Resolutions and a Word for 2014

Yes, I am one of those people.

A resoultions person.

I make them every year.

I love welcoming in a New Year.

I like the idea of setting goals, making plans, starting fresh and having a clean slate.

I also love looking back & reflecting on the past year as I begin a new year.

Before we look at my 2014 resolutions, let's take a look at how I did on my 2013 resolutions:

Since I am a teacher, I love "grading" myself on how I did.

1. Date night with Kevin once a month. Yes, I know I said it last year, but we REALLY need to do this. With 3 kids & both of us working, we need to be even more intentional about date nights so we can reconnect as husband & wife and best friends.  

I give us a B- for this. We didn't have a date night every month, but we did have 2 weekends away (one in June for a wedding and one in August for our 11th Anniversary) That is 2 more than we had in 2012!  

2. Stick to a budget. We don't really have a budget. We don't spend outside our means, but do we really know how we are spending our money? (I know, at Target!) But in all seriousness, I need to figure out how much I spend on necessitates versus how much I spend on frivolous & dumb things.

I give myself a B on this...I still get sucked into the little stuff at Target, but not as much. I am definitely more thoughtful about what I buy and have totally cut back on the frivolous stuff.

3. Meal Planning. I am pretty good at meal planning. But, I have gotten lazy about it (can I blame having 3 kids again?) I used to be really good about sitting down on Sunday after church & meal planing for the whole week. I want to get back to doing this. 

I give myself an A with this. I think I deal a meal plan for every week this year except for 1 or 2. With 3 young kids and being a working mom,  a weekly meal plan is a MUST. It has totally simplified my late afternoons/dinner time. If you don't meal plan, I highly recommend it!

4. Try out 3 new recipes a month. I feel like I am always cooking the same things for dinner. So, my goal for 2013 is to try out 3 new recipes a month! This will be helpful with my meal planning also!

I give myself a B+ with this. I didn't try 3 new recipes a month, on average I tried about 2 new recipes a month (some months I did 3, but the majority of the months was 2 new ones.

5. Get the girls to eat better. We have PICKY eaters. I have fallen into the bad habit of making them something different from what Kevin & I have. So, in 2013, I am going to do better at making them eat a bigger variety of foods besides mac&cheese, chicken nuggets, PB&J, grilled cheese, pizza & hot dogs. I am going to have them start eating what we eat. I know this will take baby steps, but it needs to happen.

Ugh. I give myself a C- on this. They have gotten better about trying new things, but more often than not, I end up making the girls something different than what Kevin and I have. They have improved with what they eat this year, but there is still HUGE room for improvement.

 6. Laundry. For real. I need to figure out a system. I might have to bite the bullet & start doing it everyday. But that also means I need to start folding it and putting it away each day. *sigh* 

I despise laundry.

I give myself a C+ with this. I have gotten MUCH better about not letting it pile up AS much. And, 3 times this year I had EVERY SINGLE piece of laundry (except what we were wearing) folded and put away. Before this year, I don't know when the last time that has happened! I still get behind on laundry from time to time, but I don't let 7 or 8 loads pile up at once. Baby steps.

7. Take better care of myself. So many times I go to bed without washing my face (I know....terrible)

I don't exercise (I am blessed with good metabolism) but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be active. I know it will give me more energy. I was a former college athlete for crying out loud. It's just healthy to be active. Hey, we got Just Dance 4 for Christmas, so that's a start :) And by taking better care of myself I guess that means I shouldn't have ice cream every night. Also, by taking care of myself that includes being more daring with my wardrobe and not being stuck wearing the same old boring things. (More on this next week!)

I give myself a B+ with this. I didn't work out this year (I know, ugh.) But, I have taken much better care of my skin. I have stuck with my Rodan + Fields nightly regimen each night using the Redefine line. I have noticed such a difference in my skin and that is the main reason I started selling it! I have also taken better care of myself by mixing up my wardrobe and being more daring with what I wear. Doing the Pin-Spired link up has helped this! At the beginning of 2013 I had ONE pair of colored jeans. By the end of 2013, I have SEVEN pairs of colored jeans/pants.

8. Be more intentional with the girls. I feel bad that often times when they ask me to play with them, etc I have to say "No" or "In a minute" because I am nursing Luke or dealing with him. I feel like the past few months I have been in survival mode and I haven't gotten to really do fun things with them. They are really good about playing together and they love each other, but I feel like I have taken that for granted. I miss doing fun things like baking with them, etc.

I give myself a C+ with this. I am not going to lie...having a 3rd baby and having both girls in school with different schedules has made it a lot harder to have one on one time with each of them. I am for sure more intentional with them when Luke decides to take an afternoon nap. I have tried to do individual things with them, but they love each other so much, they want the other one to join in. So happy they have each other. They really have an amazing bond.

9.  Go to bed earlier. I am queen of the midnight bedtime. I am a night owl. I would stay up until 1 or 2 every night if I didn't have to work. But, I know I am a better wife, mom & teacher when I get more sleep, so I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to be more disciplined with my bedtime.

I give myself a D. I just need to accept that I am a night owl. I don't even know if it is physically possible for me to fall asleep before 11. Midnight is the time that I fall asleep at night, no matter what time I go upstairs to bed. I don't think I fell asleep before 11:00 once this year, and on average it was midnight. I just love the quiet house at night and can get so much done between the hours of 9 and midnight. #nightowlforever

10. Do 40 Bags in 40 Days again this year. This was SO good for me to do and I can't wait to do it again. Even though I just finished it this summer, I feel the clutter & stuff creeping back in and I don't like it.

