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2025 Knitting/Fiber Art Goals, WIPs, and More.

Well, I survived the holiday season and I have a little bit of time before I’m back to the hectic pace of grad school 2.0. While my first year was incredibly fulfilling, it was also challenging because we just crammed so much into the year. Lots of travel, heathen milestones (college graduation!), back-to-back holidays, and we capped off the year with G-Man’s ear surgery (more on that another day).

While I do have a small respite, I want to focus not necessarily on resolutions, but rather on some creative goals for this year to keep a better life balance. I have a stash full of yarn and fiber that need attention and big knitting/spinning plans for the year ahead. So, let’s dive in and talk about them.

Main Goals

  1. Finish my husband’s Storm Sweater, which I have worked on for the past few months. I have been knitting this in Red Stag Fibre’s Yorkshire DK in a lovely oatmeal-ish color, which I picked up at DFW Fiber Fest this year. I am in love with this yarn because it highlights the stitch definition of this pattern like crazy and it’s a pleasure to knit with (no itchy moments so far).
  2. Next, I also picked up additional Red Stag Yorkshire Dk in a blue-gray color to use as a main color in the Sea Glass Cardigan, so that is also at the top of my list. I have a TON of yarn from abandoned MKALs and I think this project will be just the stash-buster I need to clear out some languishing skeins.
  3. I VOW to start and finish the Field Sweater, so help me. I purchased yarn for this project from The Surburban Stitcher a couple of years ago, in my favorite Pewter colorway. I also, unfortunately, get distracted by the new and shiny patterns but I need to go back and power through this project. I know I will love it; I just need to reject the instinct to think “SQUIRREL!” when I see the next “new thing.”
  4.  I will definitely be knitting another Doodle Cowl from Pacific Knit Co. She vended at DFW Fiber Fest this year, and I ended up preordering the book (now out), bought several decks, and a yarn kit. Seeing her samples in public was ridiculously inspirational, and the endless customization made me excited throughout the process of my first cowl. It is also a good stash-busting model, so if you are looking for ideas, start there for sure.Jamie Lomax Pacific Knit Co Doodle Book – botanical yarn
  5.  My brother-from-another-mother gifted me a certificate to Wool & Co. for the holiday, and I promptly ordered yarn for both the Songbird Mittens and the Porcelain Sweater (yes, social media dug in its claws into me and I was influenced. I regret nothing).
  6.  Spin all the fiber in my stash and knit at least one accessory from it. This is a loose plan, as I am a baby spinner and am apt to avoid the wheel when I get frustrated or discouraged. But, I have some BEAUTIFUL fiber in my stash, including a bat that ___ custom blended for me at DFW. I need to create more accountability for myself on my spinning, because that wheel was an investment.
  7.  Knit some type of summer tee or vest. This fall/early winter has been unseasonably warm this year, and I’m fed up with not being able to show off my knits. I think it’s time to focus a little more on usability than “Oooohhhh I want to knit that!”

Bonus Goals

  1.  Some colorwork socks by Stone Knits. Her patterns are so flipping cute. I was originally thinking a cat design, but she also has cute garden-inspired projects, including a happy carrot waiting to be harvested that looks like pure joy to me.Amazon.com: Joyful Colorwork Socks: 25 New Knitting Patterns for Fun ...
  2. Sigh, I still have a DEEP STASH kit for the Comfort Fade Cardi. I really need to suck it up and knit this one. I still love the look of the pattern, but I think I am worried about the yardage in the kit not being enough and additional yarn probably no longer exists. I just need to dig it out and do the math on it to see if it’s going to work.
  3.  Exercise the same restraint I did last year when attending fiber fests or travelling. I now have a dedicated craft journal where I keep a running list of project ideas with their yarn requirements. I stuck mostly to that last year and kept impulse purchases to a minimum.
  4. Finally, finish Bean’s needlepoint stocking…hopefully.

