New Year

It's not 2011 anymore (nor was it yesterday when I posted), but I feel like I need a farewell post. I have posted 32 times over the course of mostly five months, concentrated in the first few. I did not realize this until I glanced at the list of my posts last night. Part of the reason for this is that I got married! I planned that wedding, completed 27 semester hours, and tried a lot of new things. I made some permanent changes, but I also fell off the wagon in some aspects. Most of all, I tried really hard. I tried hard to be a good wife, a good student, a good employee, and a good friend. I have tried to practice self-control, let go of things I can't control, and prioritize. I worked hard on projects I cared about. I wish I had been able to blog more, but I don't regret that I didn't. My attention was with my new husband, and now that we are a little more settled in, I will spend more time on my projects... As long as this coming semester is not too terribly time-consuming! I had a really fulfilling year, and I wouldn't change it. From now on, I will be blogging at Life o' No Regrets (lifeonoregrets.blogspot.com)! If you're typing in the address, be sure to leave out the "f".

Happy New Year!

I Feel Old

This year more than all other years combined I have felt like I am getting old. Here is my list of why. Yep, that's my intro.

1. I do just about the same thing every morning. If it's a workout morning, I work out. I make myself breakfast, which is nearly always the same: eggs and toast. I take a shower and say goodbye to my dog. I am becoming very predictable and routined.

2. I prefer to wake up early. If you had told me a couple of years ago that I would be waking up before I absolutely had to, I would have laughed. Now I like to "take my time waking up," and "ease into my routine", and "do a little housework". Madness.

3. Waking up early means I go to bed early. Way too early sometimes. But I woke up early and worked out and now, I don't care if it's only 9:30, I am tired!

4. I check the weather to see what I should wear. Before, I wore what I wanted. Let the weather dictate what I put on in the morning?! Pshh. If that meant flip-flops in January, that was cool. Why not?

5. I'll tell you why not. Circulation. My feet no longer have the blood flow to support this winter flip-flop insanity. In fact, I can't even go to sleep without socks. I wear little slippers around the house instead of my old barefoot ways. I had heard about this circulation thing before from an aunt, but I thought she was silly. Or just really old.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

My food-creation adventure began this evening with an empty, unhappy belly, armed with a newfound diet determination. Although this year has been largely devoid of regrets, one unhappy moment came when I could no longer fit myself in to mypants. An unwelcome by-product of a welcome development - my happy marriage - happy feelings seem to have swollen up and taken over my body. I checked out a couple of pumpkin pie smoothie recipes tonight, for some pumpkin puree I had, that I purchased for something like this, before Christmas, having no intention whatsoever of cooking anything with pumpkin.

Pumpkin is supposed to be, like, super good for you, so I'm thinking I have nothing but good things ahead of me tonight. Unfortunately, in all my bad-girl cooking (and eating), I've run plumb out of any of the healthy ingredients these recipes call for. For one thing, I'm supposed to have frozen my puree. Not gonna happen; this girl's hungry. For another thing, they call for some nice plain or Greek yogurt, which is all fine and good, but all I can seem to find in my fridge is heavy cream. I figure at 40 calories a tablespoon, that cream ain't gonna cut it, so I kept looking, and lo and behold I find some leftover holiday egg nog. I need to get rid of this stuff anyhow, and it probably won't do to add to my coffee before work in the mornings, seeing as it's got alcohol in it and all.

2011 Ornaments

My 2011 ornaments came about in a rush, because this ornament exchange snuck up on me, then I couldn't find the supplies I wanted for my first idea. I ended up with this. Pretty happy with them!

Ingredients for one dozen (you'll have lots of leftovers!):
3 Sheets White 12x12 Card Stock
Elmer's Paper and Fabric Glue
Skinny Sparkly Yarn
Felt
Tiny buttons

To make:
1. Take card stock and cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into a circle, then cut in half. Twist the six-inch-long semi-circle into a cone shape (sorta half it then pull ends together) and attach (I stapled, which somewhat flattens that side, then bent the staple a bit).

