Fridays @ 5:55a

The tree has been dragged to the curb, holiday decor moved back to storage, the house has a moderate semblance of order, and very few parties are left in The Oracle.  New Years Resolutions are set and I'm kind of almost ready for a productive New Year (or at least almost ready to make a grocery list and open the kids' backpacks).

Yes, I realize that officially the year started 3 days ago but we've been busy and actually I'm ahead of schedule because the 12 Days of Christmas aren't over until the Epiphany on January 6th and although my DH is back to the grind, the kids are still home for the rest of the week; we may write 2012, but the New Year doesn't start around here until the last of those things have happened; these middle empty days are just warm-up, a transition between Holiday Crazy and New Beginnings.

(pretty sure that I rivaled Faulkner with the length of that last sentence)

As a typical Suburban Mom,  I do a lot of things for others (i.e. job, family, neighbors, carpool, playdates, school, inlaws, laundry), but selfishly, I reserve New Years Resolutions just for me*.  I am not one of those people who makes a resolution and then breaks it come January 15th or forgets it entirely come spring.  If I resolve to do yoga 3 days a week, I pretty much do yoga 3 days a week.  My tip, start out slow and realistic, and make multiple resolutions; not too many or it gets overwhelming and only one that garners total dread.  Ideally, one goal that is good for me but I don't necessarily want to do.  One that is good for me, I'm excited about but I need to put aside some time, and one that is totally just for me and fun.

These are things I should do or want to do or are fun but, don't make the time:

2011 Resolutions 
(totally accomplished all of these, at least by my own low standards):

SHOULD / Yoga 10 times a month

WANT / Scrapbook the last couple of years of pictures

FUN / Read at least 2 books a month

2012 Resolutions: 

SHOULD / Cardio 8 Times a Month 

(doesn't that sound more managable than 2 times a week?!- gesh I dread this)

WANT / Learn Adobe PhotoShop

FUN / Blog More Consistently

Honestly, for every blog that I actually publish, I have 3 more in my head or a a solid draft written. I LOVE WRITING, I feel a compulsion to write, I always have (I have boxes of journals that need to be ceremonially burned on a beach). These last months have been so so so so fun.  It isn't a chore (yet) but something that I reward myself with after a solid effort of productivity.  So in 2012, I will blog Fridays @ 5:55a CST***.  I have all sorts of recipes, games, organizational tips, and books that deserve a quick review.  I will still blog about life on other days, but I will blog something practical on F5:55a.  You can set your watch by it.  

---- please pretend there is a really nice segue here ----

Pinterest (Close to My Art Blog) and my Dear Frugal Friend Faith had this great idea for holiday pictures.  

I always sadly take the lovely pictures and cards down on New Years Day.  I don't really want to but at some point I must reclaim my space (and sanity).  Quickly sorting and hole punching the cards turns them into a sweet little "yearbook" of our friends (the blog link above has a nice little step by step).  I put our family picture/brochure on top and then follow with the others, organized by size and direction.  I just love the little book and can keep it out to glance through for the next couple of weeks.

I think a little metal ring works best but to keep the project free, I just used some left over ribbon from a Christmas present.  The downside to the ribbon is that adding more pictures is a little tricky.

* There never seems to be enough time to "Sharpen the Saw" quite as much as I should.  These yearlong habits tend to stay for quite awhile (for example, I still make time to be with "the girls" and that was a NYR 3 years ago and I still drink a glass of wine everyday and that was a goal 6 years ago!).  We do make some family goals, but usually those are in the summer.

** okay, another thing that I am admittedly kind of sheepish about.  At the urging of several people, I'm trying out ad-sense to see if it makes any money at all.  Sorry.  I know it is annoying and I feel like I've sold out to "the man" but in the end, I just need to nickle and dime the system.  If it gets too annoying, I'll take it off.  I am doing this for fun, but if I can make some money too, I need to take advantage of it.

*** I've always liked alteration and what could be better than waking up with a cup of coffee and a fresh blog on Friday Mornings @ 5:55a?!  -- that is rhetorical, I don't really want to know all the things that could be better on a Friday morning than my blog.