Happy January!

Have you taken a moment to reflect this January? Everything is fresh and new...resolutions have been made, goals have been set.

The hustle and bustle of the holidays has come to a close, and we are now looking forward with open minds and hearts to the new things that lay ahead of us.

Have you taken time to reflect?
Have you taken time to be thankful?

If you haven't set your resolutions for 2014 yet, consider what you want to accomplish. What do you want to achieve? How do you want to look back on 2014 and what do you want to see?

Word of the Year 2014

My friend Stephanie over at A Grande Life is hosting a 2014 Word of the Year link up, and it got me thinking about what my overall goals are for the coming year.

What do I want to accomplish? Is it something all encompassing, or are there specific areas that I want to work on?

So for the year 2014, I have chosen

I chose the word Grow for a few reasons, and not just because my belly will be.

To me, it means to evolve, change and adapt; all things that will be happening once baby is here, but things that are constantly at the forefront of how I live my life. It also pertains to specific blog related goals, and some personal achievements that I am hoping to accomplish.

Here are my goals.

1) Grow the number of races I run in 2014. I've already signed up for a 5km in May, am looking at one in April, and am going to be completing 4 legs of the LOST running series. That makes 6 races which puts me in line with 2013. All before baby comes. There are at least 2 races that I'm looking at for the fall, so this goal will certainly be attainable.

2) Grow my readership. This is probably a pretty standard goal for a blogger, but if you don't have a strategy and you're just wishing on the stars for your readership to grow...good luck. I have a strategy, and thankfully some really awesome blogger friends to bounce ideas off of.

3) Grow as a mom. Since our family will be literally growing by two little feet, I will naturally grow as a mom. I'm sure that my heart will grow new room for this baby, and I hope against hope that I have enough sense of mind to go with the flow. My expectations on myself are alot lower this time, there's less room for failure but I would like my patience to grow, and my appreciation for myself to grow as well.

4) Grow the quality time spent with my husband, and my children. {eek, I just said children}. I have a plan, and I know that a certain road to a certain firey place was paved with good intentions, but really truly seriously I have a plan. Dates with my Bear, dates with my Hubs and dates with my babe.

5) Grow my plan for my really really big goal for 2015. Ideas are swirling, and only a handful of people know of this goal...it will get revealed little by little next year.


So...what's your word?

Talk-To-Me Tuesday: Blogging Changes and Goals

Last night, MrsC from Never A Dull Moment and I were chatting about all of the changes that are going to be happening over here on the Sweet Stella's blog and she asked me, very simply, what my goals are for this little crafty business of mine.

My goals are both short and long term.

Short term

• overhaul blog
  
• increase number of Google Friend Connect blog followers
• develop seasonal product line
• engage in events around the city

Long term

• collaborate with companies on exclusive products
• freelance and guest blog on other crafty and mama blogs
• attend BlogHer'12
• participate in 64th Primetime Emmy Award Gifting Suite with The Artisan Group
• attend more craft and art shows in and around the city
• increase product line
• increase profitability
• host bimonthly giveaways

So, each week for the next few weeks, Talk-To-Me Tuesday will revolve around these goals, the first of which is the blog overhaul.

I've seen many many beautiful blogs that are just stunning, easy to navigate and wonderful to read. I'd like to think that writing some pretty naturally, but I could definitely use some help on the design elements.

First on the list are widening the overall blog, changing the header so it is wider but narrower, and adding tabs across the top for easy navigation. Then, creating some buttons for MOMpreneur Monday, Mama Blogger Monday, Talk-To-Me Tuesday and What's Next Wednesday so others can hop over and link up. Finally, adding a sponsors area, making the media kit virtual for all to see, and maybe a few product pictures and categories...oh and a new picture of myself as well!

Stay tuned for these changes! They're going to be beautiful!