Half Marathon #10..It's On!

Pin It

I'm linking up to Food Fitness and Family.  She's an awesome fitness blogger who also has plans to run the same half.  She's going to rock it too!

I've signed up for the Go! St. Louis Half Marathon and I'm so excited to have a goal (date) to work towards. 

I picked a training plan than jazzed it up a little. I used Hal Higdon's Novice program and then customized it for my schedule.  Hopefully if you're prepping for an event like this and are using an out of the box training plan you are making adjustments based on your restrictions,etc. 

I realized a while back that these types of plans are a great starting point but to try to follow it exactly didn't work for me.  After all, Hal doesn't know what my constraints are.  He only knows what I need to do to successfully run a half but by modifying it to suite my schedule, Hal and I become a winning team. 

So I wanted to show you how I modified it.
Before...

After...

First, I added my weight workouts back in.  I know it looks a little lopsided but I have found that my workouts at the beginning of the week are always stronger so I want to make sure I get as much in by Wednesday as possible. 

Also, I'm not afraid to switch my Saturday and Sunday workouts if need be.  With School, there are days when I need to do group work on Sundays and that will mean that long runs need to be done on Saturday. 

Now that I've got my plan figured out, I schedule it EVERYWHERE.  I added to my outlook calendar at work, I pencil it in to my day planner and add it to my iPhone.  Hell, I even print it and put it on my cubicle wall.

Then it's time to get my workout on!  I'm so excited to have a plan.  I feel much more focused when I do. 

Are you training for anything?  How did you put your plan together? 

15 Month Update -Doctors, Hockey, Toys and Hair

I figured after that heavy post about regret, I'd turn things around a little bit and show you some adorable E pictures.  After all, this blog did start as a way to give family an update on how he was doing. 

E is 15 months now and continues to make us laugh.  The things he does are just hilarious and scary at the same time.

His new thing has been to climb up on the ottoman that's in front of the couch and LEAP off it onto the couch.  He thinks this is great fun.  I, on the other hand, just see this as the precursor many other dare devil type activities which I'm sure are bound to give me a head full of grey hairs.  I've been trying to get a video of it.  I'm confident that I will succeed.

He also seems to have a bit of my klutzy tendencies.  He was playing last night before bed when I captured this sweet little video.  The end of the video is hilarious.  Totally something I would do. 

Last week we had his 15 Month doctors appointment and as always, I'm instructed to get him undressed down to his diaper.  In past months, he'd sit patiently on my lap, wrapped up in a blanket.  Not this time.  As you can see, it was all about rearranging the office and climbing on whatever he could find.  He did get a shot which upset him for all of about 5 minutes then he was fine. 

The other major event of the weekend was the haircut we tried to give him.  I don't have pictures of that because I was too busy trying to keep his hands out of the way of the stylist.  Terrible!  You would've thought I was going to let her cut his ear off.  We only got the sides done.  Until yesterday, the top was still long enough to Mohawk.

After I had tortured my son with a haircut, I figured we should make it up to him with a run to the yogurt place.  That is where I learned a new technique for eating yogurt.  For those times when just one spoon isn't enough, E introduced us to the two spoon method.



E's eating habits are picky at best.  I continue to try an array of things but his favorites right now are edemmame, pears, string cheese and turkey. 

We are also working on turning the cute adorable gibberish that we have now into words.  He's saying easy things like Ba-Ba and Dada but I can't get him to say much more.  He knows though.  I told him that if he wanted to get in the bath he had to take his shirt off and he immediately tried lifting it up over his head.  We will get there. 

Yesterday, I came home from work to find that S had decided to try to correct E's bad haircut.  This is the best picture I could get yesterday but if you can tell, he got a buzz cut.  All that pretty hair is gone.  Oh well, it will grow back.

Here's the before:

I am having so much fun as a mom.  He lights up my day in a way no one else can (S comes in a close second).  I'm such a lucky lady to have two great guys. 

Here's the after:

Regret can be a Strangely Motivating Thing

My motivation for this post is coming from the pressures of school that I'm feeling right now. There are only a handful of things I regret. I can say that honestly because I've tried to live my life with the motto of no regrets. I don't want to look back and wish I would've made a different choice.

I thought about it a lot for this post and really and truly just a couple things. The reason I bring it up is to help you see that doing this kind of assessment is not only good, but motivating as well. It's good because there comes a time when you have to learn a lesson and just let it go but getting to that point, at least for me, was tough. I thought I'd share a couple of my stories to help you get started...