I give myself a B with this. I completed my 40 Bags in 40 Days, but still have more stuff I can organize and get rid of, especially in closets/cupboards. It's amazing to me how the clutter and stuff creeps in with 3 kids. I feel like I clean out their closets and drawers once an month and they still have so much stuff! Ack!!!

Even though I am a failure with most of these, I still make resolutions each year.
I think it is good to take time to reflect as the year comes to a close and a new one begins.

Each year I pick a word to focus on for the year.

In 2010, I chose Intentional.

In 2011, I chose Cherish.

In 2012, I chose Nurture.

In 2013 I chose Simplify.

My word for 2014 is BUILD.

 

verb \ˈbild\

 to make (something) by putting together parts or materials
to develop or form (something) gradually

to increase the amount of (something)

Here are my resolutions for 2014 and they all include things I want to BUILD:

1. Build my relationship with Kevin. 

We will be celebrating 12 years of marriage this August. With 3 young kids it can be hard to fit in time for just the 2 of us. Now that Luke is older and not nursing, it should hopefully be easier for us to make time for a date night once a month, and hopefully a weekend or 2 away. We get along really well and I love spending time with him. Hoping to build our relationship even more this year. I want to build him up this year and be a more loving & encouraging wife.

2. Build up my kids.

I want Build up my girls and their confidence. I want them to be confident in who they are at school and with friends. I want to build their listening skills.

I want to build up their Independence and have them be more responsible with picking out their own clothes each day, making their beds, picking up their toys and rooms. Often times I end up doing these things because it's "easier". But at almost 7 and 5, I know they need to start being more independent.

I need to build their eating habits...I mentioned before they are picky. They have gotten better about trying more foods, but I need to incorporate more veggies into their diets. They eat me out of house & home in regards to fruit, but their veggie intake is lackluster.

I need to build their relationship with God and make sure I am consistent with our prayers and with reading their Bible and the Kids Jesus Calling.

With Luke, I want to build his sleeping habits and make sure that by the time he turns 2 in August he is pacifier free. I took the girls away when they were 13 months old, so this is all new territory for me. Ugh.

With my kids I want to build up my patience with them. Many times when I get home from teaching & they get home from school we are all tired and it is easy to lose my patience quickly. I want to have more patience this year.

 3. I want to build my relationship with God.

I want to be in the Word daily. I have gotten really lazy with this and that is just sad.

I want to build my Trust in God this year. We have a couple family members who are having some health issue and I really want to Trust God and His plan even when it's hard to. I know God has a plan and that all things work for his good, but sometimes that is easier for me to say than to truly believe.
I have been loving reading Jesus Calling each day so far this year as well. My goal is to read that the first thing everyday in bed, before I get up or check my phone.

4. I want to Build my Rodan + Fields business.

I have only been in this business since November and I am so amazed at how it has already grown and what a great opportunity it is....not to mention, it is incredibly flexible and part time. 

I love helping people feel good about their skin and I am excited about the people who have joined my team. I want to build their businesses also!

 If you are interested in the business side of Rodan + Fields, please send me an email:

melissa_larson17 {at} yahoo.com 

Or, if you are interested in the products, you can shop {HERE}

Our team is having a New Year's Special that is running the first week of January. 

1/1/14 through 1/8/14, so it ends in 2 days!!!

It is the "NEW YEAR, NEW YOU, NEW SKIN" promotion.
If you have ever wanted to try Rodan + Fields, NOW is the time!
We are giving $20 to everyone who signs up for PC Perks (the preferred customer program)
PC Perks is a one time cost of $19.95 and you get FREE Shipping and 10% off EVERY Order!
Once you sign up for PC Perks & place your order, send me a message and I will refund your $20 cost!

5. I want to build our Community.

I want to make sure I am intentional with our church community, with our kid's school community,  with our neighbors and with our friends. I feel that sometimes we get stuck in the same routines and don't branch out, I hope this is the year we are intentional with people we interact with on a daily/weekly basis. I want to make sure I build my kids community by being intentional about their friendships and playdates. I really slacked off with playdates for them Luke's first year of life because I was just an overwhelmed mom of 3. I want to be more intentional with their friendships and build those also.

6. Build up my blog readers.

My hope is that each time you visit here, you leave here encouraged, get a new idea, find a recipe you want to try or find a printable that you will use. I think the blogging world is so neat and I am so very thankful for each of you who take the time to read and/or comment. My goal this year is to get better at responding to you. My email can get out of control sometimes, so I want to be better at managing that and getting back to those who email me! I am a work in progress...thank you for understanding!

7. Build my muscle tone

Seriously. This is pathetic....I haven't worked out since I was pregnant with Kate almost 8 years ago. PATHETIC. That has GOT to change.

So, here's to you 2014. 

A year I hope to Build.

The year I turn 35 (YIKES)

A year I am a little anxious about, but hope my instincts prove me wrong.

How about you? Do you have a resolutions or a word of the year? 

I would love to hear about them!

Resolutions + A Word for 2013

Happy 2013 (a few days late!)

I love welcoming in a New Year.

I love looking back & reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the fresh start of a new year.

Before we look at my resolutions, let's take a look at how I did on my 2012 resolutions:

Since I am a teacher, I love "grading" myself on how I did.

1. Read 1 book a month. 

Well, I didn't read 1 book a month (that whole having a newborn got in the way) But I did read 10 books this past year, so I give myself a B-.

2. Go on a date with Kevin once a month, no kids. 

Yeah....that didn't happen either. Again, the whole 3rd baby and  newborn thing. 

