Monthly Archives: January 2015

Two Bits

by Katie | Leave a comment

We want to break down these internet barriers and invite you into our lives and we’re hoping you’ll do the same.  You are welcome to share your a bit of your week or day in the comments, or if they’re better represented by a photo, tag us on instagram @liveseasoned

Katie here :

This was a week where we were just living life and enjoying it. The weather was amazing ~ we were excited for the mild winters when we moved to Boulder, and while the east coast was pummeled by winter storm Juno, we were sitting pretty with highs ranging from the 50s to 70s this week, with a similar forecast for the week ahead. That meant lots of outside time with little A, giving me some time to experiment with a macro lens on my phone. Those are some of the results above, not bad, huh? I think we’re going to head into the mountains for the weekend, maybe do some snowshoeing, definitely do some napping, and hopefully C and I will go on a little date. We’ll see!

Sarah here:

Sarah Schu Resume

Katie’s week sounds great! Mine was a major mehhh week.  Lots of soul job searching going on over here. I designed a fancy new résumé specifically for travel jobs; there’s a peek of the top of it.  I obscured my phone number because believe it or not, we have some crazy stalker fans of Seasoned who would want nothing more than to prank call me over and over and over.

Since I was feeling a little down this week I treated myself a little bit more than usual 🙂 I went to one of my favorite grub hubs in town, Al’s Burger Shack, which is actually more of a take out joint in the winter because most of their seating is outside.  K and I braved it out under the heat lamps though.  Al’s is a must if you ever visit Chapel Hill, North Carolina; lots of great local ingredients and brews too!  I also went to the movies, which is a rare treat. I saw The Imitation Game with Benedict Cumberbatch and I thought it was really good. I heard an interview on NPR about the movie and I was really intrigued by Cumberbatch’s character study of Alan Turing, which made me want to see the movie even more.

Here’s to hoping we all have the best weekends possible!

Crab Chowder

by Sarah | 3 Comments

liveseasoned_winter14_crabchowder-2

I’m happy to report that so far my weekly soup challenge is successful!  Woah, I just realized I already transformed my soup-a-week goal into a challenge?! I think I’m on the challenge train.  Anywho, I grew up eating this chunky crab chowder.  This recipe actually comes straight from Momma Schu.  She has been dubbed the soup queen many times in the past.  Years ago, she would stir up soups for soccer concession stands, pot lucks and get-togethers.  My job usually consisted of unwrapping the bouillon cubes, but I get a sense that this is where my love of cooking came from.  Thanks for that Momma Schu and with no further ado, I present you with the yummiest crab chowder.

liveseasoned_winter14_crabchowder-4

Print
Crab Chowder

Crab Chowder

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 sweet red pepper, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 5 potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 1 lb. fresh crab meat
  • 2-3 cups heavy whipping cream
  • chicken or vegetable bouillon to taste
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • handful of oyster crackers

Instructions

  1. Warm olive oil in a big soup pot.
  2. Add the onion, celery, red pepper, and carrots. Sauté until soft. Throw in a pinch of salt and pepper.
  3. Add the potatoes and cover with water. Add chicken or vegetable soup base to taste. Cook on medium high till potatoes are soft.
  4. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and crab meat.
  5. Turn down the heat. After a few moments, when the soup cools enough to not curdle the cream, add 2-3 cups of heavy whipping cream.
  6. Slowly bring heat to desired serving temperature.
  7. Serve with oyster crackers and a dash of pepper.
https://liveseasoned.com/crab-chowder/

liveseasoned_winter14_crabchowder-5

If you are far from the ocean and wondering what crab meat to buy, we usually go with this.  On that note, have you ever gone crabbing?  As I grow older and realize that I’ve had slightly different opportunities than others, I come to appreciate them more and more.  I didn’t realize that other kids weren’t hauling in crabs from the side of the boat every summer.  Crabbing is relatively easy if you’re in a good spot.  All you need to do is tie a string around a raw chicken neck, attach a couple sinkers, drop it in the water and wait.  When you feel a little tug, you pull the line up hand over hand ever soooo slowly.  When the crab and bait are almost at the surface, you scoop them up with a fishing net.  It’s that easy! Like I said though, you have to go find a good spot.  So if you visit the beach next summer, talk to some locals and ask where they go crabbing.  They might not tell you, maybe they’ll tell you a fake spot, or who knows, maybe the crabs are so abundant that you can go crabbing right off the dock.  If you ever get the chance, this is me telling you to try it.  You’ll have fun.

