{it's a new year... almost}

Well, 2011 was a crazy year full of ups and downs. Luckily in my case, there were more ups: leaving the office for lobotoME and more time with my kids, celebrating their 3rd birthday and my 5 year anniversary. But I still had to face the downs: the fire, losing site of my fitness goals. This was our first full year as Baskin Robbins owners (opened December 2010), and the year I quit my corporate job and gave up a fixed salary. We've learned a lot, made a few mistakes, and while 2011 was a year of transitions, 2012 will be a year of growth.

I try not to focus on the past, except for the ways that I can learn from it. So, I'm trying to learn why I let my eating habits go without disparaging myself for doing it. I'm learning how to be a better business owner, not only of lobotoME, but also of my Beachbody business and our Baskin Robbins (especially since we hope to open location #2 soon!). I'm also constantly learning how to be a better mom. Especially since 3 is a fun age where my kids are little sponges!

Whether you believe in resolutions or not, I love the way a new year almost forces us to take a second and look back on our lives as well as looking forward. And there are so many ideas out there for resolutions, goals, etc that I want to try them all! I love this calendar, and this project. I also love these resolutions (but so much fish?? not a huge fan) and must do this.

With all that said, here are my 12 for 2012:

1. Read this everyday. I find this very intimidating, but my mom is reading it too. It will be nice to have someone to call if I want to talk about that day's reading.
2. Be more active in the day to day at our Baskin Robbins. As I've mentioned, we're hoping to open our second store soon, so it would be nice if I could contribute something. Scooping makes me nervous but surely I can handle some of the money stuff. I mean, I am a CPA.
3. Get back on the fitness track. I do have a weight loss goal, and it's a big one. It sounds huge to me, but it involves losing the weight I gained this year, plus a few more. Okay I'll tell you. I want to lose 20 pounds. And I want to lose the first 10 in 3 months. I'm starting a P90X/Turbo Fire hybrid in January that will last 3 months. I was hoping to start it on 1/1/12, but we're missing two P90X discs! Must call Beachbody to see about getting them replaced.
4. Take my kids to Disney World. Okay, this is cheating a little since our trip is already booked for February. They're vaguely aware of its existence, but have no idea we're going. I can't wait to see their little faces light up when they see the castle!!
5. Start volunteering again. I used to have a regular gig with Children's Art Project once a week in the evenings, but being a mom took over that time slot. I just don't want to force this because I want to find the right situation. I may wait till the fall when the kids move to PK4 and are there 5 days a week. Unless something finds me first.
6. Be more consistent with my meal planning. I make the meal plan, but allow myself to veer away. I may forget to defrost something, or lose track of time, or who knows what else. I think I'm just not confident in my cooking skills yet, so I make excuses. Maybe my Christmas gift will help?
7. Get our family cookbook printed. I was inspired by this post. My January goal is to get a preliminary outline put together and set up something in Google docs so everyone in my family can contribute recipes. I am a little worried that it will contain mostly baked goods...
8. Make our bedroom what I want it to be. This is mostly an organizational issue since somehow a huge pile of stuff has accumulated there. Most of it is stuff I can clear out, but there is a large safe waiting for our second Baskin Robbins. I'm also dying to put in some crown molding. I really want to paint it another color, but I doubt I can convince the hubs.
9. Open our second Baskin Robbins. Granted, this is mostly my husband's doing, but I consider it a family goal. We think we found our location, but the lease hasn't been signed. Hoping to have good news soon.
10. Organize my workspace. This is a constant battle because my husband thinks the desk is his too. I might need to convince him to move exclusively to his desk at our store. I might be in trouble if he reads this.
11. Start a debt payoff plan. We've had struggles as of late with giving up my salary, the fire, and all that. Once we open the second store (again, really hoping this works out!), we can really start to evaluate our finances and expected income. The fire did show us how much money we need to keep on hand in case our store is closed for an extended period. We're fully insured, but the insurance company has their own timeline on when they'll pay you, and it takes awhile for people to come back.
12. Launch new lobotoME products. I have a few ideas, but nothing to announce just yet. Hope to have some new stuff very soon!

What are your goals/resolutions/wants for 2012? If anyone is looking for a fitness accountability buddy, just let me know!

image from here

a guest post from jenny… founder of LobotoME and former owner…

hello friends! i've missed my blog and all of you :)

I thought i'd post a quick update on life post lobotome…

For the first time in 3 years we were able to take an extended family trip during the holidays (this has always been LobotoME's busiest time of year (as Jill just experienced) so I always spent thanksgiving thru christmas at our local post office instead of some tropical location). My husband & I really wanted to "test" the waters with a longer international trip with the kids (now age 3 & 7) so we spent almost a month in a lovely little surfing town in Mexico. It was all we hoped it would be and then some but now we are back in holiday & new year planning mode.

We achieved many of our goals & aspirations for 2012 - selling LobotoME, launching a new race series, listing our rental properties on the market and turning over some of the property management aspects in the meantime, attempting to sell our airstream (getting close); simplifying our schedules, commitments and life (always a work in progress); getting rid of things that we no longer found to be useful, beautiful or treasured in our home (again always a work in process especially post holidays); getting more involved in the kids school (educating our youth has got to be the most important thing on everyone's to do list); etc.

