Happy New Year everyone! On my trip to the gym last week, I noted that there were many many less parking spots, and many more gym patrons. A reminder that New Years Resolutions are still very much a big part of the new year. I'm not really a big resolution maker, but after reading that the likelihood of achieving ones goals is better if you write them down, I thought I'd put together a little list of goals for the new year in an effort to hold myself accountable.
1. Be more consistent with my blogging. In a perfect world, I'd like to shoot for two blog posts a week. In reality, more important things like making sure C isn't swallowing a choking hazard from the bathroom drawer, or playing with knives he's secretly sequestered from the dishwasher, and has three healthy balanced meals a day (less packaged food please!) take precedence. A lot of parents say that one of their biggest regrets is not writing enough down from when their kids were young, so I want to make a better effort to document this season of our lives so that I can look back in the years ahead and reminisce.
2. Backup my photos. All of the photos I take on my camera are saved on memory cards, but the thousands of iPhone photos I take are not backed up anywhere (other than the ones on my Cloud...which has been full for months, and those on this blog). I'm am enormously overwhelmed by the task of sorting through photos to keep or get rid of, and then finding a perfect storage solution. I don't really have an interest in adding yet another piece of technology...a la external hard drive...since our home doesn't have space for a dedicated computer desk, and my 'workstation' is usually the dining room table or my lap. Plus, an external hard drive only works if it isn't in our home in the event of a disaster, or a toddler breaking it...not something I would put past C with his intense curiosity of all things electronic! Photo storage suggestions welcome!
3. Travel to at least one new place. T & I love to travel, and have thus far done a pretty good job keeping up with our adventures with C in tow. We recently added The New York Times: 36 Hours USA & Canada to our coffee table collection, and after reading some of the amazing suggestions for short weekend trips, I'd love to fit in a short weekend getaway for just T & I to see a new city sometime this Winter or Spring before the weather gets nice again.
4. Utilize the child watch program at the gym. Being stuck inside all winter is just the pits. It is so hard to get out for some exercise with a toddler in tow when it is under 30 degrees outside, and we end up spending most of the cold winter days trapped within just a few rooms. We do not have a dedicated area in our home that could fit any sort of workout equipment without eating up the entire living space, so during the winter months, things really really slow down on the exercise front. I am someone whose mood is drastically improved by cardio exercise (sorry T, lifting weights at home just doesn't do it for me!), and I'm hopeful that C's sleep schedule this year will make it possible for us to utilize the child watch program at our gym so this mama can get some workouts in. I'm not talking anything drastic, but it'd be amazing to get to the gym at least two times a week...which would be a step up from where we are right now. If I could convince T to arrange his schedule to be home earlier, I'm also very curious about trying out a yoga class offered by my gym on Monday nights.
5. Get organized and live more simply. Truth...clutter gets me down. I would love nothing more than to de-clutter and get rid of all the crazy piles of magazines I'm unlikely to ever pick up, clothes I want to consign or donate, and overall non-essential things we don't absolutely need to live with that take up space. Daunting...yes...Do-Able...I sure hope so...one day at a time!
6. Better meal planning. So often, after playing and entertaining C all day long, I am exhausted, and have zero interest in researching, shopping for, and then standing for an hour or more to prepare dinner. Usually, this is all while trying to keep C from burning himself on a hot stove, or grabbing a sharp knife off the cutting board before T gets home from work to help. In an effort to streamline this goal, I signed up for Blue Apron this week (they finally deliver to our rural neck of the woods!), which will take care of three meals a week, that require no more than 45 minutes to prepare. When I do have energy, I do love to cook, so I'll be interested to see if this meal delivery service lives up to the hype. Meanwhile though, at $60/week it's more cost-efficient (I won't be throwing away a bunch of leftovers, and they send only the amount of ingredients needed for each recipe) than I could hope to cook something homemade every night, has interesting recipes that will give us the opportunity to try new flavors and ingredients I don't usually cook with, and it will likely mean less eating out as a last minute ditch option. And maybe...just maybe...it'll motivate me to do a better job of menu planning for the rest of the week's meals! Another service I recently tried out is online grocery shopping via Hy-Vee. I could see this coming in handy if I'm unable to make a trip to the store, but could have T swing by and just pick everything up that I ordered online after work. They also offer delivery service, and if you spend more than $100, the minuscule 'shopping fee' is waived. Mama's of the world rejoice!
5. Get organized and live more simply. Truth...clutter gets me down. I would love nothing more than to de-clutter and get rid of all the crazy piles of magazines I'm unlikely to ever pick up, clothes I want to consign or donate, and overall non-essential things we don't absolutely need to live with that take up space. Daunting...yes...Do-Able...I sure hope so...one day at a time!
6. Better meal planning. So often, after playing and entertaining C all day long, I am exhausted, and have zero interest in researching, shopping for, and then standing for an hour or more to prepare dinner. Usually, this is all while trying to keep C from burning himself on a hot stove, or grabbing a sharp knife off the cutting board before T gets home from work to help. In an effort to streamline this goal, I signed up for Blue Apron this week (they finally deliver to our rural neck of the woods!), which will take care of three meals a week, that require no more than 45 minutes to prepare. When I do have energy, I do love to cook, so I'll be interested to see if this meal delivery service lives up to the hype. Meanwhile though, at $60/week it's more cost-efficient (I won't be throwing away a bunch of leftovers, and they send only the amount of ingredients needed for each recipe) than I could hope to cook something homemade every night, has interesting recipes that will give us the opportunity to try new flavors and ingredients I don't usually cook with, and it will likely mean less eating out as a last minute ditch option. And maybe...just maybe...it'll motivate me to do a better job of menu planning for the rest of the week's meals! Another service I recently tried out is online grocery shopping via Hy-Vee. I could see this coming in handy if I'm unable to make a trip to the store, but could have T swing by and just pick everything up that I ordered online after work. They also offer delivery service, and if you spend more than $100, the minuscule 'shopping fee' is waived. Mama's of the world rejoice!
7. Less screen time...more quality time. Getting T to agree with me on this goal...is well...a BIG stretch. Some nights, it feels like between the TV, phone, or iPad, we barely talk to each other. I want to dedicate at least one night a week as zero-technology-tolerance. Let's bring back real conversation...game nights...reading books...date nights...and maybe even cooking together after C goes to bed. Quality time is what it's all about, and something I feel like we need to work harder at.
8. Make time for reading books. I have always loved reading, and enjoy curling up with a good book whenever I can. I have sooooo many books on my want to read list on Goodreads, and aside from a couple of books I read about 2 chapters per month for some groups I'm involved in, I feel like I've been slacking in the book reading department the last few months...see 'less screen time' above. It really shouldn't be that hard to disconnect from social media and technology long enough to read at least one book a month, and this year I'm determined to make it more of a priority. Book suggestions welcome!
8. Make time for reading books. I have always loved reading, and enjoy curling up with a good book whenever I can. I have sooooo many books on my want to read list on Goodreads, and aside from a couple of books I read about 2 chapters per month for some groups I'm involved in, I feel like I've been slacking in the book reading department the last few months...see 'less screen time' above. It really shouldn't be that hard to disconnect from social media and technology long enough to read at least one book a month, and this year I'm determined to make it more of a priority. Book suggestions welcome!