5 Tips For Winter Hammocking

by Sarah | Leave a comment

liveseasoned_winter14_hammocking-1

If you’re in the northern hemisphere and it is cold, cold, cold right now, but if you still want to enjoy nature, we have a remedy for you.  Curl up, cozy up, comfy right on up in your hammock!  We’re not talking about your grandma’s macrame hammock, although those are cool too. If you’ve haven’t seen them yet, we’re talking about a more heavy-duty yet light-weight camping hammock. It’s a great way to get outside while still kind of hibernating. Let me explain.

Once you stick to these tips and jump up into your hammock, you’ll feel as cozy as a caterpillar in a cocoon.  The most important thing about having fun outside in the winter is, you guessed it, staying warm!  If you’re uncomfortable freezing your butt off you will have no fun, none! So follow these quick tips and take a trip outside, it’s time for some winter hammocking.

liveseasoned_winter14_hammocking-10

Seek out the sun and hide from the wind.

  • The sun is your bestie.  We all know that, especially when winter comes and we’re begging, calling, and singing to the sun.  Find a spot where the sun is shining on you, but keep in mind that you also want to find a bit of natural shelter from the wind.  See how I’m snuggled right up against those tall grasses?  They are the perfect wind buffer.  The field of high grass extended at least a mile in the distance that the wind was blowing from, which means the wind had to travel through all that way just to get to me.  You could also venture into the woods where you’re surrounded by a barrier of trees or you could find an enormous rock or wall of some type that will offer some protection.

liveseasoned_winter14_hammocking-9

Pack a pillow and a sleeping bag.

  • I can guarantee you will have the most miserable time if you don’t pack a sleeping bag.  I wouldn’t wish that hammocking experience on anyone.  Cold winter air is swirling above and below the hammock, but if you’re snuggled into a sleeping bag and your head is on a bed of down you’ll be comfy as a clam. That’s a saying, right?  There are hammock-compatible sleeping bags, but I usually just hang out for an hour or two so I don’t think one is necessary for this purpose.  There are also handy insulation pads.  You also can make your own with a space blanket.

liveseasoned_winter14_hammocking-15

Bundle up!

  • Are you sensing a theme here? Stay warm! Definitely wear some warm, wool socks and a knit hat.  You’ll be taking off your boots when you climb into your sleeping bag (obviously) so you really want to make sure you have a great pair of socks on.  Throw in a scarf and some gloves and you are all set.

liveseasoned_winter14_hammocking-27

Bring a warm drink.

  • You should always take water with you when you go out exploring, but in this case I like to bring a jar of tea.  I choose to pack a jar instead of a thermos or drink bottle because you can screw the lid on tight and stick it down in your sleeping bag.  If you’ve ever used a mason jar as a tea mug you know the glass gets hot, which is great in this case!  It’s just one more way to keep those toes toasty.

liveseasoned_winter14_hammock-1

Grab a good book.

  • Bring along a book or really anything to keep you entertained.  After ten minutes, I promise you’ll be warm and cozy and totally lost in whatever you’re reading or thinking about.

If you’re at all curious about what gear I’m using, here you go: hammock, seriously awesome straps, sleeping bag, and pillow.

Orange & Almond Cake

by Katie | Leave a comment

Oranges are our ingredient of the season. We’re filling our archives with zesty drinks, candies,  crafts, and even cleaners!

liveseasoned_w2015_orangecake_title1

This recipe for orange and almond cake produces a deliciously dense cake with just the right amount sweet, citrusy zest to brighten any cold and grey afternoon. And that’s why it’s become a winter staple in our house (of course, yesterday I happened to make it on one of the warmest & sunniest winter days, but I couldn’t fight the urge to bring the sunshine in!). The cake is finished with a sweet syrup made from fresh orange juice, and as a result, it definitely doesn’t need any sort of frosting, rather it pairs perfectly with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee ~ just what you’ll need after a day out in the snow.

The recipe comes from one of our favorite cookbooks, Jerusalem, which we may have mentioned here and here. I’m sure this won’t be the last time we share a favorite dish from the book!

liveseasoned_w2015_orangecake3

A note about the ingredients ~

I love this cake’s short and sweet ingredient list. Of course the eggs, butter, sugar, flour, and salt are pantry staples; you just have to pick up fresh citrus and almonds or almond meal.

