road trip {harrah's}

matt's birthday was in mid-january. i really struggled with gift ideas. but with some help from his best buddy, this is what ended up being his "main gift"...

and this weekend (sunday night), he & i will be heading up the road a few hours to enjoy a child-free night of food, drink, gambling, the super bowl, and each other. we've never been there and i think we are both excited. we will be eating at paula dean's new restuarant and staying at the hotel's newest tower. looking forward to it!

becky higgins photo challenge {reflection}

a while back, becky higgins started posting occassional photo challenges on her blog. they were simple and doable...yet still intriquing. here are some existing photos that reflect one of her challenges.

reflection

original post and results post (video)

the reflection in this photo was not capture intentionally. and you actually have to look very closely to even see it. but, in the red ornament to the left of the photo ornament...you can see me taking the photo. i think it's kind of cool because that's me as a little girl in the photo. photo taken christmas 2009.

this reflection was captured intentionally. that's me in the white shirt (holding the camera) and my friend cassidy in the red shirt next to me. we are at the gamecock ladies football clinic, in the workout facility while players "put on a show". i love how it captures all of the women huddled around, gawking at these kids. look closely and you can see the boys' knees. i'm assuming they were doing sit-ups or something. photo taken in april 2010.

**************************
past challenges:
look straight down and set your camera down

one little word {focus}

as in years past, i decided to stay on the ali edwards bandwagon of choosing one little word. i knew my word early this year, but i wanted to live with it for a short while before sharing it. (you might remember that i changed my 2010 one little word mid-year). i mentioned it back in early december and surprisingly, it hasn't changed yet. (sidenote: ali even has a year-long class to support this idea now.)

so, yup...that's the word - focus. it's not a very exciting word in and of itself. but it's packed full of meaning and intent. let's start by looking at it's actual definition:

fo·cus   [foh-kuhs]

–noun: a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity

–verb: to become focused.

—synonyms: center, heart, core, nucleus.

i was a little disappointed that the dictionary definition of my dear word wasn't more exciting. and then i saw the synonyms. and it all made sense. it was perfect. focus is about the heart, the core. last year, i strived for balance and was able to eliminate some less important things from my life. things that were stealing time from the core. now that i know what matters most, it's time to focus, focus, focus.

it can seem like a harsh word but that's not how it feels to me. it feels right. it feels like hugging a child or lounging with my family. it feels like pushing aside the grocery shopping so we can hang out in the front yard (something i did this past weekend). it's connotation is actually comforting to me.

and just in case there was any doubt about my word, as i went onto the smashing magazine website recently to choose my free monthly desktop wallpaper, i ran across this....

so, here we go -- 2011 -- the year of focus.

cheers.

web wednesday {2.2}

today is a special heart day version of *web wednesday*. i'll start by reminding you of a couple of past posts here at the chronicles:

last year's list from around the web

easy pencil goodies - i made these last year for spencer's (5th grade) classmates
these are a great solution because they aren't *too girly* or *too young*

hybrid valentines with a pencil treat - i made these last year for coleman's daycare buddies

my heart day decor from 2007. sometimes i forget about my own great ideas. i love that i used red hearts in those vases/candle holders...something i haven't done since. silly me!

and now for valentine's day goodies from around the web...

free candy bar wrapper printable from eighteen 25

tutorial for some fun "tissue art". definitely want to do this with coleman. from sunny side up.

this post has tons of great valentine kid's craft ideas!

i'm pretty sure this cupcake fondue idea is the best thing ever. we have to do this. this could be about valentine's day or totally not. i'm thinking this would be a great treat on a child's birthday to show them they are special! something relatively easy to pull off at home on a weeknight or whatever!

i never thought of painting heart cookies before you cook them. what a fabulous (and easy) idea!!! i'm always struggling for age-appropriate activities for coleman. i think decorating cookies this way would be way easier for him than the standard icing way. from the same site: coffee filter hearts


eighteen 25 always does a great job with seasonal posts. they have several valentine's day things up already (and i expect more will follow):
valentine's frames (pictured above)
peanut butter blossoms (recipe)
here they link up tons of ideas from other blogs
free digital valetine card downloads!!! (three options)
use the downloads for a sweet treat valentine
adorable DIY candy dish idea



Valentine's Day Party Ideas...
Love Rocks


heart shaped marshmallow treats

marriage & love: a holy experience is focusing on *the practice of marriage* the two weeks leading up to valentine's day. links from other blogs are also at the bottom of this post.

enjoy this season of hearts and hugs.

goals {february 2011}

i was pleased with my january baby steps and i'm excited about tackling a new set of baby steps this month!!!

{organization}
-- help matt purge some a lot of his clothing
-- clean out the kitchen junk drawer
-- bring home 2 binders from work (to use as home management & recipe binders)

{time management}
do laundry at least twice a week. since my work schedule changed back to going into the office daily, i have been doing laundry mostly on weekends. my goal is to try and tackle some of it mid-week so i'm not so bogged down with this during our family time.

