2012-One Word: KoJo Designs {balance}

And imagine my absolute delight to find out that dear Kirstin (1/2 their design team) is a freakin’ sweetie-pie-pants?  Seriously?  How awesome is it when you find out that someone oozing with talent is hysterically awesome at the same time?  (well, it’s awesome once you decide not to hate them for being amazing!)

I mean…are you kidding me with this window sitch?  Whew!  It’s straight from the pages of a magazine….right?

I have LOVED chatting with Kirstin online and I can’t WAIT to meet her in person.  Maybe some of her awesomeness will rub-off on me.

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Hey less cake {more frosting} friends! I am Kirstin, half of the sister team that blogs over at kojodesigns. I absolutely adore Lara and am thrilled to be here, sharing my Word of 2012.

I know that we just met, me and you, but can I tell you something?
I’m a bit of a perfectionist.
I love having all my ducks in a row. I’d love it if every day I were perfectly put together (and wearing heels- I love heels but rarely wear them anymore), my kiddos were well behaved and brilliant and dressed in J Crew-y goodness (or better, something handmade and boutique-y), my entire house stayed in a state of pristine clean, my purse was organized and full of organic snacks, the blog always had a new-and-perfectly-executed-and-photographed project on it, we ate gourmet meals every night (prepared on a budget, of course), and I were an excellent wife and friend.

But that little paragraph makes me tired just typing it. Mostly because I know that, I couldn’t ever achieve such a state. Even if I didn’t sleep.

And so, instead of continually chasing “perfect,” 2012 is the year of letting some things go in order to pursue the things that matter most. To be a great mama and keep up with the budget and check in with my husband and friends and attempt to create beautiful things, I need to let go of things that are good in order to really chase the things that are BEST.

With all of that being said, my word for this year is “Balance.”

Trite and overused as it may seem, it is the thing that my family and I need most this year.

Specifically, I have three ways that I am going to strive for balance this year (I’d love it if you’d join me in any of these that are a good fit for you!)-

1- Lower my productivity. I am a planner (you probably got that from the ‘perfectionist’ paragraph). I am also a big fan of self-imposed deadlines. However, last year I took on too many projects and I was too much of a stickler about my self-imposed-deadlines. This year, I am going to be less productive (but more balanced!).

my mama/running partner

2- Prioritize sleep and exercise. These things are the first things to go when life gets crazy. And then I get grouchy and easily irritated and just generally not that fun to be around. Simply put, I like myself and my life better when I make sleep and exercise a priority.

the little bookworms themselves

3- Play. I have a three year old and a one year old. Besides my husband, I think they’re the most precious treasure I’ve been entrusted with. I have big plans this year for more Candyland, more snow angels (or even better- pool days!), more snuggling up to read (they both LOVE books), more treks around the Denver Zoo, more legos. I am pretty sure I won’t ever look back and say, “Gosh I should’ve updated facebook more often instead of reading so many books to Burke and Piper Jane.” And I’m really excited about taking more time to Play this year.

Cheers to 2012, friends! In the case that your 2011 was more chaotic than you’d hoped or if you are a perfectionist like me that needs to knock a few things off of the “Good Things” list, won’t you join me in the pursuit of balance this year?