But within all the routine, there have been a few shifts that have had bigger effects on my life. I'm not a resolution-type person, but I think especially when things seem to be running fairly smoothly, it's important to step back and take a look at lessons learned to see how those can inform future decisions.

Things I learned in 2011:

• Taking care of yourself is hard. You would think focusing on yourself would be the easiest thing in the world, and for many other people, perhaps it is. But I'm not talking here about being self-absorbed, I'm looking at doing what's best for you. As a mom and wife as well as a small business owner and employee, my time is seriously divided into tiny pieces. Between the day job and running around for the kids, there is only a small chunk of time left for me. Last year I focused on diet and sleep, and was sometimes successful, often not. The diet side was much easier for me than ensuring a full night's sleep, so that's one thing I need to work on. There's not much you can do with conflicting schedules, but a little preparation and organization will certainly help, and making good sleep a priority should go a long way.

• I'm a blogger. Although I have had a blog for a few years now on a few different platforms, I have never been very consistent with it, and thus never considered myself a blogger. But I have been guest blogging for a couple of years now for papernstitch, and I love it. And it was pointed out to me by the lovely Linda Demers of à la mode that guest blogging makes me a blogger too. I like the writing process (once I can get myself to sit down and do it,) and I love curating images and ideas. I always enjoyed writing in school, and have only now come to the realization that it is one of those endeavors that I both enjoy and do well, an endeavor that definitely needs to be pursued.

• Paleo is the way to go. For me, at least. I changed my diet in April of 2011, and have never looked back. Focusing on whole, real food has made a difference both in my health and our household. I lost 60 pounds, became fitter and more focused. It was an easy transition for me, all except my Starbucks addiction. One of my daughters has made the journey along with me, and my mom has pretty much kicked Type 2 diabetes following the same plan. This also means that I'm cooking more at home, which is better for the whole family. Certainly better than the loads of fast food that we were eating, and I can get my girls to help with food prep and cooking as well. I'm definitely planning to stay on this track!

• I get sick easily when I don't eat well. Starbucks addiction aside, the two times near the end of the year that I didn't eat well, meaning WAY too much sugar, I got sick. I had been able to fend off all incoming colds and bugs up until that time, with perhaps a tickle in my throat that disappeared or getting a little tired. Add to that a small lack of sleep, and it's a recipe for disaster. Best to keep things on an even keel.

• Although my patience has increased, my need to use it has increased beyond my capabilities. Being a mom of twin freshman girls is a trial and tribulation that is beyond comprehension. As they are at once the most wonderful kids and the most horrible monsters, my improvements in the patience arena seem to always be eclipsed by their ability to try it. My assumption is that this will continue to be the norm, and I will suck it up for another 3 and a half years until they go off to college.

• I am that sports mom. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would be the mom screaming from the sidelines at every game, but I am. Luckily, although the refs might disagree, I am not an angry mom, but love watching my kids perform to the best of their abilities. I'm the team mom, booster club board member, and proudly wear my shirt proclaiming my support for either high school or club teams. And I'm going to miss that when the kids go to college and I won't always be able to be there.

Where does that leave me for 2012? Pretty much doing the same thing I have been, but tweaking a little here and there (more sleep, more writing, less sugar) to enhance what is a pretty great life already.

I love my kids. Absolutely. My whole life is built around them and their activities.

But I can't say that I always want my time off from work to coincide with their time off from school. It kind of means that I don't really get my vacation. We end up watching what they want to watch on TV, and mostly doing what they choose outside of scheduled events. I had a fabulous birthday in 2009, where my husband set up a couple days at a swanky spa, the first time I'd been all by myself for the evening in over 14 years. It was bliss. Deciding to get into bed at 7:30pm with a good book, and having no-one to account to for at least a short time was wonderful, not to mention the luxurious spa treatments!

Such is the life of a mom, and I have another 4 1/2 years before my babies are off to college. Best to take the tiny moments when I can find them until then.

 

It's been a long hard couple of weeks. Getting ready for shows last weekend and this Friday, getting necklaces out to Domestica in Des Moines and a couple more down to Marque in Laguna, filling some online orders has me running frantic - and that's just my side business. Combined with the day job and two girls with ridiculously busy school and sports schedules, I've really had enough. I am certainly looking forward to having the week off between Christmas and New Year's (thanks Jon!,) and am hoping to somehow manage to recharge. 

New and different work often recharges me - working on my website, which I had managed to put off for months, was actually pretty easy because once I got started, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. So often tasks are really never finished - like laundry and dishes, the second you 'finish,' they come right back. Learning new things often helps energize me, which is why I often do my best work after taking a class with an amazing glassworker (which I haven't done for ages now.) But when there's no time to even breathe in between the things you need to do, even the fun stuff weighs a bit heavy. Maybe a day of sleep would do the trick.

What do you do to recharge?