New Year's Resolutions

Every year, I make resolutions. Sometimes I keep them, a lot of times I don't, but still I make them. Why? I think it's good to set goals, good to make fresh starts, and good to take a moment to evaluate the past year and think about how you want the next year to go. One of my resolutions this year is to start a blog. And I have! So there! One resolution accomplished! I wished I had blogged through my pregnancy with Hunter and my first year of motherhood, but better late than never. What else am I hoping to achieve this year? Here's my list:

1. Learn to live on a budget. My husband, Peter, and I have budgeted before. It usually results in huge arguments that leave us both feeling terrible. My mother refers to them as congressional budgetary hearings. That's pretty accurate! We always end up giving up because we can't handle the fights, but we also really need to make and stick with a budget, so I'm going to try leading the charge this time and see how it goes. Basically, it all boils down to shopping less and saving more. Easier said than done.

2. Get back on track with my health and fitness. I was really good with exercise (most of the time) before I had a baby, but now, it's a bit more challenging. Good health and fitness is always twofold - exercise and food. I'm going to start with exercise because, quite frankly, I find it easier. My plan is to rejoin the gym and go on my lunch hour 2-3 days per week and also exercise from home in the evenings 2-3 days per week. Once I get that down, I'll work on the food side of things - better planning so that my family can eat healthy and nutritious meals made from whole foods.

3. Be more present when I'm with my son. Let's face it... Rolling a ball back and forth for hours and hours can be a little... monotonous. I've fallen into the trap of letting him play while I catch up on Facebook or try to get things done around the house while yelling "No!" every 30 seconds or so when he tries to unload the garbage can, play with electrical cords, or pull all the Kleenex out of the box. Don't get me wrong. I fully support independent play, and I think it's a really important skill. At the same time, though, I also know that time and attention with me (and my husband) are important for Hunter. I need to sit down on the floor and just fully focus on him more - no phone, no TV in the background, no laundry to fold.

And really, I think that's it. Those are pretty big goals. I'm sure I'll fail often, but I'm hoping to continuously remind myself this year that this is what I'm working towards. Of course, there are lots of little things I'd like to accomplish, too... read more, knit more, etc. but they're less important than these three big ones. Oh, and of course, I'd like to keep up on my blog! I'll be back soon with a progress report.