Usually at the end of the year, I post my thoughts about the last year. Then in the new year, I post resolutions. Since I've been a blogging slacker, I'm a little late.

Reflections

Last year was a good year. Pete and I celebrated our first successful year of marriage, and I celebrated my first year at the "new" (now old! haha) job. The joys of being gainfully employed are definitely not lost on me. I also picked up a freelance gig that will be bringing in a little bit of extra money each month.  We spent time with our families and friends, though not as much as we wanted to. Tater passed away, breaking both of our hearts, and we welcomed two new kittens into the family to help heal the wounds. We didn't pay off as much debt as we wanted to, and also cancelled our spring trip to Ireland to focus more on that.

Resoultions

As with any new year post, you have to look at what you want to accomplish in the coming year. There are a few things for me:

1. Get control of my spending priorities. I'll admit that Peter is not really the spender in our family. It's usually me. The things I think we need, and the things that we actually need, are often not the same. I also spend most of my fun money at lunch on work because I'm lazy. I need to focus on having fun with my fun money, and not eating out.
2. Lose 15-20 pounds. Rachel and Ricardo are getting married in April, and as a bridesmaid, I am going to be wearing a sari that may show my belly. Must take care of this before their wedding! It's not so much about the poundage as it is about gaining more strength and muscle tone. If I can get down to 135 lbs of muscle, I'll be happy.
3. Learn to manage stress better. I am not good with stress management at all. I feel like I have everything under control, but my body tells me otherwise. I'm not sleeping well, having trouble concentrating, and always tense in my shoulders, etc. I'm already working on this, but I hope to have it under control by the end of the year.
4. Pay down at least $10,000 of our debt. I'm turning 27 soon, and if we're going to have kids, we would really like to be in a better financial position. The last few years have been hard with job issues, but I really want to kick it up a notch in 2010. This will include us making a few cuts (fun money and cable), and me making some extra money through freelance and babysitting.
5. Visit at least two out of town friends. Everyone is moving away! Two of my closest friends live out of state, and now two of my other closest friends live out of Orlando. Hopefully I will make it to 2/4 places this year!
6. Blog at least twice a week. I want to remember things! Must write them down!

I think that six resolutions is enough for now. Hope everyone had a happy and safe new year!