Goals and Whatnot

Back in January, one of my goals was to be here more often.  It looks like three posts a month is going to have to do for now.  I'm getting this one in under the wire.  I know from reading 168 Hours that I really do have the time to post here--I just haven't moved my schedule around to make it happen.  Yet.  So next month, I'll try for at least a weekly posting.  I have ideas written down for posts; but I know that with baseball season starting, computer time is going to be at a premium.  So four posts for April is my goal.

 

My desk at work.  A hot mess, right?

 My "one new recipe per month" goal is still on track.  In February and March, I tried two new recipes each.  My February ones were from the January edition of Martha Stewart living; and my March recipes were from the Everyday Food supplement that came with the MSL magazine.  I miss Everyday Food, don't you?  The recipes were okay; probably not going into the rotation.



Cheater Pain au Chocolat.  Trader Joe's is so much better than this Pillsbury version.

Reading Blurbs:  Still on track with this one.  In February, I read four books--three nonfiction, one fiction.  For March, I have read two mysteries so far--and I have really enjoyed them.  In addition to writing a short blurb, I'm grading my reads on a scale of 10.  My March books each earned a 9 out of 10.  Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley and Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody were the titles, by the way.

Also reading in March: Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist.  A new author to me.  Almost every essay is leaving me in tears.  In a good way.  I'm pacing myself on this one.  It's good for reading with coffee.

 Pictures: Haven't printed any; haven't taken any that weren't on my phone.  Last month, we watched some of Rob's old home movies.  It spurred him to purchase a video camera. 

Hair cut and highlights!  Selfies are always so awkward--I feel so silly smiling at my phone.  I'm always afraid the kids are going to catch me!

 Exercise:  Sporadic.  Time to make this a priority.   We've been going to soup suppers for the last five Wednesdays, and that seems to make everything else unmanageable.  I need to make a concrete goal to work toward--like cover a certain number of miles a week, or try to be in the gym a certain number of days per week.

Spring?  The view from the bathroom yesterday.  Fortunately it has all melted.

So there is the February and March goal update.  How are your goals doing?

Kitchen Upgrade

I think this really all began in November.  We had a leaky faucet in the kitchen that we replaced.

 

 

By early January, we were picking out granite.  Then we painted and went to the tile store.

 We decided under-cabinet lights would be awesome, and they would also allow me to see as I stand at the stove and squint at the cookbook.

The stove was delivered today.  And now I can say that I absolutely love my kitchen!  Come over for dinner, won't you?

Pictures! And goals! But mostly, pictures!

Lo and behold, I can access pictures from my phone again!  I'm so excited it has almost thrown me off my plan for this post.  I wanted to update my new year's goals so far:

Honey does not like the Cone of Shame.  But now she's spayed.

Writing:  Be here more often.  Well, I have been here more often.  I like the style of the lightning round post.  The problem lately has been getting computer access.  I think I'm going to have to start posting from my kindle, because I am the last in line to the computer.


The best $.99 I've spent at Party City lately.  He really knows how to rock the 'stache.

Fitness:  Go to the Y; walk the dog.  Getting to the gym is tough when you're trying to bring the whole family.  I am looking at our schedule and finding places where I can sneak off by myself to get in a work out.  And that dog?  We had to curtail her activity for the week after she was spayed, but we're back making the laps around the neighborhood.  We also found a dog training facility that has a weekly "social hour" for puppies.  Yes, I know how ridiculous this all sounds.  But between the car rides there and back (she gets carsick) and the socializing, she was worn OUT.  Money well spent in my book.

And why not jump for joy in the church kitchen?

 Reading: Blurb what I read.  I only read about four books in January.  That's a slow month for me.  But I did write blurbs in my moleskine, so victory!

We are in the midst of a kitchen re-do.

 Home: Take pictures; print pictures. Plan the weekends.   Pictures...not so much.  I have been making dreamy/practical lists for each weekend.  I enjoy crossing things off the list.

Finished Object!  The Honey Cowl.

 Kitchen: Try one new recipe per month; let the kids help with the fun cooking.  I totally rocked the new recipes in January.  In January, we tried Coffee-Rubbed Rib Eye, Tuscan Lemon Chicken, Chicken Tacos, Straw & Hay with Gorgonzola, and Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage.  Several of these recipes were variations on things I've already made.  The chicken dishes will probably go into the regular rotation around here.  I did get lots of pushback from the kids over some of this month's dinners.  This week, I let each kid choose the dinner for one night.   They chose chicken and rice soup, calzones, and burgers.  I'm trying to keep it from being a chicken nugget buffet.

Here's Honey's finished object--a Kong genius toy. We're getting our money back.

