New Year's Resolutions

I know, I know...I promised I'd post more last summer...then suddenly *poof* I disappeared again.
Well I'm back, and #1 on my list of New Year's Resolutions is to Blog More...so, read through at your own discretion to find out what I plan on changing and how :)
Enjoy!

1. Blog more -- I love writing, and it has always helped me organize my thoughts and emotions. But "journal writing" has stopped helping me with that. I think the blog format makes it more interesting for me. I definitely need some sort of release.

2. Make a better effort with people -- have I mentioned before that I'm not much of a people person? Since I was born I've always just sort of been my own buddy. Entertaining myself. Being socially awkward and/or shy. Not caring much for ass-kissing, BS, or anything of the sort. I also think I wear my emotions on my face...so in the end all this just makes people think I'm a, oh what's that not so nice word for a not so nice female?? Yeh, that. I'm not. I promise. People who know me well will attest to that. But since a very young age, my shyness and lack of BS tolerance makes me look like...that word. So, I just sort of gave into it. Whatever. I don't care what people think. But I do. And although hubby is not much of a talker, everyone likes him because he is a good person, fun, and honest. I think i lack in the fun department. So i definitely need to step up. thus, I will try BETTER, not necessarily harder --as I shouldn't HAVE to be desperate. I just have to do better.

3. Be nicer to my hubby -- He works really hard, and I don't think I give him enough credit for all that he does for his family.

4. Create a realistic budget. Stick with it. -- this just speaks for itself. I'm a complete shopaholic. Not crazy expensive items. Just everyday everythings. If I want the big things eventually - our own home, topmost college education for my baby...I must stop shopping mindlessly. When I do shop, I must shop smarter. Also, pay off current debts.

5. Declutter my home, my work, my life. -- I'm a pretty organized person, at least I think so. But I'm a total hoarder. I need to declutter, I'm Monica from Friends. I don't have just ONE messy closet though...I have multiples + messy drawers, cupboards, etc. I also want organize ALL the photos I have (and those packed up somewhere in the warehouse), hard copy and online, so we never have to worry about losing them. Like I said--I'm Monica from Friends.

6. Take better photographs. -- a past hobby of mine that I miss.

7. Be more focused at work. -- too much to explain on this one. So let's keep it simple.

8. Drink more water -- at least 2 liters a day. It's just better for my skin, my hair, and my belly. Just ordered my first faucet water purifier (PUR) (as opposed to the 7 year old BRITA fridge pitcher water purifier we currently have.)

9. Cook at least 2-3 days a week-- for me, my family, and even finally for my friends. Obviously, we all know that cooking is healthier, cheaper, and apparently more therapeutic (I'm still waiting to see that last one happen for me). It's a way to better control what goes into mine and my family's bodies...and, well, i like control :). Why cooking for my friends? i'd just like to have my friends over more for dinners (something i prefer over the drinking binges at oh so many bars out and about in the city), and let them see the progress i have made since the hockey puck apple muffins and stomachache cold noodles of yesteryear. This combined with #2 -- be a better hostess.

10. Workout at least 4-5 days a week -- again, no brainer. I was able to do this for 3 months over the summer. And boy did it make adifference in all aspects of my life. Then a few trips (ie excuses) knocked out my momentum...and it was all downhill from there. All my progress wiped out clean. Also -- stretch, stretch, stretch. My body feels a hundred years old.

11. Eat less simple carbs, more fiber, protein, and good for my body foods, my allow indulgences so i don't go crazy -- this ties in with #10. I was doing the no carbs at night thing, more protein at breakfast, more veggies all day, triple thinking sweet treats, and tracking what i'm eating to make myself aware of what's going into my body.

12. Pamper myself a bit -- i need to finally use all those massage gift certificates people have given me over the years. (They have not expired, i checked). I need to get manis/pedis more often. I need to actually pay attention to my hair, and not let it be a frizzy, bumpy mess on a daily basis.

13. Meditate more -- breathe, do yoga, take a few minutes of quiet time a day, and, in conjunction with meditating, learn patience -- jetlag & potty training have really taken their toll on me today.

