Happy 2012

As you know, I am a Resolutions kind of gal. I like the idea of starting each year anew while putting behind the challenges of the previous year. It's refreshing and rejuvenating. Here are my 2012 Resolutions:

• Participate in a Monthly Give every month of 2012: Research shows that you feel better mentally and emotionally when you help others. I will post the January Monthly Give later this week.


• Create and accomplish monthly, measurable CrossFit fitness goals: I just started a new gym, CrossFit. I'll post more about it later but so far I love it and it was just what I needed to re-boot my workout regimen.


• Aim to eat Paleo: I don't remember if I've blogged about this way of eating but I tried it last summer and it really worked well for me. Basically it encourages you to eat like a caveman-- meats, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits. Basic, old fashioned eating before we became engulfed by modern agriculture and the evils of sugar! I've read up on it and while I can't spout out all of the biological research behind it, I can tell you it makes sense and it made sense for me when I stuck to it. If you are one of those people that can eat just one piece of chocolate or one piece of bread, this way of life might not be for you. But if you're like me and sugars and carbs trigger more cravings and you've never been good at this whole 'willpower' thing, maybe think about it. I wet my feet with this book, Primal BluePrint. In all reality, I will aim to live the 80/20 rule where I'll do my best to stick to it most days but will indulge in certain non-Paleo foods at parties, holidays, vacations, etc. I heard a good quote the other day- "Everything in moderation, including moderating."


• Blog more: I find blogging to be a great creative outlet. Blogging is good exercise for my mushy, decaying gray matter.


• Participate in my community: There are lots of good things happening in our little town. Cory and I joined the Farmer's Market Group. We are hoping to start a Farmer's Market in the town square next Spring. This is a great group of like minded people and its been really fun working with them. I've also become involved in Beatrice's school PTO and that's been fun too. I think this kind of ties into my first resolution. I feel good when I'm connecting with people and helping out. I like the team atmosphere as I lack this in my day-to-day since I primarily work from home.


• Floss daily.


• Find a way to work remotely 1 month in the next year: (This goal is a carryover from last year.)


• Continue to work on mental health goals. (This goal is a carryover from last year.)

So research shows that you have more success at keeping your resolutions when you share them with others and declare them loud and proud. You also have a greater chance at success if you make them measurable and attainable. You also should check in periodically to see how you're faring. I'll set a reminder in my calendar to check back in on March 1st to keep myself accountable.

So let's take a look back at last year's resolutions. I've added my annotations.

• Use my brain more: I did read a good amount of books last year. I also subscribed to Vanity Fair so I read some great articles there. Don't laugh, I count magazine articles are literature! I also attended a screening of Food Inc. at our local library and went to a couple of author readings.


• Eat dinner as a family 1 night a week: FAIL. The problem with this goal is that our kids eat dinner at 5pm and go to bed by 7. Usually Cory and I will eat dinner once they're in bed. We do eat breakfast together most mornings though so I think as long as we eat one daily meal together, we're getting that family bonding time around the table. Once they're a bit older, we'll eat dinner together.


• Get my mental health in order: This one is ongoing. I was doing well after a rocky start last year. I'd say February-October was good. My medication was working and then things got rough again in November through December. My mental state can pretty much be tracked on the calendar. My low points come at the same time every year and strike with the same symptoms (lethargy, trouble getting out of bed, disassociation, irritability, sense of being overwhelmed, anxiety, poor eating habits, lack of motivation to exercise, negative self talk.) Then Christmas comes and my mood improves slightly. Then the New Year comes and I feel refreshed and re-charged. Every year after I come through the 'dark period' I tell myself, "Don't let this happen again next year." I've added it to this year's list.


• Drink more water: I succeeded at this tangible goal. Sometimes you have to throw some easy ones on the list.


• Find a way to work remotely 1 month in the next 2 years: We only have about another year to make this one come true. I've added it to this year's list.

What are your resolutions/goals for 2012?

UPDATE: "Enough Talking/More Doing" List

It's been a while since I took a look at my list on the left hand side of this blog. I am a strong believer in taking stock of your life every now and then. I figure its time to re-assess and revise this growing list.

