Goals from 2011

So as I did last year, I posted my goals for 2010 and highlighted what had been fulfilled, then posted my goals f0r 2011. This has been a yearly tradition for me since about 2006. I think that making a list of things you want to accomplish throughout the year, and looking back on it often, makes things happen faster than if you didn't have your goals written out. So here are my goals that I chose for 2011, and the ones that are highlighted at the ones that were completed!

Goals for 2011

1. Take 10 credits over the summer

2. Get a 3.5 or better every semester

3. Finish the room under the kitchen.

4. Take a vacation.

5. Get Adam a new bed

6. Get Wyatt into a toddler bed

7. Teach Adam to shower without help

8. Get Adam in swim lessons (January)

9. Make the denim family blanket

10. Join a bookclub. (I started it!)

11. Get new couches!

12. Make at least 2 extra house payments

13. Get the carpets cleaned

14. Take a cooking class! (Kind of, it was a cake decorating class J)

15. Have a big 4^th of July bar B Q

16. Do a wedding album

17. Do a wedding scrapbook

18. Teach Adam to ride his bike w/o training wheels.

19. Send out Christmas cards

20. Get concrete poured on the side of the house

21. Annual Cabin trip!

22. Get everybody to the Dentist!

23. Dress up for Halloween with the boys

24. Read a really good book!

25. Lose 30 pounds

26. Keep our family safe, happy and healthy!

27. Pay off Ben’s truck

28. Finish the bathroom in the basement (ALMOST!)

29. Go visit Grandma in Florida/Georgia

30. Go to California for Bassett reunion in June

31. Go camping to Redfish at least 2x

32. Get new dining set

33. Get new camera

34. Do more crafts with the kids.

35. Learn to coupon, for real!

36. Keep up on the blogs.

37. Find a way to make money from home.

38. Get both boys a savings account, put $50 a month in them

39. Learn to make a quilt.

40. Repair the blankets that are falling apart.

41. Get Electrical wired in basement

42. Get sheet rock up

43. Host Annual Christmas Party!

44. Pay off Ben’s surgery bills

45. Vegas for Spring Break! Wahoo!

46. Get couches cleaned.

47. Get accepted into the Education program.

48. Can Spaghetti Sauce, applesauce, peaches, corn, zucchini and salsa

49. Get rest of planting areas planted. Flower/shrub/trees in front

50. Put in stone patio in back with Fire pit.

Not bad for one year, almost half of them! I usually try to continue onto the next year with ones that I didn't get finished, so some of my 2012 list will look familiar, but I combined a few so there are plenty of new goals for 2012!

GOALS FOR 2012

1. Graduate from College!

2. Get a 3.5 or better every semester, Spring, Summer, Fall

3. Get air conditioning

4. Get a fireplace downstairs

5. Finish the basement

6. Take a vacation

7. Make the denim family blanket

8. Keep up with book club

9. Get new couches for basement

10. Make 2 extra house payments

11. Get carpets cleaned

12. Get large family photo printed on canvas

13. Pour concrete outside (patio and side of house)

14. Dress up for Halloween with the boys

15. Student teach!

16. Pay off Ben’s truck

17. Go visit Grandma in Florida/Georgia

18. Go camping at Redfish

19. Get a new dining set

20. Host Annual Christmas party

21. Can peaches, spaghetti sauce, peach jam, peach pie filling, applesauce, apple pie filing, pears, corn (freeze), salsa, zucchini (freeze)

22. Get a new camera

23. Build up my stockpile

24. Make a new quilt for each of the boys, including Ben

25. Repair old blankets

26. Lose another 25 pounds

27. Set up a budget and save $300/month

28. Get pregnant!

29. Get Adam a new bike

30. Bake birthday cakes for all of the boys

31. Get old couches cleaned

32. Put in stone patio with fire pit in back

33. Paint master bedroom

34. Get curtains for Master bedroom

35. Make our own ice cream

36. Take kids swimming and to the park at least once a week in the summer

37. Pay off Ben’s four wheeler

38. Teach Wyatt to read!

39. Build my library

40. Get Adam into White Pine

41. Get Adam in Karate lessons

42. Put Adam in Baseball and Wyatt in Soccer

43. Get a new guest bed (make own headboard if possible!)

44. Read 5 books not required by school or book club!

45. Grow my hair out (only trims are permitted!)

46. Put together family picture wall for basement

47. Plant trees in the back yard

48. Learn to sew a dress

49. Take the kids sledding

50. Keep our family safe, happy, and healthy!

You should really try this! I find that it helps and it's always a great feeling to go over it though the year and cross off things that you have accomplished! Happy 2012 everyone!

Giveaway results!

So ya know that giveaway that I posted about a week or so ago that I entered (and also posted a link for you all to enter) from my neighbors blog giveaway? I WON! Ya, me, moi, myself, I! I never win anything, so I am pretty pumped, just found out today so it will probably be a little while before I receive my winnings. What did I win you ask?

