Have you heard the saying “New Year, New Me”? Once the calendar shifted to January, my personal email was flooded with ways to create new fitness and eating habits, new wardrobe suggestions, tips on how to become a better parent, and the list went on and on. The start of a new year tends to get people thinking about New Year’s resolutions and setting goals for themselves. I have never been one to set a New Year’s resolution but having a 5-month-old and a 4-year-old at home, I have decided this is a great year to set some intentionality for my late-night habit!

Since having our second daughter, I spend quite a bit of time awake in the middle of the night. To pass the time I tend to browse on my phone. To avoid online shopping at 2 a.m., I started following different recipe bloggers and would immerse myself in food blogs. In the past 5 months, I have bookmarked over 50+ recipes that I have discovered in the middle of the night. Out of those saved recipes I can count on one hand how many I have made. As a goal for the year, I am going to add a new recipe from my late night browsing into my meal plan once a week. My preschooler enjoys helping in the kitchen, so my plan is to print out several recipes at the beginning of the month and let her choose what we are going to try each week. Our favorites will then go into my recipe drawer and get added to our meal rotations. This month we have successfully made (and enjoyed!) salmon chowder, bruschetta chicken pasta, taco soup and baked French toast.

I am hopeful that this New Year’s resolution will help me feel more productive. I love trying new recipes but saving them without having a plan in place to make them wasn’t using my time in the best way. Now when I am scrolling late at night, I make sure that the recipes I save are used. This will be a great way for me to meal plan with fresh ideas and give me some intentional time with my preschooler to grow her love for cooking and trying new foods. We may even find some new family favorites along the way!

Do you create New Year’s resolutions? Share yours with us on the blog!