I am the same person today that I was on Dec. 31, and yet when Jan. 1 rolls around I get caught up in the need to take stock of my life and make some changes. In an effort to avoid setting myself up for major disappointment and feeling like I failed, I am going to start with a small list of resolutions and hold myself to it.

First of all, I want to write more and better. I have a lot of projects that are in my head or partially written on my computer, but they need to be fleshed out, typed out and sent out to the world.

Along with that goal, I am starting a blog. While there are more than enough mommy blogs out there, there are none written by me. Perhaps no one will visit or find my musings interesting, but come to EarlyMorningMom.com and judge for yourself.

Like many of my fellow moms, my second goal is to lose weight. I am happily back at my pre-baby, pre-fertility treatment weight. But I still feel paunchy and puffy in parts. Luckily. I am part of a little weight loss group, so I have some trusty friends to share my weight with each week and motivate me to get to my "ideal" weight, whatever my body decides that is. I need to drink more water, eat more veggies and work out more often.

Third and related, I want to dress better and take more time on my appearance. When I'm not texting while I drive, I have caught myself applying mascara and lip gloss at stoplights. I don't wear a lot of makeup, but I could use a good half-hour in front of the mirror to polish myself adequately. My children look great head to toe, and I look thrown together. I have learned over the years that it's better to invest in more expensive, better-made clothing than a bunch of cheap stuff that falls apart.

While I don't want to be cheap, I want to save money in whatever way I can this year, and that's goal No. 4. This will take some major work on my part, because as much as I like to save, I'm not very good at it. I use my savings card at the grocery store and buy off brands when possible, but Brand X is not a good idea for many products. Just ask my 2-year-old son, who had a bad experience with a store brand diaper, my husband how fun it was to clean up the explosion.

Children's products are expensive, and so are mommy products. After a bad hair highlighting experience at a fancy salon, I decided to play stylist, like I have many times in the past. Instead of calling the salon to complain and ask for a fix at the hands of the stylist who messed it up, I hit Target and picked up a L'Oreal coloring kit. An hour later -- wice the prescribed wait time -- my hair is not carrot orange, but it’s definitely not “golden blonde.”

Fifth on my list is to be a better mom. I saved this one for last, not because it’s least important, but because it’s the biggest goal to tackle. I have been frazzled lately. My daughter says, “No,” to everything I say, and my son has perfected the age-old expression, “Shut up.” I realize she’s trying to assert her independence, and he is probably doing the same. But I am having a hard time with the terrible twos times two!

So the new year is here, and now I have five goals to attend to. I may not accomplish them completely, but my new year’s resolution can be about trying. This time next year I may be a writer who’s writing more, wearing smaller and better-looking clothing, saving more pennies and raising my children with more skill and patience. It’s worth a shot, 2011.

Laura Lewis Brown is the mother of twins and a newborn infant. Her blog is EarlyMorningMom.com.