Our present to my dad for his 70th birthday was FAMILY PHOTOS, and I seriously could not be happier with how they turned out. In lieu of an actual post today, check them out!
Thursday, January 04, 2018
Wednesday, January 03, 2018
What We're Eating This Week
Ok, friends. I hope to write 52 of these posts this year, partially as scaffolding for a book I want to write and partially to support my desire to be mindful at the grocery store this year, which, in turn, fits into my NYR about spending wisely.
Tuesday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas, and fluffy Jell-O. We used this Genius Kitchen meatloaf, which was perfect. (I only had to buy the meat, ketchup, onion, whole milk, and potatoes, so this entire dinner cost $21 or about $3.50/person)
Wednesday: Chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes with steamed broccoli and brownies. (I bought chicken, frozen egg noodles, and broccoli crowns, plus the eggs I used in the brownies, so about $16 or about $2.70/person)
Thursday: Leftovers. Although if I want to have leftover meatloaf, I am going to have to make more than one. YIKES. (The one I made was already extra meaty, featuring a pound of beef AND a pound of turkey. (ZERO DOLLARS)
Friday: Make-your-own pizzas with bread machine dough. Jack is going with a chicken/bacon/ranch situation. I got some pesto and loads of spinach. The rest of the fam seems to favor a more traditional cheese and pepperoni approach. Also popcorn and candy because it's FAMILY MOVIE FRIDAY. ($15 or $2.50/person)
Saturday: Our last turkey pot pie from Thanksgiving, bread machine French bread, cooked spinach, likely more brownies-- or, maybe, the rest of the Christmas tree ice creams. (I actually got nothing at the store for Saturday, but I don't plan to shop again until Sunday, and if we have leftover lunch meat, I will do grilled sandwiches, fries, and spinach instead. A game-time decision-- SUPER EXCITING. But also I feel like we have enough options to sort of wing it. Less than $20 for either option)
OH NO! A quick look at the Google Calendar tells me we will either have a super late night family movie Friday or will have to swap Friday and Saturday on the calendar because we have 2 Friday night hockey practices. It's a thrill a minute around here, folks.
I am happy to report, though, that I was $30 UNDER budget at the store, which means I have cash on hand to buy the laundry and dishwasher soap I forgot! Which, I mean, let's face it, I would have bought anyway because seriously.
One more thing! My MMB post for January is RIGHT HERE.
Tuesday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas, and fluffy Jell-O. We used this Genius Kitchen meatloaf, which was perfect. (I only had to buy the meat, ketchup, onion, whole milk, and potatoes, so this entire dinner cost $21 or about $3.50/person)
Wednesday: Chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes with steamed broccoli and brownies. (I bought chicken, frozen egg noodles, and broccoli crowns, plus the eggs I used in the brownies, so about $16 or about $2.70/person)
Thursday: Leftovers. Although if I want to have leftover meatloaf, I am going to have to make more than one. YIKES. (The one I made was already extra meaty, featuring a pound of beef AND a pound of turkey. (ZERO DOLLARS)
Friday: Make-your-own pizzas with bread machine dough. Jack is going with a chicken/bacon/ranch situation. I got some pesto and loads of spinach. The rest of the fam seems to favor a more traditional cheese and pepperoni approach. Also popcorn and candy because it's FAMILY MOVIE FRIDAY. ($15 or $2.50/person)
Saturday: Our last turkey pot pie from Thanksgiving, bread machine French bread, cooked spinach, likely more brownies-- or, maybe, the rest of the Christmas tree ice creams. (I actually got nothing at the store for Saturday, but I don't plan to shop again until Sunday, and if we have leftover lunch meat, I will do grilled sandwiches, fries, and spinach instead. A game-time decision-- SUPER EXCITING. But also I feel like we have enough options to sort of wing it. Less than $20 for either option)
OH NO! A quick look at the Google Calendar tells me we will either have a super late night family movie Friday or will have to swap Friday and Saturday on the calendar because we have 2 Friday night hockey practices. It's a thrill a minute around here, folks.
I am happy to report, though, that I was $30 UNDER budget at the store, which means I have cash on hand to buy the laundry and dishwasher soap I forgot! Which, I mean, let's face it, I would have bought anyway because seriously.
One more thing! My MMB post for January is RIGHT HERE.
Tuesday, January 02, 2018
What I Read: December
This was clearly my best reading month of the year. My tied-for-2 and my number 1 are both on my best of 2017 list. And any other year, books 8-4 would have been there, too. Even the books I didn't completely adore this month are critically acclaimed and were good reads. Mostly. December was a magical reading month. And the amazing thing? Is that my bookshelf is BURSTING with things to read in January. I cannot WAIT!!!
Here's my last ranked list of 2017:
9. ReadingWith Patrick: A Teacher, a Student, and a Life-Changing Friendship by Michelle Kuo: I liked this book, but I don't really know why it's so buzzy, if that makes sense.