So, that’s what’s on deck for now. What project has you feeling inspired lately?

Fiber Festivals, Finished Knits, and a New Adventure

It’s been a hot minute y’all and I feel like I am still catching my breath. So, let’s jump right into it.

This fall, Bean, the Husband, and I attended two fiber festivals, and had a blast both times. First, we went to DFW fiber fest where Bean and I took a dyeing class and a punch needle class:

 

Then we spent the rest of the weekend shopping, hanging out with other fiber artists, and getting inspiration for future knits. DFW is my absolute favorite fiber fest. The people are great, the classes excellent, and the entire vibe is joyful. If you’ve been on the fence about going, I highly recommend it. One of the board members even gifted Bean market cash to spend for representing young fiber artists. Everyone we meet there is so supportive and encouraging.

In October, we went to Rhinebeck, AKA New York Sheep and Wool.

This was one of my bucket-list fiber adventures. Small-town New York in fall was picturesque, especially since we have no “real” fall here in north Louisiana. We got to see the livestock, met some new vendors, and took in the frenzy of arguably the most popular fiber fest in the US. While we had fun, honestly, I prefer DFW by far. This festival was SOOOOO crowded, the lines endless, and good luck getting into a popular vendor booth. It almost felt like being in a mosh pit at times as we were shuffled around through the crowds. We enjoyed exploring, good food and being together, but I think that trip is a one-and-done for us. So, if you have FOMO from seeing all the cool pictures on Instagram, I promise it’s not quite as “awesome” as you might think.

On to finished knits:

Pattern: Aurora Cabin Shawl (available for purchase on Ravelry).

Yarn: Qing Fiber High Twist in the Canyon colorway, Suburban Stitcher Single Sock in the River’s Edge, Nudie Patootie, and Predictability colorways, and Madeline Tosh Merino Light in the Moorland colorway.

Needles: US 4

Notes and Mods: No changes to this one. I love it, but I’m definitely off the shawls for a while. They start deceptively fast, then just get slower and slower. As always, however, Stephen West’s patterns are well-written and creative.

Pattern: Sea Glass Hat (available for free)

Yarn: Jems Luxe Fibers Luxe Sock in the Texas Wildflowers Colorway and Three Irish Girls Adorn Luxe in the Kraken colorway.

Needles: US 3 & 5

Notes and Mods: I knit this as a two-color so it appears to be vertical stripes.

Pattern: Swirled Peace (available for purchase on Ravelry).

Yarn: Madeline Tosh Moreno Light in Betty Draper’s Blues

Needles: US 5 & 6

Notes and Mods: I went up a needle size compared to the pattern which I totally regret. This ended up way too big. The black yarn is something unlabeled I found in my stash. Overall, great pattern, I just executed it poorly.

Pattern: Ranuculus

Yarn: Suburban Stitcher Merino DK in the Pewter colorway

Needles: US 8 & 10

Notes and Mods: I love this yarn and the color. This was the fastest sweater I have ever knit. I’m glad I looked at other projects because the pattern has the most hideous pictures of the sample. She loves it.

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Looking forward to this year, my plate feels pretty full. I have tons of fiber arts goals I want to accomplish, a couple of big trips planned, and will continue to recover after some illness and injuries (that damn Halloween Bouncy House). But the big news is that I’m going back to school!!! I was accepted to Boston University to work on a Masters in Gastronomy. I’m so freaking stoked, I can’t even tell you. So stay tuned for more foodie and fiber adventures to come.

 

 

 

 

 

Finding Joy When It Feels Impossible

There are very few times when I’m at a loss for words. The past month has definitely been one of them. On Mother’s Day, which also happened to be G-Man’s 21st birthday, we woke up to the unimaginable. We lost our nephew in a tragic accident; he was also 21.