A super cool awesome fabulous blender/chopper/mixer set thing! Ya I will know more about it when it gets here! Don't worry I will post pictures! Yahoo!

Crafty, well I try...

So you see the sign that we are holding in the picture up there?

Ya, I totally made that. (Not that I am one to brag or anything!)

So since I decided to be crafty for our family pictures, I thought I would share how it was done!

What you need:

Wooden Letter blocks (Mine were black but plain wood would work). One for each letter in the saying you want.
Scrapbook paper of your choosing
Glue (to attach paper to letters)
assorted buttons, or any other decorations to go on the letters
Ribbon of color choice (make sure it is wire enforced for strength)
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Razor blade cutter for cutting paper.

Directions: (Wishing now I would have taken pics of the step by step)

Trace with the letter blocks, the pattern onto scrapbook paper.
Cut it out.
Glue onto wooden letters.
Once dry, attach decorations with hot glue (buttons, pearls, and bows in my case)

Once all decorations are attached, place letters on ribbon to check spacing. Leave about 3-4 inches or ribbon on each end to make loops for hanging.

Once you have figured out your spacing (I left a space between words for a bow)
use the hot glue gun to attach the letters to the ribbon, making sure to only glue the top half so the letters hang below the ribbon.

For the loops at the end of the ribbon, take the extra length, fold in half, and glue shut with glue gun. Once letters and loops are dry, you are ready to hang (or hold!).
Finished product:

How about a recipe?

So I know I don't post recipes on here very often, maybe I should because I have some to die for recipes. I thought I would share today some cupcakes that I made over the summer. Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes! They are a little bit of work, but totally worth it. I found the recipe on one of my favorite blogs that I follow Inside Blue Crew Life. She always has some yummy treat to share with her followers, and even if my thighs may not like the attention, my taste buds sure do! You should check it out! But as a teaser, here is the incredible recipe!

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

strawberry cake mix
1/4 c. sour cream

Mix up the cake mix according to the box. Add the sour cream in with the oil. Bake at 350* for 22 minutes, or until the tops spring back. Cool on a wire rack. Use a melon scooper and scoop out a small hole for the cheesecake filling. Fill. Frost with fresh strawberry butter cream frosting. Keep refrigerated.

Cheesecake Filling
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (12 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream and mix well. In a small bowl, beat the milk and pudding mix on low for 2 minutes. Stir it into the cream cheese mixture. Fold in the whipped topping.

***You will have extra filling left after filling the cupcake holes. So you can either make 1/2 a batch, or refrigerate it and I have another recipe for you to use up the leftover cheesecake filling:-)

Strawberry Butter Cream
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. strawberry preserves, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. strawberry extract
1/2 c. finely chopped strawberries (I used a pampered chef food chopper)
4 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Beat shortening and butter until creamy. Add the salt, water, vanilla & strawberry extract, and chopped strawberries and cream again. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Put the strawberry preserves in a microwave bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir and add to the frosting. Beat the frosting for a minute. Add another 1-2 tbsp. water, beating after each one. You want the frosting to be creamy, but stiff enough to frost cupcakes.

I hope you enjoy them as much as my family did! The filling is so good I had to tell myself not to just eat it straight from the piping bag (not that that really stopped me!) Happy Eating!

CUTE and CRAZY

Wyatt's hair is getting pretty long (as you can see from the family picture above).

And by long, I mean unmanageable on a daily basis. You would think that having long hair my entire life, this wouldn't be such a big deal.

When his hair is done, it really does look adorable on him, like in the picture above. But there is virtually only one way to get it to stay like that. Straight after a bath, combing it down, and letting it either dry on it's own that way, or I have to blow dry it. Doesn't sound too difficult right?

WRONG!

We do baths before bedtime at our house, I mean what mother has time to bathe their kids in the morning among getting them dressed, fed, and out the door to school and daycare, before they head off to school or work? I really don't know of any.

So what does that leave me with in the morning?


So cute that he thought I wanted a picture of him reading, but seriously look at that crazy hot mess on top of his head! What am I supposed to do with that? A hat, his favorite Alabama hat, that's my quick fix to this cute little rag top! He can have cute hair on the weekends right?

Neighborly Love and...a giveaway!

So my totally cool, amazing neighbor Serene has a killer blog. She's really a pro if you ask me, a pro at blogging, not killing. She is a stay at home mother of 5 that always seems to blow my mind with her funny stories and situations with her silly kids! Well all for the month of December she is doing a giveaway for her readers every Friday! Check it out HERE.

She will be using some random name generator to pick the winner, I think I should have preference for being a neighbor right? I think so. You should check it out, you can't win if you don't enter!

2011 favorite things

~*~*~My 2011 Favorite Things That I Encountered~*~*~

My first niece Alysse Evaline (isn't she beautiful)

White Chocolate Mochas

Movies:
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Just Go With It
Gnomeo and Juliette
No Strings Attached

Music:
Adelle
Bruno Mars

Straight A's

Summer baseball with the boys

Date Nights

Couponing (I'm addicted!)