{blog improvement}
-- begin making my way through the blog design class (not finish, just start)
-- create an "about the chronicles" page for the blog

{scrap studio}
-- clear off the floor!!! this seems easy enough but right now it's a collection of items purchased for parties, computer cords, bags of "works in progress", piles of spencer & coleman's old schoolwork and artwork...just to name a FEW.
-- order photobook of christmas 2010 photos

{weight loss}
-- do the elliptical machine (30 min) at least once a week
-- eat out no more than one meal per week
-- lose 6 more pounds

{faith + spirtuality}
-- read 4 chapters of the New Testament every weekday morning. i will continue to plug away at this until i'm done with the Bible
-- begin participating in the one thousand gifts (by ann voskamp) book club i've already purchased the book. the club begins this sunday (feb 6th).
{financial}
-- finish reading "debt free for life". this book was a free download online that i printed and began reading a few weeks ago. my goal is to wrap it up this month and start taking some of his advice (see next item)
-- start making bi-weekly mortgage payments. the above book states if you make 1/2 of your mortgage payment every two weeks (instead of the full amount once a month) you should pay off your mortgage about 3-5 years earlier depending on your interest rate (this is based on making 1 extra monthly payment).
{writing}
-- write four journal entries. since i didn't accomplish this last month, i figured this should remain a goal.
-- start the creativity boot camp workbook. my goal is to finish this before the live summer session in may.

related posts:
goals for 2011
january goals and january end-of-month progress report

inspired by:
3 in 30, as presented by ap freewriting 101 and the tuckers take tennessee

goal update {january 2011}

in early january, i laid out goals for the month based on my goals for 2011. my plan is all about taking baby steps to tackling bigger things and was partially inspired by the concept of 3 in 30, as presented by ap freewriting 101 and the tuckers take tennessee.

my concern was tackling eight mini-goals in a month might be too much. so, let's see how i did...

{organization}
purchase and implement a system for organizing coleman's toys in our den. complete.
we are considering the addition of a toy box also, but right now, this is working well. my other small organizational project was the dresser in our bedroom.

{time management}
master using my new organizational binder and daily calendar. complete.
i have spent the month using these things daily. i absolutely adore my moleskin weekly notebook. it is truly perfect (particularly for work). though my new binder is bulky, it has been incredibly helpful to have everything together in ONE spot. i am thoroughly enjoying both pieces of my new process. i plan to post more detail on this now that i've tested it for a while.

{blog improvement}
choose a digital kit to use when re-designing the blog. complete.
i purchased a kit, at a great price. the colors are reflective of my *color crush*. as for blog content, i seem to be struggling the most with weekend posting. this is partially a good thing because it means i'm living life and enjoying my family. but i'd like to get better and scheduling posts to come out on the weekends.

{scrap studio}
re-claim the room from the havoc reaked during the holiday season. sort of complete.
i have worked on tidying up this room. a couple of times. and then it falls apart again. it's definitely in a better state than it was during the holidays, which is good. the bad thing is that i'm now planning two (back to back) parties in our house at the end of february. this room will become the "catch all" for party supplies and planning so i need a way to keep that organized and tidy!
as for scrapping...i didn't. but i did order a photobook from shutterfly of our december family photo shoot. i also ordered prints from snapfish that completes coleman's first year.

{weight loss}
this is actually going to be more of a three-fold goal. instead of just saying "lose 5 pounds" in january, i want more tangible & specific goals that will hopefully lead to weight loss. complete +.

1. do the elliptical four times
2. go on a walk four times
3. brainstorm healthier meal ideas with matt

i did a lot more in this area than i set out here. i joined weight watchers and lost 6 pounds. i did the elliptical machine exactly 4 times (though it wasn't consistent each week, as i would prefer). i nixed #2 because it's just too darned cold. and, amazingly i got on my bicycle once (for a very leisurely ride) for the first time in probably two years! i can't say that we accomplished much with #3...i am eating healthier but not doing such a great job of working with matt on that.

for more details on my weight loss adventure, check out my weekly *dieting for dummies* series: january 16 + january 23 + january 30

{faith + spirtuality}
read 4 chapters of the New Testament every weekday morning. complete.
as of today, i've read through the Book of John and i'm currently in the Book of Acts.

{financial}
put together a realistic monthly budget and review in detail with matt. complete.
this one got put off to the very end of the month. but, matt and i did finally sit down and review our february budget. we have vowed to discuss our finances more openly and consistently (instead of just letting me deal with everything). we also made a "wish list" together of bigger projects/purchases and prioritized them. as a bonus, we had our taxes done on the last day of the month. Wooohoo! nice to have that out of the way so early.

