Monday, January 4, 2010

New Years Resolutions


1. Develop my photography skills.
For the next 12 months my spare time is going to be used learning my new toy. By Christmas, I want my photos to look professional. Well, professional without the use of Photoshop. Next Christmas I will ask Santa for new software. (Don't judge my skill by this photo. Poor lighting in a hall bathroom. I just like the way my hair looks.)


2. Get into shape.
My pre-pregnancy clothes fit. They just don't fit well. I need to do something about that. The plan: Sweets only twice a week. Exercise 3 times a week. Lots of water. Lots of dancing around the house with Lydia.

The kicker? I'm going to start to run. I know. I've said before I don't understand why anyone would run. However, the gym is just not working with my "Mommy with a baby and toddler" schedule. If Shane can start to run and love it, maybe I can too. Anyone have any suggestions on great running/walking shoes and a hi-intensity bra for "well endowed" ladies?



3. Learn to make bread.
This may seem like a strange goal when you take into consideration goal #2. However, I believe that any life without bread and carbs is no life worth living. I would love to have a home that is often filled with the smell of baking bread. If that bread tasted amazing...even better.




4. Be more positive.
I will admit it. I have been going through a tough time this year. I feel completely out of control of my life sometimes. I am sleep deprived, overworked and overwhelmed. Negativity has been seeping in slowly. The other night I was hanging out with a few friends and I had a full vent session. (I'm sorry about that ladies.) I drove home feeling terrible. I don't want to focus on the negative. I want to see the reality of my life. I have darling children, an amazing husband and we are all healthy. I have good friends and wonderful family. I have strong faith, a comfortable home and many talents. My life is full of laughter. I need to smile more. I need to try and ignore the messes that I cannot stay on top of. I need to push through the exhaustion. I have so many reasons to be happy, so I need to be happy. My family deserves a happy mommy and wife. There is a reason my favorite color is yellow. I need to let the sun in.

Those are my resolutions. What are yours?



