13 by '13...

Last year I saw a post by Kate called "Twelve by 2012" that was similar to a list of New Year's Resolutions... but the twist is that you don't start after the new year... you start now and try to achieve each goal by the start of the new year. (Novel, I know!) Anyway, it occurred to me that instead of waiting till January 1 to lose those five pounds or get my closet organized or whatever, I should probably start today and try to check off these "I'll-get-around-to-it-never-eventually" items off my list. I'm a big fan of lists, and even bigger fan of checking items off when they're done. Plus, they say accountability is the best ability (or is that dependability?) so I'm using including all you lucky people to help keep me going. I'm sure the excitement is overwhelming you at this very moment. I realize there are just over two months left in the year, which means I'll have to get my butt self (just for you, Mom) in gear!

1. By 2012, I would like to purchase a treadmill and walk on it five days a week. (Check... you know I had to start with something I have already completed!)

2. I recently bought an app that allows you to take pictures of what's in your closet, organize them, and even create outfits with them. Then I looked at the sheer volume of clothing that I possess and decided- app, shmapp- that would take forever! But even if I never get around to using the app, I do need to organize my closet and drawers, so that's item dos.

3. Drink more water and less soda... this is sooo hard for me. Maybe it's all in my head, but I NEED caffeine in the mornings, you know? Otherwise I'm just a grumpy zombie teacher and those, I hear, are not very attractive. However, grumpy zombies whose clothes don't fit are even harder to love, so I must find a balance.

4. I need to start eating a good breakfast (as in, more than a granola bar on the way out the door.) As hard as it is for me to get up early, I always feel better in the morning when I actually take the time to eat something substantial. Not to mention actually sitting down at the table for breakfast is more relaxing than shoving food in my mouth on the way to school and trying to brush off the crumbs as I get out of the car. (You didn't know I was so classy, huh?)

5. Put together some cute, homemade Christmas decorations like the ones I've been pinning for months. Oh, I'll buy some things... but I enjoyed my fall crafting so much that I am excited about trying a few Christmas things, too. A trip to Hobby Lobby on Saturday definitely got me on the right track to get this one crossed off!

6. I'd really like to get back to writing notes for people... I really enjoy doing it and I've kind of gotten out of the habit.

7. It's been forever since I've read a book for pleasure (partly because I'm so busy and partly because by the time I get home I'm feeling too lazy to actually think) but thanks to Janssen's recommendations I now have no excuse. 

8. In the next few months, I would really like to get my play (yes, I wrote a Christmas play... I'll blog  about it sometime, maybe) out to a publisher of some sort. Any information on that would be helpful, since my contacts in the publishing world come to a total of zero. Who knows if it's even good enough to be published... but I would at least like to look into it.

9. Our upstairs office/nook is a messs... and I need to fix it up. I'm not even that interested in decorating up there right now- just getting it organized so I can enjoy a restful little spot to write and blog.

10. Also inspired by Kate, I want to turn my ginormous entertainment center/armoire into a jewelry/accessories station. It really just needs a new coat of paint and a couple of hooks and rods, but that would get all my scarves out of the closet and all my necklaces from off the rack on the back of bedroom door (plus it would eliminate the exceedingly obnoxious noise that my multitude of necklaces make when slung against the door every time it moves.)

11. I had planned on adding "schedule an eye exam and get new glasses," but good old stupidity took care of this for me (I stepped on my glasses last week and broke them in two irreparable pieces.) So, instead of having Old Faithful and a new pair, now I'll just have the new pair. I ordered them last night and will give a full report when they come in. (Sorry to keep you in suspense.) I guess my goal, then, would be "don't step on your glasses, dummy."

12.  Incorporate whole brain teaching into more of my lessons... I've already used it with great success, but I'd like to add it in even more. If you're a teacher, PLEASE try it. I promise it will spice things up!

13. This last one is very important to me, but I'm a little unsure of where to get started. I'd really like to spruce up my blog with a personal design... you know, "about me", categories, etc. If anyone knows anything about HTML or blog design and wants to help, feel free to let me know. (Hint, hint Julie! =) I'm totally clueless but I know that the automatic template is just not cutting it for me anymore. I believe, that whether I have 10 followers or 10,000 (and I fall a little closer to the first number =) that I should make this space as pretty as possible, if only for myself. 

There you have it... I'm sure you are just thrilled to know about all the projects and things I'm working on/toward. Perhaps you could make it a goal of yours to help remind me to meet mine? =) Here's to be being productive and meeting goals... and keeping friends accountable! If I don't get my closet organized by New Year's I am holding you strictly responsible! =)

Ash