Tired Legs and Ice Baths

When we went to Costco last week they had those special spa mats on sale - the memory foam kind that are super comfy and soft.  I decided to buy one for the kitchen so that I had a nice plush mat to stand on while washing dishes.  Evan decided he LOVED the mat and played on it all day.  He'd stand there and stomp his feet a million times, loving the way it felt.  Then he emptied all the plastic lids on top of it.

It was hilarious because normally he throws the lids all over the kitchen but for some reason he decided he wanted them all on top of this kitchen mat.  Along with my water bottle.  What a funny boy.

This morning I finally fully completed my PiYo Sweat workout.  That means I finished the entire thing without having to go into child's pose when no one else was doing it (aka taking a break).  I still have to do all my push-ups on my knees, but I can now do all the push-ups, so hopefully I'll move to my toes eventually.  Oddly enough, my legs are always the most tired after a PiYo workout, even though I feel like my legs are the strongest because of running.  My arms need to become sore because I need to strengthen them the most.  In the videos where we have side plank I can barely get up there because my arms are so weak.  It's surprising I can lift my own son.  Maybe that's why sometimes my arms are sore after running - my water bottle is too heavy for my weak arms.  Today is a rest day, thank goodness, because my legs kinda feel like jello.  I ran 5 miles on Sunday with the jogger and then another 5 yesterday around the mall (National Mall - not shopping mall), so that is more than I usually go.  I am really shocked that I have been running 5 days a week for almost three months.  I usually only do 4 and then eventually move down to 3.  Even when training for a marathon I end up only doing three days a week because I run out of time. 

Here are a few strategies that I have employed to keep my work-outs on track these past few months:

1) I joined a Challenge Group.  My friend from elementary school recently became a Beach Body coach and she started a 100 Mile Challenge Group with the challenge to run 100 miles in 2 months.  That's not really that hard (some people run almost 100 miles in a week), but it still motivates me to get out there so that I can report my miles to the group.  I also joined a Challenge Group for PiYo and that has helped immensely because I definitely don't want to fall behind in that.  It's what I think about when I get up at 4:15am to do yet another PiYo DVD.

2) I made a schedule.  I always had a basic running schedule but now I have a real schedule with the days I'm going to run and how I'm going to fit them in.  Running during my lunch break at work has worked really well and I've been able to keep that up.  Plus, after a while all my co-workers got used to the fact that I ran every lunch and so it helped motivate me to go.  Even the doorman knows my running schedule.  I tend to go four miles during lunch and occasionally I'll put in an extra mile.  On Wednesdays I go in the morning before I start work, on Fridays I go in the afternoon and Evan and I always stop at a random playground, and on Sunday I always go in the morning with Evan and we also stop at a playground.  That's pretty much the schedule and I've been really great at sticking with it.

3) I've incorporated running into other activities.  For example, like I mentioned above, instead of just going to the playground we always run to the playground.  I can do a 3, 4, 5, and 6 mile loop that all have playgrounds on the route.  I tend to run, play for an hour, and then run home.  Yeah, it's not the most effective workout, but it gets me out there, it gets Evan outside, and we both return home happy and tired.  I've also run to my sister's house, run to the farmer's market, run to the doctor's, run to meet friends for coffee, and run to the grocery store.  This way I can still get a run in, even if I have a bunch of errands.  It is really helpful that the doctor's office (both mine and Evan's), grocery store, Farmer's Market, etc. are all really close to our condo...it's not like I am running 10 miles or anything.

Ok, those are the only things I can think of right now.  I feel like this summer has been extra stressful with all the transitions going on and I've really stayed calm through most of it and I think it's because running has given me time to think things through and take time for myself.  I really do love to run and I'm so glad I have gotten into a routine that works for me.  I just hope I can keep it up once school starts!  I am planning on running during the day, just like I do now, but my schedule is less flexible than it is at work - so, we'll see.

