Practical Parenting Ideas: 10 Ways to Be YOU in 2017 #centsofstyle

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I absolutely love that Cents of Style is inspiring women to speak out and share their own stories about who they are or trying to become in 2017. One of my goals for this year is to redefine myself and focus more on self care and strengthening home & family.

As a parenting blogger I'm constantly hearing various opinions on the best way to mother, even to the extreme of what type I should try to be. But the terms crunchy, granola, hipster, and even parenting expert just don't speak to me. Shouldn't being a mom simply mean doing what you feel is best for your kids? I sure think so. With that said...

In 2017 I vow to:

Stop comparing myself to other moms because the truth is "perfect" moms who have it all together don't exist. Rather than being critical, I want to focus on being the best mom for my kids and motivate other moms to do the same.
Take some time for myself every day. And by that I don't mean watching Friends on Netflix while doing the dishes or hiding in the bathroom an extra 5 minutes to have some peace and quiet. I want to purposefully take time to relax and rejuvenate. I really believe it will make me a better mom.
Set small, achievable goals. I'm a sticky note to do list person, so I want to write down something to focus on every couple of weeks to a month. It will often be super simple, but yield the satisfaction of completing it.
Not be afraid for my kids to know that I'm not perfect. They probably already know I'm far from it, but in all seriousness I think it's important for kids to know that they can keep trying when something doesn't go as planned and be proud of their efforts.
Plan more girls nights out and dates with my husband. As much as I love all the time I have with my kids, I know I'd benefit from making lasting connections outside of the home as well.

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Stop worrying so much about my dress size, but put more effort into taking care of my physical health to have more energy for my kids. This last year I surprised myself by really getting into Zumba. I have Zumba Fitness DVD's for exercising at home and attend at my local rec center twice a week when I can make it. I plan to continue Zumba and start running again, in addition to eating more clean.
Continue to pursue my passion of working from home, specifically as a virtual assistant for other blogs and small businesses. I love all things writing, photo editing, and social media. I very much appreciate having a flexible schedule to keep my biggest focus on family.
Along with VA work, I also plan to blog a lot more often about things I've learned as a mom and practical tips I want to pass on, simple activities to do as a family, and fun things like DIY and baking.
Be more available for my family and friends; try to be someone they can lean on for support. I also want to find more opportunities to give service because let's face it, life is not always easy and so many burdens can be lightened by the help of others.
Above all else, I want to remember "There's no one way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one." (Jill Churchill) Every day is a new opportunity to start anew, apologize for past mistakes, and make each moment count.