Too late on a Tuesday

So yesterday (Monday) flew by. Big tall hubby hijacked the computer to work on a PhD paper therefore I was left manning the children on a seriously rainy day. Our back yard looked like a pond, and we live at the top of a big hill!

my things to do this week:

• finish desk clean up
• buy a new pair of jeans for me
• clean up my supply of baskets and organizers in the basement (they fell and are in a big huge pile on the floor)

menus for this week:

• chicken Parmesan
• tacos and taco salads
• navy bean soup
• salmon and red pepper risotto
• mac and cheese

A new year resolution for me (sort of)

Saturday was my birthday, the start of my new year. Woo, yipee, yahoo, rah rah. Do any of us celebrate anymore? Really after 25ish, it's kind of a let down anyway. Don't get me wrong, I love a good birthday: cake, ice cream, food, presents, hoopla, I just hate the getting older part. Wrinkles really stink.

In my January craziness, I forgot to post this... My word of the year, for 2011, I chose "pretty". I don't do resolutions anymore. So not worth it. I put enough pressure on myself everyday, I don't need a list of more things to do. I think the first time I heard about choosing a word was when I used to avidly follow scrapbookers' blogs. Ali Edwards, I think, is who first showed me the word of the year. I hardly ever read scrapbooking blogs anymore. I still love to scrapbook, I just like my mommy blog friends better :)

I picked "pretty" because well, I think there is room to be pretty everywhere. Of course, looks, don't we all want to be pretty? Duh, we're women, of course we do. I haven't left my house without make up in at least 10 years (going to the Y with my ball cap pulled down so no one can see me without mascara, does not count!). I hope to try new makeups, hairdos, etc. I think I could stand to be prettier in my wardrobe for sure. I mean, I live in Chuck Taylors (L.L. Bean flip flops in the summer) and jeans. Would it kill me to put on a necklace or a skirt or something? No. That I can do. For the last few years I have really been trying to be more polite and mannerly in public. At home, when the kids are in bed and big tall hubby and I are watching reality tv, the language is flying, I'm not going to lie. That is something we do, it's fun, it's a release from being P.C. all the time. But out in the world, around my kids, it's all about modeling good behavior. I think that is pretty. I am also going to strive to keep my home pretty. Which to me means, picked up, tidy, maybe fresh flowers more often, more holiday decor, who knows? I hope to also make meal times pretty. Use some of our china for a change. Cut veggies into cool shapes. Pull out the cloth napkins. Just little things, nothing earth shattering. I have big dreams of sending more real cards and notes to people, I think that is really pretty. I am still working on this whole concept. That's why it's my word of the "year."

I was also inspired by Kristin at Bringing Pretty Back. When I found her blog, I was already thinking about this concept for myself. I was thinking, gosh, people are just ugly so much. I don't mean snaggletoothed and unibrows. I mean, their behavior and their manners, the stuff they do. Kristin has talked about this a lot. Don't you love affirmations like that? Blogging makes those little "aha" moments much more special. It's good to find someone who shares your interests.

So here's to me being a prettier girl, inside and out. I really hope to share my pretty-ness with you as the year goes on.