3 Things I Want to Do in 2019

Thank you, Neutrogena® for sponsoring this post! 💖As always, opinions are my own!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! It’s wild that it’s somehow 2019, but here we are! A couple of years ago, I decided to write a list of 17 things I wanted to accomplish in 2017 rather than making vague resolutions. I really enjoyed being able to cross things off the list and reflect back on it at the end of the year. Since 2019 is going to be a jam-packed year for me, I’ve partnered with Neutrogena®to make a new list of goals that promote relaxation, detoxing, and general self-care. So, without further ado, here are the 3 things I want to do in 2019. 

1) MAKE/JOIN A BOOK CLUB

I love to read. When I was younger, I used to stay up late or wake up and read until noon, finishing about 2 books per week. But, ever since I finished undergrad and started law school, I haven’t read nearly as many books as I would have liked to. I also spend way too much time on my laptop during the day, so my eyes could definitely use a break at night by swapping Netflix for a good book. While I always pictured book clubs as something that “real” adults participate in, I think it’s a great way to hold myself accountable, become more invested in what I’m reading, and get solid book recommendations! Also, I’m thinking that creating a book club with some of my friends from law school (before we all go our separate ways next year), will be a fun way to ensure we keep in touch.  

2) TAKE MORE PHOTOS

I obviously take tons of photos for my blog, so I’m talking about taking less brunch photos and more candid photos of my friends, family, and life in general. I am a memento girl, so I love compiling my concert tickets, event invites, festival wristbands, and more with photos to create scrapbooks. But, in recent years, I’ve realized that I’ve been slacking in the photo department. While I have random moments that I’ve captured on Snapchat or Instagram, I’ve usually accidentally saved them with the filter, gif, text, etc. on them, instead of their pure form. So, I want to use my actual camera more than my “social media camera” this year and capture as many moments as I can. 

3) TAKE ONE FULL (MENTAL) DAY OFF PER MONTH 

Let me explain. I’m at school from 8:00am to 8:00pm, have hundreds of pages of reading to do per week, work for a start-up, sit on various committees, volunteer with local organizations, blog, and more. I’m not complaining about these things. I’m simply saying that like most people, I have a lot going on that tends to bleed out of “normal” work hours, and I love everything I’m involved in too much to let anything go. But, I also often find myself falling asleep to the creation of my next mental to-do list, and waking up to a feeling of exhaustion. By formally scheduling a day off each month, it will let me plan in advance to ensure that I’m still able to meet any important deadlines. 

This mental day off is going to be a day of skincare, socializing (or not, depending on the month) and relaxation, with the goal of giving my brain a day of rest. This means no random errands, not having to run off to something after catching up with a friend over coffee, and not having to refresh my email at every street corner. It’s a day with a breakfast that’s more decadent than cereal or yoghurt and wearing my fuzzy slippers into the late afternoon. And face masks. LOTS of face masks. 

If you’re keen to also take on this goal, I have a ton of day off activity suggestions you can do alone or with friends, but here’s my first recommendation (because I did my first one of these on Sunday!). Invite a bunch of your friends over to hang out in pajamas/comfy clothes for a DIY spa day. We left our phones at the door, lit all of the lavender and mint candles we could find, and had a nail painting, face-masking, hot chocolate-filled hang out.  

My favourite masks to buy are Neutrogena’s 100% hydrogel masks. If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve probably seen me talk about these masks on Instagram and my blog. There’s one that’s hydrating (Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask) and one that’s purifying (Deep Clean Purifying Hydrogel Mask) and they’re both super budget-friendly! While I use a ton of different masks, I just find sheet masks like these are perfect to use with friends because: a) they make you look hilarious and lead to fun photos and; b) there’s no sink required to wash off the excess product. These options in particular are non-comedogenic and you can just massage the leftover product into your face afterwards. They are a true favourite of mine (you can read my review of the hydrating mask here for more details), because the mask comes in two pieces so you can position it properly and make sure it actually fits on your face. In case you’re confused by sheet masks, you’ll be able to tell just by feel which side you’re supposed to put on your face (a.k.a. which side has more product). Please enjoy the moody mask pic, so you can see what I mean!

Here’s to a year of achievable goals!