Tuesday, January 5, 2016

2015 :: 2016

Welcome to the first official post of 2015. I meant to publish this last week but it was hard to string my thoughts together when the kids were around. As we welcome 2016, it's a great time to reflect on the past year and look forward to a new one.

2015

Personal life: I feel very fortunate to be able to cross Europe off my travel bucket list. The trip was definitely one of our highlights of the year. On the flip side, my husband's workload has become too overwhelming. He's been travelling for work often for years. That's nothing new and to be honest, I am used to it. He took a total of 48 business trips in 2015. If you do the math, that's one trip per week. I always try my best to support him but there is a lot of responsibility on my shoulders when he's not around. Juggling a full-time career with 2 kids can be very challenging. At the end of the day, I have little to no patience for anyone. I get frustrated easily and become difficult to be around. I always keep my personal life private but wanted to share a small snippet of our lives. My husband has been working extremely hard for the past 2 years with a goal to move up to a VP level in the company that he currently works for. His typically work week is 60-70 hours not including travel. It's exhausting but I do stand behind him and hope one day he'll be able achieve his goal. Unfortunately, it didn't happen because of the company culture. Wasn't the news he wanted to hear but we finally accept the fact that it's time to move on. I am ready for a change in 2016 and excited to plan his next move.

Blogging: As mentioned previously, I wasn't into blogging as much as I used to and it has definitely shown on the blog. With social media these days, everything seems so perfect. It's hard not to compare. Sometimes, I get caught up in the social media numbers game and feel discouraged. I have to remind myself that blogging is not my full time job, my life certainly do not depend on it and running this blog is just a hobby. There were times I wanted to do a makeup tutorial or beauty product reviews but changed my mind because I was afraid they will be less than perfect. This year, I will be experimenting with a variety of topics and just have fun with it. You guys seem to like "handbag chit chat" posts based on the number of views.



What to look forward to in 2016: Courtney will be starting middle school and Madelyn will be starting kindergarten next year. Wow, where did the time go? I am looking forward to cross another destination off my travel bucket list this year.

Resolutions: Besides some obvious stuff like staying active and eating healthy, I have a few personal goals that I set for myself:
  • More reading: I can't remember the last time I've read a book. Book recommendations are welcome!
  • Don't sweat the small stuff: Kids are hard work but they only go through every stage once. Learn to enjoy the moments and the ride even though parenthood is exhausting sometimes.
  • More date nights: At the beginning of 2015, my husband and I planned to go out twice a month for date night. Well, it happened less than a handful of time. This year, we are going to make date night a priority =)
  • Get back to meal planning: I used to be really good at meal planning but totally fell off the bandwagon after a few short months.
Comment 

Wrapping up this post with a comment from one of my readers. Thank you, Annie! Your comment certainly made my day. I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me. I am excited to hit the reset button and write another chapter of my life.

8 comments:

Tara | The Mix said...

Happy New Year Sydney! Wishing you and your family the best 2016.

effie said...

Happy new year Sydney! I agree with the comment you posted, most of the blogs are not realistic to me anymore, not everyone can afford to shop all the time. I've been following you for long time but never commented, I enjoy your blog and admired you have time to juggle between working mom and blog,it's not easy to do that. I'll be interested in the fitness and some beauty posts from you, knowing you wIl combine high end and affordable products.

N/A said...

Happy New Year to you and your family. I agree 100% with the comment you posted as well. Please continue the blog, its refreshing to say the least:)

jbt said...

jbt

Happy new year, Sydney!! I've been a long time reader but don't think I have ever commented before. One of my new year's resolutions is to comment more on the blogs I do read because I realize how much support it gives the person behind the screen. I started a blog in 2015 but have been neglecting it for some time and hope to get back to it. Like you, I have a full time career and kids and hope to use my blog as an outlet / expression of me and really have fun with it. :) Thanks for this post - it remotivated me to pursue my hobby! If you want / if there is anything you're interested in, please check out my blog - would love your feedback!

http://gijenfitness.com/

Sydney's Fashion Diary said...

@jbt, @created2worshipGOD, @Taramixandmatch, @Effie Wong Thank you, ladies for your kind words. Best of luck to you in 2016

Unknown said...

Agreed with Annie! I love that your blog is real and attainable. No need to change or post more frequently--enjoy life and your blog!

Jenn S said...

I've been visiting your site for years and love reading your posts! Good luck in the new year. :)

lisacng said...

Can't wait to see where the blog is headed and best of luck in upcoming changes in your family's lives. Wow, the little one in kindergarten already!