Madewell coat, J. Crew turtleneck sweater (old, similar here and here), J. Crew jeans, Marc Fisher heels (last seen here, similar here and here), Brixton hat, Clare V bag (less expensive version here)
My goals in 2017 included traveling to Mexico (check), spending a week in Napa (check), traveling to Iceland (check check), introducing myself to new brands (check), drink 8 glasses of water a day (check), take vitamins every day (check), write in my diary at night (check), and the biggest goal of all - learn to let go. I am still working on that one. I have a hard time not taking things personally, and I am definitely getting better at it in this blogging business. While I will continue with a majority of these goals in 2018 (drink water, take vitamins, learn to let go), some new ones I am adding for the new year include:ASIA
I'd say this is both Tor and I's top goal for 2018. We have talked about traveling to Asia for so long, but every time we begin to explore dates to make it happen, something brings us back to Europe. I am not complaining though, because I ADORE Europe and would very happily and easily move there. I am also extremely, extremely grateful for all the trips to Europe we have been able to do in the last 6 years, but Tor and I both agree that Asia deserves a turn now. I have also made it very clear that we would not even have the conversation about starting a family until we have made it to Asia, so don't expect a pregnancy announcement to come from us until that happens! The country at the top of my wish list is Japan, followed closely by Hong Kong and Singapore. Tor also has Hong Kong at the top of his list, since his bestie and best man from our wedding lives there. He also has Thailand in his top 3. We have also talked about the Philippines, since we both have large fan bases there and I'd love to visit them. I thought 2017 would be the year we would finally cross the Pacific, but that didn't end up happening. However, I feel it in my bones that 2018 is going to be the year. I can already picture all the amazing content we would get to share for you all... ahhh it makes me so excited!NEW CONTENT
I am always thinking of new content for The A List (duh, that's my job), but I really want 2018's content to be extra special and really entice everyone into our lives. I'd love to give my readers some more inside glimpses into all things beauty as well as maybe create different kinds of newsletters to appease different readers. I am also always thinking of ways to keep the site interesting, clean, and easily accessed, and I want to make sure The A List evolves with its readers throughout the year. One idea was to create an A List online magazine.... maybe that's for 2019.OPEN UP
I know readers want to really get to know their favorite bloggers well, and I feel like I do a bit of a poor job keeping you guys interested in my life outside of the blog. I talked about this on Instagram Stories a few days ago, where I explained I don't always feel the need to post constantly on Instagram Stories since I want to keep some aspects and events of our lives private. With that said, I could definitely be a bit better about Instagram Stories while we are on the go. I mean, I hype up trips to much and now we have a new tool in Instagram Stories to keep you in the loop via videos that I don't really take enough advantage of. I still want to keep a majority of our personal lives private (such as date nights, time with friends, private time at home, time with family), but I am going to try to be better at opening up about other things to you all.ADOPT MORE CATS
Just kidding. I just wanted my husband to read that while scrolling through this and have a panic attack. I'm a fun wife.FITNESS
I feel like this is the most popular New Year's resolution for almost everyone each year, but for me it's definitely a goal to get back into shape. I haven't set foot in a gym since we moved out of Toronto, and that was in March 2016. I keep active in other ways, especially with my dancer background (I literally do everything from my core, including getting out of bed), but my body looked and felt a whole lot better when I was working out 2-3 days a week back when we were in Canada. I want my body to look and feel that good again. I would like for my jeans to actually fit the way they are supposed to. My sister is a fitness pro (she recently won NPC Universe!) and I doubt I will ever look as fit as she does, but I do feel inspired to get fit. I always said I would not want to even think about trying for a baby until my body was in tip top shape and was strong enough, and right now it's nowhere near either of those things. So one of my goals for the next 12 months is to bust my butt, build up my shoulders again, and keep my heart pumpin'.RENOVATE THE HOUSE
This has been a goal for some time now. We bought our home in 2015 (on the same day we got engaged, believe it or not!) and while we renovated our living room and made some minor changes here and there, the big, big projects are renovating our upstairs bathrooms, renovating and turning the guest bedroom into my full-time office, renovating our master bedroom, REPLACING ALL THE FLOORS, renovating our downstairs bathroom, and the biggest project of all - GUT, REDESIGN, AND RENOVATE THE ENTIRE KITCHEN. While we know what we want to do upstairs and what kind of floors we want, we have gone back and forth on design ideas for the kitchen. It's not just a simple replacing of countertops and cabinets. It would be a full gut-job with relocating pipes and vents and the gas line, etc. That project will take time, which we are never really quite sure about since schedules change at the last minute (Tor found out 2 weeks before our wedding that he would have to relocate to Spain less than a week after our wedding!). Also, with Tor's job being up in the air all the time, we want to make sure he gets another season of a television show before we dive into these (somewhat expensive) projects. If there's one thing I have learned from watching nonstop HGTV is that problems can arise and fudge up budgets, so maybe it's best to have some backup funds just in case something pops up that we weren't expecting. But we don't want to just blindly spend on such big projects until we know more about Tor's schedule. #ActorLife.
