12 For 2012

2011 was a big year for our family. BIG. We started the year off with a brand new baby boy, added in preschool for our little girl, and threw in some major (but good) changes in the husband's business right in time for the holidays. I feel like we've been going at break-neck pace for the past couple months and I'm ready for the new year to bring a little restoration to our home and our routine. In honor of the new year, here are some big and not so big resolutions for the next twelve months...


1. Lose the baby belly ~ Both the husband and I are deeming 2012 the year that we reclaim our health. We've let busyness and laziness get in the way of taking care of ourselves as we should and it's time for that to end. Goodbye skinny fat, hello skinny jeans!


2. Get that baby sleeping through the night ~ Ah, the thorn in my side. Lack of sleep is a big contributor to the issue prompting #1 and I blame myself for being a softy on this one. My little ones have both been hard to sleep-train, but I vow to win the war on this one.


3. Break my little one of her computer/tv fixation ~ This one is completely my fault and one of the highest, if not the top priority on my list. It's slowly progressing to a better point but between bed rest and a newborn at the beginning of the year, we've let PBS kids and Dora take up too much time in our house this year. 


4. Remember to floss ~ Pretty sure this one is self-explanatory.


5. Take control of the clutter ~ Like any house with people living in it, ours is prone to the clutter that comes with daily life. Bills, school papers, mail, etc. all seem to find themselves in the wrong place most of the time. Add to that the toys that end up scattered around plus all the random crap that seems to forget where it lives and it can feel pretty chaotic. Time to take back the limited space in our house and use it efficiently.


6. Blog more and blog better ~ The past year was busy and difficult in many ways as I adjusted to having two kiddos and my husband's company became more demanding of his time. I really do enjoy blogging as a creative outlet so I'm hoping to make it more of a priority as much as life allows.


7. Read more ~ I love to read, but at the end of the day sometimes a magazine or home blogs just hold stronger appeal. I miss the feeling of being captivated by a story that is not remotely close to resembling your own life. 


8. Waste less food ~ We made a lot of movement on this in the past year, but I still feel like we could do better at using what we have and eating leftovers before they are so toxic they have nowhere to go but the trashcan.


9. Have regular date nights ~ We're pretty good at getting out semi-regularly but we've let it slip in recent months as life has gotten more hectic. Sometimes it's just easier to get time by yourself than it is together, but we both recognize that the cornerstone of a strong family is a strong marriage. Definitely need to get back in the habit of going out as a couple more often.


10. Find a kitchen designer and really take the time to plan our renovation ~ We are planning a large scale kitchen redo this year. Not the DIY kind but the DNDIY (do not do it yourself) kind where walls are blown out and new cabinets are put in and appliances are replaced and heinous countertops are removed. I'm really excited for how this will improve our little house but I want to be careful that we invest the appropriate time and energy into planning so this is done right.


11. Have at least one girl's weekend ~ Again... self-explanatory right??


12. Focus on today as much as possible and be grateful for how blessed we are in this life. 


Cheers to a fabulous new year full of possibilities!