So, I know, yesterday’s post was random compared to the serious posts of the previous days! Let’s just say that it relates to the new year’s goal of eating better. And on that note…

Here are a few sites that have good resources for eating healthy:

$5 dinner mom’s index of recipes

100 days of real food blog

e-mealz

What tips do you have for eating healthier?

I came across these tips and thought they were super interesting and practical! Maybe they will work for you!

How to peel a potato without a knife or potato peeler

How to chop an onion without crying

Yesterday’s post was a little direct perhaps in sticking to your resolutions. I read this post over at incourage that I thought was interesting that talked about allowing yourself grace in accomplishing goals. (It is perhaps also a thinly veiled sales pitch, but still a good word.)

Last year, I read the book The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin, and I really liked it. She talked about how judging from her status in life (married with two kids and a good job and good socio-economic status and good health, etc) she should be a pretty happy person, but she found herself often unhappy. So she set things that she was going to try to do throughout the year to improve her quality of life. Now, she leaves out the biggest factor of life, I think, in not talking about faith in Christ (I don’t remember what she said about faith and if anything at all), but I did like the book anyway. She sets out an overarching ideal for each month and then sets goals related to that ideal to accomplish each month. I think it is a wise idea to try to spread out change over a period of time instead of expecting to change every area of your life at the same time.

So I still didn’t get too many comments, what are you hoping to accomplish this year?

I read this yesterday on utmost.org. (The online version of My Utmost for His Highest, with a “read the Bible in a year” passage link at the bottom.)

• “I didn’t finish my read-the-Bible-in-a-year-plan because its too much to read every day.” Yet I can read blogs all hours of the night until I get a headache and have to go to bed.
• “I don’t eat healthy because it costs too much to buy grass fed beef/free range chicken/organic vegetables.” Yet I bought plenty of Ritter’s frozen custard and Blue Bell last year.
• “I don’t exercise because I don’t like to.” Tough. Would I rather die young? Would I rather have the belly flab or not?
• “I can’t wake up at 7, that is too early and I am too tired.” If I went to bed at 10 instead of 12, 7 wouldn’t seem so early.
• “I can’t think of a healthy meal to cook that doesn’t cost too much.” I have how many blogs on my bookmarks about this very thing? Recipes are not hard to find. I did emeals for 6 months. The resources are there, I just need to use them and plan ahead.
• “I can’t go to bed early, E is asleep and it is my only time to do my stuff.” But wouldn’t I feel better all day if I got more sleep. Do I really need to troll facebook/blogs/pinterest anyway?

Does anyone else do this too? Do you have any to add?

Last night as I was trying to stay up late, I was thinking about blogging about the new year, but that seemed so predictible. After all, most of the blogs in my reader had posted about that. But then today I got to talking to a friend about not really resolutions but things that I would like to improve on. So here are some. Read and share your comments or suggestions regarding these…

1. Exercise. As in any movement at all. Yes I get some movement from playing with a toddler all day, but just a little cardio every now and again would be beneficial for my health. I would like to exercise some. at all. ever. I have a debate about what is the best way to go about this. Some people say do something every day so it becomes a habit. But that is a lot of pressure to try to do something all out. What about that day you want to slack? Then it turns into two days you slack. And then you never do it again. A few weeks ago I thought I would add some sit ups to my daily routine but then I just never remembered or didn’t want to get sweaty because I had already showered. There is always some excuse to not do something.
2. Eat better. Always a goal. Less processed junk more real food. But I don’t like to cook and try to spend less money at the store and there goes that. It’s like, I can’t meet all my goals of this perfect “low price-high in good foods-organic-yet quick to cook-and doesn’t dirty up my whole kitchen-oh and make it taste good too” meal. And I get overwhelmed trying to do all those things. I need to pick a priority and just try to do that with my food.
3. Waking up before E. Today as I sat really agitated that E had woken up earlier than I had expected her to, I reflected on the idea that maybe a toddler shouldn’t determine when my day starts. I have heard a lot of moms share how waking up before their family helps them start the day on the right foot. But I. love. to. sleep. And I am much more of a night owl than morning person. So I want to eke out every last second of sleep until I HAVE to get up. But maybe I could start waking up at 7. That isn’t too early. Certainly not early compared to when I had to wake up when I was working. Then I would get a little time to shower/exercise/read/eat before E gets up and I would feel ready to go and not like I had to wait til she napped to get some stuff done. The one down side to this is that one time C and I tried to do this and she started waking up earlier. She is a good listener and I think she can hear when we get up.

What do you think about these ideas and do you have any resolutions?