2017 Goals {2}

To better meet goals, accountability is my friend. It's one of the only ways I am able to keep up with things but I'm not always great about finding that accountability. One thing I can do is post some updates!

I feel good about some of the new habits I've formed but I still have a lot to work on. Like I said in my first post about 2017 Goals, this year will be about purpose and progress. I try to make purposeful decisions about how I spend my time. Although I'm not doing very good every single day, I do see progress and that is exciting.

GOAL #1 - Read
This is one goal that is slow going. I don't often pick up a book to read so this may be a more challenging habit to form. With that said, I did begin one book and am about 60% of the way through. I chose to begin with The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin because I wanted to read about how someone else chose to live purposefully. It's an interesting read but it's also a little conversational so I find myself getting bored easily which is why it's been slow going thus far. I do like the book but if I'm a little too tired, I don't even attempt to read. I want to be engaged when I'm reading so that I retain the information better. I hope to finish that book by the end of the month so I can move on to the next one!

Here are the next few I'd like to read (that I for some reason left off my original list!):

Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You'll Love by Holly Porter Johnson and Greg Johnson

The Life-changing Magic of Tidying: A Simple, Effective Way to Banish Clutter Forever by Marie Kondo

Hungry for Change: Ditch the Diets, Conquer the Cravings, and Eat Your Way to Lifelong Health by James Colquhoun

OH and I found out that Michael Connelly will be releasing TWO new books this year and I am sooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (this is like Top Chef and Masterchef Junior excitement here!) One of them will be to introduce a new lead character so that'll be fun to read. c.a.n.n.o.t.w.a.i.t.

GOAL #2 - Control Finances Better
We haven't done much in this yet but I hope to change that in March. Finances always seem healthier when there is a plan so that'll be a focus soon. Hence the reason why I want to read Zero Down Debt! This is a budgeting method that we have not yet used so I am interested to read more about how to implement it. We still don't know the full amount of replacing our main sewer line yet but to pay down the rest of our debt would be a good thing! The ground was too frozen to replace it all so they've completed the half under the street but have the area underneath the sidewalk and grass yet to do. We also want to update the rest of our existing cast iron plumbing because it's in bad shape. It will take a little bit longer to pay off our debts but I do look forward to the day it's all gone!


GOAL #3 - Cook More, Cook Smarter
Now, this is a goal that I feel I am doing very well at! This has been one of my biggest struggles as an adult so it's pretty exciting for me to see this new habit in place. While I still see some struggles to work through, I am motivated to keep making better choices in the kitchen. One big struggle I have is the weekend - I don't currently prepare anything for the weekend ahead of time so I often make poor choices during this time. I'd love to set aside time during the week to prep those meals but that'll mean utilizing my weeknights better (which I totally need to do but that's a really hard habit to break!)

One thing I am really excited about is the Farmer's Market. I bought the $225 Market Share from Patchwork Farms versus our typical $150 investment. I look forward to buying MORE fresh vegetables over the summer! The boys especially loved the fresh green beans - even the yellow and purple ones! I just got lucky because those seem to be Owen's favorite colors :)

And of course, I love to document what I prep each week. In case you missed them, here you go! We hope to incorporate our crockpot more too! Perhaps that's what I could do for the weekend.....hmmm.

GOAL #4 - Form Healthy Habits
I've been doing a tiny bit better here. I have the desire to work out but that doesn't always translate to me actually getting the workout in every day. The best time for me to workout would be right away in the morning so that I don't let any other excuses get the best of me throughout the day. If I get the workout in before the day begins, my other goals are achieved at a higher rate as well. Despite wanting to form the best habits and get rid of old bad habits, this doesn't seem to resonate deeply within me just yet. I don't get the best sleep every night so I'm "too tired" to get up early. In reality, my body and sleeping habits would adjust but I need to develop the desire to wake up early in order for it to occur.

Though I haven't gotten up early to workout, I have utilized my lunch hour a little bit better. It's not my favorite time of day to workout but it still feels really empowering to get it done in the middle of the day. There's a group class that I did once and really enjoyed. I can see myself doing that on a more regular basis if I don't start working out in the morning. Or perhaps I could squeeze it in on the random day I don't get up early if I wasn't able to. I would also love to start jogging. I prefer to run on a treadmill so that would require me to devote a little extra time to workout which may not be my top priority.

