New Year's Resolutions

New Year's Resolutions

#1 - Learn To Cook
I am the queen of convenience meals. I can make some mean tacos, some decent spaghetti, and a pretty good beef stew. Of course, all my ingredients are mainly pre-packaged, pre-mixed, pre-cooked, etc. My most proud meal is the beef and noodles recipe I learned from my grandmother. There really is nothing more satisfying than putting a roast into the crock pot with some water, seasoning salt, and ground cloves, to cook all day. But I need to do more. We need to start making healthier choices as a family. With our more relaxed schedule, there is NO reason we can't all sit down to the dinner table as a family most nights of the week. So, I will learn to cook. I will find more ways of preparing chicken. I will explore different types of fish. I will learn to saute, roast, simmer, and grill. We will eat more vegetables. We will eat less high fructose corn syrup.

#2 - Finish one major home improvement project
I really am relying on my husband to help me accomplish this. There are many things we need to do to our home if we ever hope to sell it for a reasonable profit. I have many choices and projects in mind: re-landscape the front area of our house; paint and put down new floors in our kitchen; put down a new floor in our family room. Those are the big three. Since I really do enjoy spreadsheets and planning, my mission is to price all of the materials needed for these projects, estimate the time it will take to accomplish, and the supposed addition to the resale value of our home. Who knows, maybe we'll be inspired to do all three!

#3 - Spend more time with my family
This goes without saying, since I've already made the decision to step off stage for several months. Maya needs more work on her reading and letter recognition. My husband needs more attention from his wife. My stepkids need someone to take more interest in their activities and lives.

I haven't made resolutions in several years. Seriously, who does anymore? Or at least stick to them? But if there was ever a time that changes needed to be made in my life, it's now. By writing them down, by owning up to them now and in the face of what I assume to be just a few readers, perhaps I will have more motivation to accomplish it all. Only time will tell. Hey, I have 12 months, right?