the next thing I wanted to do
Was make channel trailers for both of our channels
Which of course I did not do that either
So that was a total fail and that's been a goal for probably three years running now
So I really need to get on that. I really love editing
compilations like that
So I think it would be really fun to make and I have a lot of really great footage that I think would look awesome
in a channel trailer
It's just a matter of taking the time to do it
the next goal is I wanted to go to at least one YouTube related Convention in 2017
I really enjoyed Vlogger fair in 2016
and I wanted to be able to go to at least one this past year as well
I definitely planned on going to vlogger fair again,
as long as they had an event, or VidCon, or something else,
But that didn't happen
they did end up having a vlogger fair although
They changed what the what they called it. I think it's
shooot..Creator summit? I'm trying to remember what it was called
it ended up falling in the middle of November
Which is when Justin was at sea, it fell on the day of my son's last soccer game
And it just wasn't gonna work out because I didn't have Justin home to watch the kids for me to go
I didn't really have anyone here that I could really expect them to watch my kids all day long like that
So I had to skip it this year, but they did mention that they plan on having more frequent events locally
So I'm on the lookout for something happening early into this year
so I can hopefully go to that
the next one was again about me catching up on the family vlog which again epic fail
I got even further behind
But I hope to be able to do that this year
my next goal is I wanted to see our family more we did accomplish that we went down to San Diego in June
To see my family down there, and we also went down to San Francisco for Christmas again
Just like the previous year to see Justin's family, so we definitely
More than accomplish that goal
I wanted to go to at least one and we went to two
next I wanted to fill in our collage rooms with pictures and
I did not do that either
So I definitely still need to do that
that we have amassed over the past couple of years that we just haven't actually put into frames and put on the walls
Speaking of pictures my next goal was to take more pictures
I think I'm kind of medium on that I took more pictures in 2017
Than I did in 2016 I think but still
Not nearly as many as I felt that I would
another thing is I was really bad, but actually posting them once I took them,
but I hope to actually do even more this year
And I probably will since I'm gonna be having a new baby. I'm pretty sure there are gonna
Be lots and lots and lots of pictures being taken this year
the next one is I wanted to be able to get a second car
That didn't happen. We didn't we just weren't able to make it work financially
and also once we learned his underway schedule and his deployment schedule
He's gonna be gone so much of this year
And he was gone quite a bit like at the end of last year, too
That it just didn't make sense
if we bought a second car, it'd be sitting for more than two-thirds of the year
and for at least at least half of next year too
so that's a lot a lot a lot a lot of months to be paying for a car to sit
So it just didn't make sense even if we had the money. It just wouldn't have been smart
our neighbor offered to give him rides to work because we live right next to each other,
they go to the same ship, they even had same duty section so they went together
Every single day and it worked out really well
So then he was able to leave the car home for me is to be able to take Cal to and from school to go
To doctors appointments to go and do events to get errands done all that
The problem is the neighbors family now has to move
But Justin does have a few different friends at work that he could get rides between them
make arrangements so it's gonna be a little bit more difficult logistically to get this accomplished
But we're still so blessed that that's even an option that people will do this for us
So that we don't have to worry about having a second car that we don't totally need
and the last thing was I wanted to lose some of the weight that I had ended up gaining towards the end of
2016
Um that didn't happen either
The reason for that I don't know, I just...
I think the reason for that is it just it was one thing after the other
First I had pneumonia early in the year, then I ended up with the pleurisy situation
And then I ended up getting diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, so they're kind of yet another flare
I had a few flares where it was just a lot of fatigue a lot of pain. It was really hard to stay active
It was hard to function just in general for like necessary things like hygiene
and taking care of my children and everything let alone being active enough to try to lose weight and
And then when Justin's at sea, it's just hard
We kind of went into survival mode, which is just not always eating the healthiest so just trying to
Do easy things cuz there's just so much on my plate
Trying to solo a parent for weeks at a time, and then of course I got pregnant in July so
Didn't lose weight now however because
I got diagnosed with gestational diabetes very early on like in my first trimester and went on the gestational diabetes diet
I eat a lot fewer carbs than I used to
So I lost all of the weight that I had gained
up..before that point in the pregnancy
and I only gained...
