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Six of the Best Decisions I Made in 2017

Published on December 31, 2017 By Emily. Updated on January 2, 2018

This post includes affiliate links.

No year is perfect, but I made some really good, really beneficial changes this year.  So today, on the last day of 2017, I’m sharing 6 of the best decisions I made this year (in no particular order).

quitting my job

Until recently, I was working full time as a teacher, part-time at a local non-profit and running this blog.  You know, in addition to being a parent and a wife.  I realized this summer that my part-time job was eating away at the weekends and summer I wanted to spend with my daughter, so I announced my leave and officially concluded my time at the start of November.  The additional income was lovely, but the extra time (for mothering, blogging, teacher prep and relaxing) has been more than worth it.

using the ibotta app

Nearly a year ago, as I watched my finances shift under the addition of formula and diapers, I decided to try out ibotta.  Since then, I’ve redeemed over $373 in rebates.  I had no idea the app would save me any money, nevermind that much.  It’s simple to use: choose the rebates you’d like to redeem (some of my favorites have been for any brand of milk, eggs or bread, Enfamil and Similac formula, and various brands of cheese, beer, and pasta) and shop.  You can add loyalty cards and have rebates redeemed automatically, or scan the receipt after you shop.  When your balance reaches $20, you can instantly transfer the funds to Paypal or Venmo (and then transfer to your bank account).  If you want to try it, here’s my referral link.

taking the Enneagram

I first heard about the Enneagram on the podcast That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs.  I’ve always been into personality tests, so I took the one on this website.  My results identify me as a Type 1 and I have never had a test that told me so much about myself before.  So many of my feelings make so much more sense now and I can’t wait to explore the Enneagram more in 2018.  Bonus points for all the ways it’s helping my husband (who’s a 5) and I understand each other

buying packing cubes

I bought these packing cubes on Prime Day at the suggestion of Sarah von Bargen on her site, Yes and Yes.  They have revolutionized my travel life.  Now my clothes don’t arrive wrinkled, I can find things quickly and my stuff doesn’t get mixed up with Brian’s.  The set of six has served us pretty well, but I could definitely be convinced to buy more in the future.

ending breastfeeding

Once upon a time, before I gave birth, I planned to breastfeed for a year.  Once I delivered, the reality became clear that my body wasn’t particularly interested in making that happen.  In the first six months, I did everything I could, including pumping as many as eight times each day in addition to breastfeeding, meeting with lactation consultants multiple times a week, trying all the herbs and supplements I could find, making and eating tons of lactation cookies, and renting a hospital grade pump.  At 3 months, I decided I’d work to continue until the six-month mark.  When that point arrived, I washed my pump parts for the last time and moved on.  The decision gave me what seemed like infinite amounts of freedom in my day and the opportunity to more actively parent my daughter.  It was definitely the right choice for me.

using technology in my classroom

I’ve always used technology with my classes, but this year there was a change in what I’m teaching and an increase in access to hardware for my students.  I’ve been utilizing Plickers, Quizlet and Google Classroom, among other tools, with my students and they’re really into it.  In addition to making my job simpler, playing with technology tools has made me more excited about my work.  Following teachers on Instagram has also ignited excitement about my work.  (Let me know if you’d like to see more teaching-related content here, or on Instagram).

What good decisions did you make this year?

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Looking Forward to 2010
Strengthen In 2015
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Filed Under: life Tagged With: goals, new years, savor2017

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Emily
Last week Brian and I finally got around to hiring Last week Brian and I finally got around to hiring a sitter for a rare night out. We went to dinner at @publicna and took advantage of the opportunity with drinks, appetizers and dessert.

Pictured:
- Citrus Braised Beef Tacos
- "Chicken and Waffles"
- House Fries with Garlic Aioli
- Fried Chickpeas
- Blood Orange Cheesecake
It was no surprise that Public was close to full on a Wednesday night - everything was so good. 

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#igers413_food #igers413 #BerkshireFoodies #InTheBerkshires #EatLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #NorthAdams #NAmazing #PublicEatAndDrink
New year, new theme word! This year's word is "enr New year, new theme word!
This year's word is "enrich" and I'm really excited about it.