2. Apply glue on the bottom of the cone and start winding yarn around. You can use any kind really, but I got skinny yarn and I think if it was fatter it would have looked sloppy since the trees are so little. I wound all the way up as well as I could, adding glue as I went, then went back down and filled in the gaps. You can add as much glue as you need to, because it dries clear anyhow. You'll get it all over your fingers. Also, before we stapled the cone, we added a little loop with the knot on the inside, so you don't have to worry about attaching it later. It kindof gets in the way, though, so if you can ball it up at the top, it helps keep it out of the way.

3. I cut the stars out of felt and glued them on along with a tiny button. And that's it! My husband's mom and I did a dozen in about three hours, but the first ones probably took a little longer when we were still figuring it out.

No Meat May

"Eating greens is a special treat. It makes long ears, and great bit feet. But it sure is awful stuff to eat." - Thumper

I hadn't originally planned to have a "diet" month, seeing as how I'm less of a dieter and more of a healthy lifestyler, or at the very least a healthy lifestyle attempter. I don't generally believe in fad diets or anything you put your body and metabolism through that you don't plan to or can't continue indefinitely.

One of the easiest - ok, best - ways to control your diet is to begin to make all your own food. I was able to start this during no spend month, because I couldn't eat out. Although the goal of the month was not to improve my diet, it did end up having that result. Making your own food means you control all the inputs, and more than that, you know what the inputs are. This has helped me to be able to cut out meat.

So I covered the how. Now for the why.

Green month started the "why". In learning about green living, I've reinforced something I already knew - meat takes a lot of energy. Cutting out meat can do good things for your carbon footprint. I'm not even cutting out milk and eggs, but animal-derived energy needs many times that energy for its production. This energy largely comes from fossil fuels, which aren't sustainable. Thus, a vegetarian lifestyle comes closer to a sustainable one. Growing lentils or beans, which are other good sources of protein, takes less energy than producing a similar amount of protein in meat. Getting a calf out of a cow, growing the feed for the calf, feeding and housing it, butchering it, and keeping that beef fit for consumption until it gets to the grocery store takes a whole lot more energy than it takes to grow a bag of beans. All this points me toward attempting to cut out meat. For no meat month, we are cutting it out completely, however in the future I expect we will eat it in limited quantities, especially for special occasions or when there aren't many options. For example, this week I got invited to lunch at a BBQ joint... I figured I could eat some beans, as long as they don't have any pork added.

That's my no meat story. I have tried several new recipes this month and have enjoyed them all. I don't feel run down or deficient in any way thus far. Time will tell!

I will have to post some of my favorite new recipes soon!

Green Month

"One single can is of great importance, because 99 is not 100." Valter (wastelandmovie.com)

Because of the fact that Earth Day falls in April, I decided to make it Earth Month, (or Green Month, depending on what mood I'm in). I like trying to see how my actions affect the world around me. I listened to Green Living For Dummies to get some ideas.

By the way, Audible.com has a really great deal on audiobooks if you are interested in them. You pay a low fee monthly for credits which can be used to purchase the books, and you can cancel at any time. There are always great deals on them if you exceed your credits and want more, plus there are often sales that will put them as low as $5, even for a popular title.

Green Living for Dummies was interesting, but not terribly in-depth. What did I expect? It was however, short and sweet, which I appreciated. This month won't be bleeding into the next, because I managed to listen to it in about a week, hooray!

Spirituality Month Wrapped Up

It's certainly not spirituality month any longer,  but I'd like to go ahead and reflect on it.

First of all, my foray into church-going looks promising. My betrothed and I both enjoyed the church our friends attend and it seems to be a very non-judgmental atmosphere, so different from the one I knew growing up (which ultimately turned me off to it.) The first sermon was on the Sermon on the Mount - certainly not one I was unfamiliar with, but it impacted me in a positive way just the same. The next week we got to see some friends of ours share a very impactful testimony. Add to that, another one of our friends has a mom who likes to cook for everyone after church, and it will be hard to keep me from coming back again.

