This year I didn’t get around to making any New Year’s resolutions. I thought about it, but then I thought, if I don’t make any, I can’t break any. The most successful – by a long shot – resolution I ever made lasted until the middle of April that year. I tell you, Starbucks really missed me while I was gone. But when I think of New Year’s resolutions I am reminded of things we don’t like about ourselves and patterns of behavior that we almost always revert back to. Any real change in healthy living and relationships shouldn’t be a last minute goal made just before the ball drops. And I for one would rather work on self-improvement no matter what the day is than spend the first 5 days of 2009 trying to be someone I’m not. So happy New Year and here’s to consistent self-improvement: no resolution needed.

Having a hard time coming up with your New Year Resolution? Now’s about the time to pick one. Here’s some help, we put together the top ten New Year Resolutions for 2009:

1. Spend More Time with Family & Friends

2. Getting Fit

3. Taming the Bulge

4. Quit Smoking

5. Enjoy Life More

You’ve heard the bold promise before: lose weight by eating more. Sounds black magic, or maybe just plain bogus, right? Not this time. This isn’t about eating certain mystical foods with supernatural weight loss properties—just simple eating tips to kick your metabolism up a notch.

• Eat More. If you’re eating less than your daily required calorie quota, your body will throw the breaks on the metabolism. Worse yet, your body will also seek out what it needs by breaking down muscle tissue, which you also need to burn more fat.

• Breakfast: The Most Fat Burning Meal of the Day. To get your metabolism fired up first off, don’t skip breakfast. Women who opt out of breakfast are 4 ½ times more likely to be obese. It doesn’t take much to get your metabolism going, just a cup of yogurt or oatmeal.

I do love Christmas more than the next girl, and despite the occasional road difficulty it has been such a treat to see Portland blanketed in snow the past few days. So often we spend our December with nary a snowflake to be found, so I’ve enjoyed finally having my surroundings resemble a classic holiday movie.

This came to me on a recent visit to the mall santa.

Moments before this picture my son was skittering about with a broad smile on his face. And then this happened. Satan always chooses the most inconvenient times to possess your child. Believe it or not, this was the best picture of the bunch.

Then I scoped the Internet for some more tasty pics and came up with these:

Ever place a restraining order against Santa?

During the holidays, giving is the reason for the seasons. Though giving means you’ve got a big heart, there are some presents worse than a lump of coal. Avoid these horrible gifts to make sure you don’t make someone’s holiday a bummer.