.. I think four pounds total
And it like goes very gradually and I'll kind of like, plateau for a while
So I've been the weight that I've been at for a good month at least so far, so I haven't lost that extra weight
But I also haven't gained a whole lot at all even in spite of my pregnancy
And I'm hoping that I will easily lose the pregnancy weight and then some after the baby comes
Between this gestational diabetes diet keeping the weight from coming on in the first place
and also I do plan to continue it at least
Somewhat I probably won't be quite as strict after he's born
but I do want to continue some of those same habits because they're just healthier and
I am at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes within the next 10 years
So I do definitely want to avoid that
so I want to stay healthy with my diet, and it's so much easier
Just keep going on one then stopping it and going back to it so between that and breastfeeding
Breastfeeding I know not everyone loses weight with breastfeeding
But historically I have I usually lose it pretty quickly within the first couple months postpartum
So I anticipate and that I will be back to my regular weight by about mid year so at least
that one's gonna get accomplished late, but better late than never, right?
so speaking more about
2018 and what I plan to accomplish this year
Since last year, I did not do so hot with
Accomplishing those goals, this year I decided that I was just gonna maintain my focus on
My word of the year
and just have that kind of be the all-encompassing
Thing that helps get me through to help me with some of my smaller goals for the year
I know it's important with goals to have something measurable about them either a deadline or an amount
but I just don't want to put a lot of pressure on myself this year because it's going to be a really hard year as it is
so like I said Justin's gonna be gone about 2/3 of this year
And we're adding a new baby to our family
So it's going to be a really big adjustment as it is, and then with having all that solo parenting time. It's gonna be hard
He's probably gonna miss the birth that's gonna be really hard
There's just gonna be a lot on my plate
That I didn't want to overwhelm myself when the reality is I'm gonna be in survival mode for much of this year
So with that said, I just want to focus on my word of the year, and which I chose is breathe
You know stopping and taking a breath is such an important part of recentering yourself and refocusing on
What you want to be or where you want to go, what you want to do
And you know just to relieve stress to just be focused. I think it's going to be a very integral part of
the birth of this child
No matter how he ends up being born, if I do end up needing a cesarean
I'm obviously gonna want to be remaining calm and present in the moment
So definitely important to breathe,
if I do have another VBAC,
it's definitely an important component of dealing with the contractions and laboring to
Focus and breathe to get through that process, but not only is breathe such an important reminder
For labor and birthing. It's just an important reminder in day-to-day life
especially when solo parenting weeks and weeks at a time!
and oh my gosh you guys. I wish I could tell you specifically
But OPSEC, but it's just.. he's gonna be gone so much. It's really intense
So
I want to remember to breathe
to relieve that stress as things pile up on me to stay patient,
and present for my children, to be a better mom
to be able to stay healthy, there's overall wellness,
and...just
getting through it because..it's gonna be a hard year
so that really just fully encompasses what's important to me for 2018
and what I hope to maintain and accomplish
and aside from that if any of the other goals from last year that I didn't accomplish yet get done
That would be great, so yes. I hope I have channel trailers. Yes. I hope I catch up to the vlog yes
I hope I improve my vlogging technique yes
I hope my channels grow a lot more this year
But really the most important thing is a happy and healthy delivery of our third and final, baby
to complete our family and just
being together as a family whenever we can
and just trying to enjoy this time as much as I can
because it goes by so fast- the first year of a baby's life especially
goes by so fast
and this is the last time we get to do it
So I don't want to be miserable
I want to be as a happy and present and soak it up as much as I can
because this is it
So, breathe.
I hope this year...is
less of a challenge than I anticipate
I have a feeling that this year is gonna show me that I'm stronger than I think
oh God, I'm getting emotional
I know I can do it. I'm really-
I'm trying not to panic too much about it now
Especially because I can't change it. It's gonna happen, and we have to make it through some way or another
But I hope that it's not as hard as I think it'll be
I hope I'm stronger than I think I am
I hope we get through this totally unscathed
But I do want to still enjoy this year even though it's gonna be hard and even though we're gonna miss Justin so much
It's still gonna be a really important year for our family, and I do want to be able to
fully enjoy that
Okay, I didn't expect to get emotional
Alright, so there you have it
That's how I did on my 2017 goals. That's what I'm focusing on for the coming year
I hope 2018 brings us so much joy and love.
I hope it brings you so much joy and love
I hope you're able to accomplish all your goals as well.
Let me know down in the comments below
Do you have a word of the year? What is it? What are your resolutions?
Your goals? anything that you're planning for this year?
I'm really interested
I love hearing what people have planned
and also don't forget to hit that subscribe button down below
So you don't miss any of my future videos
Thanks so much for watching. I truly do appreciate each and every one of you
bye
("Payday" plays and concludes"
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