I give us a D.....this NEEDS to change in 2013.

3. Try not to hit snooze 5 times when my alarm goes off. 

I am inconsistent. I did really good for a few months. Then it was summer, so no alarm! But, then, when it was time to go back to work after my maternity leave.....there I go again, hitting the snooze.

Again, I blame being exhausted from having a newborn & 3 kids. 

I give myself a C-. 

(Side note: I have shifted the blame to my kids for the first 3 resolutions that I didn't follow through on. Sorry kids. Ha!)

4. I am going to Simplify. 

I give myself an A- on this. In 2012, I did 40 Bags in 40 Days 

and got rid of SO much stuff. It might have taken me 5 months, not 40 days, but Hey! I finished.

5. Keep my car clean. 

Again, I am inconsistent with this, so I give myself a C+

Can I blame it on my kids again? They are the ones who trash my car. Ha!

6. Drink more water. 

If you know me, you know that I do not like water. 

I could live off coffee, Diet Coke & Wine :)

BUT, since I was pregnant for 8 months of 2012, I did awesome at drinking water. When I am pregnant the only thing I drink is water (and sometimes juice) so I give myself a B+ for the year of drinking more water. 

I would have given myself an A, but once I gave birth to Luke, my water intake has dropped big time.

 
7. Figure out a Laundry System. 

Haven't really figured out a system.

In fact, as I sit here typing this, there is a pile of clean laundry that needs to be folded and another clean load in the dryer (that has been there for 2 days.) So, I give myself a C+ on this because I feel like overall I have gotten better about not letting laundry pile up so much this year, but again, the whole newborn thing adds SO much more laundry. I was really on top of things until my maternity leave was over. Still searching for a good laundry system.

 
8. Host a wine tasting party for our neighbors.

FAIL. That didn't happen, so I get an F. I was pregnant for 8 months in 2012, so why would I want to host a wine party when I couldn't even drink it?!?! So selfish, I know :) Hope to make it happen in 2013.
 

9. No more piles!

I will have to give myself a B with this. My piles are lessening around the house, but they haven't disappeared completely.

 
10. Set boundaries. 

I am a people pleaser. It is SO hard for me to say "No" to things because I am such a people pleaser. But, I have been learning that it is okay to say No and it is good to have boundaries. But, I feel like I got an A- in this category this year! Yay for progress!

Even though I am a failure with most of these, I still make resolutions each year.
I think it is good to take time to reflect as the year comes to a close and a new one begins.

So, here are my resolutions for 2013:

1. Date night with Kevin once a month. Yes, I know I said it last year, but we REALLY need to do this. With 3 kids & both of us working, we need to be even more intentional about date nights so we can reconnect as husband & wife and best friends. 

2. Stick to a budget. We don't really have a budget. We don't spend outside our means, but do we really know how we are spending our money? (I know, at Target!) But in all seriousness, I need to figure out how much I spend on necessitates versus how much I spend on frivolous & dumb things.

3. Meal Planning. I am pretty good at meal planning. But, I have gotten lazy about it (can I blame having 3 kids again?) I used to be really good about sitting down on Sunday after church & meal planing for the whole week. I want to get back to doing this.

4. Try out 3 new recipes a month. I feel like I am always cooking the same things for dinner. So, my goal for 2013 is to try out 3 new recipes a month! This will be helpful with my meal planning also!

5.Get the girls to eat better. We have PICKY eaters. I have fallen into the bad habit of making them something different from what Kevin & I have. So, in 2013, I am going to do better at making them eat a bigger variety of foods besides mac&cheese, chicken nuggets, PB&J, grilled cheese, pizza & hot dogs. I am going to have them start eating what we eat. I know this will take baby steps, but it needs to happen.

6. Laundry. For real. I need to figure out a system. I might have to bite the bullet & start doing it everyday. But that also means I need to start folding it and putting it away each day. *sigh* 

I despise laundry.

7. Take better care of myself. So many times I go to bed without washing my face (I know....terrible)

I don't exercise (I am blessed with good metabolism) but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be active. I know it will give me more energy. I was a former college athlete for crying out loud. It's just healthy to be active. Hey, we got Just Dance 4 for Christmas, so that's a start :) And by taking better care of myself I guess that means I shouldn't have ice cream every night. Also, by taking care of myself that includes being more daring with my wardrobe and not being stuck wearing the same old boring things. (More on this next week!)

8. Be more intentional with the girls. I feel bad that often times when they ask me to play with them, etc I have to say "No" or "In a minute" because I am nursing Luke or dealing with him. I feel like the past few months I have been in survival mode and I haven't gotten to really do fun things with them. They are really good about playing together and they love each other, but I feel like I have taken that for granted. I miss doing fun things like baking with them, etc.

9.  Go to bed earlier. I am queen of the midnight bedtime. I am a night owl. I would stay up until 1 or 2 every night if I didn't have to work. But, I know I am a better wife, mom & teacher when I get more sleep, so I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to be more disciplined with my bedtime.

10. Do 40 Bags in 40 Days again this year. This was SO good for me to do and I can't wait to do it again. Even though I just finished it this summer, I feel the clutter & stuff creeping back in and I don't like it. 

This leads me to my word of the year. 

Each year I pick a word to focus on for the year.

In 2010, I chose Intentional.

In 2011, I chose Cherish.

In 2012, I chose Nurture.

In 2013, my word is:

I feel like many times I am running around like a crazy person.

(Probably because I am!!!!!)

With 3 kids, one of them being a baby, life can be busy (for those of you who have more than 3, I don't know how you do it. PROPS to you.)

