2015 Goals Recap

Following my blog traditions (7 years running!), here is my recap on achieving my 2015 goals...

+ worry less

Hmm...Well I tried.  I don't think I'll ever truly be able to share the worrier in me, but I think I've done a better job at letting go, stepping back, and taking a deep breath when things are beyond my control.  I still worry about lots of things, but I think I'm getting better at being present, enjoying the moment, and letting today be today, and leaving some of that worry behind.

+ read more books

This is true, while I haven't polished off any complete bookshelves, I definitely read more than my paltry 2 books in 2014.  This has spiked significantly since I discovered you can check out ebooks on your kindle!  WHAT!?  How did I not know this before?

+ get outside

We definitely took advantage of our gorgeous summer weather and got outside almost everyday.  We haven't been outside all that much with a newborn these past few weeks - but I think that's excusable, right? 

+ try and shop/spend locally

Um...not so much.  I'm a sucker for Amazon Prime and the convenience of a drive-through (especially with two kids in tow), however, I'm debating doing Starbucks-free in 2016.  If I tally up the amount of money I fork over to that company, it makes me cringe...  Thoughts? 

+ other random goals and ideas

…successfully make a poached egg - nope

…memorize a recipe for homemade pie crust -YES!  I did this and have made 9 pies from scratch

…wait to get to work to check email (i.e. not right when I wake up) - yes, definitely better

…make chocolate babka - not yet...

…drink more water - a definite improvement!

…finish my daughter's baby book - no but finished her 1st year in review video...

What are your goals or resolutions for 2016?

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Past goals for 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

Quote of the Week

"The only power we have in our life is our attitude and that makes all of the difference."

~ Mimi Ikonn

image/bloom

Dinner Last Night: Lemon Chicken Piccata with Grilled Bread

I've had my eye on this recipe for a while, and finally made it last night!  Definitely a keeper.  For future makings, I'd suggest plating in wide shallow bowls so you and your guests can appropriately use your grilled bread to soak up the luscious lemony-caper-white wine sauce to its fullest.  In our case, this was passing a bowl of sauce back and forth, taking turns dipping our bread.  

Also noted; from now on, I'll be taking this route for grilling bread, none of this baking-in-the-oven business as done previously for bruschetta and similar dishes.  Bread that's basked in a bath of butter and olive oil tastes WAY more delicious!

image/pinchofyum

Tis the Season to Get Mail!

Tis the season for holiday cards!  Where collecting the daily mail is such a treat.  Bills schmills, I look forward to receiving and opening the cards of friends and family every year!  I remember as a kid, my mom used to store our pile of cards in a little basket in a hutch in our kitchen.  After school, my sister would pour over them; taking in the festive stamps, the shiny paper, and the candid smiles.  

This year is a unique year for us, in that I wanted to combine birth announcement and holiday card, since our sweet boy joined us on October 23rd, it was close enough that I could've send separate birth announcements, but instead decided to wrap up our shared joy of the season and our babe into one joyful card.

So...I hopped on over to my go-to, Tiny Prints, and got to work narrowing down my favorite winter birth announcement designs {here, here, and here} until I finally found the one! 

This year there are all kinds of options to expedite the process, including their address assistant to address all of our envelopes.  And the option of picking a matching return address wrapper.  Sweet!

If you're looking at the calendar and noticing time is a-ticking - I can't recommend Tiny Prints enough!  So many lovely choices to fit your mood this season.  Don't wait, the current promotion is 40% off site-wide plus free shipping with the code BESTSALE40FS (ends Thursday!).

image1/tinyprints 

Dinner Last Night: Baked Sausage Kale Gnocchi

It's comfort food for days around these parts.  Between the torrential downpours by day and generosity of friends bringing homemade or takeout meals to our doorstep, we have been cuddled up indoors, cozying up with our newborn, and filling ourselves up with comfort food goodness.  Lasagnas and ziti and soup, oh my!  Add this little diddy to the list, baked sausage kale gnocchi.  I considered it a teensy bit healthy because "kale" is in the title.  It's all about perspective, right?

image/spoonforkbacon

Dinner Last Night: Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms & Parmesan

Opted for a healthier squash side to accompany our chicken - spaghetti squash with mushrooms and parmesan.  Extremely easy, quite satisfying, and of course, delicious.  Even my squash-averse husband had seconds, always a good sign!

image/pickledplum

Go Barbie Go!

Never thought I'd be posting a commercial for Barbie's, but this one is so empowering, and demonstrates little girls that they are capable of anything!