I love the fresh start feeling of a new year, but I’ve learned that I don’t always want to set a long list of super-specific goals. Some years, I need less pressure and more direction—more of a “this is the kind of life I want to keep building” than a checklist I’ll feel guilty about by February. Instead of setting strict resolutions, I’m sharing a gentle New Year reset with my reflections on 2025 and my hopes for 2026.
This post is a little reflection on what shifted in me during 2025—habits I’ve built, things I’m proud of, and what I hope 2026 feels like in our home and in my own body.
If I had to sum it up, I want 2026 to be a year of health, steadiness, and intentional growth—one day at a time.
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What I’m Proud of From 2025
Becoming a Better Version of Myself (and a More Patient Parent)
One thing I’m always learning is that motherhood forces you to reflect. It brings your triggers to the surface, exposes the places you still need healing, and also gives you endless opportunities to grow.
One of the biggest areas I’m proud of is how much more patient I’ve become as a parent. I can truly say I’m not the same mom I was in the early years. I still have my moments (because I’m human), but I’ve grown in how I pause, how I respond, how I regulate myself, and how I repair and try again when I mess up. It hasn’t been perfect—but it has been consistent progress, and that matters.
Teaching My Daughter to Read
This one is huge. I am so hard on myself when it comes to homeschooling. I worry that I’m not doing enough, that I’m missing something, that I need to do more, more, more. I’m constantly assessing, adjusting, and trying to be the best teacher I can be for my kids.
One big goal I had this year was getting my daughter reading confidently, and she absolutely took off. She connected with the All About Reading program and her reading skyrocketed. She now devours books—early chapter books and graphic novels—and watching that change has been one of the most rewarding parts of our homeschool year. I’m proud of her, and I’m proud of myself too.
Because if I’m honest… I often worry myself over nothing.
This is the reading program we use and love: All About Reading from All About Learning Press.
Building a Library Rhythm That Stuck
Alongside reading, one habit I really wanted to establish was going to the library consistently. Weekly or biweekly trips became part of our routine, and it has made such a difference.
Now all three of my kids come home on library day and sit and read through their books for hours. My oldest is into chapter books, my daughter has fallen in love with graphic novels, and even my youngest looks forward to choosing his stack. We’re well-known at our library, we participate in homeschool programs, and it genuinely feels like one of the healthiest rhythms we’ve built as a family.
Here are some of my kids’ favorite books:
Habits I Want to Keep Growing in 2026
More Self-Care (In a Way That Actually Feels Like Me)
Learning how to take care of myself as a woman—basic “girly” self-care—has honestly been a process. I didn’t grow up in a home where that stuff was taught or emphasized. No one taught me how to style my hair, do makeup, or take care of nails. Style wasn’t really a focus, and we didn’t have the funds to think about it much anyway.
So in adulthood, I’ve been learning what makes me feel good in my own skin—not to be flashy, just to feel confident and put together. Over the past few years I’ve built a skincare routine that I genuinely love, and it’s become one of those simple habits that makes a big difference for me. I’ve gained confidence, and I even get compliments on my skin now, which still surprises me sometimes.
Here’s my tried-and-true skincare:
Doing My Nails
I’ve never been a nail girly. Salon visits were maybe once a year—only if I had a trip or special event—and I hated the cost and the damage. I tried regular nail polish at home and loved the idea… but I’m not patient, and with mom life my nails would smudge or chip quickly.
So I finally got a gel manicure set from Olive & June, and even with the learning curve, it’s been one of the best investments in myself. My nails stay nice for weeks, they’re longer than they used to be, and having them done makes me feel more put together—even on regular, messy days at home.
Here’s the Olive and June gel nail kit I use and some of my favorite colors:
Cutting My Hair (Yes, Really)
I can probably count on one hand how many professional haircuts I’ve gotten over the years. I’m very low-maintenance, I’ve never dyed my hair, and I’ve always stuck to one hairstyle I love because I don’t want anything that requires constant upkeep.
This year I decided to try cutting my own hair. I figured the worst that could happen is it’s bad and I have to pay someone to fix it… and guess what? I found a simple butterfly haircut tutorial and I LOVE it.
Here’s the video I used: Brad Mondo’s Butterfly Haircut Tutorial
Here’s some key hair tools you’ll need to start cutting your own hair:
Vitamins, Supplements, and Getting More In Through Juicing
This is still a struggle for me. I’ve always hated taking pills, and if I take too many one after another, it feels like they’re stuck in my throat. I do use a pill organizer and I have a routine… but my biggest hurdle is still the physical act of taking them consistently.
One thing that has helped a lot lately is that we got a juicer, and I’ve been making more wellness shots. Getting certain vitamins and supplements in juice form has been a game changer for me—especially for inflammation. For example, using fresh turmeric root in a juice feels so much easier than forcing myself to take three turmeric pills a day. It’s not that I’ll never take supplements, but having a more “drink it and move on” option has made consistency feel a lot more realistic.
Here’s the link to the pill organizer I have been using for years: 7 Day, Morning, Noon, and Night Pill Organizer And here’s my amazon link to the list of vitamins and supplements I use.
