1. I have never subscribed to New Year’s Resolutions
2. 2012 will be the year for my own resolutions.

Conflicting much? I like to keep you on your toes. Well, I haven’t forgotten those goals. I actually wrote each of them down in my planner and have been tracking my progress throughout January. And to keep me accountable (and thus, more likely to stick to these goals), I’m going to do monthly updates. Since today is February 1st, I bring you an update on how I did in January.

Simplify Online

I took a long, hard look at the blogs I had subscribed to. I unsubscribed from a number of blogs I no longer read. A few personal blogs, but I had already purged that part of my reader last year. Mostly random parenting blogs that I read sometimes, but never commented on them and didn’t really feel a part of that community. That said, I also sought out some new blogs of interest (Chicago-based and parenting). I consider myself a lurker of many of those blogs right now, until I decide whether I’ll keep them around long-term or not.

Get Involved

Gavin’s daycare offers a number of parent programs; many of them are geared towards the whole family, fundraising or parenting. Sweets and I participated in one this month – it was all about child discipline. It was a nice chance to briefly chat with some of the parents and provided some interesting and useful information.

But, what that evening didn’t provide was a really good chance to get to know the parents of the kids that Gavin plays with everyday. I’ve been thinking about this for a while and I want an event just for us parents! So, I emailed the director of Gavin’s daycare suggesting a Parents’ Night Out (PNO). She was enthusiastic about my suggestion to also weave in some light fundraising, too, and we have a meeting planned with the fundraising committee this week!

Read

Towards the end of 2011, I asked Nora and Lisa to put their heads together to provide me a list of twelve books they’d recommend I read in my quest to finish 12 books in 2012. I was very excited to get started, so I began reading One Day in late December. It was a great first book – not too heavy and easy to read. I laughed. I cried. Seriously. And, I finished that book in mid-January! I immediately began my second book, Very Valentine, because I thought the title was fitting for my February read! Also? The book takes place in NYC and we have a trip planned there this month! It’s meant to be my February read. Now, if only I could carve out some time to sit down and read the way I did last month … it’s been a slow start!

Exercise & Eating

This was a very meh month on the eating and exercise front. Mostly because I was pretty darn sick the first half of the month and again towards the end of the month. And then there was that trip to Las Vegas. And, well, next thing you know, it’s February and I’m a slacker. I have been keeping track of calorie intake and think I have a pretty good grip on what I should be eating when I am exercising regularly. In other words, I pretty much maintained my weight in January. That has to change in February and I may or may not have joined a wee little neighborhood gym to get me back in the swing of things (I admit, I’ve missed the gym).

Stay in Touch

Whew boy. I live a busy life AND I have very busy friends! I did initiate calls to friends in Madison, Charlotte and Savannah. There was some amount of phone tag. But, I only actually spoke with one friend in Charlotte. That said, it felt good to reach out to long-distance friends, to hear their voices on my voicemail and to connect with a college girlfriend.

Locally, we got together with Gavin’s preemie twin for a fantastic playdate (definitely more of those to come) and went to a local children’s museum with Gavin’s cousins (also a huge hit, definitely to be repeated). There was also a visit from my parents and a number of Sundays with Sweets’ parents. Due to my stupid sinus infection, Gavin’s brush with pneumonia and Sweets’ cold, we had to cancel plans with some local blogging friends (and their adorable families), bail on getting together with Lisa when she was in town and skip the birthday party of a friend. Here’s hoping a healthier February means more fun social interactions!

Photograph

I was actually pretty good about picking up my camera this month. I shared some of those photos with you in my posts about New Year’s Eve, being sick, having fun with Sweets’ new cycling gear, our trip to the children’s museum and our trip to Vegas. I also organized all my digital photo files. Previously, I named each file with the event and date, such as “Children’s Museum January 2012.” But, those files were becoming cumbersome. So, I spent quite a bit of time organizing those files into years (2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, etc.). And, starting in 2012, I am adding monthly folders. So, those children’s museum photos … the 2012 folder has a January folder, which has a children’s museum folder and all the photos from our excursion lie there. This is not a fool-proof method. Remember those photos I took of my hair, before and after? Those are within the January folder, but are not organized into a specific sub-folder. But, my head doesn’t explode each time I go into my Photographs folder, because it is now neat and organized!

Focus on My Family

I thought about this goal a lot this month. There were a lot of days where it was just the three of us, because one (or all) of us was sick and we had to bail on other plans. I don’t count that as productive time with my family. We had plans to go to Polar Adventure Days, but had a sick house and bailed. But, there was a small success tucked in that day. Y’all don’t know how much will power it took not to plan an excursion that day with friends. We have so many friends with kids around the same age as Gavin whom we would’ve loved to have joined us. Yet, I was able to refrain from asking anyone. Even though we bailed on the day, I think it was a still a great exercise in self restraint.

