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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Make a List - 2012

OK, here is my list of New Year's Resolutions.  In no particular order, I present:

Jen's List 2012
  1. Weight loss.  Lose 10 lbs by February 25th (special event), and 25 lbs by May 15th.  Maintain weight thereafter for rest of year (and onward).  I have been tracking my calories through Live Strong, and it has been a great resource.
  2. Exercise.  Work fitness needs into daily schedule.  For almost half of 2011, I went to the gym 5 days a week.  Then I went back to work and couldn't fit it in.  Right now, I am aiming for 3 days/week, with at least one Zumba class.  I have missed Zumba.
  3. Fitness, part 2.  Once I am in shape and feel confident in keeping it up, no later than June 15th, expand fitness horizon.  This one is deliberately vague. There is a new fitness trend I read about that I might like to pursue as a trainer.  No one does it in my area, and that would be a huge, HUGE leap for me.  But I like having it in my goals.
  4. Chickens, dammit!  I am saving my personal money to buy chickens this Spring.  The household will need to budget for the hen house and fencing, but the chickens are coming out of my money.   I already contacted a breeder.  Dammit.
  5. GardenSigh, gardening.  How I love you.  I have to find a way to fit gardening successfully into this year.  Maybe raised beds.  Maybe truckloads of soil.  Probably a combination of both.  But we need a real commitment to growing out own this year.  The garlic is already planted.  Now I need to order some seeds, and plan out where everything will go.  Realistically.  Reality is hard.
  6. Family/household structure.  This one is already off to a great start!  We are making a real effort to eat our meals at our kitchen table, instead of in front of the TV, which was our habit for much of last year.  So far the kids are responding really well to it and we are actually talking and enjoying each other's company.  And the kids are relearning their manners.  (yay!)  Homework is also happening there, too.  The kitchen table is becoming the heart of our household and I love it!
  7. Laundry.  Ugh.  I hate putting away clothes.  Washing, folding, and wearing clean clothes don't bother me.  But actually putting them away always seems like too much.  So I am going to fold laundry the night it comes out of the dryer, and put it away within 24 hours of folding it.  Let's be realistic!  
  8. Painting.  I want to paint the living room by February 10th, so it will be finished by my younger son's birthday.  I just need to figure out colors.  I love painting.  And I hate the builder-white of that room!
  9. Painting, part 2.  And then the kitchen.  By Christmas.
  10. Finances.  This one is ALWAYS on my annual list.  I fall off the wagon and have to drag myself back up.  But we are in good shape and have these goals planned out.   We have some improvements already budgeted, too.  I don't talk money, in general, so suffice it to say that we will be more in control of our money.
  11. Goats.  A girl can dream, right?  Goats would require a much bigger commitment than chickens so this may have to wait another year.  We need fencing, shelter, etc.
Here's wishing you all a happy, successful, and fun 2012.