Monday, February 24, 2014

Badder Blogger Blerger

Well, shit.  I am, I guess, unapologetically awful at keeping my word about blogging.  That is completely obvious by my inability to force my own lazy ass to blog in the past.  Though in my defense, this hiatus was only a month...I once went well over a year.

So, to start...I guess the reason I decided to break the hiatus and blog tonight after all this time was because I was looking in the mirror this evening and began to ponder some things.  The pretext for this pondering is that I, reluctantly, have admitted to myself that my hair is starting to gray.  This has been going on for some time now.  I catch a glimpse of silver when I'm pulling back my hair and I grab my tweezers and yank that bitch out.  Most of the time the hairs are short, like 1-3 inches long.  My (thick, curly) hair falls roughly between my shoulder blades at this point and I've only had it trimmed once since cutting it off to roughly ear length almost exactly 2 years ago while I was pregnant.  So, obviously the little silver hairs I'm finding here and there, with increasingly more frequency, are new growth.  But tonight I found a hair that was about 6 inches long with silver starting at about halfway down the hair and to the end.  I know that stressful events can trigger graying of the hairs but I find it strange that this evening I found several hairs that were only 1" and solely silver, and then the one that was natural brown at the root and silver further down the hair.  I find it strange that only certain follicles would produce gray hairs at certain times.  Maybe I should do some research on the matter...

Or maybe each silver hair is, as folklore indicates, caused by a stressful encounter with my ever obstinate offspring.  Haha.

Well, now that I'm back in business I should report on the status of my indoor garden, as that was an item of note in my most recent (albeit not really recent) posts.  I stopped taking pictures of the progress.  Boredom or busy-ness, I guess.  I have been more preoccupied with actually tending the plants rather than documenting them.  Last I reported, I had planted tomatoes and a handful of my herbs.  At this point my planters are as such and contain the following:

1.  In an 8"x15" window box, I have parsley and thyme.  They are recently transplanted.  The parsley is flourishing at roughly 2-3" tall and multiple individual plants.  The thyme is still much smaller, though it is beginning to show further development since the transplant.
2.  In an 8"x15" window box, I have sage and oregano.  They are also recent transplants.  The sage is developing nicely.  However, the oregano suffered total loss upon transplant (clumsy ass, I mean Ash, tipped the pot over).  I started new seeds which have since begun sprouting (like, since today).
3.  In an 8"x15" window box, I have chives and basil.  The basil is a recent transplant and has since developed slightly further.  The chives I started from seed in this new planter though.  I originally had planned on growing the chives in with the tomatoes, but since those are still not ready to transplant into larger buckets, I decided to give the chive their own bed.  And they have just begun to knuckle through the soil, today actually.
4.  In a pickle bucket, I have 4 bean plants (approx 20-24" tall) and rosemary.  I planted 6 bean seeds directly into the bucket and to my surprise, all six actually sprouted.  For several days, each seed would knuckle through the soil and burst into a set of tiny (quickly growing) leaves.  The first 5 popped in quick succession.  Once the seed first split, it took just a day or two for the first true set of leaves to grow out.  On one, the leaves were quite stunted, so I eventually just pulled it up.  I thought after the first 5 grew out, some to heights of 6" or more that the sixth was a dud, but it too came up.  Because it was so far behind the others, I just pulled it up too.  When the plants were still quite small, I decided to transplant the rosemary seedlings into the center of the bucket between the beans.  I read that the two grow well together.  At this point, I added a "tomato cage" to the bean pot and they've already started to wrap and climb to almost 2' tall.  The rosemary is taller, though not much more in girth.
5.  In a pickle bucket, I have onions (scallion style).  They are one of my later direct sows.  They are currently 2-4" in length, though they don't really stand upright.  I'm still trying to figure out the soil conditions that they prefer but I'm assuming that they are well since nothing is shriveling or turning brown or just plain not growing.
6.  In a pickle bucket, I have carrots.  They are one of my earlier direct sows.  They sprouted quickly at first and I thinned them several times to insure the plants won't be too close to each other.  I'm not really sure how they are progressing as they are root veg and the tops haven't changed much.
7.  In a cut off 2 liter soda bottle, I have a celery plant.  I actually just bought a bundle of celery and cut it off at the base.  I planted the cutoff root after soaking it in water for several days.  It's quite leafy and bushy at present and about 2.5" tall.
8.  In a simple 6" pot, I have a garlic plant.  I just planted a sprouted piece of garlic, very recently.  And it has already grown to about 8" tall.
9.  In 2 milk cartons and 3 large yogurt containers, I have a total of 7 cherry tomato plants.  They are recently transplanted into larger containers than I sprouted them into.  I think I'm only going to keep the best 2-3 plants and give the rest to some fellow gardeners for transplanting into their outdoor gardens.  There are definitely a couple that are substantially better than the others and those will eventually get planted individually into pickle buckets with cages (like the beans).
10.  In a milk carton, I have a single lemon seed plant.  I actually just purchased a regular old lemon from Hyvee because they carry neither organic nor meyer lemons.   I then decided to plant every seemingly viable seed in the same little cutoff milk carton, 13 seeds.  I waited and waited and waited for the seedlings to sprout, about 3 weeks.  When I was transplanting the tomato seeds, I considered re-purposing the soil from the carton for the new pots.  For whatever reason, I decided against it, and the next day a single seedling poked through the soil.  It seems pretty clear that none others are going to sprout but this one is thriving well.  I'm hoping to properly tend it until it flourishes enough to transplant into the much larger pot of one of my old deceased alocasia plants where it will hopefully grow larger and possibly more fruitful over the next several years.

