Here's to 2013!

I'm sitting here very relaxed on New Year's Eve with a mimosa in hand. It's a guarantee no one in this house will make it to midnight and that's just fine.  I'm looking forward to 2013.  2012 was a tough year on a number of different fronts and it's time for it to go.  It's usually been my tradition to do a goals list for the new year and recap my goals from the previous year.  Hold on, I actually have to go back and see what I wrote last year at this time...sit tight...

• Learn how to use Pinterest.  And LinkedIn. And Google +. And any other social media type thing that has been invented but is too complicated for my little technological mind.  I’ve been on Pinterest a handful of time and seriously all it does is frustrate me.  It can’t be that complicated, it just can’t be.  While we’re at it, let’s through in fully utilizing all those features on my iPhone.

Big check for Pinterest...thanks to the iPhone App!  I try to control my pinning to things that I might actually follow up on someday.  LinkedIn was a mediocre effort on my part, I'm not actually sure how useful it is.  Forget Google+, everyone is still on Facebook.  I also gave up on Twitter, it just seemed like more work than enjoyment.  Plus it took too much thought to write something and stick to the 120 character limit.  I do think I'm utilizing my iPhone more but I've realized it doesn't replace my calendar, I do better when I write something down.

• Run another half marathon.  Yes, I’m a glutton for punishment.  But overall I have to say that I enjoyed the training experience and the run went well the first time around.  Plus I found that I felt great and was more productive when I was on the training schedule.  This race I’ll be running with my cousin Alyson, I’ll make the official announcement once we’re all signed up and everything.

Success!  And I had hopes of running a third this past November, if that pesky gallbladder didn't get in my way.  I actually ran for the first time in two months while we were up in Massachusetts over Christmas.  A great 2.5 miles but, wow, I can tell that it's going to be a slow climb back to where I was.

• Start Teddy’s first year scrapbook.  I’m not behind in this; I don’t think I started Katherine’s until she was almost 3.  But it’s time to at least start gathering my materials.  I think I have a design plan, slightly different that Katherine’s, in which I documented major events.  For Teddy I am going to do a double page spread for each month, with highlight “boxes” for major events.  That means minimum 24 pages to do and I’m sure I’ll add pages as I go.

Epic fail here.  Didn't start it one bit. There was too much interfering with a job search and health issues to have time to sit and scrapbook.   I'm carrying this one over to 2013.

• Maintain my Pampered Chef business for the year (again, topic for another post).

Mixed results here.  I was lucky and got an unexpected sale in December, so technically I am still active through the end of February.  But I've decided not to continue.  With the gallbladder issues this fall, I couldn't actively pursue leads and now with the new job I don't have the time/don't want to spend the time building up the business I would need to keep it going.  I had a great run and it paid for two short getaways plus I got a ton of products, so I'm not complaining.  I learned more about myself along the way so it was worth it.

I can't say that I've got a huge lists of things I want to do in 2013.  Ideas? Yes. Tangible things I can write down?  No.  I want to get back to running again...Ted has brought up the Tobacco Road Half Marathon on St. Patrick's Day.  I'll set it as a goal but I'm not registering any time soon.  I need to see how the next few weeks go, that may be too ambitious.  Of course, I'm carrying over the scrapbook goal and I'm determined to get going on it.  I've also been pinning lots of cute card ideas, so I may try that as well.  Finally, I plan on getting back to this blog, updating regularly and yes, finally getting the picture situation straight (shout out to Aunt Peggy in WV here!).  Other than that I'm simply hoping for a less stressful, more healthy year than the one I just had.

I wish you and yours a happy and healthy 2013...cheers!