Happy Hobbit-ish New Year!

Happy New Year, Humble Readers!

I hope that you all have had a wonderful holiday season, and that it was topped off with a great New Year celebration.  For my Beloved and I, it was a quiet night... a dinner of appies and baked brie, rum punch, playing cribbage, and watching stand-up comedy specials from the dvr.  Sadly, I didn't make it to midnight, having to head to bed at around 10:30.  I'm getting so old. 

As I write, it's fairly quiet in the hobbit-hole.  The wee-lings are both down for a nap (Ginny is likely just looking at books in bed, as she doesn't sleep often in the afternoon anymore), my Beloved is snoozing on the couch, and I'm half-watching the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.  A lovely pot roast is sending off the most delicious garlicky aroma, and sunshine is bouncing off the mounds of snow outside making things feel light and happy inside. 

It's terribly cliché, but the new year is always such a good time to pause and take stock of where I've been, and to think and plan ahead for where I want to be going.  I recently went back and re-read my 2013 New Year post, and I'm fairly happy with how I've done in the last year.  I didn't accomplish everything I set out to, but I did make some good progress in a lot of areas, and I'm happy with where I am right now. 

I don't make resolutions, but I do set goals.  Some are silly or a bit frivolous.  Others are big, long term projects, that I couldn't possibly hope to accomplish in one year.  But I like to have them out there, in front of me so that I don't forget what I'm working toward.  Here's what's on tap for me in 2014...

Health - Continue in the direction I started in 2013 (*cough* need to get back on track).  This includes doing my daily workouts at home and the gym, tracking my blood sugars and food intake, and taking my vitamins regularly

Home - Have my spring cleaning done by Easter (list is written, planning on doing a few things each week), start prepping the hobbit-hole to be listed for sale in a year (replace a few light fixtures, fix a few things, push the condo board for new windows and doors), and expand my balcony garden this spring. 

Creative - Blog REGULARLY (three posts a week should be do-able), continue to strengthen my writing muscles (creative writing at least 15 minutes, 5 days a week), continue making my 'subway' art. 

Learning - More reading, less tv and pinterest (average 4 books per month, half should be new reads).  This category needs to be filled out, but I'm at a loss right now. 

Self-care - Same as last year, cut and colour my hair regularly, buy new summer clothes (build it into the budget, none of my old summer clothes fit). 

Other Projects - update the wee-lings' baby books (ASAP!), use Shutterfly to create family year books

I know it seems like a lot, but really a number of these are carry-over from last year and are just reminders for where I want to be heading.  My reading target is up only slightly over what I accomplished in 2013, and my self-care targets are to help me feel good about myself and to celebrate the work I'm doing to improve my health. 

2014 will bring a milestone birthday for me, and I have a few goals that I want to achieve before then, mostly health related (I WILL be off my blood pressure meds by then! I will!).  I know that this year will also have many other areas of focus, including discovering what comes next for Pippin's communication issues, and expanding Ginny's horizons with new program opportunities now that she's almost potty trained.  My Beloved will continue to plug away at his CGA course-work.

What's on your radar for the new year?