So those are my five (I guess six if you count my silly one) goals for 2018. I hope we get to achieve them all before December 31, 2018 (especially Asia.... for some reason that's higher on my list than renovating our house). What are some of your goals for 2018?
Photos by Felicia Lasala.
Happy 2018! I can’t believe the new year is already here! While I am not the kind of person who likes to make New Year’s resolutions, I like to make goals for the new year instead. Goals are an object of a person’s ambition or effort whereas a resolution is a firm decision to do something. I don’t want you to think I am taking the lazy way out and calling my New Year’s resolutions goals so I don’t have to firmly do anything, but if I tell myself I have to do something, I find myself finding excuses for me to not do it or even resent it. So I plan ambitious goals instead and work hard to achieve that goal. To me, that’s more rewarding.
Madewell coat, J. Crew turtleneck sweater (old, similar here and here), J. Crew jeans, Marc Fisher heels (last seen here, similar here and here), Brixton hat, Clare V bag (less expensive version here)
My goals in 2017 included traveling to Mexico (check), spending a week in Napa (check), traveling to Iceland (check check), introducing myself to new brands (check), drink 8 glasses of water a day (check), take vitamins every day (check), write in my diary at night (check), and the biggest goal of all – learn to let go. I am still working on that one. I have a hard time not taking things personally, and I am definitely getting better at it in this blogging business.
While I will continue with a majority of these goals in 2018 (drink water, take vitamins, learn to let go), some new ones I am adding for the new year include:
ASIA
I’d say this is both Tor and I’s top goal for 2018. We have talked about traveling to Asia for so long, but every time we begin to explore dates to make it happen, something brings us back to Europe. I am not complaining though, because I ADORE Europe and would very happily and easily move there. I am also extremely, extremely grateful for all the trips to Europe we have been able to do in the last 6 years, but Tor and I both agree that Asia deserves a turn now. I have also made it very clear that we would not even have the conversation about starting a family until we have made it to Asia, so don’t expect a pregnancy announcement to come from us until that happens! The country at the top of my wish list is Japan, followed closely by Hong Kong and Singapore. Tor also has Hong Kong at the top of his list, since his bestie and best man from our wedding lives there. He also has Thailand in his top 3. We have also talked about the Philippines, since we both have large fan bases there and I’d love to visit them. I thought 2017 would be the year we would finally cross the Pacific, but that didn’t end up happening. However, I feel it in my bones that 2018 is going to be the year. I can already picture all the amazing content we would get to share for you all… ahhh it makes me so excited!
NEW CONTENT
I am always thinking of new content for The A List (duh, that’s my job), but I really want 2018’s content to be extra special and really entice everyone into our lives. I’d love to give my readers some more inside glimpses into all things beauty as well as maybe create different kinds of newsletters to appease different readers. I am also always thinking of ways to keep the site interesting, clean, and easily accessed, and I want to make sure The A List evolves with its readers throughout the year. One idea was to create an A List online magazine…. maybe that’s for 2019.
