Any New Plans for the New Year?

[JennNtheBoys]

I'm not a huge fan of setting Resolutions for the new year, but there are things that I really wish I could get done. So many little (and big) to do lists, that have just taken over my mind so I can think of anything but the work that needs to be done.... I just want my brain back so I can focus on the good stuff, like my family, the joys of living, the joy my hobbies bring, etc. Of course there are always self and family improvements we can all work on around here, but I really just want to get rid of the junky part first.

We have been sharing the 'old family homestead' with my brother for over a year now, and things are so cluttered I am going out of my mind.... For a long time I have been wanting to go through our storage and purge.... that way our new stuff that is here still in boxes can put away for safe keeping and clutter be no more. So many online yard sale sites in the area, it will be easy to unload the stuff (and hey, the extra cash this time of year would be nice too).... just need the kick in the butt to get started. LOL

Today I shall start making some lists..... if I can have a game plan of attack ready for the brand new year and stick with it, I will be happy. Anyone else have anything eating away at you that you just feel you have to get done already?!?!

[zakirahzakaria]

Hmm...for me, it's finding someone to settle down with. Haha, that's huge and difficult. I'm gonna be 27 next year and have started feeling lonely. Seeing lots of my friends happy with their spouses make me realize that maybe the time has come for me.

[zakirahzakaria]

Ok, now I feel like it's inappropriate to post that on a scrapping forum!

[julifish]

Originally Posted by zakirahzakaria

Hmm...for me, it's finding someone to settle down with. Haha, that's huge and difficult. I'm gonna be 27 next year and have started feeling lonely. Seeing lots of my friends happy with their spouses make me realize that maybe the time has come for me.

I don't think posting your goals among "us girls" is in unappropriate! We all have goals and plans for the next year.

My goal is to stop being so angry and mad at my husband and my daughters all the time. I'm trying to find peace and a balance between everything I have going on in my life and good friend reminded me that if I focused on doing what makes me happy that the rest will come along. So in 2015 - I'm focusing on doing what I need to do to make myself happy (and I promise not to leave my kids and husband neglected in the process.)

[JennNtheBoys]

I think those are BOTH great goals!

I am looking forward to getting the nit picky things out of the way so I can focus on the biggest goals. My big one would be Health.... clean eating, natural products, growing and preserving our own food.... that's what I want to be able to focus on in 2015. My hubby and I are both very over weight, we have 3 growing boys who probably aren't getting enough (because I have always made sure they didn't over do it because I never wanted them to have to deal with the struggles of being over weight)... I need to find the happy balance, especially when it comes to getting the kids to eat healthier foods so they can actually have more..... they seem to never stop eating (to be expected with boys I know), but they are all so skinny..... maybe it's just me and not ever having known what 'skinny' really looks like, but in any case I want them eating better just as much as I want it for myself.

[adi&co.]

I'm going to be starting school again next year and my goal is to actually do well. I have serious attention issues and it's hard for me to study. I just hope that I can juggle homeschooling the kids, keeping the house clean, school and my sanity all at the same time. It's very daunting for me and I'm afraid that I'm going to fail. I didn't do well the one year I went to college before I got married. I was working a lot though, so I'm hoping the fact that I'm not working will help me to better be able to do my classes.

[kristijoy]

Excellent goals ladies!

My main goal in the New Year is actually a family one. We all need to get better at our food habits and food prep, so we've decided several things we are going to do as a family:

1. Add green smoothies to our breakfast routine! I have a vitamix, but really haven't used it much. DH is going to do this with me, so I'm really looking forward to experimenting with him!

2. Make the dinner time meal something we prep as a family. In past years it's been 'Mommy' gets everything together for dinner and it just 'pops' out for everyone to eat. While I feel comfortable with the for DH (because of other ways we've carved out our home responsibilities) I don't feel comfortable with that for my son. My son is 8 years old and has started saying things like "You cook Mommy, I don't." 'That's something you do." "You get it for me."