A few weeks ago, my brother Jon came over on one of his days off to help me rewire and install a set of fluorescent lights for my plants.  Since then, I've done various different arrangements of the pots below the lights as well as necessary transplantings due to outgrowth.  I love the new set up despite a couple minor kinks.  For instance, the new lights are very close to the window so they interfere with closing the blinds properly.  I find myself extremely annoyed at closing the blinds most nights, but I would rather fight the blinds than leave them either open at night or closed during the day.  I've gone through a full bag of seedling starter potting soil as well as 3 larger bags of moisture control generic potting soil.  However, the only money invested so far has been into that soil and the seeds.  I got the 3 rectangular potters recently for less than 5 dollars altogether and the rest of my vessels are recycled materials.  Otherwise, it's been merely time and energy (and a slight tolerable increase in the electric bill).  Lucky for me I don't pay for water.  :P


I want to bring to attention the fact that I have been trying (I guess, with approximately the same vigor as before) to be experimental and exploratory in the kitchen.  What I have been finding to be the most troublesome is that little miss fussy breeches (aka Sky) won't eat 90% of what I give her, regardless of whether it is made intentionally kid-friendly or basically nutrient-free.  She eats fruit, which is fortunate.  However, vegetables and protein are hard for me to get her to eat voluntarily and I can't always force her or trick her into eating healthily.  By my count, aside from fruit, she loves pizza, peanut butter, chips, cheese, cookies, candy, pasta (mostly) and cereal.  Sometimes I can't even get her to drink milk.  As DJ said in a text last week: "I think we're starting the terrible twos".  She's beginning to realize her independence and it is becoming a struggle.  Therefore I am struggling in the culinary department.  I find that most of my money goes towards ingredients that will keep her fed and me happy rather than stuff that's likely more healthy for both of us.  I'd rather find a way for us to eat healthily at less cost, which is part of the reason for the extent of my indoor garden.  I realize that I have a lot of herbs.  Herbs add flavor without adding a lot of calories or fat.  I also would love to have Skylar start eating more vegetables.  Maybe the fact that I'm growing such plants in the confines of our little apartment will inspire her eventually to benefit...
I guess the only thing that I've documented lately that I made was a simple banana mango bread which I made per the recipe and added the streussel topping of a previously successful recipe.
My pic is here:
Yum...

I also tried this recipe: Savory Onion Bread, once as is, and again with carrots in place of onions...it was a delicious side on both occasions...

