Category Archives: Things to do

Step away from the everyday to-do-lists and just relax

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Something clicked a few weeks ago.

I had been working on multiple projects at work. At the end of my work day, I’d find myself coming home to cooking/cleaning/laundry/more work; it seemed nothing was getting completed and more things were being thrown on my plate. I was pulling myself in twenty different directions, on multi-tasking overload. I thrive on working hard and playing hard. But there comes a time when you just need to stop. Be it a couple of hours, a day or a week. You need to gather yourself up and step away from the everyday to-do-lists and just relax.

So we booked a spontaneous cruise to Bermuda.

Don’t get me wrong. We don’t have money to throw around on trips, but both Mr. Sweet and I knew we needed to get away. I was overloaded and he is starting a new job in just a week’s time. We agreed to take this opportunity to go on a vacation. So three weeks before the boat sailed, we booked our trip. The day before we were to sail, we packed.

The trip was pure bliss. Days of endless ocean, pinks sands, teal waters, mid-day naps, tropical drinks, laughter and falling in love with the island.

We are now refreshed.

Tuesday’s Inspiration.

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As was told yesterday, K and I are going to try to experience life without television for a month.  We both love to challenge ourselves.  For us this is a pretty big challenge because we are both so used to having the television as a distraction.  Last night was our first night.  K did fine.  I, on the other hand, did not do as well.  I was bit a cranky.  I yelled at K. I yelled at Layla, our cat. I yelled at the bed when I stubbed my toe.  Hopefully it was just because of the day I had, not anything that had to do with our challenge.  Let’s see how tonight goes.

So while we have nights without television we will be doing things that inspire us -reading a great book, playing a game of scrabble, having long talks, long walks and DIY projects.  Below are a couple of projects that I have been meaning to make.  They are pinned on Pinterest and have sat there for months.  Now it is time to get the supplies out and bring them to life.

1. Scrabble coasters
2. Crayon Wreath {Perfect present for my sister who is a teacher}
3. Guitar shelving {We already have a guitar that is broken!}
4. Snowball Wreath
5. DIY: Taco Seasoning {Mmm..tacos}
6. Colorful DIY Mirror

Fill in the Blank Friday

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Horrary it is Friday!

Looking forward to this weekend! So what a better way to start it then with a Fill in the Blank Friday from The Little Things We Do…

1. Something that makes me a great friend is that I am the planner. When everyone else is doing their thing and can’t think of planning something out to see each other I send out the request. I know that everyone has their own life and schedules, but I like to be the one to put a little fun in there. Sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming, but I enjoy it in the end.

2. I am a wife, daughter, sister, friend, lover, people pleaser, planner, baker, cook, people watcher, coffee lover, movie watcher, bunny lover, book reader.

3. I am not a summer lover, kiwi eater, tolerant of rude people.

4. If I had to describe myself in 3 words, they would be loving, comfortable and observant.

5. Something I’m really cheap about is certain products. My make-up is Cover Girl. I don’t need to have a Dior lipstick because it says Dior. My body wash is $2.99 and works just as good as any $10.00 product. I don’t mind buying food products without fancy labels, because really if you read the ingredients they are the same just in different packaging.

6. Something I’m willing to splurge on is shoes and clothing for work. If you find a good pair of shoes or great shirt/sweater/slacks why not spend the extra money? You know that you are going to wear them and they are going to last.

7. I would trade the cold winters for 70 degree weather all year around.

A new list for a new year.

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I have been thinking a lot about my 101 in 1001. I have been going over it and I have realized that some of the things that I had listed in 2009 are not tasks that I still want to do. In the time that has gone by since I first started the list, thing have changed. I have gotten married, I am older and priorities have changed. I have decided that I want to do a new list. With new tasks that I will look forward to and will actually want to complete. Some have moved from the old list onto the new, some are new but all are things that I am looking forward to doing in the future.

