Last Minute Goals

So, here it is, New Year's Eve, and I have given little to no thought to 2012 goals and such. Well, I have some -- if you remember the "make your own clothes" resolution -- that was some thought. So, here I am, on New Year's Eve, scrambling to consider 2012 goals/resolutions. Well, I guess I don't have to scramble if I don't want to. But alas, I am just like that.

First things first. How did I do with 2011 goals?

2011 goals started here -- http://youngernews.blogspot.com/2010/12/to-resolute-or-not-to-resolute.html

If you follow the "goals" tag, you'll notice that I did really well at thinking about and following up on goals until.... April. Those who have looked at this blog (or know me) know that little Peanut (who is getting an official new nickname sometime soon -- ideas floating around) was born mid-May. And he completely threw my goal keeping for a loop. Ah, well, he is worth it.

And then he, Peanut, interrupted this blog post with the biggest poo-splotion we've had in several months.  Ah, well, he is worth it. (Yes, this happened just now. Hubby felt the need to announce it, as he assisted in the clean up.)

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

Its been a fun, and laid-back week -- so nice!

I have the hardest time with [Pretty], its not a word I use just a whole lot... I'm more inclined to think towards [Beautiful]... So  here's my --

[Beautiful]

Wiggly, aka Peanut, got to meet his great-grandparents this Christmas.  How fun was that! He is great-grandchild #14 for my grandparents and great-grandchild #9 for Hubby's grandmother.  So many little blessings! 

[Happy]

If that isn't one of the happiest little boys, I don't know what happy is.

[Funny]

Wiggly is really enjoying the bouncy seat that Grandma and Grampa acquired for our time with them. The seat also has lights and sounds, but we turned those off. After the first few days, we figured out that the lights were creating a crazy, over-stimulated Wiggly that wasn't sleeping during the day and was very fussy. 

Its also getting significantly more difficult to get a non-blury picture of Wiggly (thus the nick-name change), so I tried the "sports" setting on the new camera. Its a grainy picture, as if I was using high speed film, but Wiggly isn't all that blury!

[Real]

I actually packed up and brought my cloth diapers to the in-laws, figuring if used them, great, if not, great.  Well, I used them and, thus, did some diaper laundry.  Let me now declare that Hubby's parent's have an AMAZING and TOTALLY AWESOME washer.  They have a 'sanitary' setting that must be specially made for striping cloth diapers. (I figure it really isn't, but I can pretend.)

See more [Pretty] [Happy] [Funny] [Real] at

Fun pictures -- a bit of history

Well, it might count as history... its only the past few months. But check out these pics...

June 2011

October 2011

November 2011 (or is this December 2011?)

I was browsing old pictures and saw that first one from June, and though... wow! Peanut is so small! Can I still give him the nick name "Peanut"... or does he need a new nickname? Peanut is a fair bit heavier than Hank, now, too.

Thought this was fun and I will totally keep up the Peanut vs Hank pictures.

BTW, Peanut *loves* Hank, but Hank doesn't like Peanut. Peanut will grab at Hank, and make loud noises. As Hank is about 1/2 chicken, he finds that very... scary. Luckily, even with Peanut learns to crawl and walk, Hank is still faster and can get to high places (like the top of the TV cabinet).

Christmas morning breakfast

This morning, we made Sticky Monkey Brains for breakfast.

Ingredients

• 3 (7.5 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 6 miniature Bundt pans.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the white sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Use scissors or a knife to cut each of the biscuits into various sizes. Each one can be cut into anywhere from 2 to 5 pieces.
3. Sprinkle about half of the pecans amongst the 6 prepared pans. Roll pieces of biscuit in the cinnamon-sugar, and place them into the pans, distributing evenly. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon-sugar over the dough balls.
4. Mix together the brown sugar and melted butter. Stir in the remaining pecans. Distribute evenly over the pans of dough balls. For ease of getting in and out of the oven, place all of the pans on a cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the biscuits are toasted and cooked through. Remove from the oven, and invert individual pans onto serving plates while still hot.

They were quite good, and rather easy to make. I did, of course, modify the instructions a bit.

I made it all in one bundt pan, which meant it needed to be baked for 30 minutes instead of 20.

I did find that with it all in one bundt pan, it does not need the full 1/2 cup of butter; 1/4 cup should be plenty. With the 1/2 cup, it overflowed in the oven as it baked and made quite the mess.

I paired it with Mulled Apple Cider. It was a fun and easy breakfast.

Christmas should have a special (but easy!) breakfast.

'via Blog this'

Growing things

Many folks have told me I have a green thumb, as I tend to get veggies from the garden. Honestly, though, I think it is most luck.  Nature has killed several of my plants outside and I kill many of them inside.  This last summer, I successfully knocked off a baby Giant Sequoia and seedling peacan, both in pots. They just got to dry and it killed them (easy to do in 100'+ heat). All I had to do was bring them inside. Didn't think of that till early September.

And now...

Friend Liz rooted and repotted several basil and sage plants, and gave me 2 basil and 2 sage. Wasn't that nice of her? I kept the soil moist, and put them in the window for sun... but alas, I have killed the 2 basil and 1 sage is well on its way out. I'm not sure what I did, honestly.... was the window sill too cold? Too much water? Not enough? :::sigh::: 

This why I don't do house plants. Strange to hear myself say that.

2012 Resolutions

We've got about 1 1/2 weeks till 2012 is upon us, and I've only begun thinking about goals for 2012. I'm a big time goal setter -- evidence here.

I saw this... and it intrigues me... (from http://seamlessblog.wordpress.com/the-pledge/)

I, ________, take the Seamless pledge until __________________. I will abstain from buying any new clothes until the end of my pledge. I will find ways to be fashionable without breaking the bank and without contributing to the cycle of fast fashion consuming the high street. I will trawl through charity shops, I will attend clothes swaps, I will look for second-hand items on eBay and I will craft my own clothes with my own two hands.

THE RULES

1. No buying new clothes for the duration of your pledge. By new, I mean any new mass-manufactured clothes.
2. You can buy second-hand manufactured clothes – so be prepared to get to know your local charity shops awfully well.
3. Vintage clothing is a-ok!
4. Anything you’ve made by hand is definitely allowed. Get your sewing machines and your kntting needles out, because handmade is definitely in!
5. Get involved! Join in on the Flickr group and like our Facebook page. I’ll be looking to feature pledgers on the blog in the future. I’d love to see your second-hand finds, refashions and hand-made creations!

I am so very tempted to go for it, but I doubt my ability. See, I almost never buy clothes. Its not that I just don't have the money, though I am a tightwad, its just that it isn't a positive experience, and I don't think of it until there is something I *need*. For example, I recently purchased 1 pair of blue jeans, and 4 3/4 length (sleeves) tops to round out my new uniform -- blue jeans, long sleeve shirt, tank top and cardigan. 


But I have a week and some before I *must* decide on goals for Jan, and I think I should have till Feb before I *must* decide on goals for 2012. And for all those who think "why make goals?", I am utterly aimless without them. And I really. don't. like. being. aimless.


What's a goal that you are thinking about for 2012, but are unsure about? Or maybe you've got your 2012 goals all figured out?