I know this is a poor excuse for an update after a month's absence...but I'm off tomorrow, so maybe after our tax appointment I'll get a chance to finish up the update.  Until then...

Monday, January 20, 2014

It's snowing... so I'm planting.

My indoor garden is progressing quite nicely now that I've got all the seeds, more soil and containers.  Saturday morning, Sky and I ventured out to BK to see Jon for breakfast and he hooked me up with 8 pickle buckets.  After that, we stopped at Home Depot for a big heavy bag of potting soil and most of the rest of the seeds I want to grow.  I got onions, pole beans, sage, rosemary, chives, parsley, thyme, oregano, and basil.  I scoured the buckets last night and let the dry out.

Yesterday morning I noticed the tomato plants have sprouted already...
Tomatoes Day 7:

I drilled drainage holes in a few of the buckets but only planted carrots directly today...
Carrots Day 1:


I also planted some of the herbs...
Sage, Thyme, Basil and Oregano, Day 1:

I need to get another big heavy bag of soil before I can plant much more.  I also need to talk to Jon about lighting...

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup...by me :)

So yesterday I decided to finally finish off that ham that DJ gave me before Christmas.  Last week I spent a good chunk of time chopping up what was left for the pasta dish I made for dinner with Aaron and Terri.  When I was chopping, I encountered a lot of fat and sinew plus a large bone.  So I saved them thinking I could make ham stock.  I've never even heard of it, much less made it.  But I figure if you can make chicken stock from chicken bones and skin, you can do the same with ham.  I read online that the best ham stock simmers for a long time so I think I let mine simmer for about 4 hours with a bag of past prime baby carrots and some onion waste.  My apartment smelled so hammy good.  After I strained it and cooled it, I skimmed some fat off.  Later I boiled up some potatoes, drained them and then added the last of the chopped ham.  I used a fair amount of the stock and brought it to a simmer while I sauteed a minced yellow onion and 4 mince garlic cloves.  After those were soft, I added them to the pot.  Lastly I added a jar of alfredo sauce and some cheddar cheese.  I seasoned the pot earlier on with black pepper, thyme, parsley and a couple of bay leaves.  It was a soup of my own creation.  I'll plot out a recipe of sorts below, just in case anyone wants to try what turned out to be a fantastically delicious soup.

Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup
(measurements are approximations, adjust to your taste)
6 medium russet potatoes, chopped and boiled to almost fork soft
6 cups prepared ham stock
3 cups cubed cooked ham
pepper
thyme
parsley
2 bay leaves
1 yellow onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 T butter
1 jar alfredo sauce (I used Ragu's Roasted Garlic Parmesan)
1 cup of cheddar cheese (I used a triple cheddar blend)

In a large stockpot, mix the first 7 ingredients, seasonings to taste, and bring to a low simmer.  Meanwhile, saute the minced garlic and onion in the butter in a skillet.  Add to the pot once soft and translucent.  Simmer about 10 minutes more before adding the alfredo sauce and cheese.  Stir them in thoroughly to melt.  Serve and enjoy!

Tommy toes

I had this post all typed and ready to publish last night and then the page (or browser) decided to be dickish and malfunction and lose everything I typed...lame.

So anyways, what I was posting about was that I have been getting really excited to get my indoor garden going.  The other night after work, I picked up some starter soil and seeds for short & sweet carrots and super sweet cherry tomatoes.  The other day, in my research, I read up on growing carrots.  I gathered information from a handful of websites, none of real significance since they all said basically the same things. So...

Carrots

What I do:
sew seeds directly, 1/2" deep (transplants don't grow properly)
thin the seedlings when they reach 2" tall (cut out, don't pull out) to 1" apart
keep soil moist but not soggy, lots of sunlight
harvest at 68-70 days

What I got: (aside from lovin')
seeds
starter soil

What I need:
bucket with drainage holes
moisture control soil
lights

So, unfortunately, I'm not quite equipped to get the carrots started...yet.

