So, I never meal planned for the month of December and I HATED not knowing what we were going to eat for dinner each night! I felt that our family suffered because I wasn't prepared for breakfast or dinner the way I normally am. This weekend we went out to breakfast (a rare treat, but only because I needed to go grocery shopping) and as a family we discussed the meals we wanted to see on the menu for the month. Well, its planned and up on my google calendar. I am truly a better mom when I've planned in advance.
So, on to the new year's resolutions, and boy do I have quite a few... and they fall into distinct categories.
First, and foremost, I need to get back to working on my health. Our eating habits have definitely taken their toll, on my energy and waistline. I plan to reduce my coffee consumption(which will be toughest part), increase my consumption of fruits and vegetables and get moving a bit more. Regular exercise has truly fallen by the wayside this year, and I NEED to get back to work. Now, to find something I like to do. I am also trying to be more conscious of what all of the kids are eating and i'm using the food pyramid game from imom.com to see if we can, as a family, eat more of what we should be eating. (As an aside, the imom.com website is really cool, with some wonderful articles and tools. I found it by accident, but will be making it a regularly visited site.)
Second, I need to get my house in order. This involves cleaning, organizing, and monitoring. We're cleaning out the excess, buying only what we truly need, monitoring the behaviors of the kids (making them pick up their stuff... more on that in a minute) and keeping on some semblance of a schedule and routine. This also is looking at my behavior and keeping some consistency in my reactions. I've already had discussions with the kids and time-outs have resumed (for all age levels... not taken well either). One thing I've instituted, and is already going well, is the ransom box. The kids are now given ONE warning to pick up an item and put it away. If it is not put away, it goes into mommy's ransom box. In order to get that item back, they must pull a stick from the chore jar and perform it. Holly is finding herself doing lots of chores, but I think she's also learning more about cleanup. This is not an original idea... its a combination from two ideas found on pinterest. I am also going to try out this calendar for getting my house organized as well.
And finally, my spiritual side is trying desperately to get back to basics, with reading the Bible daily and spending quiet prayerful reflection time each day. I will be following the 90 day Bible plan as closely as I can.
And so, in a nutshell, there is a lot in the works, and I'll write about some of it. What are some of your resolutions this year?