OPEN UP
I know readers want to really get to know their favorite bloggers well, and I feel like I do a bit of a poor job keeping you guys interested in my life outside of the blog. I talked about this on Instagram Stories a few days ago, where I explained I don’t always feel the need to post constantly on Instagram Stories since I want to keep some aspects and events of our lives private. With that said, I could definitely be a bit better about Instagram Stories while we are on the go. I mean, I hype up trips to much and now we have a new tool in Instagram Stories to keep you in the loop via videos that I don’t really take enough advantage of. I still want to keep a majority of our personal lives private (such as date nights, time with friends, private time at home, time with family), but I am going to try to be better at opening up about other things to you all.
ADOPT MORE CATS
Just kidding. I just wanted my husband to read that while scrolling through this and have a panic attack. I’m a fun wife.
FITNESS
I feel like this is the most popular New Year’s resolution for almost everyone each year, but for me it’s definitely a goal to get back into shape. I haven’t set foot in a gym since we moved out of Toronto, and that was in March 2016. I keep active in other ways, especially with my dancer background (I literally do everything from my core, including getting out of bed), but my body looked and felt a whole lot better when I was working out 2-3 days a week back when we were in Canada. I want my body to look and feel that good again. I would like for my jeans to actually fit the way they are supposed to. My sister is a fitness pro (she recently won NPC Universe!) and I doubt I will ever look as fit as she does, but I do feel inspired to get fit. I always said I would not want to even think about trying for a baby until my body was in tip top shape and was strong enough, and right now it’s nowhere near either of those things. So one of my goals for the next 12 months is to bust my butt, build up my shoulders again, and keep my heart pumpin’.
RENOVATE THE HOUSE
This has been a goal for some time now. We bought our home in 2015 (on the same day we got engaged, believe it or not!) and while we renovated our living room and made some minor changes here and there, the big, big projects are renovating our upstairs bathrooms, renovating and turning the guest bedroom into my full-time office, renovating our master bedroom, REPLACING ALL THE FLOORS, renovating our downstairs bathroom, and the biggest project of all – GUT, REDESIGN, AND RENOVATE THE ENTIRE KITCHEN. While we know what we want to do upstairs and what kind of floors we want, we have gone back and forth on design ideas for the kitchen. It’s not just a simple replacing of countertops and cabinets. It would be a full gut-job with relocating pipes and vents and the gas line, etc. That project will take time, which we are never really quite sure about since schedules change at the last minute (Tor found out 2 weeks before our wedding that he would have to relocate to Spain less than a week after our wedding!). Also, with Tor’s job being up in the air all the time, we want to make sure he gets another season of a television show before we dive into these (somewhat expensive) projects. If there’s one thing I have learned from watching nonstop HGTV is that problems can arise and fudge up budgets, so maybe it’s best to have some backup funds just in case something pops up that we weren’t expecting. But we don’t want to just blindly spend on such big projects until we know more about Tor’s schedule. #ActorLife.
So those are my five (I guess six if you count my silly one) goals for 2018. I hope we get to achieve them all before December 31, 2018 (especially Asia…. for some reason that’s higher on my list than renovating our house). What are some of your goals for 2018?
Happy New Year Alyssa.. Come to India…
There’s a chance that could happen soon, too! Stay tuned!
Wow those sound like huge goals to achieve! I can most certainly relate to your fitness goal though. My sister is a rower and is constantly working out, while me on the other hand, I have not been to the gym in 3 months since starting my final year of pharmacy school! But my plan is to do fitness workouts at home following fitness instructors on you tube! would you consider doing fitness videos as part of your blog once you get back into fitness again? Good luck with your renovations! Your house sounds huge so it must be a big job to complete! Happy New Year!
Hi Ariana! I doubt I would do fitness videos, as I am really weird and private about fitness and don’t really like to show videos or pictures of me working out. I posted one fitness pic on Instagram back in 2015 while in Toronto, and I immediately regretted it. But thank you for the suggestion!
That picture was great.
