New Year's Resolutions - why not?

New Year's Resolutions 

Number 1 ----------? 😊

Number 2 ----------? 😊

Do you believe in making New Year's Resolutions? Are you successful in keeping them? If you've read my previous post, you will know that I prefer having a "Word of the Year" to making resolutions that are - more often than not - doomed to failure. I think one of the reasons for this is that many people either decide to give up something that they enjoy (they stop smoking, give up drinking wine) or set themselves impossible targets (go to the gym 7 times a week). As soon as they slip up, they then give up.

Having said that, I do have a few aims this year, the first one being to blog on a more regular basis. I enjoy writing and love it when readers leave comments, so it shouldn't be too difficult for me. Any suggestions for new topics are always welcome, for times when I lack inspiration.

I also aim to keep up my fitness programme, which again will be easy. I love dancing and catchy music, so my dance exercise classes are great fun rather than a chore. I have a very good Pilates teacher too, so will continue with my Pilates classes.  If your New Year's Resolution is to be fitter, choosing forms of exercise that appeal to you means you are more likely to be successful.

Having mentioned giving up wine (which I can't do, as I live in a Spanish town renowned for its red wine, so I need to support the local economy!) I am going to keep an eye on my overall eating and drinking habits, as my aim is to be as healthy as possible. This doesn't involve trying to diet, but means making healthy choices especially when we dine out. At home it is easier to eat healthily as we can select fresh fish (I don't eat meat), fruit and vegetables in our local shops and markets, and add herbs and spices for flavouring. I do enjoy a glass of red wine with my dinner, but I have been reliably informed that wine in moderation is good for my health! Did I mention chocolate? At home we seldom have desserts, as we usually have fruit at lunch-time, however I have a small piece of dark chocolate after my dinner, for medicinal purposes! Eating out is harder, especially when they have tempting desserts, but I don't believe that an occasional treat does us any harm.

Since starting this blog, I have investigated numerous colour and style resources, which I have shared with you all. My aim has been to learn how to create outfits that flatter me and that I enjoy wearing, which is my aim for this year too. For women over 60 (and especially for those of us who are now over 70!), it becomes more important to choose outfits in colours and styles that flatter us, but many of us are unsure what our best colours and shapes are, as our bodies have changed and our colouring has faded over the years. I can still remember my shocking pink top and purple mini-skirt that (says she modestly) I looked great in when I was in my early twenties. Fifty years later, although I still love bright colours and my favourite bag is bright blue, I choose more muted colours to wear next to my face. As for mini-skirts, as I'm short and my legs are one of my best features (says she modestly again), I do wear skirts on or just above my knees, but not minis, as I don't want to hear the words mutton and lamb being muttered in my presence. Now that I'm retired I tend to wear more casual outfits, such as my "uniform" tops and trousers, preferably in flattering shapes and colours.

Wearing a mini maternity smock when I was 23!

More suitable for a 60+ woman!

This year I will continue to share my journey as I try to become more stylish and especially as I seek to refine my capsule wardrobe. My aim is to restrict my purchases this year to a maximum of 5 pieces per season à la The Vivienne Files. The idea is to build a basic capsule wardrobe that will easily mix and match, then each season you will buy 5 new pieces to update your look, ensuring that they will work with your basic capsule. The new pieces could be a top, cardigan, blouse, scarf and bag, as an example. It's a good opportunity to choose one or two on trend pieces as well as replacing any items that are past their best. If you click on the above link to The Vivienne Files, you will see a great example of how this works. To help you in your own style journey, I have added links to some of my favourite blogs. If you have further recommendations, please let me know.

My final aim, in keeping with my "Word of the Year", is to show more gratitude this year: after all, I have so much to be grateful for.