Good episode, but I wanted to post this, to counter all the "we all want to lose weight" folks: it's a pretty well sourced argument against weight-loss dieting, for health and practicality reasons, from somebody who's really on top of the research. http://www.amptoons.com/blog/archives/2006/04/03/the-case-against-weight... Adopt a healthier lifestyle, get more exercise, be better to your body, sure. But weight is the wrong thing to focus on. Learn to feel more energetic and love yourself where you are... end sermon. :)

Hmmmmm...resolutions. Last year, I didn't make a resolution that is typical per say. I was that person who was always doing the, "I can't wait until (fill in the blank...)." I decided my resolution would be to live in the moment. To enjoy each day for what it was...be it freezing cold and snowy, dreary and muddy, five months before school lets out and I get to pack up for the beach, or the middle of a glorious birthday party for our son. At first, it was really difficult. I had to remind myself constantly to not do those mental countdowns to the weekend, or to a certain date on the calendar. But then a funny thing started happening, I started really loving the little things in life, and found that while I enjoyed those far off "big deal" things like birthdays, vacations, holidays, etc., they no longer drove my brain in the same way. I had been dabbling in gardening before last year, and one thing I did to help with my resolution was to start plants from seed for our veggie garden. This helped me tremendously with getting through the early spring when the weather is wet and miserable. I was digging, potting, and watching things grow in our basement every day. Before I knew it, it was April and time to put things into dirt! Then suddenly, my seedlings were growing like crazy and it was the middle of summer. Before we knew it, it was time to go back to work and harvest the last of our crops and pick the last flowers before frost. Here I sit, January again, surrounded by seed catalouges, and think that last year's resolution was the best one I made. It gave me the gift of time with my family, the moments I cherish most with my son and husband aren't always those big deal moments, but sometimes the little ones we miss. I still have to remind myself sometimes to slow down, but it is so worth it. Someday, my son will be grown and gone, and this glorious phase of life will blend into a new one...so I resolve to take each day as the gift that it is...no matter what type of packaging it comes wrapped in. (and no matter how many pounds it brings me!)

I don't do NewYear's Resolutions per say. Instead, we do a family business plan at the beginning of every year. It covers health goals, financial goals, career goals, goals for Moanna, fun goals, home upkeep goals, travel goals, and we have a family mission statement that is tweaked every year. We map it out at the beginning of the year, and check back on it every quarter or more frequently if we feel like we we're stuck in a rut. For example, last year... Steve and I both had goals of getting promoted - accomplished We wanted to find more quality time with family - accomplished We wanted to simplify our home - we've made progress We wanted to become more in tune with Moanna's growth needs -we're learning what she needs from us This year, we've not finished our plan. However, a big goal is to pay down all of our debt except for student loans. We're also focused on having more balance in our lives, and living more green and organically. 2010 is going to be a big year for our family, and we're really excited to see where the next decade finds us.