New year, new goals, new approach

And a new post on my long-neglected blog.

We finally got moved into the new house at the beginning of July, and life has been busy-busy-busy ever since!

The house is everything I'd hoped and then some. Granted, there have been hiccups - we spent the first month chasing down plumbing leaks, then found at the start of the heating season that the boiler had been improperly winterized and needed replaced - but we're making progress. We've gotten a start on replacing the windows and insulating the basement, and overall I've found the house to be far less drafty than I'd imagined it would. We still have a long way to go - lots more windows to replace, walls to insulate, and of course, walls to paint, trim to hang, and assorted other cosmetic work, but it is coming along.

House goals for 2010:

Finish living room interior - the windows will likely have to wait for cash-flow reasons, because matching the existing wood will not be cheap, but the paint, stained glass, and other decorative elements can be finished anyway.
Renovate dining room - Cosmetics and electrical, replace the 80s chandelier, add outlets to make the space more practical
Add more shelving in the office - Decluttering has only taken me so far, and I still have more books than bookshelves
Finish insulating basement - Ceiling, floor and walls in the room that will be finished, along with rebuilding storms & screens for basement windows.
Remodel the main floor bath - the major project for the year, the room needs gutted and rearranged to go from an oversized half-bath with a lot of wasted space to a more functional 3/4 bath with a shower stall

Unfortunately, moving in the middle of the summer really derailed my garden plans. I only had a couple tomatoes and peppers for the season last summer, planted here and there among the existing landscaping. This season will really be the first attempt at gardening here, as far as I'm concerned, and I'm starting off with big plans.

Garden Goals for 2010:

Build beds - An obvious place to start! My design for the yard has undergone one last revision, and to start I will be cultivating a 900sq ft area at the western property line.
Build seed starting space - Since this is our permanent home, it is time for my seed starting supplies to have a permanent home, dedicated space instead of taking over some garage shelves each year.
Set up a tracking system - One of my more challenging goals for this year is to be better organized, so that I know what I planted & when, how it did, how much it cost/saved, and how much of our produce I'm still purchasing. Information is key, and this year I'm collecting it!
Make room for plants indoors - I've never been good with houseplants, but they have so many benefits that I'm determined to branch out and learn to grow indoors as well as out.

In reflecting on 2009, I discovered that in all the focus on home and family, I allowed some more personal, self-focused goals to fall by the wayside. I'm going into 2010 conscious of that fact and determined to do things a little differently. The biggie that I was disappointed with myself for letting go of was my resolve to run a 5K in 2009. For 2010, I will achieve that goal, which I view as a major milestone on the path to a healthier overall lifestyle and a stepping stone to a half-marathon in 2011. My weight loss and fitness journey will be a big part of the path I walk for 2010, because what good is a more sustainable home without a more sustainable self?