Baby Stepping My Way to Health & Happiness in 2015

Ready or not, 2015 is here.  Might as well make it the best year yet. 

Now, I'm not one to make grand - and sure-to-fail - resolutions, because I have absolutely no willpower. However, I love making lists and setting goals for myself. If I don't get to everything on my to-do list, I simply move it to tomorrow's list. Haven't met that goal, yet? No biggie. Change the deadline.

I know. I'm weak. Don't judge me. 

This year, I'm determined to eliminate the chaos from my life. *And I promised myself I would spend more time writing*


Do you have kids? Then, you've got chaos. Kids are messy. They have to be fed. They get sick. They have little lives and schedules all their own, which wreak havoc with your own plans. Face it, you've got chaos.

Have a spouse? Then chances are you've got chaos. If your Mr. is anything like my Mr. then you're probably living with debt, getting nice and cozy with all those credit card bills. Some of that debt was absolutely necessary or we wouldn't have a house that needs cleaning, or a car that gets us to work, or that college education that got us the fabulous (or not-so-fabulous) job. But debt is still chaos.

So here are my GOALS not resolutions, to help me eliminate the chaos from my life. * And no, dumping the kids, Mr. and house are not an option, but getting the house clean, dumping the debt, and improving my health are! 

GOAL: If your house is anything like mine, it just might be a tiny bit cluttered, dusty, and messy (not dirty . . . messy. Big difference.). Between school and soccer, no one is home long enough to do much cleaning (except in the hour prior to guests arriving). And when I am home, I'm usually busy trying to eek out a few moments to write. 

So far, www.Flylady.net is the best website I've found to inspire me to get my home back under control. It worked beautifully all summer long, and then I went back to work and let our routines slip

2015 is Your Year to Shine; 15 Minutes at a Time! 

Create simple routines to keep your and your family on track with the basic house cleaning and spend only 15 minutes a day tackling the big stuff. Baby steps will get you that clean, clutter-free house you're looking for.  And I gotta say, it worked beautifully all summer long, and then I went back to work and let our routines slip. I think it's time to revise and commit to some new routines. 

GOAL: I am determined to get debt free. It won't happen overnight, or even this year, but come hell or high water, it will happen. And Lord knows, my royalty statements won't get me there.

Here are a couple websites with simple tips and solid advice. 

http://www.credit.com/debt/get-out-of-debt/ 

http://www.thenester.com/2013/03/becoming-debt-free-6-odd-tips-that-helped-us.html 

GOAL: Those of you who have followed this blog, or know me personally, know how much I hate to cook. Unfortunately, it is a necessarily evil if I plan to stay alive, and I can't keep surviving on hot dogs and microwaveable foods for much longer. Since one of my goals is to get out of debt, and another goal is to eat healthier, I guess I'd better learn to cook healthy but cheap meals. Here's a couple websites to check out. 

http://goodcheapeats.com/category/budget-meals/ 

http://www.budgetbytes.com 

GOAL: Losing weight isn't part of my goals for 2015. Not really. I actually like most of my curves and so does my Mr. (though I would dearly love a flat tummy again). But my doctor won't be impressed if my blood pressure and cholesterol are all out of whack. Given my family's history of cancer and heart disease, it's probably high time I get back to exercising and eating right. If I drop a few pounds as a result, you won't hear me complain. 

While my hula dancing classes are on hiatus, I'm thinking about looking into Zumba, Pilates, or dance classes again. Until I find a class I want to take, maybe I should pop in one of the dozen or more exercise videos I own. Or maybe I could find the money to buy a PIYO video. Hmm. So many options. Now to find the oomph to get my butt off the couch more often. 

So what goals have you set for 2015? What chaos will you KO this year? I'm dying to know!