Free 2015 Printable Calendar

Photo used with permission by Landeelu

Feeling ready for the new year? I always forget to buy a calendar ahead of time, which is why I love one I can just print! This 2015 calendar on Landeelu has a fun, simple style perfect for use in the kitchen, office, or wherever you need it! Print it free from Landeelu HERE.

Top 10 Posts of 2014

As a freelance writer turned blogger this year, I've really enjoyed sharing on a more personal note topics like my own parenting advice, fun & simple kids activities, and family-favorite recipes. I love coming up with ideas for new posts, and I've had fun looking back over the past year to see what YOUR favorites were. Each of these 10 were voted one of the best of Practical Parenting based on the number of visits received. Thank you for reading and your contributions to our website! Counting down from 10 to 1...

10. Hot Chocolate Bar with Chocolate Spoons - My family loves the flavors chocolate spoons add to hot chocolate! We plan to make it every year to enjoy all December.

9. Kids Protection Planning: How to safeguard your most precious "assets" - Our family created a Kids Protecion Plan with Haslam Law this year and posted about our great experience.

8. Eric Carle Clothing Line: New at Gymboree - We love Gymboree! This year they came out with an adorable Eric Carle clothing line.

7. How to Have Peace When You're Falling to Pieces - One of our favorite books and our most read guest post this year by the author herself, Rebecca Rode.

6. Squeasy Snacker Review & Giveaway - My kids love Squeasy Gear, and I love how mess-free and environmentally friendly they are!

5. Squooshi Reusable Food Pouches Review - Another amazing food pouch with animal  characters my kids think are pretty fun! I like how much money it saves us over buying the pre-filled ones from the store.

4. 50 Unique Stocking Stuffers - Though I never got around to creating a gift guide this year, I did have fun coming up with some creative stocking stuffer ideas!

3. Emergency Preparation Checklist & Giveaway - This was one of a series of posts I did with other local bloggers to share food storage advice, along with some great giveaways.

2. Sugar Bowl Bakery Review - Yum, I just want to make these again every time I see this picture! We enjoyed this review of Sugar Bowl Bakery Petite Brownie Bites (hint: They're available at Costco!).

1. Kids Halloween Lanters - In October we shared over 100 Halloween project ideas with other bloggers, and this ended up being our most viewed post of the year by far. What's great is these lanterns are fun for pretty much any holiday (see our Christmas version). They're quite simple to make and inexpensive, too!

And not on this list (but not far behind on views), two more of my very favorites this year were:

Winter Car Seat Safety Reminders - First, my toddler is just adorable, second I liked writing this informative post on a topic I'm very passionate about-- car seat safety.

S'mores Snack Mix - I think this was the first recipe I ever posted, and had so much fun with it that I made a Halloween variation.

I have a lot of ideas I'm excited about for 2015, including a lot more recipes and posts on a variety of parenting issues. I'm excited for a new year, and hope to help you find practical solutions to parenting and simplify family-life to keep it meaningful! Thanks again for reading and Happy New Year!!

5 Steps to Setting Practical New Year's Resolutions

Every new year presents a chance to begin anew and establish better habits by setting goals for what you want to accomplish that year. As with many aspirations in life, it's easy to hope and dream, but can be harder to put efforts into action if they're too strict or overwhelming. Being a part of a family also adds new challenges to goal setting, but it is very possible to set realistic goals together. Start by planning ahead to set aside time to get together for an uninterrupted (TV and electronics off) family session. With pen and paper in hand, keep the following five points in mind as you discuss individual and family goals.

1. Make short-term, mini goals: Whatever goals you decide to set, create a specific, short-term plan of action. For example: I want to get out of debt by paying off X amount each month for 12 months. Avoid setting more than about 3 goals at a time so you'll keep the focus on making progress without getting too overwhelmed by the sheer volume of goals.
2. Evaluate yourself, your strengths and weaknesses. Avoid goals that are too strict or unreasonable, such as, saying you're going to cut out all treats when you naturally have a sweet tooth. Rather, give yourself one free day or allow one or two desserts a week. Consider involving a friend as support in reaching your goals, asking that they help keep you accountable.
3. Write them down: Be it on sticky notes on the fridge, a journal kept in a certain spot, etc. give each goal a written title, plan of action, and date you want to accomplish it by. Refer to your list often and aim to stick to the plan.
4. Revise and recommit: If you don't achieve a goal by the date you set, instead of abandoning ship altogether, revise it as necessary and set a new date. Turn any discouragement quickly into a second chance. If you need extra reminders or motivation, keep sticky note quotes around the house that will help remind you of your vision.
5. Celebrate each success: It requires a lot of tireless effort to achieve your goals so be sure to celebrate when you do! Have a night out, buy yourself something new, or other reward of your choice. Tell family and friends and let them be excited for you, too!

Now you're ready to set your goals, go for it! See what you can accomplish in 2016!

Happy New Year!