Top 11 Realistic Goals for 2011

Happy New Year!

I rarely make resolutions. Actually, I'm not very fond of the word at all. So, here are my GOALS for this year. Yes, GOALS! I think it just sounds more positive and progressive.

#1 Quality Time with ME
Spend quality time with my thoughts at least twice a day. I may meditate and/or put my thoughts on paper.






Potato soup, tomato pasta, chicken salad on croissant and an Orangina drink is my favorite meal at La Madeleine.















#2 Monthly (or as needed) lunch with me, myself and I
La Madeleine is my favorite place! It's cozy and I love its charm. During this lunch, my plan is just to be present with ME. No chattering kiddos, no handsome hubstud to gaze at, no book to read, no electronic device and no list making. Just a quiet lunch with little ol' ME. Afterall, I happened to like my company...


#3 Date Night In/Out once a month
Hubby and I have always made time for date night in/or out, but last year was not as consistent. I really missed that. I've grown to really enjoy date night in a bit more. We have wine and cheese while cooking together. We are less distracted than in a restaurant and it's really a more quality date. The kids? Oh, yeah, we rent movies and they get unlimited nintendo time. Everyone is happy!


#4 Read
I didn't really like reading as a child, but I've embraced reading as an adult over the years.
I hope to read at least a book a month. What's on your reading list?







This is my family. I felt quite stylish during this photo shoot.















#5 Fashion forward
It often appears that my fashion sense was been placed on hold after the kids were born. Last year while shopping for myself, I looked to make sure the jeans I admired were adjustable waist. I totally forgot I was shopping for myself and not the kiddos. I literally LOL! I vow to shop for me a little more and introduce more color.


#6 Reconnect face-to-face with friends
Social media has really helped me reconnect with many friends. However, I really miss the personal interaction. So, if they are local I'd like to meet with them more than once a year. If they are far away, Skype is the next best thing.....right Ericka, Michelle and Lisa? I already have a lunch date with a friend scheduled for next week. I can't wait to see her.


#7 Micro mini vacation (our own little term)
The hubstud shocked me last year and suggested a quick impromptu micro mini vacation. I was excited, but very anxious because I didn't have much time to plan. He even made the hotel reservation from his phone! I'm a planner and this really rattled my nerves. It was a no frills getaway at a hotel an hour away. We had a blast and I can't wait to experience more this year.






Having fun with our clay masks.









#8 One-on-one time with the kiddos
As the kids get older, they seem to compete for our attention. Last year, I planned a little getaway for just me and mini-me. We shopped at the Galleria, had lunch at La Madeleine and just spent quality time together. Her only requirement was an indoor pool because summers are HOT in Texas. Hubby took our son to a baseball game and they had the house to themselves. We had the best time with our minis.

#9 Health
I think my lifestyle is somewhat healthy. This year my goal is to be more consistent with exercising and eating healthy. I also want to emphasize a healthy lifestyle within our family. The health statistics frighten me and my hope is that our kids will realize the importance of a healthy lifestyle.


#10 Time
This year, I really want to include extra time to reach my destination. Rushing with only a few minutes to spare makes me anxious and cranky. My goal is to arrive with ten to fifteen minutes to spare. So, here's to No. More. Rushing!


#11 Scrapbooking
My children are ages six and seven. I have over 5,000....yes, over 5,000 photos on my laptop. We do have them backed up, though! I had great intentions to create scrapbooks when my first child was born, but I was having so much fun. Then, we had our second child less than two years later and there was more fun! Okay, so the fun turned me into an overwhelmed mamarazzi. Now, I have this awful thought that the photos will be lost (even with the backup) and I will have to be institutionalized. So, here I am playing catch up years later. I'll probably do a combination of traditional scrapbooking and photobooks (you know how much I love Shutterfly). This is the year to catch up! I mean it this time!