20 PEOPLE HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY:


Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend said...
I don't think I will be making bread....but the other three are at the top of my WANT TO DO list....Happy New Year...
Mandy said...
I love Asics shoes! I didn't know that I loved them until I went to a running store and did the treadmill/video experiment, though. So my advice is to get a good shoe that fits your foot well. Oh, and sign up for a 5K. Having a deadline will help with the whole "I hate running" thing. I also hate running, yet I just ran a marathon on January 1st! My resolution for 2009 was to start running, so I signed up for a 5K last March, and it just kept snowballing. :) Good luck!
Laura said...
I think the running will help you so much with goal #4 I've been running for around 6 months now and I love it! It's really helped and made things seem a little sunnier in my sun deprived state of Ohio! Like Mandy said have a goal though, it really helps you through those days where you don't want to! Still searching for the best shoes though :( Good luck and have fun!
A Baby Peach said...
Those are great!!! I have a lot of the same/similar ones! I love reading your blog so much...I feel like if we lived closer we'd be great friends! Happy New Year!
Brady and Berta said...
Okay, you know that I just started running. I have only been running for 3 months and I just finished an 8 mile run on Saturday; Spencer, Karson and I are doing our 1/2 marathon at the end of the month. You just have to do it. I know how much it stinks, I hate it most of the time! Don't let anyone, including yourself, tell you that you can't do it! It's ALL mental!
Jessie said...
Awesome resolutions. I still do not fit in my pre babe clothes and probably never will but I did find that I really like running. I just ran my first 5k this past Saturday. I blogged about it :) I was pretty happy with my results for a first timer. Give yourself a goal. When I started walking a lot I went to a running store and had them "fit" me for shoes. I suggest doing that so that you get the right support. Here is a bread site I found along the way that I bookmarked, maybe you will like it. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx My resolution is to run a half marathon and learn to knit which has been my resolution for years now. I can do it but only with ugly results lol :) Happy New Year!
Anonymous said...
HOT!!! I LOVE the photo of you. Work it girlfriend... Great goals. Mine would be to get in shape as well, get closer to God, not to stress, and be nicer to people. I had a hard time with the last one and it's only day 4. Monique
Anonymous said...
oh and another goal is to make natalie's chow mein this week. (it's 9:40 am. i just had breakfast and i'm hungry... thanks) :) monique
Life With the Crazies said...
I adore my Brooks running shoes, fantastic support, so comfy. If you can get them at a runners' shoe store, they can analyze your running "gait" and pick the best design for you. Good luck! Oh, and ditto on the sports bra question... I'm stumped too :)
Stacy said...
I'll be losing weight and trying to be more positive. I struggle with being overwhelmed and grouchy, too! I think it comes with having small children and a house to run.
Brett, Juliann, and Mae said...
It is also one my goals this year to make bread and dinner more often on top of that. I have been wanting to take a class and get the starter kit for making bread from the Pantry Secrets. I have had friends that love this recipe and ideas she gives for bread dough. They also say that it is so easy and it never fails. http://pantrysecrets.net/
Mormishmom said...
I'm a running hater :) But I started to not so much hate it when I signed up for a 5K - it gave me something to work toward - a goal. Since September I've done two 5Ks and a 10K. I was doing a 1/2 marathon January 9th, but December was bad training wise for me and so I decided not to kill myself and look for one later in the year. Oprah swears by the Enell Sports bra. It's supposed to be fantastic. I haven't splurged on it yet. I also agree with Mandy, get good shoes. My resolutions for the year are to finish projects I start, procrastinate less, read my scriptures more, and do my 1/2 marathon!
beth said...
Well said! I think you can learn to love running if you go at your own pace and let the stress roll off of you. I love to run for that reason. Oh, and I love my shox and ipod! The staying positive paragraph was well, heard and understood. I was so at that point with so many little ones. I too am trying to stay positive and remember that they are only this little once. I do enjoy their sleep time though! P.S. You are not in control of your life anymore with kids. I am relearning this everyday! :)
Are You Serious! said...
♥ Awesome goals!!!
Gilbert Family said...
I am a big fan of running for exercise! I KNOW you can learn to love it but it might take a while so don't give up! My favorite running shoes are Nike Shox (I have narrow feet and a high arch) so they work perfect for me and I LOVE UnderArmour Sports bras. I, unfortunately, am not well endowed but I would think those bras would be great for all shapes and sizes :) One more trick to keep you in the "running" mode...sign up for a 5K (or any other street race)a few months out and hold yourself accountable. It will give you a goal to work towards and will force you to keep it up! Good luck with everything and happy running!
Laurel @ Ducks in a Row said...
I love running - but it didn't happen naturally. My best piece of advice is to get a running partner! You don't miss when you know someone is waiting for you. I've had mine for 2 1/2 years now and it's the best time of the week!
~Shawna~ said...
Love the goals! I'm signing up for my first 5K in February. My sister-in-law has been my motivation to start running, and it's also one of my resolutions to help with weight loss and fitness. I've run 7 miles since Sunday! It helps for me to have GOOD music - it's the only thing that can keep me going when I feel like quiting. My best wishes to you!
Modern Crush said...
Very inspiring Natalie, man I just love coming back to this space - feels like home<3
stacyjulian said...
Natalie, Kiley (who works for me)just introduced me to your blog. I love your "realness" -- I hope you can come learn photography at Big Picture Scrapbooking -- we'd love to have you.
Anonymous said...
I have NEVER ran in my life, but I was looking for a different kind of weight loss and everyone I know runs so I decided I would finally do it after everyone said that you become addicted to it, SHOES and MUSIC are the key. I started out with a a training schedule from couch potatoe to 5K. I've done 2 5k's I'm not as in love with it to progress to a 10k and I'm okay with that. I do like to run because of the results but I've never went over 3.5 miles. Good luck give it 2 months before you even begin to like it.

20 comments:

Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend said...

I don't think I will be making bread....but the other three are at the top of my WANT TO DO list....Happy New Year...

Mandy said...

I love Asics shoes! I didn't know that I loved them until I went to a running store and did the treadmill/video experiment, though. So my advice is to get a good shoe that fits your foot well. Oh, and sign up for a 5K. Having a deadline will help with the whole "I hate running" thing. I also hate running, yet I just ran a marathon on January 1st! My resolution for 2009 was to start running, so I signed up for a 5K last March, and it just kept snowballing. :) Good luck!

Laura said...

I think the running will help you so much with goal #4 I've been running for around 6 months now and I love it! It's really helped and made things seem a little sunnier in my sun deprived state of Ohio! Like Mandy said have a goal though, it really helps you through those days where you don't want to! Still searching for the best shoes though :( Good luck and have fun!

A Baby Peach said...

Those are great!!! I have a lot of the same/similar ones! I love reading your blog so much...I feel like if we lived closer we'd be great friends! Happy New Year!

Brady and Berta said...

Okay, you know that I just started running. I have only been running for 3 months and I just finished an 8 mile run on Saturday; Spencer, Karson and I are doing our 1/2 marathon at the end of the month. You just have to do it. I know how much it stinks, I hate it most of the time! Don't let anyone, including yourself, tell you that you can't do it! It's ALL mental!

