Time for a Change

For anyone who hasn't yet figured it out, I detest change. I'm very comfortable as a creature of habit. I mean, let's face it, I wear cardigans and pearls that were most popular in the 1950s. That's how far behind I am.

That said, I've been reevaluating my life, and I've come to the conclusion that I need to make some changes so I can finally find some balance. Oh, the things I think about now that I no longer have homework.

Some of the changes I'm implementing in my life are as follows:

• I'm writing my goals down - both long term and short term. And they're going to be hanging on my fabulous new bulletin board.
• I'm actually making the time to work out. Every day. And no, I don't actually enjoy working out. At all. It's totally a necessary evil.
• I'm going to try yoga. Again. God help me. This time around, my goal is to not view yoga as a competitive sport (I could TOTALLY do a better back bend than half my last class), and focus more on its calming aspects.
• On a similar note, I'm going to incorporate organic food and healthier eating into my diet. And yes, this is from the same girl who adores food and who used to say organic food was ridiculous.
• Of course this new healthier eating means I'm going to have to figure out new favorite dishes, and who knows what that will mean for my baking. Let's just say I'm going to experiment with healthier alternatives to lots of my ingredients.
• I'm going to scrapbook. Yes, I totally understand if you just cringed as much as I did. I so wish that I had the dedication to be a scrapbooker. In all honesty, I start a project, get distracted and never come back to it. Fail. I'm going to try and finish a whole book. Your prayers are much appreciated as I embark on this task.
• I'm going to start saying "no" to things I don't want to/don't have time to do. I know, this is so totally selfish, but I need to stop trying to help everyone all the time. I have my limits.
• I'm going to do my best to live up to this Huffington Post/Glamour magazine Sleep Challenge 2010 business. I'm not the kind of superhuman who can exist on 5 hours of sleep a night. I get cranky.

So, over the next months or even the next year, I'm working on self-improvement. I'm going to document some of my assuredly ridiculous adventures here. Feel free to join me on the ride.

How do you take care of yourself and maintain some semblance of balance? Do you give yourself personal days, like I sometimes do? Did you include an item on your New Years' resolutions list about taking care of yourself?

Free Time is a Strange Concept

I am free from college. Wow. It's scary and strange and completely unreal.

Except it actually is real. So what have I been up to in this strange new real world? I'm working, and working some more, and then doing some babysitting.

My life is different and not totally planned out at the moment, but I'm happy. I'm adjusting. I'm thinking of what exactly I want from the future.

In the meantime, I'm occupying my new free time with lots of friends and family time and lots of household projects.

My latest project? Writing a manual for our lovely new TV. A little known fact about me is that I am my family's technology expert. This is particularly funny given the fact that I'm not necessarily tech-savvy. I just tend to read the instruction manuals.

Because I got tired of being called downstairs every time there was a question about the TV, I made a beautiful, color-coded manual (index is pictured below):

And this is probably the first sign that my life has changed drastically since school ended. Yikes.

New Year's Resolutions for a Domestic (Un)Goddess

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had exactly the New Year's Eve they were hoping for. I spent the evening with my friend Michelle. We watched Julie and Julia. There were several drawbacks to the movie (Julie - Amy Adams' character - had a terrifying haircut) and I learned that Michelle did not know who Julia Child was (feel free to gasp in shock and make a horrified facial expression because you know that was my reaction). Despite those minor low points, I was mostly completely content to be welcoming 2010 in such a relaxed fashion.

What did you all do last night? Was anyone else feeling less than enthused at the thought of major New Year's celebrations?

I should make it clear that I detest New Year's resolutions. Although I am an incredibly responsible person, I never seem to live up to my own goals. 2009 was supposed to be the year that I put myself first, instead of taking care of/worrying about everyone else all the time. That lasted roughly... 2 hours into January 1st. Oops.

Nonetheless, I feel like it would be bad form to break tradition. So here are my 2010 goals to help me along the path to domestic goddess-hood.

1. Learn how to make fondant successfully. I find it strange that I bake cakes for lots of birthdays, but still have not attempted this feat. I have to admit I generally prefer whipped icings, but fondant undoubtedly adds a certain polished look to cakes that mine are sorely missing (and I really like polished looks - thus my wardrobe).
2. Make boeuf bourguignon. Successfully. From Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I find it appalling that I know how to make roughly zero French dishes. I love butter. French cooking and I should be made for each other.
3. Since my closet is now color coded (I maybe should have added that particular organizing day to my list of 2009 low points), I must go through and donate old items. While I obviously would love to do this good deed, I am a huge pack rat and am pathetic enough to find sentimental value in a single sweater.
4. Remove clutter throughout the house. Now that I am living with the parental units again, I feel it's time to go through our kitchen and ditch the stuff that's ancient or that we don't need. Otherwise, I end up cursing like a sailor every time I empty the dishwasher, which is often.
5. Purchase a pair of sensible black heels. Notice the emphasis on "sensible." I tend to be really good at buying beautiful shoes that provide me with dozens of blisters and likely a lifetime of severe back pain. Suggestions are welcome.
6. Learn how to make chicken marsala like my father does. There are few things on Earth as heavenly as Dad's chicken marsala.
7. Send out birthday cards for friends and family. On time.
8. Hang photos and a sensible bulletin board in my room. It's finally necessary to personalize it a bit. Also, I have these super cute pink and purple push-pins that I'm dying to use on a bulletin board.
9. Attempt to control the impulse to purchase every adorable skirt I find. This is perhaps the biggest challenge yet.
10. Be a better friend/family member/version of myself.

What are your resolutions?