Weekend #1...Or, Watch What Happens To This Pile of Junk!

Friday was going to be awesome.
Fresh into the new year - I woke up full of enthusiasm and big plans.  I had taken the day off, my husband had the day off, and the girls were going to school.   In case you miss the implications of that, it means an entire day of child-free activities.  I had a massive list of plans: taking down Christmas decorations, reading books, watching movies, cleaning the house, sorting charity donations, having a long lunch with the old man...
Check out this pile of junk:

This is ground zero for sorting and organizing, I had planned the day to conclude with polished clean surfaces and freshly vacuumed carpet.

The details about how the fantasy unraveled are largely irrelevant, but unravel it did and quickly.  The important part is what happened afterwards (someone once told "it doesn't matter what you do, only how you recover").  The day was ultimately supposed to be relaxing and I learned that I am not as good at relaxing as I would like to believe; I have a terrible habit of creating elaborate, overly complicated plans held together by fragile machinations and when the schemes deteriorate, I break out in hives, pout, and sometimes throw things like my three-year old.
Sad, I know.
When I realized that I was incapable of actually just enjoying some free time, I decided that the piles must wait.  Just as I had plans for a clean, happy, minimalist home, I always have plans to take my free time more seriously.  So in the spirit of a truly analytical, high-strung Virgo, I made a list of things "not to do" (no laundry, no sorting of donation items, no reorganizing of furniture, no major purchases, etc.) and did my best to relax.

Piles and junk were eventually tackled and my list self-improvement needs did grow a little, but that is all part of getting better.

Getting Started

Why Queen of Better?
I am certainly not "better" than anyone.  Definitely not you, dear reader.  This blog is dedicated to getting better - I want to be better than I am today, better than I was yesterday.  This quest to be my best has always been a personal mission but my previous efforts have been sporadic, inconsistent, and riddled with the half-done.  I am full of endless optimism and the feeling of possibility, but exhausted by a sense that I haven't accomplished exactly what I hoped and frustrated that I often can't seem to finish anything.
Who wants to feel exhausted and frustrated?  Not me.  So, I've crowned myself queen and put together a of resolutions* to help me on the journey to better.  This blog, should you choose to read it, serves as a means to document my progress (good and bad), a method to help me meticulously track the highs and lows, and sort out difficulties.

The Plan

1.  Eat Right. 
Yeah, yeah - who doesn't start out with this one?  For me, eating right involves choosing that which is ethically produced, locally grown, and organic.  To accomplish this there are complex machinations on how to source all these goodies, plan meals accordingly, and eat in better restaurants.  AND, because I also have a goal to be more financially responsible (#2), achieving this while on a strict budget will be and adventure in and of itself.
This goal is about health and quality, but not about being pretentious.  I am hoping I can achieve the former in an accessible and financially reasonable manner.

2.  Spend Well.
You guessed it: create a budget and stick to it.  Be prepared for charts, receipts, and other mind-numbing details.

3.  Maintain a warm, happy, clean, and minimalist home.
I am not entirely starting from scratch here, we have been reducing our consumption and possessions for a number of years.  But, it is time to refine, polish, and perfect said lifestyle.  There are a few nooks and crannies which need serious attention and lessons in letting go are still to be learned.
Also involved here is my continued quest to use safe cleaning and personal care products.

4. Take time away from work seriously. 
This one is about planning real vacations, adventures, and experiences.  I hope that family outings can become more about learning and exploring and less about eating in crummy restaurants and watching movies.  We live in an amazing place full of museums, parks, and events - there is plenty to explore and with planning and budgeting, I am convinced we can do more than we've previously imagined.

5.  Improve efforts to relax and learn more.
Very closely related to #4, but a little more personal.  I need to indulge more of what I enjoy and makes me happy - reading, yoga, exercise, entertaining for friends, painting, drawing, culture, and discovering new talents and interests.

So, it begins.


*A couple of friends told me not use the word "resolution" - "resolutions are meant to be broken, goals are meant to be achieved", they said.  Challenge accepted.