This recipe calls for the zest from four oranges and a lemon, as such, be sure to buy organic. There are two reasons to think about buying organic: 1. environmental and 2. health. From a health perspective, you’ll often see oranges and other citrus as being a “low pesticide residue” fruit as they are protected by their thick skin. Since those pesticides remain on the rind, anytime you’re using the zest in a recipe, you would be exposing yourself to a higher concentration of the pesticides if you don’t buy organic. And, I’m sure you know this, but an easy way to ensure that you’re buying organic in the produce section is to look for fruit and veg with a 5 digit code that starts with 9.

As for the almond meal, you can easily buy whole almonds and use a food processor to make the meal, but since this recipe calls for a whopping 2.5 cups, I find that it’s easier to just pick up a bag of pre-ground almonds. Not sure where to look? You can always find it for a good price in Trader Joe’s nut section.

When it comes to zesting the citrus, I find that it’s quicker and easier to use a zester that produces the nice long strips of zest. You can zest a whole orange (or four!) relatively quickly, and then use a chef’s knife to give the pile a few chops and create the smaller pieces that you need.

On with the recipe then. We’re trying out a new feature on our recipe posts, and we hope you like it! You can see the recipe below as in the past, but now, if you would like to print it, just hit the “print” button to the right of the title. That will open the recipe without photos in a new window as well as allowing you to print the PDF and/or save it as a file on your computer. yay! If you’re having any trouble or have any suggestions for further improvements to our recipe posts, we would love to hear them.

Print
Orange & Almond Cake

Orange & Almond Cake

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 1/2 cup + 3/4 cup sugar
  • zest & juice from 4 oranges & 1 lemon
  • 2 1/2 cups ground almonds
  • 5 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Prep the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9.5 inch springform pan.
  2. Mix up the ingredients. Place the butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and all zest in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low until combined, but do not add too much air to the mixture. Add half the ground almonds and mix until combined. With the mixer on, add the eggs one at a time. Add the remaining almonds, the flour, and the salt. Beat until all ingredients are combined, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary.
  3. Bake the cake! Pour the batter into the pan, smoothing with a spatula. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Use a skewer or toothpick to test for doneness, you'll want the cake to be baked through, but still be moist.
  4. Make the syrup. When the cake is near done, place 1/2 cup of the citrus juice and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan on medium-high. Bring the juice to a boil and then remove it from the heat.
  5. As soon as the cake is removed from the oven, brush it with the boiling juice, allowing the syrup to soak into the cake. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing it.
  6. Serve as is or add a dollop of whipped cream.
https://liveseasoned.com/orange-almond-cake/

Monday Meditation Challenge

by Sarah | Leave a comment

BREATHEHappy Monday! I feel bad for Mondays. While everyone is busy hating them, I’m going to make an effort to be mindful of Mondays. Poor Mondays. I’ll keep you.  Last year we talked a tiny bit about mindfulness and  meditation. I will be the first to admit that I’m not an expert on meditation.  I just know I feel darn good after a few minutes of peace and mindfulness.

MANTRA

I’m giving myself a meditation challenge and I thought I’d mention it here in case you want to play along.  I’m going to meditate every day for the next twenty-eight days. I’ve tried to get into the habit of meditating, but I always end up practicing before and after yoga only.  If I skip class for a week, I’ve gone a full week without focused meditation. I try to practice walking meditation whenever I think of it, but it’s less than once a day.

MEDITATE

So here goes, guys. Twenty-eight days of meditation.  I’m starting small. My plan is to meditate for two minutes a day for the first week! I really want to succeed and I think if I get in the habit of sitting down and keeping my mind quiet for just two minutes a day, it will be a real victory.  The next week I’ll work on five minutes a day.  I don’t want to get ahead of myself so that’s all I have planned for now.  I’ll keep you updated.  Are you going to try it too?  I’ve been using this website to help get in the zen zone.

RELAX

I also created a few images to remind myself to relax, breathe, repeat my mantra and meditate.  For the past few weeks, my mantra has been patience and compassion.  I hate when I cut someone off, get impatient or irritated so I’ve really been trying to work on that.  Wish me luck!

Katie here : Good luck, Sarah! I think this is such a great challenge! I finally did some yoga this weekend with a few minutes of focused meditation afterwards (after a couple of weeks without any), and it felt so good. I used a 20 minute class from YogaDownload that I had on my phone, so I didn’t have to leave the house and could easily squeeze it in during Alex’s nap. The point is, that short dose of yoga and meditation had me feeling good for the rest of the day and left me determined to fit more of both into my days, so I’m excited to take on this challenge with you… I’m going to make one of your images my desktop background as a little reminder to step away from the screen and meditate :-). 