{writing}
finish reverb 10 prompts here on the blog and write four journal entries. complete + half complete.
i did complete writing based on the reverb prompts, but i actually only completed two journal entries.

reflecting on the month:
i took a long look at this list after about 3 weeks into the month. i realized that i had done a great job in most areas. so, where was i struggling??? financial, scrap studio and writing. those became my priorities for the final week of the month. it's good to know my weak spots so i can make more effort next month.

coming soon: february goals

dieting for dummies {1.30}

total weight loss to date: 6 pounds
i only lost one pound this week. a little disheartening, but i am reminding myself that my original goal was only a pound per week. as long as i'm losing, we are good!

portion control:
when i eat with my family, i continue to put emphasis on portion control & wise choices. for instance, when matt made burgers for supper, i skipped the bun and asked him to make me a small one (he makes huge burgers). mine weighed in at 5 ounces. for additional flavor, i opted to dip my meat in a cucumber dip i'd just discovered that is only 40 calories per 2 tablespoons. it was quite tasty. instead of french fries, i chose to eat some bell pepper slices. i honestly didn't feel cheated and my options were so much more healthy!

weakness substitute:
one of my food weaknesses is that i love dips & spreads. i have started perusing the aisles of the grocery store for healthier options. for instance, i've been steering away from the cream cheese and choosing pimento cheese instead. i also purchased the cucumber dip mentioned above and some hummus, which is a great addiiton to (healthy) crackers. i spent some time reading the boxes in the cracker aisle and there are some pretty significant differences (keep an eye on how many crackers is considered a "serving"). my favorites right now are from Kellogg's Special K. 24 crackers are 120 calories -- not bad at all!


i'm pretty sure that raw spinach makes everything a bit better.

beverages:
i have found it difficult to drink as much water daily as i should. i used to be really good at this, so i'm not sure why i'm struggling now. a few tips that i've implemented to help myself along.

• don't drink as much coffee. this developed on its own as i began eating breakfast first thing in the morning (i was no longer relying on several cups of coffee as my only morning "nutrition"). not having a cup of coffee on my desk all morning means that i will reach for water when i'm thirsty.
• water on the go. i make sure that i always have water with me in the car. since i'm in there at least 2 hours every weekday, it's important.
• straws. i find that i drink more water if my container has a straw. right now, i do not have one of these at work and i need to fix that.
• hot water. last week i mentioned that i was loving hot water with lemon (or lime). we have a water cooler at work that spits out hot water instantly. i love it. our office stays cold, in my opinion, so much of my daily water intake is through cups of hot water.
• no soda. i know this is a weakness for some, but i'm lucky that i really don't care much for coke and such. once in a blue moon i will treat myself to a dr. pepper but it's rare and it's not something i miss.
• carbonated water. i love carbonated water. i got some cans on sale a few weeks ago and use those as a "treat" when we're headed out in the car and stuff. the bubbles just make it seem special!

reverb10 {complete + recap}

as you may remember, i participate in a project called reverb10. the point was to write daily, based on prompts, for the month of december. i stated early on that i was backdating all of my posts so they would show up on the blog on the correct date, but i was late posting most all of them. so...here i am, almost a month later and i just wanted to share that  i am finally done. if you missed these posts (due to the backdating) and want to read them, there are a few easy ways to do that...

• using the blog archive list on the left sidebar, choose december and you will see all of these posts begin with "reverb10" in the title.
• using the labels list on the left sidebar, choose "story telling". this will bring up other posts as well, but it will include all of the reverb things.
• using the search bar on the left, type "reverb" and you should get them all in your results.

coleman {23 months}

i'm a slack mama. coleman turned 23 months old on monday. (and i totally skipped 22 months due to the holidays). so, here's a snapshot of my little man...only one month from turning 2!!!

~ he has started saying "amen" after bedtime prayers ~

~ he loves to line things up - toys, shoes, whatever ~

~ he can take his jacket off by himself ~

~ he independently walks up and down the stairs (supervised of course) ~

~ he experienced his first white christmas ~

~ he is saying more & more complete sentences ~

~ he likes to tell us "bye-bye" and run to the front door ~

~ he loves watching *your baby can read* dvds ~

~ he climbs a lot. he will move his bigger toys and use them as steps to climb on other things. nothing is safe from his grasp! ~

~ he mimics everything we do. ~

~ he loves, loves, loves bathtime ~

~ he has a deep, hearty laugh. and he thinks it's hilarious ~

~ he is defiant & independent. qualities i admire, but not so much in a toddler! ~

~ he no longer has shaggy hair (enter sad face here) ~

~ he has learned to roll his eyes. it is funny ~

~ he is all boy. so rough. ~

~ his favorite phase is "i want phone" ~

web wednesday {prizes won}

this week's web wednesday is a bit different than normal. in the past two months, i've won two different giveaways online so i thought i'd share them here and publicly thank the bloggers who hosted them! giveaways are very common in the blogworld. you could spend hours a day entering them, if you chose. i try to limit my entries to things that would be truly exciting if i were to win. needless to say, i was tickled pink about both of these.

Ashley @ AP Free Writing 101 hosted a DaySpring Giveaway. And I WON! i had a blast shopping on their website using my $35 gift card. their site is full of wonderful faith-based products. i was able to purchase a few gifts, as well a couple of treats for myself. here are two of things i bought for me:

i love these so much, i opted not to put them up with our christmas stuff so that i can use them year-round.

Michelle @ So, I Married a Mennonite hosted a Tommy Nelson Giveway. and I WON! i have heard a lot of wonderful things about tommy nelson's children's book but we didn't own any! i'm excited that his title, a christmas prayer, is now a part of our christmas book collection. i was also pleased to realize, when it arrived, that it's a board book - perfect for coleman!

thanks to ashley & michelle!!!