Definitely play a lot (especially non-blitz games) and if possible play live with someone semi-decent who can explain some of your mistakes after the game. Also I cannot recommend this two book series highly enough for new players:
http://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-...d_bxgy_b_img_b
http://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-.../dp/1889323012
These two books will provide an excellent foundation to start really playing. Also you should be able to see if you want to get more serious about chess, if it isn't for you, or something in between. If you're really serious, I'd go over those two books several times and play a ton then read these two articles:
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles148.pdf
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles150.pdf
This is a very useful template. It is not a hard and fast course to be followed religiously. The keys are that visualization exercises are useful because they train you to recognize the very msot basic patterns in chess (how pieces move and relate to each other) and that tactics should definitely be repeated (doesn't have to be seven times, but probably a minimum of 4 for a beginner) in order to internalize those patterns. You can repeat any set of tactics, not just CT-ART. I personally would recommend doing each of these books 5-7 times so that their problems become instantly recognizable and solvable.
http://www.amazon.com/100-Easy-Check...1232997&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/How-Beat-Your-...1233038&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Manual-Chess-C...1233217&sr=1-1
An alternative would be to buy CT-ART 3.0 (I can't recommend 4.0) and play through all the 10 point problems 7 times. Then play through all the 20 point problems 7 times. Then 30, etc. Note that How to Beat Your Dad contains a fair amount of prose and I'm not saying you have to keep re-reading that, just solve the examples in your head or on the chess board several times.
When you start, you're going to be confused by some of the tactics. It's natural. Don't get discouraged. Some will be confusing to you even when you see the solution. The best practice is to get out a chess board and try to figure out why that is the solution or have a friend help explain it to you. The second best option is to get a cheap or free program that will let you set up a position and analyze it with a chess engine or feel free to post the position here and someone will almost certainly help clarify any confusion.