January is the month of resolutions and fresh starts: cleaning, organizing, eating healthily, getting fit, and trying new things. So let’s take a look at some ideas to help keep those resolutions.

Here are some of the top resolutions we found in our office and how stamps have made their way into the New Year.

1. Work Out

There are so many options–from simply being more active to workout schedules or training for a competition–no single option will fit everyone’s needs. At the end of the day, just find an activity you enjoy. Sure, some people live to run, others to lift weights, but some just like hiking, playing pickleball, or taking a bike ride on the local rails-to-trails. Get yourself moving and have fun—then put a stamp on your calendar or journal noting your accomplishment.

Tips

• Creating personal plans to match your goals and hold you accountable.
• Getting out on your bicycle for group rides is a great (and easy) way to hold yourself to this year’s goals. Customizing the bike to better fit you and your needs just adds to the fun, comfort and performance.
• If you decide to join (or start) a group, make sure your experience level matches the group. While I am a rails-to-trails person my partner likes scaling mountains, hopping over protruding rocks, and jumping over the occasional fallen tree while mountain biking.
• Join a recreational sports league as a fun way to get out of the house. Masters swim teams, local softball leagues, kickball, and pick-up basketball are just a few of the options we have participated in over the years.
• Join a class for yoga, pilates, spinning or any number of options at your local gym or fitness center. 

2. Healthier Foods

Eating healthier goes hand in hand with getting fit. Whole30, Mediterranean diet, Keto, or low-carb are all options for eating healthier. Each of us needs to decide what works best for our dietary needs and lifestyle. What is often overlooked is where you are going to source the raw ingredients.

Instead of getting everything from our grocery store, which could be buying from states away, try a local farmers market or farm share. Not only are you more likely to find better quality and prices, but more money goes back into the farmers’ hands. It’s the hat trick of better eating. These small businesses use our designer to create custom art stamps, cost-effectively branding their businesses in their local communities.

Tips

• Meal planning is a great way to stay consistent with healthy eating. Matching quicker meals with nights you get home late and saving the longer (or new) recipes for nights you have more time.
• Prepping food for quick options at lunch or busy nights.
• Making a large batch meal that you can as lunch thought out the week or freezing for later use is a tactic I personally use.
• Start simple with the goal of 2 diet friendly dinners per week with leftovers for lunch. As you get more comfortable with recipes add more.
• Try a meal service that sends you the raw ingredients and teaches you how to make new meals which met your goals. While the ingredients might not be local its a great way to try new recipes and not be overwhelmed

3. Trying New Things

Many years ago, my mom purchased a family pass to a local children museum as a family Christmas gift. The museum had partnered with several other not–so–local museums which you could visit for free with the family pass. There was even a little passport booklet you could get stamped when visiting. Day trips–and even our family vacation–were planned around visiting these differently themed museums. It was a lot of fun, and we learned about everything from electricity to marine biology.

Museums aren’t the only option when looking for new places to visit. There are state and national parks, which we talked about a few months ago. Not only could this be new for you and those you travel with, but it also falls into the “being more active” bucket.

Ideas

• Concerts at your library or coffee shop are a great way to see new and upcoming artists. It is a wonderful way to support the arts and enjoy some (hopefully) good music. Plus these are generally free or low cost.
• Get season tickets to a local Theater. You will see a variety of different shows and season tickets sometimes come with special perks.
• Specialty or pop-up markets can be fun to walk around trying new foods and experience different activities.
• Craft or Seasonal Fairs. Browses the wares of local crafters, woodworkers, artists. See if they have any kits for beginners to try your hand at something new.
• Renaissance Faire! Need we say more. 

Stamping Essentials

After all the crazy of the holidays, we always feel like starting the New Year with a clean slate.

Now is a great time to do a little maintenance on the stamp(s) you already own. Making sure the rubber on the stamp is clean will help you get the best impression!

Check ink pads to make sure they are not dry or empty, allowing you to get new ink pads or ink refills ordered before you need them, saving you time and money.

Conclusion

January 1 is not the only day you can start new trends in your life–you can start whenever you want. Finding rewards or small reminder of your accomplishments through out the week can help you stay on track even when you want to binge a new season and eat your weight in tacos.

We love using custom stamps on our planners and journals. Create your own stamps to celebrate the small wins and motivate yourself on the days you missed your goal. Remember a missed day or goal is not a failure so keep going and don't be to hard on yourself.