Goals for 2011

I thought I'd write down my goals in the blog and that will give me extra incentive to follow through. I'll do a follow up post from time to time to see how well I'm doing at sticking to the "plan".

- take a quilting class (yes, I'm totally 75 years old...I can't explain it but quilting totally seems fun to me!), register and complete a running clinic (I used to run 5 times a week before the kids came along and I would love to get back into it...I'll start with 5K and go from there), take a cake decorating class (I think this would be super fun and I could use the skills when it comes time for the girls' birthday cakes) and take a photography course (I really don't know the first thing about using my camera in manual which is where I would get some really fabulous pictures). Basically all those things are synonymous with doing something just for me!

- start working out again. I stopped back in October when I was 34 weeks pregnant due to an early labour scare. I had a healthy 6 week check up today so I'm ready to get going again! The weight is lost so now I'd just like to tone.

- stay at a healthy weight. I too frequently forget to eat or don't eat enough. This year I'm aiming to stay at a good weight for my frame. A good weight that will keep my breast milk production up and give me the energy needed to take care of the girls day to day. I need to set a good example for my girls that nobody needs to be underweight!

- Skype with family and friends regularly. Unfortunately for us, we don't live close to even 1 family member. I really feel like the girls (and us!) miss out on regular visits. So, Skype will come into play. We just got a new laptop so we're ready to go. Call us!

- keep stepping outside my boundaries with books. I am a reader. I don't watch TV much...in fact, although we own a lovely 47" TV, we don't actually have any channels to watch. So, in my spare time, I frequently read...usually 1-3 books a week. This year after joining Goodreads I started trying out books that were a far cry away from my typical fluffy chick lit books. Some of my new favorites:

• The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

- have a regular date night. Shawn and I have been on an embarrassingly few amount of dates since Samara (and now Presley) was born. We need to keep our relationship a priority and spending time alone without having either girl hanging off us is important. I think it's good for the girls to see us make each other a priority as well. With having no family close by, this is easier said than done. So it most definitely won't be once a week and maybe not even once a month but it has to be more than a few times a year!

- try a new recipe once a month. I love cooking and baking (when I have the time!). It gets so easy to just rotate through the same recipes all the time. I'm looking forward to choosing a recipe each month...if it's good, I'll post it!

- spend one on one time with each girl. Just because we're a family of 4 now doesn't mean that each girl wouldn't benefit from some entirely devoted time from one parent. Wednesdays are Daddy and Sammy night / Mommy and Presley night and Thursdays are Mommy and Sammy night / Daddy and Presley night.

- to relax more. I debated even putting this up. I'm such an obsessive type A personality that I have trouble letting things go and giving myself time to just breathe. I need a clean house, I need laundry caught up, I need to do update the budget, I need to upload pictures, I need to do this and that and this and that. This year, I vow to not let chores and things overwhelm me. This one will BY FAR be my hardest goal and I'm sure I will have to be reminded weekly (maybe even daily!).

So there you have it. My goals for 2011. It's possibly I have too many. Oops.

What are your goals/resolutions for the year?