The Mission :
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Start Date: January 1, 2010
End Date: September 29, 2012

Live
1. Lose 20 pounds
2. Read 30 new books (0/30)
3. Travel to 3 states I’ve never been to before (0/3)
4. Learn to drive stick-shift
5. See a production by Cirque de Soleil
6. Visit Canada
7. Go berry picking
8. Save for a house
9. Take a cruise
10. Go camping
11. Cook 25 new dinners (0/25)
12. Bake 10 new desserts (0/10)
13. Make my own cookbook
14. Give a copy my own cookbook to someone as a gift
15. Buy myself flowers for no reason
16. Stop drinking soda completely
17. Become a vegetarian for a month
18. Watch 20 movies that I have never seen (0/20)
19. Visit the botanical gardens in the city
20. See a movie at the drive-in
21. Go one week without television
22. Travel to a tropical island
23. See two musicals on Broadway (0/2)
24. Save 3 month’s salaries for an emergency fund
25. Do not eat any take out for an entire month
26. Buy a fire safe
27. Get a promotion
28. Attend the Renaissance Festival
29. Travel to a foreign country with my husband
30. Put $5 in savings for every completed goal
31. Go back to school
32. Take a photography class for the fun of it
33. Go to a concert
34. Knit a scarf
35. Refurbish dining room table and chairs
36. Go to the Guggenheim
37. Build a snowman
38. Buy everything that is still on our registries
39. Finish Christmas shopping before Halloween
40. Learn to play the piano
41. Learn to be more adventurous with fashion
42. Go whale watching
43. See an active volcano
44. Go snow tubing
45. Swing down a zip line
46. Go ATVing
47. Walk a marathon (hey you have to walk before you can run!)
48. Get published in a magazine and/or newspaper
49. Finish five DIY projects (0/5)
50. See the Northern Lights
51. Take a cooking class and learn something really great
52. Rent a convertible somewhere warm and drive with the top down
53. Start to clear debts, some if not all
54. Get my blog redesigned
55. Have three girls nights out (0/3)
56. Enter a contest of some sort (cooking, writing, photography, etc.)
57. Go to a taping of Martha Stewart Show
58. Go to the Finger Lakes Wine Festival
59. Go on a road trip with no predetermined destination
60. Get flexible enough to touch my toes
61. Find a new apartment to move into next October
62. Do something I’ve always been afraid of
63. Stop cussing for 1 week
64. Go to a book signing and get a book signed

Love
65. Restore contact with three people I’ve lost along the way
66. Make our wedding album
67. Spend a rainy day with my husband watching films in our PJ’s
68. Make breakfast in bed for my husband
69. Watch 5 movies that my husband loves that I am not interested in (0/5)
70. Send my uncle all of the photos he has lost
71. Make a gingerbread house with my husband
72. Go on a date with K once per month (0/33)
73. Take a vacation to Disney with my husband
74. Buy 5 things off Etsy (0/5)
75. Win a contest with something I did or made
76. Love every day
77. Surprise someone with a card or gift
78. Take a photo of 101 things that make me happy (1/101)

Entertain
79. Master making fresh pasta
80. Learn to make the perfect cheesecake
81. Throw 50 parties/dinner get togethers (0/50)
82. Try 15 new restaurants (0/15)
83. Learn to bake French pastries
84. Host a wine and cheese party
85. Taste 20 kinds of cheeses (0/20)
86. Make marshmallows
87. Try at least 20 desserts from the Bon Appetit Desserts Cookbook (0/20)
88. Complete every recipe in The Best Of Cooking Light: Everyday Favorites (0/500)
89. Find a new musical artist to add to my list of music every day for a month (0/30)
90. Buy a china cabinet
91. Try 20 new cocktails (0/20)
92. Try 10 new video games (0/10)
93. Establish a regular game night and/or movie night
94. Watch 5 foreign films (0/5)
95. Pick a spice every month & learn how use and prepare food with it (0/33)
96. Try 5 new teas (0/5)
97. Learn to make gnocchi
98. Attended a comedy show with friends
99. Learn to bake bread
100. Learn to make my own jam
101. Make five ice creams and/or sorbets (0/5)

So fresh and so clean.

