MOM RESOLUTIONS FOR 2008

Sometimes, when a new year rolls around & we know that everyone is taking stock of their lives & contemplating the changes they want to make in the coming year, it can be, well, "intimidating" is the word that springs to mind.

And so, to help inspire all you tasty moms out there, we asked moms across the country to share their resolutions for 2008 ...

Holly, mother of 2:
My resolution is to be a better listener. To my kids, my husband, my co-workers, and especially to myself. Sometimes life gets so busy that I forget to take the time to really listen to my own heart.

  Deborah, mother of 1:
I read a book that totally changed the way I relate to food: "The Omnivore's Dilemma," by Michael Pollan. My resolution comes from that book. I want to make a real effort to eat mostly locally-grown foods.  I also want to eliminate processed foods from my diet. It's an amazing book and I recommend it highly.

Candace, mother of 2:
I want to travel somewhere I've never been this year.

Katie, mother of 2:
Read Read Read has been my resolution for the past 5 years. I READ as much as I can to enrich my life and in order to be the best mom I can be. One book a month all year long!! Mainly classics and rarely junk. My favorites recenty have been Princess  by Jean Sasson and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I LOVE my book club!!!

Janine, mother of 2:
Let's see. I guess I'd have to go with the usual suspects - diet, exercise more and try to get more sleep. Every New Year's, it pretty much comes back to those 3 things!

Naomi, mother of 3:
I've been practicing my resolution since Thanksgiving!  I decided that when I'm having play-time with my kids, I won't answer the phone. Boy, is it hard when I know someone's trying to get a hold of me, but it's worth it. I can already see the difference this is making in the quality time I spend with them and I honestly feel that they appreciate it. So my resolution is to keep it up!

Barbara, mother of 2:
I'm going to start taking an adult ballet class!  I'm petrified of the idea of putting on a leotard and tights in front of the whole class, but I really want to do it. I'll let you know how it goes!

Marie-Louise, mother of 3:
My resolution is to go back to making home-cooked dinners. When I first got married (11 years ago), I used to make big, elaborate meals. Now that we have 3 children, that's really close to impossible. But then I realized that my kids think "cooking" is either microwaving something that came out of the freezer or putting take-out on real plates!  I want them to see that I know how to make a "proper" dinner, even if it only happens once a week.

Anna, mother of 2:
This is going to sound like the dumbest resolution ever, but since you asked: I'm going to start getting weekly manicures and monthly facials. Trust me, that kind of stuff is as important as anything else!  Whenever I feel like a mess, I'm not my best self.

Heather, mother of 3:
This year I will focus my energies on drinking MORE, sleeping LESS and eating A LOT of fried food. (At least I'm fairly confident that I won't break these resolutions by February!)

Rachel, mother of 1:
I want to be in closer communication with my family members who live far away. It's so easy to lose touch.

Riley, mother of 2:
My 2008 resolution is to get in shape. I know that sounds like a giant cliche, but I actually kept my 2007 resolution to lose my baby weight, so now it's time to take the next step!  Maybe if you ask me in 2009, I'll try to be more original!

  Jenn, mother of 4:
 To get some sleep.

  Michelle, mother of 1:
My resolution this year is to start volunteering my time with kids who are less fortunate than my son. Now that he's in school full-time, every day, I have free time on my hands to devote to people who really need it. I also think that this will be something I'll be able to share with Jake so he can see that the world isn't such a fair place where every child gets the things he has.

Melissa, mother of 1:
My goal is to try to take life less seriously. I want to laugh more and stress less!

From Jill, Mother of 2:

I have been thinking about this a lot lately!!!
Be more organized and manage my time more efficiently.  Say NO more often to things that are not-necessary for me to do.  Spend more “down time” with my family. Make a concerted effort to stay out of the CAR – rushing and driving long distances each day can make me crazy!!!

From Jill, Mother of a newborn:

In 2008, I plan to choose more carefully what I want to do, and what I commit to doing so that I can be “present” and engaged in all the choices I make, as a mother and as a business leader.  Too often the commitments lead me, and I’d like to turn that around so that I can be in control of my choices and enjoy all the things that I do, in both work and play!