Two Bits + Creamy Cashew Smoothie Recipe

by Sarah | Leave a comment

We want to break down these internet barriers and invite you into our lives and we’re hoping you’ll do the same.  You are welcome to share your a bit of your week or day in the comments, or if they’re better represented by a photo, tag us on instagram @liveseasoned

Katie here:

liveseasoned_w2015_january23rd

We like to share a photo and thoughts from our week, but I confess, that the above photo was taken two weeks ago while we were on the East Coast. It shows little A in his element  – surrounded by kitties! That guy loves a cat like I would have never expected. He now has 4 stuffed kitties of varying sizes, and while I tried to capture him holding all of them at once (he’s been walking around the house with them), the photo escaped me! Maybe it’s because I spent the week feeling sleep deprived. I stopped drinking coffee while we were traveling for the holidays, but this week proved that I had to start up again (just a half cup in the morning), if I want to survive Alex’s early mornings! The coffee has also given me the power to start a few new knitting projects, finish others (more soon!) and straighten up this house, particularly my craft room/office, in an attempt to get our year off to an organized and creative start!

Sarah here:

I can’t believe January is nearly over! I feel like 2015 is moving way too fast already.  To slow it down, I’ve been taking longer dog walks and drinking bigger smoothies.  That makes sense, right?  This week I came up with a new way of holding Ca$h’s leash.  It’s basically a way to pit my entire body weight against his strength.   That sounds complicated, but it’s really not.  I’ll post a pic to IG tomorrow so you know what I’m talkin’ about.  Yesterday I made an enormous creamy cashew smoothie and it was SO tasty!

liveseasoned_winter14_twobitssmoothie-1

Here’s a smoothie sippin’ outtake. This is why I don’t allow myself to appear in photos.  See my smoothie ‘stache? Cashew smoothies are so creamy and delicious. Yum, yum, yum!

Print
Creamy Cashew Smoothie Recipe

Prep Time: 12 hours

Total Time: 12 hours, 10 minutes

Creamy Cashew Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 heaping cup of raw cashews (soaked overnight)
  • 1 cup tea (I used pineapple green tea)
  • 3/4 cup frozen pineapple
  • 1/2 cup frozen berries
  • drizzle of maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Combine the soaked and drained cashews along with the tea, pineapple and berries in the blender.
  2. Blend until smooth. Add more tea if necessary.
  3. Add some maple syrup or other sweetener if desired and blend.
https://liveseasoned.com/two-bits-creamy-cashew-smoothie-recipe/

In the Snow with Little A

by Katie | Leave a comment

liveseasoned_w2015_snow_a

We waited until late in the afternoon to venture out into yesterday’s snow. I admit that I had to build up my courage to face the cold temps, but after a big bowl of soup and a few layers of wool, I was ready. Alex’s mission was simple : eat as much snow as possible, and my mission even simpler : quietly follow behind the little guy as he explored.

I think we’d both declare the mission a success.

liveseasoned_w2015_snow8

Homemade Blood Orange Shrub

by Sarah | Leave a comment

As you know, it’s orange season! So we’re breakin’ out all the orange recipes including sweet treats, sparkly drinks and even biodegradable cleaners – watch out!

liveseasoned_winter14_bloodorangeshrub-1

I talked to the orange today and he said he is totalllllly cool with featuring his cousin, the blood orange, in today’s recipe.  I’m partial to the blood orange margarita, but since I’m getting over a bug I’ll settle for a blood orange shrub soda.  Have you ever had shrub? It’s described as drinking vinegar, but I like to think of it as flavoring syrup.  It’s the perfect concoction to have on hand while you’re mixing cocktails or looking to spice up your seltzer water.

I’ve been on a shrub kick! I was gifted a whole bunch of shrubs from Tait Farm and I’ve been sucking them down all January.  I love having a bubbly seltzer drink to break up the monotony of my normal coffee, tea and water rotation.  You may also remember that shrub is one of my bedside necessities so when Katie gave me Quench by Ashley English for Christmas, I headed right to the shrub recipes.  I spotted this blood orange recipe by guest contributor Marisa from the Food In Jars blog.  I actually modified the recipe by cutting the vinegar by a third.  I thought the apple cider vinegar was a tad overpowering in my first batch.  It could have been that my blood oranges were a different type than those used by Marisa or maybe our oranges were at different ripenesses, whatever it was I hated knowing the apple cider vinegar was trampling all over the tangy blood orange juice. So here it is shrub sippers, an easy way make your own blood orange shrub syrup.