The Four Agreements ended up being really interesting and helpful. I still most like "Don't Take Anything Personally." You never know what other people are going through or what in the world may be motivating them to act the way they do toward you or anyone else. In the end, I was impressed with the level of awareness the book promoted, but felt it may be a tad on the detached side. I think there is still a very big place for kindness and generosity toward others that the book did not seem to promote. It was more of how to be at peace with yourself - but simply being at peace with yourself will not give you total peace.

April is Green Month, because of course April 22 is Earth Day. I will get into that more later!

Spirituality Month - Almost Over

Wow, these past couple of weeks have flown by! Everything has been peachy, but busy, and obviously I haven't been focusing enough on writing.
Good thing this month's theme is no longer "diligence", because I would have gotten an "F". Although I have faithfully listened to The God Delusion, now halfway through, I have completely lost interest. It made some very good logical points, and I appreciated the information, but it is much too heavy for my taste and I had a hard time following it in some parts. Although it hasn't changed my opinion on anything (in fact, it reinforces it in some instances), it did as I said before make some good points. The first being, believing in God is not logical. I always thought that it was. As a kid, I had a book that was called "It Couldn't Just Happen", and until recently I subscribed to that line of reasoning.

One of the main reasons I believed in God and a creator is that I saw the creation and didn't believe that it could have happened by chance. However, I now think that is a faulty line of logic. Think of the amazing features and workings of all the plants and animals, most times much more complicated than we as non-scientists could imagine. I used to think that since it couldn't have "just happened", that there must certainly be an intelligent creator. However, who among us could have designed all that? Isn't it just as unfathomable that there is someone out there who could dream it up and create it? Because you see, if the creation is unlikely, so much moreso must be the creator. In short, I realized that none of my reasons for believing in God are logical, and that is not why I do. Mr. Dawkins is an atheist, and gave reasons not to stay an agnostic forever - after all, there is convincing logical evidence that there is not a God. He ended up pushing me the other direction. I am completely, completely against religious and lifestlye intolerance, but I feel more confident now than I did a few weeks ago in God's existence. It's a faith thing, and nothing more - there is no sense in trying to logic it into something reasonable, because it isn't.

That's all I'm going to say on the subject, because I'm certainly not looking to get into a debate with anyone. But, that is what I got out of (half of) the book.

I have begun The Four Agreements, and let me tell you..... book is kooky. It's got some different ideas, for sure, but I'm very interesteed to read it.

I have not been wearing my "no complaining" bracelet, but, I have been mindful of my complaining, and I realized something: I don't really complain that much. I would much rather make an effort to be happy than make an effort to complain. I don't have a reference, but I know I have heard and even through personal experienced have realized that complaining only makes you feel worse.

I also plan to attend church this Sunday! And, I have continued to keep Facebook and Words With Friends off of my phone.

It's been a long week. I think allergies have been a problem for many, and believe it or not, I think I may still be feeling the effect of the time change!

Cheers!

Chocolate Granola

Anything you can do I can do better; I can do anything better than you. - Annie Get Your Gun

That seems to be my motto. I like trying to make things myself - the chocolate granola I found recently is no exception. The granola I bought boasts oats, dried cherries, almonds, pecans, and cocoa. A peek at the ingredients lists reveals brown sugar and coconut. I loved it! My first round, I only made it with about half a cup of oats, to test my ratios... and cooking temperature. I baked it on my standby temp, 350, and ended up thinking that could have been a tad high. It had a cooked smell to it that I wasn't really looking for. I did better the second time around.

A Late Start - Spirituality Month



Dont, don't you want me?
You know I don't believe you when
you say that you don't need me.

