1.27.2011

Remember the Ten.



January 27, 2001. The day Oklahoma State University changed forever.

On that fateful night in Colorado, the OSU family lost 8 members of its men's basketball team and staff in a plane crash, along with both pilots.  It's hard to believe that ten years has passed since they were lost...time does heal all wounds, but I think a small spot will never heal in the hearts of the Cowboy faithful.

Last night, OSU played Texas at home and commemorated the 10-year anniversary of the accident.  From the commemorative t-shirts [that members of the texas basketball team wore throughout warm-ups and the game, a classy show from a classy team] to the halftime speeches to the videos, photos and memories, to retiring the number 10 [the only number to ever be retired]...it's been a hard few days. I think the wounds have reopened as this milestone comes and goes, and everyone is taking the time to remember that day, where they were, who we lost.

When the accident happened, I was a freshman in junior high [we had junior high/high school back in the day]. I wasn't anywhere near thinking about college - or even OSU, for that matter [i grew up in ou country]. I wasn't that big of a college fan back then, so I remember hearing about it, but that's about it. As the years went by, I decided to go to OSU and the anniversaries came up again and again, I became more connected to the tragedy. I've seen the memorial, read the articles, heard the stories...and it affected me. Even though I wasn't a student here at the time, I became a student, became an alum, and became a part of the family that will forever mourn those who were gone too soon.

I figured out yesterday that J lives about 100 miles southwest of the crash site, so I will be driving north to go pay my respects when I go visit this spring. A part of me isn't looking forward to it - I mean, I'm going to the site that forever changed OSU, as well as so many lives. But a bigger part of me can't wait to go. To wear my orange. To lay flowers. To pay my respects to the men who are gone, but will never be forgotten.

So today, we OSU Cowboys remember the ten we lost:

Kendall C. Durfey [television/radio engineer]
Bjorn G. Fahlstrom [corporate aviation pilot]
Nathan Z. Fleming [player]
William R. Hancock III [media relations coordinator]
Daniel P. Lawson Jr. [player]
Brian W. Luinstra [athletic trainer]
Denver R. Mills [pilot]
Pat Noyes [director of basketball operations]
Bill Teegins [Voice of the Cowboys]
Jared G. Weiberg [student assistant]

We will never.ever.forget.



1.24.2011

The workout plan.

Anyone remember that Kanye song, "The Workout Plan"? I'm sure you could Google or YouTube it and find it. I think of that when I think of my workout plan. :P

Today begins what I'm calling The Sister Challenge. My younger sister and I are both working towards certain fitness goals; I want to lose 10 pounds and train to run a 5K. My sister wants to learn how to do the splits/high kicks so she can try out to be a Thunder Girl for next season [no lie]. So, last week, we came up with a deal to motivate each other to keep working out. We have money tied to whoever doesn't complete the set workouts for the day/week...so that should also help us keep motivated. If we do everything we said we'd do workout-wise, we're treating ourselves to a sister date and dinner at the end of the month. I think we're going to keep this going until Thunder Girl tryouts, which are sometime this summer.

So, as you all know, I started 30 Day Shred almost a week ago. I did it 2.5 days [the .5 comes from the workout I tried to do Saturday, but JJ woke up in the middle of it], which isn't bad given my crappy exercise record. Tonight, I start 30 Day Shred up again and will be doing the Couch to 5K stuff three times a week for cardio purposes. I think I'll weigh myself once a week on the Wii to see how my progress is [and get some yoga in], too. I'm too afraid to buy a real scale - I'm afraid I'll start obsessing about weight.

I need to take a 'Before' picture, but I'll just do that tomorrow - don't want to wake up a sleeping JJ. I'm hoping my after picture will put me in size 8 jeans, but we'll see. My problem is I'm very impatient when it comes to things that take awhile to accomplish [like paying off debt, weight loss, school etc.]...so I need to curb my patience and channel it towards the workouts.

And now, I must go do 30 Day Shred before I get too tired [and dishes need to be washed, too]. Let The Sister Challenge begin.

1.23.2011

So...what's up with the 101 in 1001?

On 10.1.09, I started my 101 in 1001 list. I can't believe I started that list more than a year ago...good gracious. Anyway, I was doing really awesome at first...then life, job change, Air Force and raising a toddler got in the way. I've done some things on the list - and have technically finished a few things - but I never really updated it. And a few things need to be altered on it...which will happen eventually.

