the last day of 12 Days of Christmas and Blogmas is here!
its Christmas eve!!!!! Christmas eve is definitely a close second to Christmas day, i love it! i definitely feel the most festive the day before Christmas, it also means its finally time to watch Elf and The Grinch!

anyway for day 12 i thought i would touch on how i am preparing for the new year and what some of my resolutions for the new year are. as well as reflecting on the year that has been and how i want to set realistic goals for 2019.

Resolutions 
i decided that for 2019 i want to set realistic and achievable resolutions that have goals which i know i can meet.
one of my resolutions for the new year is to be more environmentally friendly. i am going to do this by using a reusable coffee cup when buying coffee instead of the paper/plastic ones they give you. i decided to gift myself a new travel coffee cup for Christmas to help push this resolution along. i also am going to bring reusable shopping bags with me when i go regular shopping. currently i only use reusable shopping bags for food shopping but i have decided i am going to keep one on me at all times so i never have to use/buy a plastic bag again!
by doing these two things i hope i can start making a more conscious effort to be more environmentally friendly and help save our planet.

another one of my resolutions is to take more notice of what i am consuming and how i am burning off what i consume. i want to take more care of myself and my body from the inside out.
i want to cut soft drinks and takeaway food out and really focus on my physical activity more. i would love to get back into a routine and love the gym again. i am going to help push this resolution along by going to the gym everyday in the 3 weeks i have off after Christmas in hope that can help me get motivated and into a routine for when my work year starts again.

finally my last resolution for 2019 is to stop letting other people affect me and stop staying in environments that don't make me happy just to please other people. i think sometimes we just get so comfortable in our lives that we forget to stop and think if this is really the right environment for us and our mental health.
i generally am the type of person who doesn't like change so i tend to just stay or continue doing something because its 'comfortable' so in the new year i want to stick up for myself and move on if i need to. i have learnt you can't grow if you are stationary and always doing/being the same. basically in 2019 i want to grow and challenge myself more.

Reflecting on the year that has been 
2018 has been a ride, probably one of my favourite years but also probably one of my most steadiest years. i didn't really move much or change much, i pretty much just stayed in routine. but either way 2018 went ridiculously quick, i can't believe that it is basically over!!

i created some awesome memories in 2018, rekindled some friendships, loved harder and spent a lot more time with family and friends. i went on two unforgettable holidays, got engaged, worked harder then i ever have and grow a lot as a person.

i definitely learnt who i want to be as a person and what i want for my future. i am starting to realise what and who is important and what steps i need to take to achieve a well balanced life.
i learnt that self care is important and to not let people bug you, if you don't like who they are or what they are about then they don't need to be in your life! this is SO important to know!!!

i hope 2019 is a healthy and happy as 2018. i hope it helps me grow and teaches me new lessons. i am so thankful for the life i live and the health i have. i hope 2019 blesses me with the same.

Plans for the New Year
lets start with plans for NYE, at this stage there aren't any but to be honest i think i would be happy to have a really quiet relaxed NYE this year. i wouldn't even mind if i was asleep by the time the clock struck midnight so i could be up early and have a productive first day of the year but we shall see!

in terms of plans for the new year itself, we have our engagement party in March and a trip to Melbourne in April. otherwise i assume we will just take the year as it comes. i am definitely excited for our engagement party and then the wedding planning that will follow (its going to be crazy i can already tell).

who knows what the year will hold but here is hoping it is a good one! i can't believe its already 2019 SO CRAZY!!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
thankyou so much for sharing another 12 Days of Christmas with me. i love doing these and can't wait to be back again next year. every year, i enjoy blogging more and more and i am definitely looking forward to seeing what opportunities 2019 brings for me.

love you all
stephanie