29 Cent Meal

I had all but one ingredient on hand for tonight's dinner of meatloaf and mac 'n cheese - a small can of tomato sauce that cost me 29 cents! I was very excited to have everything else in the pantry already.

Cupcake Bouquet

After seeing the idea on Pinterest, I decided to try my hand at a cupcake bouquet, in honor of Valentine's Day. It was a fun and tasty project, one that I would try again.

Baking With 'Lil

To help get in the spirit of Valentine's Day, 'Lil and I made cut-out cookies this afternoon. It was our first time baking in the kitchen together and I have to say, we made a pretty good team. Here is one of 'Lil decorating the cookies. A few more pictures on Flickr.

Vinyls

One of my most prized possession in my wardrobe, believe it or not, is a pair of Old Navy vinyl pants that I've had since circa 1999. Why? Simply put they are warm and comfy - perfect for lounging around the house on a cold day. I found another purpose for them yesterday - they make a good substitute for snow pants. Yesterday Jake and I enjoyed the 6+ inches of fresh snow we got over the weekend by taking a walk to Witmer Park and playing in it - snow angels, snowball fight, and playing on the swings. And the vinyls didn't let me down - they kept me warm and dry.

Photo Project - Day 1

Photo project is underway! You can view pictures here. No, I didn't take a photo of me in the outfit, which I admit, would be better. But there is something about taking a picture of myself that makes me feel awkward. "What pose? Should I smile? Damn, didn't get all of me in that one." After several tries, I got frustrated and decided the hanger could wear the outfit and be in the picture instead. It's not great, but it's only day 1. There's plenty of time to improve. I do welcome suggestions.

Sidenote: I got a couple compliments on my necklace today, both from older ladies. For a minute I wondered if it was a bad thing that I was wearing jewelry that appealed to the older generation. But I quickly pushed that thought out. I like it and honestly, that's all that matters.

Photo Project

In holding myself accountable for the resolution of taking more photos, I am taking on a photo project for the month of February. (I should preface this by saying I cannot take full credit for this, as Jake offered this idea to me after discussing the project with him.)

"A Tour of My Closet in 29 Days" - I'll be photo-journaling my outfit each day for the month of Februrary.

My goal in this is twofold:
1. The obvious - I use my camera more.
2. I give my wardrobe some "oomph" by getting creative with what's in my closet without having to go out and buy new items of clothing. (which, in turn, conveniently helps with my "less is more" goal)

Although it'll take more effort and force me to pick out my clothes the night before, I'm excited to take on this challenge and see what I can come up with.

Good Advice

I recently finished "Seriously, I'm Kidding" by Ellen DeGeneres, and as I listened to each chapter in my car, it solidified my admiration and love for her. She not only has the ability to make me laugh until I cry (seriously, watch "Here and Now") but she is one of those rare celebrities who uses her powers for good. I believe she's a genuinely good person and we need more people like her in our world.

That's why I was so glad she had several chapters of advice, so to speak, in this book. Here are several that have stuck in my head.

*Beauty: While talking about her CoverGirl opportunity, she talks about beauty and self acceptance. "True beauty is about who you are as a human being - your principles, your moral compass." She goes onto say that, "Above all things physical it is more important to be beautiful on the inside; to have a big heart and an open mind...Beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. It's about knowing and accepting who you are...Everyone has flaws. No one is perfect. Our flaws are what make us human. If we can accept them as part of who we are, they really don't even have to be an issue...Be who you really are. Embrace who you are. It's okay to be you."

*We all have too much stuff and we need to start the de-cluttering process.

*We need to pay attention to our bodies and stay healthy. Don't be lazy. Challenge yourself to get up and move around more.

*Secret of Life: Ellen says that the secret of life is to find happiness. Hold onto a sense of wonder. Notice all the incredible things around us, such as flowers and trees. She urges to not take things for granted, to appreciate what's around you, and to take risks, even if it's something small. "When you take risks, you will learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail. And both are equally important. It's hard to understand failure when you are going through it, but in the grand scheme of things, it's good to fall down. It's failure that gives you the proper perspective on success." She also says, "What's important is that you enjoy and appreciate everyday and that's something you can accomplish by just living in the moment. Don't look behind you and don't spend too much time worrying about the future. Just stay in the present."

*Stretch. Not just in the physical sense, but mentally as well. Keep your mind active and strive to constantly learn new things.

*Judgment: In talking about all the polls that are out there in the world, (such as a "who wore it best" poll) she says all they do is make you judgmental, something she does not believe in. "I don't think someone has to wear something better or have a better hair style. That's why the word 'different' exists in our language. We all spend so much time comparing ourselves to each other....It's not about being better than anyone else or having nicer things. I like being my own person with my own style and my own opinions. I think it's so much better to stand out in some way and set yourself a part from the masses....Who's to say what's better or worse? Who's to even say what's normal or average? We're all different people and we're all allowed to be different from one another."

*Have common courtesy. Be polite. Work on your manners. Say please and thank you. Be punctual. Just be nicer to one another.

*Get to know someone before making generalizations about them.

*Write a hand-written letter every now and again and set aside time to read.

*Be mindful of your actions and how it affects the planet: "The more we think about what we're doing and and what we're consuming, the better off we're gonna be." Recycle. Conserve water. Take reusable bags to the grocery store. Start to pay more attention to what's around you.

*Be honest.

*Stay positive: "It makes a big difference in your life when you stay positive."

*Be happy: She concludes her book with a few final words about happiness. "Do things that make you happy. Do things that make you feel good and proud. Contribute to the world. Help people. Make an impact. Show someone you care. Say something nice. Smile. Make eye contact. Laugh as much as you can. Emote - it's okay, it shows people you're thinking and feeling. Find out who you are and figure out what you believe in, even if it's different from what your neighbor believes in...Stay true to yourself. Have your own opinion...Don't worry about what people say about you or think about you...If we try just a little bit, we can make this world a happier and healthier one. And if we try even harder, we can do some pretty spectacular things."

The beauty of all of these things, is that they are relatively simple ideas. It's not rocket science and doesn't take a genius to understand. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's always easy to be positive or stop caring about what other people think or fully accept yourself, but they are all easy enough to understand and work towards.