New Years is such a relaxing time after Christmas, then there are two birthdays in my family, including my own, and Australia Day. It is just one reason after another to have a party.

It's little wonder New Years Resolutions don't often stand the test of time. The 1st of January is such a logical time to make a change to build the life you want, but it's difficult to do when the Holiday mood prevails.... You can't even find a traffic jam in January but it's not hard to find a party! I can hardly remember a January day when I didn't finish with a drink in my hand.

Great Idea from Weight Watchers. A fresh start for 2012 and some real resolutions.So Weight Watchers have come up with a great idea: True Years Resolutions. Pick something you really want to make happen, make a change and start it from True Years or February 1.

I loved it. What a great idea. It's a second chance at keeping a promise to yourself at a time of year when you can build it in to your life.

At Fit4Dreams, I know that everyone cares about their fitness. Maybe it's time to think about your fitness dreams, choose what you want and do what it takes to make it happen. For me, and perhaps for many, it's time to get my diet supporting all the training I do rather than working at one to offset the other.

It's especially important now that I have turned 41 and have just started to deal with one injury after Click here to join the Fit4Dreams FebFast Team. The password is "febfit"another. Consistency is the key if I want to keep doing all the things I enjoy. So I thought I would start my True Years Resolution with a commitment to FebFast and give up drinking for the month of February. That will help me eat the foods I need to eat and forget the ones I don't. Chips and Cheese being the main offenders.

It's the perfect time after Christmas to take a break from Drinking. It makes a big difference for you, and in a true win-win you help people with drug and alcohol dependency issues.

At New Years my resolutions revolved around focus, discipline, going to bed earlier and creating 12 fun family events that we could remember. Clearly one will help the other and I think taking part in Febfast will help them all come true.

So make it a True Year for your resolutions. Start now and join the Fit4Dreams Febfast team. The password you need is "febfit"

It's been rave reviews across the board. No wonder Fit4Dreams has been firing up and all our Mums Squadders are racing back January Holidays.

On Monday afternoons we've started with training a corporate team between 5-6pm under the Harbour Bridge on the Milson's Point/Kirribilli side of the harbour.

I don't know why I've never trained there before it's a little bit special! I'd like to give everyone a chance to experience it so we''ll trial a new session at the same spot from Monday 6 February at 6.15pm. Send me a note if you'd like to come.

We'll be under the Harbour Bridge directly opposite the entrance to North Sydney Pool. Please feel free to come along for an extra session or invite any of your friends who aren't early risers!

Similarly if you have any contacts in North Sydney we are looking to build up lunchtime sessions with Corporate Fitness Programs. Please let us know.

And don't forget Camp David. It was a great session today. A couple of big guys in Paul Webster and Michael Ward were smashing it out until the little Goliath took on Camp David and Bianca Bates started to take the lead a the end. Unbelievable. Lots of people have tried Camp David and loved it we just need to get everyone there at once. so far the best turnout is 7 and it's usually 6 so its a great little class. If you're keen to try a lunch time workout drop a line!

Click for full size image

We're meeting at 12.30am at the bottom of the steps to St Mary's Cathedral and we'll be training at Cook and Phillip Park.

Check the section on Camp David for all the details.

Eyes On The Ball

Hampered by injury, up against a young Canadian up and comer called Milos Raonic few would have given him a chance. Myself included.

It's a massive well-done to Lleyton but the most inspiration comments came from a refreshingly frank Raonic:

"Lleyton's not the type of person that will give you really anything. Doesn't matter how hurt he's been, how old he is, he's as much of a competitor as he ever was. He got me with that.''

I think that is something to be proud of. Read more at SMH Sport

• Thursday 26 January 2011- There will be one session at 6am at North Sydney as usual. There will be no Mums Squad Sessions.
• Friday 27 January 2011- Mums Squad will be on at Balmoral Only. 8.15am Wet & Dry, 9.30am Yoga and 9.30am Regular Session (There will be no Clontarf Mums Squad)
• Saturday 28 January- 6am at Balmoral followed by 7.15am Session Balmoral with childcare  (there will be no session at Queenscliff)

Check out the full schedule in the online timetable.