Here’s the juicer we have been loving: Cold-Press Juicer (Nama dupe for way less!) And here are the wellness shot glasses that have been working for us: 2 oz clear glass bottles
Blogging With Consistency (Even When Results Are Slow)
In one form or another, I’ve been on the internet trying to build something since 2013. I’ve started and stopped more times than I can count. If I’m being honest, it’s hard for me to stay consistent when I don’t see quick results.
But I also know this: if I want success, I have to keep showing up.
So my goal for 2026 is steady consistency—posting 2–4 blog posts a month, even when life is busy and progress feels slow. My ultimate goal is to create another stream of income for our family, but I also genuinely enjoy blogging—reviewing books, sharing about homeschooling and motherhood, gardening plans, simple routines, DIY projects, and all the cozy everyday things that make up our life.
The Direction I Want for 2026
I’m Calling It: The Year of Health
If 2026 had a theme for me, it would be health. Real, sustainable, steady health—not perfection, not extremes, not pressure… just getting back to feeling stronger, calmer, and more like myself.
Moving My Body With Intention
I’ve never been someone who consistently “worked out,” mostly because I didn’t grow up in a household where that was emphasized. But I have always been active. I was an outside kid. I did yard work, gardening, building things, camping, riding bikes, and running around all summer. Even as an adult, I’m not someone who sits still easily—I’m up and down stairs constantly, on my feet all day, walking, doing projects, and moving through daily life.
But since having my third baby, I’ve lost a lot of muscle. Things that used to feel easy feel heavy now. My back gets thrown out more easily. And chronic pain has been part of my life since that pregnancy—there were years where I had to push myself just to do basic daily tasks and then “pay for it” for days after. I still deal with chronic pain, though it’s less frequent now, and I know deep down that strengthening my body will only help me feel better.
My hope is to reduce pain, increase energy, and support my nervous system. I want to focus on my lymphatic system and strengthening my pelvic floor—which also means building a stronger core, back, and glutes.
So I’m starting simple: a daily 10-minute yoga routine in the morning, walking more consistently (I bought a small treadmill for the house), and ideally adding one strengthening class at the rec center each week.
Here’s the youtube channel I’ve been using for morning yoga: Yoga with Kassandra (specifically the Morning Yoga Movement- 30 Days of Yoga challenge.
Here’s some yoga tools and the treadmill I use:
I’ve also been thinking about buying a vibration plate to help with activating and helping along my lymphatic system. Tell me if you use one and your thoughts!
Therapy (Finally Making It Feel Possible)
I’ve said for years that I want to start therapy, but I’ve hesitated because of cost—and honestly because I’m nervous about finding someone I don’t click with and then having to start all over again.
But I recently found out our insurance includes a free therapy program, which makes it feel more accessible and lower-pressure. I also have a few free months of BetterHelp. So this year, I want to actually take a step forward. Not to “fix everything,” but to support myself and have a safe place to process life.
Learning (or Re-Learning) Creative Hobbies
I’ve always been creative and have always loved art and crafting. After becoming a mom, that creativity shifted into other forms because it just wasn’t always possible to set aside the time—or have the physical space—to do creative hobbies the way I used to.
When you don’t have a dedicated space to make art, it can feel exhausting. I want to be able to create and leave what I’m working on out, but that’s just not very realistic with young kids. It becomes the whole process of getting everything out, trying to keep little hands away while I work, and then cleaning it all up and putting it away right away. It hasn’t felt very sustainable in this season.
But now that my kids are getting a little older, small creative hobbies (and learning some new ones) are starting to feel possible again. I’d love to try watercolor painting in a small sketchbook—something simple and low-mess that I can pick up without a huge setup or cleanup. I’d also love to learn embroidery or punch needling or crocheting and keep a small basket by the couch so I can work on it during family TV time or while winding down at night.
These kinds of hobbies feel gentle and realistic for the season I’m in, and I’m excited to make space for that part of myself again.
Here are some of the hobbies and supplies I already have:
Increasing Our Income and Building Toward More Freedom
Piggybacking off the goal of blogging more consistently, my husband and I also want to increase our income through means outside of a salary job. For us, that looks like continuing to explore options like buying a small business or investing in a small franchise (like a cleaning company).
We definitely don’t have all the details worked out yet, but we are moving in the direction of more financial freedom and stability. We want to be thoughtful and strategic, and we know these kinds of decisions take time.
Long term, we’d love to move, build our own house, and have some land. That dream requires financial growth, and while we’re not trying to rush the process, it is something we’re actively working toward as a family.
Looking Ahead (Without Putting Too Much Pressure on It)
When I think about 2026, I’m not looking for perfection. I’m not expecting some magical year where everything suddenly feels easy. What I do want is to keep moving in the right direction—toward better health, more consistency, more confidence, and a life that feels more aligned with the kind of home and future we’re trying to build.
I want to keep showing up for my kids and for myself. I want to keep building rhythms that support our family, keep making space for growth, and keep choosing progress over perfection. Some of that looks practical (health habits, blogging consistency, financial goals), and some of it looks softer (creative hobbies, self-care, slowing down enough to enjoy this season).
More than anything, I want this year to be steady. Intentional. Healing. Full of small changes that add up over time.
💬 Tell me in the comments: Are you setting specific goals this year, or are you focusing more on a general direction/theme for the year? And what’s one thing you’re hoping for in 2026?