That's just not a good trend. So...starting tomorrow we are all going to stop what we are doing at 5:30 and finish the meal prep together. I'll start longer cooking things earlier in the day (like the crockpot), but everything else we'll do together: making side dishes (salad, veggies), setting the table, getting drinks. If it's a 30 minute or less meal we'll do all that together. Then after dinner we'll all have cleanup jobs too. DH on the dishes, my son on sweeping and checking staples and supplies in the fridge for making lists, emptying the dishwasher if necessary (and other things as his abilities grow, and I'll work on menu planning and light food prep for the next day.

I'm hoping that this 'together' focus will help my son see that even household tasks can be happy, fun, and creative. And we should all eat better too!

[littlekiwi]

Originally Posted by zakirahzakaria

Hmm...for me, it's finding someone to settle down with. Haha, that's huge and difficult. I'm gonna be 27 next year and have started feeling lonely. Seeing lots of my friends happy with their spouses make me realize that maybe the time has come for me.

totally understand that, I am in the same boat to a certain degree & am turning 28 next year but right now I am focused on finishing my degree and getting a new job as well as becoming healthier

[littlekiwi]

Originally Posted by adi&co.

I'm going to be starting school again next year and my goal is to actually do well. I have serious attention issues and it's hard for me to study. It's very daunting for me and I'm afraid that I'm going to fail. I didn't do well the one year I went to college before I got married. I was working a lot though, so I'm hoping the fact that I'm not working will help me to better be able to do my classes.

Been there done that, I studied pre degree courses for many years between 2007-2010 while working part time and it just didn't work. I am far more focused being in my mid 20's and not working than I was straight out of high school which was the expected thing to do

[rach3975]

All good goals, ladies! This year there are a few changes I want to make. The first is no surprise-I need to get back to exercising and consistently tracking calories.

In Sept my youngest started full day school and I went back to work part time. I thought it would be an easy transition since the amount of time I have home alone to get things done now is roughly the same as what I had last year, when DD was in morning preschool a few days a week. I guess my expectations were unrealistic, because for years there have been things on the backburner that I thought I'd finally get to when the kids were all in school. And here I am, all 3 of them in school and still not getting to all the bigger house projects and "some day" stuff. If that magical extra time didn't materialize this year, it's never going to. So my second goal is to come up with a new plan for making progress on my long term to do list.

[JennNtheBoys]

Originally Posted by kristijoy

Excellent goals ladies!

My main goal in the New Year is actually a family one. We all need to get better at our food habits and food prep, so we've decided several things we are going to do as a family:

1. Add green smoothies to our breakfast routine! I have a vitamix, but really haven't used it much. DH is going to do this with me, so I'm really looking forward to experimenting with him!

2. Make the dinner time meal something we prep as a family. In past years it's been 'Mommy' gets everything together for dinner and it just 'pops' out for everyone to eat. While I feel comfortable with the for DH (because of other ways we've carved out our home responsibilities) I don't feel comfortable with that for my son. My son is 8 years old and has started saying things like "You cook Mommy, I don't." 'That's something you do." "You get it for me."

That's just not a good trend. So...starting tomorrow we are all going to stop what we are doing at 5:30 and finish the meal prep together. I'll start longer cooking things earlier in the day (like the crockpot), but everything else we'll do together: making side dishes (salad, veggies), setting the table, getting drinks. If it's a 30 minute or less meal we'll do all that together. Then after dinner we'll all have cleanup jobs too. DH on the dishes, my son on sweeping and checking staples and supplies in the fridge for making lists, emptying the dishwasher if necessary (and other things as his abilities grow, and I'll work on menu planning and light food prep for the next day.

I'm hoping that this 'together' focus will help my son see that even household tasks can be happy, fun, and creative. And we should all eat better too!

I LOVE this idea, not only does it set a good example, but it's a good time for bonding as well. I for one am terrible with this, I can't stand other people in the kitchen with me.... so for us it's Mom cooks but Dad and the boys do all the clean up. I am TRYING to get better about sharing the kitchen though, I lead the Foods group for our 4H club, so while teaching the kids in my group (all boys at that!) to cook, I am teaching myself to be more flexible about handing over some responsibility in the kitchen as well.