My tomatoes, on the other hand, will take about a week to start sprouting and then can wait a little longer before transplanting into buckets.  So I decided to plant a set of seeds yesterday.  I used shallow sour cream containers with 4 drainage holes poked in the bottom of each.  I put 2 segments of paper egg carton in each container and planted 2 seeds in each segment using my starter soil.  I didn't want to pour water directly into the containers so I've been periodically heavily misting the soil to keep it damp.  I also got a dome-lidded lasagna pan from the dollar store yesterday to keep them moist in.  I even decided to label them with toothpick, masking tape, and sharpie.

Tomatoes, Day 1:

Saturday, January 11, 2014

What crazy national day falls on your birthday?

My cousin just posted this link on facebook and I thought I'd share it here...where I'm more likely to revisit it in the future.

What crazy national day falls on your birthday?

I only want to remember because after looking at my own birthday, "Name your poison" Day,  I looked at Sky's birthday "No Housework" Day.  I think I'd like to show her that when she's old enough to understand...and then we can put it into play.  Hah!  I don't like housework...so why do it on the anniversary of the best day of my life/her special day?!  It's a win win situation, mmmkay.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Gearing up to Green it up!

So last night...and then all of today while I hung out with Sky and Jon's kiddos, I've been researching what kinds of plants I'd like to start growing in my apartment.  The kinds that I can grow year round inside but move them out to the deck in the summer for some good direct sunlight.

Now that I've done some research, I'm starting to formulate some plans.  I'm going to save some links here to refer back to once I get going.

Lemons
How to grow a lemon tree from a seed
How-to-grow-lemon-tree-from-seed
Lemon Tree from a seed

*Materials needed:
lemon seeds
potting soil
sprouting pot (topless milk carton with drainage holes)
resting pot (13" diameter, 10" height...old alocasia pot)
sunlamp (fluorescent ones from Jon)

*Shopping list:
a meyer lemon (preferably organic)
potting soil -a blend of peat, perlite, vermiculite, and organic fertilizer


Herbs
What is the Best mix of Herbs to grow together in a pot?
13 Tips for Planting an herb garden

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

New growth

I noticed today when I was watering my plants that I've got some new growth in an unexpected place....

Last summer, after my move from that rank garden apartment where I lived with my old, dear coworker Elizabeth, I lost 3 of my 5 potted alocasia plants.  I'm not sure why but they just rotted off their roots.  So I re-purposed one of the pots, dirt included, by re-potting one of my mom's plants that needed a pot upgrade.  Last week I sort of pruned the plant for the first time in a while and today I found a little baby alocasia sprouting out:


Also, in one of the surviving alocasia pots, I've been watching 2 other baby plants peek through:
The one on the right is barely there, but I'll keep watering and watching and it'll come back.  I got the original plant from Home Depot in college when I lived at the Western Ave apartment.  It came in a tiny porcelain dish, really, that had rocks over the roots.  I re-potted it and it took off.  Since then I've had at least one and up to five of the same kind of alocasia plant.  When I had my catastrophic plant loss last year I got a few plants of plants from my mom; the one above, a hanging succulent that was just trimmings from hers, and a weird little thing called a dieffenbachia.  I'm still trying to nurse the last one back to health as it was a little on the rough side when I re-potted it last fall.  I gave it a homemade banana peel and egg shell mulch and it's looking better.  I find it incredible that now, in the dead of winter, my house plants are thriving despite the gray skies and subzero temps outside.  I look forward to springtime when I can grow some more lovely plants on my deck.

I recently was looking back at old blog posts and my very first post had pics of my original alocasia plant's leaves close up: http://iamaseaman.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-very-first-blogyay-or-something.html

And this post has a picture from when the plant split in 2 the first time:
http://iamaseaman.blogspot.com/2009/08/studio.html

 

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Revision.