In other news, I took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

I am really dramatic - if you actually watch the video you can hear me whine and complain about how cold the water is and how big the bucket is.  You can also see Evan run up to the bucket and say "Ice" and look cute.  Ivan was overly excited about the challenge and had the ice all waiting for me when I got home from work.  How husbandly of him.  I conveniently challenged him so he went right after me.  It was fun though and a good cause.  I hope that the ALS Foundation can use a lot of the money they receive for research and a cure comes out of this.  And I really hope a lot of the money also goes to help families, especially ones that need financial help to take care of their loved one.  I'm still really shocked that the challenge is still going on and that it is raising so much money!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Tuesday!  Today is my going away party at work and I'm really excited.  I don't particularly enjoy parties thrown for me because it's awkward, but all work parties are fun so I'm excited about that.

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Have you done the Ice Bucket Challenge?

What other tips do you have for keeping your sticking to your work-out routines?

When cold is now warm

Isn't it weird how your body adjusts to different temperatures?  This morning it is 40 degrees out and I feel like I could have worn my spring jacket instead of my winter coat.  It felt quite nice outside waiting for the bus.  But really, it's 40 and that is not actually a warm spring day.  However, after waiting for the bus in single digit weather all winter, 40 degrees seems quite warm.  It will be extra nice when it's light out in the morning, because ever since the time changed it's been dark.  And I have wait for the bus in front of an apartment complex that burned down so there are no lights and every morning I practically jump up and down as the bus comes because I'm afraid he won't see me standing on the corner in pitch black.  Let's just say I am ready for spring!

In anticipation of spring, I got a few hairs cut.

Wow, it feels amazing to have short hair again!!  I literally hadn't had my hair cut since last April.  My hair was long and blah, so I always wore it in a pony tail.  Ok, so the ponytail was partly due to my laziness but even when I felt less lazy there was no point in doing my hair because it was so blah.  I feel like a new person with my hair cut and normal looking again.  Now I have to actually blow dry it more often then putting it in a ponytail (remember, that was one of my 2014 commitments - look less frumpy and blow dry my hair when I get it cut).  Especially because it cost me $184 to get it cut.  Does that seem like highway robbery to you???  I was a bit shocked...I guess prices go up when you don't go for a year!  Last time I thought I paid $150 and that included tip.  Yikes!  No wonder I only go once a year!!

Yesterday was Father's Day in Honduras so we had a very small celebration.  Ivan got fried fish.  

I'm not sure what Evan's doing in this photo, but he refused to smile.  It kind of looks like he's making fish noises....

That's one of his favorite meals so it was his special treat.  There are not too many places that serve the entire fish (head, eyeballs, and tail) rather than a fillet, but we have found a place right down the street from us.  Since he never knew his dad and was sad growing up as a kid never celebrating Father's Day he is very into celebrating both the Honduran and American Father's Day.  Honduran Mother's Day is the same day as the American Mother's Day so I don't get an extra day to celebrate.  Oh well, one day is enough for me!

Also, I got this exciting new planner in the mail today.  Remember how a few days ago I boasted about how I can survive on only five hours of sleep??  Well, I can assure you, my memory is not happy with that arrangement.  I have forgotten so many things that I decided I need to write EVERYTHING down. So, I started with a beautiful Erin Condren planner that I have been eying for a while.  I was so excited to get it!!

It came in this beautiful box all wrapped up pretty.  It even smelled nice too because she had a candle scent sample in there that smelled refreshingly like a tropical beach.

And here is the beautiful planner!  Isn't it wonderful?  I got to customize the front and back with pictures and had a fun time picking out which photos I wanted on it.  On the inside it has a monthly calendar and a weekly calendar, so I can stay nice and organized.

I love the planner and hope it makes me write down everything so I don't keep missing deadlines or airplanes!

Here's to being more organized!

Also, here are a few photos from our hiking adventure last weekend - I am determined to turn Evan into an avid outdoorsman!!

Notice how we brought his shovel with us - it comes with us everywhere we go.  He did think it was really fun trying to pick up pine cones with his shovel and throw them into the woods.