College Volleyball..I loved (and still do) volleyball.
In high school it was, by far, my favorite sport. I loved it so much that it was my one and only goal when talk of college came up (did I mention I don't think I was great?). None the less, I ended up going to my local Junior college for 2 years and walked on their team.

In two years, I went from walk on to a stating setter (an accomplishment I still take a little pride in) to a highly recruited prospect. (I know...you're asking where the regret comes into play? Don't worry, it's coming).

Anyway, I again, became very short sighted by only wanting to play for, what I considered, a good division 1 school even though there were a handful of amazing schools that I could've gone to. I made my choice and trained all summer as prescribed by my coach. Once preseason started I was beyond excited and physically prepared. What I wasn't prepared for was the mental toughness I would need. I was playing on a level unlike any I had ever experienced. (to illustrated, the coach would make us watch game film of the Chinese national team which at the time was on top). I wasn't prepared. The pressure became too much and I cracked. The team tried to help, I got a sports phycologist but it was too late. I went running home with my tail between my legs and it's bothered me ever since. This is one scenario that I usually don't even like to talk about because I'm embarrassed. In the time since this has happened I can look at how I approach a challenge and see positives and negatives of this experience coming through.

Fitness Competition...after college I got back into fitness full time through running and weight lifting. I worked out at a gym that was home to an amazing fitness competitor who often talked about the sport with me. So much so that I decided to give it a try. With memories of my volleyball debacle still fresh, I approached it with an optimistic reality. I worked and worked and got to a pivotal point where I felt I had to make a decision.

At the time, I felt that there wasn't room in my life for everything I was doing (technology consultant career)and a fitness career. I made what I thought was the more conservative decision to "retire" (if you can call it that) and focus on my technology career. The part of this decision I regret isn't the decision itself but rather that I couldn't see that with a little flexibility I could've made it work. Hell, today I am juggling a career, a family (toddler included), grad school and charity work. I'm pretty sure I could've done it. But again, now I have to lingering sinking feeling every time I think about it.

So you may ask why do I let some of these memories continue to live on inside my head?

• First, I can't get rid of them, they won't go away. They live right next door to my moms voice (aka my voice of reason) and that's where they'll stay. But I prefer it this way.
• Every time I want to quit or give up on a goal, I remember how I felt in the scenarios above and that is usually the exact kick in the pants I need to get up and over the hump.

My advice here is if you're holding on to regret, figure out a way to see the silver lining or the lesson you learned that you learned and then file it away only to live on when you need it to. 

Use it as a tool to help you reach your goals, not a crutch to fail.

Make sense? How do you deal with regret?

Execuses for NOT Exercising Debunked

Pin It

Earlier this year I had a chance to guest post on MizFitOnline.  I think it's worth sharing if it means, you get inspired to head to the gym.  Enjoy!
______________________________________

Hi my name is Katie and I can’t work out before 5:30 at night.


All Respond…Hi Katie

That’s right I said it. I can’t get up early and workout like some many other amazing fitness junkies. I tried a few times and it was a complete bust for me. My lungs don’t seem to want to wake up until at least 6:30 a.m.. So that means that I’m forced to SQUEEZE it in sometime after work, but before dinner.

Luckily, my husband is also an evening exerciser so we usually plan to go together and my son E gets to go to the nursery where he plays and makes a mess which someone else gets to clean up.  In my mind, it’s a win-win. Between the time I leave work and get to the gym, my mind goes through a series of checkpoints (otherwise known as excuses that are quickly overruled). I thought I’d share those with you to help you get over the hump and get to the gym.

Excuses for not exercising in the evening debunked:

1. Many people will say that “if I don’t go straight from work, I won’t go at all” That’s NEVER been the case for me. Fitness is a priority and always will be. Because of that, I go home, I change, I get my husband and child ready and we all turn right back around and head to the gym. No excuses. So that’s my first recommendation for you: MAKE FITNESS AND YOUR HEALTH A PRIORITY

2. I’ve also heard…”well, by the end of the day I’m exhausted. I don’t have any energy”. Another excuse that can easily be overcome. First off, GO TO BED!! Get your sleep. Sleep is essential to making sure that your day goes smoothly. Secondly, watch what you put in your body throughout the day…If you’re feeding your body lots of artificial sugars then you’re not even giving yourself a fighting chance. Try adding an apple to the mix if you’re looking for something sweet. Refrigerate it if you want something cold. Add some peanut butter for added protein. My second recommendation: EAT TO SUCCEED