So there was January.  I'm going to go make my dreamy/practical list next.  It's not snowing here yet, but I'm pretty sure that "shovel the sidewalk" will be on my practical list for the weekend.

Chilled

We are chilled to the bone here.  It's too cold to take the dog out for a walk--our trips outside are strictly business for now!  I keep checking the ten day forecast.  I'm so looking forward to a return to the 30s and 40s.  It will feel downright balmy in comparison to the last couple of days.  In the meantime, I'm knitting and reading as often as I can.

Lightning round

The fine ladies over at Mason-Dixon Knitting are trying their hands at Lightning Round posting.  I'm on board with that strategy for now.  So it's quick and dirty--no links, no pictures (mostly because my technical difficulties continue).  This style will help me with my goal to be here more often. 

I made two new recipes since I was last here.  First, the Coffee-Rubbed Rib Eye from this month's Bon Appetit.  I didn't have all of the ingredients (Aleppo Pepper, anyone?  And no ground ginger in the spice rack, but since the kids don't love ginger, no biggie.)  But it was mighty tasty.  And I didn't set off the smoke alarm this weekend, so bonus!

The other recipe was Ina Garten's Tuscan Lemon Chicken.  I made one and prepped one and popped it in the freezer for another time.  I love it when I have my act together enough to make meals ahead. 

Those Mason-Dixon ladies are also giving me a hankering to cast on for a Honey Cowl.  Look it up on ravelry.  Now if I could get my Honey puppy to cooperate by not trying to eat the yarn...couch knitting is a thing of the past for now!

After I shuffle the oldest child off to bed, I think I'm going to re-watch the Downton Abbey season premiere again.  It surely needs a second viewing!

2013--because I can't think of a better title

I'm a wee bit grumpy right now.  I can't seem to upload any pictures to the blog.  Serves me right for taking off the better part of December, I guess.  Seriously, though, my phone used to magically talk to Blogger--all my phone's pictures would already be there for me to select.  And now?  Nothing.

 

Let's move on, shall we?

 

The Blogosphere has been full of reflections and resolutions, of mantras and of words-of-the-year.  I do not have a word for the year, but I do have some good ideas to work toward.  I have to thank Anne from Modern Mrs. Darcy for her post today.  It really helped me give a structure to my ideas.  Plus I may have borrowed a couple of her ideas, but I'm giving credit to the source!

 

 

The Goals for 2013:

 

Writing

 

Be here more often.  Like at least once a week.  Maybe give this blog a direction.  It's kinda all over the place...when I'm here, that is.

 

Health/Fitness

 

The family joined the Y last month.  I would like to be there at least twice a week doing something.  Back in November, I fell in the driveway and landed on my back, and it has taken me just about a month to feel back to normal, so I'm not in any rush to get crazy at the gym.  I just want to be moving around more than I have been.

 

And that not-so-little puppy needs her exercise, too!  I am the primary walker-of-the-dog.  Honey and I go out for our evening constitutional (I get such a kick out of saying that--with a British accent, of course) most nights after supper.  Weather depending, now that we're into winter.  (That fall in the driveway was a snow- and puppy-related incident.)  So, keeping up with the walks is the goal.

 

Reading

 

For the last few years, I have kept a Moleskine notebook just for me to write down books I'm interested in and books I've read.  My goal for this year is to expand my "what I've read" list beyond just the title and author.  I want to include a short blurb--favorite character or scene, whether I liked it or not--something to help me remember the book a little better. 

 

At Home

 

Take more pictures.  Preferably with an actual camera, but the phone camera will do (if I can figure out how to upload them to the computer).

 

Print out the pictures!  This is one of those goals that I am borrowing from Anne.  Most Decembers, I find myself scrounging to put together a photo calendar because I go for months without uploading pictures.  If I print them, they will get put into albums.  And the kids really do love to look at the pictures.

 

Plan the weekends a little better.  Make a dreamy/practical list (another great idea from Mary Beth at Salt and Chocolate) for each weekend. 

 

In the Kitchen

 

Try one new recipe per month.

 

Let the little ones help, if they want.  Especially if I'm baking.  I tend to want to do all the baking by myself, but I know I'm wasting opportunities with the kids when I shoo them away. 

 

 



So there they are.  Nothing too onerous, and I daresay most of them will be fun.  I'll see you back here real soon.  With pictures.

Happy New Year.

Thinking about December

One unexpected advantage to having almost all of of the nieces and nephews over last weekend was that I was able to get a feel for what kinds of hand-knitted goodies they'd like for Christmas.

Those mitts--one down, one to go!

Of course, the unexpected wrinkle was that they all wanted different colors from what I'd already purchased!  Back to the store went most of that yarn.  Now that I have the knitting planned, I'm starting to plan the rest of the gifts for the season.  And I'm pretty excited about it.