He still has a huge love of trees and wanted to touch every tree we passed.  It made for an interesting hike through a forest.  He got pretty excited though and would just go up to each tree and touch it for a second or two.  Quite adorable.

 

If you look closely, you can see that he's standing on a tree stump.  He stood here for at least five minutes.  Apparently, it's even more fun to stand on a tree than it is to touch the tree.  He was very excited and stomped around on this truck.  Then he saw an airplane - another one of his loves.

Today is supposed to be 60 degrees so I am very excited to get a run in and maybe a few more outdoor activities this weekend. 

Happy Thursday!!!

New for 2014

I think we are slowly coming out of the polar vortex.  It was 27 degrees out when I went running yesterday and only 25 degrees this morning while I waited for the bus.  It doesn't really bother me too much waiting for the bus in the cold, dark morning except for one thing.  My toes getting really cold.  That must be why people wear boots in colder climates, because it keeps their feet warm.  My little leather work shoes and old, thin socks are no defense against the bitter cold.

And yes, you read that right, I finally went for a run.  It was only three miles but it felt good and I didn't keel over from lack of physical fitness.  I just have to be able to add 10 miles to that and I'll be golden.  It was a bit chilly and although I never warmed up enough to sweat even one drop, I wasn't freezing the entire time.  My face was cold but other that that it wasn't too horrible.

And now to my new year commitments...

Looking back on my 2013 commitments, these are pretty much the same.  So, I didn't commit to them very well.  I will try and do better this time around!!!

I don't like to call them resolutions because most resolutions fail miserably.  Not that my commitments don't fail with time but I am hopeful.  My co-worker says that 2014 is going to be our year and I really want to believe that it will be.  Last year, although it had it's great moments, did not end well and I could use a more positive year in 2014.  There are a lot of things I'd like to commit to do better in 2014, so here they are (yes, I realize I am a bit late in these but I have been doing them since the beginning of January,  I just didn't get a chance to write about them.

 
1. Be a better friend. 
 

My bus friends - haven't seen them since this photo
was taken in May!!!

I have some really amazing friends and in 2013 I called in a lot of friend favors but I rarely was a good friend back.  Between adjusting to being a working mom, taking classes, coaching golf, etc., I was kind of overwhelmed and good intentions like phone calls and notes and letters and short visits just never happened.  I can't expect to have great friends if I am never a great friend myself.  This year I want to get more organized and keep in better touch, get more coffees, send more notes, etc.

2. Be a better housekeeper.  

Evan will always challenge this endeavor as he sees it as his mission to take out everything I put away!

 Last year I got a bit lazy with chores (for most of the reasons above), and the house was often a mess.  This year I would like to make little changes so that the place is more presentable.  For example, make the bed every day.  Ivan thinks it's stupid to make the bed when you are just going to sleep in it again, but I like looking at a made bed.  It makes the room look nicer.  I'd also like to find places for all the stuff that accumulates on the dining room table.  We'd like to eat family dinners there but we are always moving junk around.  And then I'd just like to be more on top of things like cleaning bathrooms, doing laundry, washing dishes, etc.

3. Be less frumpy.  
 

Not the frumpiest, but hair in ponytail, no make-up, and bad posture - changes could be made.

 I haven't completely fallen into the frumpy stage, but I am close.  My hair is always in a ponytail, I never have make-up on, and I wear the same sweatshirt and jeans every day of the weekend.  Something must be done!  I can't continue to let myself fall to the wayside.  So, a little self-improvement can't hurt.  First on the list is better posture.  I need to stand up straight, end of story.  I also need to start putting on some make-up every once in a while.  And blow-drying my hair (when I get it cut).  I can't look like I just rolled out of bed every day.

4. Do more things.

Camping - let's do more of this!

After Evan was born we slowed down a bit, activities got expensive and we were content to just hang out at home.  Nothing wrong with that at all, but now Evan is older and it's fun and easier to go places.  I'd like to go to church more, take Dolce to the dog park more, play more golf, do more fun activities like the aquarium and zoo.  Take Evan to the playground, on hikes, and for bike rides.  Get more camping in.  Things like that.  