• Consume smaller amount of new goods. Before buying something new, look at 2nd hand stores and craigslist, freecycle, eBay, etc. UPDATE: I would say I am doing OK in this department. Although my favorite local consignment shop is closing (boooooooo!) I have been successful in buying furniture for our new house on Craigslist. I have a forthcoming post on all of my previously owned items. I love other's people's castoffs!
• Create a 'workshop' in the house. UPDATE: I've not yet created my dream workshop but I am getting closer. I finally organized all of my craft stuff in the guest room so everything has its place. This has made me way too happy. I need a hobby. Hmm, maybe I'll craft something.
• Eat more organic/natural foods and less processed foods. UPDATE: I tried to avoid processed foods for a week and was mildly successful. The organic vegetables are harder in the winter since we don't have much locally. The farmer's markets will be starting in a couple of months so I am looking forward to that. Last Spring/Summer we did a meat CSA and that worked out well. The CSA also sells meat at our local farmer's market so I think this year we'll just buy our meat there (for some reason its cheaper this way.)
• Find a way to work in tropical location for the month of January. UPDATE: We are still daydreaming about this one. We probably only have another 2 years to make this a reality since Beatrice will be in kindergarten in 2013. I have updated this goal to read 'work in a remote location for the month of January.' I am thinking that maybe just another state would be cool. Just immerse ourselves in that place for a month and see what happens. Austin, San Diego, Portland, wine country... who knows.
• Go back to St. John. UPDATE: We went when Beatrice was 1 1/2 and we will go back when she's 3 1/2 in September so I think we're on track with this goal.
• Go on one girls weekend a year. UPDATE: My college girlfriends make this one happen every year. I look forward to that weekend more and more! We are all longing for a day when all of our kids are old enough so that we can leave them while we get on a plane to a warm location.
• Grow a successful garden. UPDATE: This goal may not prove as fruitful this year (pun intended.) We are in a new house so we'll have to see if a garden takes. Our neighbors have a nice garden but I know they use all sorts of deer piss and chili powders to keep the animals away... I don't know if I'm that die-hard. If we can't grow a garden here, I'll request a plot at our community garden next spring. Speaking of which, our town community garden is thriving! They are expanding this year and putting in a butterfly garden. There are also talks of getting a town CSA started. I am so proud of my little town and these motivated people.
• Lose the last baby lbs. UPDATE: I've done this for both babies. However, I need to (again) get back on track to lose a few more pounds to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. I discuss this ad nauseum on this blog so I'll just leave it at that.
• Run a 5K every year. UPDATE: I ran my first 5K in 2009. I took 2010 off since I was pregnant with Theo. I am running one with my sister in a couple of weeks. I wonder if I can update this goal to include completing a biathlon... I think I need to improve my bike riding skills first. One small step towards this goal is to ride my bike to the gym when the weather gets consistently nicer. I've already mapped out my route so as to avoid my neighborhood menace, Heartbreak Hill. Do you love that I've changed my route rather than tackling that beast of a hill again.
• Take a photo composition class. UPDATE: I never did complete this one but I gotta say I'm OK with that. I'm not all about the photos anymore. I think now that I have the two kids, there just isn't as much time for picture taking. I am more about the videos now that I can shoot with my iPhone.
• Try something new every month. UPDATE: This one has been met with mixed results. Perhaps if I don't put a time limit (once a month) I'll be more successful. I did succeed a couple of times this past year.
• Wear more sunscreen this summer. UPDATE: This one is a success. Its a foregone conclusion since I am sunscreening the kids non-stop. But here's my issue. I am so pale this year due to not really being in the sun a lot last summer since we had a newborn and I wasn't feeling the swimsuit and oh ya, it was 100 degrees everyday. I know tanning beds are now forbidden but how do I get out in the sun for the beginning of the summer looking like this? Have you ever spray tanned? Do you use that self tanner stuff? Help a (ghostly) sister out.

There are some new things I'd like to add to my list. And I'll probably delete some of the above things as they are no longer relevant. I am fighting the urge to add things that I already do just so I can cross them off the list as a success. Being the list maker that I am, I've been known to write something down after I've completed it just to feel the pleasure of crossing it off my list. I am sick.

