New Year...

Everyone in the blog world has been posting about new year's resolutions...  I'm not really against resolutions, but how many people set all these resolutions and then abandon them by March?  Yeah, most people.  In my somewhat pessimistic fashion, I am not going to tell you about my resolutions, but about a few things that I am going to make a better effort to do.  I feel like a resolution is more of a firm goal.  These things are more along the lines of things I am suggesting to myself for living.  You get it, right?

1. Stay on top of things at school.  I feel like this comes and goes and this year has more or less been fairly good so far.  I hate feeling behind and overwhelmed with school stuff, but I know that's just the way it is sometimes.  I've been fairly well organized this year and have been better at planning ahead than I've been in the past.  There's always room for improvement, but I at least want to maintain.
2. Workout more.  Okay, I know, this sounds like a resolution.  Pretty much until school started I worked out 3 - 5 times a week.  Working out is my way to relax and have some "me" time.  I've not been as good about it this school year, especially since I've taken on after school tutoring 4 days a week and that adds an extra hour to my workday.  I haven't been too worried about my lack of exercise since I've actually lost some weight since August, but I do want to get back into good habits at the gym.  It's my way to de-stress and unwind after a busy day at school and I should definitely do that more often!
3. Buy only what I really want / need.  One of my projects over the break has been cleaning out my bedroom and closet.  I didn't get to the basement yet, but I've already weeded through quite a bit.  I'm trying to save money to buy a house in a year or so, travel to see friends, and pay extra on my car and student loans, so I am really trying to cut back on my extra spending.  If you've followed me for a while, you may have noticed that I like shopping.  A LOT.  I decided today to make a list of the items I really want (some are on the sort of pricey side) and make these my goal items that I am going to save and allow myself to purchase.  I'm thinking I'll write about these things in a later post.
4. Make the things I find on Pinterest.  I've pinned so many recipes, craft ideas, classroom ideas, and other great things and I've probably put into action less than 10 of these awesome ideas.  I'm not looking to tackle anything huge, but just to try some of the cool things I've found.  Maybe I'll start off by at least printing some of the printables I've found...  That's an easy start.
5. Finish organizing my classroom.  I've made several attempts to get organized and I'm really organized in some areas, but not in others.  I'd really like to get some of this done this semester so that I can start of next school year ready to roll.  I have so many resources and I want to have them all in order so that I can use them to the benefit of my students.  My files are in need of some help, as well as my giant "to file" basket that seems to keep growing.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year!  I've really enjoyed blogging and I am thankful for all of the people who have started following me.  I'm excited for things to come and sharing with you all during 2012!  Stay tuned!