I've written more about this year's theme on the blog. Click in the link in my profile or follow the link below to read the post.
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https://www.relishments.com/blog/my-2023-theme-word-enrich/
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#YearlyTheme #MyOneWord #2023 #enrich2023 #NewYearsResolution
It's not New Year's Eve without a Top 9 post. It's It's not New Year's Eve without a Top 9 post.
It's almost all #Berkshires content this year, which is great.
1. A pasta salad reel that took longer to create than the recipe took to make.
2. A reel from North Carolina where I could have watched birds all day.
3. The @thelazygenius book giveaway.
4.@plantconnector 
5. @berkshiremuseum 
6.@sculpture.now at @themountlenox 
7. @massmoca 
8. @mountainviewfarm413 
9. The #AshuwillticookRailTrail
New on the blog: My 2022 reflections on last year' New on the blog: My 2022 reflections on last year's theme word - resume. 

I was able to get back to many activities that were meaningful to me this year and I'm calling this theme a success. Follow the link below or click the link in my profile to read more.
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https://www.relishments.com/blog/reflections-on-resuming-in-2022/
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#resume2022 #newyearsresolution #myoneword #yearlytheme
New on the blog: My Favorite Recipes of 2022. For New on the blog: My Favorite Recipes of 2022.

For the fourth year, I've recapped the best new (to me) recipes I made this year in the hope that they'll give you some new dishes to try. This year's list is short, but delicious. It includes @budgetbytes My Favorite Recipes of 2022
Published on December 30, 2022 By Emily. Updated on December 30, 2022

It’s hard to believe that 2022 is basically behind us. Though overall this year found me getting back to the person I want to be (post-babies and “post”-pandemic), I did not try nearly as many new recipes this year as I used to. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I’d made note of any new-to-me recipes I wanted to share in this post. This year’s list is short, but delicious. It includes recipes from @budgetbytes, @smittenkitchen and @howsweeteats.
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Read the post by visiting the link in my profile or 
https://www.relishments.com/blog/my-favorite-recipes-of-2022/
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#RecipeRoundUp #BestRecipes2022 #FavoriteRecipes
@coastalmainebotanicalgardens continues to be one @coastalmainebotanicalgardens continues to be one of the highlights of all my return trips to Boothbay and their annual Gardens Aglow event continues to impress. It was great to be back to walking the gardens instead of the pandemic drive through and there seemed to be more lights than ever.  I'm already looking forward to next year.
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#Boothbay #BoothbayMaine #CoastalMaineBotanicalGardens #GardensAglow #BotanicalGarden #MidcoastMaine
It has been a while, but there is finally a new CS It has been a while, but there is finally a new CSA menu plan on the blog! Visit the link below or in my profile to see how I plan to make use of some of the @mightyfoodfarm produce seen here.
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https://www.relishments.com/blog/welcome-to-winter-farm-share-csa-menu-plan-148/
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#MightyFoodFarm #EatLocal #EatSeasonal #VermontGrown #CSApickup #CSAshare #KnowYourFarmerKnowYourFood #MenuPlanning #MealPlanning #igers413 #igers413_food #BerkshireFoodies
Fall in the Berkshires is always incredible, but t Fall in the Berkshires is always incredible, but this year we've had weather that has also been outstanding. The past 2 weekends have included time at Jaeschke Orchards, the Greylock Glen, and the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail as well as stopping to photograph any random foliage I see. 
Check out the last slide for video of some feathered friends we saw on a walk.
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#igers413 #InTheBerkshires #EatLocal #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #FallFoliage #FallColors #autumn #AshuwillticookRailTrail #JaeschkeOrchards #GreylockGlen
@freshgrassfestival continues to be one of my favo @freshgrassfestival continues to be one of my favorite events each year, and it doesn't hurt that it's just minutes away from home. Enjoying the festival with my kids is definitely a different experience than without, but it's still a good time. The weather was especially cooperative today which was great for all the laps I did around the @massmoca campus pushing a stroller. I'm already looking forward to next year.
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#igers413 #InTheBerkshires #WesternMA #WesternMass #Berkshires  #VisitTheBerkshires #NorthAdams #NAmazing #FreshGrass #FreshGrassFestival #MassMoCA #MusicFestival
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