Goodbye 2023, Hello 2024!

Happy new year friends! I can’t believe another year has come and gone. 2023 was a HUGE year for me, from buying my first home in San Francisco to spending more time with family and friends. For me, the new year always brings about time of reflection, so I wanted to share my ins and outs of 2024 with you. I’ve seen this trend going around on tiktok, and I love it and want to share my own! Enjoy. :)

INS

• Tying my hair in a bun when I sleep: I just started implementing this a few months ago when I started breaking out due to my new hair oil (I think). I also saw a tiktok from Jonathan van Ness saying that if you sleep with your hair down, you’re basically putting it in a 100 degree flat iron for 8 hours–and I couldn’t get that out of my head! The loose bun is pretty comfortable to sleep in, so I’ll keep doing this especially as i’ve been breaking out more (post-pill acne, bleh!).
• Not drinking for one week of each month: I turned 30 this year and I really want to take my health (more) seriously since i’m getting older. I’ve realized when I drink heavily, I feel sluggish the next day, and I hate that! Not drinking for one week of a month seems completely attainable and i’m excited to implement it.
• Better posture: I’m not gonna lie… this has been on my new years’ resolutions for the past two years. My posture still sucks, but I am WORKING ON IT! I’ve found it’s easy to have good posture while standing, working out, etc., but it’s especially hard for me when i’m lounging on the couch or in bed… :’)
• Eating a high protein breakfast: After intermittent fasting for probably the past 5 years, I have now converted into a breakfast girly! I used to say I was never hungry for breakfast (which sometimes i’m not), but I do think that having a protein-filled breakfast keeps me fuller all day and reduces my cravings for processed snack foods!
• Mewing: This is another tiktok find that i’d love to work on. Mewing essentially slims your jaw by pushing your tongue to the roof of your mouth and keeping it there. It’s uncomfortable to me, but i’m willing to try it to reduce my double chin, haha!
• Yoga 2x a week: In the beginning of 2023, I was doing yoga around 2x a week, but I fell off during the middle of the year. I’d love to get back on it, just because I feel SO much better after yoga, physically and mentally, and i’d love to increase my flexibility in general.
• Natural hair color: I really really wanted highlights in high school when a few of my friends were getting them. I asked my mom, and she always told me that “your natural hair color is the one that looks best on you”. After going through red/brown box dyes in college and ombre and balayages post college, I am FINALLY ready to listen to her and embrace my natural hair color! My last balayage from 2022 is still growing out, but it’s almost gone and I CAN’T WAIT!
• Joy of missing out: I feel like i’ve been doing this for a while now, but since my husband and I bought our home, I truly understand enjoying my own company, in my own peaceful space! I LOVE to be home and I don’t mind being alone at all. I love to rot on the couch, read my books, make silly tiktoks, and try new recipes! I don’t say “yes” to every plan that comes my way anymore and I am so so happy. (It also helps that we gotta save our funds for this mortgage, hahaha.)
• 3 Stanleys of water daily: My parents got me my pink 40oz Stanley cup for Christmas last year and I have been drinking from it EVERY DAY since then! I love having my hot water in there and I aim to drink 2-3 full Stanleys of water daily. Hot water is so essential to my morning routine: it warms me up, it keeps me hydrated, and it makes it sooo much easier to drink than cold water. I’m positive there are health benefits to hot water too… ;)
• Mixing metals: I recently got a stainless steel bracelet watch and i’ve been hesitant to wear it since most of my jewelry is gold! I haven’t even worn it yet, but I have to remind myself that I buy these items to enjoy them and wear them, not to keep them hidden away in drawers. Can’t wait to wear it into 2024!
• Eating more whole foods: I’ve been trying to lose 5lbs for it seems like forever now–my scale is always fluctuating. I know weight fluctuations are normal, but I always feel the best when i’m eating mainly whole foods in my diet! The extra fiber is always appreciated and my body just feels better overall.

OUTS

• Snacking bc I’m bored: My trigger of snacking at home is getting up from my desk/couch/bed and going to the bathroom. After that, i’ll go check out the kitchen cupboards to see what I can eat. I don’t know why I do it, it just happens! I’m trying to break out of that mold this year. I still find myself doing it (literally did it 10 minutes ago), but I actually stopped myself and asked if I was hungry or not–turns out, I was just bored.
• Telling myself I’ll do something and not do it: This applies to everything on my INs list–I realized that I need to be able to trust myself when I say something, aka actually doing things when I say I will do it! Whether its yoga 2x a week or losing 5lbs, I want to have the discipline to be able to do things I set my mind to and hold myself accountable. This list being on my blog is also another way of holding myself accountable. :)
• Multitasking: My former boss (now retired) told me that there was a study that proved multitasking is fake. You can’t actually multitask. I try to remember this every time I attempt to multitask and remind myself to be intentional with my actions.
• Tucking my hair behind my ears: This is a very unserious one! I realized, now that I have a middle part most days, that I always tuck my hair behind my ears because my hair gets in my face. I’m trying to do that less just because I like the look of my hair fully down more.
• Impulsive shopping: I’ve pretty much overcome this (I like to think), but it doesn’t hurt to add it in! Also added to this is 1. buying things I don’t need just to get free shipping and 2. shopping just because some store sent me a coupon. (Abercrombie JUST sent me $10 off and I hate to waste it… but I must!)
• 3+ hours of screen time: This is hard because sometimes I feel like social media is basically my second job… But sometimes I really am scrolling just to scroll. It’s crazy when i’m watching tv and I just start doomscrolling, even if it’s an interesting show! This goes back to how multitasking isn’t a thing, imo. I am really hoping to cut down on screen time in the new year, or at least bringing my weekly average down. This doesn’t count my kindle time, of course. :)
• Eating too fast: As a food blogger/microinfluencer, I will say that a LOT of my life revolves around food. I mean, a girl’s got to eat, right?! I’ve found that somehow i’ve turned into a super fast eater. I know it’s not good for digestion and it doesn’t give your brain enough time to process that you’re full–so this year i’ll be trying to eat slower, chew more, and think about each and every bite!
• Ultra processed foods: I recently read Ultra Processed People by Chris van Tulleken and it really opened my eyes to the dangers of ultra processed food (or UPFs for short!). I like to think i’m a very healthy person overall and I eat pretty healthy meals, however there are definitely moments that I indulge on things that are not good for me… My friends know that I LOVE eating chips, snacks, charcuterie and cheese boards, and ice cream! I don’t hope to completely eliminate UPFs from my diet, just to minimize them and take charge of my body and health.

If you’ve made it through to the end, thank you so much for reading and I hope you have an amazing 2024! I can’t wait to see what’s in store. :) Let me know if you connect to any of these or will try to do them too!