The days that followed were exhausting, with lots of travel, phone calls, logistics, and heartache, while still trying to keep up with school events for the last days of Bean’s elementary school career. Thanks goodness we have a village that kept the proverbial gears turning so we could be where we needed to be. While we got her across the fifth-grade finish line, the missed birthday celebrations for G-Man and the Husband will be on hold for a while.

It’s hard to think about celebrating and gratitude when the people you care about are going through the worst tragedy imaginable. Our nephew was incredibly kind, ridiculously humble, and was taken from his siblings and parents far too soon. I just don’t have any words for the kind of pain they are going through. How do you process a beautiful life cut short?

But, in spite of all of this, I can still find gratitude this summer. When I woke up G-Man that Sunday to tell him the news, and that Husband and I were leaving to head south within minutes, he understood. I’m sure losing your 21st birthday party is disappointing, especially knowing there’s no back-up plan anytime soon. Yet he simply said, “I’m good, y’all go.” Bean understood when I told her that we would be there for graduation but would have to miss most of the other school events that week. Bear let it slide when I blew up at him over the lost guest bathroom hand towels (because at the time, I convinced myself the lack thereof was the end of the damn world when we had family coming to stay). When the crap hits the fan, I’m grateful the Heathens have perspective beyond their years when it comes to crap like this.

Once the dust settled, we went down to my uncle’s camp and the fishing was both therapeutic and fantastic.

Spending mornings on the water and nights on the porch brought both joy and peace. That was both welcome and difficult. Trying to resume “normal” life after loss always is, because when you are caught in the gravity of grief, you often feel like time should have stopped. There’s a certain sense of guilt that lingers until you remember that we honor those we lost by telling the stories, keeping the memories alive, and not by stagnating on principle.

It’s hard to imagine not seeing him, teasing him, or watching him get married or starting a family. Our nephew was an avid fisherman, hard worker, and a gentle soul. Senseless loss cuts deep.

So, for now, we will focus on finding joy, cherishing those we love, and putting one foot in front of the other.

But damn. This f-ing sucks.

 

 

 

 

Cultivating an Ever-Expanding Skillset

So, this week, I wanted to talk more about the how’s and why’s of my reasons for leaning into new homemaking/cooking/”old-fashioned” skills. In my recent 20% Better post, I described the basic rationale as to why we are baby-stepping our way toward improvements around our home toward  supporting local economy and sustainability.

Ok, but before we get there, I do want to emphasize that there is no right or wrong way to approach homemaking (well, unless you believe Miracle Whip is mayonnaise…well, then, we need to stage an intervention on your behalf…I’m just sayin’ is all). I think any conversation about homemaking, sustainability, slow food, shopping local, etc. need to eject the tendency to assign dichotomous value systems. If we start labeling things as good or bad, right or wrong, all or nothing, we often end up with a myopic viewpoint that sanctifies one idea while demonizing another, and we end up being exclusionary and unattainable rather than inclusive and accessible.

Let’s be real for a second. The ability to try new recipes, bake fresh bread, learn about pasta, canning, knitting, sewing, gardening, entertaining and countless other things all come down fundamentally to privilege. The privilege of time, access to resources, or both. I’m at a season in life where I have more time; I no longer have colicky babies, terrible-two’s toddlers, or full-time employment. I have the PRIVILEDGE of time in a way I did not have in the past, so I can devote it to experimenting and learning. Likewise, I have the resources or access to resources to learn, reliable sourcing to fresh, quality food, and ready transportation. Many people do not.

So, what’s my point here? I think when I talk about the value of growing in homemaking skills to ME, I never want to insinuate that it has some warped universal intrinsic moral value. If we romanticize “old-fashioned,” or elevate “handmade” in such a way that we are alienating others or creating a one-right-way mentality, we’ve missed the forest for the trees. To me, homemaking means cultivating a relatively happy, reasonably healthy, personably hospitable place where you want to be and to share with your peeps. To cast any homemaking endeavor as an all-or-nothing, good/bad thing means that we are probably missing the point entirely.