It's not that I've lost my motivation to do the list - I check it a lot to see what else I can start doing. It's just that I haven't devoted as much time to it as I should have. So this year, I didn't really set New Year's Resolutions. My main goal is to get as much of that list knocked out as possible. So, to jumpstart that, I'm going to answer more of the 5000-question survey. The last time I answered questions from it was almost a year ago. Eesh.

651. Do you think that it would be a good idea if people served in the army, navy or air force for a while before they were allowed to vote? Yeah...no. Serving has nothing to do with politics. You can still be uninformed, even if you're in uniform.

652. If you were required to do this to vote, would you? Yes. Voting is important to me. If I had to do it, I would.

653. Do people often give you weird looks? When I say random crap, yeah. :P

654. Do like Japanese cooking? Yes yes. Yum!

655. Do you care for stray animals? Not really - I don't really see stray animals anyway.

656. Which animated movies have you seen and what did you think of them:

A Charlie Brown Christmas One of my faves. Ever.

A Garfield Halloween Haven't seen.

The Secret of Nimh Love it!!

The Last Unicorn Haven't seen it.

The original Lord of the Rings cartoons I've seen the movies...not the cartoons...

657. Are you ambidextrous (equally good at using both hands)? Nope.

658. Do you always say; “bless you” after someone sneezes, or do you hesitate? Most times, I say "Bless you."

659. If you and your friends could go away for 2 days over Halloween weekend where would you go? Somewhere far away from spooky stuff, haunted houses, haunted buildings...somewhere far, far away.

660. Which of these animated movies have you seen and what did you think of them:

Watership Down Haven't seen it.

As the Wind Blows Think I might've seen it...

Grave of the Fireflies Haven't even heard of this.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas One of my faves. Love it.

Spirited Away Nope.

661. Do you feel that society is male dominated, female dominated, or neutral? Male dominated. Definitely.

662. What words offend you? It's not really words...it's the context that they're used in.

663. They’re just words. Can you get over it? Yup. See above.

664. Have you ever looked into different religions? I have...but don't practice those.

665. Which ones have you looked into? Just Christianity in general. And being non-denominational.

666. What do you think of Satanism as a religion? To each his/her own. I don't see an issue with it.

667. Do you like it better when your classes are taught sitting in rows or sitting in a circle? Rows. Circles mean I have to look at everyone. Rows, I can focus on the teacher and know people are either looking at the teacher or the back of my head.

668. Have you ever read your own tarot cards? Nope.

669. Which ones do you like better, Star Wars episodes four, five and six, or episodes one, two, and three? Four, five and six. I mean, I like one, two and three [mainly because Hayden Christensen is in them], but the original are the best.

670. If you scream in outer space does it make a sound? I would say...no.

671. If you saw The Queen of the Damned did you want to be a vampire or a Goth afterwards? Never seen it. Should probably watch it.

672. If you saw SLC Punk did you want to be punk afterwards? Never saw that, either.

673. What is your favorite zombie movie? Blech. Not a fan.

674. Best kids birthday party: ceramics, chuck-e-cheese, roller rink, bowling, sleep over, movie theater Chuck-e-Cheese! Or, DZ back in my day.

675. What were your parties like when you were a kid? Sleep overs. Those were always so fun.

676. Best teen (about 15-16) birthday party: ceramics, chuck-e-cheese, roller rink, bowling, sleep over, movie theater, house party, catered in a hall, restaurant, family trip, concert Um...restaurant with family, movie and sleep over. House party would've been awesome.

677. What are/were your 15-16 year old parties like? Oh gosh. It was just a bunch of us hanging out at my place, pretty much.

678. Best 18th birthday party: ceramics, chuck-e-cheese, roller rink, bowling, sleep over, movie theater, house party, catered in a hall, restaurant, family trip, concert, club, pool hall, college party Same as the 15/16 parties. I turned 18 in high school, so same 'ol, same 'ol.

679. If you are 18 what was your party like? 18 was SO seven years ago [almost]. I think I just had a sleep over.

680. Best 21st birthday party: ceramics, chuck-e-cheese, roller rink, bowling, sleep over, movie theater, house party, catered in a hall, restaurant, family trip, concert, club, pool hall, college party, bar, Atlantic city/Las Vegas trip Hittin' the bars baby.

