Photo via Pinterest.

I’m not very good at making New Year’s resolutions and probably even worse at following through with them. My favorite one, however, was to try at least 6 new things within the year, which turned out to be a good one because I did end up trying a lot of new things. I tried to repeat it as my resolution for the following year but wasn’t nearly as successful.

This year I wasn’t even going to attempt a resolution until I saw this wonderful guide on 2 Girls 2 Cities blog. It was inspiring and seems like a realistic and manageable list so I’m giving it a shot.

A bad habit I’m going to break: Picking at my cuticles. This is a real problem because I’m constantly picking or biting or cutting at my cuticles until they bleed and it’s very painful. I think it’s a nervous habit so I’d like to start directing that nervous energy elsewhere, ideally harnessing it into something more productive.

A new skill I’d like to learn: Networking. You always hear that when it comes to your career, it’s all about “who you know.” This year, I would like to work on my networking skills and get to know more professionals in my field and make connections that might help me advance in the future. As a graduate student, I feel this should be a valuable skill.

A person I hope to be more like: Leslie Knope. Technically, she’s a fictional character but she has been more influential to me than some real-life people. She’s ambitious, ridiculously driven, hard-working, and passionate and she makes things happen.  I want to be more like that in school and in life, and especially in my future career. 

A good deed I’m going to do: Volunteer. As a graduate student, I don’t have a ton of extra free time, but I’m incredibly lucky to not have to work this semester so I see no reason why I can’t devote some time to giving back to the community. This year, I would like to accept more volunteer opportunities.

A place I’d like to visit: New Orleans. If I play my cards right, I might be able to go in the Fall while attending a major public health conference. I’ll have to save money and work hard but I think I can make it happen!

A book I’d like to read: For Christmas, I asked for a ton of books and got most of them, so this will be an easy one. The next one on my list is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.

A letter I’m going to write: If it counts, I would like to get better at responding to emails/text messages/other means of correspondence. Emails will sit in my inbox for embarrassingly long amounts of time before I get around to responding and, it’s silly, really, when I could just respond right away and take care of business.

A new food I’d like to try: Traditional Creole/Cajun cuisine. Jambalaya, crawfish, red beans and rice, remoulade, etc. If I get to make that trip to New Orleans, then I’ll be set!

I’m going to do better at: Blogging. I have a new camera, new ideas, and won’t be commuting to school quite as often this semester thanks to online courses so I hope to create better content with better photos and more consistently in hopes of growing my readership and growing as a writer. This means putting more time and effort into my posts, which is exciting and inspiring.   

So, there you have it: some little improvements I’d like to make, little adventures to strive for, and overall a better me in the coming year. 2014, here I come!

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! We hope your holidays are happy and bright.

<3, NCsquared

(Nick + Nikki + Chico + Mia)

No matter what our spiritual beliefs, or what part of the world we live, we all share the turning of the sun on the solstices.

The Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year and marks the beginning of winter and the return of the sun. It is the shortest day of the year and, as the days get longer, we have the opportunity for a new beginning.

This is a natural time for letting go and saying farewell. Release your resentments and regrets into the darkness, knowing they will be transformed with the return of the light. Renew your visions for the new year and remember that it’s important not to judge yourself by “success” or “failure” in this past year but by the true quality of how you lived your life and whether you were a good influence on your world.

In the coming year, try to create enriching experiences for yourself and continue to look forward. You can shape your life more positively, with awareness and intention. Dedicate all of your happy, joyful experiences to every living being that is able to share that good energy, and dedicate all of your painful, difficult experiences to uplifting  yourself and others.

Death and rebirth, the passing of the old and the slow emergence of the new. Helping one another through the dark. Sharing with the less fortunate. Being thankful for our past blessings and for prosperity in the future. The natural cycles of our world. All of this is the spirit of the season I celebrate.

Celebration Ideas

This year for the solistice I plan on lighting some candles and reflecting on all of the things I’m grateful for from the past year and letting go of all the resentments I might hold. One way to do that is to write down any resentments on a small post-it note and then burn the post-it in the flame of the candle.

Here are a few ideas that for celebrating the solstice:

• Greet the sun at dawn on solstice morning by ringing bells.
• Create rituals, having feasts (pot-luck), and a gift exchange
• Create your own family tradition by gathering in a circle around candles. Each person can light a candle and talk about something they’re grateful for or something they wish for another person in the coming year.
• Gather around a bond fire and have each person state what they would like to give up about the past and what the envision for the future.
• Light candles: a different candle for each of the twelve months on the 12 days before the solstice. Light the center candle on solstice day (represents the return of the light)
• Contribute to wellness on the planet: donate food or clothing, meditate for world peace, make a pledge to do some form of good in the coming year.

Creating a meaningful celebration of winter solstice can help us cultivate a deeper connection to nature and family and all the things that matter most to us. Happy Winter Solstice, everyone!

Photo by Rebecca Triplett-Johnson

My best friend is flying in from Los Angeles today and I’m pretty sure she’s bringing that L.A. weather with her! Because of that, it was a beautiful day. I realize that I talk about the weather on the blog a lot – pretty much every post – but that’s because I dress for comfort and the weather plays a big role in that. This is what I wore to finish up my holiday shopping, hence the flats, and there was a light breeze so I wore the cardigan.

I wasn’t sure if this outfit was blog-worthy but this is my comfy casual look and it’s just as good as any of the others so I went with it.

I saw folks out today wearing shorts and sandals. It was only 65 degrees, which is nice, but definitely not shorts weather for me. And since when did North Carolina become Florida? Personally, it drives me crazy because I like for it to be cold in the winter.

Cardigan: Gap | Top & Necklace: Old Navy | Jeans: Loft | Shoes, Sunglasses & Earrings: Target

I was pinspired by the outfit in this pin and I have the same shirt and new ankle boots, so I knew it would look great. I felt strange, though, when I got dressed because it’s a nice Fall outfit and I really shouldn’t be wearing it in Winter; I should be focusing on Winter outfits. Then I remembered that it’s technically still Fall! Awkwardness averted.

Also, I know you’re thinking to yourself, “Damn, Nikki’s hair is looking good, like a Victoria’s Secret angel’s hair!” Why, thank you 😉 It’s true, I was fresh out of the salon when I took these so my hair was pretty fabulous. My hair dresser, who I’ve been seeing for about 5 years now, usually just straightens my hair after a cut but, today, she was eager to try out a new blow-drying technique that adds tons of volume like a Victoria’s Secret Model. I think it looks amazing but would probably take too much time for everyday wear. But I’ll rock it while it lasts!

This maroon/burgundy/oxblood/whatever-you-want-to-call-it color is kind of timeless because it’s definitely in this season, but I feel like it was “in” last fall/winter, too.  It’s probably not a bad idea to invest in maroon/burgundy/etc.  because it’s likely to stick around for a while.

Top, Jeans, & Necklace: Old Navy | Ankle Boots: Target | Scarf: Amazon