Goodbye 2009 ... Hello 2010!

Happy New Year Everyone!

We celebrated a nice and relaxing New Year's Weekend! Such a nice follow up to the hustle and bustle of Christmas Weekend!

I thought long & hard and prayed about my New Year's Resolutions this year... and I think I untimately came up with some good (and attainable) resolutions! Hopefully with lots of will power and prayer, I will be able to keep them all!

{1} EAT HEALTHIER

Dont get me wrong.. we do eat pretty healthy around here. This was something that I really tried to start doing in '09, and really just want to get even better at in '10. A few months ago we decided to go "organic" and have made the process to doing just that. We eat mostly organic fruits & veggies, organic meats along with organic dairy products (eggs & cheese). We also eat whole grain pastas and breads.

This past year we also made the switch from dairy products to soy products for the kiddos. LK has always had tummy issues since birth. She just doesn't handle alot of diary very well. So, after talking to her pediatrician, we decided to take her off dairy completely. She has done remarkably well! So, we now have soy milk and yogurt for both kids.

The main area of improvement though is to eat more lean meats, as opposed to red meats. We are already getting started on that one though. Last night we had ground turkey in our spaghetti and tonight we made fish tacos with salmon. Both new entrees were huge hits!! Success!

I also want to cut out the processed foods.. I mean, it takes what?! 5 extra min in the morning to actually make the sandwich?! Surely I can do that!

I want to stop eating out so much... No, we do not eat fast food (maybe McD's once or twice a month.. but that's it) but we do eat alot of Lenny's and Firehouse! HA! I am not a cook.. and I do not claim to be, so this one will be hard for me. If I'm tired or in a bad mood, my quick go-to is to call in to Lenny's. So, I'm going to try really hard not to do that. This will also help save more money.. eating out for a family of 4 is EXPENSIVE! We are thrilled when a bill is less than $40! (and it'll help to have more money to go toward all that organic food!.. why is that healthier food is 10x more expensive that the other stuff?!? annoying!)

thing... Less Caffeine! I dont drink coffee, but I do drink coke. I need more water.. plain and simple!

{2} BE HEALTHIER

I am not much of an "exerciser", so I'm definitely not getting a gym membership anytime soon, but I would really like to take up yoga and pilates! LK has actually shown interest in yoga, so maybe that could be something we can do together!

I also went and bought a slew of vitamins for all of us today! I got the usual multi-purpose vitamins for all of us and then got the extra supplements to go with! For Chris and I.. Vitamin D (boosts mood and energy - definitely a must!) and Fish Oil (it's never too early to cut down on the cholestorol and prevent heart disease!) For the kiddos... iron supplements!

And again.. more water! :)

{3} GET MORE ORGANIZED

With the kids in school (2 different schools), me playing room mom, printing/selling paper products, still working a few hours AND being "Mom" 24/7... days can get kinda crazy! OH - and did I mention that my husband is back in school full time?? Yep! Life is hectic around the Stickles house. So.. I want to just "get it together". Know who goes where when, what we need, when everything is due.. what I need to do .. the works!

I also want to get my house more organized and "put together". I want to get more closet organization items. I want to get new shelves and bins/baskets for the kid's playroom.. and paint! ha! (i guess that should be a different category of it's own.. ha!)

{4} SPEND LESS ... SAVE MORE

I admit it.. I am a spender!

Hi, My name is Natalie and I have a spending problem!

haha! It's ok.. I totally realize that I spend too much! And I know that I want to change it! Dont get me wrong... we do not have huge amounts of debt. We can honestly afford everything I buy. But the point is, that I can SAVE that money instead of spending it! I do not need the $200 jeans or the $150 pair of boots. The kids dont need the cute plates at Target that even though they're only $2, I buy 4 of them! (Come on.. they have 30 cute Target plates as it is!) We dont need new curtains just because I feel like a "new look"! It's just hard to say "No"! I'm working on it!

I plan to get a whole lot better this year! :) We plan to pay off the credit cards that we use and then only use them occasionally to keep our credit score up. We also plan to actually start saving like we should. Just be more responsible with money!

I also want to be able to completely quit work (for about a year or two) in about a year, so we need to learn how to live on Chris' income solely. That will be tough! I'm so used to having my little bit of income for school tuition and extra spending! :/ Wish us (ME!) luck!

{5} CHURCH

Continue going to church.... get more involved... teach my children more about the Bible and God!

{6} BE A BETTER WIFE & MOTHER

This year I have seen so many marriages and families litterally fall apart right in front of my eyes. It is horribly sad for all parties involved. The things that I've learned from watching my friends go through this is that #1 - NO ONE and NO MARRIAGE is perfect - everything takes work and commitment and #2 - I do not want my family to go through this! I vow to work everyday to make my marriage stronger, "give in" more - I do not always have to get my way, and just make sure my husband knows how much I love him!

Everyday when I wake up, I try to think of ways to be a better mom than I was the day before! I want to do more things with my kids.. make more "memorable" moments... be the "Betty Crocker" mom! I want to see those faces smile just a little more and hear them explode with the big belly laughs! As far as I'm concerned, there is always room for improvement in motherhood!

I also vow to FINALLY get Ethan potty trained and to also get the pacifier away! LOTS of prayers needed in that area! ha! :)

So, what are you're resolutions?!

...back to our relaxing weekend... We..

gave Huck a bath! He LOVES baths!!! (Thank Goodness!)

My sweet husband took me out for a night on the town! I love getting to have dinner with my husband and actually talk to him! Without all the distractions of having a 2 year old throw rice everywhere or having to spell out certain things to keep little ears from listening too closely! :)

I also finally got Christmas all packed away! This is about half of the tubs... ha! I can tell you that Chris was just thrilled about carrying all of those upstairs and then up to the attic! Yep.. SOO happy about that! :)

Aunt Lyns also came by to get her Christmas gift! The kids were so happy to see her!

So.. all in all.. we had a wonderful few weeks of being lazy and just enjoying each other! But we are definitely looking forward to getting back on schedule this week! Back to school.. back to regular bed times.. oh, I am SO excited!