681. If you saw The Craft were you interested in wicca/paganism/magic afterwards? Never saw the whole thing, either.

682. What are your top 3 priorities? Being an awesome mom and wife, finishing my master's degree and loving life.

683. If you saw fight club did you want to get into a fistfight afterwards? Kinda. :P

684. What is your favorite smell? My husband after he showers. Being honest.

685. Give everything below a humor rating (1 = laugh your ass off, 2 = lol, 3 = smile, 4 = lame, 5 = not funny, 6 = offensive):

People falling 2 [as long as no one got hurt]

Rape jokes 6+++.

Sarcastic comments Depends...1-3, usually.

Blonde jokes Eh. Usually a 4.

Dirty jokes Between 1-3.

God/religion jokes Usually a 6. Not really funny.

Long-ass jokes 5-6.

Death jokes 6. Well, sometimes a 3 if it catches me off guard and is truly funny.

Pain/sickness jokes 5-6.

Animals doing cute stuff Usually a 3.

Bodily functions Usually a 4, but sometimes, I laugh. :p

Knock jokes 1-3. I usually find the lame ones funny.

Ethnic jokes Eh. Between 3-5.

Puns Depends.

Ironic situations Typically a 3 or 4.

685. If you saw Cruel Intentions did you want to have lots of meaningless sex afterwards? Not really. But I did think Ryan Phillipe was freaking hot.

686. Do you get at least three hugs per day? Yup - all from my son.

687. What should someone never say to you/call you if they want to remain on your good side? Don't talk down to me. Ever. Or call me names.

688. If you saw Trainspotting did you want to do drugs afterwards? Nope.

689. Do movies have a great influence on you? Not really.

690. Do you have a favorite reality TV show? GLEE!

691. Are there certain roles that people are pressured to play in society or can they basically do whatever they want? I think there are certain roles, yeah.

692. How does the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake compare to the original movie? Yeah...didn't see it. Not a big scary movie fan.

693. Have you ever held a magnifying glass over an insect to burn it? That's so mean. No way.

694. Have you ever pulled the wings off a fly, butterfly or any other insect? Again, mean. No way.

695. What would you think of a guy (if you're into guys) or a girl (if you're into girls) who wanted to take you to the park to feed the birds and look at the turtles and fish in the water on a date? I think that'd be super sweet. I'd love it.

696. Do you use public pools? Not often.

697. Do you use public bathrooms? Only if I have to.

698. Do you use public showers? Nope.

699. How old will you be in 17 years? Oh gosh. 41.

700. Would it effect you at all if you knew that a very large meteor was headed towards earth that would impact in 17 years? Yes. If I knew the meteor would wipe out the planet, I'd probably live life more to the fullest. I'm trying to do that, anyway.
701. What is your favorite mixed drink? Vegas bomb. Nom.

702. When answering these questions are you often pulled in different directions, as if committing to one answer eliminates the possibility for all others? Sometimes, yeah.

703. Chicken Mesala, Pasta Primavera, Veal Cutlet Parmesan or Linguini with Clam Sauce? Chicken marsala.

704. If you were alone in your friend's house/room/apartment would you look in their drawers and notebooks? Nope. I'm not nosy like that.

705. What would you really like to do but you don't because you are afraid of getting caught? At this point in my life...nothing.

706. Of the following, which word best describes you:

responsible: This one. Hands down.


spontaneous:


tactful:


uninhbited:


707. Which band would you most likely check out?

The Smiths (indi-pop 80's-90's) Probably this one.

The Lords of Acid (acid/house/dance 90's)

Front 242 (80's-90's industrial/dance)

708. How can one put an end to procrastination, as a bad habit? Hard to break that habit. Just gotta make a conscious effort to NOT procrastinate.

709. What feature would you want on your car that is not currently offered? Heated seats.

710. What kind of poetry speaks to you? None, really. I'm not a big fan of poetry and barely read it.

711. What is your favorite store that is open 24 hours? Probably Wal-Mart.

712. Do you find that sleep is just so much sleepier when you are supposed to be doing something else? Yup. :P

713. Do you also find that the books you chose are so much more luscious when you have a stack of actual assignments that you Should be reading? Of course.

714. If you have had the chance to compare the original 5000 Question Survey (http://opendiary.com/entrylist.asp?authorcode=A894446)to this edited version, what is your opinion? Never compared them.

715. What's the most creative answer you can think of for 'what is black and white and red all over'? A newspaper. Not very original, I know.

