New Year’s Resolutions, Goals, Tips for Moms & Families From the Tribe! by Donna John

It’s been quite a year for us at 30Second Mom! Our team has grown by leaps and bounds, and the information and inspiration we’ve shared has been a stream of nonstop awesome! Are you still working on your New Year’s resolutions list? Read on to learn the goals some of our amazing contributors have set for themselves and their families – and get tips on how to achieve the ones you’ve already made!

Resolution: Meditation
Eirene Heidelberger, certified parent coach, founder of GITMom.com and mom of three, got hooked on her 2015 goal – and encourages moms to give it a try! “My 2015 New Year’s resolution was to try meditation. Here I am, a year later, completely hooked! Previously, I felt I was a self-aware type of gal open to all forms of self-help. I was skeptical that meditation would make a difference in my already-aware mind. Boy, was I wrong! Meditation has calmed me yet made me alert in a bright and focused way. I no longer obsess over events. I finally took away my son’s diaper at bedtime and I wasn’t stressed out one bit. I have three boys and a business, yet rarely does my to-do list spiral out of control. Meditation is miraculous, you must try it!”

Contributor Kathy Shimmield knows the benefits of meditation, too! Check out her series of tips for meditating mommies:

• Mommy Meditation Part 1: Find Time to Make It Work for You!
• Mommy Meditation Part 2: Grab It When You Can Get It!
• Mommy Meditation Part 3: How to Meditate When Around Kids!
• Mommy Meditation Part 4: Enlist Support from Others!

Resolution: Love Yourself
Dana Pieper is a mom of triplets and creator of Everybody Fitness, and her focus this year is a simple one – but one moms tend to overlook. “The New Year gives each of us the chance to refocus, reset and mentally step into a new year with the opportunity to be our Best Selves. Don’t set too lofty of goals to qualify you as your Best Self, but ones that make you feel good, accomplished, not overwhelmed and provide you the opportunity to love yourself – the most important person to love. When you love yourself, you’re a happy person. When you’re happy, you thrive.”

More advice on self-care and loving yourself from other 30Second Mom contributors:

• You Need to Put YOUR Oxygen Mask on First, Mom; Here’s Why!
• Mom, You Need to Say No; But Learn to Say Yes to This
• 5 Ways to Practice Self-Care for Better Health this Winter
• Moms: You Can Improve Your Self-Care with NURSE

Resolution: Cherishing Time with Kids
An important goal for Christie Gosch, a graphic designer, founder of Sweetest Pea Designer and mom of two, is to spend to spend more quality time with her teenage daughter. “As my oldest started high school this year and is now starting the process of getting her driver’s license, I’ve realized the chore of driving her around up to two hours a day will be hard to say goodbye to. I’m anxious to get that time back for myself, but it’s the time my daughter and I have for conversations about easy and hard things – a chance to impart some wisdom to her and for her to open up about what’s going on with her. I will miss these times, so I plan on cherishing every last ride I have with her this next year and savoring the time together. Sometimes a chore can be a privilege!”

More great advice for raising teens from the team:

• How Technology Can Strengthen Relationships with Teens! 
• Monitoring Your Teen: 8 Things Parents Should Know & Do!
• Surviving the Teen Years: 3 Great Books on Parenting Teens
• Ask Teens to Describe Themselves! Here’s Why and How!

Resolution: Have Fun!
Chrissy Jones , mom of three and creator of BeyondThePark.com, hopes moms put having more fun on their 2016 New Year’s resolutions list. “Life can get so busy that I’d often forget to have any mid-week fun with my kids. So last year, I decided to ‘up’ the fun factor. The kids helped me compile a list of small ways to add increments of fun to our lives. Twice a month, I surprise them with one of these activities: 1) An impromptu hot chocolate bar after school. 2) Teach them a game you played as a kid. My kids now love Jacks and Boggle. 3) Have a Runway Dance Party. Set a timer for 5 minutes and let the kids dress up. Put on loud music and let them strut down the hallway. They’ll laugh more, fight less and everyone will have fun!”

Looking for fun ideas for your family? The 30Second Mom team has some ideas!

