12 in 2012

I have always gone back and forth on New Years' resolutions. And I don't mean whether or not I keep them (that is also a problem, but one to be discussed on a different day), but rather whether one should make them at all, simply because many of them are cliche and thoughtless and never followed through with. One of my favorite songs EVA ("New Years Eve" by Five Iron Frenzy) actually describes my feelings perfectly on the subject: "It's New Years Eve and I'm full of empty promises I half pretend to keep this time, just like last year... A year goes by and I'm staring at my watch again, and I dig deep this time for something greater than I've ever been..." 

See? Just what I said. Only better. :-) So this year, I've decided, along with several others, it would seem, to simply make a "12 in 2012" list of goals to move toward and strive for. Not resolutions to be thrown aside once I realize I can't really do them, but goals and life changes to continue to push myself toward not only this year, but in future years as well. Ready? Here goes...


1) Cook more at home. I love eating out--I really do. It's so nice to not have to cook or do dishes. Mainly the doing dishes part, actually. But eating at home is so much cheaper, especially if it's planned in advance. I really want to be better about planning meals for the week around grocery sales and taking my meals to work so I don't have to purchase them there as well. I like to cook, so it's not a matter of not wanting to. I just need to make myself. 

2) Reach an ideal goal weight for me. This is what I say every year, but last year I actually did it! And then came Europe and lots of travel for work, then the holidays, and I gained most of it back. So depressing. But the older I get the more I learn that I don't care that much about my weight, but more about my overall health. So I'll change that to "eat healthier foods, drink water instead of snacking all day, make better choices to reduce my chances of diabetes and high cholesterol, and work out 4-5 times per week". There. Much better.

3) Read my Bible more consistently, which for me means daily instead of every few days or when I "have time"

4) Stick to our monthly budget (which shouldn't be hard given the wonderfulness that is www.mint.com)

5) Shop less and instead create new outfits with what I have

6) Learn to live on less so we can give more

7) Read three books a month. Reading is one of my favorite things in life, so this shouldn't be difficult. I probably already do it anyway. But I need to expand my horizons beyond what I normally read to also include non-fiction, which isn't as "fun" but is much more informative.

8) Memorize a Bible verse per week. I mean, honestly. That is not that difficult. If I can memorize all the lyrics to "Gangsta's Paradise" (hellooooooo, 1995) in one day, then I can memorize a verse per week. I once heard a guest speaker say that we should at least know one verse for every year we had been alive. Anything less showed a lack of dedication to reading and understanding Scripture. That's probably true.

9) Try new things. I have a tendency to get stuck in a rut--with food I eat, restaurants I go to, and activities I participate in. I want to push myself to try new things and go places I wouldn't normally go. This especially goes for recipes at home.

10) Stick to our daily chore list. My life and my house are so much easier to manage when I spend 30 minutes each day cleaning and picking up instead of waiting until it's unmanageable to take care of it. I know that if I wait until "later" to do it, I won't, so I need to make a point of doing it as soon as I get home, before I even sit down.

11) Walk our dogs each day. This may seem like a silly goal, but both of our doggies are pretty active, and after we get home every day (being gone 12 hours including commute), I just don't feel like walking them for 30 minutes after cooking dinner. Lame excuse, I know. They deserve some physical exercise and it wouldn't hurt me, either.

12) Take more pictures and document more. This means blogging, as well. For a while, I just didn't do it. I'm not sure why, probably because it felt like my blog didn't really fit anywhere, because I just posted whatever I wanted. And I like a lot of things, so it was all over the place. But I've decided it's okay to post outfits, home decor, and pictures of my nieces and nephews all on the same place. Because it's my blog, and I can do what I want. :-) We recently got a new camera that I am really excited about, so hold me to this one especially! It will be a great way to document our lives and something I can look back on in later years.

So there you go! Those are my goals for 2012. I probably won't meet all of them, but it's a process. A process of making better decisions each day, preparing more for the future, and denying myself in order to help others more. What are your goals for 2012?