716. Why do people slow down on the highway when they pass a police car pulling someone else over? Because they think that some other cop is hiding in the wings, waiting to pull them over, too.

717. Are they afraid that the cop will STOP pulling over whoever he is pulling over and pull them over instead? Sometimes, possibly.

718. It's daddy's birthday. What do you get him? No clue. I always struggle with his birthday present. Always.

719. What's your 5,000 question survey nickname? Indie Weenie. Baha.

Look at the word next to the 2nd letter of your first name

A anything but

B bubalicious

C captivating

D deadly

E erotic

F funky

G greasy

H heaps of

I indie

J jelly

K kinetic

L lasher

M Mr. (or Mrs.)

N neglected

O ogre-like

P parading

Q quacking

R Rico

S stinky

T the one and only

U uber

V Velcro

W wishing for

X x-tra

Y yearning for

Z zoobalee

Now take the first letter of your last name.

A aardvarks

B bamboo

C creme pies

D drag queens

E eggbert

F fir trees

G god

H hellfire

I Isabelle

J juice

K kisses

L lightning

M mannish boys

N nice

O octopi

P porcupines

Q q-bert

R rainbows

S suave

T tushy

U underwear

V valor

W weenie

X xtc

Y yohimbe

Z zippers

Put the two words together for your nickname.

720. You know that shaky feeling that you get when it's all coming to a climax, and everyone involved is breaking into the good kind of cold sweat, working as individuals and at the same time as a single force of energy, and it all meshes together, and for a brief moment, you're holding your breath and tingling all over, and after it's done you're on an explosive and dizzying high for the rest of the night?

What does that feeling come from? Well, besides the answer I'd rather say...I would say a sporting event, like when I played volleyball in high school.

721. How many of your teachers can you imagine drinking or doing drugs on the weekends? From high school? None. From college? A couple.

722. Do you like Alice in Wonderland or Through the Looking Glass? Alice.

723. Write a question and answer it here. What's your lucky number? Answer: 2.

724. Who is your favorite playwright? Don't really have one.

725. What movie has come out recently that you couldn’t have less interest in? Um...quite a few. Titles are escaping me, though.

726. What would the worst movie ever be about? Drugs, sex and overall laziness.

727. Do you like truffles? Nope.

Do you like Turkish delight? Nope.

728. Can you tell the difference between a transvestite and a real woman? Sometimes, yes. Some of the transvestites I've seen look more like women than some real women I know, though...

729. What's funnier, plants or fire extinguishers? Fire extinguishers.

730. For question 720 did you write down sex? Totally wanted to. Didn't.

You pervert, I was thinking of musical theater. And I was thinking of sports!

731. Which is better, leopard print or plaid? Plaid.

732. What would you consider ordinary? Um...I don't know...

733. What is out of the ordinary? Wild hair styles.

734. Do you ever watch COPS? Nope. Is that show even still on?

735. Is there always room for j - e - l - l - o? Always.

736. If you had your own TV show, what kind of show would you make it? A reality show based on my life as a mom and military wife. Incorporate my friends and family in it, too. But, my life is pretty boring, so I'd have to find a way to spruce it up.

737. Do you know how heavy things like airplanes stay in the air? I'm sure it's a combination of things that are way past my mental capacity.

738. When do you act the most dramatic? When I'm upset about something.

739. Are you one of those people who have, "see photo id,” written on the back of their credit cards? Nope. Probably should though.

740. It's mom’s birthday. What do you get her? Some type of jewelry. Or something from HSN.

741. What celebrity has pretty much disappeared leaving you wondering 'where are they now'? About half the pop stars that were out when I was in high school.

742. Would you get angry if you and your girl/boyfriend saw the preview for a movie and talked about seeing it together and then they saw it with one of their friends while you were busy? Yup. Happened before. Pissed me off.

743. How many people do you think will finish this whooooooole survey? No idea. Considering this survey was originally composed in 2003, I'm sure a lot have. I plan on being added to that list.

744. Have you ever written a message, sealed it in a bottle and thrown it into a river/lake/ocean? Nope.

745. If you haven't would you want to? Yup.

746. If you ever did what would you write? Probably something lame, like "Hi. How are ya?"

747. What do you wish you could always be protected from? War.

748. What small thing annoys you so much it should be a crime? People who don't use their turn signals.

749. Would you rather watch a video of fish in a tank, or the Yule log on TV? Yule log.

750. Is it better to be loved or feared? Loved. Definitely.





That's all for now folks...off to bed! More of the 101 in 1001 later!