In 2013, I want to SIMPLIFY so that I don't feel like a crazy person.

LESS is the new MORE.

I want to Simpify my time by saying NO to things. I am a YES girl, a people pleaser.

I am trying to re-train my brain that it is OKAY to say No to things. This has been a long process. I still have work to do with this.

I want to Simplify my house. Like I mentioned earlier, last year, I did 40 Bags  in 40 Days and I 100% plan on doing it again this Spring. My closets & cupboards are feeling disorganized & cluttered again. When my home is not organized, I feel like the rest of my life is unorganized. I want to get rid of more STUFF and feel peace in our home.

I want to Simplify my shopping. Again, this goes back to the budget things. 

Do I REALLY need that cardigan at Target when I have a closet full of cardigans?

Even though it is "on sale" or a good price, that doesn't mean I need it. 

Do I really need that stuff from the Dollar Bin? Hey! It's only $1.

No, I don't need it.

I want to Simplify my shopping.

 I need to Simplify by making ONE meal for our family, not making a meal for Claire, a meal for Kate and a meal for Kevin & I. 

I need to Simplify our schedules. I am a very social person. I like saying YES to every event. But I need to stop squeezing in everything we are invited to, like going to 3 parties in one day. 

I need to Simplify "myself". More of God & My Family and less of "me".

I read this quote a few weeks ago and it spoke to me.

"SIMPLIFY:  To eliminate those things we don't need or that may take away from the more important things in our lives"

 I am excited to live a more simple life this year.

How about you? Do you have a resolutions or a word of the year? 

I would love to hear about them!

Goals & A Word for 2012

We are 1 week into 2012, so I thought I would blog about my New Years Resolutions & Re-cap how I did in 2011.

Yes, I am "one of those" people who does New Years Resolutions.
I don't know why I do them because I FAIL at some of them every year.
But I will still continue to make resolutions & "attempt" to keep them.

Last year, I called my list 11 hopes for 2011.
Here is how I did:

1. Go to Bed Earlier.
Sigh. I have this resolution EVERY YEAR. And, every year, I pretty much fail.
I did *slightly* better this year, so I am giving myself a D instead of an F.

2. Continue Meal Planning each week.
I give myself an A- with this. I was really good about Meal Planning for the week on Sundays & having a plan of what our meals are for the week. As a working mom, meal planning has simplified my life so much!

3. Eat Breakfast.
I give myself a B+ for eating breakfast. I stock up on Luna bars & keep a few boxes in my classroom & every morning I have a Luna Bar for breakfast somewhere between 1st & 3rd period. Ha!

4. Read 1 book a month.
I read 10 books this year (rather than the 12 I had as a goal) so, I give myself a B- on this.
I love reading, but I don't make time for it. Boo!

5. Date night with Kevin once a month.
Yeah...that didn't happen. I give us a C- on date nights. We had a ton of weddings, but that doesn't count as "date" night

6. Figure out a good cleaning schedule.
Yeah....not so much. We clean our house on the weekends because we are both too tired to do it during the week. I still need to figure out a daily schedule so that I am not spending my weekends & Sunday nights cleaning my house. I give myself a C on the cleaning schedule.

7. Stay on top of Laundry.
FAIL. FAIL. FAIL.

8. Host an Official Neighborhood Party
We wanted to host a wine tasting night with our neighbors this year, but we never got a date on the calendar, so I am rolling this over to 2012. I did invite all our neighbors to Claire's Cowgirl Party & most came, but that wasn't an official court party. We also hosted a pizza/mexican train game night at our house which was fun, but I still want to do a wine tasting party! I give us a C+ on this.

9. Eat more Vegetables.
I give myself a B- on this. Because of our garden, I at WAY more veggies than I normally do!

10. Plant a Garden & Grow our own Vegetables.
Totally giving myself an A on this. Our garden was AWESOME this year, especially being first time gardeners. I was so proud of our garden & it will be hard to top it this year. We grew so much. For sure a highlight of the year!

11. Potty train Claire.
We did the 3 day method with Claire in February & it worked great! More like 4 days, but still great. She has been diaper free since February & pull up (at night) free since March! Woo-hoo! I give us an A for sure.

So now, onto my goals for 2012.

1. Read 1 book a month. This goal is on here yet again. I LOVE reading, I just haven't made the time to do it on a consistent basis. I already have 4 books waiting for me to read...The Hunger Games Series & The Help. I am going to start reading this weekend!

2. Go on a date with Kevin once a month, no kids. So that we can reconnect & spend time together without distractions! I want to be intentional with this every month!! Even if we don't "go out" we can have date nights at home after the girls are in bed.

3. Try not to hit snooze 5 times when my alarm goes off. (This one is for Kevin). I am a REALLY heavy sleeper. And, I don't like waking up in the morning. So, it hit snooze on my alarm. A lot. It is a big pet peeve of Kevin's, so I am REALLY going to try and work on this. Old habits are hard to break.....

4. I am going to Simplify. We have so much "stuff". I am going to clean out our clothes, the girls toys and our closets every 3-4 months and donate stuff we don't need to those who DO need it. Less is MORE!

5. Keep my car clean. Kevin just detailed the inside of my car & spent 3 hours cleaning it. It looks AMAZING. It is so nice having a clean car. I want to keep it like this. Wish me luck!

6. Drink more water. I have been known to just drink coffee, diet coke & wine for several days in a row....with NO water. So NOT healthy. I am already off to a good start this year drinking lots of water. Hope I can keep it up the WHOLE year.

