Go somewhere/do something new each month:

January:

Brazilian wax

February:

Ghost hunting in Anoka

Eyelash extensions (Link will probably only send you to the info page on these during February)

Keratin Complex application

March:

Dance 101 (Adult Dance Class)

April

Alexis Mateo @ Basix, Cedar Rapids, IA

Sharon Needles @ The Garden, Des Moines, IA

May

Family vacation to Omaha, NE & Henry Doorly Zoo

June

Aerosmith concert @ Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

July  

Zero Gravity Trampoline Park

August

September

October

Family vacation to The House on the Rock, Spring Green, WI)

Joined LA Fitness & committed to training twice a week w/personal trainer

Run a 5k (Monster Dash)

November


December

Boudoir photo shoot @ Pixie's Photography

2012 Goals & Resolutions

Boosting Energy

• Get a minimum of 8 1/2 hours of sleep per night
• Be absent from the house for a minimum of 24 hours at least once a month
• Plan meals monthly and do not repeat a dish more than twice
• Create a master chore checklist

Boosting Spirituality

• Meditate at least once a week for a minimum of 30 minutes
• Journal (pen & paper) at least once a week

Boosting Parenting

• Plan one fun/educational outing per month (Aim to have it be previously unknown)
• Complete annual photo books for each child

Boosting Finance

• Re-evaluate 2012 budget so one of the outstanding debts is paid off (credit card/windows)
• Try one month cash only

Boosting Relationships

• Plan monthly meet ups (families & kids/adults only)
• Practice honest & direct communication
• Don't settle
• Keep in touch with long distance friends (with the internet, there is NO excuse)

Boosting play/Challenging myself

• Go somewhere/Do something new at least once a month
• Begin Jobs People Have
• Monthly drag night

2011 Tattoo recap

I started this in late December and am just now completing it. Oops! Guess it got lost in the shuffle of the holidays and college enrollment. Better late than never?)

Based on my (assisted) discovery of the book The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide, I've become motivated to discuss the reasoning behind the two pieces I had done in 2011. (That and a couple people have asked to know more about them on Facebook and this is a good way to do that in one fell swoop.)

The first piece I had done this year was on July 18th and was an improvement on the only tattoo I had at the time:

The original part of this piece was the ankh and, initially, it was a hollow shape in black and white. Since I first had it done with I was about 20 (Over a decade ago! How can this BE?), I've felt like it wasn't quite finished but wasn't sure what to do with it. One day I got it into my head that I wanted to get something to commemorate my children, who are my DNA immortality, and started thinking about different ways in which to do that artistically.

Finally, after discarding a parade of "not quite it" options, I came up with the idea to use the flowers of their birth months. Ada was born in September so the aster in the middle is for her. Mina & Eli were born in February so they are the violets on either side. The ankh itself got a makeover because it had faded over time and did not look very nice next to the new work. It didn't turn out exactly as I'd pictured it in my head when the artist described what she wanted to do with it but, hey, it's on my back so I'm not the one who sees it! Honestly, I do like it and the kids have a good time pointing themselves out on a regular basis.

The second piece I had done this year (December 2nd) was both more personal in meaning and well thought out than the back piece:



Close up:


The basis for this tattoo extends back to 1997 when I was a post secondary option student in high school. One of my literature classes had the required poetry section, which I am not always a fan of. We had to find and present poems we liked in class and, in my online research (Netscape Navigator FTW!) I stumbled on this poem:

"Your absence has gone through me
Like thread through a needle.
Everything I do is stitched with its color."

W.S. Merwin

It struck me at the time, as it still does today, that this is one of the shortest poems I've ever read but also the most affecting. I marvel over the fact that there isn't a word in it that doesn't improve on the feeling and image that the work creates. Needless to say, I was instantly won over. As those of you who have been seventeen are aware, it can be a very drama filled age and I was no exception. When I came across this poem, I was experiencing an absence which is probably part of the reason that I immediately committed it to memory.

The absence that I was experiencing then is one that comes and goes even now, fifteen years later. A relationship of that duration and importance is worth committing to skin (in my opinion anyway) and I've spent a lot of time rolling around ideas all these years but nothing ever coalesced into the perfect storm of excellence. That is, not until one night, several months ago, when I was letting my mind wander and the design surfaced whole and complete. Like naming a child, it was immediately clear that it was perfect and captured the relationship as well as my personality perfectly. Not convinced? Here's my reasoning:

I like to sew and used to do quite a bit of cross stitch and embroidery

I love to read and one of my favorite books is The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. (Sparknotes here if you need a recap of the plot.) This relationship has had some similar elements and that's all I care to elaborate there.

