A Brand New Year

Gracie with her cousin, Katie eating their first ice cream sundaes of the New Year!

2011, here you are! It is already several days into the new year and I have been furiously sweeping all traces of the holidays from all corners of my home. Once the clock strikes midnight on the New Year's Eve, my main goal is to make the house clean and fresh again. I am still not there, late on this Tuesday afternoon.

Which brings me to my resolutions of 2011! I did not do as well as anticipated with my goals from last year. I did keep up with all 12 months of my Happiness Project, inspired by the monthly suggestions given in Gretchen Rubin's book, The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. I also kept a one-sentence daily journal for about 7 months which was far longer than I had anticipated. We celebrated the Solstices and Equinoxes and the bedroom for the twins was completed. 

Some of my other resolutions from 2010 fell short but through the course of the year, my goals shifted and while some things were put aside, others were met. This year I want to keep it short and sweet. The book I will draw my inspiration from this year is Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living written by Tsh Oxenreider. Some of you may know her as the woman behind SimpleMom.

With 7 family members and one to arrive this Spring, my biggest struggle every year is managing a home that is organized and clutter-free. I want for our family to live in organized simplicity, and to minimalize the "stuff" in our home so that we are surrounded by only items we truly love. This is my #1 goal for the New Year. 

Some other goals that I have set for this year is to: 

• Live greener. (I feel we are well above the curve on this goal already but think there are still steps that can be taken to reduce our carbon footprint as a family.)

• I want to contribute each month to a charity through crafting, i.e. Craft Hope. My book club has decided to join me in this challenge this year! 

• Start again with a one-sentence daily journal for 2011! I think it is a great way to record little things that happen each day that you may not remember if they aren't written down. I bought an Ecosystem weekly planner in Kiwi!

• I also would like to participate in the 365 photo project, taking a photo a day for a year. Don't hold me to this one. I have already taken 4 photos I am not to thrilled about. I can only hope the next 361 are a bit more interesting. 

If you are in need of some rockin' inspiration for the New Year check out this awesome post by Amanda at kindovermatter: How To Rock This Trip Around The Sun!