1.19.2011

WMW: 10 Things I Believe In...



Yay for WMW - and remembering to get to the prompt before 10pm!

Today's topic I chose was 10 Things I Believe In. Here's my list:

1. I believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost. I know I've been struggling with religion the past few years and am slowly finding my way back, but my faith in Them has not wavered.

2. I believe that JJ was put in my life to make it better. I am a better person because I am lucky enough to be his mommy.

3. I believe that you need a small circle of friends to be perfectly happy. My best friend has been in my life for more than 10 years now, and I've added very few friends to my small circle since. I trust them, I love them like family, and they're all I need.

4. I believe that sisters make fantastic partners-in-crime, confidants, sparring partners and ultimate best friends. My sister is that way, at least. She's amazing.

5. I believe I deserve to sleep in at least one day a week. Even if sleeping in means sleeping until 7am instead of 630am, I'll take it.

6. I believe that everyone should take one hour of the day to unplug from everything [technology especially] to enjoy the small things. Write in a journal, read a book, play with your kids...just spend an hour reconnecting with your inner self and the things that make you happy.

7. I believe that chocolate needs to be added to the food pyramid as another food group.

8. I believe that we all have a Calling in life - but not all of us take the time out to listen for it.

9. I believe that you don't realize how amazing your parents are until you're older. Looking back on my life, I'm not sure how my parents raised me and put up with me for so long...and to this day, they still continue to help, support and teach me things. And I'm almost 25. It's amazing how much of an impact your parents have on your lives...and how it took me so long to realize it.

10. I believe that 2011 will be an amazing year for me, my life and my family. :)

1.18.2011

My exercise battle begins today.

So, back in December, I set a goal to lose 15 pounds by Valentine's Day. I'm not sure I can safely lose 15 pounds in less than four weeks, so I've set a goal to lose 10 now. I'm not sure if that'll happen, but I'm gonna try my damndest. Even if I don't lose the 10 pounds, I hope to lose that and more before I get into that beautiful bridesmaid dress in April for my college roommate's wedding.

To start this process, I dusted off my 30 Day Shred DVD and did the first day. The good news is, I made it through the first workout without stopping more than 10 seconds. When I did this the first time in the fall, I quit halfway through, jumped back in and half-assed it the rest of the way. So, even though it's been three or so months since my first go-around, I did much better...which makes me want to continue and do it tomorrow. I should probably weigh myself tonight to see how much I weight right now so I can compare it to my weight a the end of the 30 days, but I'm too tired to do it. Good sign, right?

I think, as long as I can keep my energy up to do the working out part, I'll be fine - the eating part will be rough. I need to do a better job of finding healthier options, incorporating fruits and veggies, and cutting out the crappy stuff. I know there are tons of resources out there for eating healthy, but I just haven't found the motivation to dig through all of that. I will, though - this week. I really want to commit to losing this weight, and doing so requires complete dedication on my part.

So cheer me on - and keep me in your thoughts - as I go through this process. I've never really committed to losing weight like I am now...I let it melt off slowly after I had JJ, I played volleyball in high school to keep my weight down, and I was so active in college that I barely gained any weight. This is the first time in my young life that I'm consciously making this sort of change, and I really want to be successful. I want to feel good in my clothes. I want to have more energy. I want to cut out the crap food and learn how to be healthier. I'm hoping I'll be successful - no. I KNOW I'll be successful.

1.16.2011

My new thing: couponing

As I was making my resolutions for 2011, I really wanted to make headway on our debt and save money. Maintaining two households, student loans, daycare...we have a lot to cover every month. The best way to do that would be to cut out everything we can and use that money to focus on the debts...and coupons became a part of my mental discussion on how to save money.

I've used coupons in the past, but I quit using them after JJ was born. I used to spend waaaaaaaay too much money on groceries, but after figuring out just how much I was spending on groceries, I started reconsidering it. I did some research online and found tons of resources for couponing, such as couponmom.com and various blogs and coupon sites. Since I've discovered those, my life in groceries has pretty much changed.

Example: Walgreens - a store I NEVER went to - is a store I go to weekly now. Between deals and coupons, I can usually cut my bill there in half, if not more. I went to Walgreens on Friday night to get some things. For a list that included two sets of razors, three Secret deodorants, a handless soap system, two disinfecting wipe sets, lipstick, mascara, mouthwash and two lotions for JJ, I paid $38 - saving $47 in the process and getting $8 to spend next week. I never thought about taking advantage of deals at Walgreens on stuff that I need, but I do it all the time now. It's kinda like I'm making my own stockpile of things, and I'm saving a ton of money in the process.

