Family Survey of 2011

I was searching around on the internet the other day, trying to find something fun to do with the kids on New Year's Eve.  I always start with the Crafty Crow, since it's packed with lots of ideas and has links to many great blogs on the side bar.  Sure enough, I found something on Teach Mama, via the Crafty Crow, that I thought was just perfect for a new family New Year's Eve tradition:  filling out a survey about our year.

I typed up a sheet full of questions and printed out seven copies, yes- I filled one out for Maeve too (her New Year's Resolution is to sleep through the night - every night!).  After dinner, we sat at the table and filled out our answers.  Then, one by one, we went around the table and said our answers out loud to each question.  It was fun to hear the different answers and to see how they were different from what I predicted from everyone.

I am punching holes in these and storing them in a three ring binder labelled New Year's family surveys.  Each year, I will add a new tab, with the year on it, and put our new papers in.  It will be fun to see how each person's answers will change, how the handwriting will change, how different our resolutions will become, how personalities start to develop.

Here is a sample of one of my favorite's for the year, Owen's.  I love that he wants to be SANTA when he grows up:

I also love the zebra he drew.  I added the drawing of their favorite animal on the back, because I love to save copies of my kids' drawings.

Hazel's was fun too, she's just learning how to write, so it will be neat to compare to next year, to see if she can do it all on her own (she had help from Owen and me too).

It's not too late to do a survey of your own.  What questions can you ask that will be interesting to learn about every year?

Happy New Year: New Year's Challenges

I've never really made any New Year's Resolutions.  This year, instead of making a resolution, I'm making myself a list of challenges to complete by the end of the year.  The challenges range in a wide variety of categories, like this blog, cooking, reading, education, exercise, family, sewing, etc.  I have a lot of people ask me how I do it, just in general with all the kids and things I like to do.  My answer is "why not?", I'm alive, I'm healthy, I have abilities, why not make the most of it while I can.  As I post this list, I challenge you to make a list of challenges for yourself for the New Year- take the time while you have it to make your life more interesting and foster your talents, you have no excuse to say I'm bored, there's always something to make, try, learn, or do.  

Cooking:

Make croissants

Make danish

Make ravioli

Make homemade pasta sauce

Make english muffins

Make strawberry jelly

Sewing:

Sew one article of clothing per month

Finish 6 quilts

Make the princess dress I bought the pattern for and keep second guessing my talents on

Make curtains for dining room and my bedroom

Exercise:

Run a 5K in less than 20 minutes

Complete a half marathon

Do a warrior dash

Get my kids in a race

Do a kids mini triathalon for the kids

Reading:

Read 6 books

Get rid of books I've finished and give to someone who can read them next

Education:

Organize the kids craft area

Provide fun/exciting activities for my kids for weekends and afterschool

Teach Hazel how to read

Teach myself photoshop, by sitting down for one hour per week and using the manual

Become a better photographer by reading Understanding Exposure and giving myself photo assignments

Organizing:

Get rid of 365 things

Buy less stuff

Repurpose at least 50 of the 365 things

Finish unpacking by the end of January

Make my kids' rooms fun and comfortable

Repaint 6 pieces of furniture

Giving back:

Do at least one random act of kindess per month

Work at a soup kitchen with my kids

Along with my kids, sponsor a child's christmas

Personal:

Start an etsy shop and sell at least 12 things

Make labels for my shop

Lose my fear of selling my things and worrying that they aren't good enough

Spend at least 30 minutes with my kids playing outside (weather permitting) each day

Write two real letters to friends per month

Send birthday cards to all my friends and family ON TIME

Go out to dinner with my husband with no kids, once per month

I have a year to do it, right?

What are you going to challenge yourself with this year?