Resolutions...

      I know that it's February & the time for "New Year's" resolutions is over. However, I don't really believe in New Year's Resolutions, mainly because I have a tendency to well...not keep them. I enjoy the idea of them, of the pause that the start of a new year brings to us all. A time to reflect on the missteps of the year before and marvel at the wonders that the year laying ahead of us might bring. 
   That being said, I have made some promises to myself regarding the direction I want to go in 2010. I waited a month to share them, to ensure that they had at least some staying power. 
     If you know me at all, you know I am not a clean person. I'm disorganized & messy and have convinced myself that I function better in clutter. 
      In college, my roommate and I received a fire-code violation for "failure to egress". After looking up egress in the dictionary, we realized this meant that we were being penalized because the fire inspectors could not move forward or backward safely in the disaster that was our room. If there had been a fire...we would have been trapped in our own mess. You would think this would have been enough of a wake up call for me. However, we had more important things to attend to then...like $1 slices at DHOP and Thirsty Thursdays. Oh..and all that academic junk. 
    So, fast forward to present day. Add a baby. And a fiance that treats the world as his laundry hamper. Our home got out of control very quickly. Mess..all the time. And my motivation to clean, on top of everything else I had going on, was zero. So last semester, I just lived in clutter. Hopping over laundry baskets, nearly breaking an ankle when I had to get up in the middle of the night.  Praying no one every wanted to come over to my house. Having near panic attacks when I would attempt to clean. 
   So, resolution number 1- Clean home = happy home. Even our closet is clean. I have to force myself to pick up every night when I get home, BEFORE I sit down and let exhaustion sink it. But- our house is clean! Even our closet is clean! And it has stayed this way for almost TWO weeks. I had someone drop by today unexpectedly and I didn't have to shove dirty socks in my microwave to make my house presentable. Success. 


   My next resolution is more typical. I've been paying a lot  more attention to what I chose to shove in my mouth. I want to feel healthy & happy with how I look-- easier said than done, even 9 full months post baby. The "but you just had a baby!" excuse doesn't really work anymore, so it was time for me to get serious. I've been a super stealth healthy cooker- hiding vegetables in sauces,using low fat anything I can get my hands on, counting every calorie. I only say super stealth because if Andrew gets wind of the fact that something is healthy...its deliciousness factor tends to go down by at least 50%, magically. 
   I've been getting off my butt to do more as well. This started last semester, but with winter break, and christmas, and all the eating that comes along with it..I got a little lazy. I've started taking a twice a week strength class at the UNH gym entitled "Tighter Assets". The name alone is priceless. Great class..I have muscles that are sore that I didn't even know I had. I have also... (drum roll please) signed up to run a 5 K in May. I am using the Couch to 5 K program. Now let me just say- I am not a runner. I have NEVER been a runner. But I made a sworn promise to Mrs. Jennifer Leary, in front of witnesses, that I would register to run with her. And I'm hoping that having this date looming in my mind will make getting on the treadmill and DOING it easier. And now that I've put it out here for public knowledge, I'm hoping for some support from all of you as well :). So far- I've moved down one pants size...still a lot more pants sizes to drop, but it's a start! 


 In the spirit of healthier eats, I have also started making my own baby food for little Miss Gracie princess. I know, I know...I'm crazy. I've been wanting to this for a while, more as a way to save money than anything else. I even asked for a blender for Christmas to facilitate the process. But out of curiosity, I've been paying closer attention to the labels on the baby food jars that I've been paying such a premium for-- and some of the junk they stick in there is crazy! 
  My aunt Kristin came over last weekend to instruct me in baby food-making 101. She brought a basket of organic fruits & veggies from her participation in the CSA at  Heron Pond Farm, and some organic chicken, turkey and yogurt and we went to town. Well, mainly Kristin went to town & I watched in admiration. And smelled the blender when I took it out for her..because the only thing it's been used for since I received it was making frozen margaritas :) The results were fantastic. Grace loves everything we (she) made! Andrew & I don't eat organic, it's just not an affordable option for us. Will I die if Grace eats McDonald's some day? No. But giving her the healthiest start possible...makes sense, right? Hopefully I can keep up with the demand- thankfully Kristin provided us with a great start, I have at LEAST a month's worth of food in my freezer. 


  Wish me luck with all my resolution keeping..here's to hoping!