3. The third excuse I hear and again, you can work through it is…”I’ve had a terrible day, all I want to do is go home and veg”. UMMM, no! Sorry. When I’ve tried doing this, I’ve found that I just sit and stew about the bad day that was instead of moving on. Work is work is work. When you walk out the door, try to put it all behind you and move on to the next part of your day. Part of what makes fitness great is that no one is going to bite your head off for pushing yourself. Beside the sweat you’ll produce cleanses yourself of the terrible day’s toxins that might have built up. My third recommendation: SWEAT IT OUT!

4. Finally, there are days when you just need some help, some motivation, some energy and some support. My final recommendation: Use social networks (I can be found on Twitter at @momslrb) for motivation, have a quick pick me up (for me it's 5 Hour Energy) and hug someone. Then off you go!!

Now what were you doing again? Head to the gym…it’s waiting for you.

A 5K Training Plan Anyone Can Follow

Pin It

One of the things I'm asked often is "How do I get into running?"  When I hear the question, I get that little Mona Lisa smile, and my brain starts cranking away.  I have plenty of opinions and advice on this topic as I'm sure most runners do.  I've tried to provide the most important nuggets but if you have specific questions, don't be afraid to ask!

Couple key points first:

• See a Doctor Please make sure your healthy enough to be engaging in exercise.  (Sorry I had to make sure you knew.)
• Set A Goal and by that I mean, if you want to do a 5k, find one and SIGN UP.  I'm a fan of deadlines.  If you know you've committed and spent the money, you're less likely to give up.
• Be Optimistic and Realistic.  Becoming an avid runner doesn't happen over night.  It takes time to build up your mileage.  It's important to start every run with a positive attitude but it's even more important to know that you're not going to conquer the running world today.  Work hard and celebrate your achievements.
• Reward Yourself.  Call me selfish but when I do something that I think is worthy, I reward myself.  That usually means new workout clothes or shoes.  When you set a goal, celebrate when you achieve it.  Figure out what your reward will be and you'll probably work that much harder to get it.

Need a little extra motivation? - Check out 5 Reasons why you should do a 5K

8 Week Training Plan  - Link to PDF
There are lots of resources out there to find free training plans.  I tried creating one that I felt was truly easy to follow but would challenge you in a way that you'd see results. 

Ideally, the workouts will be done every other day (Monday, Thursday, Saturday).  If you're feeling motivated, add a cross training workout in there too (elliptical at a challenging page/resistance for 30 minutes).  Try not to let more than 2 days go between workouts.  I'm trying to find the reference but I've read (and I feel it) that you can lose any running fitness you've built up in as little as 2-3 days.

Let me know how this works for you.  Hopefully you will have so much success you ask for a marathon training plan! 

Happy Running!!

What's For Dinner?

I promise we'll get back to our regularly scheduled fitness topic soon (I've been trying to get my hubby to help me video a vlog for a while).

I don't know about you but one of the biggest pains of my week is planning the weeks menu.  I wrote an post last month about how crazy our week can be which is why planning dinner options is so tough.  There are days where we don't get home till almost 8 which means I have 20 minutes to get dinner on the table.

On Sunday, I sit down and scour my brain, the Internet and all my cookbooks for dinner options.  Some of my favorite cookbooks are from Pampered Chef, Betty Crocker and Family Circle.  There are weeks where I feel like getting crazy and will find something new but usually fall back on one of my guaranteed stand by options.  This week I'm trying a new Chicken Noodle Casserole in the February Better Homes and Garden.

Then I make the grocery list and off we go.  Usually it's a family affair because S thinks I don't "get anything good" (i.e. junk food) so he and E escort me.  This week, S was especially bad, by throwing a couple items into the cart that I think, if you look closely, you can find.

We usually eat pretty well.  Most of our meals consist of a lean protein (chicken), veggies (steamed broccoli, salad, green beans) and a start (couscous).

I thought I'd share my list of stand by dinner options in case you're looking for a change.  Let me know if you have any ideas I can add.  My criteria is that I can prep and cook in 20-30 min and unfortunately, we don't have that sophisticated of a palette, so we have to keep it simple.

