Does anyone else feel like it's still the holidays?  I feel I'm a little slow getting back into the swing of things; probably because of this cold snap we are having down here.  Lows in the single digits?  That's kind of a rarity, so we're just cuddling up, staying put, and not doing a whole lot!  At any rate, I have been doing a lot of thinking about this next year and my hopes and dreams for Lay Baby Lay.  Here is a little taste of what to expect:

(1) A new website.  I made mention of this last spring, and was hopeful it was just around the corner, but it turns out we just needed more time.  Chip is doing some really neat things with the site, but his first priority is doing things like, oh, you know, making a living to support our family.  I'm really excited to get it launched, though.  It should be significantly easier to navigate, search, and view and our plan is to have something up by ALT (ah, can't wait!).

(2) More real spaces.  I love putting together the inspiration boards, but it's always a bit easier to be inspired by real life.  I have a few things in the works, and I'm hoping you'll be inspired.

(3) Some grown up spaces.  Several of you have requested "grown up" rooms, so I'm working on it, starting with our bedroom!

(4) Design a collection.  Being a product designer by trade, this has been on my mind for awhile.  Designing a nursery collection and pitching it would be a dream; any takers?

(5) Create a children's book.  I don't know that this is something that could be finished this year, but the plan is to spend some time fleshing this out a bit more.

On a personal note, my word for this year is connect.  As a new mother, it's somewhat of a challenge to connect with others and keeping up relationships is difficult.  It has taken me awhile to find confidence in my new role and to find ease in ways that I can spend time with friends.  I feel like I started finally getting there shortly before Brigette was born, but then we were quickly thrown back into the non-rhythm of treading water that is having a newborn.  We are once again in a place where it is easier to go places, either with the girls or in the evenings, and my goal is to say "yes" more often to spending time with others and building relationships.  I want to have more phone conversations and coffee meetings with girlfriends and find ways to love on friends who are having a challenging time now that I have some margin.

What about you?  What are your hopes for this year?

(Also, check out this amazing giveaway from BabyList!  It's seriously incredible, including things like a year's worth of diapers from Honest, a Stokke Stroller, some 4moms goodies, and more than I can list here!  Check it out!)