Happy New Year to you! I do hope the holidays have been really enjoyable for you - I know the weather has played havoc with most of us over the festive period.

I was on pins waiting for my own Christmas presents to arrive but I was so lucky for it all to arrive on Christmas Eve. Just in time!

Actually, I'm trying really hard to get organised just in case the bad weather appears again - its only January after all so the chances are quite high so I've bought some wellies and plenty of extra dishwasher salt (which works much better than ordinary) for the paths, I've even bought an extra spade to keep in the boot of the car.

All my fleeces are at the ready and I've dug out my old ski gear just in case. I'm going to look a right fool if spring arrives early! Regular readers will know that I'm a mad fan of New Years Resolutions. Both my sister and I take it really seriously, we have a new notebook every year to list all our hopes, ambitions, to-do's, to-not-do's, a whole book of lists, in fact.

We blame our mother, who was the queen of list making. We tick off everything we've achieved and to be honest we never really fail. Because we take our time to decide what we really want to achieve and only set our goals within our reach it becomes part of life to follow the list. It's also so much easier when you have someone to give you moral support. Even though we don't set the same targets, we are there for each other if things become challenging.

Try teaming up with a friend if there's something you want to accomplish or join a club if you can, the support is really helpful and the sense of achievement is greater when you're applauded for it. I'm really quite a self-disciplined person once I've made my mind up but I quite often fall down on really little things. I put off phoning builders, plumbers etc., until the last minute and then can't get anyone so I'm trying to be better at that this year.

I'm also rubbish at posting things on time, I always remember birthdays but the card will be bought, written and sitting with its stamp on waiting for me to actually get round to posting it right up until the last minute when I have to chase down the street after the postman and beg him to put it in his bag. I've got to improve that this year.

Each year we also make a 'fun' resolution, something a little bit playful that we'd like to do but never get round to it. For the last few years I have really wanted to have some pink streaks put into my hair but I'm too much of a coward.

My partner will think I've lost the plot and my son will think its time to put me in a home, but this year I don't care, I'm having them done. Anyway what's the worse that can happen? If I really hate them I can just go over them although I have made my mind up to stick with them for at least two weeks. Who knows, I might love them and keep them forever!

Last year my sister decided to have 'fun' by doing a sponsored midnight walk. She thought it would be exciting and different. In actual fact it was more like a route march, it lashed it down with rain for the whole two hours, the track was squelching with mud and her lift home didn't turn up so she had to walk even further. She hated every minute of it, so she's being very careful about choosing her 'fun' resolution this year, but it's all in the game.

She also wants to lose some weight this year so I've passed on some advice I heard Rosemary Conley say - 'Nothing tastes as nice as being slim feels,' I'm not sure if she included chocolate or bread and butter pudding in that statement but she might be right.

Whatever it is you've chosen to improve this year, I hope the year is a happy and healthy one for you all!