Main Dish:

• Italian Beef (this is the easiest crock pot recipe, add beef, water and Louie's P&R seasoning packet, when we come home, it's ready).
• Flank Steak marinated in McCormick cracked peppercorn
• Pasta Roma (Vegetarian,Whole grain pasta (always) and lots of cheese)
• Turkey Meatballs, bocconcini and orecchiette
• Grilled Chicken Pita with cucumber sauce
• Pesto Chicken Pasta
• Pot Roast with Carrots, Potatoes and Celery
• Italian Turkey Sausage, peppers and pasta
• Hamburgers
• Sloppy Joe
• Unstuffed Geen Peppers
• Spaghetti
• Grilled Pork Chops
• Steak and Potato Spinach Salad
• Panko Breaded Chicken Strips

Side Dishes:

• Italian Salad 
• Spinach Salad
• Steamed Broccoli with lemon juice
• Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
• Sauteed Broccoli, carrots and pine nuts
• Tomato, Cucumber Salad
• Pasta Salad
• Tater Tots (Told you we weren't sophisticated)
• Flash Steamed Green Beans
• Green Beans with Almonds
• Couscous 
• Brown Rice

Ok, I think that's about it. So what's on your stand-by list?  How do you plan your meals?  Any favorite recipes or meal sites?  I'd love to know.  If you want any detailed recipes above, let me know through comments and I'll provide.  Happy cooking!!

Had to share one of my favorite grocery store memories.  This is when E just learned to walk.  He was so proud.

Baby Registry Revisited For Moms To Be

Pin It

E is now almost 15 months old and live changes everyday.  I remember before E came around thinking about all the things I thought I would need in order to care for the little guy.  I added them to my registry and went along my way.  Now that I look back at it, there are some definite winners and losers from the list and somethings that I didn't even think about.  I should tell you I'm not getting paid in anyway for mentioning these products.  This is from one mother to another.

Big Winner: B.O.B. Stroller

Before I had one, I had heard that you MUST have one.  But I knew they were expensive so I questioned it.  My family bought us one and I have to say that I LOVE IT.  If you are a runner/walker or thinking about becoming one you really should invest in one. 

I have more miles on this thing than my bike at this point and it handles every mile like a champ.  It's easy to push, easy to control and E seems to really like it.  In fact, I think so many pictures of the stroller (and E of course).

Little hint...look on ebay and craigslist. These hold up really well and sometimes you find a deal.


Other Greats:
Medela In Style Breastpump

 If you're a breastfeeding mom, I highly recommend Medela's In Style pump.  I used it everyday for 9 months.  It traveled with me on business trips, we were joined at the hip.  I never had any issues with it.  Very reliable. 

Little hint...I borrowed a pump from  my sister in law.  I know they say you aren't necessarily supposed to but I wasn't sure if I was having more than one child so I didn't want to invest and she was willing to share (I just bought new pump parts, hoses, etc).
JJ Cole Car Seat Cover:

If you're having a baby in the winter months, this is a MUST.  It saves you from having to try to put a coat on them, and get them strapped in.  It also does shield them from the elements while keeping them warm and cozy.  We loved it!







Arm and Hammer Diaper Pails

This kept E's room smelling odor free all the time.  It has a little pocket of Baking Soda that drops down every time you put a diaper in it. Ours has a weird hang up with it closes.  It makes a lot of noise and doesn't close smoothly.  We even bought a different one and the smell was so bad we went back to this one and just deal with the weird, clunky close.





Boppy Bare Naked Pillow

Can you say awesome?  This was so versatile.  I used it when I was breastfeeding but also, I used it to allow E to sit up when he wanted to play on the ground or do tummy time with.  I highly recommend having one. 

Baby Einstein Discovery Center Entertainer - Around the World

E loved this thing.  In fact, he still does.  He walks up to it and plays around with it still.  It's a little pricey but a great toy that can be used long beyond their first year.

Levana Video Baby Monitor

Nest Diaper Bags Hudson Let me preface this. I love my video monitor. I wish I had this one that was color but the one I have is great. I think a video monitor can be used for years. Especially as they grow out of their cribs. My plan is to keep E's setup so I can see what he's doing when he's just playing around or supposed to be taking naps. 

Mine has this clamp on the bottom of it that is supposed to secure to the crib but it doesn't stay in the secured position so often times, I found myself looking at the wall.  Here's a small clip of what mine can capture.  I would love this one which has an eye that just sits on a shelf.

