Making a Start

Although the beginning of the new year hasn't been the most fantastic ever, my 2012 Plans and Goals  have got off to a flying start, giving me plenty to be Cheerful about.

I haven't been able to put the plan to lose my festive plumpness into action yet because of the temptation of the remaining seasonal goodies and the habit of drinking alcohol that I got into very quickly over Xmas. I am, however, enjoying brisk walks to and from school and have a spa day to look forward to this weekend to reinvigorate and motivate me.

Both of my little ones are now going to bed at a reasonable time without too much fuss and sleeping through the night again. I had all sorts of strategies that I was going to implement to get them back to a good bedtime routine, including a Super Nanny style reward chart, but none of it has really been necessary. The promise of a sticker book and more resolute parenting seems to have been enough. As much as I enjoy the occasional night with a warm body (or two) nestled between my husband and I, regular bed sharing isn't an ideal situation for me and I am very happy to have my nights back.

My mum and I made a start on our new knitting project after the success of our Birds of Xmas. After some trial runs, mum worked out that with 30 stitches on size 4 needles with DK wool and working 54 rows in garter stitch, the result is a 5 inch square. The plan is to make many 5 inch squares (84 we think) in a variety of colours with different embellishments and join them together to make patchwork blankets for the children's cot beds. Mum is churning squares out faster than I could dream of but I am enjoying plodding along at my own pace.

My de-cluttering drive is gaining momentum and despite my husband's inadvertent sabotage, the decorating is going well. It is amazing how much more energetic and optimistic I feel simply by throwing out some unwanted junk and the smell of fresh paint is helping to keep me focused on my goal to achieve my perfect living space.

Tonight is the first of our new Ballroom Dancing classes. We have dropped a level because we were struggling to keep up with the advanced class, particularly in the dances that we had never covered before with our old teacher. I am looking forward to taking things slower and reminding myself that it should be about enjoyment as well as mastering routines.