2013 New Year's Resolutions

I did pretty well with sticking to my 2012 resolutions. I ended up losing 35 pounds. (I was at 43 for the year, but I gained over Christmas and on our Disney trip). So this year's resolutions won't be too much different than last year's, but there are a few changes.

1. Continue with weight loss plan. I would like to lose 75 pounds total, so I'm almost half-way there.

2. Traveling is something that Jon and I LOVE to do, and we're blessed in that Jon makes enough money for us to be able to take trips as a family each year. Some are more ellaborate than others, but we have agreed that spending time together traveling is important to us b/c we want the girls to experience other cultures, lifestyles and things than we did when we were growing up. So each month we set money aside in a vacation fund. Having just gotten back from Disney World with the girls (blog post coming soon...hopefully), I was able to see just how much they LOVE the characters, rides, parades and shows. So I would like to take another Disney trip sooner rather than later, but I want to save on top of our normal vacation travel for Disney so we don't have to take away from our yearly family vacation fund. But going to Disney is expensive, so my next resolution is to begin couponing to Disney. I'll be following this blog's way of saving. I'm not a HUGE couponer anymore b/c I find most coupons are for processed foods and higher fat foods than we eat now that we have adopted new eating habits to make a better lifestyle for ourselves, but I will coupon and use her technique for personal items, paper products, and other items that I find on sale like clothing, toys, etc... I'm hoping to have enough money saved for us to go in the next 18 months or so before the girls start kindergarten. (Anyone want to make me a Couponing to Disney ticker thingy? I have no clue how to do those things!)

3. I am a yeller. I hate that about myself. I begin each morning with a prayer for help in controlling my anger and yelling, and by the end of the day (or sometimes first thing after the girls get up if they are being overly uncooperative, sadly) I find that I have not made it a single day without getting upset and yelling. This has been one of the most disheartening parts in my parenting journey. So I am going to work EXTREMELY hard work on this EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!!!