Did you give anything up for Lent this year? We'll bet it's not as weird as what these people gave up.

In case the annoying filet of fish commercials haven't been enough of a wake up call, we're well into the Lenten season. In other words, the time Christians remember Jesus' 40-day stint in the desert without food or water by giving things up. For a wide range of Christian denominations, Lent is a "season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption."

So what are Americans passing on in during Lent? Well, there's the usual, like alcohol and chocolate and shopping. But then there are the folks who choose more unusual sacrifices, like abstaining from psychic readings, sex, and ear cleaning.

Yes, we said ear cleaning. Or rather, Jennifer Arnold, a self-confessed "ear-cleaning-a-holic," says she's giving up her propensity for digging in her ears until Easter Sunday at least.

"I plan to give up something I've become absurdly addicted to," the Columbus, Ohio resident tells Holidash, "something that I indulge in every single day (sometimes more than once) that inevitably causes pain and long-term damage!" To try to honor God, she's going to replace all that Q-tip time with quiet time with the Scripture.

At least Arnold's Lenten abstinence brings her back to religion. But there seems to be a lure for Lenten sacrifice among non-religious types too.

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Think your New Year's resolution is cool? San Francisco's city supervisor Chris Daly has almost certainly got you beat: He's vowed to drop an F-bomb at every remaining Board of Supervisors meeting for the rest of his term, which ends in January 2011.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Daly made his New Year's resolution official by announcing it to the rules committee last week and then reiterating it on his Facebook page, writing "For 2010, I vow to use the word 'f---' in each of my remaining Board of Supervisors meetings."

That oughta liven up those mind-numbingly stale bored board meetings, right? Apparently, the idea for the New Year's resolution came from a desire to make the meetings more exciting is at least a part of the motivation behind Daly's quest to add some color to the city government's dialog. Will this New Year's resolution fall by the wayside in February just like any other less cool New Year's declaration?

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If you -- like a large percentage of Americans -- made a New Year's resolution to lose weight and get fit, you need to arm yourself with all the tools and information you can. To help you out, Holidash went to an expert, Denise Maher, associate health and fitness editor for MORE Magazine. Maher has some simple tips for making your fitness resolution a reality.

Stop worrying about dropping the bad habits. "Instead of trying to drop a bad habit, add a healthy one such as a daily walk," suggests Maher.

Look at exercise differently. "Redefine it as self-care," says Maher. "Regular self-care is the 'oxygen mask' women must consistently put on if we are to optimally take care of ourselves (and others) and experience life to the fullest, according to fitness motivation expert Michelle Segar, PhD."

Don't work out to weigh in. "Forget the scale: exercise to reduce stress, not to lose weight," Maher tells us, adding, "Research shows that the best motivation for midlife women is to improve your state of well-being -- for example, improving mood and reducing stress. Only 26 percent of the women in one study said they exercised for mental health benefits, but those women exercised 30 percent more often than those who stated their top reason as physical health benefits or weight loss. Exercise can have a pretty immediate impact on your mood and stress level, and over time it also improves your memory and makes you physically healthier. So you get the instant payoff of your workout improving your day and the long-term benefits that make you want to keep doing it."

Make a fitness plan. "Choose a goal like a 5K walk or race or join a team to stay motivated and focused," she says.

Be reasonable. "Pick small, attainable goals-and give yourself plenty of time to reach them," Maher suggests. "Give yourself permission to set very small goals for yourself. Become consistent with these small goals, and then, when you feel that you have incorporated the new behavior into your 'routine' increase your goals – just a little at a time. Keep this up. Take as much as four to eight weeks to learn how to add 2-7 minutes of physical activity to most of your days. Once you've incorporated the smaller amount (another 2-5 minutes?) increase slowly." More has, well, more information on meeting your health goals this year. Try making small fitness changes and asking the right weight-loss questions! And be sure to try these superfoods for healthy weight loss.

Once you've finished getting organized and agreed to keep in touch this year, it's time to tackle another age-old New Year's resolution: Setting (and completing!) specific goals. Holidash has enlisted lifestyle change expert and author MJ Ryan to give us the skinny on getting those priorities straight for 2010:

1. Make Your Goal Nonnegotiable
"Promise yourself that you are absolutely going to do it," Ryan writes. "When you do it, where you do it, how you do it can, and most likely will, change according to circumstances. But that you will do it is not open for consideration. Call it a vow, a promise, a pledge, a commitment. Whatever you name it, making it choice-less is a tool for overcoming backsliding after your initial enthusiasm fades. You don't negotiate with yourself about brushing your teeth. You just do it. I bet you usually honor your commitments to other people too. Treat yourself equally well. Make your resolution a nonnegotiable commitment in your life."

2. Make it Actionable
Is your goal concrete enough? According to Ryan, many of us fail because we haven't turned it into something to actually do. She writes, "Yesterday, a client said he was going to focus more on himself and his family and less on his job. 'How are you going to put that into action?' I asked. There was silence on the other end of the phone. Here are some resolutions I've recently heard: to have more energy...to learn to relax...to learn to make decisions. There's nothing wrong with these desires. But they must be translated into actions. Actions tell how you're going to do something -- I'm going to go to bed earlier and exercise 30 minutes daily to have more energy; I'm going to spend ½ hour a day relaxing with my feet up on the couch; I'm going to make a decision about the vacation by Friday. To succeed, you must know what actions you're going to take."