I wanted the piece to look like it hurt because, let me assure you, there's been plenty of that over the past fifteen years. (Not blaming, just saying.) What could be more painful than stitching in the skin over your heart? Branding I suppose, but that would have been kind of ugly and hurt a LOT more.

My first name is Anna and it's an 'A'! Clever!

The whole idea of the tattoo applies to both one specific relationship as well as all of the people who have been important to me over the course of my life who are now absent in some way, be it through personal choice (theirs and/or mine), death, or geography. I do have to admit though that it was this one specific relationship that initially inspired the piece. Credit where it's due and all that.

So, there you have it. A fairly detailed of why I've had someone indelibly mark my body. There are two more pieces I would like to have done in 2012 and a third that would be ongoing as it would involve commemorating all of my cats past, present, and future. Yes, I really am that crazy. Whoo!

Resolution Recap

So, here we are again. It's the end of another year and that always leaves me (and most people I would imagine) looking back over the previous months, as well as ahead to the next twelve. If you look through the posting history here, you can see that December is the month I'm most motivated to get organized and make change. I like to plan and day dream about how things could be in the new year. The idea of twelve pages of emptiness makes me giddy from the potential. Unfortunately, I've come to realize they aren't actually as blank as I imagine them.

For some reason, I conveniently forget that the schedule I'm already keeping carries over into all that blank space even if it's not recorded there in pen yet. Thanks to my electronic calendar (which Google is good enough to sync across different devices), I'm hoping to be a bit more realistic about setting my goals for 2012. Not that I'd say that the goals I set for 2011 were unrealistic. Looking back on them this evening I feel they were fair and well considered. Did I meet them all? Heavens no! In some categories, I didn't manage a single one (Marriage, Spirituality), which was a disappointment to be sure. I plan to reevaluate the goals that I set last December to see if they're still valuable in the coming year since I obviously didn't act on them as they're written. Some categories are very nearly complete and that was rewarding to discover. Overall, I'd say that this year had some definite high points but also some very ugly lows. As a Libra, I'm comfortable with that (for the most part) since I'm inclined to believe both need to be present so things are balanced.

I plan to post my resolutions as I compose them and will also be making more of an effort to use my blog again on a regular basis as I prepare to return to college for a degree in Communication Studies. What better way to practice communicating than to post about random topics on the internet? That's right. There isn't one.

Photo Card

Wrapped With Color Christmas

Shop our unique collection of photo Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Where has it all gone?

I know February is the shortest month of the year, but it isn't so short that I feel like it should already be the last full week. I'm working on meal planning for March already since it will take me at least a week to get the complaining out of my system and the meals plotted out. It was REALLY beneficial and saved a ton of time to have everything charted for February, but I still dread sitting down and doing it. We tried a couple of new recipes this month and they were all filed in the "win" column. Hopefully I can keep this up the whole year and it'll be so routine that my complaining disappears.

The exciting news around here is that, in March, we'll be going on our first vacation sans children since well before the twins were born. The last time we went off, just the two of us, was when we went to Cancun for a trip that Mike won at work. That was in March of 2008 so I'd say it's about time. We're heading up to Duluth for a couple of days and will be spending one night at The Inn on Lake Superior and two nights at the Cotton Mansion. I plan to curl up in front of the mansion's fire place in the fireside reading sweater I ordered from Mod Cloth this weekend and do just that. I also have fancy plans to take copious naps and sleep in until very late in the morning. I think it's rather sad that our vacation will mainly focus on laying around and sleep but, hey, we have a pre-schooler and twin toddlers. You've gotta' go with what works for you, right?

I've had a busy month work wise in that I've had three bra fitting events. I haven't put much time into getting out there and meeting people since well before I was sick so it's been nice be active again. I've talked to a lot of women who are interested in fittings so hopefully I'll have a little more work to do in the coming weeks.

Since I do a lot more talking than fitting at the expos I've been at lately, I've had the chance to get to know a lot of other representatives for different companies. I do a lot of shopping too since, hey, that's what people are there for! I've picked up some new Norwex products to try since they're chemical free cleaners and their cloths/scrubbing pads/etc. are all antibacterial. I was a complete skeptic before I tried anything since some of the claims sounded along the lines of "too good to be true". Since their anti-bacterial cloths clean with just water, I figured they wouldn't work well. Uh, wrong. As they advertise, I've been able to remove greasy things like butter from surfaces with just a wet wash cloth. With all the tiny, greasy fingers running around this house every day, this is like winning the cleaning lottery.