I was thinking today about my resolution to do something creative every single day.  While I don't think that it is an unattainable goal, I do think that I'd like to broaden the spectrum a little to encompass a little bit more...just in case what I do in a day can't necessarily be described as creative.  The new resolution reads like this...I want to do something creative OR artistically productive every single day.  I think this makes for a more realistic goal.  Case in point: yesterday, I don't feel like I necessarily did something wildly creative but I did spend some time adding artwork to my website.  That, while not creative at all, I find to be absolutely crucial to my artistic practice and therefore makes it a valid fulfillment of my resolution.  And honestly, I'm doing the same thing this evening because it is just waaaaaay too cold to get out from under this blanket and make anything besides dinner.  I did try a new beef stroganoff recipe which was delicious and the leftovers will make for several tasty lunches this week.
Beef Stroganoff

Also, have we noticed how much better I've been at blogging this year?

Reunited and it feels so good

I didn't get a chance to do my yoga yesterday before going to coffee (cuz I lazily slept an extra 10 minutes and then Sky was already up).  Anywho, I pulled out the mat this morning and did the very first episode of "Namaste Yoga"....And I feel awesome.  I'm so glad I did it!  Maybe if I'm not excruciatingly sore after work, I'll do another one.  After all, the eps are only 24 minutes long and not extremely intense.  I'm so glad to have found a website where I can watch them for free!

http://www.veoh.com/list/c/namaste-yoga

And now, I've got to layer up to brace for this ridiculous cold snap... -11 degrees outside right now=nasty cold.

For you, Davey Doo

In all the madness of the holiday season, I forgot to mention that something supremely terrible and sad happened.  My friend David from Chicago passed away a few days before Christmas.  I keep trying to keep myself from thinking about it because it just makes me feel horrible.  He was a sweet, wonderful and hilarious person.  We didn't really keep in touch since I left Chi but I had been sort of keeping tabs on him via his girlfriend and mutual ex-coworker Lindsey on facebook.  I feel like a terrible friend because apparently he died of cancer and I didn't even know he was sick.  I'm at a loss except to say that I feel sympathy for Lindsey and his family.  I know he will not be forgotten by anyone that knew him because of the vivacious lust for life he had.  He was so smart and funny.

Rest in Peace, David Kief
July 19, 1984-December 21, 2013

Friday, January 3, 2014

Bread; two ways.

Well, I had today off and I think it was a pretty successful one.  It started off a bit slow and uninspired with a dash of frustration.  However, I got most of the Christmas decorations taken down, the tree and most of the lights put away. 
I went to lunch with my mom and sister (and Sky and Jax) and also got groceries.  My folks had given me part of my Christmas gift in the form of Hyvee gift cards so because I'd gotten my main staples on last week's grocery trip, I was able to get some odds and ends to fill my pantry, so to speak.  I'm excited to now again have: buffalo sauce, dijon mustard, garlic, onions, balsamic vinegar, cocoa, vanilla (I didn't run out, it molded! wtf?!?) and oats. 
On New Year's Eve I started a recipe for no-knead bread that takes some sitting, which I ended up baking today in my mini loaf pans (3).  I already ate one of them but I will post a pic of the others later.
Easy No-Knead Bread
I did 4 loads of laundry, which are hanging all over the apartment drying now, humidifying this cold, dry place.  I don't look forward to putting them all away, but then, I never ever do.  Laundry just sucks.
Then, for good measure, I made some apple bread with streusel topping for Saturday morning coffee tomorrow.  It actually is cooling on a rack in the kitchen now; I should cover it before bed...
Apple Bread with Streusel
So I didn't really make any art today but I got creative in the kitchen...so there!
I did try to do some of the yoga on my roku this morning but it's pretty clear that I'm going to have to start slowly and back at the beginning because I am wicked out of shape.  Lame.  I'm going to try to find Namaste Yoga online for free now...then I'll have something to do before coffee tomorrow (to work off that sweet apple bread!).