That said, we did successfully do some things – just the three of us. We went out for Sweets’ birthday dinner to a local neighborhood favorite. And, we took a trip to Vegas. I had to go for work, but I thought we’d be able to sneak some family-only moments, away from all our friends and family. And you know what? We did!

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Overall, I am happy with the goals I’ve set up for myself this year. I think if I work on them a little at a time each month, I will wrap up this year a happy camper. Now that we’re one twelfth into 2012, how would you say your year is measuring up (in general or based on your resolutions for the year)?

And so, I began to keep track. How many good hair days did I have? How many times was I throwing my hair up, even when I was having a good hair day? How many bad hair days did I have? As the ugly summer months (think: hot, sticky, muggy = frizzy hair!) months wore on into my best hair days (the “best” hair days for me are when the air is dry = winter!), I noticed I was still throwing my hair up all the time. I knew I needed a change.

I put the idea in my hair stylist’s ear last month. Last week, I pulled a couple inspiration photos. And, over the weekend, I did it!

In my head, I think I was eyeing the first photo as my favorite while my hair stylist was eyeing the second photo as his favorite. So, my hair wound up a bit shorter than I envisioned. But, I’m not emotionally tied to my hair the way some people are, so I didn’t worry too much when I saw the hair fall. I know it’ll grow back.

After seven inches were chopped in the back and four to five from the front, I can honestly say I have reworked my old look into something new and fresh. It’s light and airy and maybe a bit too “mom” for me (Sweets’ first comment after “I love it!” was “Doesn’t every mom cut her hair short?!”). But … it’s fun and funky and if you can believe it, I feel more alive!

By the way, it’s been almost five years since I seriously chopped my hair. And weirdly, I was a blogger back then and documented that cut! Clearly, I don’t make big changes very often. I’m a natural brunette who dyes her hair a prettier (and less gray) shade of brown. And, only about twice a decade do I make dramatic changes to the length or style of my hair. But, I will admit I think about big changes all the time. Pink highlights! Super short and shaved in the back! Sometimes I wish I had a little more gusto in my belly to make big changes without fearing the results! For now, I’ll sit pretty and enjoy my new look!

Have you ever made a major change to your hair – gone from long to short, brown to blonde, etc.? Do you consider yourself experimental or safe with the choices you make about your hair?

2012. It’s a new year. And an old, worn, tattered me. I think about myself in 2011 and 99.9% of the year was focused on my family, namely Gavin. It was a good year to have that kind of focus. But, I ended the year feeling a bit lost. Wondering how I could improve   an already pretty darn great life. I came up with a magical list of seven ways in which I’d like to improve my life and better myself in the coming year.

Simplify Online. I’ve been feeling scattered for a year, not sure whether I’m a life blogger, a mommy blogger or something in-between. I’ve subscribed to too many new parenting blogs trying to answer that question. I now know what is and isn’t working for me; it’s time to clean up and re-focus.

Get Involved. Once upon a time, I was super involved. I was leader of my local alumni club, organized marathon training groups, volunteered with organizations that mattered. Then marriage and baby happened and I became the most dull person on earth. I know I can’t commit the same amount of time I used to have, but I can get involved. First step is to get involved in Gavin’s daycare – doing more than just paying his bills.

Read. There was a time when I read a lot. I wouldn’t say I was a voracious reader, but I’d finish a couple books each month. In 2011, I read a total of ZERO books. What the heck happened?! (Gavin, yes, I know.) I want to get back on track. My goal is to read twelve books in twelve months. I got a jump-start on this goal in December, thanks to this friend and this one.

Exercise & Eating. I set a goal for myself to exercise for 30 days leading up to my birthday last month. I did a great job. And then I got sick and the holidays happened. It’s time to redirect some energy towards exercise and eating. Last month, I downloaded this app and started tracking what I eat. My goal this year is to consistently exercise, in whatever form that takes, and to eat healthier and in moderation.

Stay in Touch. I’ve been a bad friend for over a year. Some might say I have a good excuse, but it doesn’t erase the fact I feel disconnected. My goal this year is to call at least two out of town friends each month. I also want to be targeted about making plans with in-town friends. The goal is to cultivate the relationships that are meaningful to me.

Photograph. I have a nice camera with a new portrait lens. I want to photograph more consistently and with intent this year. It might mean you’ll get sick of seeing photos of Gavin. But, I might also surprise you by branching out more. Photography has always been a hobby; I want to take some time this year to focus on it!

