By fatmumslim 25 Comments Fat Mum Slim

• 1. Meet your neighbour

Sing with me, “Who are the people in your neighbourhood? In your neighbourhood? In your neeeeiighhhbourhood?” Last year I got to know my neighbours better and man, I adore them. A week or so ago one just turned up on my doorstep, said hello and said she was taking the girls for a walk to give me a break for a bit. I love her. She’s just gone traveling around Australia for a few months, and I’m just quietly a little bit devastated. Who are you living next to?

• 2. Send birthday cards

In 2014 text messages just will not do. Put your hand in your pocket, pull out some coins and buy your mum/dad/grandma/sister/BFF a birthday card and send it. Do it. You win extra brownie points if you send a little lotto ticket/scratchie inside too.

• 3. Create crazy traditions

Whenever we visit someone and we leave we do a silly thing. I don’t even know where it started. As we drive off the people we’ve visited have to run on the path along side the road to race us {not on the road, so it’s safe people!}. Lacey hates goodbyes {I think she got it from me} so this puts a positive spin on leaving somewhere… but we also can’t help but crack up too. You should have seen the awesome sprints Uncle Karl and Uncle Nath put on over Christmas. Awesome.

• 4. Swim

I don’t care where you swim {even the bathtub if you have to!} but swim. I’ve been practicing my freestyle and breaststroke and while I might look a little bit like Phoebe running but it feels good. How long has it been since you got in the water?

• 5. Make dessert and eat it

Yes, I know you’re on that diet where you can only eat carrots and lettuce, but how about once a month making a delicious dessert and eating it too. Life’s too short not to have dessert, don’t you think? {This one is worth the calories}.

• 6. Plan a self-date

When is the last time you took yourself out and showed yourself a good time? And I mean not just to the supermarket, but something a little but more special. You don’t have to make a crazy statement {i.e. nightclubbing on your own and owning that dance floor}, even just a hot chocolate and reading a magazine, or a manicure, or a walk on the beach… lock in a date with yourself. You’ll thank yourself, I think.

• 7. Dance your cranky out

Do you ever have those days when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed and everything is just… wrong? I do. So does Lacey. So we have this thing where we go and dance our cranky out. Or if we’re out and can’t really dance, we take off our imaginary cranky pants and throw them in the bin. Don’t let your cranky ruin your day, dance it out.

• 8. Follow your bliss

So you probably know by now that I love me some quotes and inspirational words, so my goal for this year in regards to work is ‘Less busy work, More big ideas’. I feel like I’ve been getting bogged down in the busy work {answering emails, the back and forth with clients, blah, blah, blah} and haven’t been doing the fun stuff. So this year I’m embracing big ideas. Here’s a sneak peek at one that will be launching next month, so excited!

• 9. Find your happy place and visit it often

Last week in the photo-a-day challenge I asked people to share their Happy Place. It was interesting to see all the different places that made people happy. Do you know where yours is? Mine is home or the beach. Find yours and make sure you visit it often.

• 10. Build a bridge and get over it

2014 is the year to let stuff go. You know that grudge you have with that friend that forgot your birthday {or whatever it is that they did}? Build a bridge and get over it. Let it go. On that same note, if you’ve got a toxic friend who keeps letting you down over and over and over again… perhaps it’s time to let them go.

• 11. Clean out your wardrobe

Throw out the fat clothes! Streamline your wardrobe! Imagine being able to go to your wardrobe and wear everything you see. My wardrobe is home to maternity wear, clothes in a size or two bigger and smaller too. It overwhelms me. This year I want to clean it out, donate, and simplify it so that everything I see I can wear. {I might get this book to help me out}.

• 12. Fall in love again

Whether it be with the person you’re married to, yourself or someone else {I mean if you’re single, I’m not suggesting you go and have an affair now!} but how much fun is falling in love? It’s all about the small things, the way you listen, the way you give him that look, the little love notes left for him to read, that trashy little bum slap that you used to do way back when. Do it!

• 13. Save money

I’m super determined to have a pool at my house one day soon {i.e. in the next few years}. I was trying to explain to Lacey that every cent counts and that we should do with less to get a pool {she then promptly asked me to buy her a magazine, in one ear out the other!}. Start saving and treat yourself to something big later on {a holiday, a new lounge, a pool!}.

• 14. Get in the photos

When was the last time you were actually in a photo with the family? It’s time. Time to jump in the photos too. And no, selfies don’t count.