I've Got You, Mr. Owl!

Somebody's developing some crazy new handling skills.

The Elvis Lip

January Do

In addition to my 2011 List, Raf and I have started a monthly Do list. We'd like to keep it to just a handful of items, so that hopefully they'll actually get done! These aren't goals, rather tasks and projects that we need to move on.

We're not off to the best start ever, but I'll share our list anyway. Hopefully some accountability will help us do better in February!

January Do

1. Get Focus ready to sell. Raf started to make progress on this one early in the month...then it stopped running! Back to square one. 
2. Choose investment accounts for rollover of my retirement accounts into an IRA, for a college fund for Lana, and for idle cash. Discussed general plans and intend to make investments next month. Check.
3. Buy doors and moulding. Tried yesterday, but store wasn't prepared for us! Still working on it....a year later!
4. Add insulation above master bath (and get it out of the laundry room!) Not done...
5. Make Maddy's doll. One arm done. I'm pathetic!
6. Sew 2 belly blankets for Jill. Check.
7. Organize fabric. Making excellent progress. Hallelujah! 

5 items in 2 days?? Not likely.

Sup?

2011: The List

It's (well past) that time again, isn't it?! The list is quite lengthy, as usual, but I have a new plan that I'm hoping will make progress achievable. As this is a list of aspirations and goals for the year, my plan is to attack these bullets one at a time, month by month.

Most of these are things I'd like to be part of my daily routine; very few are project type goals. I'll focus on just one or two simple goals per month. My hope is that by giving these acts my full attention, by the end of said month, they will have become a habit; a normal part of my day to day.  Then, I can move right along to the next goal.

So, here's the list, in no particular order:

1. Floss. Cuz I need to. Every.single.day.
2. Grow food. Cuz I want to! This is the year! 
3. Moisturize. Cuz my arms and legs get so dry.
4. Shine sink. Cuz it's the first step of the Fly Lady system and I want a clean house everyday!
5. Swish & swipe (the Fly Lady's daily bathroom cleaning method). Cuz bathrooms are gross. 
6. Learn camera. Cuz I'm tired of taking really crappy pictures with an expensive camera. 
7. Floors. Cuz they're so big. And dark. And dirty! And someone is going to be mobile sooner than later!!
8. Vitamins. Cuz I need to remember to just take them already!  
9. Raf. His suggestion...ha! And no, I'm not thinking what you (or he!) are thinking!! But now that I have a mini me taking up 99.9% of my time and attention, I don't think it's a terrible idea to carve out some time everyday to be good to my man. Cuz I love him. 
10. Craft. You know: Do Something Creative Everyday. Cuz it feels good! Can't wait to start that month! :)
11. Keep in touch. Cuz I should do better. Call more. Send more cards. Get out of the house. 
12. Eat local. Cuz it's important to me. And our local economy. And our culture. And our planet. And I want to keep it top of mind everyday. 
13. Meal planning. Cuz it makes life SO much easier!
14. Make bed. Cuz it feels good to have things in their place.
15. Be presentable. Cuz it can be really easy to never leave your pjs when you're home with the babe 24/7. 
16. Learn to curl my hair. Cuz it's a basic skill every girl should have. Especially by the age of 30!
17. Generate less trash. Cuz we should. And it's really not that hard if we just commit. 
18. No food waste. Cuz we hate throwing $ down the drain!

I'm sure this list will grow (and, let's be honest, shrink!) throughout the year, but these are things that have been top of mind for me lately. Wish me luck!!

Million Dollar Smile

Love her.

Blowing Bubbles

Her latest talent. It's awesome because she not only entertains us with her bubbles, she entertains herself too! And let me tell you, every minute that she's able to entertain herself is a glorious, restful minute for mama!

New Toy!

I can't even begin to estimate how many hours a day we spend trying to entertain this little girl. She's not super keen on playing alone and she gets bored really fast. So every 3-10 minutes she's being moved into a different position, to a different toy, a different room, a new song/dance/book, etc, etc.

Considering her strong desire to hang out in an upright position, we thought some obnoxious new plastic monstrosity might be in order. Hence, the Jumperoo! She can't handle more than 10-15 minutes in it before getting overwhelmed, but she sure finds it entertaining while it lasts! This video is her very first time trying it out. It's now found it's home taking up half our kitchen floor. Which means Raf gets to make coffee and I get to do dishes and cook much more regularly. Woo hoo!

Turbo Roll

Lana taught herself to roll over a good month ago, but has been pretty lazy about it since. Her entire focus has been on sitting up.

However, Raf--being the good dad he is--still makes her do tummy time a couple times a day. She's finally figured out how to win that battle, though...just roll over! Immediately! It's pretty entertaining. Enjoy!

Instagram

Have an iPhone? Looking for a way to make your sweet, but lackluster, photos a little more interesting? Check out the Instagram app. There are 11 free filters that you can apply to your shots to jazz them up and the interface is super quick and easy to use. I love the vintage vibe it adds--it reminds me of photos from when I was a kid.