New Year's Resolution Update - Month 5

Start a blog.  Post at least 4 times a week

I think it is safe to say I have being failing this goal recently.  Oops...  Well, here is to a fresh start in June...

Lose the last of the baby weight
Thanks to a beautiful all-inclusive resort in Mexico I am not doing quite as well as I was here.  I added just a couple pounds back on though I am still shy of my pre-pregnancy weight which is good.  Definitely need to kick this up a notch as I think I have stagnated on the lbs that are going to come off without a ton of effort.

Try a new recipe each week

I tried 2 new recipes this month and neither were a success.  Boo!  Seriously, my husband had some entertaining comments about whether or not I should make either again....  ;)

Make an effort to be less tired
Good!  We are keeping busy and moving which definitely helps!

Be present
Same as last month -- a work in progress but I do find it so much easier to ignore my phone and other distractions while we are out enjoying the beautiful weather. 

Thanks for checking in and keeping me accountable to my goals!!

New Year's Resolution - Month 4

Start a blog.  Post at least 4 times a week

How about post twice a week?!?  Apparently that is a more realistic goal the past 2 months.  :)

Lose the last of the baby weight
Still on track here.  I have officially lost the last of the baby weight and a few extra pounds as well.  So excited!  We are so close to our vacation to Mexico which has been a big motivator for me.  My self confidence is up and I am excited to start toning and keep on track!

Try a new recipe each week

I didn't get a new recipe in each week BUT I did find 2 amazing new recipes to add into our favorites rotation!
The first is a White Cheese Chicken Lasagna from All Recipes.com and it was hands down one of my favorite new dinner items!  The sauce was so good and it was very easy to cut the recipe in half so I didn't have a ton of leftovers.  I was a little intimidated since I had never made a lasagna before, but this one was super easy. 
Since it was still Lent, I decided to try out a new Shrimp pasta in white sauce recipe from Taste and Tell blog.  My husband said it tasted like something we would get in a high end restaurant.  Win!  :)  Now we are not big mushroom or asparagus fans but I just traded them out for broccoli and it worked perfectly for us.
I have a couple new recipes pinned that I am excited to try out in May so hopefully I will have a few new winning ones to share next month!

Make an effort to be less tired
Backtracking a little this month thanks to my allergies.  Man, can a bad allergy day just knock the wind right out of me.  We are officially done nursing so coffee is my current best friend!  ;)

Be present
I think this will always be a work in progress but I do find it so much easier to ignore my phone and other distractions while we are out enjoying the beautiful weather. 

Thanks for checking in and keeping me accountable to my goals!!

New Year's Resolution Update - Month 3

Start a blog.  Post at least 4 times a week

Um, Fail.  I knew last week was a big miss but I guess I didn't realize just how much I slacked off this month.  Only 8 posts in March...half of my goal.  Time to hit the reset button and get back in the game.

Lose the last of the baby weight
So far so good.  I started drinking more water again this month.  I love the cucumber, mint and lemon flavor which is supposed to be a metabolism booster.  Win!  I also started taking a Pilates class once a week.  I know it will take more than that to see drastic changes in my body shape but it feels good to get out and do something for myself.

Try a new recipe each week

Man, here is another resolution that has hit a rut.  Is this pretty normal for 3 months in?  It is good to have the accountability here since I am definitely seeing my slacking out in the open. 
Part of this goal miss is that I didn't cook as much as normal this month and part of it is because I have found some really great recipes that I have on repeat.  Not cooking so much?  Fail.  Finding great recipes to repeat?  Win.
Anyway, this month I tried out a Mix and Match Mama recipe for Chicken a la King.  Super easy and yummy.   A Tomato Soup recipe from Peas and Crayons that was ridiculously good.  Double the recipe for dinner and lunch leftovers.  She is not joking that the mozzarella balls make this even more delicious....oh and the cheese most definitely needs to be frozen!  Lastly, I made a  creamy lemon and basil pasta sauce off the box of lobster and shrimp ravioli I bought.  (Can you believe I tried a recipe that wasn't on Pinterest?!?!  Yeah, me either!)

Make an effort to be less tired
Our sleep training plan was a success!  Chase did so well that I actually feel silly that I let his poor sleep habits dominate our lives for as long as they did.  He is now sleeping from 7:30 to 7am every night.  A few times a week he will wake up at 6am but if I grab him and bring him to our bed he will sleep for another hour to hour and a half.  Works for me!  He is such a snuggler that he will lay right on my chest and nuzzle in for that last hour of sleep.  I LOVE this time with him more than I can express!  Sometimes I go back sleep with him sometimes I watch the news but I always spend some of the time taking in his sweet baby smell and cherishing this time with him. 
So anywho, with Chase sleeping better I am feeling so much more refreshed as well.  Plus since I am not nursing him as frequently I slip in a second cup of coffee some days.  And that always helps!  :)

Be present
Good days and bad days.  We had quite a few more nice days this month and it is so much easier to be present and involved while we are out enjoying the beautiful weather.  Not an excuse but an observation that I need to be accountable for on the days we are home and not on the go.

So there you have it.  The good and the bad of my resolutions after only 3 months.  Are you still keeping up with your resolutions?

Resolution Update - Month 2

Another month of 2014 down.  Per usual, I can't believe it is already March.  Now if only we could get spring to come soon too.  Yeah, I know, I'm sick of beating the dead horse that is this winter too luckily they were totally wrong with the forecast over the weekend.  Initial forecast was for almost 9" of snow.  What we actually got?  Some sleet and about an inch of snow.  But still....over it.  Next week be may get close to 60.  WooHoo!!!  Bring on the outdoor activities!