I also spent some time this morning trying out my new spirisponge and it was magical. My oldest and I are actually calling it the "magic silver sponge" because it got things clean with just warm water and a little effort that I'd really scrubbed the heck out of with a regular scrubby and lots of stinky chemical cleaners. Anyway, I'm seriously considering having a Norwex party at my house which really speaks volumes to those of you who have known me for some time. The only other party that I ever agreed to host was Essential Bodywear and look how that turned out... I don't hostess unless I'm as enthusiastic about a product as the company representative and know for a fact that it's awesome. I think I may wait until I've tried out the other things I picked up yesterday (dishwasher detergent and laundry detergent) to see how those hold up to their claims. I also ordered a toothbrush with silver in it so that will be interesting to try. Anyway, if any of you are interested in trying out some of their fabulous things yourselves, let me know and I'll get you the name of a good Norwex representative. (Otherwise, you can come to the party if/when I have it.)

I also picked up a couple of pieces of "grown up" jewelry from two different Premier Designs ladies. The first piece was a hematite pendant that I fell in love with immediately. I'd had one similar to it before but the clasp/chain snapped and couldn't be repaired and I've mourned its loss since. The second was another pendant and it's a filigree pattern with rhinestones in it. VERY shiny. I have a half price piece coming and it's been difficult to decide what I'd like. While cleaning out the house at the end of last year, I got rid of a LOT of the jewelry I had since it was from high school and REALLY didn't reflect my life/tastes now. It's been a challenge to find pieces that I really like, can wear with multiple outfits, and won't immediately break into a thousand pieces if the kids should get ahold of it.

I have more to say but no time to say it since I actually have to wake my kids up from naps now. This is some kind of miracle and I believe it's a gift from the universe for working all weekend and having to deal with all this new snow. (Seriously winter, enough is ENOUGH.)

Weekend recap & keeping in touch

The three birthdays that we celebrated this weekend (the twins and their dad) were a great time and I actually had the chance to visit with the guests at the birthday party. I haven't felt like I could do that, well, ever really. It was a smaller party than we've had in other years but there were a lot of people who wanted to come but were sick with various nasty bugs that seem to be floating around lately. I appreciate that they didn't share those with us as we've been relatively illness free here this winter. (Knock on wood...) I shared the photos from the various celebrations on Facebook so I won't get too much into that again here. We did end up visiting both the Como Zoo Conservatory and Chuck E. Cheese on Friday and it was definitely worth the juggling to make both happen. Viewing all the green plants and flowers at Como made me long for Spring even more so but it was a welcome relief for the eyes. FINALLY a little color instead of nothing but white snow and bare brown trees!

It was good to see friends and family on Saturday and it's made me realize that people seem to need an invitation to get together when they're adults. Since one of my resolutions is to "keep in touch" I'm going to try to actively contact people I'd like to hang out with and book events in advance each month. (For example, since it's creeping up on the middle of February now, I should be making plans for March.) People may still not keep the dates we make but at least I'll know I'm trying. My "boosting friendships" resolutions are fairly simple and basic and I don't feel like I've done much in the way of working on them. I let the fact that I have small children keep me from leaving the house much and I know I need to take a closer look at that behavior. My excuse is, and has always been, that they're only small for such a short time that I really should be here for them as much as possible. In a handful of years, they'll have their own friends and aren't really going to want to hang out with their mom 24/7 like they do now. And, really, if it makes a difference for them down the line to have had all this time with me while they're young, then any sacrifice of social events on my part seems totally justified. I do think I take it to the more extreme side of things though as I don't think that I've been out with friends even once in the past... hrm... lots of months. Typically if I see people it's because they've come here. I don't have a problem with that but it's been suggested to me that I'd be happier if I got out of the house once in a while. And, since I'm doing this Happiness Project, I guess it would make sense to test this theory. So, watch out people. I might be looking to get together with YOU soon!

All three children are napping, my house is clean, and I'm on track for the twins' birthday party on Saturday. Everyone is healthy and I'm doing well on many of my resolutions. Meal planning is done for February and I've done the grocery shopping for all but some of the meat. (We get "happy meat" from Fresh & Natural Foods in Shoreview so it's a special trip each month.) I've been finding time to get some pre-school type things done with the oldest to see if homeschooling full time in the fall is feasible. I'm feeling really good physically and more than a little capable mentally. Overall, it freaks me out since I haven't felt this "together" since I was just dealing with one child full time. Don't get me wrong - I'm grateful for the turn around. I'm just suspicious and on alert for potential monkey wrenches in the gears of my well oiled family machine.

