Eleven in Eleven

There’s nothing quite like the prospect of a brand new, squeaky clean, untouched year to give you the chance to improve things in and around you. New Year’s Resolutions may be a bit cheesy, but I am taking them on in full-force this year, and I really feel like this is a great time to make some changes for the better. I feel like the first half of 2010 was consumed with the wedding, so much so that every day I was thinking/doing/stressing about something to do with it. Then post-wedding, there was such a relief in getting to live a “normal” life again (in the same house as a boy!) that I got really, really lazy. Don’t get me wrong, it was a lot of fun. But many of the things that used to be important to me (being healthy, participating in activities other than snuggling on the couch with the hubs watching TV all evening) started to take the back burner. Mark and I have both been really looking forward to 2011 over the past couple of [crazy holiday] weeks. We are both really ready for a fresh start. So I sat down and came up with not one, not two, but eleven resolutions for this year. They aren’t really things I can suddenly complete and check off my list in one day. They are tasks I want to take on for the long run, so that this year can be a great one.

So without further ado, my Eleven Resolutions for 2011!

1. Establish Date Night. January 10^th will be our 6 month anniversary and I think it’s time we start consciously taking some time away from our usual after-work routine to do something fun each month, on the tenth. Does not have to include eating out somewhere. Could be taking the pups to the Dog Park or hitting up the Red Box for a movie on the couch. Rain checks are allowed, if the tenth gets booked up, as long as Date Night is celebrated each and every month.

2. Drop some LB’s/Get in Shape. See yesterday’s post. No more stuffing my face with chips when I’m bored. More gym time (last night was my first time this year!). Stick with WW so that my pants can once again button painlessly. Start adding in weight training. See how many pushups I can do over time.

3. Complete an Official Race That Actually Requires Registering. As in don’t just run 3.14 miles on the treadmill one night and call it a 5K. Sign up for and finish at least three 5K races in 2011. Train for and complete one longer race… perhaps a 10K. Maybe, just maybe, a half-marathon.

4. Cook Dinner/Try New Recipes /Be Wifely. Mark and I have really slipped into a do-it-yourself dinner mentality. He makes himself a PB sandwich, I microwave whatever’s around and we eat our separate meals together. It’s a rare occasion when one of us prepares a meal and we actually eat the same thing at the same time. Between our wedding and now Christmas, we must have about 6 new cookbooks to start testing out. Prepare a meal at home at least twice a week.

5. Officially Become a United Mr. and Mrs. Not long after the wedding I stood in the respective lines and got my name legally changed on my social security card and driver’s license. Then I quit becoming Amanda NewLastName. Call credit card companies and request new cards with new name. Set up a date at the bank and merge my account with his so we can become a joint-operating couple. No more whose turn is it to pay? Add my name to the house and his car. Add his name to my car and the cat ;)

6. Send Birthday Cards. I love when far away friends remember my birthday and send a card. I always want to be that friend, but without fail forget to get a card until it’s too late to even be belated. Get organized this year and get those cards in the mail!

7. Dress Cute More Often. This doesn’t mean go out and buy a lot of new clothes (I wish), but rather think about my appearance for the regular days and not just the going-somewhere-special days. I tend to throw on a pair of black/gray/tan pants for work every day with some sort of sweater/cardigan combo and the exact same pair of shoes. If I’m feeling extra fancy, I’ll add a necklace. I want to feel good about myself every day, which can be as simple as looking in my closet and piecing some new outfits together or wearing my hair in some way other than straightened with a headband. I read so many fun magazines and follow so many great fashion blogs (like here, here, here and here), I have plenty of inspiration. It’s time to start putting some of it to good use!

8. Change of Attitude. I tend to complain. A lot. I know it’s a fault (likely my biggest one). I often resolve to look on the brighter side of things, and this year is no different. No more whining about my commute, my job, my boss, my friends, my family, the dogs, the cat, the weather, the food, the alarm clock, the gym, etc. etc. You get the point. Make an effort to be more cheery on a more regular basis.

9. Attend Church Regularly. As in every Sunday. In a row.

10. Read. This isn’t something that I thought would ever pop up on my resolution list, seeing as how I typically read all the time. But married life changes things and I’m finding myself with less and less time to curl up with a good book. I’ve thought of all kinds of book lists I’d like to tackle this year. Like all of Jane Eyre. Or all the Harry Potter books (again). Or half my “To Read” list on Goodreads. Either way, make the time to read more. I miss it.

11. Do Something Nice for Mark Every Day. Show him some love and appreciation for all he does for me whenever possible. Cook dinner, fill up the car with gas, give him a backrub, tell him thank you, write him a little note, give him an extra kiss goodnight, tell him he looks cute, fold his laundry, vacuum the floor, bring him a DP. Things I do a lot, but not often enough. No gesture is too small! I’m lucky to have the Hubs and want him to know I feel that way every day.

I know we are only four days into the New Year, but I’m feeling good about some positive change this year! What are you resolving to do differently in Eleven?