When it comes to spending money on food...I'm not so good at that at the moment. I do use coupons and can knock off quite a bit, but I can't do what those extreme couponers do since the main grocery stores I have where I live don't have that great of deals and are simply local stores. But, I have started shopping at the commissary again and can save a lot of money there. Example: I got five pounds of chicken for $7 - getting four pounds of chicken at Wal-Mart would've cost me $15. We eat a lot of chicken every week, so being able to save that type of money on something like that can really stretch throughout the rest of our grocery list.

I'm excited that something as simple as clipping coupons can save me some money. I'm cutting spending in other areas of our lives, but I hope that being able to save at the grocery store will realy help us stretch our groceries a long way. I might even become an extreme couponer when we move, since there are several stores in Colorado that have stores that allow for huge savings...

...maybe.

Just not feelin' it...yet.

Like others that have blogs, I've neglected me. I just haven't had the time, motivation or energy to really post, but I promised myself I'd get better at that...so I'm going to get better. It's not like many people read this, but I feel like, as every good blog owner should, I need to keep this updated or shut it down. So, I'm gonna keep it updated.

So at this point, we're 16 days into the new year...and honestly, it feels like any other year. There are some years when I've felt like the year could be epic, and others when I'm like "eh". This is one of those "eh" years. Of course, I have no idea what the year will bring, but I'm just not feelin' that it could be different from any other year in my life. We shall see though.

Work's been keeping me very busy, so I'm finding it hard to believe we're already halfway through the first month of the new year. Seriously though, where is the time going?! It keeps flying by faster and faster as I get older. Before we know it, the holidays will be back, JJ will be 3 and it'll be 2012. Good heavens.

Anyway. I'm going to find a way to blog at least three times a week, if not more than that. I always have stuff going through my mind - I just need to take the time to get it down. I also have that 101 in 1001 to work on, and I've decided I'm going to restart my Project 365 on my 25th birthday [less than four months from now]. I think it'd be fitting to photography my 25th year, so I'm gonna do it.

Anyway. That's all I got for now - it's after midnight here, and I've had a long day. I'll find ways to spice this blog up and hopefully be more entertaining than in the past. Hope your new year is going swell!

1.04.2011

Hello 2011!

I got four days into the new year and haven't even updated my blog. Good gracious.

Happy 2011 everyone! Can you believe we're in a new year and a new decade?! I'm trying to figure out just how it became 2011 and how 2010 went by so fast. I still can't believe it.

At this point in the new year, it seems pointless to write a "what 2010 meant to me" post - but I will highlight some of the awesome things that happened in '10:

* H joining the Air Force - so proud of him and all he's done since he became an Airman
* Going to Florida for the second year in a row - I hope we go back again so I can go back to Harry Potter World...uhmazing
* Changing jobs - I miss my old job and working with students, but I am SO happy where I'm at right now [this month makes a year since i moved!]
* Going to the OSU bowl game [even though we lost, it was so fun] and watching the Thunder in the playoffs [again, even though we lost, it was still fun] - definitely my sports highlights of the year
* JJ turning 2 - I can't believe he's 2! He's grown so much this year [especially the last half], and I'm so excited to watch it continue

I'm hoping that I can make even more amazing memories in 2011. I didn't really make resolutions since I really want to focus on my 101 in 1001 again, but I do have some alterations to my list I want to make:

1. Read 40 books in 2011. I've already read one and have two more in mind I want to start reading pronto.
2. Become better at shopping/using coupons/saving money.
3. Become more organized [again]. I got away from it when JJ was born, but I need to get organized again to stay on top of things.
4. Make a bigger deal of holidays. JJ's getting older, and he needs to start seeing the importance of holidays, birthdays etc. I plan on starting with Valentine's Day and continuing with my 25th birthday. :P
5. Take more time for me. I just go, go, go and put stuff aside that I want to do. I'm determined to have me time at least four times a week so I can do things like blog, write in my journal, scrapbook etc.

So, as we settle comfortably into a new year, I hope that all of you have a wonderful 2011 full of happiness, fond memories and amazing times. I'm looking forward to what the year has in store for us!