The start of a new year provides the perfect opportunity for you and your family to make fresh, new changes in your lives—hence the idea of New Year’s resolutions! Deciding to make a positive change in your life is the first step towards living a happier and healthier lifestyle, but you don’t have to go it alone. Use some of the incredible online tools below to help achieve all your goals for 2009.

• Find the time to exercise. Get yourself some fun workout clothes, join a gym or map out a new walking route and then find even more inspiration in the great articles about moms and fitness on sites like BabyCenter!
• Manage your money. Sign up for a Wesabe account (it’s Spanglish for “we understand”), and you can access information about all of your bank accounts and credit cards all in one place! Wesabe even offers a way to tag your expenditures as “splurges,” “necessities,” “groceries” and more to help you track where your money disappears to each month.
• Quit smoking. The health and well-being of your little ones are probably reason enough for you to quit, but if you need an extra push in the right direction check out Smokefree.gov.
• Reduce stress. Keep a centralized family calendar, journal, photo album, customized lists, reminders and messages all in one place with Cozi. This free service will help keep your family running smoothly all year long!
• Make a difference. If you are looking for volunteer opportunities for you and your family, click on your state in this map of the nationwide Action Centers for HandsOn Network. You can find rewarding new ways to make a difference right in your own community!

As we approach the New Year, I have began thinking about my New Year’s resolution.  This year’s resolutions are typical – be healthy, be happy, etc.  However, this year I have added something new,  in 2009 I want to make the effort to reconnect with those I have lost touch with the most.  Having recently been home for the holidays, I am realizing how little I get to interact with those that matter most to me and that I can change that with a little effort.

Of course, working at Tiny Prints I love paper.  So, I figure there is no better way to start this effort than by sending thank you cards to everyone at home who gave me a Christmas gift this year.  Additionally, I plan to use my stash of personalized thank you notes to keep in touch through the art of hand-written letters!

There is no denying that the handwritten word is fading away – especially for keeping in touch,  but at Tiny Prints we believe in Emily Post’s statement that a “written thank-you is your best bet for an expression of warm, heartfelt thanks. ”