Time to check in on my resolutions...

Start a blog.  Post at least 4 times a week

So far so good.  I had 15 posts in February which is just shy 1 post shy of my goal.  Success in my book!  I struggle a little with finding the time to write and making that match with the times I am inspired to write.  Am I the only one that writes blog posts in my head in the middle of the night only to forget all the witty things I wanted to say when I actually can sit down and write?          

Lose the last of the baby weight
Complete!!  I don't know what gave this month since I really didn't change anything that I was doing in January (when the scale budged very slightly) but the scale moved big time this month!  I am so excited!  :)  Now on to getting toned!

Try a new recipe each week

Well, I thought I had reached this goal this month.  However, when I look back on my menu plans I realized I did quite a bit of recipe recycling this month.  Hmm.  I definitely had new recipes on the list to try but apparently I got sidetracked on those evenings and made other things.  I attempted a new Sloppy Joe recipe  (fail), Slow Cooker Chicken Ranch Enchiladas (delish), and Bisquick Chicken Parmesan (yummy).
I have all the ingredients on hand for lots of new recipes so hopefully I can make up for the missed recipes in February.

Make an effort to be less tired
Definitely improving here as well.  It may just be due to our busy February schedule but I felt much better all month.  At least during the day anyway.  The evenings were a whole other story.  It would be embarrassing to admit how many times I fell asleep by 9 this month.  At least it wasn't every night, right??
We have a sleep training plan in place for Chase so hopefully this my energy levels will improve as his sleep patterns improve.  One can hope!

Be present
Still a struggle at times but that is what resolutions are all about, right?  I have continued to keep my phone away from arm's reach which helps me not grab it at random times or out of habit. 

So there you have it.  The good and the bad of my resolutions after only 2 months.  Are you still keeping up with your resolutions?

New Year's Resolutions - 1 month update!

Holy cow, is it really February already?!  January was interesting as it seemed to fly by one minute and totally drrraagg out the next.  It has been brutally cold but we were lucky to have a handful of days in the 50's.  We spent quite a few days locked in the house but also were able to get out and about quite a bit as well.

 

I put my New Year's resolutions out at the 1st of the year as a way to hold myself accountable.  Now I need to check in and see how I am doing so far...

 

Start a blog.  Post at least 4 times a week

So far so good!!!  I have been posting series which have made this a little easier but in January I had 19 posts!  I will probably continue to tweak my format and post content as I find my footing but so far I feel good about the progress I have made.  First change?  While I love sharing recipes, I think that series will be better if it is every other week....                

Lose the last of the baby weight
I really, really, really wish I could post better progress on this goal but so far I only managed to lose about 3lbs.  I made a conscious effort to watch my calorie intake (wow!  this was eye opening!) which I thought would help and will probably in the long run but I see now that a good workout routine is a must to move the scale.  I also cut out soda to help reach this goal.  Again, I thought this would have a bigger impact but I am seeing some difference so I am going to stick with it.  It is really amazing just how many calories you can consume when drinking soda.  I guess I always knew that but to see it put in writing was a little shocking.
The good news here is that even though the scale isn't showing drastic changes, I am seeing a difference in how my clothes fit.  Win! :)        

Try a new recipe each week

Of all my goals, this has been by far the easiest to accomplish!  As I mentioned before, Pinterest is overflowing with amazing recipes and I love to cook.  The only problem?  I have found so many yummy recipes that I don't know how I will keep them all in our regular dinner rotation!  What a problem to have, right?!  ;)              

Make an effort to be less tired
I feel like I have made some progress here but I do have a way to go.  If only I could get Chase on board!!!  In all seriousness, he tends to wake up around 2 just because, at 4 to eat, at 6 just because and around 7:15 for the day.  It is tough to feel refreshed when you are sleeping in small increments! 
In the good news, with watching what I am eating and increasing my water intake, I do feel like I have more energy than I did before.  I feel like we are on the path to a big WIN here! 

Be present
This is always a challenge and I blame all the amazing bloggers out there!  Just kidding .... sort of! 
Honestly, with the exception of the time I am trying to blog, I have done pretty well with this resolution.  I am leaving the phone in the diaper bag or in the other room so the temptation is removed (I found this was a BIG help!).  I have a long way to go but resolutions are a work in progress, right?!?  :)

So, there it is.  Overall, I am happy with my commitment to these resolutions but I know we have a long to way to go in 2014.   Here's to celebrating the little victories in life!!

How about you?  How are you doing with your resolutions? 

 

I think I can. I think I can.

I have never been one to make New Year’s resolutions, or I suppose it would be more accurate to say I have never been one that has been good at keeping New Year’s resolutions. 

But this year will be different.  Maybe…

I think I need a new type of challenge and (if we are being honest) a replacement for the things I miss about having a job outside the home.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love being home with my babies every day.  It’s not about that.  It’s just a different sort of satisfaction or a “good job” that comes from having a corporate job.  I don’t miss 99% of it 99% of the time but, what can I say, I’m human and sometimes I miss the fulfillment I got from completing a big project. 

So here is to making resolutions this New Year!

 -          Start a blog.  Post at least 4 times a week

                   (check – sort of.  Do 2 posts count?)

-          Lose the last of the baby weight
                   (8 months post delivery – no more excuses!)

-          Try a new recipe each week

                   (I love Pinterest and cooking so this should be easy…right??)

-          Make an effort to be less tired
                  (Eat better?  Go to bed earlier? Exercise? We NEED to make this one happen!)

-          Be present
                 (Put the iphone down and enjoy the moments that are passing by too quickly)

What are your New Year’s resolutions?  Any suggestions to be successful in reaching the goals?