frittata.

one of my new years goals was to 'master the frittata'.  charlie made fun of me but i've made them a few times before and always with mild success.  there's a million ways to make them but i hadn't quite found the best way for me yet.  i had always ether burned it in the broiler or not cooked the bottom enough.  on friday i attempted another one because my first plan for dinner got scrapped because ellie was too fussy to put down (i think we've entered the 6 week fussy period, which means from about 4:30 to 9:30 there is lots of crying and holding and pacing around the house).  i considered this frittata a success and wanted to actually write down what i did so that i would remember when i went to make it again.  probably next week when we're in need of a quick dinner again. 

i used diced tomatoes and onion because i had them on hand but my favorite combos usually involve mushrooms and zucchini.  

here's what i used:

8 eggs

milk

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1 onion chopped

butter

pepper

basil

oregano 

mozzerella cheese

preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  melt the butter in the pan, add the onion and sauté.  mix the eggs, milk (i just dumped some in), tomatoes, pepper, basil, and oregano in a bowl.  add the mix to the pan once the onion is done sautéing.  let it cook for about 10 minutes. sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top and bake for 25 minutes.  eat.

it was good.  i'm crossing this off of my goal list.

here's to twenty-fourteen.

it's that time of year again.  goal time.  i always love these last few days of the year when the holidays are over, chrsitmas decorations have been packed away and the house feels less cluttered, and the holiday 'to dos' are done.  ahhh.  i love, love, loved the holidays this year.  maybe it was the newborn baby but i felt like we really relaxed and focused on family and spending time together this year and that's what i really want to be the focus for our future holidays, too:  family, friends, people and things that matter.  we definitely did some fun holiday activities.  we baked cookies, crafted silly snowmen, took the kids to see the zoo lights, drove around our neighborhood to see holiday decorations, played christmas music nonstop, watched the grinch too many times, and drank hot cocoa after cold days at the playground.  i feel like we really enjoyed christmas this year, but since we put our decorations up pretty early i was ready to take them down on the 26th.  i was also savoring the time when my sister was in town and i could pack up decorations without worrying about holding a baby and entertaining a toddler.  anyway, on to the new years goals.  i wanted to keep these pretty simple this year because otherwise they'll get ignored.  so here they are.  and hopefully in 365 days i'll be able to say that i was successful.  not perfect but successful.


+ hike once a month.
starting with small hikes and hopefully working up to some more challenging ones.
even if it's flatirons vista and we only last 30 minutes before a meltdown.  we live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country (in my opinion) and we have so many wonderful hikes that are right in our backyard.  i really want our kids to grow up with an appreciation for the mountains, for being outside, for getting exercise that doesn't involve a gym, for the outdoors, and this amazing state that we  are privileged to live in. the rockies are pretty awesome.  

+ get outside.
with the kids, with the dogs, with charlie.
walks + playground time because everyone needs exercise and feels better with fresh air.  somedays this may be for 5 minutes but i need to remember that it's always worth the effort to get outside no matter how long it takes us to get ready and how long we last outside.

+  stop buying bread.
find a good (and quick) recipe for sandwich bread and make our own.
this may be hard.  but i will try.

+  set aside time with charlie.
at least twice a week, something purposeful.  

+  stop buying clothes for myself at target & old navy.
because they never last and i would actually save money if i bought slightly more expensive clothes less frequently.  i will definitely still be shopping here for the kids because they're perfect for kiddos who get dirty often and outgrow clothes in less than a season. 

+  master the frittata.
because it's quick, healthy, and easy.

+  project 52.
a picture of each kiddo (separate or together) + a quote for each week.

+ less iPhone more camera.
i always have my iPhone on me because i always want to have a camera.  however, i hate that 90% of our pictures are from the iPhone and i get pretty distracted by the internet.  unless charlie's out of town or i'm waiting for a call there's no need to have my iPhone with me at all times.
     

