{Resolutions: Last Check-in of 2011 & Reflection on the Year's NYR}

Do you remember when "two thousand eleven" sounded so far off in the distance or

when "twenty-eleven" fit better as the name of a futuristic movie title than the current

year? Time is a tricky little fox.

I am here today to make my last check-in and a final reflection on my 2011 New Year's

Resolution. In January, I set out to:

1. Make one goal each month that give me a sense of balance and make me feel like me.
2. Learn how to do some things around the house that David normally does.
3. Volunteer or donate blood, on average, once a month.
4. Do something new, different and adventure worthy each month.

It turned out to be a pretty decent NYR! Looking back I'm able to see how it went, what it

did and -- in some cases -- didn't do for me. I definitely loved that it evolved monthly to fit

where I was in the moment, and the check-ins via blogger helped keep me accountable.

More specifically ...

- #3 and #4 were the most successful and added so much to my experience and perspective

in 2011. I chose them (volunteering and taking adventures) because I want those to be

habits. Creating a conscious decision to do it monthly helped get me in a rhythm I'm

ready to continue as lifestyle choices, hopefully long after I turn the last page of my 2011 calendar. It became strange documenting volunteer work though. I stuck with it

since I set out to blog about my NYR's for accountability sake. The point is to do it,

give back, get involved in the community, and help others though -- not to make a list

of "good deeds." The adventures were fun to document though.

- #1 was okay. It got me to do some things I might have otherwise had on my "to do list"

forever. Overall, I noticed I didn't want to blog about the things I was really working on,

as they were often a little too personal to share on the world wide web. :) So, this list

became a little artificial. My best goals (and outcomes) were March, April, June, and July.

- #2 was fun. It made me realize two things. One, I can take care of business. Whatever it

is that needs doing, I can do. Whether I ask someone to show me, look it up on Google or

learn by trial and error -- I can do it. I think I needed to teach myself that this year! I also

realized I need to get hands on when learning to do something out of my comfort zone

(i.e., any thing mechanical like plumbing or pool related). Otherwise, I'll forget how to do

it. That stuff wants to zip in and out of my brain. :)

With that, here's my very last check-in on my 2011 NYR ...

1) Make one new goal each month that give me a sense of balance and

make me feel like me.

January: Blog stuff -- done

February: Technology -- done

March: Photos into albums & scrapbook -- done

April: Canning -- done

May: Was kind of a bust -- oops!

June: Practice doing a 5K (mostly walking) -- done

July: Find a fun, part-time job -- done

August: Do a simple sewing machine project -- oops!

September: Run in a 5k -- done

October: Put myself out there to find more work in my field -- done

November: Establish an LLC, a business account and basic work documents -- progress made.

December: Re-org my cloth napkin/table runners drawer & finish crafting Xmas houses

• When will I stop procrastinating? Hey, last minute or not -- done is done. On the 29th, I did a little re-org in the area that holds my cloth napkins, table runners and placemats. Nothing fancy. I mostly just rearranged it. Now, it's not crammed and you can get to everything and see it all. I love an orderly space!
• Five Christmas houses -- almost finished -- 96%. Again, I procrastinated and did this on the 31st, but they are soooo adorable. :) I ran out of the"snow" I use around their base. I'll pick up more of that tomorrow and apply the finishing touches. I plan to gift all of them in 2012. (Update: Done!)

2) Learn how to do the following things around the house in 2011:

- Clean up my PCs (May 29th)

- Clean up my MAC (worked on it in November, 50% done)

- Unclog the kitchen drain/garbage disposal (replaced disposal, no longer clogs)

- Turn off the water to the house (January 31st)

- Work the sprinklers and the drip system (March 13th)

- Add to the drip system (didn't get to it)

- Clean the pool filters (February 6th) Change pool the filters (February 13th)

- Weekly/monthly pool care (July & August 2011)

- Drain and fill the pool (February 19th)

- Fertilize the lawn before summer (March 13th)

- Properly level and hang hardware fixture with a molly (November 29th)

- Change a door hardware and handle (didn't get to it/will look it up when the time comes!)

- Relight the pilot light in the water heater (March 19th)

3) Volunteer or donate blood, on average, once a month (12 times this year).

1. Made food boxes w/ friends at St. Mary's Food Bank (January 8th)

2. Donated platelets and red blood cells (January 14th)

3. Sorted food baskets for the Bountiful Baskets produce co-op (February 10th)

4. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 4th)

5. Donated platelets (They weren't setup to do RBCs this time. Boo!) (March 14th)

6. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 18th)

7. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (May 6th)

8. Barb came over, and together we made 112 Cards for Soldiers (May 12th)

9. Photographed the graduating 8th grade class at Children First Academy (May 17th)

10. Donated a double round of platelets (May 24th)

11. Spent a morning working at ICM Food and Clothing Bank (June 4th)

12. Donated a double round of platelets at the blood bank (June 23rd)

13. Donated a double round of platelets at the blood bank (July 21st)

14. Donated a double round of platelets at the blood bank (September 1st)

15. Donated a double round of platelets at the blood bank (November 18th)

16. Assisted Aid Station #5 at the IronMan Triathalon (November 20th)

• I was off to such a bangin' start at the beginning of the year. I can't help but think I should've done more, but I know better than to "should on myself." So, I won't. :)

4) Go on at least one quality date a month -- whether it be by myself, with D

or with a friend -- as long as it's something new, different and adventure

worthy.

Here's a little info on the thought that went into making this goal.

January: Double feature at the drive-in theater with a car picnic. It was a really fun night!
February: Putt-putt golf. Air hockey and video games. Dinner at Chompies. Awesome.

March: Tempe Art Festival for shopping, people watching and street food.

April: Weekend stay-cation at a resort in Scottsdale. Luxurious, romantic relaxation!