We are also planning to relaunch Camp David on Wednesday 25 January so if you're in town come along!

If you're going away, please get some make-ups done before you go. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you at training.

It was so good and meant that our nannies were able to look after all 52 children without a hitch. So important. What's more the Children had fun and couldn't believe it Santa yet arrived with gifts for them all. What a sight. Take a look for yourself at our Christmas Party Video:

We handed out some great awards and recipients also received a summer pack in recognition of their efforts.

• Meiliana Tanumihardja: Best and Most Dedicated nanny
• Jackie Nissen: Best and Most dedicated trainer for her efforts during the 3 Points Challenge Elite Events Program. Absolutely committed to getting all her training done whether it be her 3 Points Challenge Preparation or Mums Squad
• Kerstin Axt: Most dramatic fitness improvement
• Pia Kostiainen: Most dedicated Make-Up Artist, setting a new standard for current Mums Squadders catching up missed sessions at 6 o’clock. A great example for everyone who wants to continue building their training from Mums Squad.
• Andressa Sanfelice: Unbelievable Help & Support Award
• Tony Sloan: The “He’s Come a long way to get some amazing Results” Award highlighted by 2.59 for his 1km time trial this year…. when we think back to where he started with us, he has come such a long way through consistency and persistence.

  Special Thanks for the Party go to:

• Denise McIlwaine: Bed at 1am up at 4am to make sure everyone could enjoy fresh and succulant Fruit Salad (and helped organise everything else!)
• Michael O'Hanlon & Brad Higgs: Awesome help with the kids, making sure the laughs and good old fashioned fun kept coming think and fast for the little ones.
• Tim McIlwaine: Interrupted his own fitness comeback to help with party purchases, preparations and referreeing on the day.
• Patrick Tully: Great work on the Video Camera to capture all the action to have our first ever Christmas Video including all the games excitment
• Garry McIlwaine: A great host who helped set-up, direct everyone to the various activities, add snipets of video and stills.
• Trevor Sharp: Stepped off the Plane from England to use all his theatrical skills honed in the Old Dart to direct Santa on his show stopping mission to Balmoral. One for the kids!
• Andressa Sanfelice, Mel Tully, Julia Higgs & Tamzin Brown: Top training, organisation and referreeing so vital to the success of the Christmas Party!

There are still a lot of people away on Holiday so we've running on a skeleton schedule until Thursday January 12 2012.

Check the timetable for the full holiday schedule details until then but here are some notable changes:

• Friday January 6- No Mums Squad at Clontarf- Please go to Balmoral at 8.15am or 9.30am
• Saturday January 7- No Fit4Dreams Session at Queenscliff at 7am. Please go to Balmoral at 7am only. (There will be no 6am Balmoral Session
• Tuesday January 10- No Mums Squad North Sydney at 7.30am. Please go to 6am at North Sydney or 9.30am at Clontarf.

From Thursday January 12 Everything will be back to normal. For all the details please see the timetable.

If you know touch football here is a quick summary of the variations for the Christmas Party:

• There is an unlimited touch rule;
• If you attempt to catch the ball off the kick off and drop it, it doesn't matter- You keep the ball;
• If you drop it any other time you lose it.
• You must get back 5 metres in defence
• There is no play the ball. Just touch it with your foot and pass it.
• Once you get touched you can not run or score without passing it to someone else.
• If you get the ball after the other team drops it you can not run without passing it to someone else from the point where it was first dropped.
• No kicking in general play.
• Scorers kick off.Click to download a printable copy of all the rules

Touch Football- Rules & Tips

When your team has the ball you are the attacking team:

