2011 New Year’s Resolutions

FAMILY

1. Potty train Cakes!  She’s 2 now and while in the past she’s only liked to use her potty chair as a step stool or frisbee, I think she needs to start learning it’s intended use.  My mother-in-law was on me over the holidays about starting but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it while on vacation.  Now that we’re back home, she’s 2, and it’s a new year – it’s time to start.
2. Get pregnant again and have a full-term fatty!  I had a miscarriage in December and my OB wants to be to wait until February to start trying again so hopefully it’ll happen right away and we’ll have a baby before the end of 2011.  Since Cakes was born nine weeks prematurely because of a placental abruption (cause unknown), I have to go for blood work later this month.  Hopefully that’ll clue us in as to what’s going on with me and if there’s some sort of connection between the abruption and miscarriage.  I’m pretty nervous about getting pregnant after my last two experiences, but I’m hopeful that the third time’s a charm.
3. Plan at least one vacation.  While we just got back from a trip to Colorado and Missouri to visit family, it wasn’t a true vacation.  We’re more exhausted and worn out now, than before we left.  I’m sure driving with a toddler and two dogs didn’t help things but not being in your own space and all of the stuff we’re dealing with right now surely doesn’t help.  My husband is a self professed workaholic and admits he needs a better work/life balance and we need that from him too.  The goal is to at least make it to the beach one time this year.  Wherever that beach may be, a beach vacation is the goal!
4. Socialize more.  My husband and I are pretty introverted to begin with and being new to Texas, we don’t know too many people.  But we really need to make the effort to meet new people and spend time with the friends we do have.  We need it and Cakes needs it too.  It’s understandable she’s shy around strangers but I’d like her to snap out of the clinginess around people she’s seen before.

HOME

1. Stick to a cleaning schedule.  I had started this late in the summer and did pretty well.  For a month.  Then I got sidetracked with life and the Internet and fell behind again.  A new year means a clean, organized house.  We had to downsize houses when we moved into this one and so far, the walls aren’t closing in on us.  But it wouldn’t take much for them to feel like they were if we don’t stay on top of things.  Garage organizers and an outdoor shed were two topics my husband and I discussed today.
2. Stain the fence.  It was pretty wet last year and we never got around to staining or sealing the fence.  I think a little preventative maintenance would go a long way!
3. Get gutters installed.  Gutters do not come standard in Texas and since our house was new when we bought it, they were not included.  We’ve already survived one pretty wet year, I don’t want to go another without having them.
4. Fence the entire property.  We have a third of an acre and only about half of that is fenced in.  The part that’s fenced is ample for the dogs to do their business and Cakes to play, but I want all of my property enclosed so people don’t try and move property lines and we have more usable space.

FINANCES

1. Our 1995 Honda Civic was totaled at the end of last year and with the holidays and everything else, we put off replacing it.  My husband doesn’t want me to be stuck at home without transportation and a car seat in case something, so we are in the market for a new commuter car.  Dave Ramsey suggests in Total Money Makeover to pay cash for your car and then continue saving and put the cash you saved and the trade in value towards a new car and keep on until you get the car you want.  A beater car like that, just isn’t for us.  We take care of our vehicles and plan on keeping them until they die so we’re opting for a car with a solid reputation.  Our car choices have been narrowed down to another Honda Civic or a Honda Accord or a Nissan Altima.  All have great Consumer Reports ratings, look nice, and are within our budget.
2. Pay off car from #1 as quickly as possible.  We have half of the estimated value saved to put down and are going to finance the rest.  Again, not Dave Ramsey advocated but it’s what looks like will work best for us.  Our credit union is offering 2.49% for 36 months on new and used (we’ll be buying a car that’s 3-4 years old) cars and our goal is to pay it off in less than six months.  We just paid off our truck in November so having another car payment is not going to be fun but we’re motivated to get rid of it quickly!
3. Get all legal documents in place.  I have all of our wills, living trusts, power of attorneys completed thanks to Suze Orman’s Will & Trust Kit but need to get them notarized – the most important part.
4. Open Cakes a 529.  We have close to $2,000 in her savings account and really need to get it put into a 529 so it’s earning interest.  Only 16 more years to college – crazy!