New Year's Resolutions 2017

It's been a long time since I have written on my own personal blog. Nor have I bothered to write many posts on this blog in general (a measly three blogs, and it's been almost two years since I have written on here). Yikes! If I were Roy right now, people would be furious with me.

Slacker alert aside, I feel it is better to use this space to write my New Year's Resolutions, seeing as not everyone needs or wants to read them...this is really a space for me to keep track of things. 

Here goes:

1. Completely finish reading 20 adult books.

I'm shooting low here because I'm notorious for starting several books, and then having this growing pile of books I never finished. Then it becomes stressful to me because it's a pile of "work" to complete, and I no longer have the desire to read any of the books I was so excited about and interested in. "Adult" is included in this because I have a tendency to buy and read many children's books (chapter books and/or picture books) for teaching purposes and/or for the joy of reading children's literature to enhance my knowledge of my profession. Also...because they are easy, short, and I can finish them much quicker.

2. Read 30 Newberry Award/Honor books.

Calvin mentioned how he started at the beginning of when this award began, and the books left something to be desired. My goal will be to do the opposite, and start from the most recent award winner of 2016. It will be interesting to see how things change through the years and if the Honor Medal books are really better than the award winner (ex. Because of Winn-Dixie: Kate DiCamillo got robbed!!!!)

3. Learn calligraphy.

I really enjoy chalkboard calligraphy, but I have never been trained in how to write or come up with my own fonts. I'd like to formally learn the actual art of calligraphy to improve my creativity and learn something new. Lucas already got us tickets to take a Watercolor Calligraphy class on Valentine's Day (what a nice guy!)!

4. Get better at making macaroons.

I have only tried  twice so far, but I really stink at making macaroons. No matter how meticiulously I follow the directions, they always end up way too flat to be edible or provide a nice presentation. I don't particularly like how the basic ones taste, but once you have mastered the basic technique, it becomes much easier to be creative with your flavors. I am always envious of Scratch Bake Shop's ability to make the most unique flavor combinations with their macaroons, and they always taste amazing!

5. Work out 6/7 days of the week, for at least 30 minutes.

This one has been extremely difficult for Lucas and I, mostly due to our long commute, lack of time at home to complete pet chores/make dinner/ pack lunches/sleep, and the fact that we wake up at 5 am but don't return home until 9 or 10 pm most nights. When we do come home earlier than 9 pm (1-2 days a week, if we're lucky), we're so exhausted that we end up falling asleep watching tv. Part of the problem is lack of prep time for meals throughout the week, which brings me to.....

6. Prep/plan weekly meals ahead of time, using healthy slow cooker/quick/freezer friendly recipes as much as possible.

This is imperative to our success at working out more often, which is greatly needed in our routine. We are eating fairly healthy already, but the 3 hours/day in the car is making us feel groggy and out of shape. I am always energetic and restless during our commute, but feel exhaustion set in once we get home and there are so many house chores and other things I need to do before bed. I'm hoping extensive food prep ahead of time will help us out with this.