Another thing I would like to work on is my resting heart rate. I have a Fitbit Charge 2 and while I know it may not be 100% accurate, I do feel it's a good gauge of what my heart rate is. And I've found it could be better. When I started wearing it, my cardio fitness level was in fair condition. In the few weeks since I've worn it, I'm now in the average section. I'd love to be in the good or very good category so that's something I can work towards. Below are some of the heart rate readings from my workouts last week. Pretty interesting stuff!

GOAL #5 - Travel
I keep changing my mind between going on a trip with the boys or without the boys. I think we've now landed on going with the boys to Chicago since that is a place we are very familiar. It would be a little more stressful to go to a new place and we just want to share our love for a city that we adore. We're thinking June right now but that could change.

What's for Dinner {40} - Three New Recipes that were DELISH!

I just finished eating one of the new meals I made the other day and HOLY COW.

It was soooooooo good.

I've been saving these recipes on Facebook for so long and though I'm happy that I've finally started making some, I really should have started sooner. That being said, I'm going to share the recipes that I've really liked. Because I gained a bit of confidence to try these new recipes due to the Tasty videos, I'll embed those as well! Hopefully, they will inspire you too!


One-Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta by Tasty on Buzzfeed 

8 oz linguine
2 T olive oil
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1¼ lbs large shrimp
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
4 c baby spinach
¼ c Parmesan
2 T parsley, chopped
1 T lemon juice

1. In a large pot, boil water and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. In the same pan, heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add garlic and crushed red pepper, cook until fragrant.
3. Toss in shrimp, salt and pepper to taste, and stir until shrimp start to turn pink, but are not fully cooked.
4. Add oregano and spinach, cook until wilted.
5. Return cooked pasta to the pot, add remaining butter, parmesan, and parsley. Stir until well mixed and the butter is melted.
6. When the shrimp are cooked, add lemon juice, mix once more, then serve while hot.
7. Enjoy!

I changed this a tiny bit and then accidentally left stuff out in the end but it was still really good. I probably won't do this too often because it uses so much butter. I didn't end up doing this as a one-pot meal. I prefer to cook the shrimp a lot longer so we cooked the pasta separate so we could utilize the time better. I forgot to put in the parmesan and parsley but it was still good without it.


One Pan Salmon and Veggies by Goodful

2 lb small red (or yellow) potatoes, quartered
4 T olive oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 T lemon juice
2 T fresh thyme
2 tsps ginger
2 salmon fillets
1 bunch (roughly 1 lb) asparagus

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

2. Cover a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. Spread out potatoes on the pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Make salmon glaze. Combine salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon thyme, 2 garlic cloves, ginger, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Mix well.
5. Remove potatoes from the oven and push them to the top or side of your pan. Place your salmon fillets on the pan. Brush both sides of the salmon with the glaze.
6. Place asparagus on the pan and top with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of thyme on the asparagus and potatoes.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes. (The salmon should flake easily with a fork when it’s ready.)
8. Enjoy!

This was a super simple recipe to make so I definitely recommend making it. I ended up using frozen salmon so it wasn't the best salmon I've ever had but it was still okay. I couldn't find any ginger to use so I left that out. I also needed to cook my salmon a bit longer because it wasn't fully cooked through by 12 minutes. I think I went a few minutes more. I also used a lot less potatoes because I wanted to limit the amount of carbs/starch I eat.

Weekday Meal Prep Pesto Chicken and Veggies by Goodful

2 T olive oil
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 lb green beans
2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
½ c basil pesto

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil and add chicken. Season with salt and pepper. When the chicken is completely cooked through, remove from pan, slice into strips, and set aside.

2. Add green beans and cook until crisp tender. Return the chicken strips to the pan, then add tomatoes and pesto. Stir until fully incorporated.
3. Serve immediately or divide into 4 food storage containers and store in the refrigerator. Can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.
4. Enjoy!

This is the one I LOVED. I added red pepper flakes and a little more salt and it pretty much blew me away. I can't wait to eat it again! 

2017 Goals {1}

Come January, a lot of people make resolutions. I've tried to do that in the past with very specific goals, but I always have trouble keeping up with them. Regardless of that, I'm going to keep trying! This time, however, I just have some overarching goals that I will try to work on. Specific goals may come as I develop new habits and that's okay. Actually, that's what I'm hoping for. I want 2017 to be full of purpose and progress. To achieve those two things, I've come up with some areas of my life that I would like to focus on. Some might need more developing but that will come with time. It'll be a year-long working list!

