Happy New Year – 2013!!

Happy New Year!  Can you believe it’s 2013?!?!  Last night we hosted a New Years Eve pot luck dinner with some friends.  It was a great way to welcome 2013.

I’ve never been one for making new years resolutions mainly because I can’t seem to keep them.  Instead I used to keep a list of things to do or places to go, never really managing to stick to that list either.  Every once in a while I succeed a keeping a new years resolution, like passing the PMP exam last year, but 9 times out of 10 I’m an utter failure.  Despite my affinity for skipping the new year list of resolutions  I decided to give it one last try this year.  Maybe with the list out there in the world wide web I will feel more accountable and actually follow through.

I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew so hopefully this list isn’t too lofty a list.

1 – Improve Photo Skills and Take More Photos

My husband bought me a fancy camera a few years back.  I’ve slowly learned how to use the different features on the camera as well as improved the quality of the photos taken.  The Pioneer woman taught me a lot about apertures and shutter speeds here, here and here. A few photography books have been sitting on the book shelf waiting for proper attention to be paid to them.  In order to become a better photographer one must take pictures, so taking more photos goes perfectly as a sub-resolution.  Photography is something that has been on my “to-do” list for quite some time.  I love it and yet don’t make time for it.

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2 – Get in Better Shape

I put this goal on and then took it off, but inevitably it really should be on the 2013 list.  I find many people have a similar new years resolution, which is why gyms become PACKED from January to late February.  Purposely weight is not something in the title of the resolution.  Weight is touchy and regardless of how much I do or don’t weigh I should be in better shape.  If I loose weight while getting in shape, fantastic, but it isn’t the overarching goal.  I was in great shape for our wedding.  I spent a lot of time eating well (thank you weight watchers) and taking long walks with one of my friends.  She too was working out to prep for her wedding.  Although walking is good for the body it didn’t seem like we were working out.  We would chat and laugh and walk … before I knew it the “workout” was over.  So whether it’s walking, yoga, running or weight lifting in some way shape or form the end result will hopefully be an in shape girl (errr woman) in 2013.

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3 – Stay in touch with Friend and Family

Despite being in love with talking on the phone as a child I don’t really enjoy it as an adult.  Phones were the theme for my Bat-Mitzvah, that’s how much I adored talking on the phone.  I don’t know when or how the change in behavior occurred, but it is reeking havoc on some much needed catch up conversations with family and friends.  I have a couple of friends who I miss terribly.  They are the type of friends that no matter how much time has passed you pick up right where you left off.  I am fortunate to have that type of relationship with them!!  Despite that, it feels like I am missing out on big chunks of their lives (and them on mine).  I know I should really just pick up the darn phone and call them.  So this year I am going to try to be better.  Less email/gchatting and more calls or trips to see my friends and family!

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4 – Try one new Recipe a Month

This one should be pretty easy.  Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies.  I think it’s almost therapeutic at times, so making one new recipe a month shouldn’t be too tough.  My husband’s parents got me a subscription to Fine Cooking this holiday season, which should come in particularly handy for this new years resolution.  Hopefully the new recipes will include appetizers, sides, main dishes as well as desserts.   I’m not going to put any parameters around what type of recipe needs to be cooked though … regardless of the type of dish one new one will, hopefully, be cooked each month.

5 – Be a Lady (as my sister-in-law says hehehe)

So what does being a lady entail you might ask.  Well simply is means taking better care of yourself as a woman.  Over Christmas my sister-in-law and I discussed this list to include: doing our nails, putting on (and learning how to do) makeup as well as learning how to style hair.  The nail polish part I’ve pretty much got down.  The makeup I would say I’m 50% there. I wear makeup to work and I’ve been getting closer and closer to mastering the whole smokey eye look, but there is still lots to learn.  Hair styling could be an epic fail for me.  Having long hair as a child and adult, one would logically think I would know what to do with it … however … that would be a NO.  I can french braid other people’s hair and am a master at the ponytail.  Curls, buns or any other cute hair styling ability is lost on me.  Regardless I will give it a try and maybe share some of the hair styling tidbits along the way.  In an effort to gather ideas for being a lady there’s a special Pinterest board dedicated to this resolution.

So there you have it.  Bring it on 2013!!!  I really hope I am not taking on too much for my first official list of new years resolutions!

What’s your new years resolution?  Happy 2013!