Ok, those are most of my commitments for the year. I realize there are a lot and they are quite involved but if I succeed in just one area I will be a better person for it!

What commitments did you make for 2014??

So many things to tell you and the worst run ever

This may be a long post because I have so many things to update you on.  A lot has happened since we last "chatted" and since we are practically best friends I feel like I need to give you the full update.  Hold on to your seats people, it's gonna be a long ride.  But don't get too excited because I haven nothing of real importance to tell you.

First, what is this update with out a mention of Halloween?  I know I am late on this and should have posted on Friday with the rest of the blogger world, but I was swamped at work and by the time I finished all I wanted was to rest my eyes from the computer screen.  However, Evan was the cutest monster ever.  Don't you agree?  My niece was an adorable Angelina Ballerina and I went as myself, so don't make any comments about what my costume might have been.

Instagram: mapleandmud

I bought Evan's costume second hand and mainly because it looked nice and warm.  Figures it was practically 60 degrees that night, but he didn't seem to be too hot.  And yes, we had to go trick-or-treating with his Easter basket because I dropped the ball on a Halloween basket.  I also didn't have a Halloween shirt for him to wear that day either.  I am trying to keep on top of things but I obviously wasn't on top of everything.  We only got candy from a few houses because I didn't want piles of it waiting to be eaten by me.  So,  I had pretty much eaten all the candy by Friday...maybe I should have let him go to a few more houses!

This weekend was a blur of many things.  Saturday started out nice and slow because it was the first weekend with no First Tee!  No getting up at 6am to get ready for golf!  I wish I could say I was productive and did a ton of other things but no, Evan and I slept in.  We walked the dog and had some breakfast and took the morning slow.  Then when Ivan came home I went to take a shower...and read my Runner's World magazine for the first hour (no worries, the water wasn't running).  Ivan caught me though and he came to see why my shower was taking two hours!  Evan and I decided to do a little shopping and banking so the two of us headed out (Evan refused to nap so I gave up after 30 mins).  After the bank we went to my favorite baby consignment store.  I bought Evan the cutest clothes ever.  Seriously, so adorable.  I also got him some puzzles and a new sippy cup.  I then went next door to the upscale dog store for some glucosamine pills for Dolce.  He has a limp that won't go away and I think it is a bit or arthritis.  I had really wanted to buy myself a new pair of pants, but after shopping for toddler and doggie I decided to call it quits.

On the way home Evan fell asleep and when we got home Ivan was sleeping.  I put Evan in his crib and thought I'd make my favorite cookies, great pumpkin cookies, since everyone else was napping.  I have wanted to make these for a while but never found the time.  I put the flour and oats in the bowl and then realized I needed a cup of brown sugar and I only had a few tablespoons. So off to the store I went...all by myself.  Yay - party at the Giant.  When I got home Evan was awake though...so no cookies were made...until that night when he went to bed.  I think I started around 10pm - but the time was changing that night so I figured I could stay up extra late.  And it was worth it.  I love these cookies!!

My instagram: mapleandmud

Sunday was an even more productive and pumpkin day!!!

First, we came off daylight savings time, which is my favorite thing to do.  An extra hour in the day! My dream come true!  I thought I'd get an early run in since Evan would be up early, but I was mistaken.  Evan slept until 8:15am!  I got bored and actually folded and put away our large stack of clean clothes.  After Evan woke up, we headed out for a run.  The worst ever.  It was sunny and when I checked the weather I thought it said 55 degrees.  NO WAY!  I think that was the high, it was more like 46 degrees.  I bundled Evan up but I was wearing shorts and a short sleeved t-shirt.