So Good to be Home

I don't even know how many weekends we've been gone from home, but I know it's been a lot. Maybe four in a row? I've lost count. Of course, it was all for good reasons: visits to family, baby showers, visiting friends we haven't seen in a while. But it really starts to be tough to keep things done around the house, especially when you're working. I find myself asking, how these women find time to do this:

Just a Girl

Or this:

Home and Harmony

Or this:

320 Sycamore

I mean, am I the only person who feels so overwhelmed and exhausted that I never have time to do anything? Maybe I am. Or maybe I just shouldn't put so much pressure on myself? Or maybe I just enjoy reading and watching TV too much. It's probably that one, come to think of it. Plus, I guess blogging just isn't that important to me (gasp!). It's not something I think about often, even though I'm always perusing others' blogs, and I never think to take pictures of important things that I could actually post. I barely have found time to weed the flower garden (which was pathetic, and I'm really glad that I didn't remember to take pictures of that, because I might have actually posted them), and I can't even tell you how long it has needed it.

So I've just decided that maybe I should post about my "favorite things", as I have seen others do. I definitely have lots to say about that. Right now, one of my fave things is this...

and this...

(Don't you love how he sits like a frog?)

JC came home and told me there was a "cutest dog" contest in the Atlanta area. Of course, I suggested that our dogs are by far the cutest, and JC reminded me that everyone thinks that about their dogs. Which is probably true. And really, our dogs are just pretty average. But that's okay--I love them anyway.

Spaghetti with Sauteed Chicken and Grape Tomatoes

This recipe is just straight up incredible. I have recently restarted Weight Watchers, as I actually feel that I have the willpower not just to lose weight, but also just to be healthier in general and more conscious of what I put in my body. So I was looking through this great website, Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes, and stumbled upon this. It had pretty great reviews, so we decided to try it. JC of course was not too keen on this, because "there is no sauce" and "nothing to give it any flavor". Somehow I convinced him to try it, and he was glad he did! Obviously he had no idea how much garlic can do for a recipe. Anywho, here it is.

Spaghetti with Sauteed Chicken and Grape Tomatoes
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Calories: 302 Points: 5.5 pts

• 2 skinless chicken breast halves, diced in 1 inch cubes
• cooking spray
• 1/2 tsp each of dried oregano and dries basil
• kosher salt and fresh pepper
• 8 oz spaghetti (high fiber or low carb) I used Ronzoni Smart Taste
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
• 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Season chicken generously with salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Heat a large skillet on high heat. When hot, spray with oil and add chicken. Cook about 3-4 minutes, until no longer pink. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.

While pasta cooks, add olive oil to skillet on high heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden brown (do not burn). Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium-low. Sauté about 4-5 minutes. When pasta is drained, add pasta to tomatoes and toss well. If pasta seems too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water. Add fresh basil and chicken and toss well. Serve and top with good grated cheese.

Mexican Casserole

If you are a Mexican food connoisseur (and yes, I did have to look up the spelling for that. Don't judge me...) as I claim to be, you should try this recipe. So, yes--it is still faux Mexican. But totally delicious and closer than most "Mexican" dishes (I'm pretty sure it's the cilantro that makes it). We made this over the weekend, and it is definitely being added to the rotation, especially since it's really easy and pretty healthy, if you use the extra lean beef as we did. Here is the recipe:

1 lb lean ground beef
2 cups salsa (we used Newman's Own)
1 16oz can chili beans, drained
3 cups tortilla chips, crushed
2 cups sour cream (we decided this would be reduced to between 1 and 1.5 cups in the future)
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large skillet, brown the beef. Stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed (about 10 minutes, depending on how thick your salsa is). Stir in beans, and heat through. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Spread crushed chips in a layer on the bottom; then add ground beef mixture. Spread sour cream on top. Top with onion, tomato, cilantro, and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Recipe found here.

Easy Peasy Spring Wreath

It's definitely true that a wreath makes your door look instantly better. And it's true that it makes it appear more inviting. It's also true that store-bought wreaths usually cost an arm and a leg. So after looking at my naked front door for a few months (after the poor Christmas wreath had to come down), I decided that I could make my own for a lot cheaper. And here it is.

Here it is a little closer...

Nothing super special, but instantly better. I just took an old grapevine wreath that I had (that I have used for endless other wreaths) and grabbed some faux foliage from Hobby Lobby (50% off, of course). That was honestly the hardest part--picking which branches I wanted. After that, it was just a matter of sticking the branches in and contorting them to fit my desires. (I also must add that, since I am a cheapo--*ahem* frugal-ista--I had to make sure I could reuse these branches. So I didn't cut the stems off, even though they were super long. I just bent them around and pinned them behind the wreath. That way I can use them again later if need be!) And because raffia makes everything look better, I added a little bow. Easy peasy spring wreath!