May: Kayaking at Canyon Lake

June: Went to see Over the River and Through the Woods at Hale Theatre Center

July: A week long healing, communication, education retreat

August: Dinner and to Chandler Center for the Arts to see a free summer concert

September: Trip to Geneva, IL and a Warrior Dash 5k

October: Road trip to Apple Annie's in Wilcox

November: Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day, first time to run a race step-by-step with D

December: Christmas Caroling with friends -- a perfect adventure in which to end the year!

Now that I've (mostly) completed my 2011 resolutions, it's time to decide what I want to

turn my attention to in 2012. What are you thinking about working on and committing to?

Good luck with your hangovers tomorrow, everyone. :)

{Resolutions: December 2011}

Oh, bugger! It's hard for me to believe this year is already almost over. Didn't it just

start? A friend sent me an email recapping the highlights of his year recently, and it

made me stop to think that I have actually done a lot in the last 334 days. It's been

good! It still seems like 2011 only just began ...

I'm going to do my best to plug away with the New Year's Resolution's I set eleven

months ago and finish the year strong. They won't be 100% done by the time January

first strikes, but I feel like I accomplished much of what I set out to do this year

(most of which I didn't document on the 'ole blog). That's a great feeling! I'm here today

with my second to last e-check-in of 2011.

In 2011:

1) Make one new goal each month that give me a sense of balance and

make me feel like me.

January: Blog stuff -- done

February: Technology -- done

March: Photos into albums & scrapbook -- done

April: Canning -- done

May: Was kind of a bust -- oops!

June: Practice doing a 5K (mostly walking) -- done

July: Find a fun, part-time job -- done

August: Do a simple sewing machine project -- oops!

September: Run in a 5k -- done

October: Put myself out there to find more work in my field -- done

November: Establish an LLC, a business account and basic work documents -- progress made.

-->I'm still working on this goal, but I looked a few things up, got some great advice and

made some small decisions. I will continue to work on it in December and January,

and I'm excited to be legitimizing my work. :)

In December: Re-org the drawer that holds cloth napkins and table runners and finish

crafting my little Christmas houses -- a simple goal during a busy month.

2) Learn how to do the following things around the house in 2011:

- Clean up my PCs (May 29th)

- Clean up my MAC (worked on it in November, 50% done)

- Unclog the kitchen drain/garbage disposal (replaced disposal, no longer clogs)

- Turn off the water to the house (January 31st)

- Work the sprinklers and the drip system (March 13th)

- Add to the drip system (this may not happen in 2011)

- Clean the pool filters (February 6th) Change pool the filters (February 13th)

- Weekly/monthly pool care (July & August 2011)

- Drain and fill the pool (February 19th)

- Fertilize the lawn before summer (March 13th)

- Properly level and hang hardware fixture with a molly (November 29th)

- Change a door hardware and handle

- Relight the pilot light in the water heater (March 19th)

3) Volunteer or donate blood, on average, once a month (12 times this year).

1. Made food boxes w/ friends at St. Mary's Food Bank (January 8th)

2. Donated platelets and red blood cells (January 14th)

3. Sorted food baskets for the Bountiful Baskets produce co-op (February 10th)

4. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 4th)

5. Donated platelets (They weren't setup to do RBCs this time. Boo!) (March 14th)

6. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 18th)

7. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (May 6th)

8. Barb came over, and together we made 112 Cards for Soldiers (May 12th)

9. Photographed the graduating 8th grade class at Children First Academy (May 17th)

10. Donated a double round of platelets (May 24th)

11. Spent a morning working at ICM Food and Clothing Bank (June 4th)

12. Donated a double round of platelets at the blood bank (June 23rd)

13. Donated a double round of platelets at the blood bank (July 21st)

14. Donated a double round of platelets at the blood bank (September 1st)

15. Donated a double round of platelets at the blood bank (November 18th)

16. Assisted Aid Station #5 at the IronMan Triathalon (November 20th)

4) Go on at least one quality date a month -- whether it be by myself, with D

or with a friend -- as long as it's something new, different and adventure

worthy.

Here's a little info on the thought that went into making this goal.

January: Double feature at the drive-in theater with a car picnic. It was a really fun night!
February: Putt-putt golf. Air hockey and video games. Dinner at Chompies. Awesome.

March: Tempe Art Festival for shopping, people watching and street food.

April: Weekend stay-cation at a resort in Scottsdale. Luxurious, romantic relaxation!

May: Kayaking at Canyon Lake

June: Went to see Over the River and Through the Woods at Hale Theatre Center

July: A week long healing, communication, education retreat

August: Dinner and to Chandler Center for the Arts to see a free summer concert

September: Trip to Geneva, IL and a Warrior Dash 5k

October: Road trip to Apple Annie's in Wilcox

November: Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day, first time to run a race step-by-step with D

I hope you have a great day, everyone!

{Resolutions: November 2011}

I took a blogger break for a bit, but I've been keeping up with my monthly resolution work.

I've managed to stay on point for the most part. I'm back today with an update on how

things are going. I massaged my fourth goal to fit better with life -- gotta evolve to stay

relevant!

In 2011:

1) Make one new goal each month that give me a sense of balance and

make me feel like me.

January: Blog stuff -- done

February: Technology -- done

March: Photos into albums & scrapbook -- done

April: Canning -- done

May: Was kind of a bust -- oops!

June: Practice doing a 5K (mostly walking) -- done

July: Find a fun, part-time job -- done

August: Do a simple sewing machine project -- oops!

September: Run in a 5k -- done

October: Put myself out there to find more work in my field -- done

November: Establish an LLC, a business account and basic work documents -- progress made.

2) Learn how to do the following things around the house in 2011:

- Clean up my PCs (May 29th)

- Clean up my MAC

- Unclog the kitchen drain/garbage disposal (replaced disposal, no longer clogs)

- Turn off the water to the house (January 31st)

- Work the sprinklers and the drip system (March 13th)

- Add to the drip system (this may not happen in 2011)

- Clean the pool filters (February 6th) Change pool the filters (February 13th)

- Weekly/monthly pool care (July & August 2011)

- Drain and fill the pool (February 19th)

- Fertilize the lawn before summer (March 13th)

- Properly level and hang hardware fixture with a molly

- Change a door hardware and handle

- Relight the pilot light in the water heater (March 19th)

3) Volunteer or donate blood, on average, once a month (12 times this year).