I've been a little frustrated with my productivity lately. February ended up being a very high-maintenance month. Cooking every meal was time consuming. I listened to my book every chance I got. It's over now, and it was great! Comes very highly recommended. Along with all that, I've had a decent amount of schoolwork to keep me busy in addition to a fun little bug I seem to have contracted. Which means I get a lot less done that I would like each night! Still on the agenda for "money month" is finishing my tablecloth and setting up my etsy store. I can't wait, but I want to do it right! I'd like to have more than only a couple of items to start out with. On the money month note, I'm also planning on getting my car on the market soon. And all the while, trying not to get too frustrated with the fact that I have to spend 40+ hours of valuable Year o' No Regrets time at the office every week.
Onto Spirituality Month. I have a pretty open mind when it comes to spirituality, but I think that I've shut it out altogether for the most part in the past few years because of some negative feelings toward the churches I've attended. I'm not looking to get into a religious debate here, simply to flesh out my thoughts and feelings and desires when it comes to the spiritual side of my life and developing it further.

Ziti with Vegetables and Sausage

I made this Tuesday night, and it was a big hit at work the next day! I got some Ziti with Chicken from Olive Garden on Sunday, and it struck me how incredibly salty and greasy it was. I told the boy what I was making and he said, "Didn't you just have that?" But I thought I could make it better!

Ingredients:
1 15 oz. box ziti or penne pasta (I used Barilla Whole Grain, yummy!)
1 bell pepper
1/2 onion
1 pkg. turkey link sausage
1 ea. 12 oz. can diced tomatoes (I always use the no added salt kind)
1 ea. 12 oz. can tomato sauce
2 eggs, beaten with 2 Tbsp milk
1 8 oz. ball fresh mozzarella cheese (Of course you can subsitute not-fresh. But why would you want to? :)
2 Tbsp italian seasoning
2 Tbsp Garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
(And a tad bit of cayenne pepper, if you like to keep things a little spicy!)
1/4 C parmesan cheese

Money Month: 23 Days in

Thus far, in money month I have:

Cooked nearly every meal I've eaten.
Almost bought a car.
Listened to about 6.5 of the total almost 14 hours of my audio book, 4 Hour Work Week.

Amazing Banana Bread

I've always loved banana bread. My mom didn't really made it often, but whenever I could manage to sink my teeth into some, it was a real treat. I have a "Fake it, Don't Make it" recipe that I got from my boyfriend's momma, and have worn it plumb out. However, it always bothered me that it was incredibly unhealthy. The main ingredient is a cake mix, for crying out loud, and you add a pudding mix! Beyond that, it's bananas, some eggs, oil, and nuts, so, very easy. (I will send it to anyone who wishes to try it, but on behalf of your blood sugar, I don't recommend it.) I wanted a better recipe. I had some over-ripe bananas. Let's try this.

Do Good, Feel Good

I can't justify the fact that I haven't done a whole lot of volunteering in my life. I used to help with stuff at church, like Vacation Bible School every year, and I have done a little tutoring, but I can't defend the fact that my weekends 99% of the time are purely pleasure seeking. This past weekend was different.

My boyfriend and I signed up for Habitat for Humanity. Here's what I was thinking going into it:

1. There are going to be a ton of people! (I thought it would be very impersonal.)

2. I hope they like me.

3. I hope I don't make a fool out of myself.

4. I'm scared.

After our first go-round, there are some things that really struck me.

Homemade Pizza Night

No spend month has been great so far but challenging. Because I love to eat, and sometimes get pretty busy, it's hard for me to deal with wanting to have something other than leftovers... again. I miss the convenience of hitting up a good restaurant. Last night, I was fed up and decided I was making something amazing. Here is the recipe I used/created. It takes around 2-1/2 hours to make, but you could probably make the dough for the crust ahead of time and be able to knock it out for dinner in no time. I, on the other hand, am very stubborn and ended up getting off work late, working out, starting the crust, heading to the store for toppings, then finally settling in for my piece with a glass of wine at about 11 o'clock. The pizza I recommend. My other methods, not so much. Recipe after the jump.

Measure Twice, Cut Once

I've heard this adage my whole life, and certainly considered it to be true. However, sometimes we forget that rules apply to everyone - yes, including us. Planning and careful consideration are such an important part of any decision-making or execution. Otherwise you could end up with two placemats that look like this!