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Milk Crate Bench Seat

Last week after all the rush to finish my Christmas gifts, I finally sewed the pillow for Skylar's crate bench seat.  Remember back over Labor Day when I spent all that time priming those crates?  I attached them together right away and they have been functional as storage bins for Sky's room since then.  I've had everything all ready to go for the pillow for ages but I'm procrastinator petey with things from time to time, obviously.  Anywho, here's my final result:




Here is the bench seat below Skylar's window.  I'm thinking I eventually would like to get (or make) new bookshelves for her room that would actually sit below the window and move the bench opposite the bed where her current bookshelves (which I hate) are located.  This seems like a good plan because the wall that the shelves are on now is the most open wall and would be perfect for a little play area for her.  I could even put a magnetic/dry erase board on the wall behind the bench seat.  

At any rate, I love how her room is getting cuter with every project I do for it.  The current tally of made-by-me items in Sky's room?...let's see:
Button mirror (which actually is hanging at Sky height in the bathroom right now, but was made for her room.
Bed pillows
And various scrapbooks including:

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

It starts today.

Today was a less than stellar day.  I'm sad that this day was the beginning of a new year but I've decided that I'm going to use it as a segue to my resolutions for the coming year.  I want to keep them simple and straightforward.  Basically, no bullshit.  So here goes...

1.  Stop being such a fat ass.
      This resolution is about my health habits.  I have, as of late, let myself go a little in terms of my physical appearance.  It sort of feels like I don't really have anyone to impress and that has given me license to eat whatever and whenever as well as fall off the fitness bandwagon.  My resolve is not to start some crazy diet and exercise routine that I'm going to abandon halfway through January.  I did successfully lose weight and get fit on a New Years Resolution a few years ago which was the perfect catalyst to my textbook pregnancy.  It also made for an easy recovery which I have pretty much just coasted on.  Since Skylar weened from breastfeeding last winter, I haven't really done anything to improve myself physically.  Now, a year later, I've seen a slow and steady gain of about 15 pounds and a decrease in energy and stamina.  I wouldn't say that I feel fat, I just feel sort of doughy and really weak. 
So, I've decided to change some of my current bad habits back to the good ones I adopted back when I got fit and healthy before.  As far as diet, I'm going to revisit some healthier recipes.  But mostly, I plan on just changing when and how I eat.  I rarely eat out and I make my lunch for work almost every day.  However, I've stopped eating breakfast and started eating too much late at night.  By re-balancing my mealtimes I feel like I'll naturally slim down because my metabolism with speed up again.  Exercise will help that too.  My favorite form of exercise has long been yoga.  So I've decided to work it back into my daily routine.  I found a free yoga channel on my roku and will be busting out my mat tomorrow after work.  I find that whenever I do yoga on a regular basis, my mental state improves drastically.  That leads to resolution #2...

2.  Think positively.
     I have been very negative lately.  I find myself having meltdowns about ridiculous random crap because I'm really just unhappy about where I am in my life.  Yes, I am a 27 year-old single mother with no romantic prospects, a horrible dead-end retail job that frustrates me endlessly, and a mountain of debt that scares the pants off me.  Most days I feel like a total failure because aside from graduating from college, I haven't achieved a single goal I set for myself when I set out into the world as a young adult.  The prospect of going to my 10-year high school reunion this summer makes me want to vomit.  I keep dwelling on all of the negatives in my life: why can't I have a better car?  why won't anyone hire me?  why can't I just do what I like to do?
Well, the pity party is over.  I'm done being a negative nancy because being negative has only brought me more negativity.  I am tired of focusing on what sucks in my life and am ready to refocus on all the good things.  First and foremost, I have an incredibly beautiful, smart and unique child who is growing so quickly and learning so much.  I count every day with Skylar as a blessing because she really is my sunshine and by far the most important thing in my life.  Secondly, at least I have a car, and a job.  It could always be worse and I am actually pretty fortunate.  I also have an incredible support system in my tight knit family.  While I miss big-city living pretty much all the time and have a less-than-fond relationship with my current location/hometown, I wouldn't trade the ability to spend time with my family for anything.  They really are my support and some of my only friends.  My very best friend right now (aside from H. Gunn, cuz she's really the only one), is my creativity.  I may not get anywhere in life with my art but I will forever keep creating because it is one thing that is a sure happy-maker for me.  As far as the serious and heavy shit in life are concerned, I'm going to try to take everything in stride.  I've got major changes on the horizon which reek of stress and strife but I want to take them on with a more positive attitude.  I want to vastly improve my outlook on life but I know it will take some time.  Baby steps.