Modified Bath Towel

 So this isn't something you can buy at Amazon but it is great.  My friend made them for me and I made them for my Sister in Law when she was pregnant.  It's a regular bath towel (I picked the softest white towel I could find), with a strong grosgrain ribbon sewn creatively on to the middle  of the towel in a loop big enough to put your head through.  The reason...it makes it so easy to use both hands to pick up your wet baby and pull him close to you.  Saves you from having to lay him down and try to wrap him up.  





Nest Diaper Bags

Nothing makes me happier than buying a nice purse but when baby comes along my purses got retired for a while.  My husband bought me this diaper bag and I LOVE it.  It's huge and doesn't look like a diaper bag.

Buy yourself a nice diaper bag.  It makes a mommy happy.  Might I suggest the Nest Diaper bags?  If I could, I'd own every one of them.

Hmm..wonder if they need a bloggy spokesperson.  Doubt they need my help. 


Not So Greats:

First Years Bottle Warmer

For us, this was a bust.  I didn't think it worked fast enough.  It just wasn't convenient.  I ended up having more success running hot water in the sink and submersing the bottle.   Now I will say, I did use the cooler on the back side of the warmer because it does fit bottle perfectly and now that we live in a 2 story house, I would take 2 bottles up just in case E woke up in the middle of the night.  Saved me lots of trips up and down.

Summer Infant Swaddlers

We noticed very early on that E was NOT a fan of swaddling.  When I could get him to do it, I found that using one of our receiving blankets was easier for me.  So these for us, were just not worth it. 

Ok, so that's some of the big ticket items.  I obviously have a ton of opinions on lots of products but I don't want to make this post a novel.

What are some of your best and worst baby products?

Weekend Run Down - When Worms Attack

Happy Monday (I'm sure you can't sense my sarcasm but it's there).  I wanted to just post a couple cute pictures from our very relaxed weekend (which I still plan on doing) but you'll see when you see the pictures that our weekend didn't end well. 

First tons of cuteness.  Saturday, my mom and I watched the babies so my sister could get settled into her new home.  On the way back, Baby M fell asleep and her head kept falling..Looked very uncomfortable.  So we got smart and used E's baby neck pillow to prop her up.  So cute!

Then once we got to the house, all the kids came back to life and wrestled the stuffed worm (he obviously provoked them).  I think the kids won.

 Then Sunday night I made dinner and E wanted to help so I put him in charge of making the pasta. 

Ok, maybe not, but he did get countless minutes of enjoyment out of the empty box

Then after a great dinner, we went to bed and everything was good.  But then, it hit at about 10:30, E started crying.  I went him swooped him up, we took our place in the rocker and he lost his dinner all over the place. 

This continued through the night and into this morning.  He was pretty pathetic but I did LOVE how cuddly he was. 

It's amazing how ingrained it is in us to want Mom when we're not feeling well.  Hell, at 32, I still do.  I guess that's a sign of a good mommy. 

Anyway, we're on the mend now and seem to be getting better.  Hopefully we can just make it through this week successfully.  We have work, dentist appointments, 2 grad school tests, 2 days of school and a Crystal Ball on Saturday just to tie a nice little bow on all the work we're doing. 

On a side note, I did manage to get in a nice run on Sunday.  The weather here has been so unseasonably warm that I couldn't resist going outside.  Gorgeous!

Hope you're all doing well.  Don't miss tomorrow's blog.  I have an amazing compound exercise for you to try.  I had my husband record it the first time but the angel wasn't right.  I think I'll have E try it.  He might be more successful. 

Guest Post on MizFitOnline

In case you missed it, I had the opportunity to guest post on one of my favorite fitness blogs: MizFitOnline.com

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Celebrate Fitness - Giveaway

If you're in the St. Louis area or are looking to take a road trip, why not get involved in an amazing event, support a great cause and get a good workout in with 1200 or so of your friends.

Celebrate Fitness is on March 10, 2012 at the Washington University Field house (Doors open at 7:00, Event start at 8:30) and allows you to sweat it out by participating in a 90 minute workout of your choice:

• Bootcamp
• Yoga
• Zumba/Hip-Hop
• Water Aerobics
• 1M Fun Walk
• 5K/10K (10K is new this year)

Who's invited to attend?
This event is open to all (Men, Woman, Families) and teams are highly encouraged. Prizes are awarded to the teams that raise the most money.