7. Figure out a Laundry System. Seriously. I am THE worst at laundry. I don't like doing it, I don't like folding it, I don't like putting it away. This needs to change. I am sick of the laundry pile & have got to get it figured out. Any suggestions are welcome :)

8. Host a wine tasting party for our neighbors. I really wanted to do this last year, but we never got around to it, so I want to make it a priority this year! It needs to happen!

9. No more piles! I am Queen of piles. It drives Kevin crazy & drives me crazy also. In our bedroom, I like to "pile" my clothes on a dresser or chair. I have "piles" in closets. I have "piles" in the laundry room. Just say NO to piles!

10. Set boundaries. I am a people pleaser. It is SO hard for me to say "No" to things because I am such a people pleaser. But, I have been learning that it is okay to say No and it is good to have boundaries. I have been working on this the last few months & it has been so freeing. However, I still have a lot of work to do in this area.

Now, onto my word of 2012 that I want to focus on.
NURTURE.
Nurture can be a verb or a noun:

verb

1.to feed and protect: to nurture one's offspring.

2. to support and encourage, as during the period of training or development

3. to bring up; train; educate.

noun

4. rearing, upbringing, training, education, or the like.

5. development: the nurture of young artists.

6. something that nourishes; nourishment; food.

I want to nurture my family, my friendships & myself.

My Girls:
Next week I am registering Claire for her Preschool (starting in the Fall) and in a few weeks I will be registering Kate for Kindergarten!!!! (Be still my heart). I feel like this is a crucial year for me to be nurturing my girls as they both head off to their respective schools in the Fall. I want them to know that they are loved, respected, smart, worthy & confident, especially as they walk into those schools.

My husband:
This year Kevin and I will be celebrating 10 years of Marriage! But there are still areas of our marriage that need to be nurtured. I need to work harder about nurturing him (& listening to him). I want to be a better wife. I am pretty lucky & don't want to take him (or our marriage) for granted even though I do sometimes.

My Relationships:
I want to nurture my friendships that I have had for years or even for a few months.
This past year, there were 2 friendships from various stages of my life that I felt had slipped for whatever reason (nothing bad, just grew apart) Those friendships were on my heart & I we were able to reconnect late 2011. It was SO good for my soul. I want to continue to nurture those relationships & other ones in 2012. I am so thankful for all the friendships/people that God has put in my life and want to make sure they stay solid.

My Relationship with God:
I don't know about you, but so often I put God on the back burner. I pray daily, but digging into HIS word, the Bible has become more of a chore for me. That is NOT OKAY. I need nurture my relationship with God and that not only includes prayer, but spending time in His Word. I need to become more disciplined in my time with HIM.

Myself:
I need to nurture myself. This has to do with Goal #10 of setting boundaries.
I want to focus on things that nurture me & my family and cut out the things that don't. Like, junk food, wasted time, clutter, etc. I want to focus on the things that do nurture....drinking lots of water, being creative, reading. I want to nurture those around me who don't have what they need....handing out Blessing Bags to homeless & continued work with Project 320 & NILMDTS.

So, there you have it. My 2012 Goals & Word of the Year.
What about you?
Do you have any Resolutions or Goals or Words you will focusing on in 2012?

11 Hopes for 2011

We are 5 days into the year 2011, so I thought I would blog my New Years Resolutions.

Yes, I am "one of those" people who does New Years Resolutions.
I don't know why I do them because I FAIL at some of them every year.
But I will still continue to make resolutions & "attempt" to keep them.

Instead of calling them Resolutions this year, I am calling them "Hopes" for the year.
I "hope" I follow through with these Resolutions/Hopes.

But before I share this years, let's review & grade my Resolutions for last year
(which I called Intentions)
2010 Intentions:
1. Go to bed earlier. Try and be in bed by 10-10:30 pm on school nights.
Big Fat Fail. I still go to bed between 11 pm & midnight.

2. Start running again. Seriously people. Have I mentioned that I haven't worked out since MARCH 2006?!?! That is just wrong. I am so ashamed of myself for this lack of exercise. My college soccer teammates would be SHOCKED if they knew this!
Another FAIL. Although, I did go running ONCE this summer.
One time in 4.5 years = pathetic.

3. Try a new recipe at least 3 times a month. I LOVE to cook, but find myself getting in ruts where I cook the same thing over and over and over again. Did I mention I got The Pioneer Woman Cookbook for Christmas? It rocks. I am trying one of her recipes tomorrow night!
I give myself a B+ on this. I tried a lot of new recipes this year! Not 3 a month, but probably 2 a month.

4. Be more consistent with meal planning. I go in streaks where I am really good about this, and then I get lazy for a few weeks & don't plan our meals until the last minute. It is so much easier (and cheaper!) to meal plan.
I give myself an A- with this. I did weekly meal planning almost every week!

5. Learn to sew! My mother in law got me a sewing machine for Christmas since I have been wanting to learn how to sew for the past 6 months. I have already made 3 things. 2 turned out "decent" and 1 was a complete disaster. I should do a blog post about it. It will make you feel really good about yourself.
I give myself a C with this. I didn't sew anything too exciting, but I did sew & applique several shirts for the girls this year. (For their birthdays, Valentines Day, Easter & Halloween)

6. Read 1 book a month. This is not a hard task, I can't believe I have failed at this the past few years. (I already read the Pioneer Woman Cookbook cover to cover on Sunday. Does that count as my first book of 2010?)
I give myself a D. I only read 7 books, not 12.