Books:
Uglies Series
Hunger Games Series
Matched Series
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

Starting a book club

Cabin Trips with the besties!

Baking and Canning

Happy Healthy Family that I LOVE SO MUCH!!!



What are some of your favorite things from 2011?

Wilson

Hello, I would like you all to meet Wilson!

Wilson is our family elf (from Elf on the Shelf). If you haven't heard of Elf on the Shelf you should really look it up!

The boys have fallen in love with Wilson and here is why.

Every day, Wilson sits in a new place, watching the boys.
Every night, Wilson magically flies to Santa to tell him if the boys were naughty or nice that day.Every morning, the boys wake up to run around the house wondering where Wilson will be that day (he sits in a different place every night).
The only rule is that the kids are not allowed to touch him or his magic will go away and he wont be able to get to Santa, thus putting the boys on the naughty list.

This thought was especially upsetting to Wyatt, so he is sure to remind us all that we are not to touch Wilson.

This is such a cute idea, and I especially love it because if the boys start to get crazy I just say, "Remember that Wilson is watching you," and they are little angels from that moment on!

They also when we get home from school go stand in front of Wilson and tell him about all the nice things they did that day (and Wyatt always throws in "Now go tell Santa I'm on the good list, and to put Adam on the Naughty list!")

So if you don't have an elf in your family, you really should get one. You get to name it yourself, or the kids do anyway. It's a really sweet tradition that we are loving being started this year.

Christmas slacker

I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas (most of my fam and friends know this already) but I love the holiday season. The music, decorations, lights, and yummy food I LOVE. I know that probably sounds like an oxymoron. But I really do love getting the house all decorated and pretty for the season.

But truth be told, the last two years (this year included) I have felt like a serious slacker. The day after Thanksgiving is usually the day I break out all my decorations and spend the day getting the house all ready.

Not lately.

It's not that I don't want to, I just have ZERO motivation to do so and TONS of homework and housework that seems to be requiring all of my attention and energy.



I do have my tree up (sans ornaments). But at least it's up and the kids don't mind if it isn't decorated. Maybe when school is done in about 2 weeks? Oh and don't forget the lovely nut cracker in the background, it was in the same box with the tree so it didn't really require any extra effort (especially since Adam brought it over to me!) So anyway, happy decoration-less holidays so far! I will eventually get around to it. Maybe.

Name what you are Thankful for!

Almost being finished with school
Love I feel for my family
Love I receive from my family
Inspiration from all around me
Snuggling with my boys
Opinions
New shoes :)

New friends
Ice cream
Cocoa to keep me warm
Old friends
Laughter
Extended family

Teachers
Online shopping
Late nights playing games with family/friends
Mocha's
A roof over my head
New adventures to come!

The Most Wonderful...

Usually around Thanksgiving my mindset is in "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" mode. NOT THIS YEAR!!!

I don't think I have ever had a semester with so much work/tests/papers/state exams all due either right before, during, or directly after Thanksgiving. I think this is going to be more difficult than finals week this year. Actually I know it will be.

So here's to my sanity, or what little I have left. Wish me luck!

Single Moms

There is nothing like a mother. I was lucky enough to grow up with both of my parents present in my life, and couldn't imagine it any other way. But there is something so amazing and inspiring about a single mother that I admire so much.

I admire their...
Creativity
Strength
Heart
Love
Will
and much more!

I am not a single mother, my husband is amazing with our children and a great support system for me too. But with his new job, I get a taste of what a single mother has to go through on a daily basis, although I'm sure it is about 10x more difficult for them. So this post goes out to all of the amazing single mothers out their that raise their children to be amazing, strong, independent, and wonderful people. Especially my mother in law Laurie who raised her three sons (my hubby included) to be just as amazing as she is! Thank you for the inspiration!

Book club or bust!

Well last night was our first official book club meeting. When I say us, I mean my friend Keshia and myself. Most people canceled that they were coming just hours before the party.

Unfortunately for me, I had already done all the baking, preparing, shopping and setting up for more people. My house/ food sort of felt all dressed up and nowhere to go so to speak. It was sad :(

These are the yummy Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Chocolate Glaze that I made for the girls (that nobody ate)

These are the incredibly yummy Autumn Apple Grape Medley's that I made.

Keshia and I had a good time though. We were able to catch up, establish some rules or norms for the book club, eat and drink wine, talk about the book (wishing we had more people to discuss with), and picking next month's book.

This will be our next book for December and Keshia (and hopefully the other girls will be too) are so excited to read this book. It's about a woman who's mother is mentally ill, and how she learns about herself and her mother through diaries that her mother had written. I think. We are hoping for a better turn out next month, if not, then at least Keshia and I will enjoy it while it lasts and read a few good books out of it.