EeeEeeEeeK!!!!!

It's 2013. It's October. I'll be honest, I have this weird aversion to prime numbers that are larger than 12 and less than 20 (okay, I realize there are only 3 of them, but they are nails on a chalkboard spooky nonetheless) All year long when I've seen 2013 in print I cringe a little and I'm sure the same thing will happen in 2017 and 2019. However, the one consolation with this year that I won't get during the other two is the macabre magic that can be found in the number 13. Finally it is October and for one blissful month that horrible 13 hanging off the end of the date doesn't seem as out of place. (I know, pack me off to the looney bin after this post- now my husband isn't the only one who knows about this strange quirk of mine... don't even get me started on my need to pause in my reading only on pages that are a multiple of 5 or how excited I get when chapters begin on a multiple of 25, Oh happy day!!!!)

Now that I've lost all of the boring readers who consider themselves sane I'll get to the goods...

We must have checked out at least 50 Halloween-type books this year. I didn't count, but I know how many books we've had checked out from the library and considering how many books I have checked out for myself and how many audiobooks I have checked out for my husband AND how many we had to buy from the library because of that time that my son was a two year-old it's been pretty ridiculous. 

In an effort to showcase more than just my faves I asked each family member what their pick would be. This was difficult, each of them wanted to pick several. I tried not to influence their decisions (too much). Whether I liked it or not here are our favorites for this Halloween year:

 Sarah: I chose Over in the Hollow by Rebecca Dickinson, illustrated by S. Britt. 

I am not usually a fan of counting books (or alphabet books, for that matter), but this one is tricky, you almost don't realize you're counting since the rhyme 

(modeled after "Over in the Meadow" by Olive A. Wadsworth) 

is so fun to read and the pictures are so retro-gorgeous. This might be a bit long for some readers/families but my 3 year-old never had a problem sitting through this one 

and the older kids loved it too.

 

Abby: picked Humbug Witch by Lorna Balian
but since I highlighted that one last year I made her pick again.
She chose Frankenstein: A Monstrous Parody 
by Ludworst Bemonster (Rick Walton & Nathan Hale)
This was not my favorite of parodies (fun but not phenomenal)
but since Abby is fairly new to the genre she was enchanted.
Her enjoyment was much enhanced by the fact that we happen to own  
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmens so
she was able to compare the books page by page which she did ad nauseam
to anyone who would listen.
Her favorite part was that instead of making their beds and brushing their teeth
the monsters wet their beds and pull out their teeth.

 

Ginny: chose Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown.

Ginny is pretty easy. Whichever book we have just read is her favorite, especially if it's funny.

This one was also a favorite of Tag's 

but Big Green Monster just edged it out as his favorite.

Jasper Rabbit loves to eat carrots until they start following him... or do they? 

Whenever he feels their awful presence and turns to look he only finds orange items lying there.

All the same he still finds that he's lost his appetite for carrots...

which may have been their evil plan all along.

Can I just say, I LOVE this concept. 

Hilarious.

I mean, just look at the cover. The "creepy" rendering of those carrots is truly masterful.

Tag: Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley. This is one that we've checked out every year since the year we were introduced to it at Library Time.

The girls liked it and thought it was clever but never latched onto it quite like Tag has.

I now have it memorized.

Luckily it's not very long and watching the green monster's gradual formation 

followed by his gradual disappearance DOES bring out the inner child.

Finn: Okay, if I'm being honest, Finn loves to be read too but hasn't quite caught 

the Halloween fever that's been sweeping through our household. 

This is largely due to the fact that I don't like to read non-board books to him since currently 

his favorite part of reading is turning the pages himself. 

So.... this was just me giving myself a chance to choose a second book. 

Tricky, I know.

Did I mention he loves piggies... well, who doesn't, really?

Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini, illustrated by Howard Fine is right up my alley.

Gritch (the witch) is craving piggie pie but first she has to get some piggies. 

She visits Old MacDonald's farm but those piggies are just too tricky for her. 

