Making a Commitment. And I need your help.

Once upon a time, I bought an expensive camera. I was so excited about my investment and all that I would do with it to capture memories of my family. Well, that was three years ago and I have done no justice to that idea. My photos are CRAPPY. Probably the crappiest I have seen to have come from such a nice piece of equipment. I only have 2 kit lenses and I know that neither one of them is worth a darn, but I should be able to take better quality pictures with them than I have been. I only shoot in Auto but I am dying to learn manual. Time is not something I have a whole lot of, but I really need to make time for this. My goal is to be a better photo taker by the time our next child is born. Which, with my luck, will be at least a year from now. I am the kind of person where if I say something "out loud" I am more likely to do it. I will be so much more inclined to stick to this goal if I know that people are expecting to see better photos from me!   Now, where you could come in... If you know of any awesome tutorials about shooting Nikons in manual or a great "teach yourself" book,manual, or workshop, please let me know. I have been googling and you-tubing to find good information but there is just SO much that I don't know where to begin. I know the basics but I need a more high-level overview. So, PLEASE help me to accomplish this little goal of mine! I want to hear your ideas and experiences for taking better photos! I appreciate anyone who responds to this :)  Have a GREAT wednesday!