7. Try not to hit snooze 5 times when my alarm goes off. (This one is for Kevin). I am a REALLY heavy sleeper. And, I don't like waking up in the morning. So, it hit snooze on my alarm. A lot. It is a big pet peeve of Kevin's, so I am REALLY going to try and work on this. Old habits are hard to break.....
Okay...I have gotten SOOOO much better at this, right Kevin?
I asked him to grade me on this & he gave me a C-.
Ouch. That is better than an F, right? :)

8. I am going to Simplify. We have so much "stuff". I am going to clean out our clothes, the girls toys and our closets every 3-4 months and donate stuff we don't need to those who DO need it. Less is MORE!
I give myself a B on this. I did about 4 huge clean outs this year...but I need to keep doing this!

9. Bake or craft with the girls at least once a week. We had so much fun during Christmas Week. I want to incorporate more of that into our weekly routine!
I am giving myself a B+ on this. We did a lot of baking/cooking together this year. Both girls LOVE to help in the kitchen!

10. Go on a date with Kevin once a month, no kids. So that we can reconnect & spend time together without distractions!
Yeah, this didn't happen once a month. With the move & trying to get used to our new mortgage, we didn't have any extra money for a monthly date night. But, we will be attempting this again for 2011.

Even though I am a failure with most of these, I still make resolutions each year.
I think it is good to take time to reflect as the year comes to a close and a new one begins.

Here are my 2011 resolutions/goals/hopes in list form.
I love lists, so here you go:

Mel's 11 Hopes for 2011

1. Go to Bed Earlier.
Yes, I have this as a resolution every year, but I need to stop being such a night owl. Again, my goal is to be in bed by 10:00-10:30 (Instead of midnight). Last night I was asleep by 10:30. Glorious, I tell you! I need to keep this up.

2. Continue Meal Planning each week.
My goal is to have a meal plan done every Sunday for the week. It makes my life so much easier during the week if I have meal plans. Another goal for this is to have Monday's dinner made on Sunday (like a casserole of some sort) so all I have to do on Monday is heat up the dinner.

3. Eat Breakfast.
I am one of those people who isn't hungry when they wake up. (Kevin & Kate on the other hand are the type of people who need to eat almost immediately after they wake up) Because I am not hungry when I wake up, I often forget to eat breakfast. It will be 11:00 and I will be in the middle of teaching & my stomach will start growling and I realize that I am STARVING! I used to keep Luna bars in my classroom, so I need to either start doing that again or have a bowl of cereal before school. Having just coffee for breakfast is not a good idea! Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, so I need to start eating it!

4. Read 1 book a month.
This goal is on here yet again. I LOVE reading, I just haven't made the time to do it on a consistent basis, the last 2 years, I have only read 7 books each year. Going for 12 this year!

5. Date night with Kevin once a month.
Because Kevin's mom gave us the "Gift of Sleep" for Christmas, the girls are going to have sleepovers at her house 2 Tuesdays a month. Kevin and I are going to make 1 of those date nights & go to dinner or go out to coffee and play cribbage (using gift cards that we got for Christmas).

6. Figure out a good cleaning schedule.
Our new house is almost twice as big as our other house and I am having the HARDEST time keeping it as clean as I would like. I am a neat freak & with 2 young kids, a messy dog, working, etc. I am having a hard time keeping on top of it. I am going to come up with some sort of daily schedule instead of just saving it for the weekend. And, I need to come up with a better system for our floors. About 75% of our house is hardwood, so cleaning the floors is totally overwhelming. Anyone have advice?

7. Stay on top of Laundry.
Laundry is my nemesis. I just can't keep up.
What I have been doing with the laundry situation isn't working.
I have been saving all of our laundry for the weekends, but then I am just overwhelmed with load after load after load. And, I HATE folding laundry. (Currently I am staring at 4 loads of clean, unfolded laundry......ugh) I would love to hear other people's laundry systems.

8. Host an Official Neighborhood Party
I think we live on the most social court in Northern California. Our court has some sort of block party or get together at least once a month. Certain houses host the same party every year. For example, our neighbors to the left always have Chippino night in January, our neighbors to the right have a Cinco de Mayo party every May, Across the street is in charge of the Memorial Day Block Party, Two houses away from us host the 4th of July Pool Party, one house is in charge of the Labor Day Block Party, another house hosts the Halloween Party, another one hosts the Christmas Party & another family does a New Years Party. (I told you our court is social.....all these parties are just for people on our court! This doesn't include all the unofficial get togethers that happen as well!) Kevin and I want to add another "Official Court Party" to the mix. I think we want start hosting some sort of wine tasting party every Fall. We need to make it happen!

9. Eat more Vegetables.
Our family LOVES fruit. We eat a lot of fruit. Vegetables? Not so much.
And, I like vegetables....I don't know why I don't include them in every dinner. Sure, most of my dinners have some sort of vegetable with the meal, but I need to get more consistent with making side dishes of just veggies & make more green salads.

10. Plant a Garden & Grow our own Vegetables.
Our side yard is empty, so we want to put in a garden.
We both grew up in houses that had vegetable gardens (and they still do!)
There is NOTHING better than home grown tomatoes!
This will help with #9, if we have more vegetables readily available.

11. Potty train Claire.
Really, I should have done this about 2 months ago because she is showing signs of being ready. We didn't potty train Kate until she was 2 years 6 months, so I think I have been "ignoring" the fact that Claire has been ready since right after she turned 2 in September. By making this one of my goals, it will help keep me accountable :)

So, there you have it. My 11 goals/resolutions/hopes for 2011.