So, now that I’m off my soapbox, I want to recap some of my efforts so far, and what’s on the horizon. This year, I’ve tackled my sourdough phobia, and it’s going fantastic. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve experienced quite a few abject failures, but I learned something new each time. Once I got into the grove, I’ve worked bread baking into my weekly routine and let’s just say, the others in this household are quite happy with this.

Going with the “ever-expanding skillset” mentality, I have also baked sooooo many new-to-me cookies and cakes, experimented with fresh pasta, and am giving an embarrassingly poor effort at spinning wool into yarn. I am about to venture into wood-fired pizza, curing meat, and pressure canning. Now, I’ll go ahead and say it now; I do not see myself expanding into sewing anytime soon. I can sew a reasonably straight line, and I managed to crank out dozens of face masks for friends and neighbors in 2020, but sewing is not my jam. At all. Too much precision required for my chaotic ass. Take that disclaimer as you will.

Back to the hows/whys. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from this initiative is that nothing occurs in a vacuum. In a predictable turn that surprises no one but me, learning about one thing opens doors through which, by extension, lead to more. When I became obsessed with barbecue/smoking a few years ago, I ended up learning about sustainable meat production, butchering and cuts of meat and how they are best used, geographic flavor profiles in barbecue, the science of various smoker constructions, etc. This is what first led me to look locally for sustainably produced meat. So, my point is that small steps continue to lead me to new skills.

As I continue with these projects, I feel more connected to our home, the community, and the importance of traditions. Personally, I feel a lot of satisfaction in understanding the how’s and why’s, in being able to create, and knowing that when the zombie apocalypse comes, I could probably land a safeguarded spot in the survivor’s camp. Just kidding, but it’s a nice fictional perk, don’t ya think? Also, the kids see me researching, doing, and sometimes failing; I hope the takeaway for them is an attitude that they can figure out new things, “hard” things, if they really want to.

Well, that’s enough homemaking musings for today. I’ve got a pork belly that’s about to become bacon, and doesn’t that sound like fun?

 

 

 

Super-Bowl Recipe Brainstorming for the Big Game We Probably Can’t Watch

Y’all, I’ve about had enough of this crap.

So, my local TV station is in an epic battle with DirecTV, one that has been waging for at least five months. As such, we will not have access to the Super Bowl, because the NFL has broadcasting rights locked down tighter than a pop star’s conservatorship. I’m trying to figure out a work-around so the guys don’t riot, but in the meantime, I need to come up with some food ideas because, frankly, I’m a wee bit burnt out. Even after the holiday hustle and bustle, we’ve still had a steady stream of guests or events this past month, as well as pesky Heathens who get hungry with frustrating regularity. But alas, tradition beckons, and I need to come up with some kind of plan. So, let’s do a bit of brainstorming, shall we?

I’m 99% sure I will make my Bacon Cheeseburger Eggrolls, because they are a universal hit. As much as I hate frying crap while I’m entertaining, game day is the exception to that rule. If I go this route, I will probably serve it with some version of a “come back” sauce, similar to this one:

Bourbon Meatballs are always a good possibility, especially since I can make them in my sleep at this point:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The Sausage and Black-eyed Pea Mini Muffins:

Looking around the internet, I found a few ideas we have tried in the past that may be worth a revisit:

These Hot Brown Party Rolls from Southern Living were a welcome change from the usual ham/Swiss concept that we usually make, and they are easy and filling. By now, everyone has also recovered from their post-holiday turkey overload, so it’s a good option.

Hot Brown Party Rolls

The Cheese Dreams were a big hit at Christmas, especially with warm marinara on the side. They are labor-intensive in prep, but can be assembled ahead of time and frozen, so it’s just bake and serve at party-time:

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve had these Crawfish Boulettes and it might be worth revisiting. If I’m frying the egg rolls anyway, might as well. But just remember, if you are frying any fish or shellfish, fry it last or in a separate oil vat. Fish/shellfish permeates frying oil, and Mom’s golden rule when catering was one fryer for fish, one of the other stuff, and DO NOT CROSS THE STREAMS. Unless you like your chicken wings with a faint fishy flavor, that is.

