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2008 resolutions other than fitness/diet

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lumpkin

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Are there any areas of your life you are working to improve? What''s your strategy for meeting your goals?

I''m working on decluttering our house. It may take the whole year, LOL! We have a lot of toys, books, knick knacks, and honestly, junk, to get rid of. My husband and older son have the pack rat gene and I have to work when they are gone! I''m getting boxes and bags together and every week I''m taking things to be donated or sold to our local gently used kids'' stuff reseller.

I''m also working at organizing our household more in terms of keeping our events straight, meal planning, budgeting better, and sharing chores. I made a list of all our favorite dinners and I''m now working on ingredient lists and calendar planning so we can make the kids aware well ahead of time what we''re eating so they can pick a meal or two every week. I''m also trying to get my husband to take things he can heat up at work instead of the same old sandwich and apple. The budget is another matter. I''m hoping that by controlling the meal planning it will help our budget, but that''s the only place we can really cut. Our kids are utterly spoiled regarding chores. I need to make a list of weekly chores for each of them to do on Saturdays and Sundays. I want them to focus on school/activities during the week, but I''m sure we can do a lot better about putting away what we get out before bed.

I''m also trying to plan for fun family activities. Over the winter break the kids watched almost all of the Star Wars movies and we taught the little one to play Monopoly. We had a lot of fun, so I''m going to get the basement organized so we can play board games.
 

TravelingGal

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My only resolution is to write letters to TGuy''s grandma. She doesn''t do email, and I''d like to keep her in touch with what we are doing here in the states.
 

Mara

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i don''t really do yearly resolutions because it''s too wide of a time frame. i tend to do more like weekly or monthly resolutions, as they come along. otherwise i have ADD by march.
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my last weekend resolution was to re-org my closet, which i mostly did.
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lumpkin

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I didn''t used to do yearly resolutions, either, but with the kids in school everything is very cyclical. I can''t get anything done the first half of the school year because that''s when we have most of the social and fund raising activities and almost all our birthdays in our family. Plus the fall and winter holidays. Summer is hard with the kids home all day -- I get soooooo lazy without having some structure to the day. January is just a great time to get things done for me -- no major holidays or too many events, and the kids are in school so I can work while they are gone. I''m in organization mode and I''m kinda psyched about it. There have been so many things I''ve had to put on hold and now''s the time!!!
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musey

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I''m in on the clutter thing, though it''s not really a new year''s resolution, as it had BETTER be done by February. FI and I are only 23, we should NOT have accumulated this much stuff already!

My clutter is half-used toiletries, old school supplies, books, clothes and dancewear/shoes that I no longer use. All things that I let myself justify with "I might need it some day." I HATE that!
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We''re moving soon, and I''m excited to use it as an excuse to clear out. If it won''t be useful in the foreseeable future, it won''t even enter our new apartment!


So I guess my actual year-long resolution should be to not let the clutter accumulate, after working so hard to clear it all!
 

Independent Gal

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Every year, I make an 'environmental' resolution that involves reducing my footprint on the planet. Last year I vowed to be really rigorous about recycling. I was a recycling QUEEN! So this year, I'm going to keep that up, and then try to reduce, or maybe even eliminate my use of plastic bags.

ETA: I have also resolved to stop getting grey hair. Hey! Follicles! This isn't funny anymore!
 

lumpkin

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Mara, I meant to say your avatar is gorgeous!!! You are an excellent photographer, and your pendant is beautiful.

Musey, your avatar is gorgeous, too!!! I''m going to have to troll the archives to find out more about your diamond and ring. Congrats on your move. It''s the best motivation of all for getting rid of the stuff you don''t really need but have a tendency to keep.
 

lumpkin

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Date: 1/8/2008 3:34:51 PM
Author: Independent Gal
Every year, I make an ''environmental'' resolution that involves reducing my footprint on the planet. Last year I vowed to be really rigorous about recycling. I was a recycling QUEEN! So this year, I''m going to keep that up, and then try to reduce, or maybe even eliminate my use of plastic bags.

That''s a good one! That''s a very good one.
 

musey

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Date: 1/8/2008 3:35:50 PM
Author: lumpkin

Musey, your avatar is gorgeous, too!!! I''m going to have to troll the archives to find out more about your diamond and ring. Congrats on your move. It''s the best motivation of all for getting rid of the stuff you don''t really need but have a tendency to keep.
Thank you! There are a bunch of pics in this thread (w/ my graduation ring), and the specs are 2/3 of the way down on the page I linked you to.

It''s SO true about moving! Last time we moved, I made the VERY bad decision to store the boxes of "clutter" to deal with later. Bad, bad musey. They''ve been sitting there for over 1.5 years now!!
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lyra

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I agree with Independent Girl, I am making an even bigger effort to be greener this year. After replacing all our lightbulbs with compact fluorescents, which were mighty expensive, my friend in TX told me it''s better to go for these new LED lightbulbs. We don''t actually have those available in Canada yet, besides Christmas lights I mean. Right now they are extremely expensive she says, but in the future it will be the next thing to come after the CF''s. Heh, maybe Ikea will come out with them first? Then I''ll have to replace all the CF''s!

I must organize my bedroom!
I must make an effort to keep in touch with friends and family more often.
I must organize our paperwork.
 

mintve

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to sell my house :)

to read more books

to cook more unique recipes

to continue to make the effort to stay in touch wtih old friends and all members of my extended family

to spend more time wtih my immediate family and close friends

to finally settle on a ring setting (and not drive my FF mad in the meantime) :)
 

jcrow

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i have a few goals.

