“Everything I know about technology I learned by osmosis from my husband. Unfortunately, it’s a whole hell of a lot.”

As a parent, a household manager, and a working stiff with an iPhone that appears, at times, to be literally growing out of my hand like a big, shiny barnacle, it should come as no surprise that I’ve unearthed a handful of apps that I could not live without. Here is one to start and I’ll post more in the future.

Instagram. We have a $780 camera and, regrettably, it’s handy a whopping zero percent of the time when something amazing happens. But, like I said, I almost always have my phone in my hand. Enter Instagram.

Too often, I see this great little app being frowned upon as a silly hipster gimmick intended to transform the present into old-timey trendiness and fake Polaroids for use on social media. And you’re right, it’s totally that. But, look again. It’s also a two-click way to enhance a photo you grabbed of your kid making a cute face by tweaking the lighting with a simple filter and cropping it so your dirty socks aren’t in the top-left corner. Then, with one click you can email or post it for all to see — right from inside the app. And, like Yammer, it keeps all the content in one place. So you don’t have to access a cumbersome photo library or sell your soul going onto facebook to check out your snaps, they are all right there at your fingertips.

The utmost convenience factor for me has been that I encouraged my mothers-in-law (yes, there are two) to download the app and subscribe to my feed so I never again have to hear “you don’t share enough pictures of the kids.”  I’ve also used many of the apps designed for use with Instagram photos such as Stickygram (adorable, affordable 2×2 magnets — hello Christmas!) and Postagram (.99 postcards you make on your iphone with pop-out pictures) and, this week, I made my first-ever Instagram book over at Blurb.com for my grandma. It cost less than $11! I got a thank-you note from Grandma so it must have been good.

“We do our best to eat a balanced vegetarian diet, even going vegan about five days a week. But…nothing stands in the way of Steak Night.”

Growing up, it seemed like we ate a lot of red meat. My mom professed a dislike for “touching” chicken so it seemed we had a lot of steaks, roasts, meat sauces. A weekly staple was a plate of sizzling sirloins, sometimes singed, on the ubiquitous suburban gas grill rounded out with a baked potato and generous spoonful of Stouffer’s Spinach Soufflé. Meanwhile, my husband grew up in the United States of Chicken. Or so it seems. Most of his beloved childhood recipes call for the stuff. Chicken and rice casserole , Chicken French, Cornell Chicken.

So, when we moved in together more than a decade ago, despite being in meat-mad Texas, we landed somewhere in the middle, and threw some turkey, pork chops and vegetarian dishes into the mix. And then, last year, the day after the SuperBowl we took the plunge into the Crazy Sexy Diet – a 21-day vegan cleanse. Those 21 days changed our eating habits forever. We started eating avocados for breakfast, almond butter for lunch and chickpeas for dinner. And we felt amazing.

So here we are, about a year later, and I can honestly say that [when I am not pregnant] we we strive for five — vegan days of the week, that is — and sort of throw caution to the wind on weekends if we choose — depending on if we’re on a WeightWatchers kick or not. It’s funny, as I’m remembering that year after college, I recall how we killed ourselves doing  the Body for Life regimen and every Sunday we went to this most incredible Tex-Mex place called La Suprema to celebrate the weekly “free day” from our diet.  The “free day” concept never left us and I can say it’s the backbone of our weekly eating strategy. Thus, despite our vegan tendency, we have wholly embraced steak night. Even going so far as to establish a two-years running, standing weekly dinner date with another couple that we call the “Meat Up.” This is basically shorthand for BYO meat to the grill on the patio and we each whip up a side or two and dessert. Over time, our grocery store sirloins and QVC mail-order filets have been replaced by local, humane, free-range farmers market bison, usually in the form of nicely marbled rib-eyes.

All that said, and before I become unpregnant and re-adopt my vegan ways, I present to you: steak, two ways. Or, I should say, two recipes for steak with super easy, oh-MY-god-come-here-I-want-to-punch-you-in-the-goddamn-face-this-is-so-effing-delicious sauces that make my tastebuds jump for joy. Note: You’ll rarely get an original recipe out of me, but you will get some pointed to some stellar staples.

With both of these, pretty much any cut will work or you can follow the recipes to the letter.

1. Southwestern Pistachio Crusted Steak with Roasted Poblano Chili Sauce

2. Skirt  Steak Romesco

Merry meat to you all!

As a noun, resolve is defined as “fixity of purpose.” If you have to unabashedly fling yourself into the year ahead, why not strap a big old parachute of steadfast purpose to your back?

After all, this year promises to test my resolve in many ways. New baby, old family dramas, a return-to-work, the dreaded “terrible twos” — the list goes on.  But, from here on out, I say “test me all you want.” My resolve will see me through the dark days, the sleepless nights, the depths of doubt. Rather than crumble, my resolve will only draw strength from the sky-high eyebrows of my critics — especially the one in the mirror. My resolve will be my determination to wake up and to own the day. (Okay, maybe I’ve been reading The Hunger Games too much lately, but you see what I mean: It’s time to get to know my inner bad-ass.)

When I’m faced with the trials of the delivery room, the people in my office, a harebrained idea to run another half marathon or the ear-piercing tantrum of a [really cute] snot-nosed toddler, I will summon my unwavering purpose and forge on, strong and brave. It’s scary to say that, but no scarier than a laundry list of so-called regular resolutions such as “I’ll lose 15 pounds” and “I’ll quit drinking wine on Wednesdays” and “I’ll always write thank you notes on time.”

For now, it feels invigorating to lay claim to the notion that even little old me has a purpose. While it is presently undefined, amorphous, and downright blurry, my thinking is that, by spending a year challenging myself to be mindful, strong and brave, a clearer purpose and a greater sense of balance will emerge.

Besides, spend some time surfing and you’ll soon see there’s a whole business of creating new year’s resolutions for other people. Why not just let other people do all the heavy lifting and go along for the ride, fixity in hand? When it comes to putting myself first and establishing balance across my mind, body, and home, here’s who I’m taking a look at this year:

• 52 Weeks to Simplify Your Life
• Crazy Sexy Life
• 52 Weeks to an Organized Home Challenge

What did you resolve to do this year? Who is giving you inspiration?