Resolutions – Jan 2012

Let’s see how I did in following my goals in January:

Try one new recipe per week.  We exceeded this and had fun with our new recipes:

• Sticky Toffee Pudding - Carmen
• Scalloped Potatoes with Ham - Dave
• Macaroni and Cheese - Carmen
• homemade tortillas – Dave
• Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Gravy – Dave

Dave has gotten good at making bread including dinner rolls and this awesome French bread which he has also made up as baguettes and hard rolls. A couple of times he has even added garlic for a one-step garlic bread.

Lose 10-12 lbs.  Well, if I go by my weight as of Jan 1 (I had a lot to eat the day before), I’ve lost a pound or maybe even two … if the chocolate cake from this weekend didn’t change that.

Eliminate old boxes of papers.  No progress yet.

Read the Bible in 3 years.  I’ve done “ok”.  Missed a few days, but covered most. 

 Post family pictures once a month.  Just did this.

Try to accomplish one item on my to-do list per day.  Probably the biggest failure I’ve had so far.  I’ve fallen back to my old routine of sitting down at the end of the day instead of taking care of at least one "to-do" beforehand.  I’ll try to do better next month.

Create a will and determine guardianship.  Eh, not done yet.

Increase Net Worth.  January brings us some extra bills we don’t normally have to pay. We’re still ok, but our net worth won’t chance much this month.

 

Crafts

Finish all my UFOs.  I managed to completely finish the Christmas present for my sister/BIL (hurray!) and took pictures, but I won’t post here just in case she reads it.  Hopefully we’ll be able to see them soon so I can show how awesome it turned out.

Try fair isle / colorwork knitting.  Ugh.  I’ve started, frogged, started, frogged, and started again.  I’ve learned a few things, but most important is that the knitting in the round project I’m trying to do needs circular needles with a shorter cable.  Oh, and I’ve also learned I’m now a yarn snob. I hate the really cheap stuff – it’s too rough on my hands!

I won’t list the other craft goals as I didn’t focus on any of them this month.

 

Did you make resolutions for this year? If so, how are you coming along?

Life with an almost-toddler

It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned how our little one is doing…

We are approaching her 14-month “birthday”.  How did that happen?!

She has five teeth and has been drooling enough that she might be cutting another.

(I seriously think this is what she and her daddy do all day!)

She absolutely refuses to walk.  The minute she knows she’s not supported or hanging on to one of us, she immediately goes to the ground.  But we’ve seen her “hanging” in mid-air for a few seconds and I’m confident she could do it if she’d get a little brave.  You know though, it’s ok that she’s not walking.  She’s becoming an expert at getting into trouble as it is!

She is an indoor girl like her Mommy.  She never really cared for grass when we had some and she just sits there not moving (or cries) when we place her in the snow.  (Ok, to be fair, the one time she cried she needed a nap).

She is completely “addicted” to insurance commercials – they come on, and she stops whatever she’s doing to watch.  Doesn’t matter what company or commercial.  (Maybe they have some subliminal message only babies can hear?)  She boogies every time she hears music on TV – especially themes to NCIS and Law & Order (they are frequently-watched shows in our household).  But I think her favorite show is America’s Funniest Videos.  She watches the babies and doggies and claps when the audience claps.  She might even have a crush on Tom Bergeron.

She’s known the sign language for “more” for several months, but it’s turned into “I want”. Example: She sees my computer mouse and signs that she wants it.  Otherwise, she doesn’t speak much.  If we’re lucky, we get “mompopop” or “gagaga” or sounds like are garbled.  She barks “ah! ah!” every time she sees a picture of Charlie.  Mostly she just points at what she wants.

She has a “big girl” mentality.  She knows what it means to brush her hair and wash her face and has attempted to brush her teeth.  She also LOVES to sit in the big chairs.  It can feel a little too roomy, so she prefers to have company – usually Cindy (it’s more crowded if Mom joins her).

She’s a good eater and loves almost everything we give her.  Her favorite is milk followed closely by applesauce.  She also loves other fruits, yogurt and animal crackers.

We’re really looking forward to seeing what new adventures await in the next few months…

Frogged again

Will I ever get to the point where I don’t have to tear apart and redo a knitting or crochet project?  Or maybe I’m doomed for life because I can’t stop trying new techniques!

One of my goals for this year was to try fair isle knitting.  That was actually phase 1 of a much larger goal for the near future – to knit my husband a Norwegian-style sweater.  But first I needed to learn the technique.

I started making a snowflake bag last Saturday. It was so intriguing I had difficulty putting it down each night (I tried not to let Emma feel neglected).  I had the basic technique down right away – switching colors, however I hadn’t learned yet that if you have large spaces between the color changes you can end up with a mess like this:

The first part was ok because there were only one or two stitches between color changes, but it got worse as things went along.

It wasn’t until I was a 1/3 of the way into the project that I realized “this can’t be right”.  After searching briefly online, I found this great video on how to hide floats (and ends) in knitting.

If you can’t view the video, go here.

