GORP ...and catching up...

Hey!  So, it's been awhile since I've posted...  again.  Over a month, jeeze...  and even longer since I've done a "sit down and chat with whoever reads my blabbering on" kind of post.

Anyway, if you follow me on Instagram, you might already know that my awesome best friend bought me a "late birthday" gift recently.  A book that I've been eyeing for quite some time: Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan!!!  I love it so, so much.

It's beautiful, isn't it?

I was browsing Pinterest recently and came across this board full of beautiful illustration inspiration...  the works by Carson Ellis caught my eye and I decided to start doing some research on this talented artist.  Turns out that, not only does she do album art/band posters/etc. for one of my favorite bands (The Decemberists), but she's married to the Colin Meloy, the lead singer!  I adore them both.  

Continuing my research, I found that Meloy and Ellis have created a series of children's fantasy books together, The Wildwood Chronicles.  Check out this video to learn more about the books and to watch Ellis draw a coyote soldier (also to prevent me from going on and on and on about it!).  I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good story.

Also gorgeous.

Anyway, you might be wondering why I'm going on about two seemingly unrelated books, but they have something in common that had been on my mind before ever picking up either book: GORP.  Good Ol' Raisins and Peanuts.  Trail mix!  Food in Jars has a recipe for GORP granola and in Wildwood, Prue -the main character-, grabs a bag of GORP to take along on her adventure....  We have an abundance of raisins in our house, peanuts were on sale at my favorite grocery store and Halloween left us with a heap of M&Ms...  this was obviously all meant to be.

Not to mention that it's easy enough that my six-year-old was able to make it (almost) on his own.

GORP (Good Ol' Raisins & Peanuts Trail Mix)

3 cups roasted, lightly salted peanuts

2 cups raisins

1 1/2 cups M&Ms (we used half regular and half peanut M&Ms)

Toss it all in a bowl.  Mix it up.  Enjoy!  ...but don't pick out the chocolate and leave the peanuts and raisins (Prue says it's illegal!).

...

I feel like I've been a slacker -as far as my blogging goes- lately...  I just don't know where I want all of this to go.  Not that it has to go anywhere, really, but I feel like it's turned into a place to plan my menus and that's not all that I want it to be.

So, for that reason, I'm taking a break from posting my menu planning on here (for now, at least).  I feel like I've done it enough to give you a good example of how to go about it, and I really don't think that anyone cares about what I'm cooking for my family anyway.  Really, the only feedback I've ever gotten have been negative comments from a guy that I hardly knew in high school that I repeat certain meals too often.  So I'm done with the sharing of my menus for the time being.

On a different note, I've been doing well with my #100daysofyogachallenge...  today was day 41!  Yay!  I'm feeling better and my general mood has improved.

Also, I started a challenge that I saw on Facebook this morning...  the "40 Bags in 40 Days 2014 Decluttering Challenge" (want to know more about it?  Click the link)...  I'm sure I'll share more about it in the future.

I've also created a printable cleaning chart and I hope to do a post about it soon.

Anyway, just putting all that out there for whoever might be reading my blog..............

.............is there anyone who reads this?  ...or am I doing this for myself?

(I think every blogger has this question at some point)

If you're reading this, please leave me a comment and let me know.

Resolutions and whatnot...

So, I figure that if I'm going to do a post about life changes and resolutions, I should probably do it before January comes to a close...

Last year, my resolution was simply to "be a better version of me."  Overall I would say that I did a pretty good job.  I lost 25 lbs (though I gained 7.5 back thanks to holiday bingeing and a new found addiction to pistachios)...  I've integrated yoga into my life...  I've done well with menu planning (and mostly sticking to it)...  I even yell at my kids [a little] less.

...but isn't that what life is about?  Being the best that you can be, doing the best that you can and trying to make changes when you realize that you were in the wrong or that thing aren't going as planned...

That's what I want my life to be, anyway.

So, I think that this year's "resolution" (if that's what you want to call it) is the same thing as last year.

I'm hoping to continue sharing what works for me -and what doesn't work- and maybe some of you will be able to learn from my accomplishments and mistakes.  A few areas that I'm hoping to continue improving upon include (but are most definitely not limited to):

• being more HEALTH conscious (it's not all about weight loss, it's about eating right and moving more as well!  Also being aware of my mental well-being! )
• being more environmentally aware (reduce, reuse, recycle more!!!)
• loving on my kids more (not reacting so much and hugging and saying, "I love you" more!)
• ORGANIZING and being honest about what should be purged!   (a constant battle in our home, myself included)
• daily journaling (even if it's just a little note on gratitude in my to-do book)

I'm sure I could keep listing off things that I would like to change/areas to grow in, but part of all of this is not overwhelming myself and just doing the best that I, as an individual/mother/human, can do.

Did you make a resolution this year?

Are there specific areas in your life (that you have control over) that you'd like to change?

So tired, but so worth it...

I'm exhausted.  I spent *hours* (literally) running around and cooking in preparation for the blog posts that are coming up on Create! Don't Consume!

Nikki and I got a lot done today...

...and dinner was amazing because of it.

Check out what we're up to at Create! Don't Consume!