I love the references to other tales/rhymes

(my girls particularly enjoyed the nod to "The Wizard of Oz" since we just watched it) 

and from beginning to end this book is full of fun!

If you are wondering why my husband didn't pick a book, well... what can I say? He does his fair share of reading to the kids (BELIEVE ME) but he is sadly ambivalent towards them (the books, not the kids). His strongest feelings are towards the books that are requested too often or are a bit on the longer side- and those feelings aren't particularly good ones. So, as I continue (fingers crossed) to share our favorite books you can continue to expect my husband to abstain from all the sharing.

Oh, and by the way, I found my post of Halloween books from last year that I never published. I read it over and it seemed finished so I left it as it was and published it... if you're interested in what we read for Halloween last year click here. HAPPY HALLOWEEN READING!!! 

**** Has anyone noticed how early in the month it is? Yeah, we've had Halloween books in the house for two weeks now AND we had some checked out last March when my girls were obsessed with banshees during our March-Ireland-St.Patrick's Day-Craze, SO THERE. I'm not exactly sure why I'm feeling defensive about this.****

 

What I read in 2012

Before this past year I kept an update of what I read each month. I'm planning to do that again this year.  Still... not having made an account of what I read last year here is the list (I can't vouch for this being in order and I may be leaving one or two out):
1. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith 7/10 an enjoyable read, worth owning and reading again.
2. The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer 8/10 mostly because I loved Sophy so much, one of my favorite characters EVER.
3. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch 8/10 Truly inspiring. Good reminders, if not completely original still a good fresh perspective.
4. The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success by Andy Andrews 7/10 Book club pick, it had it's faults but it was easy to overlook them because of the great intentions of the author. Worth a perusal.
5. The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Success by Dave Ramsey 8/10 Will be re-reading (possibly listening to) this because I read the 2003 version.
6. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris 7/10 Excellent biography, although overly long it still left me wanting more since it was only the "rise of".
7. Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross 5/10 Sometimes I find historical novels from medieval times a bit bleak and this was no exception. Still... it was enjoyable. Completely middle-of-the-road feelings about this book.
8. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 5/10 Interesting but somewhat forgettable.
9. A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter 6/10 Although I think this was a great book and I would encourage my daughters to read it I had a hard time relating to the main character personally which made it a little less than spectacular for me.
10. Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann 2/10 Even though this was beautifully written I found the people and subject matter vapid and disjointed. Didn't finish.
11. The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson 8/10 I usually am let down by Ibbotson's romances so this was a rare surprise. A keeper.
12. The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie 8/10 Completely surprised by this lesser known 1st of Ms. Christie's. A master of playing with those who think they can figure things out. Love her!
13. Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie 6/10 Good but not great- trying to read Christie in order.
14. Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie 5/10 Still good but I didn't enjoy the short stories as much as I do with Holmes/Doyle.
15. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie 8/10 I still can't believe I didn't see it coming!
16. The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough 5/10 I usually love David McCullough but just couldn't finish the second half of this. As a testament to his writing the first half has managed to stick in my head pretty well despite my lack of interest.
17. Paragon Walk by Anne Perry 5/10 Even though I love Charlotte & Thomas Pitt I have a hard time giving these a higher rating than even steven. I love the time period but Perry doesn't give you much to guess at. Everything comes together at the very end much like Maisie Dobbs. I read these more for period and character than for the mystery.
18. Resurrection Row by Anne Perry 7/10 More stimulation for thought in this "Pitt" novel which is why it gets a higher rating- the mystery was better too.
19. June Bug by Chris Fabry 7/10 book club selection. I had never heard of this book before and it was a pleasant surprise.
20. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery 9/10 Loved it. Loved Emily. Loved her friends. Loved her family. Loved her escapades.
21. Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery 5/10 Comparable to the "Anne" books when Anne is away at school- I just don't enjoy Montgomery as much during this stage of life. Love her portrayal of childhood and small town life.
22. Emily's Quest by L.M. Montgomery 6/10 More interesting than the 2nd installment due to some twists and turns and I do love it when an author can make me angry... still it began very slowly for me.
23. The Divine Center by Stephen Covey 7/10 This was a great book but I kept thinking it would have been better if every seminary/institute teacher I ever had hadn't borrowed ideas from this book. It felt really unoriginal in parts but I doubt that is the authors fault since this book isn't exactly new.
24. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskill 7/10 I remember liking the book but now all I can remember is the miniseries I watched after reading it which I thoroughly enjoyed.
25. How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown 7/10 Another book club pick. Did not think I would enjoy reading this as much as I did and did not think I would ever be okay with Pluto not being a planet (childhood memories) but I am. Thank you, Mike Brown!
26. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton 9/10 Not perfect but this book fit everything that I love about reading. My pick for my favorite of the year.
27. All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot 7/10 which I feel guilty doing because I completely LOVE James Herriot. War time memories was not my favorite writing device and I'm anxious for the next book when he will be back home.