• Go to more live performances (music, theater, speakers, etc.) Cory always teases me that I am the world's most active listener. I am that person in the audience that is nodding their head the entire talk, laughing out loud, and shaking my money maker.
• Read more. I enjoy reading but Theo definitely put a damper on this goal. By the time night rolls around, I open my book and read 2 pages before I fall asleep. Now that he's doing a better job sleeping through the night, hopefully I"ll have more energy. And I love to watch bad TV and zone out at night so that's the other culprit. Maybe I'll start reading on the bike at the gym again. I went to the library earlier this week and got my hands on this gem. It's up there with Unsweetined. Speaking of Unsweetined, Cory was on Facebook the other day and was looking at photos of a girl we went to high school with who lives on the West Coast. She had pics of a BBQ or something and she was totally hanging out with Stephanie Tanner. They are BFFs. Too funny.
• Get outdoors. Our new house abuts the town forest. We have 2 hiking trails that meet up in our back yard. We didn't explore them last year since we had a newborn and were still moving in. I want to get out and get into nature more this year. We also have plans to go camping one weekend this summer. I want my kids to appreciate nature. I am OK with nature. Just not the bugs but I'm working on that.
• Grow my hair the longest its ever been. I always get to about mid-length then hack it off. The short hair thing is cute but its limiting because you always need to dry and straighten it and wash it every day. I can't do that anymore so longer hair is the way to go. I would totally get extensions if they were affordable. I am thinking that by this time next year it should be about there.
• Write more Letter to the Editor. Do you read or write these? It's the first thing I read in a newspaper or a magazine. A couple of times I've found letters from people I know. Its been a nerdy dream of mine to get a Letter to the Editor published. I guess I'll actually need to write one first.
• Host at least 4 theme parties a year. It goes without saying that I love me a theme. And I love entertaining. Some themes I have in mind: Booze and Brownies Swap, Kentucky Derby Party, Porch-Drunk Party, South of the Border Christmas Eve, Sip N See (someone needs to have a baby so I can do this one... any takers?)
• Start thinking about the next stage in my career. I can't say that I love my job. Well that's not entirely true. I love the flexibility of my job but it's neither challenging nor engaging. Basically I've been doing the same thing for many years now so it's become quite a mundane routine. I am OK with this while my kids are young. But I think I'll be ready for a challenge in about 4 years or so. I need to start thinking about what I want to do. Do I want to stay in my current field? Will my new path require more schooling or more professional development? I don't have unrealistic romantic notions about working. Work is work but I would like something where I engage with people and feel a sense of pride about what I do every day. In my dream world, I would buy the consignment shop that is going out of business (see above) and run it with my sister. Or work here. But I know that retail is not for me. The hours would be too demanding and the risk would give me an ulcer. I need to find something more fulfilling. I think the first step will be to take the career development workshops that my work offers. Then I'll make a list. Ha.
• Continue to work on my mental well-being. I have a stack of books on my nightstand about improving yourself and your relationships. Cory makes fun of me because when I read them, I underline and mutter aloud "I get that, that's so true." What can I say, I am an active audience member.
• Re-design this blog. Ugh, I am so sick of the look. I need to get on this one really soon.

I will update my Non-Facebook 25ish Things list next.

I hope you all have a stupendous weekend. And a big shout out to my husband who has gone mad with NCAA Basketball. What a shame this only comes but once a year.

My Goals for 2011

It's time for resolutions, or goals, as I prefer to call them.

• Use my brain more: I need to get back into reading for pleasure. I also want to go to participate in more thought-provoking activities, like author lectures (sorry, that sounds so pretentious.) I think I still have a brain so I should really start exercising it. Tabitha Coffey is coming to the Brookline Booksmith. Does that count?
• Eat dinner as a family 1 night a week: This one is shameful. I am sorry to admit it but we don't eat dinner as a family. Beatrice eats dinner at about 5. While she is eating dinner, Cory or I will feed Theo his dinner. Then its a frenzy of baths, cartoons, then books. After both kids are in bed, Cory and I eat. This one will take some coordination but hopefully starting small with one night a week will make it attainable. And maybe I should start cooking more on the weekends to have easy meals to pull out of the fridge.
• Get my mental health in order: For the past few months, I've tried to to eat better and exercise in an attempt to get my physical self in order. It was going well until the holidays but bad habits (self-sabotage, compulsive eating, negative self-talk) have re-surfaced. I need to re-focus on my mental well being for this new year. I know that mental well being is tied to being physically healthy. I now need to face my depression and anxiety. I've managed to keep it at bay for the last few years but I can't do it alone anymore. It's time to get back on medication (it's helped me in year's past) and back to more frequent therapy sessions. I will not be a sad mother. I will not be an angry wife. I will not be this version of myself any longer.
• Drink more water: This one is stupid, I know. But I need to drink more water. Period.
• Find a way to work remotely 1 month in the next 2 years (so this one is a more long term goal): I left this one for last as it may be unrealistic but I still cling to hope. It has been on my "Less Talking/More Doing" list since I started this blog. I really want to do it. I'm newly inspired by fellow bloggers, Design Mom and Oh Happy Day. Our window is getting smaller since Beatrice is getting closer to school age.

What are your goals for 2011?