2019 is here and my anxiety is amping up!

Another year in the memory books. If there are the same 24-hours in a day why do they seem to be getting faster and faster?

My guess… The Teen Factor.

I’ve got two teens in my house with one so close to college it makes me cringe and tear up every time I think about her adventures to come. No doubt it’s exciting, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the closer WE get, the more anxiety it causes me.

Big changes have always been hard for me, and my photography has always been to calm those anxious feelings I get when something BIG is coming our way. It might sound silly, but the year Thing 2 started kindergarten I was A MESS! At the start it was really hard because I didn’t want to lose him all day to school + he wasn’t real excited about going either. If you envision screaming, crying and flailing about you’ll come close to what our morning drop-offs were like the first few weeks.

TORTURE!

That same year I did a 365-project. Having all of those photos to look back on now is one of my favorite moments. Yes, there were a few gap days because life happens, and then sometimes I’d take two or three photos in the same day. I’ve learned that BALANCE is huge with kids and taking the lead from them + not forcing things all the time. I see a lot of gray in my life and not so much black or white. But when I’m thinking fashion…It’s all black + white hands-down!

So, as we were driving from my parents’ house to the airport, I was snapping pictures along the drive of the gorgeous view, and (of course) my teens. And if your teens are like mine, really early mornings don’t bring out a whole lotta smiles, but I snapped anyway. During that drive I had an AHHH-HAAA MOMENT back to my 365 project.

ARE YOU WITH ME?

Most moms take on a 365 Photo Challenge when their kiddos are younger, mainly because they are around their kids a lot more + their kids still like them ALL THE TIME. Yes, I think my teens are pretty great, but life ain’t perfect and we have our days that I want to hide in my closet with a box of caramels {and maybe a box of kleenex}. I STILL WANT memories of these years though photos + some videos. Our memory books shouldn’t end once the teen years start and the annual Christmas card doesn’t a year-long-memory-make.

2019 is the year I’m returning to my 365 photo project + I’m asking you to join me. Because just like exercise, we’re always more committed when we’re accountable to someone else.

HOW WILL IT WORK?

Each month I will post a month’s worth of words or phrases as a prompt to help you capture an image for the day, or maybe for you it’s each week {52-week project}. There is no RIGHT OR WRONG way to capture your shot, it’s simply meant to help keep you motivated or give you a direction to look if you’re stuck on what to capture. If you post each day or week be sure to tag your images #smp365 so we’re sure to catch them and see your year unfold.

WHERE DO I FIND THE LIST?

I’ll be posting the month long prompts in my SMP SHINE facebook group. It is a closed group, so you can request access.

I’d love to have you along with me, teens or no teens. Outline it how it best fits your life. The important part is capturing that memory. For me, as we inch closer to high school graduation, I want – actually, I NEED – to have these memories. If the quiet school days of the kindergarten years were hard, I’m a little scared about how tough letting go of my first-born to her college adventure will be {yep, my eyes are welling even as I type}.

Join me over in SMP SHINE, and let’s capture a solid year of memories together! #smp365

Cheers & Sparkle to your New Year!