Obligatory New Year's Post

I don’t typically make new years resolutions. Why set yourself up for failure when you are just starting fresh with a clean slate for the year? I mean really, surviving winter in the northeast is enough of a job on its own. I think the main problem with resolutions is that people tend to be a little too ambitious, setting lofty goals that are just annoying to complete, overly difficult, or so strict they are impossible to stick to for any length of time (helloo? Swearing off sweets after weeks of eating nearly exclusively Christmas cookies—does that seem easy?). This year, I wasn’t planning to resolve to do anything besides live my life, and to look fabulous in my bridesmaid dress by April. 

But then, I talked to my co-worker on January 3^rd. She had a list of many things she plans to do to improve herself this year. So, to take the lazy lady’s approach, I’m going to steal a couple of her resolutions rather than making my own. 

• Read one article in Spanish once a week. I used to be a very good Spanish speaker, reader, and writer. Flash forward 5 years from me studying abroad, and my foreign language skills are rather worse for the wear. It’s amazing how fast they fade when you don’t use them every day. Here’s to not letting them get any worse. 
• Pay attention to the World news. Anyone else rely on their relatives to call and inform them of major events? Hands? Ok, I know it’s a rather hands off approach to knowing what is up around the globe, but sometimes the news is just down right depressing. Adding a news website to my google homepage as we speak. 

And here’s a couple I’ve added on myself: 

• Clean my fridge. I’m pretty sure that there’s a bag of moldy shredded cheese, and an open bottle of wine that is at least 3 months old kicking around in there somewhere. While I’m at it, I just might clean the freezer too. Goodbye ice cube trays stained with some mysterious orange liquid. 
• Organize my closet. While I was home for the holidays, I got rid of 4 bags of clothes to the Salvation Army. It felt good. As a bonus, I received a lovely set of hot pink no-slip hangers for Christmas, so I need an excuse to take everything out, and put it back in again. I’m hoping I make enough room that it’s not an arm workout picking out a top anymore, and so I don’t create a major avalanche every single time I wear a sweater. 

There you have it. What are your plans for 2011?