The spending hiatus goal was reignited when we were in Mexico…seeing how little the locals have and how happy they are for the food on their tables made me appreciate what we have even more. There was a wonderful local named Mannie who sold homemade fruit popsicles every day on the beach for 10 pesos (about 79 cents)..we got to know him a little bit as my kids loved his popsicles. He was telling us about how his 12 year old daughter didn't want to go to school the other day because she had a big hole in her shoe and she was embarrassed and he told her he'd work extra hard that week (he busts his butt daily) to earn enough extra to get her a new pair of shoes. Anyway, he said that God was looking out for him because the very next day there was a wedding on the beach and the bride's family treated the entire wedding to ice cold fruit popsicles and he sold out within an hour. He took an earlier bus home, bought a new pair of shoes for his daughter and left them under the pillow for her that night while she was sleeping. He wasn't trying to get our sympathy or money, in fact, he wouldn't even take the extra pesos we tried to slip him daily, he wasn't ashamed...he was grateful and happy. I want to be more like him. Grateful and happy for the simple things. I want to create more than I consume.

Having said that there are still many more things we want to do in 2012 & beyond. I don't have big things on this list like publish a book (not a clue what I'd write about), travel the world (someday), build forty schools in Africa (someday) or compete in a fitness competition (never ever). Sometimes its good to just be happy with where I'm at and know that all is well with my soul. I give you my 12 for 2012.

1) A year long spending hiatus - we have way more than enough clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, toys, books, etc. If something is needed, only buy it second hand. Spend mindfully on things needed and continue to put money towards local & organic produce; traveling and paying off our mortgage early. Buying only things that are made sustainably and will last. Not buying crap that I'm going to end up putting in a box for the thrift store within 6 months.
2) Family trip to Florida & Dominican Republic.
3) 10 year anniversary trip, just the two of us.
4) A successful (and safe) 2012 Event production season.
5) Pay off remaining business debt. Kill it.
6) Sell one of our rental properties even if its at a financial loss in order to have emotional gain.
7) Sell the airstream (use this money to build up our emergency fund). Still no time to use the adorable thing.
8) Go on a week long raft trip with the kids this summer. Feeling the pull & call of the river.
9) Re-paint living room & bedroom walls in house. They need it. Badly. And I've been putting it off for years.
10) Get fit. I know this is a little ambiguous - but really push my body harder than it has been pushed in years. Having 2 young kids is no longer a valid excuse. I want to kick a little ass this year. I just started Crossfit classes so that may be the ticket.
11) Run a marathon. I don't know why this always appears on my list but it always does and I'm not a huge running fan. I've done triathlons and adventure races but never a bloody marathon. But I'm not getting any younger so there on the list it goes.
12) But mostly I want to focus on being a fun & present wife & mother, to make time for the people in our lives we adore and take good, solid care of myself - not just when I'm sick or run down but on a daily basis. Last January's breast cancer scare was a wake up call and I need to continue to focus on caring for myself.

Wishing you and your families a healthy & happy 2012!

{frantic christmas}

I feel like I've been away for so long. This last month has been rough, with torn muscles and now the never-ending cold from... well, you know. After over a week with this cold, I finally broke down and got a z-pack. Only after trying every medication that has ever worked for me with no luck. So, this year I'm asking Santa for the ability to breathe through my nose again.

On a happier note, since I'm starting to feel a little better, I decided to salvage what's left of this holiday season! We did put up the Christmas tree and outside lights this year, which is sadly a big step for us. We usually leave the Christmas decor to my parents since we spend the holidays at their house. Granted, half our ornaments are now broken because my daughter think they're toys, but that's okay. At least I caught the ones she hung on the light strands instead of the actual tree.

BUT, today was my favorite holiday prep-day. For the first time, I made Christmas cookies with my kids! We were making them for their teachers, so I got a little upset (unfairly) when they kept eating them. I finally promised them we'd make more when we get to my parents' house, and that they could eat as many of those as they wanted. We made skinny sugar cookies from Dashing Dish - great place for lower calorie treats! (I also recommend the monkey bread. Simple and yum!).

For teacher gifts, we also made chocolate covered coffee beans, and then dipped some candy canes and pretzels sticks in milk chocolate and white chocolate (no fights here since I let the kids eat the leftover chocolate & pretzels). Tomorrow I'll pick up some cute baskets to hold all of this with a MEpad, a CheckME and maybe a ListME, because I think they're fun :) Did I mention there are 3 teachers and one school director?

Now I just have to pack up everything I'll need for a week or so at my parents' house! Come Friday, the extended family descends upon South Texas and the insanity begins. AND, this is one of the special years where Hanukkah (Chanukah?) falls during Christmas and we get to celebrate it! This is because my amazing Aunt Cheryl & cousin Miriam will be leading the celebration. I can't wait for my kids to experience it and spin a dreidel!

So, from our family to yours, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year!!

image from here