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Good news if you got an iPhone for Christmas: According to ABC News, you can begin to let it run you life immediately, starting with relying on it to help you stick to your New Year's resolutions!

In keeping with the age-old tradition, software developers have apparently made a New year's resolution of their own -- to sell you apps that cater to some of the most common New Year's resolutions.

Whether you want to lose weight, stop smoking or get your finances in order in 2010 -- there's an app for that (and it probably costs between $.99 and $9.99). While that's a small price to pay for keeping a New Year's resolution, can a phone app really make us do what no amount of gym memberships, guilt and self-help books can?

Maybe. And if you're serious about keeping your new resolution, it might be worth a try.

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Thousands of Americans borrowed some lyrics from Green Day on Monday and made New Year's week "a turning point, a fork stuck in the road."

They said Good Riddance to bad rubbish -- to credit card bills, that creepy ex's photograph and anything else that need not ever see the light of day again -- in a massive shredding celebration in Times Square. For one hour mid-day, the Times Square Alliance provided a Dumpster, shredder and even a sledgehammer so anyone walking through could trash "any distasteful, embarrassing and downright depressing memories from 2009."

And did they ever. "The Today Show" showed up to find people "purging like mad" in the middle of one of Manhattan's busiest neighborhoods. Much of it was symbolic (Sarah Palin's name on a piece of paper, for example), but there's no doubt the lady who shredded the memento from a relationship with an ex who left her found it cathartic.

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Looking for some New Year's ideas for spending the evening with your significant other? What better way to say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new than by spending a quiet night at home in the arms of the one you love? Here are some New Year's ideas for a romantic date night at home.

Watch a Movie - Cuddle up on the couch and watch "When Harry Met Sally." Considered one of the best romantic comedies of all time, the film features a love story than culminates in a romantic New Year's Eve scene.

Fondue Pot - Dip into some melted goodness with a pot of fondue. Try some spicy Italiano Fondue, traditional Cheese Fondue, or a pot of sweet Kahlua Chocolate Fondue with fruit and cake dippers.

Write a Love Letter - Spend the last day of the year contemplating your lives together. Write each other letters expressing your feelings and hopes for the new year. Seal the envelopes and, after a midnight kiss, share them over a glass of champagne.

Make it a Slumber Party - Gather up your bedding and make a nest on the living room floor. You can watch a movie and the televised ball drop without ever leaving the warmth of your bed.

Romantic Resolve - New Year's Eve wouldn't be complete without some resolutions. Resolve to keep the romance alive in your relationship with regular date nights, weekend get-away trips or random acts of love.

If you look back through your past New Year's resolutions, how often has "Get Organized" appeared at the top of your list? Keep those hands up, folks. I'd be willing to bet twenty bucks that by March madness, your home looks a little a tornado vomited the contents of your attic, basement and garage -- all onto your kitchen counter and living room floor.

Graphic, yes. Dramatic, maybe. Untrue? Not at all. Sometimes clutter gets the best of us, and even the greatest of intentions fall by the wayside. To combat yet another year of New Year's disappointment, we've enlisted the help of D.C. area professional organizer Deb Lee, who shared some of her top tips with us. Ready to kick the bad habit of disorganization? Let's go!

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On New Year's Eve, Americans may be all about the ball dropping with the mercury in Times Square, but the rest of the world rocks out without Dick Clark.

Hard to believe, we know, but perhaps these international celebrations will give you some New Year's ideas. Here's how they'll party 2010-style in some of the world's other big cities:

Edinburgh, Scotland: Hogmanay is the way the Scots refer to the last day of the year, New Year's Eve. And it's the way they party all the way through Jan. 2, which is a Scottish bank holiday (perhaps to give them time to recover?). Traditional torch and bonfire ceremonies will be complemented by music and more. A don't miss? The largest collection of Scotch whisky.

Berlin, Germany: One of Europe's largest New Year's Eve parties, the celebration at Brandenburg Gate will be highlighted by what Germans are calling the world's biggest Open Air Party with DJs, live bands and fireworks. The party will stretch on after midnight with an "open air open-end discotheque."

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil: Second only to Carnival in terms of big holidays, New Year's Eve in the Southern Hemisphere will host 2 million people in the Copacabana. Sing it with us now.

Tokyo, Japan: Called shogatsu or oshogatsu, businesses in Japan shutter for as much as a week to celebrate the New Year with the fire department putting on an acrobatic show on the 6th, men wearing only loincloths gathering around the ball-catching festival on the 3rd, and a host of other Japanese traditions.

Taipei, Taiwan: Sponsored by the city government, New Year's will be rung in by huge fireworks displays over the world's tallest building, Taipei 101.

Prince William may well have the cushiest digs in the UK, so what was the heir to the British throne doing sleeping on the streets of London, beside a group of garbage cans, just a few days before Christmas?

No, Wills didn't blow all his cash buying that rumored engagement ring for Kate Middleton. The prince is the Patron of Centrepoint, a British charity working to end youth homelessness in the UK; he slept outside to raise awareness of the group's programs.

According to a Centrepoint press release, Prince William attended a dinner for the charity in March and challenged CEO Seyi Obakin to up the ante on the group's mission this year. "In accepting that challenge, I invited him to share, for one night, the experience a young person sleeping rough on the streets of London might have," Obakin says in the release. "It did not occur to me that he would pick up that gauntlet. But he did!"

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