New Year's Resolutions

I mentioned in my Year in Review post that I have a few New Year’s resolutions, but I didn’t actually say what they are. I want to put them down in writing so I’ll be held accountable and so I don’t forget in a month what I wanted to do. Things seem to stick in my head better when they are written down.

Spend less time in front of a screen. Smartphones are dangerous, dangerous beasts. I find myself checking my phone constantly, especially on my days home with Clare. I don’t know what I am hoping to find there, exactly, but usually I just end up dismayed by the amount of junk email I receive. Also, Clare knows how to unlock my phone and spends way too much time playing with it. I know her generation will treat technology like a fifth limb, but I’d like to postpone the inevitable a little longer if I can. 

Also, lately I find myself feeling unhappy after reading blogs or looking at Facebook. (Except for my friends’ blogs. I love reading those and finding out what is going on in their lives.) As I’ve mentioned before, it can send me down the rabbit hole of feeling like an inadequate parent or feeling like I am doing something wrong in my own life. I want to be more present in my life, and spend less time reading about what other people (that I don’t know) are doing in theirs.  My goal, then, is to restrict myself to looking at my favorite blogs once a week rather than every day. This should help me keep with my magazine subscriptions, too, which I am way behind on.

TV falls into this category, too. I love it, and am not giving it up. Oh no. However, I am not adding any new shows to the ones I already watch. I might miss out on something great, but I watch enough already. (Speaking of which, welcome back Downton Abbey.)

Get up when my alarm goes off, rather than snoozing for 30 minutes. It is my job to get Clare up and out the door each morning, and each morning it is the same: I don’t get up on time, I space out in the shower, and then scramble around trying to get myself and Clare ready (which is turning into a longer and longer process thanks to her newfound independence), and I start the day stressed and frazzled. I value my sleep, but I think the day will just be better if I have the time to get us both ready without having to rush.

Organize my cookbooks and recipes. Before I had Clare, cooking was one of my favorite hobbies. I’d like to get back in the kitchen, and think I am at the point where I can. Clare is interested in helping, and will stand on a chair and watch. I still won't be able to make anything too complicated, but can probably do more than make pasta or throw a roast in the crockpot. However, my recipes are a MESS. I print them off of blogs, clip them from magazines and newspapers, and copy them from friends. They are totally disorganized, though. I already picked out a stack of cookbooks to take to Half Price Books, and I plan to go through the ones I am keeping to mark recipes and get ideas for cooking in the new year.

The usual: eat less, exercise more. I have been doing a good job of exercising regularly, and I plan to keep it up. I have also started counting calories, which is no fun, but actually helps a lot.

That’s it! Now, for your entertainment, the mad dancing skillz of Clare. I had to put these on here so I can embarrass her by showing them to her prom date someday.