3. Don’t promise to exercise more if you only exercised six times this year. Try to park a little farther away from the grocery store entrance which will add a few extra steps to your journey towards the Fruit ‘N Nut aisle.

4. Do promise to do nice things like read more books, watch less t.v., spend more quality time with your family, because these promises don’t really hurt anybody. Though being a stay-at-home mom, there’s not much more time I can spend with them. Right, quality.

5. Don’t say you’re going to clean the grout in the corners of your shower if you have no intention of doing so. Everyone knows your shower head doesn’t have enough pressure to hit those corners even if you do invest in the proper supplies so don’t torture yourself. Just plan to come down really hard on the cleaning lady if she doesn’t make those corners sparkle.

6. Do work on staying true to your word when you tell your baby, “You snuggle into your bed and Mommy will be right back to check on you” when you have no intention of returning until you know she’s sound asleep. Setting up these early abandonment issues will lead to future eating disorders. Okay, I have no proof of this but most eating disorders can be blamed on someone’s mother’s early lies, I’m almost certain.

7. Do travel more. Period. I didn’t say with kids. Too late.

Over Christmas we headed south and I realized there is a disproportionate number of seniors who after introducing themselves and the dogs they are pushing in strollers around the block, want to first tell you when their spouse passed away, often sharing the same name as the baby in the cart and second of their personal injuries. Travel while you can still enjoy it together and before it becomes too difficult physically.

8. Reserve a little extra “Me Time” whenever possible. Do send me suggestions on how to achieve this….for an article. Does Kijiji sell shares in Me time?