1. Made food boxes w/ friends at St. Mary's Food Bank (January 8th)

2. Donated platelets and red blood cells (January 14th)

3. Sorted food baskets for the Bountiful Baskets produce co-op (February 10th)

4. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 4th)

5. Donated platelets (They weren't setup to do RBCs this time. Boo!) (March 14th)

6. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 18th)

7. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (May 6th)

8. Barb came over, and together we made 112 Cards for Soldiers (May 12th)

9. Photographed the graduating 8th grade class at Children First Academy (May 17th)

10. Donated a double round of platelets (May 24th)

11. Spent a morning working at ICM Food and Clothing Bank (June 4th)

12. Donated a double round of platelets at the blood bank (June 23rd)

13. Donated a double round of platelets at the blood bank (July 21st)

14. Donated a double round of platelets at the blood bank (September 1st)

4) Go on at least one quality date a month -- whether it be by myself, with D

or with a friend -- as long as it's something new, different and adventure

worthy.

Here's a little info on the thought that went into making this goal.

January: Double feature at the drive-in theater with a car picnic. It was a really fun night!
February: Putt-putt golf. Air hockey and video games. Dinner at Chompies. Awesome.

March: Tempe Art Festival for shopping, people watching and street food.

April: Weekend stay-cation at a resort in Scottsdale. Luxurious, romantic relaxation!

May: Kayaking at Canyon Lake

June: Went to see Over the River and Through the Woods at Hale Theatre Center

July: A week long healing, communication, education retreat

August: Dinner and to Chandler Center for the Arts to see a free summer concert

September: Trip to Geneva, IL and a Warrior Dash 5k

October: Road trip to Apple Annie's in Wilcox

I hope you have a great day, everyone!

{Resolutions: July 2011}

June was some month in my little corner of the world. Life had me doing backflips, side-

stepping, walking on fire, and standing on my head. Sometimes, all that at once. Alas, it's

time for me to take inventory on what I accomplished toward my 2011 New Year's

Resolutions, and reset before marching into the second half of the year.


In 2011:

1) Make one new goal each month that give me a sense of balance and

make me feel like me.

January: Blog stuff -- February: Technology -- March: Photos into albums & scrapbook

-- April: Canning -- May: Was kind of a bust

June: Practice doing a 5k. Graduate from a walk to a jog and with improved time over

the course of the month.

* All things considered, I'm fairly proud of the output for this goal.

* I did 19 5Ks between the treadmill at the gym and outside on the trail with the dogs.

* I mostly walked, but I improved my walking pace from 16:20/mile to 14:41/mile. The

new pace feels much better, and leaves me feeling much more energized.

* I didn't add as much jogging as intended, about 12 minutes per 5K in all. I didn't push

myself as hard as I should have, but it still felt good! I've lost a few pounds, and I feel

so much more comfortable in the breast region when jogging. :) I'm loving that.

July: Get out my sewing machine and use it on something, even if only on one project.

2) Learn how to do the following things around the house in 2011:

* I didn't accomplish a thing from this list, but there's a lot of year left. :)

- Clean up my PCs (May 29th)

- Clean up my MAC

- Unclog the kitchen drain/garbage disposal

- Turn off the water to the house (January 31st)

- Work the sprinklers and the drip system (March 13th)

- Add to the drip system

- Clean the pool filters (February 6th) Change pool the filters (February 13th)

- Weekly/monthly pool care

- Drain and fill the pool (February 19th)

- Fertilize the lawn before summer (March 13th)

- Properly level and hang hardware fixture with a molly

- Change a door hardware and handle

- Relight the pilot light in the water heater (March 19th)

3) Volunteer or donate blood, on average, once a month.

* My goal, from a numbers perspective, was to do at least twelve things this year ("on

average, once a month") to help my community. I accomplished that number in June,

and it feels great. Anything I do in the remaining six months of the year will be icing on

the cake. I also wanted to make being of service to my community part of my routine.

That's happening. Fitting this into my schedule has become very natural and easy. It's

my intention to make this a lifetime habit, no matter how busy or distracting life gets.

1. Made food boxes w/ friends at St. Mary's Food Bank (January 8th)

2. Donated platelets and red blood cells (January 14th)

3. Sorted food baskets for the Bountiful Baskets produce co-op (February 10th)

4. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 4th)

5. Donated platelets (They weren't setup to do RBCs this time. Boo!) (March 14th)

6. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 18th)

7. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (May 6th)

8. Barb came over, and together we made 112 Cards for Soldiers (May 12th)

9. Photographed the graduating 8th grade class at Children First Academy (May 17th)

10. Donated a double round of platelets (May 24th)

11. Spent a morning working at ICM Food and Clothing Bank (June 4th)

12. Donated a double round of platelets at the blood bank (June 23rd)

4) Go on at least one quality date a month with D (and take turns planning it).

Here's a little info on the thought that went into making this goal.

January: Double feature at the drive-in theater with a car picnic. It was a really fun night!
February: Putt-putt golf. Air hockey and video games. Dinner at Chompies. Awesome.

March: Tempe Art Festival for shopping, people watching and street food.

April: Weekend stay-cation at a resort in Scottsdale. Luxurious, romantic relaxation!

May: Kayaking at Canyon Lake
June: We didn't do it.* I decided to take myself on a date as a way to meet this goal,

better late than never. I'm going to see a play at Hale Center Theatre in Gilbert

tomorrow. I've never been there, and I'm looking forward to it.

* I'm disappointed I won't be able to say "we did it" for this goal come the end of the year.

But the reality is that I can only control my actions and intentions when it comes to reaching

a goal. Taking an adventure with David wasn't an option this month. So, I decided to create

one for myself. I can still try new things and take time to connect with myself, I guess,

right? Onward and upward!

{Resolutions: June 2011}

It's the first day of a new month, and for me, that means it's time to check in

on my New Years Resolutions.