liveseasoned_winter14_bloodorangeshrub-4

Blood Orange Shrub Ingredients:

  • 4-5 blood oranges
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Blood Orange Shrub Instructions:

  • Pour one cup of blood orange juice into a pint-sized ball jar or any glass container with a tight fitting lid.
  • Add one cup of sugar to the juice, put the lid on and give it a shake.
  • Allow the sugar to completely dissolve into the jar.  This may take a couple hours. Feel free to give the mixture a good shake every once in awhile.
  • Add 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar to the mixture and shake to combine.
  • Store this shrub in the fridge when you’re not mixing up tasty drinks and sauces.

liveseasoned_winter14_bloodorangeshrub-5

liveseasoned_winter14_bloodorangeshrub-1-2

My favorite way to use this blood orange shrub (and all shrubs) is to mix up a little shrub soda. Simply combine a tablespoon or two of shrub with a glass of icy club soda.  You can also use this blood orange shrub to flavor other favorite drinks like iced tea or lemonade.  Shrubs are also delightful cocktail mixers, but I’m getting over a little cold so no suggestions at the moment.  I’ll get back to you on that one 😉

Super Simple and Natural Orange Cleaner

by Sarah | 3 Comments

Oranges our our ingredient of the season. We have big plans for a winter of zesty recipes and sweet crafts.

liveseasoned_winter2014_orangecleaner

Hey Spring Cleaners! Ok, I know it’s a little early for that. Hey, conscious cleaners! (How was that?) Do you buy green cleaning products for your home? Ones that aren’t so harsh and better for your kids, pet, waters and earth? I hope you do! I currently use Green Legacy garbage bags because they’re big, tough and biodegradable and for cleaning I use Legacy of Clean products. Personally, I cannot use Clorox or any other really smelly cleaners. I quickly develop a really big headache that just doesn’t go away. It’s probably because the chemicals are poisoning my brain or because I’m really sensitive to smells, who knows, I’m no doctor.

Anyway, if you don’t use natural cleansers, you can always start now with this easy natural orange cleaner.  You just need a couple of items and a little bit of time to brew a batch. It’s super simple and you might even enjoy the smell of your cleaning products! This concoction uses white vinegar which is high effective at killing mold, bacteria, mildew and other household germs. If you don’t have a big jug of vinegar, go grab one! Vinegar is cheap and you get to leave the harmful fumes and toxic counterparts of other cleaners at the store. Vinegar is also biodegradable so you can wash it down drains and toilets without adding more chemicals to our water system.

liveseasoned_winter2014_orangecleaner3

 Natural Orange Cleaner Ingredients:

  • 1 16-ounce jar (or any glass container with a lid)
  • a heap of orange peals (I used about three oranges worth)
  • vinegar to cover

 Natural Orange Cleaner Instructions:

  • Eat a few oranges. Place the peels inside of your empty glass jar.
  • Cover with vinegar. Screw the lid on and place in a dark, cool spot for a couple of weeks.
  • After a few weeks (or a few months – if you forgot it like I did) strain the concoction so you’re left with only the vinegar.  I like to add one part orange vinegar + one part water to a spray bottle for general cleaning.

Katie here: if you want to make a cleaner that you can use immediately, a quick and dirty trick is to use orange essential oil rather than soaking the fresh peels. Make a mixture of 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon orange essential oil, then you can further dilute it with water as Sarah does. 

I’ve used this mix on everything in my kitchen, bathroom and living room.  Counters, tables, floors, sinks, molding, walls, etc. and it has always worked like a charm. Like I said, I dilute my mixture by 50% with water to tone it down a bit.  I also always finish cleaning by wiping each surface with water so there’s no vinegar left sitting on my wood floors and other sensitive areas.  I have read that vinegar is capable of deteriorating exposed window seals, dishwasher gaskets, and unsealed grout over time, so these surfaces should be rinsed with water after they are cleaned.  Like any cleaning product warning, I suggest test cleaning on inconspicuous areas first to make sure this product is safe for your purposes.  You could also google the specific materials you’ll be cleaning to see if there’s any information on how vinegar will react to them.  So far I’ve only had positive results and lucky for me, this product keeps me headache free!