• If you drop the ball you lose it, unless you are making a gallant effort to catch it from the kick-off.
• You can not pass the ball forward.
• If someone on the other side touches you with the ball you must stop at or go back to the point where you were touched (called playing the mark), tap the ball with your foot and pass it backwards to someone on your team to start the next play.
• There are unlimited touches. That means your team keeps the ball until someone on your team drops it or your team scores.
• If someone on the other side knocks the ball down without catching it your team gets the ball back to restart play.
• You can not kick the ball except to restart play after a try is scored ie the kick-off.
• If your team scores your team also does the kick-off from halfway so the other team gets a go with the ball.
• If you drop the ball from the kick-off that is OK, you can just pick it up and run with it.
• If you run out of bounds with the ball, the other team gets it at the spot where you ran out.
• You score by putting the ball down over the line. You can not throw or bounce the ball down. You must put it down.

When the other team has the ball you are the defending team

• You stop someone who is running with the ball by touching them. Sometimes it helps to call out “touch”.
  They need to stop at the point where you touched them and start again by touching the ball to their foot and passing it.
• The point you touched the attacker is called the mark and they need to stop their or return to the spot before they start the next play. You might like to remind the referee or the other side by saying things like: “What about the mark?” in the hope that they will return to the point where they were touched by you.
• After you touch someone they must pass it to someone on their team as quick as they like.
• After you touch someone you must run backwards as fast as you can for at least 5 steps until you are back on-side. Once you are on-side you can take part in the next play.
• Getting back on side makes the game good. It creates space between the teams and gives everyone a chance to get the ball and have a run. Please make an effort to get back on side. The Referee will call out how far you have to go to get back on side but 5 steps will generally do it.
• If you touch someone without first running back on side you will be penalised. On side is five steps back from where the player was touched.
• As soon as a player touches the ball to their foot you can run from your on-side position to make the next touch.
• If you're not on-side when the next play starts you should run on-side before you get involved again.
• If you have made a touch and need to get back on side the best thing is to run backwards so you keep your eye on the other side who are generally sneaky.
• Please see the diagram below for a better idea.
• Listen to the referee, it’s hard work getting back on side but we’ll make both sides do it….. the other side of the coin is stop where you are touched and tap the ball from the mark!

Aim of Amazing Catch & Pass for Frisbee & Ball

• One team is given the ball or frisbee.  You get a point by stringing 10 consecutive passes together…. and the other team has to do 10 push-ups whilst the scoring team gets a rest.
• When your team scores a point the other team gets to restart the play.
• You can play the game in any direction ie pass anywhere you can find an unmarked player.
• When a person catches the ball they must stop. They can pivot on one leg but they can not run. It is like netball.
• Teams play within a square or rectangular field marked by four cones.

You lose Possession before you score a point if someone in your team:

• Drops it;Click here to download your copy of the Chrismas Party Games Rules
• Uses a bounce pass
• Steps outside the field of play;
• Takes too long to dispose of the ball or Frisbee;
• Runs whilst in possession;

Defence

• If a defender knocks the ball ot frisbee to the ground, their team gets the ball. It’s a tough rule that rewards good defence.
• However, You are not allowed to knock the ball or frisbee out of someones hands.
• Defenders are not allowed to stand within 3 feet of a person with the ball or firsbee.
• If a defender touches a ball or a frisbee in the air but the attacking team still catches it before it hits the ground, then the pass count starts again.

Tips

• You can pass back and forwards between the same two people. Don't let it happen if you are in defence.
• If you are passing back and forwards with a team mate, don’t be greedy. It’s that last easy pass that often catches people out.
• When your team has the ball, run to space so that it is easy to pass the ball to you. So keep moving and work hard to find space.
• The only way to get a rest is to string 10 passes together and watch the other team do 10 push-ups or some other designated exercise.
• When you are defending you need to mark up on a person but make sure you respect the three foot rule and give them some room.
• When you are playing with the frisbee, be patient. People often drop it at the start before they get used to it and start ripping off some classic catches.
• Use a crocodile catching method to catch the frisbee until you get confident.
• You must flick the frisbee so it spins and glides. You can not throw it or hand it to someone in your team.
• Enjoy Yourself!