Crawfish Boulettes With Creole Tartar Sauce

Finally, for the Crawfish Boil last weekend, I made these Spicy Sausage Balls from my CCTT post from last year, but instead of two pounds of sausage, I used one pound of the hot sausage and one pound of ground beef. I baked the balls at 400 for 20 minutes before adding them to the sauce. I got big thumbs up all around so they may have an encore this weekend:

Well, I still need to noodle on the menu more, but at least I have some ideas, plus queso and store-bought dips and wings to consider.

Now, let’s just hope I can find the game somewhere, lest they suggest…gulp…a Sportsbar alternative. If that happens, well…let’s not borrow trouble yet.

 

 

Checking in on Those 2023 Intentions- A January Review

It’s already February 1st y’all, and for the first time in a hot minute, I ended January on a very high note. I don’t know what lit the fire under my ass this year as opposed to the past several, but I’ll take it. I’ve seriously settled in to my 2023 intentions, and I feel like a new penny as my grandmother used to say. So, let’s take a look back at this month and review:

Health/Personal

  • I’m trucking along on this one and the results are evident. I did Dry January, and the improvements in my energy, sleep, anxiety, and mood were off the charts. So, it looks like a 90-95 percent reduction of the hooch is the plan going forward.
  • I worked out 5 days a week (except once when I had to support my neighbor during a hospital stay), and watched/recorded what I ate. As a result, I lost 11 dang pounds!
  • I reduced my phone/scrolling time by about 50 percent, and I think there still room for improvement there.
  • Finally, I stuck to my “Three to Thrive” and hit my target every day. I defined these as skincare, hitting my water goals, and taking my meds and vitamins every day. Good times, all around.

Kitchen 

I have been rocking it in the kitchen, which is making the Husband and Heathen’s very happy.

Books

I read six books this month, (not pictured is a romance, Twisted Games that I read on my Kindle).

  • When in Rome-Cute, lighthearted, low-stakes romance loosely based on the movie Roman Holiday, but with a happy ending. Fluffy beach read.
  • The Comfort Food Diaries-a memoir of recovering from toxic family and alcoholism by travelling to friends and extended family, cooking, reconnecting, and letting go. Kind of an Eat, Pray, Love vibe. I liked it overall, but felt some parts were rushed/glossed over that made the pacing a little uneven. Otherwise, I enjoyed it.
  • Heart Bones-I thought this was ok, but not my favorite by this author. Damage childhoods and coming of age romance typical for this author, but uneven character development in my opinion.
  • Other Birds-I’m biased because I love Sarah Addison Allen novels. A little magic realism, uncovering secrets of the past, finding a place to call home, beautiful settings.
  • Abandoned in Death-Despite how formulaic these books have become, I’ll always come back to them. This one, however, was better than some recent volumes.
  • Twisted Games-Steamy princess/bodyguard romance, ’nuff said. It was the second book I’ve read in this series. It was ok enough that I’m on the third, so take that for what it’s worth. Not shouting from the rooftops about it though.

Fiber Arts

  • Still working on that damn sweater, but I am about 30% through the second sleeve, so the finish line is in sight. I also wound the yarn I ordered to hopefully finish my Shift cowl once the fu%&ing sweater is complete. So, that fits under my intention to finish at least two WIPs this year.
  • I got my spinning wheel set up and tried to practice with the Malabrigio Nube fiber I ordered, and promptly felt like an abject failure. I watched dozens of videos and could not figure out why I was struggling so much. Well, a little time on Ravelry promptly educated me as to why this particular fiber needs to be pre-drafted into submission. Because if the dyeing and prep, parts were damn near felted, and the rest was compacted like crazy. So, pictured above is how it arrived, versus several hours of pre-drafting. It also shows that the dye only hit the outer layers of the fiber, and there was a lot more undyed than the braid would lead you to believe. Now that it’s (in theory) workable, I’m going to try again later this week.
  • Made progress on the Christmas stocking, but will need to pick up the pace if I want it done in time to submit it for finishing, thus making it ready by the holidays.
  • Best part? We booked our hotel for Rhinebeck, aka New York Sheep and Wool Festival in October! This means I’ll have to miss DFW Fiber Fest this year, but I’ll somehow survive. Excited doesn’t even begin to cover it.