Focus on my Family. Clearly, I want to add in some new things this year, but I also don’t want to lose focus on what’s important. When we traveled to Galena last month, I realized how important it is to spend quality time with just Sweets and Gavin. I want to mark this year with monthly explorations, just the three of us.

I have a new means of planning my life this year (more on the planner in an upcoming post). I intend to keep track of my new direction and take notes on my successes and failures throughout the year.

Are you a resolution kind of person? If so, what’s in store for you in 2012? If not, how do you keep yourself accountable for making improvements to your life?

This photo has nothing to do with this post. However, it’s too funny not to share. The things we make Gavin do provide endless laughter for us (and a lifetime of therapy for him)!

The other day, I was reading a new-to-me blog. This particular post was talking about strategies for getting ourselves out of life ruts. And I liked what I was reading.

When I think about my own life ruts, I must admit that I don’t really feel like I’m in a rut. In fact, quite the contrary. My life has felt very full lately. And I’m kinda brimming with happiness (yeah, rainbows and unicorns, kids!). But, that doesn’t mean I don’t need a good kick in the pants. Because, I still haven’t found a good workout routine.

I guess you could say I’m in an exercise rut.

I have started running. And I try to run on the days I walk Gavin to daycare (I drop off Gavin and then go for a run). But, last week, it was dark when I was walking him to daycare. And the thought of running in the morning dark was depressing (unlike running after work in the dark, which is totally acceptable – go figure). And so, it became my excuse for only running once last week. WEAK!

So, I signed up for a one-day bootcamp through a local parenting organization. Because, talk about a good kick in the pants. 8am on a Saturday morning. I’m supposed to bring hand weights, a mat and a towel. Yeah, I expect to sweat. And to do sprints. And burpees. And interval training. I expect to end the class wanting to puke and cheer at the same time. It’s the start to that kick in the butt that I need.

Back to that blog post I was reading. The author suggested making an announcement about taking that first step out of the rut. Challenges are great ways to get out of ruts. Merely announcing what you’re going to do makes the challenge official. Makes you accountable. And I decided that’s what I needed to do to get out of this exercise rut.

So, friends, hear me roar: I am announcing my 30-2-38 CHALLENGE. What’s that, you ask? 30 days from today is my birthday when I turn 38 years old. I commit to exercising EVERY DAY. Starting today. And ending December 6, on my birthday.

What’s my definition of exercising? Well, it can’t include the gym, since Sweets and I resigned our membership from the gym. We were spending $130 a month for a membership that was collecting dust. Until we feel we’re at a place in our lives where we’ll use that membership and need a full-service gym, we’re going to focus on other ways to stay active. I’m talking walking, running, resistance training (push-ups, baby), core exercises, exercise videos, yoga and 8-ounce curls.

I kid, walking is reserved for walking from the couch to the fridge to get a beer. No, no, 8-ounce curls will have to wait until after I finish the exercise of the day, which could take place at 5am or 8pm. I will not excuse myself from doing SOMETHING each day (unless hospitalized, in which case, I grant myself a hall pass).

Once you start moving, you’ll feel unbelievably better, said that motivational blogger. It’s true. I hate running in the morning. But, once I get moving, I usually warm up and begin to feel better. I also hope it rings true in the bigger picture. Because, after the challenge? While I don’t plan to be super rigid about working out everyday, I do hope I’ll be in a better place with exercise. I hope that I will show myself how easy it is to be active each day. And maybe I will choose to continue being active, saying so-long to the exercise rut!

What sort of challenges have you put yourself up to?

I don’t turn off the TV enough.

I don’t care if we expose Gavin to the TV shows we like.

I don’t clean toilets or floors or windows.

I don’t go to the gym nearly enough.

I don’t put away Gavin’s toys or my clothes as much as I’d like.

I don’t care if company sees our house in it’s normal, mess-induced chaos.

I don’t like leftovers.

I don’t mind throwing away food if it’s over a week old.

I don’t do frozen fruits or frozen vegetables or cooked fruit.

I don’t feed Gavin green vegetables enough.

I don’t care if Gavin sometimes plays with his food instead of eating it.

I don’t keep a baby book for Gavin.

I don’t care if people frown on me for skipping this parenting must-do.

I don’t have many framed photos of Gavin (only one).

I don’t buy fresh flowers as often as I’d like.

I don’t regularly go to the farmer’s market, even though I’d like to in theory.

I don’t walk to Gavin’s music class, even though I thought we would.

I don’t drive a save-our-environment, small car.

I don’t care what people think when they see me driving a gas-guzzling SUV.

I don’t take enough time out for myself, instead preferring to spend free time with my boys.

I don’t have any regrets about the way I live my imperfect life.

I’m definitely far from perfect. What about you?