28. The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan 8/10 Saw the movie first- like each for their very different plots.
29. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan 8/10 Nice to not have a movie to compare to, probably my favorite of the series.
30. The Titans Curse by Rick Riordan 6/10 an important part of the series I just didn't enjoy it as much.
31. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan 7/10 more Percy
32. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan 7/10 final Percy- lots of action and tense moments end the series perfectly.
33. The Blackstone Key by Rose Mellikan 5/10 Good premise that started out strong and then petered out a little. I find it interesting how many times I've noticed "Blackstone" (a law tome) being referenced in other novels since.
34. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon 9/10 If it weren't for a couple of scenes that made me uncomfortable this would have been #1. I loved everything else about this.
35. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 9/10 a book club selection I was glad to have a reason to re-read this old friend.
36. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson 9/10 one of the best biographies I have ever read.
37. The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer 8/10 Heyer delivers again!
38. The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout 7/10 Very interesting. Scary, but comforting in the way that having more knowledge gives you comfort.
39. The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary 6/10 read to the kids and Ginny especially loved it.
40. The Cricket in Times Square by George Seldon 5/10 the kids liked this but didn't love it.
41. Lemon Tart by Josie Kilpack 6/10 a book club selection. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would even though the mystery was pretty predictable.
42. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson 9/10 Favorite romance of the year. I could read it over and over again but sadly my copy has been making the rounds with my friends.
43. Elephant Run by Roland Smith 9/10 so good!
44. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg 8/10 Reading this to my girls brought back so many memories.
45. Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale 5/10 A really fun read but forgettable.
46. Follow the River by James Alexander Thom 8/10 Still thinking about this one and planning to read this author again in the future.
47. Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear 6/10 an improvement over the last Maisie Dobbs I read.
48. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Extupery 8/10 I know my girls didn't "get" everything in this little book but it started some interesting discussions.
49. Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale 7/10 I wish I had read "Princess Academy" first. I found myself trying to remember who many of the girls were for most of the book. The rating may bump up a bit if I read them together in the future.
50. The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade by Susan Wise Bauer 6/10 A long laborious read- but then after the 1st one I new it would be. Valuable knowledge to have if it sticks.
51. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie 10/10 Perfection. I was worried once I started and realized this was much more difficult than I remembered. Still, my girls enjoyed it and Ginny named it her favorite book of the year- I'm still not sure if I completely believe her.
52. Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv 7/10 Highly recommended if only for it's thought-provoking-ness (better/real term???)
53. The Witches by Roald Dahl 7/10 So much fun to read in October, had Abby hiding under the covers more than once.
54. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 10/10 One of my top 5 of all time, get's better every time I read it.
55. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 5/10 Interesting how a few years and different experiences can completely change your view of a book. I would have easily given this 9/10 the first time I read it. I'll re-read in another 10 years to see if anything has changed.
56. Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear 8/10 Probably my favorite Maisie Dobbs so far.
57. An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear 5/10 the story line just didn't grab me in this one but it was still better than "Birds of a Feather".
58. The Parenting Breakthrough by Merilee Boyack 9/10 I think I liked this better because I've heard her speak but still... great ideas, great advice with an outlined plan to implement what you've learned- in my top 5 parenting books.
59. Wonder by R.J. Palacio 8/10 Loved the varying points of view- you start to think you understand a character and then BAM!
60. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay 8/10 another that could have been best of the year if it weren't for a sprinkling of language, etc.
61. Don Quixote (part 1) by Miguel de Cervantes 6/10 Funny, whimsical, interesting in parts, but I just couldn't get into it and had to put it down for a while.
62. Little Bee by Chris Cleave 7/10 Could have been 10/10 or at least 9/10 if it had been narrated solely by Little Bee.
63. A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck 8/10 Just as entertaining as "A Long Way From Chicago"
64. Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl 9/10 a childhood favorite, the girls liked listening to this almost as much as I liked reading it to them.
65. The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl 5/10 beautiful language, boorish protagonist.
66. Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard 8/10 Loved learning a little more about a presidency I knew little about.
67. Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear 6/10 Good but not great, not a huge fan of "madness"
68. The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear 8/10 close second to "Messenger of Truth" in the Maisie Dobbs series. I really liked this one.
69. A Lesson In Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear 7/10 I don't know what to add- I'm still reading the series, aren't I?
70. Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear 7/10 I wish the next one were out sooner than March- something to look forward to!
... and I did not mean to hit 70 exactly- that was just lucky!
( I just remembered that I also re-read (#71) Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Imaculee Ilibagiza. It was my pick for my book club this year. Such a great book, 9/10.)

