Not Your Mamma’s Resolutions 

Do you know what the hardest thing about keeping a New Year’s resolution is? Usually, they’re just not fun. Sure exercising more and eating healthier is important, but this year, let’s resolve to do something that’s good for our mental health too – something that makes us happy. Some of our Falmouth Village Favorites have pulled together some of their ideas that will make 2017 the year of YOU!

capture1. Prioritize Romance If you’ve been with your partner for longer than oh, I don’t know… 5 minutes, you know that over time, romance has a tendency to take a back seat to all of life’s loveliness – work, driving carpool, focusing on staying sane… BUT, romance is one of the most important things you can offer yourself and your loved one.

The wonderful folks at Captain’s Manor Inn have put together a package that is sure to give you the time you need to step away from the day-to-day and focus on the moment. Even if you live in Falmouth (or maybe especially if you live in Falmouth) a stay-cation is one of our favorite ways to really relax. You’re not worried about sticking to a schedule and making sure you check off all of the ‘must-see’s’ on your list – just take a long weekend to enjoy the company of one of your favorite people.

The Premium Romantic Getaway package includes a dozen roses upon arrival, champagne and local chocolates, two tickets to Martha’s Vineyard, a sunset cruise or $100 to the Glass Onion, full breakfast and afternoon refreshments. All you need to do, is make a phone call or check their website for availability, book your room and count down the days until your romantic revival!

8c2. Diversify your Bookshelf Everyone knows how good reading is for you. Reading helps us learn new words, meet new people, and visit places we’d never have the opportunity to visit in real life. BUT, if you’re always reading the same [genre of] books, you’re not really meeting new people and visiting new places.

Have you ever heard about the Windows and Mirrors concept? Well mirror books are stories that reflect some aspect of you – your culture, your hobbies, your personality or interests and window books are stories that offer you a view into someone else’s experience. Do you have a tendency to read one over the other? We challenge you to head to Eight Cousins and dive into something new.

Need a suggestion for a mirror book? Write down the top five things that “define you” – maybe one is mother, another is Cape Codder, another might be runner, great cook, etc.  and ask for a book about any one of those things. Need a suggestion for a windows book?  Maybe start with a geography. Pick a place you’d like to know more about, and ask a knowledgeable staffer for a recommendation. We can push our limits and walk beyond the boundaries of our comfort zones without ever leaving the house when a good book is in hand. Read on.

3. Treat your Feet And your hands, and your arms, and your face…. so skin. Treat your skin. This onecelebrations might seem like an easy one, but we promise – being a little bit kinder to your body’s largest organ will make a huge difference – especially this time of year.

Take a stroll through Celebrations‘ body section and you’ll find a host of amazing products from Crabtree & Eyelyn (pictured), Camille Beckman, even great slippers and socks from Snoozie (just typing the word Snoozie makes me feel cozy!). Making a manageable resolution makes you feel accomplished, proud, and bonus – you’ll have super soft hands and feet.

We suggest buying in bulk and peppering your life with luxury. Keep a lavender scented cream in your car which helps combat stress (goodbye, rotary-rage), a bright citrus scent for the office which helps you focus and feel refreshed, chamomile for  your bedside table which is like a nice warm cup of tea for your hands and feet, and a decadent scent like pomegranate in your on-the-go-bag for a quick pick-me-up.

 

4.ppp Write  Letters, cards, journals thank-you notes, or simply just-because notes. Other than the holidays, it’s rare to walk out to the mailbox and retrieve anything other than a bill. In this texting, emailing, vehemently ON line era, we encourage you to celebrate the beauty of sending an un-plugged hello.

Have you seen all of the beautiful stationary at the Pink Polka Dot? They have something for everyone. Buy a box and gift it to a friend or relative you’d like to stay in better touch with and resolve to go through the whole two boxes by 2018 – send each other letters, get closer, and have a box of mementos from 2017.

Browse the aisles and take a look at what might work for you. Maybe this is the year you keep a dream journal, or keep a notebook with you at all times to jot down ideas, lists, movie recommendations… all of those little pieces of your day that tend to go unremembered.

5. DIY: Kitchen Edition lrWe promise, this is not the point in this blog when we start to get preachy (and boring) about the power of eating right. Rather, this is the point where we promise you that even if using the microwave to reheat leftovers is as close as you’ll get to culinary mastery… there are things you can do that are fun, and easy.

For instance, make your own popcorn! No, we don’t mean take one of the packets and push the popcorn button (though it’s basically that easy) we mean use the Lekue popcorn maker available at LeRoux Kitchen. They’ve got everything you need – the kernels, gourmet salt and seasonings – to make the best popcorn you’ve ever had.

Would you rather something a little more high-tech? How about making your own soda or soda water! With the Soda Stream (bottles available at LeRoux) you can carbonate and flavor regular old tap water, transforming it into any one of your favorite bubbly drinks! Never open a bottle of soda water for one drink only to throw it out after it’s gone flat again! With the Soda Stream, you can make fresh seltzer any time you need it!

So don’t be afraid of your kitchen – there are lots of fun things you can do in there without a degree from a culinary institute. Perusing the offerings at LeRoux will give you the inspiration and tools needed to be the master of your own kitchen.

Whatever your New Year’s Resolution is, we hope you continue to shop local, supporting your community and everyone in it. Thank you for an amazing 2016 to all of our Falmouth Villagers and we look forward to all that 2017 has in store!