So 13 resolutions for 2013. Wish me luck! And maybe prescribe me a xanax.

Last Night's Dinner

So I'm going to start posting some of meals I cook during the week for Hubs and myself.  I find the recipes anywhere and everywhere, and try to make sure they are healthy and delicious.  Sometimes it's a hit.  Sometimes it's a miss.  I will also try and post pictures of the meal, but many times I forget to take the pictures until after Hubs and I inhale them (we eat really fast).
Last night's meal was a recipe for Crunchy Coconut Chicken with Mango Salsa which I got off the Blog, The FitCook.  I forgot to take pictures, of course, so the below picture is of the leftover mango salsa that I actually made FROM SCRATCH!!

Notes: I used sweetened shredded coconut as that was all they had at the grocery store.  So I used less off it because sweetened coconut tends to have a high sugar content.  This, however, meant that there was less coverage on the chicken.  Thus less crunchy.  Next time I would prefer to use the full amount of unsweetened coconut and add 2tsp of Pure Vanilla Extract as recommended by one of the commentors on Fit Cook's site. Also, this recipe is for 4 servings, so I made half the recipe of the actual chicken portion, but the full recipe for the salsa.

Verdict: Hubby really liked it (he loves anything that's sweet, so the sweetened coconut and mango did help with that).  I did like it as well, but I think i put too much Balsamic Vinegar (2TBS).  So the smell was bothering me while i ate.  I had so much leftover salsa left, obviously, that I decided to freeze it to use it at a later date.  

My New Year's Hopelutions

The King of Written House has informed me that my blog has started off on a dark note, and would like me to sunshine it up a bit. This post, King, is for you.

So every New Year's Day, millions and millions of people "resolve" to do or quit something that year. The most popular being - lose weight, quit smoking, stress less, and so on. The gyms and grocery stores grow more crowded, the quit smoking hotline becomes busier, and the daily "to-do" lists analyzed. And come January 15th to February 1st, the gyms grow quieter, the Restaurant delivery business increases, life becomes more chaotic, and the people shivering outside my office building trying to light their cigarettes is back up to the usual again. And all of these people have a darker look in their eyes. A look of disappointment and frustration. And, sadly to say, I'm one of those people (sans the smoking--yuck!)

This year, after watching a few news reports and listening to my friends decide, in all gusto, that they are not making ANY resolutions this year, I decided to make a list of HOPELUTIONS. Things that I HOPE to do or make happen this year. No actual deadlines. NO strict rules.

So here's my hopelutions' list (in no particular order):
1) Lose another 10lbs
2) Learn to swim (*I can tread in water, but that's about it)
3) Stop being a shopaholic (*Hubby's favorite off my hopelution list)
4) Learn fluent Hindi & Spanish (*both of which I can only "get by" on now)
5) Take up dancing again (*I took every type of dance class you can think of from the ages of 3-14)
6) Declutter my life (*my office, my desk(s), my apartment)
7) Change my hairstyle
8) Keep a manicure for at least 5 days to a week (*mine tend to chip after a day...if they even make it out of the salon unscathed)
9) Write more (*that's what this blog is for)
10) Get back into my creativity (*Photography, sketching, writing, dancing, general creating)
11) See my nieces and nephews more (*at least those who live in the country)
12) Cook more often
13) Read more (*any good book recommendations? check me out on GoodReads)
14) Go back to school (*I'd like to eventually get my masters...just not sure in what yet)
15) Be more confident
16) Take on more responsibility at work
17) Do more outdoor activities (*bicycling, roller-skating, jogging...once the weather gets warmer)
18) Take up yoga/meditation (*quiet my mind)
19) Workout 4-5 times a week
20) Volunteer more / become more involved
21) Stop procrastinating
22) Increase my energy
23) Organize my finances / understand my finances
24) Wake up earlier / sleep better
25) Stop drinking Diet Coke
26) Be more on top of doctor's appointments (*mine & Hubby's)
27) Buy an apartment
28) Keep up my correspondence with people
29) Organize the addresses/information in my address book
30) Start a family
31) Find AT LEAST one new buyer/store to sell our clothing line to

If you would like to post your hopelutions online, check out 43Things