Happy New Year! 1-1-11

Ahhh, 2011 is here! It is officially 1-1-11. I love patterned numbers and dates. Doesn’t it just look cool? It is 1-1-11. I had to type it again. I even went so far as to tell Mike we should get pregnant next month and have a baby on 11-11-11. That would be extreme, and NOT gonna happen!!

2010 was a rough one for me. It started out well, and seemed to just be on a path toward destruction in the second half. I am hopefully that those issues will work themselves out and thankful that my immediate family is and has been well!

As with most people most New Year’s days, I’ve been thinking about what 2011 will mean for me with regard to change and improvement. It’s an opportunity to reflect and see what I can be doing better. So, here’s my laundry list for now.

1. I always say I and my family will eat better. So again, this is on the list. My thoughts on this for 2011 are many. I’m going to look toward more real food, and less foods that have long lists of ingredients I have never heard of. I’m going to be more forceful with my picky children and make them try new things and broaden their tastes.

2. Spinning off of number 1 is an effort to be a great couponer. I have subscribed to a couple coupon sites, Coupon Divas and the Krazy Coupon Lady, and man are there deals out there. The reason I spin 1 into 2 is that one of the things that will fit both categories is I am going to try to meal plan better. The article I was reading suggests planning and shopping for a month at once, but that might be a drastic start for me. I’m going to try two weeks. The point is that you will not end up picking up something unhealthy and expensive. Unfortunately, this has happened a lot lately with my crazy life and schedule, so this should be a good step.

3. Organize. Geez, this makes the list every year. I really need to clear out junk and clean up stuff. When we move to our next home, I want it to be easy and as painless as possible. I am not moving any junk! I need to be more diligent in getting rid of outgrown toys, instead of saying, “Oh, but Erin played with this for five minutes two weeks ago!”

4. Time management. Again, this spins off the one above it on the list. I need to organize my limited time well. With three part time jobs that I schedule around my full time job of the kids and home, I need to plan well. Then throw helping care for my mom in the mix, and I need more hours in the day! So procrastination needs to go out the window. Getting sucked into the world of Facebook needs to be limited! I will do it! I really have to, because the 1am nights were killing me since Erin is my 6am riser. I also need to be able to squeeze in my sanity hobbies – my girls nights out, my scrapbooking, and reading.

So, that’s enough for my list. I also hope to get back to blogging. Life is what it is right now, and I need to fit my family’s life around the challenges.

Here’s to 2011! Bring it on!!

Above is a picture from our very first New Year's Eve out with a sitter! We had a great time last night with our friends Ralph and Kristine.