8. Refuge by Dina Nayeri: This was a great story and a fast read with characters I cannot get out of my head. I really recommend it.
6. Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin: This author is astonishingly versatile. I like all of her books, and they are all distinct. This one is sweet and funny and a quick read.
2. Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich: WOW. This book! YES. READ IT.
1. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward: This book is wonderful and sad and perfect. I loved every word, even the ones that made me cry or recoil. Even the bad guys are complicated.
Here's my last ranked list of 2017:
Skip it
11. Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss: I loved her other books, so I kept plodding through this one, but just don't.Read it
10. Heather, the Totality by Matthew Weiner: I literally read this one day on the elliptical to clear my head after a day of Urban and Erdrich. A good palate cleanser.9. ReadingWith Patrick: A Teacher, a Student, and a Life-Changing Friendship by Michelle Kuo: I liked this book, but I don't really know why it's so buzzy, if that makes sense.
8. Refuge by Dina Nayeri: This was a great story and a fast read with characters I cannot get out of my head. I really recommend it.
Read it SOON, like click over to your library window, and put it on hold
7. The Misfortune of Marion Palm by Emily Culliton: I think this book was a little bit over-written, but I liked it anyway. It's really, really funny in a dark way, and I loved some of the characters.6. Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin: This author is astonishingly versatile. I like all of her books, and they are all distinct. This one is sweet and funny and a quick read.
Next time you have a mystery craving, read this
5. The Lying Game by Ruth Ware: I love all of her books. This one is great.If you went to grad school READ THIS RIGHT NOW.
4. Chemistry by Weike Wang: Oh, this is sad and so, so funny. It really captures the insanity of grad school.THESE AE AMAZING WORKS OF LITERATURE
2. The Power by Naomi Alderman: READ THIS so we can talk about it.2. Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich: WOW. This book! YES. READ IT.
1. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward: This book is wonderful and sad and perfect. I loved every word, even the ones that made me cry or recoil. Even the bad guys are complicated.
Monday, January 01, 2018
18 in 2018
As you all know, I love Gretchen Rubin, particularly her work about the four tendencies. I am an upholder (I mean DUH) which means I can readily meet outer and inner expectations. Why then, I wonder, do I have trouble over-eating? Or sticking to some of my New Year's resolutions?
To try to answer this question, I decided to paw through my NYR archives to try to see which ones I kept and which ones I abandoned so I could set some realistic goals for myself. I realized that the resolutions I abandon are not things I actually want to do, and that right there is the problem. I have been resolving to lose 20 pounds for the last 5 years, and NOPE. Or, how about the publish in an academic journal goal? NOPE. It's goals like these that make me abandon all of the other ones, I think, because I am like well, you know what FOREGT ALL THIS WHOLE LIST. LISTS ARE STUPID. Clearly, I am a person of extremes.
To try to answer this question, I decided to paw through my NYR archives to try to see which ones I kept and which ones I abandoned so I could set some realistic goals for myself. I realized that the resolutions I abandon are not things I actually want to do, and that right there is the problem. I have been resolving to lose 20 pounds for the last 5 years, and NOPE. Or, how about the publish in an academic journal goal? NOPE. It's goals like these that make me abandon all of the other ones, I think, because I am like well, you know what FOREGT ALL THIS WHOLE LIST. LISTS ARE STUPID. Clearly, I am a person of extremes.
But, then, there are the goals I keep.
The past couple of years, for example, I have been resolving to take better care of my face, and I am totally doing it. All year, I have been doing the popular-on-the-Internet 10-step skincare routine. I do it almost every day, and I really really like it, especially because there's no set list of products you have to buy. I can use cheap stuff, which is what I am most likely to replenish. Duh. Again.
I also floss now without needing to resolve to do it because I am a grown up. Boom!
But the academic writing goal? I DON'T WANT TO DO IT. I think it is PTSD from my PhD. I feel dumb and I don't even want to want to invest the time. So, no goal and no guilt in 2018.
I am also intrigued by the Happier Podcast's suggestion to have a list of 18 projects for 2018, so some of my resolutions are made in this spirit. I like this idea because it makes resolutions more than thou-shalt-nots and because it lets me incorporate a mix of ongoing projects and things I can cross off my list, and you know I love nothing more than crossing things off lists.
2018 Resolutions:
1. Blog everyday. In a perfect world, I will actually have a damn post up for every day of the year, even if it means I write like 7 in a row and back date them, but I hope I will write everyday. Big goals.
2. No Facebook between 9-5 M-F. NO EXCEPTIONS.
3. 100 books in 2018.
4. Read poetry. I want to say everyday, but I feel like that might not happen. I want to make a habit of reading poetry on the regular, whatever that shapes up to look like. I had a poetry minor in college. I used to BE a poet. I want poetry back in my daily life, you know?