So, now my snowflake bag is back to the beginning – just a pile of yarn.  That may be a good thing since I didn’t like the way the top of it curled (it was done all in stockinette), so I’m going to revise the first few rows of the pattern.

Craft room confession

When I listed my goals for 2012 earlier this week, I laughed when I listed organizing my craft room. Want to see why?

What a flippin’ mess!  I’m going to duck away now in embarrassment.

My excuses have been that I had to move my craft room into the office, thereby reducing the amount of space I had (for some reason we thought having a nursery was higher priority) and also because my priorities have lain elsewhere in the past 14 months or so.

I love several kinds of crafts, but the primary ones are knitting / crocheting and stamping / card-making.

My yarn stash is, for the most part, organized in the office closet. Well, unless you noticed in that there’s some yarn on the table and a bag on the floor (they need to be cataloged yet).  And if you ignore the bags of yarn and thread that are piling up on the floor of the closet.  Ok, so it’s not as organized as I have led myself to believe.  Last year I was fairly good in not adding more to the stash, but I still need to spend more time working on projects to use it up (or get rid of some… whimper).

In previous years I’ve made all our cards – birthday, anniversary, special occasion, sympathy, etc.  Last year? I did zero stamping.  One of the reasons I like knitting and crocheting is that I can usually take projects I’m working on anywhere – medical appointments, visits with family, even to work when I was pumping breast milk on breaks. Unfortunately, card-making isn’t very portable. 

I frequently use paper, a multitude of stamps, ink, punches, embossing powders, ribbons, chalks, markers … and the list goes on.  I also tend to spread out when I’m working on cards, so I need plenty of table space.  I did manage at one point to have the table organized, but it’s gone haywire again.  What I really need to do is set up some shelves and storage right above the table so I can free up some space.

 

 

I do have some tools on shelves off to one side of the room, but they’re not always convenient that far away. And my storage baskets are a mismatched conglomeration – picked up here and there at one time or another.  They also house miscellaneous craft supplies, additional paper, magazines and craft books.

 

And there are even more supplies on the other side of the room. I really like those grey multi-drawer organizers for things like thread, buttons, brads, mini stamps, beads, etc.  But I barely have room to open my Cuttlebug!

I don’t know if you noticed the sewing machine that also shares my card-making table. I don’t really sew. I’d like to, but I lack the experience at this point. Regardless, I can do some simple fixes so it makes sense to have my sewing machine available or at least have the space where I can set up quickly.  I have a fabric stash too, which at this point has been relegated to the attic, hidden away in totes.

Is there any hope for me?

2012 Goals

I don’t know if there is a difference between goals and resolutions, but to me the term resolutions have the connotation of something that I resolve to start Jan 1st and do every day/week/etc.  If that’s the case, I don’t have many resolutions for the year, but I do have a few goals. 

Some bloggers are picking one word to describe their purpose for the year. My word should be

ACCOMPLISH

Translation: I need to start accomplishing and stop procrastinating what needs to be done.  I haven’t really had specific goals in mind the last two years – other than give birth and raise a child, and I think it shows in my personal life.  Although I have to say, I’ve had lots of good bonding time…

I’m posting these for accountability.  I hope you keep me focused on my goals and remind me when I start to stray. I’ll try and remember to post updates throughout the year.

Household / Life / Health / Finances

• Try one new recipe per week.  I have hundreds (ok, thousands) of recipes I want to try. More than my life expectancy, so I figure it’s time we try at least some of them. We’ve already exceed our goal for this first week. I remembered to take some pictures so I’ll post them over at MishMashmie.
• Lose 10-12 lbs. Not a lofty goal, but reasonable and it would put me under a weight I haven’t seen in 10+ years.
• Eliminate old boxes of papers. I should be embarrassed that we have a couple of boxes that we moved from the last house (and maybe the one before?) … our last move was almost 8 years ago! Since we’re hoping to move again in the next couple years, I want those boxes gone so they aren’t moved yet again!
• Read the Bible in 3 Years. One of my few daily goals. I had thought about making this a 1-year plan, but I really like the Through My Bible plan – plus you can have the daily listings sent to you via e-mail!
• Post family pictures once a month.  Our friends and family will appreciate this as most live far away and Emma is growing up FAST!
• Try to accomplish one item on my to-do list per day. My to-do list seems to grow and grow and I don’t get much done. My current plan it to finish something before I can “play” each night.  Might be cleaning, paying bills, or just a task I’ve put off for too long.
• Create a will and determine guardianship. This one is high on my list as our daughter is now a year old and we still haven’t figure it out yet.
• Increase Net Worth.  Pay down bills, don’t incur new ones, and increase savings.