Why am I giving away a free entry?
I personally have had many family members touched by cancer and I'd love nothing more than to never see someone suffer from it again. This funds from this event go to support research and education at the Siteman Cancer Center.

Because of my connection to this terrible disease and my love of everything fitness, I decided to get involved. I sit on the organizing committee and I couldn't be more proud to do so.

What's new this year?
I'm excited to introduce a 10K to the event lineup this year and to celebrate, I'm giving away a free entry to the event ($30 value). A winner will be picked at random on January 12th.

In addition to our top finishers in the 5K and 10K race, we'll also have awards for the top finishers in the Stroller division (for those of us that take our little ones with us everywhere).

What's in it for you?
For $30, you get your registration paid for, participation into the event of your choice, and a highly coveted goody bag or tech t-shirt. (No really, these goody bags are amazing and always filled with lots of goodies). Mine is still one of my favorite bags but every year it's different.

You get to entertained in the opening ceremonies, get to take advantage of the complimentary massage services, do some shopping and get to enjoy being around 1200 of your closest friends. The atmosphere is electric and I'll personally welcome you to the event, when you get there if you let me know you signed up.  I'd love to meet you!

If you can't wait to till the 12th to find out if you're a winner, head on over to Celebrate-Fitness.org and sign up. Hurry! Space is limited and events will fill up quickly!

How do you enter the giveaway?

1. Leave a comment telling me which event you'd participate in.

2. Follow Celebrate Fitness @CelebrateFitnes on Twitter and leave a comment letting us know you've done it (with your twitter name).

3. Follow me @momslrb on Twitter and leave a comment letting us know you've done it (with your twitter name).

4. Tweet the following:

I registered for a chance to win a free entry to @CelebrateFitnes on March 10th at Wash U in #STL from @momslrb. Check it out!

5. Update your Facebook Status with the following, then leave us a comment and your Facebook URL:

I registered for a chance to win a free entry to CelebrateFitnes on March 10th at Wash U in St. Louis over at Momslittlerunningbuddy.com. Giveaway ends January 12th, go check it out.

At Work Move of the Day - Single Leg Stand

Make sure that you take your heels off.  Then slightly lift your left leg first, engage your ab muscles to keep your balance, and stand up.  Repeat 10 times then switch sides.


Today's Move: Single Leg Stands

Tomorrow I'm promising an upperbody move to cap off our week of office based fun. 

Also, Saturday, I'll be guest posting on MizFitOnline.  Check me out!

At Work Move of the Day - File Cabinet Sits

First off, make sure that your file cabinet (or office wall) isn't going anywhere.  It should be stable and anchored.  Then, just like at the gym, roll down into a seated position (ladies, take your heels off) and hold.

I usually hold at least 30 sec or closer to a minute if I can afford the time.

Today's Move: File Cabinet Sits

 
 
Can you feel the burn?  I can.  Cubicle butt will be gone soon enough. 

At Work Move Of The Day - Chair Dips

As a way to help everyone try to squeeze in a little extra fitness, I'll let you in on some of my favorite moves to do during the day at work.  If you have any you do, send them to me and I'll share them as well.

Today's Move: Chair Dips

I do a set of ten each time I do them.  I'm not even going to tell you how many sets to do. Do as many as you can. 

What are your favorite moves?

Ready?  Go for it!

My 2012 Bucket List

This year, I'm taking a different approach to the typical new years resolutions because, lets face it, something always happens to through you off course.  Besides, with school running the entire year, I'm not going to be able to do much more than what I'm doing right now.  So at the end of the year, these are the things I'm hoping to have done, my 2012 Bucket List.

Fitness:
1. Record at least a mile for every day of the year (maybe 2).  Total - 730 miles Minimum. 
2. Complete 2 Half Marathons and 2 Triathlons
3. Get in whatever workout I can on those days that just get so busy
Family:
3. Teach E to say "Mama"
Fun:
4. Decorate 2 rooms in our new home.  I'm thinking my office and the master bedroom need some sprucing up but the entryway is on the list too.
5. Increase my completed Pinterest Project List.  I've got a couple that I've been trying to do for a while. 
6. Learn to work my new Sillouhette Cameo machine.  It's just waiting to be utilized.  I just need to sit down and focus.  Any projects you recommend?

So that's it.  I've been thinking about it and that's all I'm comfortable committing too.  What are you doing?  What are your resolutions?