A Wonderful New Year!

As Christmas is over and we are inching closer to the New Year, I have decided to take a bit of time to pen my goals/expectations for 2013.  Some of them are more personal than others, and some are just 'things I want to do.'  Most are aimed at saving money, being healthier and overall improving our lives, which in the middle of this awful winter is hard to do.  

My Goals/Expectations:

Health
During our annual health fair, I was told I have 'high cholesterol' which was befuddling to me, seeing as I have been a vegetarian for almost a decade.  Nevertheless, medication is not an option, so diet changes will have to do.  I fully intend to be vegan by May of 2013, while in the mean time, I have substantially lessened my dairy/egg intake and have been more aware of my cholesterol intake.  

Fitness
As Daddykins and I prepare for our wedding, I am working hard to return to my 'pre-dating' weight, and I will be continuing to work hard (even if I am discouraged by the total lack of weight loss week after week after week!).  I will be setting up a little area in our room to encourage before work workouts, and Daddykins and I will continue to frequent the gym regularly during the winter months.  One of our pups is old enough to run (longer distances), so come warm weather, I will be out with her, slow and ugly as my running might be.  My goal is to be down at least 30 pounds by the end of the year. :) 

Budget
For Daddykins and I to have a wedding, we require a house for our backyard affair, therefore a large chunk of 2013 will be be spent focusing on our budget, spending, income and for myself, trying to get a bit more income through 'at home' work.  Our goal is to save over $12,000 by December of 2013, as part of the down payment/closing costs on our house. 

Blogging
Although I just started this website, I hope to grow it into a useful/dependable site, like many of the awesome ones I see and rely upon daily for various things.  I hope to update it with useful posts at least twice a week, maybe even daily if it takes off enough.  I also hope to have photos in most of my posts, although I do not have a super fancy camera.  

Organization
My house is always in-flux it seems, with new furniture coming in, new pets coming in, people moving in and out, holding stuff in storage for some... it is messy.  And the beginning of my weeks are very busy between work schedules and finding time to cook, clean, etc.  So my goals as far as cleaning and organizing are concerned are:  Take 2 weeks to organize every room in the house (so in 14 weeks, I will have every room organized, with the basement and attic to be attended to once warmer weather hits), starting with the dining room (our main room of mess), and go from there.  I have created a 'what to clean when' chart, but have yet to find it useful as I cannot get through all of the clutter in my house!