See the placemat peeking out from the other one? That's only, oh, about an inch or so. Even before this happened I had basically come to the conclusion that I won't be selling this one - after all, it's been 100% by hand. The first time I appliqued, I did it a little differently than I did later, never mind this little size issue, so it's got "character". How could I let it live somewhere else? Besides, the whole reason I started making it in the first place was because I actually wanted a tablecloth, and wanted one that was my style. I have that, so my plan is to photograph it, and post it as a "made-to-order". Then in the future, I'll measure twice. And use a sewing machine.

Welcome to hodge-podge week, because I don't have just one idea on my brain today. (Honestly, when does that ever happen?)

Even though my resolutions helped me start working out, and develop some good habits; even though I'm employing the ideas I've had that I mentioned in Goal Attainment, I came up with something else.

Less is More Time, Money, and Clarity

It's officially "No Spend" month. I'm going to make myself relay here everything I buy. Last night at Brookshires I got one bag each of rice, black beans, and lentils (1.50 a pop). I made soup so I will have something to eat the next couple of days... turned out fairly well. I threw in a can of corn, diced tomatoes, a cup each of brown rice, (rinsed) black beans, and lentils. Maybe a little much, I'll probably cut it to 3/4 cup of each next time. It's pretty thick! But so filling. I seasoned it with italian seasoning, garlic, chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and chili powder. An eclectic mix, to be sure, but it's savory and yummy. Besides being super nutritious.

One more thing - I had two dollars left in my wallet. So when the Super Bowl squares came around, well. I partook. Wow, only day two and I'm screwing up! I figured that little bit of cash shouldn't count, especially because, originally, my plan was to convert my birthday and Christmas money to cash and have that available to spend, which I decided against. I'm glad I did, because I realized that not thinking about things to buy has freed my mind. When I get $10 off coupons in the mail, I normally hem and haw, feeling bad about the money I could save on things I might need, or gifts I could buy. Last night I checked the mail and brought one in - I took one look at it and chucked it. It was empowering!

The Hamster Wheel

Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work, driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for, in order to get to a job that you need so you can pay for the clothes, car and the house that you leave empty all day in order to afford to live in it. – Ellen Goodman

When did this become the American dream? I want to break free from this vicious cycle.

I was talking to a gentleman whom I respect and admire recently and got to talking about my dreams and also the dreams of certain others. My dreams don't really have anything to do with making any money - in fact, I probably dream more of needing less money than I do of actually making more of it. He reminded me that we all have to consider our retirement, and need to make more than a measly paycheck that will barely pay the bills from week to week. That's certainly true. I thought about it for a couple of days, then came back to him and said, "You know, I thought about what you said. But to retire, you don't have to make a lot. You just have to save a lot."

Goal Attainment

“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.” - Frank A. Clark

Working at my resolutions over the past month has got me to thinking about goals, and ways to reach them... ways to keep from working against yourself and stay on target. If there's anything I like to do, it's to give advice. That doesn't make me good at it, but it does lead me do it a lot. I love to help people, so anytime someone has a problem, I try to figure out a way around or through it. That being said, these are some things that have been on my mind regarding goal attainment. They're not ground breaking - I know that. Regardless, I do hear myself saying them a lot.

First and foremost, I think that you need to figure out your motivation. What is it that you really want? If you want to lose weight to get into a bathing suit, we've all seen the commercial that shows the girl walking past it every day eating her diet food. But this is a real motivator. Think about what you want, then figure out ways to keep that in the forefront of your mind. It could be as simple as post-it notes on your bathroom mirror. But keep your eye on the ultimate goal. There is no sense in starting a project or resolution that you have no motivation to finish. Commitment is so important.

Cons and Pros of a Home Gym

Cons:

1. Less machines

2. No dance classes, and while I can do the DVD kind, I have way less room. Those big classrooms were nice.

3. Can't watch Wheel of Fortune and guess at the puzzles while I run. That was always a fun little diversion.

4. Those mirrors everywhere were nice for A. checking your form and B. knowing if someone's checking you out. I think it's hilarious that those guys thought they were being so sneaky staring at my ass but then I turn around and - oops, caught ya!