January Author of the Month: Mo Willems

I love it! Who wouldn't like this man??? We have been fans of the pigeon books and elephant and piggie for some time now so when I saw this picture I thought, "Yep, that seems about right." Here is Mo Willems website where you can get to know him even better. Some interesting things I learned about Mo: He was a writer and animator on Sesame Street from 1993-2002 where he won 6 Emmys for writing. He has won Caldecott Honors for Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (one of our favorites), Knufflebunny: A Cautionary Tale & Knufflebunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identy. Also, his birthday is February 11th!!! No wonder he seems to be such a fantastic person, all of us February birthdays are (with a wink and a smile).
My girls love Mo Willem's humor. They have both been found rolling on the floor (I'm not kidding... literally rolling on the floor) as I've read them his books. Somehow we have missed out on "Knufflebunny" and his "Cat the cat" series. We'll be checking out what we can get our hands on of those this month as well as some of the "pigeon" and "elephant and piggy" books that we have not yet read and of course some that we already know and love. Please join us if you would like. I'm sure we'll be checking them out for several months since Ginny is nearing (and I'm being optimistic when I say "nearing") the end of Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. There are many easy readers that I love, partly because I grew up with them. However, I think these are more popular with my children than the tried and true because of the pictoral nature of the humor. Although, I'd have to say Mercer Mayer falls into that category as well. We'll see you soon for our end of the month update with our picks and pans.

Funny Friday: Everybody Dance Now

My kids watched this so many times today they actually got sick of it (Not Tag, though) this almost never happens. They had to watch several funny animal videos to recuperate.

Resolutions 2013

It's amazing how sad it is to me to look back at my resolutions from last year. I mean, I did okay, it wasn't completely dismal. Except, possibly, (yes, very possibly) for the music resolution. In all honesty I think I sat down at the piano maybe twice in the last year, maybe. Well, I probably sat down at it more than twice... but to play??? Twice at the most. Very sad. I do want to do better at it this year. But even more than playing the piano I want to paint it. Is that crazy? For several years now I have felt a little unfaithful (unfaithful?!?! when I sit down to it to play twice in a year?!?!?) to the piano I have been *playing* since I was five. "Why?" You might ask. Well, I like to go to craigslist and various online classifieds to look at old pianos. HORRORS! I know, how mean am I? My poor humble piano that has stood by me quite faithfully for 3 decades... waiting patiently to be played, I might add.  However, I discovered chalk paint this past year. So, even though I can't make my very own piano "old" I can make it more me, hooray! Because of the sentimental value I just couldn't see selling it to buy an old piano- especially since I know nothing about piano restoration or how to tune one or what a good deal might be, etc. I just realized that this has nothing to do with resolutions anymore so I'd better move on. But, plan on seeing pictures of a painted piano in the next 1-5 years depending on when I get brave enough to give it a go.