I can tell you, it was too cold for this outfit.  The second bad thing about my run?  It was WINDY.  So windy!  So I was extra cold.  Plus, the route I went on was kinda hilly and pushing the BOB through the wind, up hills, was ridiculously unfun.  At one point the wind was blowing the stroller sideways and I was having to use all my arm muscle (which, honestly, isn't much)  to keep the stroller on the path.  Then Evan's blanket blew away and I had to run and get it.  On a few of the hills where the wind was blowing directly into my face I felt like I was running in place.  It was one tough run.  It was also the longest run I've done with BOB - 5.5 miles.  I finished the run without walking though and feeling returned to my legs and arms eventually.  And the biggest accomplishment?  Evan didn't cry at all!!!  Usually he starts crying at about the 4 mile mark and I can stretch out another half mile or so, but he was content pointing to every tree for the entire run (and eating a smoothie I made him for the road).  Let's hope this run wasn't a preview of what my winter training runs are going to be!

After I got home, I hopped in the shower and off to church we went.  I bought Evan the cutest church outfit at the consignment store the day before and I was so excited to put him in it.

Sorry for the crappy iPad photo, but he wouldn't stand long enough and at a good enough angle, so this was all I got.  I thought it he looked pretty dapper.  After church we headed to brunch with some friends and then finally headed home.  Evan went down for a nap and I started to do some major cooking.  I made pollo guisado (a Honduran dish) for Ivan and then was going to make pumpkin muffins and spinach and quinoa patties for Evan...however, when I looked in the fridge there was only one egg left and I needed five.  So, quick change of plans.  I ended up making pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin soup for Evan.  I had found some canned pumpkin with BPA-free liners and bought a bunch, so I just happened to have all the ingredients for those two dishes.  I guess I was on a pumpkin roll or something - cookies, soup, and pancakes!  I then decided I had enough energy to organize all of Evan's clothes and pull the clothes that don't fit him anymore and put the larger and more wintery clothes in his dresser.  And then I actually stuffed his diapers!

But with all that cooking and organizing - I didn't do my two Chemistry assignments and I didn't clean the bathrooms....some things never change.

And this morning I woke up refreshed from the extra hour of sleep (don't worry, my body will adjust in a day and it won't feel so exciting anymore)!

Happy Monday!!!!

No sleep, caffeine, less sleep, more caffeine....

That is a cycle and it sure is hard to beat.  This week has been especially hard on the sleep cycle.  It started on Sunday when I was up WAY too late getting ready for the week.  I "get ready" for the week so that I'm not up so late during the week packing lunches, etc.  It kind of defeats the purpose if I stay up late on Sunday and then never get a chance to catch up.  Then I'm tired all week, even when I don't have a bunch of things to do.

After being awake until almost midnight on Sunday (this is tragic, since I get up at 4:30am on Mondays) and getting woken up at least four times by Evan, I was TIRED Monday morning.  So I broke my caffeine-free habit and made regular coffee.  Big mistake.  Caffeine is a downhill spiral, in my opinion, especially when you are breastfeeding.  And you hardly ever drink caffeine.

He sleeps so well from 4am-8am...not sure what happens between 8pm and 4am.

Come Monday night, I was wide awake so stayed up late again.  Evan didn't sleep well either.  Tuesday morning?  Another cup of coffee.  And the cycle goes on.  Yup, except I didn't relate Evan not sleeping to the coffee until yesterday.  I'm not 100% sure it's the reason he's not sleeping, but I know it probably played a small role.  He's also teething and today his nose starting running - so those two things make it much harder for him to sleep too.

Sometimes Evan just has to go to jail...except he thinks it's fun,
so it's a good thing I don't use it as a punishment!

It is hard to get my work done if I'm exhausted though, and I have a lot of work these days so I need to be as awake as possible.  However, caffeine doesn't seem to be the best solution - since it really just makes me tired the rest of the week too.  I guess I'll try to catch up on sleep this weekend and then try and start the week out better.  Haha - not sure how possible that is, but it's worth a try.

