Amanda and Patrick

Today’s Resolution: Celebrate Christmas in July

Each year as the winter holidays roll around, I find myself scurrying to get holiday greetings out to family and friends. It even seems more and more acceptable to get them out as late as January after the major holidays have passed. This year, why not resolve to get the correspondence out 5 months ahead of time when the pace is slower?

Personalize a letter and attach to an email for friends and family. They will not be expecting it, and they will appreciate a detailed update on what you have been doing. If you want to splurge a little, buy holiday cards with festive stamps and use snail mail to spread the holiday cheer. You might even get some special responses!

Today’s Resolution: Put a Lid On It!

Make a concerted effort to check your lids around the house, apartment, or condo. Check your toothpaste tubes, ketchup bottles, and trash cans. Clean up any excess goop or mess around tops and lids. Can’t find that elusive lid to the Tupperware? Put all of the lids in one place or match each one of them up with its counterpart.

Instead of discarding containers, try to re-use plastic containers that do not have lids. Look in the garage or shed for any hazardous materials that need a cover or should be properly disposed of or recycled.

Today’s Resolution: Avoid Being Overdue

One under-utilized resource in your community might be the public library. When was the last time you went? Do you even have a library card? You do not even have to leave the comfort of your couch to have access to classic Greek dramas to Do It Yourself guides. Many public libraries now have free downloads of your favorite authors and topics.

You may have to download software for the appropriate reader to open books, but that is free too. Make a point of exploring what is available through your local library; you are long overdue!

Today’s Resolution: Ask “What’s Up, Doc?”

When we’re children, check-ups at the doctor are essentially beyond our control. We are weighed and measured, given our shots, and asked to turn and cough (some of us).  As adults, especially when we feel well, we overlook these check-ups with the doctor.

Make an effort to visit with your medical practitioner.  Ask about normal blood pressure ranges for your age. See if you can get blood work done to check cholesterol levels. Inquire about any unusual skin spots; melanoma occurs much too frequently. Don’t be afraid to ask, What’s Up, Doc?”

Today’s Resolution: Be the Center of Attention

When someone visits your home or encounters your work area, is there a centerpiece that says something about you? Stay away from cliché items such as floral arrangements, fruit bowls, or decanters.

Find something that speaks to your identity. Place a bowl of baseballs on your coffee table.  Fill a large jar with goldfish and put on your desk at work. Adorn your kitchen table with a Venus Flytrap; just keep the food away from it!

Today’s Resolution: Get Recharged

Batteries can be a nuisance. You can never find them when you need them; they die at inconvenient times; and they can be expensive. Remembering to change them usually only happens at Daylight Savings time twice a year when we are admonished to check our smoke detectors. Do a battery inventory today. Get back-up batteries or buy a charger and rechargeable ones.

Do you know what to do with old batteries? Do not discard them in a regular trash can; they contain toxic materials. Check with your local recycling center or contact a battery retailer. When was the last time you had your car battery checked?

Today’s Resolution: Push for One More

As you go through the day be cognizant of when you can push yourself just a little harder to achieve. If you exercise, strive for one more sit-up, push, or rep. Diet conscious? Drink one more glass of water. Running errands? Add one more stop to your travels to knock off one more off the “things to do” list.

Encourage others to do the same. Ask children to pick up one more toy; ask your significant someone for one more kiss. Ask the boss for one more pay raise…discretion is advised.

Today’s Resolution: Pick Your Poison

We like to think of our medicine cabinets as a first aid kit: band-aids for cuts, aspirin for headaches, and vitamins for prevention. But this can also be a warehouse for poison. Instead of waiting until you’ve been up all night hacking to figure out of the cough medicine that you need is expired, go through your medications now and see what might be potentially lethal.

As you discard unusable items, keep a list of what you need to replenish. Make sure you have the basics on hand: an antibiotic ointment, a thermometer, different sized bandages, etc. It might even be a good idea to make a first aid kit for your car

Today’s Resolution: Be a Good Sport

Resolve to try a new sport or activity…something you have never tried before. Find a friend to try it with you or better yet, ask someone to teach you something. Want to get some aggression out? Try a golf driving range or even a shooting range. Water sports more your style? Yoga boarding blends the best of two sports for a meditative balancing effort to remain dry. Rock climbing, lawn bowling, fishing? Need something a little more tame?  There’s always BINGO.

Today’s Resolution: Decide on Paper or Plastic

Today's Resolution: Decide on Paper or Plastic

In recent years there has been much conversation about the consumer use of paper or plastic in grocery stores for goods. How much thought have you given to the topic? Some stores across the country are no longer offering a choice to customers.  In May 2012, the city of Los Angeles approved a ban on plastic bags as well as incorporated a 10 cent fee for the use of paper bags. Reusable canvas bags have also been used by consumers, but later have been found to accumulate and store bacteria.

Make a well-informed decision on the question: paper or plastic?

If you have made a decision on this issue, can you defend it?