2015 : Finding Peace in the Impending Chaos

by Katie | Leave a comment

I love Sarah’s 2015 resolutions, don’t you? Such a perfect blend of goals to improve her body, mind, and spirit, while thinking about others too. I’ve set a few resolutions for the coming year, but mine are a bit more modest, because if there’s anything I’ve learned since Little A came along, it’s that I’m not always the one steering this ship, and that’s ok.

liveseasoned_w2015_resolutions4

Over the past couple of years I would come up with a long list of specific goals and resolutions, and then be woefully disappointed when I realized how few I accomplished. So this year, I tried to keep it simple, most of these are goals that easily integrate into my daily life ~ I’m already mothering, so why not try to do it with more grace? I’m taking photos every day; let’s make them better. As I was writing this post, I couldn’t help but also share a few of my pipe dreams ~ I didn’t declare these as resolutions when Calder and I were sharing our goals for the year, but secretly, it would be awesome if I woke up tomorrow with some kicka$$ leg muscles.

Personal

  • Find peace when surrounded by chaos. Anyone who spends time with a little kid, or at least our little nugget, knows that it can be chaotic. There’s the awesome, mess-making, creative chaos, and then there’s the screaming/moaning, what-the-heck-does-he-want chaos. Over the past two years there were moments when I would get frustrated because I wanted a bit of peace and quiet, but there’s nothing like a baby to remind you that you can’t always get what you want, and that even if the world around me feels chaotic, I can take a deep breath and use it to center myself and approach the situation with a calmness and peaceful demeanor (i.e. get what I need). I realize that with two little guys, the chaos will only grow, and so I’m entering this year with the intention of maintaining a calm presence. I’m well aware that this chaotic baby phase will pass quickly, but also that my attitude while mothering the little guys is so important; I want to be able to look back and be proud of how I interacted with them and Calder even during those weeks of no sleep, piles of diapers, and delivery pizza for dinner.
  • Change up my wardrobe and jewelry. I love my closet of clothes and am so happy when I put together a good outfit, but I often find myself reaching for the same outfits fresh from the dryer. This week I straightened up my closet and my jewelry is visibly hanging on my bedroom wall, so there’s nothing stopping me from putting together a good combo when we’re leaving the house.

Craft

  • We are a bread-loving house, living off of the sourdough loafs from Whole Foods. While they are delicious and we won’t stop buying them anytime soon, I would love to perfect my bread baking. This comes with the added challenges of wanting to bake with whole grains, living in a dryer climate, and at a high altitude. I’m looking at it as a fun science experiment for the year, and I’m going to start with this recipe.
  • Improve the lighting in my photographs. Up until this point, I relied on whatever natural light I could find, but wasn’t always happy with the results. Our sister Kris gave me this reflector set for Christmas, so I’m starting there and with these tips.

Work

  • With the second little guy arriving this spring, I’m taking a big step back from my previous job, and while I love the full-time baby care, I know that I’m happiest when I’m still pursuing some work projects. So, I’m hoping that this will be the year that I finally turn some of my knitting and other creative pursuits into paid projects. This may be as simple as publishing a few patterns. You know that I love to give them away, but I wouldn’t mind being compensated for some of the more challenging patterns that I’ve created.
  • The second goal in this category relates directly to a few projects that Calder has up his sleeve. He’s developing a few apps for the iPhone, and we’ve begun to work together on their design and features; it’s something we’re both excited to see continue and grow this year.

Pipe Dreams

… because if I’m magically able to make these things happen amid the chaos and the bread baking and the new work pursuits, then I’m a magician.

  • More camping. Nothing makes me feel more at peace than a weekend in the woods. Luckily everyone in the family loves it too. Our only challenge is planning the trips and getting out of the house.
  • Firmer thighs. I’m moving all day, and I feel like I’m getting exercise, but what I’m missing are intense sessions that target my legs. I would love a combination of running and yoga, but I’d like to do both without the little guys in tow. Scheduling that time is the challenge.
  • Stay organized. I’m happy with the organization of my craft supplies, the kitchen, and the house in general, but it’s easy to fall into periods of laziness where things don’t get put back in their place (sometimes for months). I know that I’m more efficient and the whole house runs better when I put things away, so that’s the goal.
  • Send more surprise packages. Now that we live so far away from many of our friends and family members, I would love to use the mail to stay in touch. It can be hard to find the time for phone calls (baby chaos is the theme of this post), but it makes me so happy to put together a package and send it off. I would be happy if I could send holiday cards and birthday packages this year.

Boy oh boy, the whole process of setting resolutions makes me excited for the year ahead. What about you? Do you have any resolutions? We would love to hear them, and I’m sure we’ll continue to share our progress throughout the year. Happy 2015!!!