+  make family albums.  

but mostly, i want to enjoy this year,  savor these moments with two small kids, enjoy the time i have with my husband, and be thankful every day for what we have.  here's to 2014. 

twenty-thirteen.

happy new year!  

i'm so very excited for a new year.  not that 2012 wasn't great, but december was, and always is, a crazy month and i'm happy for the calm that january brings.  

i didn't make any goals for 2012.  with a brand new baby my only goal was really to live in the present and enjoy those sweet baby moments before she grew up and i missed it all.  i'd like to think i did a pretty good job of that.  not a perfect job, but pretty good.  i soaked up a lot of baby-ness, rocked that baby through far too many naps just because i could, ignored the dust to stack piles of blocks for her to knock down, and ate many a sandwich for dinner because i chose a trip to the swing set over cooking something.  not always the best decisions, but ones i wouldn't take back. 2012 was good to us and i look at her now and wonder how it's possible for someone to grow so much in one short year.  

there's a lot of things that i want to get done in 2013 but i wanted this year to focus on one thing:  taking care of myself & my family.  i want to eat healthy, exercise, let go of the things that don't matter, and focus on our family.  i would say that in general we're pretty good about all of this, but we could be much better.  

eat better.

+ create a list of easy, healthy go-to meals.  i have this started but it's pretty short, which means we all get sick of spinach pie.  

+  eat less grains, especially processed ones.  this means finding alternatives to sandwiches and only cooking meals with pasta once or twice a month.

+ drink more water.

+  find better snack options for avery.  annie's cheddar bunnies should be a once in a while treat.

+  eat salad every day.  i need more fruits and vegetables. we all do.  

exercise. 

+ figure out something to do in the winter.  when it's nice i walk all the time, which works really well for me, avery, and the dogs.  but it's been so cold lately that i really can't take avery out for an hour in the stroller.  if this means joining a gym for a bit then i should do it.  

+  when it's nice.  walk.  

de-clutter my life. 

+  schedule all yearly doctor appointments in january.  did this on the 2nd and they're all scheduled for this month.  now i only have to dread them for 3 weeks.   

+  de-clutter.  i need to get rid of the remainder of the baby stuff.  there's no reason for a pack-n-play in our room or a jumparoo in the office. and i also have so many things i need to craigslist, sell, or donate:  old furniture, books i will never read again, clothes, sheets for beds we no longer own, christmas decorations that were gifted and that i will never use.

show love.

+  charlie.  do something that charlie loves (and i hate) once a month.  this can be skiing or eating chipotle.  i should also stop complaining about stupid, little things.  i share my life with a great guy & i should show him that i appreciate him more.
+  avery.  create fun activities at home & be present when we're together and i'm not working.
+  east coast friends and family.  i miss all of these people & think about them a lot.  send snail mail, make more phone calls, write fatty emails.       

have fun.

+  take avery somewhere fun and new at least once a week.  i'm thinking free ideas like barnes and noble reading groups the wow museum but i'd also like to get her to the pool, and the zoo, and the butterfly pavilion a few times.  i'm off on mondays so i'm trying to use that day to do some fun things we don't get to do during the rest of the week.
+  book a family vacation in january.  between 15 visits from friends and family, a trip back to maryland, and sick days in 2012 it was easy to use up more than all of my time off, but it's important for us to plan some time for our family, too.  time for just our family is so, so important for all of us.   

+  do a house-project a month.  this isn't huge but i want to paint our night stands (bright blue was never a good choice), turn the office into a office/playroom, and make a few little things here and there.  doing these things is fun and it always makes me happy to see the little changes around our house.
+  do an actual family activity once a month.  i think january is the butterfly pavilion.

2011.

it's that time of year again ...

for [family]

... make a trip in june to visit our new nephew & watch my sister graduate.

... visit telluride again for our anniversary.

... ski 3 times with charlie.

... get better about returning phone calls/emails. as in return them within a week.

... send a birthday card to everyone this year. on time.

for [serious]

... graduate. 3 more classes, including chemistry. ugh!

... submit my bfr paper to a journal.

... non-bloggable goal #1.

... non-bloggable goal #2.

... save some moolah.

for [fun]

... climb another 14er. my vote is for mt. elbert & charlie's is for mt. bierstadt. we'll see.

... rent/stalk craigslist for snowshoes and find some local trails.

... convince charlie to try skijoring with me.

... walk the dogs 4 times a week.

for [the home]

... find some new easy meals to make on a regular basis.

... make a monthly menu & shop (okay, have charlie shop) once a week.

... redo our table. either sand and stain or sand and paint.