So, that’s the January Recap. I’m using my Commit30 planner to its fullest, which helps me keep track of how I’m doing. Highly recommend, as always. Now, I need to keep the momentum going.

So, wrapping it up, it’s February, and we are deep into Mardi Gras season, and crawfish are coming on (though it’s still a little early so prices are a little high). I better pick up a King Cake before Friday, because the Heathens may riot soon, and we have a crawfish boil/oyster roast fete to attend this weekend. Now, if I could just figure out what I need to bring, but that’s a conversation for another day.

Finished Knit–Bounce Baby Blanket

As much as I now fall into the “selfish” knitter category (otherwise known as “knit-worthy peeps are few and far between”), I make an exception for babies. One of my cousins is due with her second baby soon, so it was blanket-knitting time. Since I was in the mood for color, I opted for this pattern from Tin Can Knits, using a mini-skein kit from Rainbow Heirloom. Now that I finished it, I’m ready to settle into West Knits MKAL.

Pattern: Bounce by Tin Can Knits, available for purchase on Ravelry.

Yarn: Rainbow Heirloom Sweater in the Sunshine and Storm Kit

Needles: US 7

Notes and Mods: I followed the pattern as written but reordered the kit stripes to my preference. Rather than dark to light, I wanted a dark-light-dark effect. Otherwise, this is a super-easy pattern that is infinitely customizable, and a great way to use up mini-skeins. Tin Can Knits are known for their well-written, trusted patterns, and as always, this delivered. Overall, two thumbs up on this project.

Creamy Garlic-Herb Tomato Tartelettes

It’s no secret I was on the struggle bus this holiday season. By the time I hit New Year’s Day, I was so dang tired of cooking, while also trying to balance menus for various events. When I was planning on what to bring to the family Christmas party, I knew I was sick of the usual dishes and wanted something different. However, when I bring food to large parties, I have to follow the basic rules of etiquette: nothing that requires reheating, an electric outlet, or assembly in the host’s kitchen. They already have their hands full, so commandeering counter space or a stovetop burner is a big no-no.

So, in my abject laziness and apathy, I dove deep into my fridge and came up with a super-simple, yet tasty and beautiful appetizer. These Garlic-Herb Tomato Tartelettes combine ready-made garlic-herb cheese spread with a touch of cream, which is scooped into frozen phyllo tart shells. The mixture is then topped with sliced cherry tomatoes and parmesan and baked until nice and hot. A drizzle of balsamic glaze finishes them off. These can be served warm or at room temperature. If you need a quick, easy appetizer, this fits the bill.

Creamy Garlic-Herb Tomato Tartelettes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 0
Course: Appetizer
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1.9 ounce boxes of frozen phyllo tart shells (approx. 15 shells per box)
  • 1 6.5 ounce container garlic & herb soft spreadable cheese (such as Alouette brand) room temperature
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3/4 to 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1/4 cup botted balsamic glaze
  • chopped basic for garnish, if desired

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place tart shells on a baking sheet.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine cheese spread and whipping cream until smooth. Spoon about a heaping teaspoon of cheese mixture into tart shell and top with two of the tomato halves. Sprinkle tarts with parmesan cheese.
  3. Bake tarts for 12-15 minutes, until hot, being careful not to burn the tart shells. Remove tarts from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Lightly drizzle tarts with balsamic glaze and garnish with chopped basil if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