• Step It Up! 8 Ways to Be a More Active Family
• Lights Out! 5 Fun Kid-friendly Ways to Play in the Dark
• Low-Tech Way to Have Family Fun: Memory Master

Resolution: Trust
Trust as a 2016 goal? Gail Harris, mom, author and founder of White Bread Wisdom, says it’s a must! “Of all the beautiful qualities moms possess, there’s one that embodies them all. Without it, we couldn’t love. Without it, we couldn’t plan. Without it, we couldn’t discipline, laugh or care for our kids – or ourselves. We already possess and express it daily. Yet it’s the quality we have the hardest time acknowledging, because subliminally we’re taught not to. Pfooey! Together, let’s declare 2016 the year of TRUST. Let’s make that our mantra. Starting now, whenever you have a choice to make, look inside. You’ll see you have everything you need there. Your heart knows the answer; just trust!”

Gail Harris is loaded with inspiration! Here’s just a sampling of her wisdom for moms:

• What’s the One Skill That Every Mom Needs? Find Out!
• Want to Trust Your Intuition More? 5 Things You Need to Know
• Chill Out! Why You’ll Be a Better Mom, Friend & Co-Worker
• Tough Times? Here’s Where to Look for Inspiration

Resolution: A Closer Family
Strengthening their family is a resolution for many. Mei Marcie, mom, author and founder of EczemaBlues.com, shares these tips to help you reach that goal this year! “Want your family to be closer in the New Year? Here are four resolutions that can help with your family bond! 1) Affirm and praise – This helps build strong and loving communication – for both spouse and kids! 2) Eat together – Family dinner is a time to connect with each other, a ‘platform’ for sharing our deepest concerns. 3) Quiet time together – Kids open up when they are together with you, doing nothing. Make quiet time and/or prayer part of your daily routine. 4) Learn love language – Everyone feels loved differently, so commit to learning and ‘speaking’ your loved ones’ languages!”

April Bowers has a fun idea to help strengthen your family’s bond and Gail Harris shares some advice, too!

Resolution: Remember YOU!
Losing that pep in your step? 30Second Mom contributor Kaila Weingarten wants you to make YOU a priority this year and has four tips! “Burned out? The New Year is a fresh opportunity to make yourself a priority. Why not declare 2016 the Year of Self-Care? Here are five ways to help make it happen! 1) Starting now, make the time to take care of yourself. Schedule it if you have to! 2) Eat nutritious foods and ditch the junk— seriously! 3) Give yourself permission to do things you like each day. 4) Stop doing the things that are stressing you. 5) Crazy job? Look for a new one. You are the only one to take care of yourself, so GO GIRL! Moms do too much, but in order to care for others, we’ve got to care for ourselves first!”

Try these tips to help you on your YOU journey:

• Adult Coloring Books: Here’s One Just for You, Mom! 
• What’s a Health Tip We Should All Follow? Ali Landry Knows!
• Overwhelmed, Tired, Stressed? Take a Mom Timeout!
• Feelings Getting the Best of You? Ask “What If…?”

Resolution: Get Fit!
Who doesn’t have fitness goals on their resolution list? Jo Khalifa, mom and creator of MojoRoast.com, says her passion – coffee – can help with your workouts. “For many of us, the new year brings on goals for a better year. One of those goals could be to ring in the new year being a healthier person. Did you know coffee may help? Studies have shown that if you drink 12 ounces of brewed coffee before you workout, it enhances your workout. That three-minute brew keeps on working for you long after the workout, keeping you fueled to burn those calories!”

Find out why morning may not be the best time to drink coffee and learn why not all coffee is the same!

The 30Second Mom tribe wishes you a blessed and wonderful 2016! The team will share inspiration, information, wisdom and helpful hints throughout the year to help you and your family live your best life yet! Why should you be part of the 30Second Mom community? Mindy Hudon, mom of twins, writer and speech-language pathologist, explains:

“I’ve been fortunate to be part of 30Second Mom since shortly after its conception. As an expert adviser for iParenting.com, I knew I wanted to be involved with anything Elisa All (founder of iParenting) created, so I jumped at the chance to join her team. My favorite part? The connections that I’ve made with all these amazing women! Sharing a common interest as a mom is just the start. Where else can you mingle with a plethora of professional women from across the world? I’m blessed to be in the presence of these remarkable experts! I’m excited to continue being part of the 30Second Mom tribe in 2016!”

Is one of your goals this year to join a #30SecondMom Twitter chat? Contributor Kelly Wonderlin shares three tips to help you chat like a pro, so there’s no excuse now not to join us!