Resolutiony Things

New Year's Eve was low-key and fun, and my wonderful friend Reed spent a few days with me, helping me run errands, unpack from the holidays, and bake bread (post to follow). We are very exciting, I promise. I'm not huge on New Year's Resolutions, but I always make them (maybe because I love making lists), so here it is for 2009. Enjoy.

1. Only buy what I need. I have been spending too much frivolous money lately, which I credit to the job at Google where I made more money than I actually needed. This resulted in $80 Old Navy shopping sprees, way too much money spent at Product Body (the magical wonderful delicious-for-your-body stuff that I will still buy, but only on occasion when I run out). Now, I was also saving around $300 a month, but just think how much more I could have saved if I didn't buy stuff that I didn't need. Also, I am going to be making significantly less money working at Pixar, and will really need to rein in my spending. I'll try to make more crock pot recipes and maybe I won't buy sun dried tomato mixed olive bruschetta every time I go to Trader Joe's. :-) (PS - I am still planning on buying a washer-dryer for my apartment...this is not a *necessity* but it is something I really really really want to have here, since there is no laundry facility in the building and the laundromat just sucks. Yes, I know plenty of people out there use the laundromat, but I am lazy and spoiled and hate it and just want to wash my clothes at my own apartment. So there.)
   
2. Make one recipe from a cookbook every month. I have a TON of cookbooks, and I don't ever use them. I tend to make my "standard" recipes, or variations thereof, and I'd like to branch out a bit and try new things. I'll start with one a month, but I'd like to expand to twice a month soon, and eventually once a week? Ooh? Fancy?
3. Eat Less, Exercise More. This is always on the resolution agenda, but I think it's a good one to keep in mind. I tell myself that having a gym closer to my apartment (Pixar has a gym) will help, and I hope it will, but I know I'll really have to make a concerted effort to do it. I heard that the Pixar University classes include a ballet class, and I hope to god it's true because I really want to take ballet again and I can't afford to sign up for classes at a studio. Either way, I need to take advantage of the gym there way more than I did at Google. No excuses!!! And as for eating less, I want to focus on smaller portions and less sweets. More whole grain and less snacking.
4. Spend time with my girlfriends. I have a few friends who have recently moved to the Bay Area, and I won't be seeing my good friends from Google every day anymore, so I want to make sure I nurture the friendships that matter to me.

And that's that!