In 2011:

1) Make one new goal each month that give me a sense of balance and

make me feel like me.

January: Blog stuff -- February: Technology -- March: Photos into albums & scrapbook

-- April: Canning

May: Rearrange and organize my kitchen cupboards

* My priorities shifted this month. Suddenly reorganizing my dishes felt like the least

important thing I could do. So, I spent my time elsewhere, and I'm fine with that. I did

accomplish half of a reorg and purging in my office, which was in need to some tidying. I

freed up a couple shelves, donated some things, etc. It's not finished, but it's feels better.

June: Practice doing a 5k. My plan is to graduate from a walk to a jog and with improved

time over the course of the month.

2) Learn how to do the following things around the house in 2011:

*Scratched one thing off my list this month.

- Clean up my PCs (May 29th)

- Clean up my MAC

- Unclog the kitchen drain/garbage disposal

- Turn off the water to the house (January 31st)

- Work the sprinklers and the drip system (March 13th)

- Add to the drip system

- Clean the pool filters (February 6th) Change pool the filters (February 13th)

- Weekly/monthly pool care

- Drain and fill the pool (February 19th)

- Fertilize the lawn before summer (March 13th)

- Properly level and hang hardware fixture with a molly

- Change a door hardware and handle

- Relight the pilot light in the water heater (March 19th)

3) Volunteer or donate blood, on average, once a month.

* I was able to make some nice contributions to my community in May, and it felt great.

1. Made food boxes w/ friends at St. Mary's Food Bank (January 8th)

2. Donated platelets and red blood cells (January 14th)

3. Sorted food baskets for the Bountiful Baskets produce co-op (February 10th)

4. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 4th)

5. Donated platelets (They weren't setup to do RBCs this time. Boo!) (March 14th)

6. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 18th)

7. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (May 6th)

8. Barb came over, and together we made 112 Cards for Soldiers (May 12th)

9. Photographed the graduating 8th grade class at Children First Academy (May 17th)

10. Donated a double round of platelets (May 24th)

4) Go on at least one quality date a month with D (and take turns planning it).

Here's a little info on the thought that went into making this goal.

January: Double feature at the drive-in theater with a car picnic. It was a really fun night!
February: Putt-putt golf. Air hockey and video games. Dinner at Chompies. Awesome.

March: Tempe Art Festival for shopping, people watching and street food.

April: Weekend stay-cation at a resort in Scottsdale. Luxurious, romantic relaxation!

May: Kayaking at Canyon Lake

That's it for May. I've already started my monthly 5K goal, and I'm really enjoying

it. June 2011 looks like it'll be an interesting month in many ways.

{Resolutions: May 2011}

It's the first of the month. That means it's time for me to

touch base with my New Year's Resolution. Here it goes ...

In 2011:

1) Make one new goal each month that give me a sense of balance and

make me feel like me.

January: Blog stuff -- February: Technology -- March: Photos into albums & scrapbook

April: Buy canning supplies and give canning a try.

* I went to my friend Sara's and watched/helped her make canned tomatoes in late March.

It was great preparation and practice for my plan to can in April.

* I bought all the supplies I needed -- read more about that here.

* I canned tomatoes -- five pints of chopped Roma's and six pints of chopped Heirlooms.

* Now I feel confident and in the know about canning, and I'm ready for May/June when

all kinds of goodness will be in season. Woo hoo!

May: Rearrange and organize my kitchen cupboards

2) Learn how to do the following things around the house in 2011:

* No progress on this list in April.

- Clean up cookies and junk on my computers

- Unclog the kitchen drain/garbage disposal

- Turn off the water to the house (January 31st)

- Work the sprinklers and the drip system (March 13th)

- Add to the drip system

- Clean the pool filters (February 6th) Change pool the filters (February 13th)

- Weekly/monthly pool care

- Drain and fill the pool (February 19th)

- Fertilize the lawn before summer (March 13th)

- Properly level and hang hardware fixture with a molly

- Change a door hardware and handle

- Relight the pilot light in the water heater (March 19th)

3) Volunteer or donate blood, on average, once a month.

* I did nothing for my community this month. :( Gotta gear back up in May.

1. Made food boxes w/ friends at St. Mary's Food Bank (January 8th)

2. Donated platelets and red blood cells (January 14th)

3. Sorted food baskets for the Bountiful Baskets produce co-op (February 10th)

4. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 4th)

5. Donated platelets (They weren't setup to do RBCs this time. Boo!) (March 14th)

6. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 18th)

4) Go on at least one quality date a month with D (and take turns planning it).

Here's a little info on the thought that went into making this goal.

January: Double feature at the drive-in theater with a car picnic. It was a really fun night!
February: Putt-putt golf. Air hockey and video games. Dinner at Chompies. Awesome.

March: Tempe Art Festival for shopping, people watching and street food.

April: Weekend stay-cation at a resort in Scottsdale. Luxurious, romantic relaxation!

Having this check-in actually encourages me to get my shit done from month to month.

So, thanks for that!

{This One is in the Can}

One of the great pleasures of growing up in the midwest: fresh produce stands in the

summer. Corn on the cob; baskets of cherries; big, ripe watermelons; brown bags full

of green beans. Farmers set them up road side next to a drop box where you leave cash

for whatever you're buying -- on the honor system. You gently place your finds in the

back seat of your car and take them home for that night's dinner. It's the best.

Here in Phoenix, we have farmer's markets. They're not the same as the 'ole corn stand

from home, but they're good (even if they're usually stocked more heavily with crafts

than produce). And there's always Sprouts, Whole Foods and Bountiful Baskets -- for

which I am ever grateful.

Still, no matter how dedicated you are about tracking down the fresh stuff, sometimes

convenience begs for a can of pre-cleaned, pre-cut, pre-softened tomatoes. I always have

a few cans of diced tomatoes and beans in my pantry, and I'm not afraid to use them.

But ...

