I wrote this post as part of my participation in a blog tour for The Motherhood on behalf of the makers of Children’s MOTRIN® and received compensation to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve really enjoyed being part of this “Unstoppable Moms” campaign with The Motherhood. Though I honestly can’t say I would use the word “unstoppable” to describe myself, the monthly writing prompts have pushed me to think about people in my life who have shaped the mother I have become. 

This final post I admit I was dreading–turning the lens on myself and deciding what makes me “unstoppable.” This past week, I’ve been feeling less than unstoppable. But being forced to look back at my year has been good for me. Good things have happened. I’ve made some really good moves that I’m proud of. I’ve still got work to do, and I’m still working on all these things, all the time. But isn’t that what being unstoppable is? It’s keeping on going. And that’s what I plan to do. 

After forced reflection (ha.) here are 11 good things I did this year. 

1. Exercising + eating better. This is the biggie. This is the on-going fight. But I made great progress this year. And I WILL CONTINUE to make good progress in 2015. So much of my attitude, stress levels, even tenderness as a parent is driven by this category. Caring for myself trickles over into how I care for others.

2. Keeping a better calendar. I think I may have found my system. I need the practicality of a digital calendar–for the reminders and for the fact that I can add and check it when I’m away from the house. But I also need a paper and pencil calendar because things don’t feel recorded properly until they are recorded on paper. I’ve found my perfect combo in Sunrise + Moment. More on both of those in the future. 

3. Doing morning chores. Now that Emma is leaving for school early, morning chores have fallen on my shoulders. Though we’re not quite in the throes of frozen waterers and hauling buckets from the upstairs bathroom, right now, I enjoy getting everything settled and taken care of each morning in the barn. There’s something so satisfying about walking back into a warm house, knowing that all the animals are fed, watered, and tucked in for the day. It starts the day off on the right foot.

4. Using organic coconut palm in my coffee. I admit, my coffee is more like dessert than drink. (I’m working on it!) but the discovery of organic coconut palm has changed my coffee life. No fat. Low glycemic. And doesn’t taste like fakey-fake sugar. I’m all over it, in moderation, of course.

5. Drinking more water. You never know how much you need it until you start. Then you can’t stop.

6. Letting people help me. I really struggle with seeing people do things for me that are on my list of “things I should be taking care of myself.” Things like the laundry. The dinner dishes. Tidying kids’ bedrooms. But as I’ve taken on more work, I’ve had to let go of some of the tasks on my list and not feel guilt every time I see someone else helping me out. This my friends, takes baby steps. I’m still working on this one. 

7. Reading + thinking. As Dan and I are going through RCIA, I’ve really enjoyed getting in touch with my thinking self again. A little more studying and learning has been good for my brain. Also, I would give anything to go back to college and sit in on some classes. We had no idea how good we had it back then, did we? So much to learn right at our fingertips.

8. Playing music again. Over this past year I’ve been breaking out my clarinet a little more often with my family. Playing the mandolin and piano just to relax. Singing. I need more of this in my life. 

9. Getting a mammogram. Well, truth be told. I thought I had a lump. I was scared to face it and pretty much planned out the end of my life. Then it was nothing. But facing the scary stuff is good. 

10. Taking baths. When me moved into Woodlawn I had no idea how I was going to survive with only one bathroom with a shower head the spurted tiny streams of water around everywhere but directly onto your face or body. A person could stand in the spray of the shower and barely get wet. (One even sprayed out and over the shower curtain.) Turns out I’m really into baths. Even when they’re forced. Being forced to soak in the tub? Not a bad thing. 

11. Praying for my kids. Man, they need it. (Kidding sweet girls who are reading this. I mean you do need it, but praying for you is changing me as much as it is changing you…)

The makers of Children’s MOTRIN are inspired by all the things moms do. Moms may not always realize it, but they are amazing in so many ways. Moms are on call day and night have have so much unique knowledge that can really help other moms. That’s why the makers of Children’s MOTRIN are asking moms to share this knowledge in the form of tips and tricks that help keep them going. They are asking moms to post their tips to the MOTRIN facebook page and for every post, Children’s MOTRIN will donate $1 to Safe Kids Worldwide, a global nonprofit that provides moms with the tips they need to keep their children safe.