The good, the bad, the ugly ... the sad ...

My resolution for 2013 ... To be a better me ... some days I think it is a tall order ... but I am so inspired by friends.

I have to confess ... there are things that I really hate about facebook ... although, I have to remember that it isn't really facebook's fault.  There are certain things that I learn through facebook that makes it seems such a cold way of sharing information, but then there are times like today that I must remember that I probably wouldn't know some pieces of news at all if it wasn't for facebook.

Death ... I hate learning about someone's death on facebook ... I sincerely hope that people don't forgo picking up a telephone and having an actual conversation with someone to tell this sort of news.  Learning about the death of a family member via facebook should not be the norm ... and yes, this has happened to me.  But today I have to remind myself that I probably wouldn't know about the death of the little girl named Lillie if it wasn't for facebook.

You see, I only met her and her mother once ... at a craft show.  Lillie was born with a heart condition and the number of surgeries that her parents and her had to go through was astonishing.  Her mother, Liz, embraced motherhood and her daughter with an amazing appreciation that I am having a hard time putting into words.  Packing so much joy, fun, laughter, and love into as much time as they are given ... a span of time that seems so short ... too short.  I became friends with Liz on facebook, and I have read and watched this amazing little life.  The way that they lived life should be taught, treasured, aspired to, and celebrated ... today it is mourned.

I am sad, and grateful, and inspired ... This is why my resolution is what it is ... I want to be the best me that I can be every single day ... and I don't want it to take a tragic event in my immediate life and family to make that happen.

Liz ... if you ever read this ... Thank you ... and I am so dearly sorry for the loss of Lillie.  You have both inspired me to be a better person and mother.

The New Year is coming ... Planning for Accomplishments!

I am having a hard time believing that we are already at the end of 2012 ... I must confess that I don't think I ever got comfortable writing 12 ... I think I even had to cross out 11 on a check the other day!  However, no matter how uncomfortable I am, 2013 is quickly approaching, and it is time to think about what I want to accomplish over the next 12 months.

Of course I have some standard things ... loose 10 pounds, drink more water, exercise more, get organized ... These are all pretty standard things in my "resolution bucket" ... But this year I don't really want to make resolutions ... I want to accomplish more than just resolve to do something ... I want to change my life ... I want to change for the better.

What I really want is to do more, more of everything!  I want to work more, play more, have more "husband-wife" time, have more fun, make more money ... I want more out of life!

So, I guess that this year I am resolving to be more focused ... and have a fabulous year.  I am not really sure how I am going to do this yet, except that I am going to do more of what feels great and less of what feels icky.   I also know that part of this process will have to include - be more responsible.  I need to take responsibility for my time and what I am doing with it.  I need to be a better time keeper ... I need to be the person that I should be, so that I can be the person I want to be.

I need to take responsibility for being a better me.

So, today, I am taking responsibility for stuff ... and I am going to _____ to allow me to ____

I am going to get the laundry done, to allow me to pack for vacation before the last minute
I am going to get the kitchen counters cleaned off, so that I can finish making turkey soup and banana bread
I am going to clean my bedroom and make the bed, so that I can feel relaxed when I walk in the door
I am going to play with the kids, so that I can laugh

Tomorrow my list will be different, but basically I would like to be on the path of getting work done during work, my house not looking like a complete disaster, be off work when the big yellow bus comes each day, and spend time with my hubby when he is home.  It's a tall order ... but I don't believe that it is impossible ... yet.

I'm not sure where blogging will fall into that ... but I guess that we will find out.  Today it makes me happy to blog this, and just get it out of my head.  When it stops being something that makes me happy then I guess it is time to stop!

Resolutions ... and Plans to Make them Happen!

I've been working on this post for a couple weeks now. Like I said before, I don't like to make and start resolutions on January 1st. I like to take a couple weeks to really make a well thought out plan for resolutions and even give myself a chance to drop some that seem fly-by-night and don't have a well thought out plan.

So ... Here is the list!

Get the art and pictures out of bins, boxes, and files and get it up on the walls! - I am so terrible! I have bought several pieces, and even been given some pieces of art that are still sitting in bins and boxes and have not been displayed. All along I have been saying that I need to paint first ... cause our walls look terrible. However, painting hasn't happened either! At least the art would cover up some of the holes, handprints, marker doodles! So, as I am going through boxes I am getting that stuff hung!

Take more pictures of my kids! Seems that I am always taking pictures of products ... not so many of my kids. I am actually saving for a new camera - but that is no excuse! I have got to take more pictures! They are growing so fast!

Streamline ... everything!  I feel like I have to much stuff that does the same general thing.   There are so many areas of my house and life that this is relevant to that you will just have to follow along!

Make my workspace a more inspiring place. Right now it is so full of "stuff" ... all sorts of stuff ... I want a workspace like you see in a magazine ... which is probably not really going to happen ... but I can make it more desirable and less junky! Given some of my recent posts you can see that I have already started clearing out!

Increase my business - Business growth is always on my mind, I'll be spending more money on ads this year and really working on getting my name out there! I would also like to support some of my amazingly creative friends with this too, so I'll be asking them if they have a button or something to put on my blog! I have amazingly creative friends that can sew, paint, make toys, needle felt, draw, sculpt ... the list just goes on and on! And who knows, maybe they will return the favor! We have to support our friends! Love them!

Have fun! This is always a goal of mine, and it is funny that I feel the need to remind myself to do this. I had such a good time with my boys, my hubby, my friends - on beach trips, hanging out at pools, building forts, roasting marshmallows, going to the zoo, and generally just having fun. I am continuing my efforts to finish work by 5pm and take weekends off (except for craft show weekends). Life is too short not to have fun!

Preparing for Resolutions ...

So, have you all started your new year's resolutions? How are they going? What did you resolve to do, not do, or do differently this year?

Well ... I haven't started any resolutions yet. For the last few years I have actually resolved to have a "cooling off" or "preparation" period for any new year's resolutions. Generally I take the first 2 weeks of each year to really prepare to get resolutions off on the right foot.

I guess that I could do this preparation the last two weeks of December, but between work, school vacation, family visiting and visits, and the holidays ... that preparation just doesn't happen.

So, one of my resolutions is to step back and prepare to get off on the right foot. Some years this has meant a good cleaning of the house, organizing paperwork, cleaning out the junk food from the pantry, getting those things ready for an exercise regimen ... generally just putting things in place to make it more likely that I will succeed in making my resolutions happen.

So this year my resolutions will start on January 17th, just after the Martin Luther King holiday.

How do you set yourself up to make sure that your resolutions happen?

New Year equals new projects and goals!

So, I haven't really set any new year's resolutions this year, and given everything that has happened in my household over the last few months, I had really decided that I just wanted to work on "normal".

However, not having a goal or project to reach for this year has really been eating at me. So, when I read about the 52 Weeks of Organizing over on OrgJunkie's blog, I thought this would be the perfect small project to work on.

Basically you are just thinking of 52 areas or things that you would like to get organized during 2011 and then talk about them on Friday's.

So, this week I will work on at least a partial list of 52 things and also complete one organizing project. I'll take pictures and blog about it on Friday!