Family Goals 2015

As the kids get older, we are getting them more involved in our plans and goals for our family. I think that they will be more inclined to understand where we are coming from and be open to changes in the way we do things if we share the end-state of what we are trying to accomplish and why.

We've done this with little things pretty much their whole lives. We try to give them choices in things or, at least, explain why we are making certain decisions. But this year, for the first time, we wanted to set some goals as a family from the beginning of the year. None of these are drastic changes but more getting back to some practices and values that we have been slipping on over the past few years (we've been a little busy!). So here are our family goals for 2015:

1. Eat less processed food, particularly grain-based, and switch to organic grains wherever possible.
This is essentially related to snack food. We eat very little prepared food for meals but I had gotten very used to filling bowls of goldfish and pretzels for snacktime. Andrew and I both have recently been reading more about the farming practices of conventional wheat in this country and are not liking what we're reading. Added to that, we do not have an unlimited food budget so therefore I'm not going to spend tons of additional money on organic versions of our snacks.
Our plan: snacks will be mostly fruit, vegetables, beans, and nuts. We will start buying organic grains and flours to use when we make our own treats.

2. Change over some more of our toiletry products to more natural versions (either purchased or homemade). This is another area that we've made little changes to over the years. We've always tried to use products with the least chemicals for the kids and have been using natural cleaners for years but Andrew has been more reluctant to switch to some natural products and for the past couple of years I just haven't had the time to do more research on certain things so we've stuck with what we've had which, while okay and better than most things, still have a few ingredients that I don't like and would prefer to not use.
Our plan: I am investigating (and so far thrilled with) essential oils, I've found a natural toothpaste that I love (and that Andrew will actually use as well!) and I think the kids will too, and I'm starting to make look into making more of our soaps and lotions.

3. Travel more!
The kids have reached an age where we all are more comfortable traveling. We have less gear to tote, they are easier to amuse and (sometimes) feed, and we all enjoy having new experiences and exploring new (and familiar) places. Additionally, Andrew has been traveling a lot more for work. So much so, that he earned a companion pass on Southwest for this year (meaning that I can travel with him for free wherever he goes) and has racked up a lot of miles. So...
Our plan: use our miles!! We already have plans made to visit family and friends in Florida, Missouri,  and Wisconsin. We'll also be taking our annual summer trip to Maine. AND we have a special family vacation booked for next fall -- our first Disney Cruise!! So much to look forward to!