5. Learn how to set a beautiful table. This might be a multi-year goal because I have never prioritized table setting really, and I don't have a lot of pretty things. But! 2018 is the year I will start the process.
6. Figure out what's going to happen in my book and then make it happen.
7. Print the GD pictures already. It has been YEARS. I swear to you all that this is the year I choose the best 30 every month and just freaking PRINT THEM ALREADY.
8. Track the spending. I deal with money by pretending that it doesn't exist. Like, if I wanted to log into my bank account right now, I would not be able to. Well, you guys. That ends NOW. I am going to know where every single penny goes all year long, and in December? I am going to have a shitload of extra pennies sitting around. Like #5, I feel like this may take a few years.
9. Post-a-day on Insta and also 1 SE.
10. Have a dinner party, like, a real grown up one.
11. Let the kids entertain more at our house.
12. Write poetry. I'd like to say a poem a day, but that seems really ambitious.
13. Volunteer for candidates I care about in the 2018 election cycle.
14. Clean out my closet and maintain it as a pleasant, moderately organized space all year. THIS IS SO HARD.
15. Keep family movie Friday going all year-- we all love it.
16. Paint the downstairs and make over the downstairs bathroom. I'd like to install a urinal in there because seriously, but that seems a little unlikely. For this year.
17. Focus on having harmonious mornings. I don't need to check Harry's learning management system and nag him about missing work when he's on his way to school. I can just send him an email reminder. I don't need to get upset when the kids fight before school or can't find their hats and gloves, etc. Instead, I need to manage my expectations and do more to prepare ahead of time.
18. More date nights! We have slacked on this and tend to treat vegging on the couch after the kids go to bed as date nights. But! This year, we will get out more with just each other. What a fun resolution!
So, tell me what you're resolving to do in the new year!
The past couple of years, for example, I have been resolving to take better care of my face, and I am totally doing it. All year, I have been doing the popular-on-the-Internet 10-step skincare routine. I do it almost every day, and I really really like it, especially because there's no set list of products you have to buy. I can use cheap stuff, which is what I am most likely to replenish. Duh. Again.
I also floss now without needing to resolve to do it because I am a grown up. Boom!
But the academic writing goal? I DON'T WANT TO DO IT. I think it is PTSD from my PhD. I feel dumb and I don't even want to want to invest the time. So, no goal and no guilt in 2018.
I am also intrigued by the Happier Podcast's suggestion to have a list of 18 projects for 2018, so some of my resolutions are made in this spirit. I like this idea because it makes resolutions more than thou-shalt-nots and because it lets me incorporate a mix of ongoing projects and things I can cross off my list, and you know I love nothing more than crossing things off lists.
2018 Resolutions:
1. Blog everyday. In a perfect world, I will actually have a damn post up for every day of the year, even if it means I write like 7 in a row and back date them, but I hope I will write everyday. Big goals.
2. No Facebook between 9-5 M-F. NO EXCEPTIONS.
3. 100 books in 2018.
4. Read poetry. I want to say everyday, but I feel like that might not happen. I want to make a habit of reading poetry on the regular, whatever that shapes up to look like. I had a poetry minor in college. I used to BE a poet. I want poetry back in my daily life, you know?
5. Learn how to set a beautiful table. This might be a multi-year goal because I have never prioritized table setting really, and I don't have a lot of pretty things. But! 2018 is the year I will start the process.
6. Figure out what's going to happen in my book and then make it happen.
7. Print the GD pictures already. It has been YEARS. I swear to you all that this is the year I choose the best 30 every month and just freaking PRINT THEM ALREADY.
8. Track the spending. I deal with money by pretending that it doesn't exist. Like, if I wanted to log into my bank account right now, I would not be able to. Well, you guys. That ends NOW. I am going to know where every single penny goes all year long, and in December? I am going to have a shitload of extra pennies sitting around. Like #5, I feel like this may take a few years.
9. Post-a-day on Insta and also 1 SE.
10. Have a dinner party, like, a real grown up one.
11. Let the kids entertain more at our house.
12. Write poetry. I'd like to say a poem a day, but that seems really ambitious.
13. Volunteer for candidates I care about in the 2018 election cycle.
14. Clean out my closet and maintain it as a pleasant, moderately organized space all year. THIS IS SO HARD.
15. Keep family movie Friday going all year-- we all love it.
16. Paint the downstairs and make over the downstairs bathroom. I'd like to install a urinal in there because seriously, but that seems a little unlikely. For this year.
17. Focus on having harmonious mornings. I don't need to check Harry's learning management system and nag him about missing work when he's on his way to school. I can just send him an email reminder. I don't need to get upset when the kids fight before school or can't find their hats and gloves, etc. Instead, I need to manage my expectations and do more to prepare ahead of time.
18. More date nights! We have slacked on this and tend to treat vegging on the couch after the kids go to bed as date nights. But! This year, we will get out more with just each other. What a fun resolution!
So, tell me what you're resolving to do in the new year!
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