Resolution Time

Happy New Year's Eve!  The dark, snowy weather and the close of the year offer a perfect time to reflect.  As Baby J naps, I am sitting by the fire and thinking about all the amazing events of 2009, and what I want for the year to come.  To me, resolutions are worthless unless they are realistic and I have some level of accountability for them.   So I'm sharing my goals here today, in the hopes that seeing them in print will help me stay true to them in the days and months to come.

Sunrise... a new beginning... a sweet New Year to come!

Resolutions 2010

I have 20 pounds of baby weight to lose; there, I said it.  The first 25 came right off, but with a packed and stressful fall with not enough time to exercise, these last 15-20 have just stuck around.  I miss my clothes and don't feel healthy with these extra pounds on... they must go!  I'd love to be back to my normal weight by the little guy's first birthday in the beginning of April.  That is my big goal for the start of this year.  

To that end, I want to go to yoga once a week.  In my ideal world, I'd go more than that, but once a week seems like a realistic goal to set for now.  The local Bikram studio has several evening classes, and with a little extra effort and an assist from the hub, I could make it once a week.  I think if I keep up my beloved runs with my work chicks and hit up some Bikram, I'll be well back on my way to fighting weight here soon.

Speaking of runs, as soon as the temperatures rise again (probably April-ish), I want to make a family run part of the weekly schedule.  It is too frigid now, but I love our BOB stroller and miss running with the husband.  I also want to get back out on the trails here in Vermont.  There are so many hikes here the husband and I adore; I want to spend more time on Mount Mansfield, and go up Camel's Hump to earn myself a Hefeweisen at The Alchemist.  We are so lucky to live in these mountains, and I want to get out and enjoy them more.  I think we need one of these for this project... I am squirreling away already.

That about covers my body, but I also want to work a bit more on my mind.  I don't read anymore, and I miss it.  It is so easy to zone out to the tube when exhaustion takes over, but I want to make more of a habit of curling up in bed or by the fire with a book.  I also want to stay more abreast of current events.  I am a Sunday New York Times junkie, but often don't get much beyond my favorite Travel and Style sections.  I want to read the Week in Review section every week, to really be in touch with the major changes happening across the globe right now and be a better informed citizen.  The husband's job revolves around new environmental policies, and I'd love to be able to discuss these with him like a grown up, instead of just reporting back who got married this week as we sit and read the paper.

Body, check.  Mind, check.  Spirit?  She deserves some attention as well.  To feed my soul, I resolve to go out on at least one legit date a month with the husband.   We do a pretty good job of making special evenings in for ourselves, but it is good for us to get out too.  I also want to take time each day to just sit quietly and reflect with gratitude on all our blessings.  Sounds corny, maybe, but it is so easy to get sucked into the chaos of the everyday and forget just how good we have it, even among all of life's challenges.  Purposeful daily gratitude combats the tendency to take these things for granted. Also on the spiritual front, I'd love to make Shabbat dinner more of a habit; preferably a potluck one with plenty of friends and wine.  Shabbat is such a lovely way to close a week, and a great tradition to start for Baby J.  L'chaim!

Finally, there are some green resolutions I'd like to make for my home.  I want to completely finish making the switch to all-natural, non-toxic cleaning products.  We're almost there, but have a few hold outs left where I haven't found a natural substitute that is as effective as it's chemical counterpart.  I just need to test more brands until I find things that work; it is better for the planet and better for Baby J, and what could be more worthwhile?  I am also embarrassed that we don't compost.  We have so much waste going out in the trash that doesn't need to sit in a landfill.  The husband has long wanted to start composting, but I was traumatized by the highly disgusting and odiferous compost experiments of an old college roommate and have resisted.  No more!  We'll come up with a non-smelly, efficient system and get on it.

And that, my friends, is what I call a resolution list.  Stay tuned and we'll see how I do tackling this baby.  I resolve to report back on all the great products, adventures and misadventures this list is sure to bring to the coming year.

What are your resolutions for 2010?

Thank you for reading and making my 2009 so much sweeter with your interest and your comments.  Wishing you a lovely evening tonight and a happy, healthy New Year!