I'm having some difficulty with the twins turning two tomorrow because I can't even pretend to myself anymore that they qualify as babies at all. I can't say that I miss having twin infants but they were SO cute that it's hard not to mourn that stage of our lives just a little bit. After all, they are the last of the babies that we'll have.


(I hardly remember them being this small...)

We're celebrating by ourselves tomorrow with Daddy taking the day off work and we're going someplace special. We aren't sure exactly where that is yet, but Chuck E. Cheese or the Como Zoo Conservatory are two of the front runners. The kids are pulling for grease and games so it might be both as I'd really like to look at some flowers to remind myself that it can't be winter here forever.

Saturday brings family & friends over for a party at our house. I'm making tater tot hotdish and we'll have a Pooh Bear & friends themed cake from Target. I'm thrilled to be able to actually eat a piece of birthday cake since I was feeling completely miserable at the oldest child's birthday party in September. I suppose we could have frozen a piece or something but I was sick for over twelve weeks and I've never attempted to freeze cake that long. (Heck, I'm lucky if I make a cake and it lasts for more than a day or two over here.)

Speaking of baking, I really do recommend monthly meal planning to all of you. It's daunting and stupid irritating while you're working on it but the pay off is unlike any other. I bitched and moaned my way through planning February and skip into the kitchen every night now because preparation is a breeze. I know what I'm making and know that everything I need to make it is just sitting there waiting for me. It's almost magical, the ease with which supper comes together now. It went over well with the husband because we tried all kinds of new recipes last month and several new things already this week. I fed my father-in-law for two nights (cheesy meatloaf and cheddar corn chowder respectively) while my mother-in-law was out of town and he seemed to appreciate my culinary attempts at variety as well. If you've never tried it, give it a shot. Seriously. It saves time AND money both of which are extremely valuable commodities once you have children.

I'd like to spend some time on an entry specifically reviewing my resolution progress but I'm working on getting through a book that I need to mail for Paperback Swap by the 8th so this is it for now.

I think it's time for a spreadsheet...

I've been having a tough time keeping all of the resolutions I made for my Happiness Project straight and I'm thinking it might be time to make a list of them so I can literally check them off when I've done them each day. One of the frugal living/deal blogs that I read daily had a post about household management forms that had several templates I think would work well.

I'm also making a chore chart for Ada who will be getting a star each time she completes the activity listed (brush hair & teeth, help pick up toys & books, etc.) each day. Once she earns a certain number of stars/points, we're going to let her "cash them in" and select a prize. I've also been thinking about giving her some kind of small allowance, but I think she should probably understand money a little more clearly before I do.

Also, I am beyond thrilled that I had the foresight to create a playroom upstairs for this winter. It's SO nice to have somewhere for them to run, climb, and basically wear themselves out during the winter months when going outside would be a trial. It's a disaster zone most of the time, but always lots of fun.

Progressing Progress

I need to record, for posterity, how much easier life is when I do monthly meal planning because it is. It REALLY is. I just hated doing it but the dividends it's paying now during the month are so worth it.

I picked up a magnetic white board calendar that also has a place to a "to do" list on it to hang in the kitchen and that's also been helpful for any changes I've had to make to the menus. I did well with my goal of not repeating meals more than twice a month. I think, for the most part, most meals are only served once which is a HUGE change. We used to have pizza at least once a week because it was quick and crazy easy. This month? ONCE. To give you a sampling, here's a list of what we've had this month so far: (I'll link to recipes where available)

Special weekend breakfasts:

• French Breakfast Puffs - I want these EVERY day but my wasitline would not appreciate it.
• Buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy
• Sour cream pancakes

(All of these recipes are from a cookbook called The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From an Accidental Country Girl which I'd highly recommend as everything I've made from it and her website are DELICIOUS.)

Lunches:

• Spaghetti Pie
• Potato & cheddar pierogies
• Grilled cheese
• Cheese bagel bites
• Macaroni & cheese
• Potato cheddar soup

(We like cheese in this house if you couldn't tell..)

Suppers:

• Corn dogs and fries
• Tacos
• Mini meatloaves
• Chicken fried rice
• Sloppy joes
• Lasagna roll ups

And leftovers. Lots and lots of leftovers. I have to say that's definitely at the top of my favorite things about meal planning list. Tomorrow, for example, I will only cook breakfast and then that's it for the rest of the day since we'll have lots of leftovers from today. Whee!

I picked up a very cheap six month subscription to a meal planning site (Relish) through one of the daily deal sites I get e-mails from, so we'll see if that makes planning for February even easier. All in all, I'd have to say that meal planning has been providing a large and lasting happiness boost.