2012 Planning - Savings goals

So the whole point of planning for 2012 savings is to maximize the amount we are putting away for the future without sacrificing what is really important for us in the present (time with family, fun together, healthy choices, etc.).  I recently learned that those contributing to work retirement funds like 401Ks or the Federal employee equivalent can contribute $500 more in 2012 than in 2011.  We will be maxing that out as well as the catch up contribution and our ROTH IRAs.  It is how much we can save in addition that is driving my planning.

However, the other piece of this is what the heck to do with our savings.  We haven't been in the stock market for years because when it went down we didn't sleep well.  However, as we have accumulated funds it has become increasingly hard to know what to do with the money.  Back to doing more research on that topic!  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!