And can I just tell you this embarrassing story that happened at work??  My boss was walking around introducing his former mentor who was visiting the DC area.  He comes into my office to introduce her and I stand up, shake her hand, and she says...wow, you've got a lot going on in here...while looking at my desk.  I thought she was commenting on how messy my desk was, until I followed her gaze and realized she was looking at my breast pump!  Yikes!  I usually just leave it on my desk because the cord is hanging onto its last string and if I move it, it may not work again.  Plus, no one ever really comes to our offices so it's rare to get a visitor.  I was so embarrassed though.  I couldn't tell if my boss was annoyed at me for having my pump sitting out for the entire world to see, but he didn't say anything.  I didn't really need him to though, I put it out of view two seconds after they left.  I don't think breastfeeding is anything to be ashamed of, but I definitely don't feel like it's super professional to have my pump and its parts sitting all over my desk.  We all wear underwear but I sure don't want to go into my co-worker's office and see a pair of her underwear on her desk!  Ok - so my pump isn't quite that bad, but I had to work really hard at keeping my face from going completely red and keeping my composure!

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Any decaf coffee drinkers out there??

What's the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you this week??

Organizing my Life

Remember how I said that one of my New Year’s resolutions commitments was to be more organized?  Well, I tried it for an entire week, so I thought I’d report back to you.  I was quite happy with how it went and it definitely made my life a LOT easier.

Last Saturday I made a list of all the recipes I was going to cook during the week.  Then I looked at each recipe and assigned days to cook them based on time and simplicity.  Then I wrote down how I could “prep” the recipe to make it even quicker.

On Sunday I prepped pork for the week (Tuesday’s dinner) and made a crock pot meal (Monday’s meal).   Here is all the stuff sitting in the crock pot, waiting to be cooked.  In case you’re interested, this was Crock Pot Picadillo from Gina over at Gina’s Skinny Recipes.  It was yummy and Ivan loved it too.

Here I am prepping the pork with Evan in the Ergo.  Try not to be too jealous of my beautiful kitchen and lovely profile.

This helped out immensely.  I knew what we were having each day and I usually just had to boil rice or mix a sauce really quickly.  It was so nice being organized and having food choices be fairly easy.

During the week, I mapped out all the things I needed to do when I got home from work.  And I wasn’t allowed to relax until I did them.  Here is the long list of things:

1. Cuddle with Evan
2. Start laundry – diapers
3. Start dinner
4. Give Evan a bath
5. Feed Evan
6. Put Evan to bed
7. Finish dinner
8. Eat
9. Wash up dishes
10. Prepare/pack lunch for the next day
11. Wash bottles/pump
12. Stuff diapers for tomorrow
13. Pack diaper bag
14. Hang wet diapers up to dry
15. Get ready for bed
16. Go to sleep

Yes – it is SO much stuff to do.  And it pretty much takes me from the time I get home (6:30pm) until the time I go to bed (10pm) to finish it all.  Sometimes I just want to sit down and watch TV, but I know if I don’t get it done I’ll be up all night.  And sometimes at 10pm, I want to crawl into bed and read part of my book.  However, then I remember how tired I’m going to be at 4:30am and I decide that I can survive reading on the bus instead.  I am not sure what I’m going to do once classes start.  I’m not sure where I’ll fit studying in, in my busy schedule.

However, it has really helped having the list of things to do and just getting them done.  I haven’t assigned my weekend cleaning detail yet, so I have to work on that.  Although I did take my Christmas stuff down (finally) and emptied a box in the living room that I hadn’t unpacked yet. 

Also, my husband would prefer we eat before 8:30pm every night so I might try and make the food a day early (i.e. make Tuesday’s dinner on Monday).  I’m not sure if I can do that, but I’ll try and see what happens.  It is definitely much healthier to eat at 7pm than at 9pm!

I also need to fit blogging in there too – since I didn’t get to do that all week.  We’ll see!  This past weekend my parents were visiting so I didn’t put much on the schedule.  Part of being organized is being flexible, right???

How do you get it all done?

What do you do to get organized every day?

New Year, New You

Or new me actually.  Ok, so not a completely new me since I am pretty happy with the old me.  I admit, it would be nice to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes one day, but what can I say.  I haven’t really been running much these days and I haven’t found the motivation to do the strength training I had been working on – and I ate about 3000 cookies while in Vermont.  Once I head back to work I think I will get back on track. 