Did you know there's BPA in a lot of our food packaging? Including things like the canned

tomatoes you find at the grocery store? Sometimes I wonder if it's even possible to get

away from all the chemicals and preservatives out there. I mean, there's even VOC's in

our mattresses and carpet. It's ridiculous. On the other hand, it's part of business trying

to meet the demands of a culture that wants it all "now", for as few pennies as possible.

So, we're all partially responsible, I guess.

I won't ever be able to avoid all the junk out there. I'm going to eat some produce that's

been treated with pesticides and even my organic, "free range" eggs aren't coming from

chickens who roam a peaceful farm like the one Leo Bunker owned when I was a kid.

I've accepted that with indignant annoyance.

Yet, I love that there are some things I can do to protect myself and my family from our

chemical nation. One such way is to can my own foods when things are fresh and in season.

That way, I know there's no BPA included. It's something I've always wanted to do, but

never did, until this month. I made it my goal for March to learn about canning, buy the

proper supplies and to take a stab at it.

I'm so excited that I've started canning. It makes me seriously happy. I began with

tomatoes. I got five cans of diced Roma's and six cans of the most beautiful heirlooms

in my first attempt.

I'm waiting for May and June to do it again, when more things that I want to can are in

season. With any luck, I'll have a pantry full of locally grown and personally canned

produce to get us "through the winter" without having to use too much that's out of

season or commercially canned. Go, green!

{Glitter and Glue Makes a Girl Grin}

Can you still call something a hobby if you haven't done it in eight months?

I'm way out of swing with scrapbooking, but it was calling me. So, I answered by

making it a goal to do a some recently.

I got preoccupied with putting most of my photos in albums. (It seemed like the most

logical thing to do considering the amount of digital pictures I wanted to get into flippable

pages.) But I knocked out two layouts in March, and I was pretty happy with that.

For the first one, I ordered an 8x10 collage (Walgreens, $3.99) to help me get started.

It's from all the hiking we did when my brother, Pam and the kids came out to visit us

in Arizona two Decembers ago. We had such a good time together, and I wanted to

document the fact that the six of them flew all the way to the desert.

I decided to go with a photo that didn't include people for the second one. It's clean,

simple and proud. I like it.

It felt good to get back to this -- to finish a page and put it in an album.

National Scrapbooking Day is May 7th. I was thinking an all-nighter might be in order

-- like the old days -- but then I remembered I'm asleep by 10PM pretty much every

night. So, it may have to be an all afternooner.

{Ready to Can}

Canning requires the proper tools.

I've looked into preserving produce off and on for a couple months now. Asking around and

doing a a few Google searches gave me an idea of what I needed to buy, but I still felt fuzzy

on the process. I was totally intimidated by it. So, I hadn't taken the leap yet.

Sara gave me a needed push when she invited me over to help her can tomatoes. She made

it look easy. (She's calm, collected and organized.) I realized -- I can do this! So, I made it my

April goal to get supplies and start canning just in time for spring and summer harvests.

She told me what I needed to buy and where to find it. Turns out, Ace Hardware really is

the place. They had almost every item she suggested, and it was all priced reasonably. I

had to go to Walmart -- for the first time in four years -- for one thing, but it is the perfect

tool for the job. So, I did it. (Admittedly, it wasn't a bad shopping experience, and I picked

up a few other things while I was there.)

Here's what I bought for canning:

A 21-quart pot for processing with tool set - $69.99 at Ace.

Image from Acehardware.com

Mason jars with lids for canning (12 pack) - $12.99 at Ace.

Image from Acehardware.com

Extra lids - $3.99 at Ace

Image from Acehardware.com

Everything you need to know about canning and how to do it -- $8.99 at Ace.

Image from Amazon.com


Wire basket perfect for blanching tomatoes - $14.99 at Walmart

Image from Google Images

It's time -- now that I have the means -- to find my way. I'll be back soon with a report

on my progress and a little about why it was important to me to try this.

*********************************

Reminder: It's Earth Month! Pop over to EcoLizzie's blog to learn a little about what you

can do to celebrate our beautiful planet.

{Hard Copies}

You -- if you're like most people in the 21st century -- probably have way more digital

photos then you have printed ones.

I was right there with ya. But it occurred to me, I put a lot of effort into documenting and

trying to get good shots. Those photos shouldn't be buried in a external hard drive or

electronic folders that are only ever seen by me. They're part of our memories and our

story. I wanted to be able to physically flip through hard copies.

So, I made a goal for myself to get photos printed and put into albums during the month

of March. Progress has been made! I ordered a ton of 4x6 prints -- over 800 -- from

pictures I took primarily in 2009 and 2010. Then, I put them in this album ($13 at

Walgreens). It has space for 500 4x6 photos.

Look at all these glorious pages filled with actual pictures! This album contains 475

photos, in all. (I left spaces in it to create titles and make notes.)

To keep it easy on the eyes, I made sure the photos on each page were either all

horizontal or all vertical.

Pretty much each page or set of pages has it's own topic. I had to do a little counting and

preplanning to accomplish that. It gives the album a sense of organization. And I tried to

get a good variety too -- events, people, pets, and artistic snapshots, etc.

Finally, I was able to use up a bunch of letters and stickers in my stash by making simple

titles on some of the pages.

This album is 100% complete. (I'm so pumped about that, and I've looked through it well

over a dozen times.) I've started a second one that has 199 pictures in it, and it's ready for

more. I still have to do the title inserts and notes in this book. I'm hoping to actually keep

up with photos as I go in 2011.

Thanks for stopping by today and checking out my little project!

{Resolutions: April 2011}

I can scarcely believe it's already the end of the first quarter of 2011. Doesn't it feel

like it was just New Years Day?

The first of the month is when I check in on how I'm doing with my resolutions.

I've been chipping away at them and keeping up with them pretty well. (Yay!)

In 2011:

1) Make one new goal each month that give me a sense of balance and

make me feel like me.

January: Blog stuff -- February: Technology

March: Do some scrapbooking and get photos into albums

* Progress has been made!

* I printed almost 800 photos.

* 674 of them are in albums!

* 36 of them are in a little flip book.