Resolution #1 Books, books, books
If you know me you know that I don't need to make this resolution. I inevitably will read. However, there are a few books that will remain on my "to read" list until kingdom come if I don't do something proactive about it- like a resolution, so.....
Okay, so I made the dumb mistake last year of reading a few of my choices right away and the other 7 in the last 3 mos. SO- this year I'm going to assign myself a book a month. That sounds doable.
January- Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
February- Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
March- The Lord God Made Them All by James Herriot
April- Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
May- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
June- The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer
July- The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy (okay, technically 3 books but I generally have more time to read in July and if I only finish the 1st one that's good enough for me)
August- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
September- Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
October- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
November-Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood With Britain in It's Finest, Darkest Hour by Lynne Olson
December- Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story by Ben Carson

Of course, if the mood strikes me I reserve the right to change any of these. Silly. It's like I think someone is actually reading this and going to check up on me, ha.

Resolution #2 Craft more.
In the same vein... if I don't choose specific crafting projects I will end up only painting things when I really need to stretch my sewing muscles since they pretty much don't exist at this point. I'm serious. I think I sewed something once in like 7th grade, when there was home ec. and it was required. I couldn't tell you what it was. Oh, yeah, I forgot I have sewed some quilting squares together and then forgot to sew the squares to each other to form the quilt itself. Hmmm, maybe finishing that project should be on the list? The problem here is I don't know precisely when my sewing machine will be accessible this year so here are 12 projects I want to do this year and if I need to switch some of them out so be it. Honestly I don't think I could do any worse than last year in which I think I completed about 5 crafty-type projects.
In no particular order:
1-Advent Calandar: Inspiration @ Sunlit Pages
2-Family Rules: Inspiration @ here and etsy
3-Family Home Evening Sign: Inspiration @ scatter sunshine
4-Tree Skirt: Inspiration @ Amy Butler Design
5-Mason Jar Wall Vase: Inspiration @ Very Jane
6-12 months of pillowcases. This is an idea that I got at Education Week one year and I have been wanting to do it ever since. It's time. I went to a lecture on fun family traditions and this woman made different pillowcases for each month of the year. Her kids loved it. Each month they would run to the linen closet to get out that months pillow and I believe there was a special birthday pillow as well for the week of that child's birthday. I may need to do this little by little as it's easier to find cheap material for certain months when that particular holiday is over. Pillow case tutorials I've pinned:
notes from the patch and twiddletails. I can't wait to pick out material that fits each month!
7-Hanging dish towels (will probably finish as soon as my toddler gets bored of pulling them down: Inspiration @ Kleio's Belly
8-patch Abby and Ginny's pants knees. Okay, for some people this would not need to be on a list like this. Were you listening above when I said I sewed once in the 7th grade? I was serious. Most things that need to be darned, etc. in my house get pitched. In the current economy I'm realizing I need to make some changes. Inspiration @ designmom
9- Build our family kitchen table (I know, this is the BIG one): Inspiration @ Our Vintage Home Love and Shanty 2 Chic and Ana White 
  10- Build pallet bookshelves for kids bedrooms: Inspiration @ Six Sisters Stuff
11- Paint the girls bunkbeds (okay, another big one).
12- Make Christmas Stockings. Inspiration.... okay I have so many cute stocking ideas that I've seen I honestly don't know which to pick. I will have to narrow it down, obviously, and may just go with whatever looks easiest. Which won't be a bad thing since all of the designs are stinkin' cute.