Note: Inspiration here. I'm nothing if not a shameless (kind-of) copycat.

A Classy Flea in Marietta

So remember how I told you there was a thrift store/antique shop/flea market in Marietta that I really wanted to go to? Well, yesterday, I went! It's called "A Classy Flea" and it is hands down one of the best I have ever been in. Not only are the items incredible (and they have tons of items), but the prices are so much more reasonable than most shops I have been in. I took a few pictures so you guys could enjoy the eye candy also.

 

Are you loving all the blue furniture like I am? This place is crawling with beautiful blues!

And if you like the chippy, weathered look (which I do), they have that, too.

If you have a thing for vintage napkins and doilies....

I was in love with this buffet and hutch, which the owner told me came from Scotland. Unfortunately, I have no place for it. Sad times.

A close up. The detail on the hinges is just gorgeous!

This doll really creeped me out. Am I the only one who has something against dolls? 

And here are a few more pictures, for your enjoyment...

I walked away with a treasure trove of goodies for an excellent price, which is a rarity in a shop of this kind. So the moral of the story is, if you live in the Atlanta area, you need (as in, it is absolutely imperative) to stop by "A Classy Flea". And if you don't live in Atlanta, it would still be a good day trip!

March Recapped and April Goals

March goals:

Fun: Take in a movie with the hubs at the local dollar theater. Semi-success? We did plan it, but JC got sick and we had to postpone. Sad times.
Read 5 books. Success! I actually ended up reading eight, due to traveling for work, delayed flights, and being sick. In case you're curious. these books consisted of authors Karen Kingsbury, Irene Hannon, and Lynn Austin.

DIY/Crafting: Sew something new. Fail. It just didn't happen. I was gone for work and gardening, and I just didn't do it.
Complete at least two projects listed here. Fail. But I did complete a few other projects, to come.

Cooking: Try one new recipe for dinner. Success! This wasn't a new recipe (I had eaten it before), but it was something I had never made on my own--a delicious pot roast in our wonderful crock pot. I also made a new recipe for some incredible pancakes, found here.)

Gardening: Decide what to plant in our mini-garden. Plant garden. Semi-success. I have bought the plants and a new tiller. We are going to work on finishing this this weekend. But we have planted lots of beautiful flowers!
Trim the hedges. Success! They look much less all-over-the-place and crazy now.
Re-do some landscaping in the front. Success. The flowers look nice and everything looks much better. Pictures will be coming as soon as I actually take some.

Home: Finish laundry room reno. Success. We are nearly finished with this. I just need to clean a few things up so I can take some pictures. Are we noticing a pattern, here? I can accomplish things, but I just never post them. Ugh.
Purchase washer and dryer. Success.
Living room (room of the month--read about it here). It's coming along. It takes a lot longer to put a whole room together than I thought.
Take care of electrical issues. Success! Finally, I have outlets in several places where they were needed. And our hallway light switch functions properly!
Get estimates about screening in our back porch. Success. We have gotten the estimates, but we haven't decided if we are going to go through with it or not.
Sew the button back on so I can wear one of my fave sweaters before all the cold weather is gone! Fail. That poor sweater just never got worn. Sad.

Wellness: Work out four times a week. Success. Besides the week that I was sickly.
Follow the Abs Diet (= eat healthy). Success. I have actually been eating much healthier, and I feel tons better!

April:

Fun:
Go to one Braves game.
Read 5 books. (I'll be traveling again, so I feel like this will be a cinch.)
Go to see one movie at the theater.
Visit the Marietta thrift store I have been dying to go to. Buy lots of things (or maybe just a few).

DIY/Crafting:
Make two new crafts.
Sew something. (Anything, Kelly... just pick something already.)

Cooking:
Try one new recipe.

Gardening:
Finish planting veggies in garden.

Home:
Organize two spaces (closets, drawers, etc.)
Follow our chore chart (I developed a nifty little chore chart with weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly chores. We'll see how long we stick to it.)
Finish living room.

Wellness:
Work out five times a week.
Continue to eat in a healthy manner.

I'm sure I'll add things as I think of them. As I've said previously, I'm a goal-oriented person, so I'm always thinking of new things to put on my to-do list.