* I'm in the process of making card sets with the rest.

* I scrapbooked two 12x12 layouts.

* I feel kind of awesome.

April's Goal: Buy canning supplies and give canning a try.

2) Learn how to do the following things around the house in 2011:

* I checked three things off the list this month!

- Clean up cookies and junk on my computers

- Unclog the kitchen drain/garbage disposal

- Turn off the water to the house (January 31st)

- Work the sprinklers and the drip system (March 13th)

- Add to the drip system

- Clean the pool filters (February 6th) Change pool the filters (February 13th)

- Weekly/monthly pool care

- Drain and fill the pool (February 19th)

- Fertilize the lawn before summer (March 13th)

- Properly level and hang hardware fixture with a molly

- Change a door hardware and handle

- Relight the pilot light in the water heater (March 19th)

3) Volunteer or donate blood, on average, once a month.

1. Made food boxes w/ friends at St. Mary's Food Bank (January 8th)

2. Donated platelets and red blood cells (January 14th)

3. Sorted food baskets for the Bountiful Baskets produce co-op (February 10th)

4. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 4th)

5. Donate platelets (They weren't setup to do RBCs this time. Boo!) (March 14th)

6. Helped caseworkers collect items from Bridging AZ’s Hope Chest (March 18th)

4) Go on at least one quality date a month with D (and take turns planning it).

Here's a little info on the thought that went into making this goal.

January: Double feature at the drive-in theater with a car picnic. It was a really fun night!
February: Putt-putt golf. Air hockey and video games. Dinner at Chompies. Awesome.

March: Tempe Art Festival for shopping, people watching and street food.

And with that, I'm onto April. Thanks for humoring my monthly check-in. :)

What are you looking forward to accomplishing this month?

{Resolutions: March 2011}

The month of love has come and gone, and that means it's time to check in with

myself to see how my 2011 resolutions are going. How are the resolutions you

made for the New Year coming along?

I like this process of "checking in" to:

* Celebrate what I did towards my goals

* Accept what I didn't do

* And decide what I can do in the next month

In 2011:

1) Make one new goal each month that give me a sense of balance and

make me feel like me.

February: Learn how to use some of the technology I already have. Ideas include the

navigation system in my car, my phone and camera.

* Set up the manufacturer's three month trial for XM Radio in my car. (Love it.)

* Figured out how to use the navigation ... that should make things easier down the road.

* Finally arranged my pre-set radio stations in the car.

* Totally didn't get to the phone, but I'm going to Verizon on Thursday to get a lesson

in how to do some things and to exchange the car charger I have for the right one.

March: Scrapbook and get some photos into albums

2) Learn how to do the following things around the house in 2011:

I made good progress on this list in February. David was a great teacher. :)

- Clean up cookies and junk on my computers

- Unclog the kitchen drain/garbage disposal

- Turn off the water to the house (January 31st)

- Work the sprinklers and the drip system

- Add to the drip system

- Clean the pool filters (February 6th) Change pool the filters (February 13th)

- Weekly/monthly pool care

- Drain and fill the pool (February 19th)

- Fertilize the lawn before summer

- Properly level and hang hardware fixture with a molly

- Change a door hardware and handle

- Relight the pilot light in the water heater

3) Volunteer or donate blood, on average, once a month. That's 12 times a year.

1. Made food boxes w/ friends at St. Mary's Food Bank (January 8th)

2. Donated platelets and red blood cells (January 14th)

3. Sorted food baskets for the Bountiful Baskets produce co-op (February 10th)

4) Go on at least one quality date a month with D (and take turns planning it).

Here's a little info on the thought that went into making this goal.

January: Double feature at the drive-in theater with a car picnic. It was a really fun night!
February: Putt-putt golf. Air hockey and video games. Dinner at Chompies. Awesome.

{Resolutions: February 2011}

We're one-twelfth done with 2011. How are your resolutions going? It's the first day of

February and time for me to check in with how I did on my goals for last month and

state my intention for February.

We had company from December 22nd to January 24th with eleven days off during that

stretch, broken into three chunks of time. Each break was just long enough to take a deep

breath, do some laundry and give David a kiss. It was a lot of being on and taking other

people into consideration. I've decided any dreams I have of opening a quaint B&B are

best left dreams unrealized. :) After a little recuperation, I'm feeling more like myself

again. I managed to squeeze in my January goals in the final hour.

In 2011:

1) Make one new goal each month that gives me a sense of balance.

January: Work on my blog. Take Elsie's Blog Love course. Make some new pages.

* I finished Elsie's Blog Love e-Course. It was great. I'm not using my blog as a business

tool like she is, but I want Link Adventures to be a good representation of me and a place

people like to visit. Her course got me thinking about some changes I'd like to make. I'm

still ruminating. I love that her course got blog ideas flowing for me. I have a whole list of

things to work toward, and I'm excited to begin checking them off the list.

* I started making new pages for my blog! These are stand alone pages that feature specific

topics with a bunch of info all in one spot. I have five categories in mind, but I've only just

began making them. For now, you can find pages in my blog's right margin towards the top.

Once they're finished, I'll probably display them as tabs directly underneath my banner.

* Craft Index is finished. There you can find most of the crafty projects I've made, all under categories (i.e., embroidery, cards, paper crafts, etc.).

* Recipe Reference page is also complete, and it was fun to make. It's a quick index to most

of the recipes I've posted online over the years. Admittedly, this is for me probably more

for me than it is for you. I use my blog as a recipe book a lot. So, I was excited to get these

recipes in one, easy-to-search-through page. I hope you use it, too!

February: Learn how to use some of the technology I already have. Ideas include the

navigation system in my car, my phone and camera.

2) Learn how to do the following things around the house in 2011:

I haven't made much progress on this list yet, but the year is young.