Resolution #3 Be a Better Mom
Full Disclosure: The biggest things to suffer from my cooking, cleaning, laundering, etc. a house of 11 people, the things that have gone out the window are the little things. The simple little wonderful things that make a life. I feel like a lot of them have gone out the window because I've been too busy with less important things or (mostly) too tired/grumpy. I am really looking forward to having just my little family to myself again here pretty soon. My brothers family is a family of TV. There it is. My biggest complaint. OUT. I am really looking forward to being able to say, "No TV" and be able to enforce it. I know getting rid of TV is not going to get rid of noise but it will get rid of the unwanted noise that has been filling my life as of late. 
I've been reading chapter books to my girls in the evenings along with the picture books that we inevitably pull out through out the day. I have loved this and am excited to keep this going. Abby has been wanting to learn how to play chess and I think we'll turn it into a family event. I also want to spend some more time outdoors in the coming year. I feel like I've gotten really lazy about the outdoors this past year. Being pregnant can do that to you. I'm feeling nature deprived and I'm pretty sure my kids are too. I'm going to work on building some traditions of things we do during the different seasons and hopefully in 2014 I will have a well defined plan for what I want to do in this area. For now, this year is going to be trial and error.

Resolution #4 New Recipes
Just like last year I want to try a few new recipes every month. I don't think I'm going to say one a week or anything like that. I don't need the added guilt if I miss a week. And honestly there were some weeks I tried several recipes and then I would go a month without having the energy to try anything new (pregnancy, again) and while I don't plan on getting pregnant in the next year I DO plan on being a tired mother of 4 at least once in a while. I have 100+ recipes pinned so I don't think I'll have any problems in this department. 
I do think it would be fun in conjunction with res. #3 to highlight a certain place, possibly one that our current chapter book is taking place in,  and cook recipes that come from that area also talking about that part of the world. When we read Danny the Champion of the World  it mentioned Danny's father's favorite dinner being "Toad in the Hole". It might have been fun to try that out when we were reading it. Food for thought. (I am SO not funny, excuse that last sentence). 
 
Resolutions #5, 6 etc.
Another thing that has suffered living in a home of 11- my spirituality. This is not something that I would normally share on a blog but I feel like it has gotten so bad that I need to make a commitment to more than just myself.
We have remained pretty good at family scripture & prayer, FHE and church attendance. However, on the personal front, not so much. I also need to work on my feelings towards my brothers family- it's really bringing me down. Even though I know that living with family for 2 1/2 years is not ideal and that most people would struggle I feel like I could have done better in this area.
 Everyone's resolution: Lose weight. It is SO time to take care of this. I've been saving clothes from before my first child was born. I HAVE lost some weight between babies but I've never gotten down to my pre-first-baby weight. Now that I've had my 4th I'm afraid that none of it will be usable style-wise when I open that box. Not that being way out of style has stopped me from wearing something before. Still... my plan: I need to use the handy dandy app. on my phone. In the past if I have a bad day I've stopped doing this. I need to just input the bad day and move on from now on. Bad days happen. I just hate putting them in. It looks so bad. But it's much worse to stop completely and I know that even though I hate counting calories it works. Exercise: Okay, I know I'm weird but I actually love to exercise. It's the food that really gets me. It's also the time commitment it takes to exercise so I really need to get better at time management.

Time management: this may be my most important goal. I'm going to start planning out my week each Sunday. I do really well with lists . Some people are not list people but I am and I know it. I love checking boxes. I also want to get really solid morning/bedtime routines. I feel like I keep putting so many things off until we move. Hopefully that will happen in the next month. January may be a wash as far as time management goes but I will be figuring it out and getting ready to be super organized really soon.

Well, that about does it... well I want to make a goal to refer to this post at least once a month if not every Sunday to remind myself of my goals and recommit. It also might be o good idea to resolve to write on this blog more often. I really think that's why I was sad looking back at my resolutions from last year. I was planning on sharing my progress and I took a lot of pictures of food and crafts and then never shared them. So that will be my last resolution of all. What are some of your resolutions? I'd love to hear what yours are too so that we can cheer each other on!!! Good Luck with 2013 to all of you.