Jessie said...

Awesome resolutions. I still do not fit in my pre babe clothes and probably never will but I did find that I really like running. I just ran my first 5k this past Saturday. I blogged about it :) I was pretty happy with my results for a first timer. Give yourself a goal. When I started walking a lot I went to a running store and had them "fit" me for shoes. I suggest doing that so that you get the right support. Here is a bread site I found along the way that I bookmarked, maybe you will like it. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx

My resolution is to run a half marathon and learn to knit which has been my resolution for years now. I can do it but only with ugly results lol :) Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

HOT!!! I LOVE the photo of you. Work it girlfriend... Great goals. Mine would be to get in shape as well, get closer to God, not to stress, and be nicer to people. I had a hard time with the last one and it's only day 4.

Monique

Anonymous said...

oh and another goal is to make natalie's chow mein this week. (it's 9:40 am. i just had breakfast and i'm hungry... thanks)

:) monique

Krulls in Haiti said...

I adore my Brooks running shoes, fantastic support, so comfy. If you can get them at a runners' shoe store, they can analyze your running "gait" and pick the best design for you. Good luck! Oh, and ditto on the sports bra question... I'm stumped too :)

Unknown said...

I'll be losing weight and trying to be more positive. I struggle with being overwhelmed and grouchy, too! I think it comes with having small children and a house to run.

Brett, Juliann, and Mae said...

It is also one my goals this year to make bread and dinner more often on top of that. I have been wanting to take a class and get the starter kit for making bread from the Pantry Secrets. I have had friends that love this recipe and ideas she gives for bread dough. They also say that it is so easy and it never fails.

http://pantrysecrets.net/

Kyla Armstrong said...

I'm a running hater :) But I started to not so much hate it when I signed up for a 5K - it gave me something to work toward - a goal. Since September I've done two 5Ks and a 10K. I was doing a 1/2 marathon January 9th, but December was bad training wise for me and so I decided not to kill myself and look for one later in the year. Oprah swears by the Enell Sports bra. It's supposed to be fantastic. I haven't splurged on it yet. I also agree with Mandy, get good shoes. My resolutions for the year are to finish projects I start, procrastinate less, read my scriptures more, and do my 1/2 marathon!

beth said...

Well said!
I think you can learn to love running if you go at your own pace and let the stress roll off of you. I love to run for that reason. Oh, and I love my shox and ipod!
The staying positive paragraph was well, heard and understood. I was so at that point with so many little ones. I too am trying to stay positive and remember that they are only this little once. I do enjoy their sleep time though! P.S. You are not in control of your life anymore with kids. I am relearning this everyday! :)

Are You Serious! said...

♥ Awesome goals!!!

Gilbert Family said...

I am a big fan of running for exercise! I KNOW you can learn to love it but it might take a while so don't give up! My favorite running shoes are Nike Shox (I have narrow feet and a high arch) so they work perfect for me and I LOVE UnderArmour Sports bras. I, unfortunately, am not well endowed but I would think those bras would be great for all shapes and sizes :)

One more trick to keep you in the "running" mode...sign up for a 5K (or any other street race)a few months out and hold yourself accountable. It will give you a goal to work towards and will force you to keep it up! Good luck with everything and happy running!

Laurel @ Ducks in a Row said...

I love running - but it didn't happen naturally. My best piece of advice is to get a running partner! You don't miss when you know someone is waiting for you. I've had mine for 2 1/2 years now and it's the best time of the week!

~Shawna~ said...

Love the goals! I'm signing up for my first 5K in February. My sister-in-law has been my motivation to start running, and it's also one of my resolutions to help with weight loss and fitness. I've run 7 miles since Sunday! It helps for me to have GOOD music - it's the only thing that can keep me going when I feel like quiting.
My best wishes to you!

Modern Crush said...

Very inspiring Natalie, man I just love coming back to this space - feels like home<3

stacyjulian said...

Natalie,
Kiley (who works for me)just introduced me to your blog. I love your "realness" -- I hope you can come learn photography at Big Picture Scrapbooking -- we'd love to have you.

Anonymous said...

I have NEVER ran in my life, but I was looking for a different kind of weight loss and everyone I know runs so I decided I would finally do it after everyone said that you become addicted to it, SHOES and MUSIC are the key. I started out with a a training schedule from couch potatoe to 5K. I've done 2 5k's I'm not as in love with it to progress to a 10k and I'm okay with that. I do like to run because of the results but I've never went over 3.5 miles. Good luck give it 2 months before you even begin to like it.

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