- Clean up cookies and junk on my computers

- Unclog the kitchen drain/garbage disposal

- Turn off the water to the house (January 31st)

- Work the sprinklers and the drip system

- Add to the drip system

- Clean the pool filters

- Weekly/monthly pool care

- Drain and fill the pool

- Fertilize the lawn before summer

- Properly level and hang hardware fixture with a molly

- Change a door hardware and handle

- Relight the pilot light in the water heater

3) Volunteer or donate blood, on average, once a month. That's 12 times a year.

I got a good start towards accomplishing this goal ...

1. Made food boxes w/ friends at St. Mary's Food Bank (January 8th)

2. Donated platelets and red blood cells (January 14th)

4) Go on at least one quality date a month with D (and take turns planning it).

Here's a little info on the thought that went into making this goal.

January: Double feature at the drive-in theater with a car picnic. It was a really fun night!

{Quality of a Date Night}

Dating can be both a lotta work and a lotta fun.

It doesn't matter if you're single and looking -- going on blind dates and first dates. (Ahh,

remember first kisses? ♥) Or if you're married and busier then you sometimes want to be

with kids, work and life.

David and I are somewhere in between. We don't have kids. So, that gives us built-in time

that a lot of couples don't have. But we've been together for over a decade now. So, it's very

easy to stay in, watch TV, drift into different rooms, and do our own activities. Sometimes

it's nice to be able to be near each other but not totally interact. It's comfortable and real.

But years together and that sense of being comfortable can start flirting with a roommate-

like relationship. (Enter jaws music.) Let's face it, there's not a lot of mystery left after

certain experiences have been had. You've seen each other naked from every imaginable

angle, both sexy and practical. And you've witnessed each other at your best, but also,

your worst. Sick, hot, messy, mad, sad, wrong, angry, weak.

It can be amazing because you know each other like no one else on the planet does, but

there's not much mystery to hide behind either. It's like you cross that line where you're

sitting on the couch next to your partner and you take off your bra -- only there's no longer

anything sexy about it. Your agenda isn't to seduce but rather to free yourself from your

underwire after a long day. Blah.

Dating can help "bring the sexy back". It creates a pause in your life. The pause is an

opportunity for you to notice each other and connect. And romance is just nice. It's gets

the heart beating, the blood racing and puts you on notice that you need to try a little bit.

David and I thought we were onto something when we set a resolution in 2010 to go on

at least one date a month. Obviously, a date a month isn't breaking any records, and

we were usually able to go on more than that. It felt good to have that goal as a couple

to create "us time", and we had some really nice dates.

But looking back over the year, I realized we didn't always focus on the quality of our date

nights very much. We'd do dinner, and often, it was at Pita Jungle because it was easy -- we

already knew we liked it, it was casual, and it didn't take much thought. A lot of those

nights, we were tired and we didn't embrace the pause our date was affording us.


(Photo credit: Google Images)

So, as we were approaching 2011, I asked David if he'd be interested in making another,

possibly more meaningful, date resolution. The idea: We plan one date a month that's something fun, different and exciting. We alternate months so we're each only planning six dates a year. Totally doable!

Here's what I love about this plan.

* It gets both of us engaged in date night.

* We'll get to surprise each other six times a year with our date ideas.

* It's a push to try new things or fun things we haven't done in a long time.

* The excitement of doing new things together will likely encourage a deeper connection.

* Knowing that the other person put some effort into planning it, hopefully will motivate

each of us to be more present in the date itself.

I'm tellin' ya, this might be my best idea in recent history. I'm so excited about it!

Tonight will be our first specially planned date of 2011. ♥ We're going to a drive-in theater

for a double feature to see "No Strings Attached" and "The Fighter". Neither of us have

ever been to a drive-in before, and the weather is perfect for it in Phoenix right now.

I'm looking forward to snuggling in the car while we snack on a picnic and enjoy the

shows! I'm even hoping to kiss a little during intermission. ♥♥♥

{Resolutions: January 2011}

It's a new decade! I have big dreams for the next ten years of my life, but looking at it one

year at a time is much more manageable when it comes to resolutions, no?

LinkAdventure has been "my place" for recording new year resolutions for the past two

years. So, I thought I'd keep it going, if nothing else, to provide myself with accountability

and create a place for my personal record keeping.

I'm changing the "three monthly goals" resolution I made in '09 and '10. I've found that

three goals + life + other things I'm working on (not listed here) means my focus is pulled

in too many directions. Sometimes I have a hard time finishing things as completely as I'd

like to. I've been working on some exciting things for my professional life, strides that I

won't articulate here. Plus, I'm on a never ending quest to become the person I want to

be mentally and emotionally. C'est assez! With that in mind, I've simplified my resolutions

for the year ahead ... and I'm really excited about it.

In 2011, I will:

1) Make one new goal each month (fun or serious) that gives me a sense of balance.

2) Work on learning how to do things around the house. (See list below)

3) Volunteer, on average, once a month. (Donating blood every eight weeks-ish counts.)

4) Go on at least one quality date a month with David. (We're each going to plan a date

a month, which I'm wild-and-crazy happy about!)

Things around the house I want to learn how to do in 2011

that David normally takes care of:

- Clean up cookies and junk on my computers

- Unclog the kitchen drain/garbage disposal

- Turn off the water to the house

- Work the sprinklers and the drip system

- Add to the drip system

- Clean the pool filters

- Weekly/monthly pool care

- Drain and fill the pool

- Fertilize the lawn before summer

- Properly level and hang hardware fixture with a molly

- Change a door hardware and handle

- Relight the pilot light in the water heater

My monthly goal for January:

- Work on my blog by taking Elsie's Blog Love course and making some new pages.

I'd love to hear what resolutions you set for yourself or just what you're working on, in

general. Best wishes to all of you for a wonderful, fulfilling, balanced, and mentally healthy

year in 2011.

{Resolution Time: Wrapping up 2010}

Happy New Year, everyone!

New year, new month, new day.

Clean slate. Fresh start.

New beginnings in another chapter

that's yet to be written.

It will be what we make of it.

That's a fairly rare and very special gift.

For me, the first of the month means it's time to look back and review how I did on my

final monthly and quarterly goals from 2010.

