Snow

A rare snow day on the Valley floor and some good news!  First the snow.

The good news is I have reached a blogging milestone (at least it is for me!)  I have reached over 100 views of a single post!  Check it out here!

Thank you all!

Happy Birthday and New Year!

Hello!  I would love to share some wonderful things I did last year and maybe some wonderful things I will do this year!! I am sharing these on my birthday because I was too lazy to do them on the first it seemed more fitting than on the first!

Photo Credit: Salvatore Vuono

Last year we (hubs and I) sat down and took a good hard look at the budget.  Oh yuck!  It is no fun to sit down and see how much money you do not have but it had to be done.  We did a combination of Dave Ramsey's (the envelope method and savings plan) and took some advice from Gussy about budgeting every last dollar.  The only money we didn't budget was my income from Scentsy since it was so irregular; we instead used it to pay for unforeseen bills or it went directly to debt.

Now I was all for paring down to no extra money but the hubs needed some extra money to have a little fun with so the compromising began!  And we worked it out without killing each other!  And  to tell you the truth it was a lot easier having a budget than not.

End result: Paying off the windows on our house ($11,000 on a credit card), a trip to Hawaii for me without putting any money on a credit card, and the piece of mind that we will be living freer in 2012!

We will continue along the same path with adjustments to the budget as needed until we have all debt paid off (student loans and house remaining).  But it feels so amazing to look back and see that if you do set goals and make a plan things really do happen!

Nieces and Nephews Oregon Coast Dec. 2011

Next was/is a personal goal of mine, to get outside more.  To go hiking, biking, walking, work in yard and go letter boxing/geocaching.  I did get out more than I did the previous year but there were still way too many days we stayed inside.  Days where I convinced my daughter to do other activities instead of going for that walk.

This year I will write out my goals and make them measurable (and maybe get a better raincoat) so that I will have no excuses not to just get out and go!!

Oregon Coast Sunset Dec. 2011

Another very personal goal was also set by my husband and I.  I will not go into details but pretty much any parent will know how important this type of goal is....adult time for  mommy and daddy.  We followed the advice of this woman.  And I have to say if any of this at all sounds like you and your spouse try it!! Do it (hee hee) for 2 months and tell me if it doesn't change your (sex) life.

My last goal was made part way through the year and that was TO BLOG MORE!!!!  And if you have been following along you will know that I have met that goal.  So for the year to come I will change that goal to blog more consistently and learn how to take better photos by doing projects like this! Thanks for following along and have a great new year!!

{this moment}

{this moment}

inspired by Soule Mama

Hanging with Big Papa

Today I....

• nearly had a heart attack
• got finger printed
• got knocked to the ground

Today I am grateful...

• that the guy behind us knew how to swerve
• that I didn't get put behind bars or see more of that inmate that was wearing only a towel
• that I didn't get hurt (more than turf burn)

Today I learned that...

• sometimes it is safer to run the yellow (especially when the guy behind you is tailgating and pulling four cords or wood)
• dealing with a home invasion can last a really long time (going on a year and half)
• I haven't forgotten how to play soccer but my body can't do what my brain remembers doing 10 years and one baby ago!

Pancake Review

After several questions about my pancakes I decided to write a little follow up.  This recipe is not touchy at all!

• You can mix and match any whole grains from both recipes or with whatever you have on hand; just make sure the total "flour" amount equals between 1 and 1.25 cups.  i. e. Corn meal or ground oats make a good replacement for Malt-o-Meal
• If you don't have lemon juice vinegar works for making the buttermilk.
• You can cook these at waffles!!  I would lean a little more towards 1.25 cups on your flour if you are going to try.  
• Have fun!  And please let me know any variations you try.  My latest has coconut flour, almond meal, rice flour and cornmeal.  It was soooo yummy!

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

My daughter having leftover pancakes for
dinner along with oven roasted potatoes!

Chewy Lemon Lavender Snowdrop Cookies

The Great Blogger Cookie Swap is here!  I have received all of my cookies, check out my first two here, the last box came on Saturday. And they were delish!! They were a lovey chocolate and mint (peppermint?) cookie from Jenny at Jenny Creates.

Jenny's lovely cookies which my husband demolished.

I was so nervous and excited to pick out a recipe to send to three lovely ladies.  I wanted to have a unique cookie and it needed to be one that would travel across the country well.   

I found both of these with my Chewy Lemon Lavender Snowdrop Cookies.  Using the chewy lemon snowdrop cookie recipe from sophistimom as a base I dove into my first great cookie adventure. 

Brown Paper Packages Tied up with Strings!

The Lushers' packaging was so pretty I almost didn't open it!

Yay!!!! A few days ago I received my first and my second cookie exchange cookies in the mail!  How exciting to get something so yummy from someone so far away.  That was one of best reasons for signing up for the the great food blogger cookie swap! Check back on Monday the 12th for the link up and my recipe.