SocialMoms (previously known as TwitterMoms) has teamed up with Simply Orange Juice to bring about a really neat writing campaign! They have asked for posts about simple changes I have planned to make this year that will improve my life! This comes less than 3 weeks into the new year when I have already been thinking about these things a lot and have had a chance to try out my resolutions for the new year already.The most important simple change my family and I have been working on is to read the scriptures together as a family every single day. So far we have done extremely well, though not perfect. We have read 17 out of 19 days. The two we missed with the kids, my husband and I read on our own but didn’t count them towards our goal. It has been really hard to remember and every night as we are anxious to get the kids off to bed for a bit of alone time it seems to hit me! My boys still act like monkeys bouncing off the couches, walls, floor, bed, wherever we are while we read, but I see them starting to open up and ask questions. I’ve also been having them repeat some of the scriptures so they can practice reading too, and they really enjoy that part of it! It has made a big difference in our home and while it is just a little change it has already started to make a big difference. I’m hoping to get at least 9/10 days through the whole year, or better yet every day from her on out! It has definitely started to be come a habit and we all notice when we have forgotten.

The second simple change I hope to implement is to do more school and learning time with all 3 boys. Obviously my 4 month old is too young for abc’s and such but I want to be sure he gets attention and time too by reading books, practicing physical development, and things like this. I used to be really good at this back when I had just one child, and even when number 2 came along I still worked it in during nap times. I’m really hoping I can get back in the habit of doing learning time with my boys because I know it is something they enjoy and it is very good for them. I have done a couple of days of schooling so far this year, but more often then not I get distracted and forget. My 4 year old is pretty advanced for his age I feel but he has a strong desire to learn so it’s a great time to be teaching him. My 2 year old, on the other hand, I feel like he is a bit behind and probably because he is the middle child and I haven’t had the energy to put into teaching him. I’ve just started to work on colors with him though and he is slowing picking up the differences and you can tell he feels really excited when he gets them right!

Simply Orange was launched in 2001 and has been making orange juice the way nature intended, keeping it simple.  It is not made from concentrate and does not have any water, sugar, or preservatives added to bring you a fresh-squeezed taste. You can connect with Simply Orange on their Facebook Fan page.

What changes do you hope to make this year? Have you begun your resolutions and have they been going well for you? Do you have any simple changes you can make to assist you in achieving your resolutions this year? I’d love to hear them!