GOAL #1 - Read

I would say read more but I'll be honest, I read one book a year. Michael Connelly has been my favorite author for a very long time and he publishes one book a year. It's time for me to branch out! I hope to add this to my evening routine. For awhile I was doing a sudoku puzzle, which I really liked doing. I'll probably do that and then read for 15+ minutes. That's a better way to end my day (I typically spend time on my phone anywhere from 15-75 unproductive minutes!) Here's my current list:

Hands Free Life: Nine Habits for Overcoming Distraction, Living Better, and Loving More by Rachel Macy Stafford

The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell

How to Really Love your Child by Ross Campbell

The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time by Arianna Huffington

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin

The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry

So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson

Hungry for Change: Ditch the Diets, Conquer the Cravings, and Eat Your Way to Lifelong Health by James Colquhoun

And of course, whatever Michael Connelly's 2017 release will be. He's celebrating 25 years this year so maybe I should get a signed copy at one of his book tour stops!

GOAL #2 - Control Finances Better

We were great about paying off debt when I had a second job. Since I stopped, we haven't been as great because we just don't pay close enough attention. We aren't good at meticulously managing our every day spending. We.are.lazy. It'll take a bit of work but once that's done, I hope to have a very clear debt payoff goal (this will depend on the cost of repairing our main sewer line - yikes, but manageable!) and a better way for us to manage our spending.

GOAL #3 - Cook More, Cook Smarter

This is two-fold. I haven't tried out a lot of new recipes lately or even made previous favorites all that much. I would love to get back to that and cook nice, healthy meals for the boys. Owen has gotten an interest in helping me in the kitchen so I would love to capitalize on that too. By planning ahead, we can spend more wisely, spend less, and eat healthier too! Gotta break those bad habits!

GOAL #4 - Form Healthy Habits

Not only do I need to eat better but I need to get moving! I hope to integrate physical activity into 5-6 days a week. I really enjoy group classes so I will find some of those to join and then all I need to do for the rest of the week is decide the time and location. I also want to drink more water. Gary gives me so much crap about how many water bottles I have so I'll just put those to good use! Lastly, I'll start taking daily vitamins too.

GOAL #5 - Travel

This is something we've never really prioritized. We're such homebodies and that has to change! Since last fall, we've put aside money every month for this so we've got some planning to do! Right now, we're thinking of taking a trip without the boys (as a sort of belated honeymoon) and I'd like to take the boys on a couple of smaller trips. One idea for them is the National Balloon Classic in Indianola, IA. It starts on the same weekend as Nordic Fest so it'll be a busy time if we do plan to go!

Holiday Cheer 2016 {5} Christmas Card

I meant to post this in 2016 but with sickness comes a need to step away from the blog. Man, being sick sucks! I don't yet feel like I'm on the mend but hope that comes soon enough. It's also not the way I hoped to ring in the new year but here's my one last goodbye to 2016.

We ordered these Christmas cards from Shutterfly, when they were offering 10 for free. You know I love a good deal :) I chose one that let me use a lot of photos because I couldn't choose between my options.

Merry Christmas everyone! And of course, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Holiday Cheer 2016 {4} Holiday Lights Magical Nights

One of the things we look forward to every year is driving through the Holiday Lights display in Decorah put on by Helping Services for Youth & Families. The Pulpit Rock campground is set up each year with TONS of light displays and it stays up from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Volunteers staff it each night as drivers pass through. They encourage you to turn your radio to a local station for Christmas tunes as you drive through and some nights, even Santa is there. They also ask for free-will donations. We've gone to this every year with Owen and Jack but this year we found out there was a walking tour as well!

We parked in the nearby parking area by the soccer fields and drove an Earl bus to the campground. The boys both freaked out a bit and cried but you would never know that. Owen constantly asks to go on a bus again. Weirdo! Once there, we were greeted by food and cookies. For whatever reason we decided to forgo the food and went straight for the cookies. Yes, that kept the boys busy but that was a mistake. We took the boys immediately after daycare that day and they are always very hungry at that time.

We managed to get a family photo before meltdowns began but holy moly, meltdowns they were. We learned our lesson so we'll do better next year but it was fun to see the displays while walking. Definitely will do that again next year as long as the weather cooperates!