- start contributing more to my ira (already accomplished
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- learn how to knit (step one has been taken. appt has been made to take a class jan. 19)

- workout more (i know you said no fitness goals, but i had to throw that in)

- spend more time with my family
 

surfgirl

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Many years ago I made a resolution to make no more resolutions and to this day, I''ve held up my end...
 

Joolskie

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I have resolved to stop allowing the pickiness of my children dictate my mood regarding cooking for my family. That''s right. I am cooking for ME. What I like. And they can fake-throw-up, cry, whine, bitch and moan all they want... healthy food will be placed in front of them and they will eat it. Or eat nothing. Mama is taking back dinner time people!!!

Of course, I am typing this to you all having just finished my nightly food battle... over roast beef, homemade mashed potatoes and corn. Yes. They are that picky.

But they ate the corn... mooooo whooooo ha ha ha!!!!!!

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MichelleCarmen

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Mine is to organize the whole house!

Last year, I kept my resolution and went from being lazy to working out & lifting weights 5 days a week, so this has been very motivating to me that I can keep my current resolution.
 

lumpkin

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Date: 1/8/2008 6:23:22 PM
Author: Joolskie
I have resolved to stop allowing the pickiness of my children dictate my mood regarding cooking for my family. That''s right. I am cooking for ME. What I like. And they can fake-throw-up, cry, whine, bitch and moan all they want... healthy food will be placed in front of them and they will eat it. Or eat nothing. Mama is taking back dinner time people!!!

Of course, I am typing this to you all having just finished my nightly food battle... over roast beef, homemade mashed potatoes and corn. Yes. They are that picky.

But they ate the corn... mooooo whooooo ha ha ha!!!!!!

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OMG, I could have written this post!!!! I''m right there with ya, Joolskie!
 

lumpkin

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Date: 1/8/2008 9:16:20 PM
Author: MC
Mine is to organize the whole house!

Last year, I kept my resolution and went from being lazy to working out & lifting weights 5 days a week, so this has been very motivating to me that I can keep my current resolution.

Yay for MC! Good for you!
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Miranda

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Mine is more of a short term goal rather than a year long resolution. I WILL have this house completely decorated by the end of the month. I WILL. I WILL. I WILL. I know it seems silly, but, there are just so many little things that I need to order or finish and it''s driving me crazy! So the endless curtain shopping has begun! I''m not sure what I''ll do when it is really done. I''ve been thinking about, planning for, or working on this house for the better part of 3 years. From long before it was built to now it has been my all consuming project. I tend to hamstring myself by having so many fabric, paint, etc. choices so I''ve begun a more decisive year. Starting with the house...Then maybe I''ll be able to make some upgrade choices!!!
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rockzilla

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Clear off my desk at work every night before I go home...so I come in to a clear desk
 

MichelleCarmen

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Date: 1/8/2008 9:42:07 PM
Author: lumpkin
Yay for MC! Good for you!
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Thanks so much Lumpkin!
 

Efe

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Mine is to entertain more. I swear I would rather testify before Congress than give a dinner party. It makes me so nervous, mainly because I am not very domesticated and I don''t really cook that much, or very well. We have a wonderful house for parties and we have almost 1,000 square feet of decking in our back yard on four levels and on warm evenings it really is a lovely place to have dinner. I marvel at people who entertain with ease.
 

lumpkin

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Date: 1/9/2008 9:12:50 PM
Author: BizouMom
Mine is to entertain more. I swear I would rather testify before Congress than give a dinner party. It makes me so nervous, mainly because I am not very domesticated and I don''t really cook that much, or very well. We have a wonderful house for parties and we have almost 1,000 square feet of decking in our back yard on four levels and on warm evenings it really is a lovely place to have dinner. I marvel at people who entertain with ease.

Me too! I always see something I missed, like dust on the cabinet doors or I didn''t wipe out the refrigerator and I''m mortified that anyone else might see it. What''s weird is that if I''m at someone else''s house I never notice that stuff, and on the off chance I do, unless it''s really really gross, it doesn''t phase me. I''m usually amazed at how relaxed the hostess is and how everyone''s having a good time.

My mother has always hosted Christmas, but she will be 80 next year. She told me it''s getting to be too much for her so I''m hosting next year. I''m already planning it and I''m excited and nervous all at the same time. I like the fact that I will be in control of the menu and atmosphere (no cigarette smoke at MY house!) but I know how my mom is. Maybe she''s mellowing and won''t be this way next year, but she always notices whatever I miss and doesn''t hesitate to point it out. But hey, it''s family and they''re stuck with me even if I forget to pull out the refrigerator and mop behind it, LOL!

At the store magazine rack I got a something with different recipes and ideas for holiday entertaining. I''ve also thought about getting one of Martha Stewart''s holiday planners. I would not go into the minute detail that she does, but I''m sure she''s got some very practical organization ideas. And I''m organizationally challenged. If you run into anything that looks interesting, please share.
 

lumpkin

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Date: 1/9/2008 2:59:31 PM
Author: rockzilla
Clear off my desk at work every night before I go home...so I come in to a clear desk

It makes a huge difference! I cleared off my desk earlier this week. I still have to make 2008 files, and I couldn''t do it with all the other junk on the desk. Now if I can make myself KEEP it organized......
 

~*Alexis*~

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Feb 10, 2006
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to get more bling!!

I am going to try and not be so frumpy. I just wear the same thing all the time and I never dress better. So I am going to try and make an effort to look more coordinated. I am always up for suggestions!
 
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