And, like last year, I decided to pick a word for the year.
Last year for 2010, I chose the word INTENTIONAL to be my focus.

This year, the word I want to focus on is:
CHERISH.
Here is what cherish means according to dictionary.com

–verb (used with object)

1. to hold or treat as dear; feel love for.

2. to care for tenderly; nurture.

3. to cling fondly to.

I’m focusing on cherishing the little things (and big things) in life.

I want to CHERISH my children.
My girls are growing so fast. I can't believe Kate will be FOUR in a few weeks. In a year and a half she will be starting Kindergarten. I feel like a need to reflect and spend time with the idea that I need to do more than just get through the day with my kids, I need to enjoy the stages that they are in. Yes, I will even try and cherish the Terrible 2's stage Claire is in. I want to cherish these years of them wanting me to play with them, wanting to snuggle with me & needing me to do little things. Because before I know it, they will be teens & young women & going off to college. I want to cherish the days...like the famous quote, "The days are long but the years fly by".

I want to CHERISH my husband.
My husband is awesome. One of the greatest (and cutest) guys I know. I am soooo lucky & take for granted the awesome man I get to call my husband.
These years with young kids have been hard. Our kids don't sleep well. We are tired.
We don't get a lot of "us" time.
We need to keep marriage balanced so that we are more than just the kids parents.
Hopefully consistent date nights will help us reconnect & have fun together.

I want to CHERISH my family.
We are incredibly lucky that we live in the same town as both of our parents & siblings.
We have a lot of fun things in 2011 with our families. Honestly, I don't know what we would do without our family so close. When I am at work, my mom watches the girls 3 days a week & my mother in law watches them 2 days. My sisters baby sit for us so we can go to Small Group, so I can run errands, etc. For my family, we have my younger sister's wedding in April. I want to cherish that day (and the days leading up to it) and not get to overwhelmed with planning her shower, Bachelorette party, etc. And, this summer we have the Disney cruise with Kevin's family. It is going to probably be the trip of a lifetime & I want to cherish every moment of it and not be stressed about flying, taking a red eye, traveling to a different country, etc.


I want to CHERISH my other relationships.
Including my girlfriends, our Small Group, people I work with and our neighbors.
I am so thankful for the people & friends God has put in my life. I want to grow & go deeper with those relationships, especially my relationship with God.

What about you? Do you have any Resolutions or Goals or Words you will focusing on in 2011?

Intentions for 2010

So, because it is officially January 2010, that means it is time to list my New Year's Resolutions. Yes, I am "one of those" people who does New Years Resolutions.
I don't know why I do them because I FAIL at them some of them every year, but I will still continue to make resolutions & "attempt" to keep them.

Here were my resolutions from last year.

Let's see how I did....

1. Go to bed earlier. Seriously. I am RARELY in bed before 11:00 pm. This needs to change!! FAIL. I am now rarely in bed before midnight. Going to add this to the 2010 list.

2. Organize the closets in my house and KEEP them organized. Some of them are VERY scary!
I give myself a C- on this. I did really the first part of the year & also this summer I went through and organized ALL the closets. But, within the last month or so, half of the closets look scary again. *sigh*.

3. Read more books. I think I only read 5 books this year. SO pathetic. I want to read at least 1 book a month. I LOVE reading, I just need to make it a bigger priority.
FAIL. I read 7 books in 2009. Not even close to one a month. I read a lot of blogs, does that count for something?

4. I want to run a 5K or a 10K. Maybe a triathlon. These are things I have done in the past, but since being a mommy, I have neglected. I guess this means I need to start running again & I miss doing athletic competition.
FAIL. Didn't even go running once. Wow, I am really pathetic.

5. I want to volunteer more. I don't know what that looks like right now, (I have a few things in mind) but I want to give my time to something I am passionate it about.
HOORAY! A New Year's resolution that I actually accomplished! This year I volunteered in Kate's Sunday School class once a month, became a breast milk donor, was accepted as a volunteer affiliate photographer for NILMDTS and was part of Project 320.

6. Drink more water. I think my body would appreciate me more if I drank something other than coffee, diet coke & wine.
I give myself a B+ for this. I drank more water and I pretty much gave up diet coke! I only have 1 or 2 a month (as opposed to 1 a day). But, I still have coffee every morning & a glass of wine *almost* every night. Not giving those up. No way.
7. Floss my teeth everyday. I am a great brusher, I brush 3 times a day, but I need to floss everyday. My roommate (Brittany) from college is now a Dentist in Denver & she told me to only floss the teeth you want to keep. Yikes!
I give myself a C- in this. I was really good for the first part of the year, but then I slacked off. I floss more than I did last year, but still not everyday. The good news is I got a good report at my last dentist appointment. The best invention ever? Our Oral B electric toothbrush.

8. Stop buying little "things" at Target. I need to stay away from the dollar section. Kevin will appreciate this one. He hates it when I buy all that "crap".
I give myself a B- for this. I have been pretty good on my Target shopping excursions. And, I even challenged myself & didn't allow myself to go to Target in the month of October. That was HARD. But, i did it & it helped break my 2-3 time a week Target shopping habit.

9. Be more disciplined. Small statement, but encompasses so much.
Still have a lot of work to do on that.....

10. Take at least 1 picture everyday. Sounds easy, I wonder if I can do it. Don't worry, I won't post them all here, but today I will!
I took almost 10,000 pictures in the year 2009. I missed a few days, but if my girls look back on my photos for the year 2009, there will NOT be a shortage.

