My motto for December.

If you want something to be different tomorrow, then you have to do something different today.

Now, I've seen this quoted in various forms here & there on the Internet and I've tried to nail down a source, but I can't. But, no, I didn't come up with that myself.

Here's the thing. Lately there have been a lot of things I'd like to change about my life. Not that I'm necessarily overly unhappy about things, but I know I could be happier and things could be improved. And, let's face it, no one is going to change these things for me while I sit around on my ass watching the world go by.

So, instead of waiting to make New Year's Resolutions (of which I think many, if it's not safe to say most, are broken by January 15th), I'm going to make some changes now.

Or, should I say, as soon as I recover from this horrible god-awful illness that somehow has a serious hold on me.

And, according to Robert Cialdini, if you state something publicly you are much more likely to actually follow through. So, here goes nothing!

Some things I want to improve in my life (in no particular order):

Time spent with Beanie - I've written time and again about my love-hate relationship with the TV. And the Internet I should probably add. See, I (we) waste waaaay too much time with the stupid TV or computer. So, I'm really going to try and cut down the time that the TV and computer are on.

Glenn and I were talking about preschool for Beanie. The reality is we probably can't afford any preschool around here and, after talking about it, what are we paying these people for anyways? Glenn and I are pretty decided that learning-type activities are something we will do with Beanie ourselves and forgo formalized preschool. I'm hoping that we can sign Beanie up for another tumbling or dance class or something along those lines. She can get her socialization elsewhere, through classes and through activities with my mom's groups. We can teach her.

I have some links to Montessori blogs in my blog list, and my friend Jill told me about a new one...

Tot School

After being fairly convinced that I'm the type of mom that could never do something like that I've decided to give it a go. After looking more at the website, it's not all about being the perfect crafty mom (and, why are so many home schooling or learning blogs religious? just a side note), it's more about providing an enriching environment for your kiddo where they can thrive. And, truth be told, no one is thriving at this house right now.

I'm over the mommy guilt and the hohum-ness. I'm ready to change how we do things. Today, even though I still feel like death warmed over, Beanie and I took time to make bird feeders (pipe cleaners with Cheerios on them) and draw pictures for the birdies. See, there were a bunch of birds outside and, for some reason, she likes to tell them "Shoo! Shoo! Go away!" But, after our activity she is pretty excited for them to come back and eat Cheerios.

My marriage - Childless time is hard to come by for Glenn and I. But, I really want to take advantage of the time we do have instead of dorking around playing video games (him) and checking online (me). In about 4 months or so, time alone is going to be even harder to come by so we need to take advantage of what we have now. And try to schedule in some date nights. Sissy? There are lots of areas I can work on to improve my marriage and I'm going to start really giving it an effort. Today.

Finances - I talk big about different ways we can save money, but the fact of the matter is we need to do it. And need to do it now. It's a new month and I'm committed to keeping track of our spending and really seeing where we can cutback. I really would like to be able to quit work when Baby 2.0 arrives (seriously, I could probably write a whole post just about my anxieties about that), but right now I don't know if that would even be an option. We need to make espresso at home with our fancy pants machine. We need to plan dinners and grocery shopping and not go out to eat all the time. Changes are possible and I really want to see where we're at when we're conscious of our spending for more than a week or two.

Housework - I really want to establish a routine for having the house tidy and cleaned up all the time. I mean, I know there are going to be messes (hello...I have a 2 1/2 year old who, when I asked her what she was doing in her playroom the other day, said "I make a big messy!!"), but I really want a clean house. I was so much happier when we had the condo for sale and it was spotless all the time. Now, I know I don't need to strive for that kind of perfection, but I do want a clean house. I'm happier that way. So is Glenn.

Health - I really want to exercise and eat better. I want Beanie to eat better. Glenn has really been trying to focus on exercising and eating healthy the last week or so, and I want to also. Next week I have my gestational diabetes test and, while I hope to avoid and official diagnosis of GD, I would like to eat a healthier, higher protein lower carb diet throughout my pregnancy. I want us all to eat more veggies.

So, yea, that's all I can really think of for now. It sounds like a lot, but, really, just small changes in our day can help me accomplish all of these things. I figure I have about 4 months to establish a new normal before our whole world gets turned upside down again (in a good way) so I really want to make an effort now.

And now the blog-o-sphere knows about my plans too so try and hold me somewhat accountable, okay?