But, back to New Year resolutions.  Or commitments, as Meghan calls them.  I kind of rather like the term commitments, since there is no pass/fail.  And I’d like these changes to stick.   I don’t really have too many changes I want to make, but I’ll review a few of them below.


Commitment 1

Be more organized.  This is pretty much the main commitment I’d like to make.  I used to be completely organized all the time.  At one time I was very Type A.  Then I went to Honduras, learned to relax, and can’t go back.  I don’t actually want to go completely back, because it’s so much better being a Type A-.  However, my life could use an organization make-over.  Mainly because I am SOOOO busy and there really is barely enough time to get things done.  Here are things I plan on organizing:

     a) My Apartment: Yes, things are still in boxes and bags and hidden in closets.  I just never got unpacked all the way because I had to go to Vegas for a week right after moving and then was too pregnant-tired, and then the baby came, etc.  Yeah, so many excuses.  However, I am done.  Things have to find a home in this apartment and that’s the end of the story.  How am I going to do this?  I have this plan of assigning weekends to rooms.  For example, this weekend coming up will be the dining room.  There is one big box left in the dining room and I’d like to unpack it.  The following weekend I will do the kitchen, etc.  When I’ve finished each room, then each weekend I will clean/straighten each room.

     b) My Time: I waste a ton of time just thinking about things and not actually doing them.  And let’s face it, I don’t have much time.  When I work, I get home at 6:30pm, the baby gets a bath at 7pm, and goes to bed by 8pm.  And somewhere in there I have to cook dinner, prepare lunch for the next day, wash diapers, stuff diapers, fold clothes, do laundry, wash/disinfect pump parts, etc.  Thankfully I can work from home two days so on those days I finish at 4pm – but somehow I always find it to be 6pm and I haven’t done anything.  Plus, the end of this month I am starting classes again so I’ll have class on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Even less time!  So, I really need to organize my meals far in advance – and prepare as much as I can on the weekends (cook chicken, cut veggies, etc.).  And I need a system so each day I’m doing something but not everything – Mondays fold laundry, Tuesdays wash diapers, etc.

    c) Money: This is a big one.  It is hard to organize something you don’t have.  Or don’t have enough of – we are super short on money these days and it’s about time I organized a budget.  Now that we have to pay for daycare, any extra money we had is gone, gone, gone.  If we want to still buy gifts for people, get the dog groomed, etc. we’ll have to put money away each paycheck.  I am determined to get our finances in order and not spend above our means.  I knew having a baby was going to be hard financially but the cuts we’ll have to make are totally worth it.  At least our car already broke and cost us a fortune!  One less thing to worry about!  Plus, golf starts up the end of April so I can build our small savings account back up to where it was…before maternity leave, the car, and Christmas depleted it!


Commitment 2

Be healthier.  I am a pretty healthy person, I admit.  I have a small sugar addiction, but so far a decent metabolism that allows me to eat lots and lots of candy without too many repercussions (although I’m getting old so that may change).  However, I am trying to make a few changes to improve my health.

     a) Eat a fruit or veggie with every meal.  This is hard because I pretty much hate vegetables.  I love fruit, but really need to work on the veggie side.  Yesterday night I had broccoli with dinner.  Yes, it is practically a miracle because I HATE broccoli, but I did it anyway.  Now I have a son and I need to be a good example to him – and eating vegetables is good for you.

     b) Have snacks on hand.  One of my main problems is being hungry all the time.  When I get home from work at 6:30pm, I shove a ton of food into my mouth because I’m so hungry.  I can’t wait to prepare dinner – I have to eat something right away.  This usually means a bunch of chips.  If I had something already prepared to munch on when I came home, maybe I could skip the five servings of tortilla chips.  Or maybe I will eat the prepared snack AND the chips.  It’s worth a try though.

     c) Floss my teeth.  More often.  No explanation needed.

I think those are pretty much it.  Nothing too crazy or ridiculous.  Nothing I can’t possibly achieve.  Just a few things that will make my life easier and happier and more relaxed.  Right?

What resolutions or commitments are you making for 2013?