... organize the storage closet in the garage & get rid of things we don't need. like my 7 boxes of teaching stuff.

2010.

hopefully a lot more of this in 2010.

resolutions.goals.aspirations.whatever you want to call them.

all my life i've resisted them but the past two years i've made some and i've liked it.

i definitely didn't accomplish all of 2009's resolutions but i had fun trying.

here are some [fun] things i'd like to do in 2010.

1. climb mount elbert.

2. comfortably ski some black diamonds by the end of the season.

3. enjoy a weekend away for our anniversary.

4. visit family. hopefully before the holidays.

5. cook julia child's beef bourguignon.

6. run the bolder boulder.

7. camp in wyoming.

8. use our canoe. with the dogs.

9. watch my sister dance in her last nutcracker. even though i hate the nutcracker.

10. learn how to use our new camera.

11. learn how to use PSE.

12. finish my 2009 scrapbook. by the end of february.

here are some [serious] things i'd like to do in 2010.

1. be a better wife. cook more, appreciate my husband more, complain less.

2. save more money.

3. find a long-term job.

4. take AT LEAST 5 classes.

5. set a budget.

8. read silent spring.

and here are some things i will NOT do in 2010.

1. adopt more animals.

2. move.

3. wear heels when i can wear flats.

4. go to the gym instead of walking the dogs.

5. buy holiday decorations.

6. cook like julia, or martha, or my mother.

... and, i want to keep doing my it's the little things posts once a week. they've helped me put things into perspective and not ignore the small things that make life so great.

2009 Resolutions

Resolutions, goals, guidelines whatever you want to call them. Here are mine for '09:

1. I will stop wondering what my life would be like if I hadn't quit my teaching job and dragged C across country so that I could attend grad school. Yes, things would be different. I would have a paycheck that was something I could actually be proud of, I wouldn't feel like I spend my days getting nothing accomplished, and I would feel useful. But, I wouldn't know what it's like to pack up and move somewhere I've always wanted to live. I would be getting a graduate degree in a field I had no interest in and I wouldn't have experienced a lot of things. Bottom line: the decision is made, make the most of it.

2. Save $10 K. Note: This must be money saved from money earned not given. After merging bank accounts I no longer buy clothes anymore (sad fact). But if we stop keeping R.E.I. in business and buying so many bags of chips (my ass will also thank me for this one) we'll have more money to save. A job would also help but I'll get to that...

3. Hike a fourteener. This will have to wait until the summer because I cannot hike through 6 feet of snow. Also, as I've told C, the dogs have to come. They're my motivation and I know they won't leave me on a mountain top unlike some other people I know (*cough, Charles*).

4. Find a part-time job I can tolerate while I go to school. See, I'm being more realistic or cynical, whatever you want to call it. Notice that I didn't say "fulfilling" job. I've given up on that. I just want a part time job that doesn't make me want to rip my ears off.

5. Go to school. At this point it's out of my hands, unless I can convince 5 people I've never met to drop a mandatory class.

6. Be thankful for what I have. I realize this is a vague goal. But I have so much to be thankful for, Charlie, our cozy apartment, a car that runs, crazy pups, our families, the fact that we're both healthy. I want to spend more time focusing on that instead of the other stuff.

7. Read the books my mother gave me. It's time.

8. Recycle. Ok, this is going to be a pain. But I want to start recycling glass, cans, and cardboard. I know this means trekking it all to the recycling center but really, I can do it.

9. I will not add any more animals to our family. I love the ones I have but we have four hands and four animals. Any more would just be crazy.

10. I will cook twice a week and freeze half of it. Part of the reason (or excuse that I use) for not cooking is that between 2 people we just can't eat it all and it ends up getting thrown away. After cooking a meal if I immediately freeze half it solves the problem and give us something to eat the next week.

11. I will vacuum twice a week. Either this or shave all the animals. I'm debating.

12. I will not worry about our wedding. It's not going to be a small wedding and I need to give up on trying to making it that. It doesn't matter who has invited themselves, or if certain family members can't get along. Most of what happens that day is completely out of my control. However, I will spend time with the people I love and not worry about the rest.

13. I will walk the dogs AT LEAST 4 times a week. This means hour long walks, regardless of the temperature outside (there's a reason God invented long underwear). This is just as much for me as it is for them.