This may make more or less tarts depending on how heavy-handed you are when distributing the filling. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Stepping Gingerly into the New Year…But At Least There Will Be Cake

Whelp, we made it through the holidays, and though they were full of fun times and togetherness, I confess I was ready for the new year. I am more than happy for things to slow down so I can focus a little more inward. I love the holidays, I really do, but it’s been busy, and there’s always something externally to focus on–planning, cooking, shopping, list-making, and task after task that goes with the season. Honestly, I think we are all a little tired and rough around the edges, and it doesn’t seem like relief is on the horizon anytime soon. As the pandemic drags on, it’s hard not to feel disillusioned and mentally fried.

As I’ve posted before, I don’t necessarily think resolutions are a four-letter word, and this year especially, I’ve been taking a hard look about the common theme when it comes things I need to work on. This year, rather than a specific goal, like a 5k, diet, or other drastic change, I realized that a lot of things I need to work on come down to a simple question:

“Will this make me feel good?”

I know, it sounds counterintuitive toward improvement when vices are aplenty. But really, that’s what it boils down to for me. I’ve been working on an internal dialogue during the day that is helping me self-reflect when I’m making small choices, For example:

  • “Is all that scrolling on social media apps making you feel good? Actually, you usually end up feeling anxious or checked out, and like you’ve wasted so much time. You know what does make you feel good? Reading and knitting. Isn’t that the better choice for this bit of free time?” (I have since deleted several (not all) apps, and you would not believe how much better I feel mentally and emotionally).
  • “Is skipping your workout going to make you feel good? Actually, you always feel better after a workout, even a small one, and like you are letting yourself down when you don’t. Do you really want the self-disappointment voice nagging the back of your mind all day? You know the better choice here.”
  • “Yeah, another cocktail sounds great, but will that make you feel good? Nope, it will zap your energy and wreck your tomorrow. Water will set you up for more energy in the morning.”
  • “The pantry looks like the Ghostbusters just exercised a demon in it. It’s overwhelming to tackle today, but you can set a 30-minute timer and commit for that much. Doing anything will make you feel better than nothing.”

I know it sounds silly, but the simple act of consciously reminding myself that I feel soooooo much better when I am choosing even the smallest of better choices helps build momentum. For example, after tackling the Mount Everest of post-holiday laundry this week, I had a few extra minutes to spare. After looking at the pile of clean napkins, I thought, “Ya know, if I just go ahead and iron these now before I put them away, that’s one less thing to do next time we entertain.” So, I did. Small victories and all that.

It’s hard to imagine what this year will look like but working on small steps feels doable. That’s what I’m telling myself, at least. The bright side? Epiphany is tomorrow…and you know what that means? It’s Mardi Gras kick-off baby, and I foresee king cake and crawfish in my future.

 

Back to School! Oh Happy Day!

I can’t believe this day is finally here. The day the younger Heathens finally go back to school, like in-person, not-in-my-house school. They haven’t been in a classroom with their peers since March 13th, 2020. That’s a long ass time. A loooooooonnnnnngggg ass time.

As much as I have moaned and groaned about how freaking of a hot mess this year was, I am self-aware enough to know that I will look back and be grateful for this time. We spent more time together as a family in the past year than ever, and were able to take unique opportunities that we never would have been able to had we been tethered to classrooms/offices. I avoided the dreaded carpool lines, enjoyed mostly unstructured days, and didn’t have to roll out of bed until after seven everyday. On the flipside, that’s a whole lot of togetherness. Like, a lot.

So, Bean is headed to 4th grade while Bear is, *gulp*, a SENIOR. How in the hell did that happen? My sweet little freckle-faced baby had his last first day today. It still feels surreal, but then again, the last sixteen months have felt strange and unsettled.

Well, if you will excuse me, I have a few glorious hours to myself. I’ll try to keep the happy dancing to a minimum.