The End of Summer Hiatus

So I wasn't planning on taking the summer off blogging. Meal planning went awry pretty quickly after Monkey Boy headed out of town for the summer, so there went about half of my posts. Then I had some unexpected things to take care of, both professionally and personally, and pretty much ended up with no time or desire to blog. It's funny: My summer ended up completely differently than I had expected/planned, but I actually do feel more relaxed coming into this school year than I have the past three years! You know what they say, though - If you want to make God laugh, make plans.

Anyhow, I figure with the new school year rapidly approaching (and Monkey Boy starting Kindergarten - eek!), it's time for me to make some Back to School Resolutions. I don't know if I can call this a tradition, as I haven't done this before, but check back in twelve months to see if there will be a repeat performance ;-)

They say it takes 30 days to form a new habit. They also say you are more likely to stick with a goal if you have someone to be accountable to. So brace yourselves, cyber friends: Y'all are about to embark on this habit-changing journey with me. Buckle up, there will probably be some turbulence up ahead!

1) Get on a consistent, adequate sleep schedule
It's actually 1:13 am as I write this, so hopefully that explains why this is the first resolution that sprang into my mind. I am a natural night owl, so it's hard enough for me to be awake during the day, but throw in fun summer activities, household responsibilities, and the occasional nap (my personal Waterloo) and suddenly I'm unable to fall asleep if my life depended on it! Which, y'know, theoretically it does, if you read all the research about sleep deprivation.

2) Get on a consistent, adequate exercise schedule
Man, I had some awesome plans for working out this summer! Instead, I let the Texas heat get to me and managed to gain another 5 pounds which, when combined with the 5 pounds I gained in the Spring, makes my grand total weight loss for 2010 so far...+10 pounds? Yeah, clearly not doing a good job on that. Beyond the weight issue (which, again, might kill me, if you read the research) I am much happier in general when I work out regularly.

3) Plan & pack lunches for the family at least 4 days per week
We're doing pretty well with the freeze-ahead cooking or, as I told my husband last week, "I think we're starting to get dinner under control..." You know, like it's a misbehaving child or something. So the 2010-11 academic year will be the Year of the Packed Lunch. I'm feeling very apprehensive, but also excited about this new endeavor and how it will impact both our waistlines and our budget.

So there you have it: The three small (huge!) goals that I am endeavoring to tackle in the upcoming months. I know that outlining general goals here is not enough for me to actually achieve what I want to achieve. The next step is coming up with smaller objectives that will take me in the right direction with these goals. Rest assured I will share those as they come together in consultation with my family. I appreciate any tips y'all might have that have helped you achieve similar goals in the past :-)