3.  Be a better mother.
     I always want to be a better mother.  It's hard to know how exactly to do just that when I feel I already always have her best interests at heart.  However, I know there are some things that I can definitely work on.  I am a short-tempered and impatient person by nature and I can see those qualities of myself in my daughter.  I know that if I try harder to keep my temper in check and be more patient with her, then she will likely follow suit.  Right now, we struggle a lot with our communication barrier.  She wants so badly to communicate and we just don't quite understand each other all the time; that gets frustrating for both of us.  One thing I'm planning on changing drastically starting immediately is my language.  Obviously, I throw around some colorful language in my blog.  Well, it's about the same (but really more so) in life.  With Skylar learning to talk, I've got to be a lot more careful about what I say around her.  The hardest place to implement that part of the resolution is going to be in the car.  The drivers in this town are fucking insane (pardon my french!).  I'm not an aggressive driver, especially this time of year, so it's hard to deal with all the folks who are unabashedly rude and aggressive on the road.  I hate driving and most often find the outlet to my frustrations behind the wheel is a long, satisfying string of obscenities.  Definitely gonna change that.  Now.  Other ways I'm going to better myself as a mother for Sky are to keep pushing different and more healthy foods on her.  She's pretty strong willed and refuses most of what I give her.  But I'm going to keep trying.  I also want to make her toys and things she will enjoy.  She deserves to have the world but my modest income can't make that happen so by using my creativity, I can provide her with handcrafted belongings that I hope she'll come to cherish.  I always want to cultivate her knowledge and education.  I can see her affinity for numbers already and know she's going to be a math nerd like me.  I also want to really get this potty-training business taken care of.  Now maybe it seems like kind of a non-resolution or like maybe I don't care so much about this one since it's not number one.  Well, I'm looking at it this way:  I'm always striving to be a better mother; well, I need to have a healthier, happier me for that to even be a possibility.

4.  Do something creative every single day.
     This one seems like a no-brainer.  Obviously, doing something creative every single day is going to bring me some sense of joy every day.  I like being creative.  Making things is my bag, baby.  It feels like my sense of purpose is lost when I'm not making something.  Now there's a few specific creative things I'd love to tackle this year.  I would really like to complete some old projects that have been lingering on the back burner for loooong periods of time.  Neck tie rug, candy drop pattern project, and my second JJs book to name a few.  I also want to get further along Skylar's scrapbook and work on some series that I'd like to continue developing (Fishbowl Distortions, Functional Facelifts, etc).  I thought the other day about my Produce Pic of the Day project that I did back in 2009 here on my blog.  I'd really like to keep using my blog as a creative outlet to keep myself accountable for my artistic goals.  Whether it be a pic of the day/week kind of thing or just a catalog of my arting.  Maybe I'll even do tutorials for things I've made.  I definitely want to get more creative in the kitchen too (though most people would say I already am!).  I would like to document my culinary creations more thoroughly.  Whatever I end up doing, I want to share it here.


And so, my simple, no bullshit resolutions have been set.  Even today, despite all the upset, I've been able to put all of them in to play in some way.  Though I didn't eat breakfast or do any yoga today, I didn't eat a bunch of random crap after dinner and that's a start.  I've been trying to think positive thoughts ever since I got home and Sky made that really simple.  Since she was so tired from last night's celebrations, she was very snuggly this evening and her sweetness just dissolved my negative attitude.  Lastly, I could consider this post my creative endeavor for the day because it's taken me well over an hour to come up with this realistic list of New Years resolutions that I really will make happen this year.

So now, before I get too sleepy and forget, I wanted to share an article that a few people posted to Facebook recently.  I absolutely love how this woman describes motherhood:
Babies Ruin Bodies

The very last line spoke to me so much so that I cried when I first read it:
"If anything, I was ruined by the world before I knew her & she made me whole again."