Crafts

These goals are much more fun…

• Finish all my UFOs (unfinished objects) or “frog” (rip-it, rip-it) to use the yarn in another project. My UFOs include:
  • Christmas present for my sister/BIL. Yep, it’s January and it’s not finished.  Want to have this done by 2/1 – at the latest!
  • Bath mat for my sister. It’s the project from hell, but it’s about time I get it finished.
  • Shawl for my aunt.
  • Rose Scallops doily. It’s done except for blocking.
  • Iota sweater. May be frogged.
• Make something for Emma. I haven’t made anything for my daughter yet!! ‘Nuff said.
• Make a Patricia Kristoffersen doily.  These are complex but absolutely gorgeous.
• Make a pattern from one of the online groups. I’m a member of several online / e-mail groups and I accumulate patterns from them, but never make one. May start with something from Celts Vintage Crochet, but I’m not sure yet.
• Try fair isle / colorwork knitting. I have a couple projects in mind. Hope to complete by 2/1.
• Sew something. I am horrible at sewing, but partially because I haven’t had much practice.  Would love to make a quilt, but that might be stretching my abilities (and patience) at this point. Then again, I usually have no fear when it comes to crafts, so maybe I’ll join this:
• Make item(s) for charity. I’ve seen some great charities that could use my crafting skills. I just need to pick one and start.  At this point I’m thinking it may either be hats and mittens – or dolls.
• Make a scrapbook for Emma. I’ll be lucky if I get a few pages done, but it would be best if this is done sooner rather than later, before I forget the milestones we hit last year.
• Organize the craft room.  Bwahahaha.  Ok, now I’m dreaming…

 

What goals or resolutions do you have for 2012? Anything you want to confess for your own accountability?  How’d you do in your 2011 resolutions?

Post-Christmas blahs

I have the post-holiday blahs and we haven’t even gotten to the new year.  Both Dave and I didn’t feel very celebratory this Christmas. Most of that is related to the fact that we lost our dear friend, Charlie.

This picture was taken just a few hours before Dave took him to the vet. None of them look very happy, do they? You can see that the tumor had grown to enormous proportions and not only did he seem miserable, but his legs were so twisted he could barely walk the last couple of days and he had started to bleed. We decided it was time to say goodbye. But that didn’t make it any easier.

Our house seems empty and lonely without him around. We are constantly finding points during the day where we expect him to be there – waiting for us when we arrived home, hoping we’ll drop some food, becoming excited in case he gets to leave with us, generally getting underfoot, etc.  Even little things you might not expect – like realizing when we drove down for Christmas, that we could pull in where the other cars were instead of the truck / pet walking area.

 

The house would seem even emptier if it weren’t for our little someone who is growing in leaps and bounds. Each week we see her discovering and learning something new!  She recently celebrated her first birthday – complete with cake, frosting and a middle-of-the-night tummy ache.  She at least seemed to have fun that day.

Just two weeks later, she got another opportunity to open gifts, sample treats and be overwhelmed by relatives.  This may not have been her first Christmas, but it was the first she really got to participate.

 

 

This is the scarf I finished for my sister-in-law for her birthday, which happens to be Dec 24th (Christmas Eve). I almost forgot to take a picture of it, so I quick snapped one after she opened the gift. Unfortunately, I didn’t get one with the scarf all spread out so you could see the lace.  It turned out beautifully and is so wonderfully soft! I hope she enjoys it (it matched perfectly with the shirt she wore that day!)

 

I did some other crafting for Christmas … but in grand Hanson tradition, they’re not finished yet!!  Oops. My saving grace was that we were pretty informal with my family this year and didn’t really exchange gifts in an organized manner.  Maybe I’ll have them done in time for my sister’s birthday.

Winter winnings

I have to say I’ve had an awesome couple of months with regards to what I’ve won in giveaways and contests.

The biggest gift?

A Dell Inspiron One Touch 2320 computer.  We really needed a new computer – our current (soon to be former) one was more than 8 years old and s. l. o. w. beyond belief.  I never expected to win this.  This is the first computer we’ve gotten that I haven’t felt like I needed to spend hours setting up the way I wanted.  Plus, it has some kid-friendly apps like musical instruments and a paint program that Emma enjoys.

The most frequent win?

Scrapbooking supplies.  I received several packs of papers and embellishments. Once I get a chance to spend a little time in my craft room making cards and scrapbooking (hopefully soon), I’ll have a new set of treasure to use!  I might also have a party and invite my crafty friends over to help me use them up.

 

Second most frequent?

Patterns.  I now have patterns for knit fingerless mitts, a shawl, baby jacket and blanket as well as a sewing pattern for a ruffled bag.  Now I just need to find a contest that would give me more time to work on these things!

 

The most heart-touching gift? 

Brian from The Straight Male Knitter offered back in August to knit something for someone outside his family for Christmas. Technically it was a contest, but he chose my entry to knit something for Emma.  When I suggested it be something fun like elf slippers, this is what he came up with.  Aren’t they the cutest things EVER?!  They looks like strawberries – especially with the non-skid “seeds” on the bottom!

 

 

Personally, I’m a little relieved that the holidays are coming to a close and the number of great giveaways I’m finding has dropped. I was spending quite a bit of time over my lunch hour and at night when Emma was sleeping entering at different sites.  It was worth it, but I’m going to like the opportunity to back off a bit now.  But not completely!