New Year's Resolutions

The kids are back to school tomorrow and so it feels like the right time to get going on the resolutions. Here are mine:

1. Cook More. Ever since we moved I've been slacking. I can't quite figure out if it's that I'm busier now with work projects, or if it's that I just miss my old kitchen and garden and all that they inspired in me. Regardless, it's time to cook more.

2. Bring Back Fabulous Fridays.  FF was an idea I had a while back where I wanted to cook a new dessert every Friday that would carry us through the weekend with smiles and sugar highs. I had dreams that my kids would be that much more excited to get out of school for the weekend, running home to see what surprise was waiting for them. I haven't done jack in like a year-and-a-half. Time to give it another shot.

3. Consult My Pantry More Often. I need to get better about meal planning by looking first at what I need to use up, before deciding what to make for dinner. My shelves are lined half-full bags of things like unsweetened coconut, herbs de Provence and raspberry vinaigrette, just to name a few. I threw out a bag of expired food products this week and it tore me up something awful. Enough is enough.

4. Play More Music in the House. This one is really important. I love music but simply forget to turn it on at home. Kids are naturally drawn to it, plus one of mine seems to have an extra special connection to it. I need to help him with that. There will be plenty of time for popular music in their futures, I plan to play everything else.

5. Establish Clear Rules and Responsibilities for Kids. Outlined, posted, monitored and rewarded. We got off to a good start with this in August but it all fell apart when the kids decided they weren't motivated by money anymore. Ha! Our kids need to start helping out more and I need some tools to help me get through the loud hours. I got some great ideas thanks to a good friend and we begin implementing tomorrow morning at 7AM. There is a whole post about all this coming in the near future. All good stuff!