A New Start-January Goals

I mentioned yesterday that I had some goals for 2012.  I hesitate to call them resolutions as I feel as if I'm setting myself up to fail.  But clearly, that's what they are.  The coming of the new year brings with it a sense of change so I'm stepping up and sharing with you some things I've been wanting to do in my own life for some time.

1.  Go to the gym/work out at least 5 X a week.  

I had a pretty good routine of 4 X per week going before Christmas hit so I'd like to bump that up a little bit to get in some more cardio.  With this goal also comes the obligatory goal of losing weight.  I put on some pounds during the holidays so I have some serious work to do.  I actually took a before shot of myself yesterday morning and intend on doing an after shot on my birthday (6/3/12) 5 months from now.  Lord, let me look better than I do right now.  It was not pretty.

2.  Read my Bible everyday.

When I was working I had the perfect set up.  I read the Word during my breaks and at lunch and finished the entire thing in a year.  But since then, I've kind of been lackluster in my reading.  And honestly, I've been lost at how to approach it.  I found a Bible I was gifted when I left my job in a different translation than my regular one so I'm excited to get into it.  It has a reading program in it so I think I will follow that for now.  My plan is to do it as soon as Natalie goes down for her first nap before something else comes up.  I started yesterday.  So far, so good!

3.  Give up pop.

I'm not a big pop drinker.  I gave up caffeine when I got pregnant and have pretty much stuck to it as I've continued with the breast feeding.  But some days I just really want one, you know?  I know water is much better for me so I'm going to try to bump up my intake of that instead.

4.  Organize recipes that are winners.

I'm a meal planner.  And probably uniquely so, I exclusively make new meals.  Okay, that's not entirely true...but for the most part I'm a one and done kind of girl.  I'm not sure why, but I just have so many recipes waiting to be tried that I have never even thought of keeping a list of those that we loved.  Kind of stupid when you think about it.  So I'm going to start a folder on my desktop to compile those I would make again.  And, you know, make them again.  Does anyone have any other easy way of keeping track of this?  The folder idea's all I've got.

5.  Finish Natalie's 1 year photo book, keep up with her baby book, and print pictures to put in albums.

I'm about half way through Natalie's photo book in Blurb, but I recently got a Shutterfly coupon code for a book so I'm not sure what to do.  Anyone made one on either of these sites?  Recommendations?  

I'm fairly good about keeping up with her baby book but I have yet to print any pictures to put in there.  I'd like to get that done.

Also, I do want to print out all of our pictures and keep them in really nice leather albums just so we have them.  Do any of you do this?  Suggestions for great albums to use?

6.  Get an Ohio driver's license.

Okay.  Confession.  I have lived in Ohio probably 6 years now and I still have an Indiana driver's license.  I know.  I'm hanging my head in shame.  I do have Ohio plates though, so that's a start!  I have lots of excuses as to why I haven't done this...such as I didn't want to do it when I was pregnant...or before I lost the weight...or I didn't want to take the lame written test.  But it's seriously, seriously time.

That's my list so far.  I want to check back every month to keep an updated list of how things are going and perhaps add some new idea that come to mind as the year progresses.  Keep me accountable, okay?