My New Years Resolution in '09 and '10 was to make three new goals each month. It's

worked really well for me. Some were for fun, others were important for me to accomplish.

The goals have pushed me to get some things done I wouldn't have otherwise gotten to,

and they've helped me find some of the balance I seem to be in constant search of. It beats

all the years of setting resolutions in January that I lose track of after a few weeks. :)

Using my blog as a way to establish and follow up with my goals hasn't made for the

most interesting reading, I'm sure, but it gives me a sense of accountability in my goal

making. I like need that. Hopefully it's inspired you with a few ideas along the way, too.

So, to wrap up my last month of 2010, I will ...

Evaluate how I did with my December goals (for the month and the fourth quarter).



December Resolution Review:

1.

Do my first December daily! That's going to mean creating a lot of holiday magic and

documenting all of it. I don't plan to finish it 100% by month end, but I expect to

have an

idea, some journaling and a photo(s) for each day.

* It's so not done. How do people make the album, have a fabulous December, prep all

the materials for each day, and make the pages as they go? I mean, I could do it ... if

that's all I did for the whole month.

* But I did buy the album itself from the fabulous and talented Sara Fehling. So, all that

work is done, thanks to her and some prior planning on my part.

* And I did what I had to do in December, which is to say, I had a great holiday that

focused on the people and the traditions. It was festive, indeed. I made a list of what

will go on each page, and I took photos along the way. I'm sitting good on materials to

fill the December Daily; although, I wish I would have done more real time journaling.

There's always next year for that. :)

2. Organize the garage.

* It's 95% DONE! Here's a recap of what we did ...

* It would've been a huge project for a busy holiday month, but we did a lot of work over

Thanksgiving. That's when we emptied it of all it's contents, painted the whole thing and

epoxied the floor. It was a really fun project to do with David -- a lot of work but very

rewarding. It felt good to get it done and work as a team.

* Starting in December, we got quotes on cabinetry, ordered it and had it installed.

* David caulked the joints in the floor. Now debris won't get stuck in the cracks.

* We cleaned off every single item as we moved it back into the garage, and we put it all

away in categories and nice order. Everything has a spot.

* We thinned out a lot of our things! I took two full loads to donation, a backseat full of

items to the City of Chandler Solid Waste to be recycled and repurposed and a few other

things to the dump. Thanks to the new cabinet space, we also got rid of two big shelving

units. David took those to work. They were nice, but they looked cluttered.

* All that's left to do is organize David's locker (in the new cabinet area) and sort through

a few more of his tools. I have room available to put things. So, it should only take an

hour or two out there to wrap up this project and find the final items a perfect spot.

* Photos coming soon.

3. Clean things that never get cleaned -- reuseable bags, light switches, doors, makeup
brushes, phones, computers, shoes, hair drier vents etc. And my car - ha!

* Ironically, my hair drier died. Didn't even have to clean it. :) I think it might have made

it longer if I cleaned the vents out a couple months ago when I should have. Oops.

* Took all D's shoes (dusty from job sites) to have them polished at his barbershop. They

looked brand new afterwards. He went from feeling like he needed new shoes to realizing

he's all set in that department for now. Very cool and totally worth four bucks a pair.

* My formerly very dirty car = totally spotless inside and out. Lovely.

* Makeup brushes. Check. I've never done this, but they say it's important to keep your

skin healthy. Cleaning the brushes removes natural oils, dust and bacteria. Your brushes

last longer that way, too. I used mild shampoo and my hand, followed by a complete air

dry. It took less than five minutes. Simple.

* Laptops. Check.

* Every light switch in the house. Check.

* Reuseable grocery bags. Check. Have you ever done this? I got the idea from a friend

(Jenny Bloyer). You use those over and over but probably never wash them, right? Me

too! It was simple, but it felt so clean afterwards. I shook each bag out over the trash.

Then, I took the bottom inserts out of each bag and hand washed those. Next, I turned

each bag inside out and put them in the washing machine on delicate. Finally, I air dried

the bags and put them all back together. I'd like to do this monthly or so.

* This goal motivated some mini, low-or-no-cost reorganization projects, too. I did ...

- the shelf at the top of our coat closet

- the buffet drawers where David keeps his stuff

- my bedroom end table drawer

- our shelf of extra personal supplies in the bathroom

- a kitchen cupboard

- started purging clothes for donation

It felt great!

For our combined resolution to go on at least one date a month, David and I ...

* Went to the Parade of Lights and the tree lighting ceremony in downtown City of Chandler.

* Had dinner with friends Johnny and Debbie at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Phoenix and

then swung by Arthur and Kate's holiday party for a bit.

* Went grocery shopping and ran a few errands together!! That's not technically a date, but

it meant so much to me that David asked to go with me. It was so unexpected and nice. And

I'll be damned, he did it again with me on New Years Eve. Such a sweet thing for him to offer.

* Had a lovely dinner at the Hendrick's house.

* We had a mini date, I'll call it, making chocolate dipped pretzels. Again, not really a date,

but I've seen David making an effort to do more with me and be more present when we're

together in the last two weeks, and I.LOVE.IT. It was a fun hour in the kitchen that meant

more than dinner out.

For the forth quarter of my 2010 goal to volunteer at least once a quarter, I ...

* Donated platelets and red blood cells (November 12th)

* Worked a food drive donation location from 7-9:30AM. (November 23rd)

And that officially wraps up the year of 2010. Wow.

I've started formulating my plan for 2011. I think it's going to look a lot like my 2010

plan (which was three monthly goals, at least one date a month with D and a quarterly

goal to volunteer). I want to make a few twists to my 2010 plan to make it work better

for me in 2011. David and I have modified our date resolution, and I have a short list of

things I want to work on throughout the year to help make me a better version of myself.

Those will be part of it.

We have company since the 22nd. It's been a busy weeks (plus). I haven't taken much

time to finalize my 2011 resolutions, and I'd like to take another day (or three) to think

about it. I'll be back soon to share what I'm resolving to do in 2011.

What are your resolutions for the New Year or goals for 2011?