So, now that you have seen what a total FAILURE I am at New Year's Resolutions here is a new list for 2010. Will someone PLEASE help keep me accountable? I obviously need all the help I can get when it comes to keeping resolutions, so I will refer to them as Intentions, things I intend to do this year!
(You will notice that some of these are repeats from 2009)

INTENTIONS for 2010:
1. Go to bed earlier. Try and be in bed by 10-10:30 pm on school nights.

2. Start running again. Seriously people. Have I mentioned that I haven't worked out since MARCH 2006?!?! That is just wrong. I am so ashamed of myself for this lack of exercise. My college soccer teammates would be SHOCKED if they knew this!

3. Try a new recipe at least 3 times a month. I LOVE to cook, but find myself getting in ruts where I cook the same thing over and over and over again. Did I mention I got The Pioneer Woman Cookbook for Christmas? It rocks. I am trying one of her recipes tomorrow night!

4. Be more consistent with meal planning. I go in streaks where I am really good about this, and then I get lazy for a few weeks & don't plan our meals until the last minute. It is so much easier (and cheaper!) to meal plan.

5. Learn to sew! My mother in law got me a sewing machine for Christmas since I have been wanting to learn how to sew for the past 6 months. I have already made 3 things. 2 turned out "decent" and 1 was a complete disaster. I should do a blog post about it. It will make you feel really good about yourself.

6. Read 1 book a month. This is not a hard task, I can't believe I have failed at this the past few years. (I already read the Pioneer Woman Cookbook cover to cover on Sunday. Does that count as my first book of 2010?)

7. Try not to hit snooze 5 times when my alarm goes off. (This one is for Kevin). I am a REALLY heavy sleeper. And, I don't like waking up in the morning. So, it hit snooze on my alarm. A lot. It is a big pet peeve of Kevin's, so I am REALLY going to try and work on this. Old habits are hard to break.....

8. I am going to Simplify. We have so much "stuff". I am going to clean out our clothes, the girls toys and our closets every 3-4 months and donate stuff we don't need to those who DO need it. Less is MORE!

9. Bake or craft with the girls at least once a week. We had so much fun during Christmas Week. I want to incorporate more of that into our weekly routine!

10. Go on a date with Kevin once a month, no kids. So that we can reconnect & spend time together without distractions! (Thanks, Becky for the great idea!)

In addition to my New Year's Resolutions, I am also choosing a word to live by for the year.

I have read about this idea on several blogs that I read.

The idea was started by Ali Edwards a few years ago & the idea is to chose one word to focus on for the year. You can read about it HERE.

So, my word for 2010 is going to be:

INTENTIONAL.
this is defined as:
"done with meaning, significance or purpose"

I want to live intentionally this year.
I want to do things with purpose & significance.

When I get home from work, I want to be INTENTIONAL with the time I have with my girls. I want to make my time with them count, enjoy playing with them & put my own agenda aside.

When Kevin and I have time to spend together when the girls are asleep, I want to be INTENTIONAL about it, not just zoning out in front of the computer, TV or movie.

When it comes to teaching, I want to be INTENTIONAL about it. Focusing on my students when I am at work & not counting the minutes until school is out.

When it comes to doing my Bible Study or quiet time, I want to be INTENTIONAL about it & making it a prority instead of saving it until the last minute.

When it comes to spending money (or saving money) I want to be INTENTIONAL about it. Think before I buy & be quick to put money in savings.

As a neighbor, I want to be INTENTIONAL. Inviting them over for dinner, lending a hand, making them cookies, saying hello.

As a friend (and sister) I want to be INTENTIONAL. Returning phone calls, responding to emails, commenting on blogs, listening when you need someone to talk to, doing random acts of kindness, watching their kids if they need a break or a favor.

And, finally....be INTENTIONAL on keeping my New Year's Resolutions.

What is your word for 2010 going to be?

Happy New Year!

I love New Year's. It is like a clean slate, a new beginning. A time to reflect on the year past & look ahead to the coming year. And, I am one of those people who actually LOVES making New Year's Resolutions. I love making lists, all kinds of lists & New Year's Resolutions are another kind of list! Nothing feels better than crossing something off a list!

So, here is my List for 2009:
Disclaimer: Of course, I have all the generic ones on my list: Grow closer to God, be a better wife & better mom but those are things I try and strive for daily, not so much resolutions.

1. Go to bed earlier. Seriously. I am RARELY in bed before 11:00 pm. This needs to change!!
2. Organize the closets in my house and KEEP them organized. Some of them are VERY scary!
3. Read more books. I think I only read 5 books this year. SO pathetic. I want to read at least 1 book a month. I LOVE reading, I just need to make it a bigger priority.
4. I want to run a 5K or a 10K. Maybe a triathlon. These are things I have done in the past, but since being a mommy, I have neglected. I guess this means I need to start running again & I miss doing athletic competition.
5. I want to volunteer more. I don't know what that looks like right now, (I have a few things in mind) but I want to give my time to something I am passionate it about.
6. Drink more water. I think my body would appreciate me more if I drank something other than coffee, diet coke & wine.
7. Floss my teeth everyday. I am a great brusher, I brush 3 times a day, but I need to floss everyday. My roommate (Brittany) from college is now a Dentist in Denver & she told me to only floss the teeth you want to keep. Yikes!
8. Stop buying little "things" at Target. I need to stay away from the dollar section. Kevin will appreciate this one. He hates it when I buy all that "crap".
9. Be more disciplined. Small statement, but encompasses so much.
10. Take at least 1 picture everyday. Sounds easy, I wonder if I can do it. Don't worry, I won't post them all here, but today I will!