I hope you will let us know how your going. It can inspire us to do the same. XO
I admire your goals – all very solid and doable while still being ambitious.
“…create different kinds of newsletters to appease different readers.” I love this idea. I can’t see how it wouldn’t help you grow TAL.
About letting things go – I’m also (well, have been) trying to do this, and a specific form of cognitive behavioral therapy terms this/a similar concept as “radical acceptance.” A few that could apply, actually. If you’re interested, I could grab my old materials and leave a comment with more detail. 🙂
I sent you a tweet the other day about how you’ve inspired me to make style choices I normally wouldn’t, and lately you’ve also inspired me to start writing and perhaps even blog again for the first time in -many- years. So thank you, again, Alyssa. Your effort and dedication show. ❤️
Awww I am so glad to hear that Ali! Thank you so much!
One of my major goals is to finish my double bachelors in the spring and than start grad school. I also am wanting to do more on social media and do more fun things. Also me and my sister are getting ready to start a clothing business selling piphany clothes. Have you ever heard of them?
I believe in you, Molly! That is so awesome of you already setting your sights on grad school. That will be some major accomplishment!
I, too, do goals for the New Year instead of resolutions. Just like everyone else, fitness is a goal of mine – mainly making myself make myself and my health a priority over work. Let go of things (& people) that aren’t what I need. Read 25 books. Go back to NYC. Drink 75 oz of water a day. Write more letters. Do (at least) one thing per week I’ve never done before. It can be big or small. Happy New Year!
Ohhhhhh I like your goal of reading 25 books. I may need to add that to my list of goals as well!
That’s actually such a good idea to have goals rather than resolutions! I always break resolutions by January and feel really guilty and so unmotovated feeling a sense of failure. I feel like having goals does give you more focus and you feel accomplished when you achieve them! One of my top goals for 2018 is to graduate from university with the best grade possibly and knowing I did my very best. Also I would love to travel and explore more. Seeing all your trips and travels just makes me want to get out there! I wish you luck with all your goals I’m sure you’ll achieve them! And I can’t wait to watch you achieve them especially when youmake it to Asia! Happy New year to you and Torrance xox
Thank you Sam! And best of luck with your studies! I know you can do it and it will feel so rewarding when you complete them knowing you did your best!
Would you also consider adding cooking, skin care & books?
Love love love ur blog! Absolutely love ur travels. I see how u fell in love with Iceland.
Hi Cindy! I have started reintroducing recipes to the blog during the holiday season, and I talk about skin care as often as I can especially whenever I discover a new product. I did have a newsletter about favorite books but it didn’t have the engagement I was hoping for so I stopped. Maybe I could try it again when my newsletters get going!
I so agree with you that it’s more productive to set goals than resolutions — I like having something that I feel like I can check off! I really appreciate how open you are to reader feedback to look forward to more Instagram Story content. My mom and 14 year old sister and I love discussing the cool things you’re always up to!
I just shared my goals on my own blog (http://flowercrownsandrevolutionaries.blogspot.com/2018/01/my-2018-goals-resolutions.html) but my main ones are to get back into exercise, continue to practice the languages I’ve studied, and learn how to use my new DSLR camera. x
Those are great goals!
YOU MUST COME TO JAPAN ❗️❗️❗️ It’s AMAZING!! Beautiful scenery, delicious foods and polite people here!!! Everything is high quality. 👍🏻♥️🇯🇵😊
It’s number 1 on my list!
Happy NEW YEAR! And nice greetings from the cold Austria… 🙂
Wow, you have many and big goals for 2018 🙂 I wish you all the best to fix all of those goals in this year.
My big goal (since many many many years) is to travel one time in my life to America – New York or California. So I´m saving already since years money for this trip and I hope I´ll be able to travel there in few years 🙂
But my small goals for this year are that my husband and I are finally finding a lovely house or an appartment which we love and of Course to do more Fitness… Like every girl 🙂
How I got my husband love and feelings back with the help of a friend I met on the internet who helped me bring my husband back to me here is her info at jajaspellcaster@gmail.com