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It’s hard to believe that another year has flown by, I have to say that I’m more than ready to swiftly move into the next year and quite looking forward to 2011. I don’t know if it is because I just got married or that new things are popping up in a couple of weeks, but I feel like 2011 is going to be a good one.

Welcome, 2011, I think we’re going to get along!

I have a few New Year’s resolutions. Nothing too crazy, just a couple of things that I would like to do. If I decide later on down the line that I don’t want to do them, I won’t. But for now…

We want to have more wine and cheese parties. We want to have people over for good food, laughs and fun.

I want to make more soups. I want to cook great looking and tasting foods. This Christmas I was given two cookbooks. I think I might do a cookbook challenge and see how many I can cook from them.

We want to go on another amazing vacation. This may not happen this year, but in January 2012. We are looking forward to saving up and having fun!

What would you like to do in this new year?

Recipe Roundup

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My google reader is alway filled with posts with delicious looking recipes.  I save them so that I don’t forget about them.  Here are just a few that look amazing that I wanted to share with you.

Who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate all rolled up in a cute little cookie? These Peanut Butter Macarons look devine.

And peanut butter and pumpkin? Oh wow! Bakerella does it again with these Williams-Sonoma Pecan Pumpkin Butter Dessert Squares!

How about these Brown Eyed Baker Salted Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies anyone? Or her Pumpkin Cheesecake?

Or the perfect way to get rid of all of the Butterfinger’s that we have from Halloween with Annie Eat’s Butterfinger Cupcakes?

Or make more candy with these Homemade Twix Bars from Not without Salt?

All look tasty!! What should I try first?

Clean up of the 101 in 1001 List

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Ever since I realized I haven’t been doing much in my 101 in 1001 list I decided to go through it. Of course I realized that I have done some of the things that I have listed, I just never blogged about any of it.

So here it goes…. The Clean up of the 101 in 1001 List

# 6. Sleep a full 8 hours a night (six times in one week) – no late night movie/tv watching. I have actually changed my sleeping patterns quite a bit. I have decided to go to bed when my husband does (he goes to bed earlier then most people because of his job). Instead of staying up to watch mindless TV, I climb into bed, read a chapter in my book and fall asleep for a full 8 hours.

# 37. Buy an original piece of artwork. I have actually bought a couple just this month. Working on our entryway hallway and wanted some great Etsy works. I can’t wait to put them all up!

# 45. Rekindle a lost friendship. Due to our wedding I was able to rekindle a friendship with a friend that I hadn’t talked to in a very long time. I am so glad we did. I really missed him.

# 74. Make a standing sister night with my sister. Every Monday my sister comes over. I come home from work and start on a new recipe that we have picked for that week. She arrives around 7ish. We sit and eat, watch movies, bullshit and have an all around good time. I love Monday’s now because I know that my sister will be there.

# 80. Visit a park with some kind of caves/caverns. Crystal Caves in P.A. I had heard about it so this summer K and I with our friend Dave decided to take a road trip there to see it. (which also solves # 79. Take a road trip). It was a fun trip, even though the caves weren’t as spectacular as I thought they were going to be.

# 91. Draw up my wedding guest list. The list was drawn up. And the wedding was on October 1st. Wow. How did I miss that one!! lol

# 95. Watch 10 movies my fiancé (now my husband) wants to watch that I would never be interested in (10/10): 8-The Slammin’ Salmon, 9 – The Joneses, 10 – Youth in Revolt. Woot. I finished # 95!!

# 89. Scan important family photos and make a CD of them for my family

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Wow I did not realize how long it had been since I did something from my 101 in 1001 List. It has been a long, long, long, time!

# 89. Scan important family photos and make a CD of them for my family

I was finally able to sit down and do this. K has been working on a project that utilized both of our computers for school so I have not been able to copy any of the photos from the wedding, apple picking and some summer activities that we did. I love making cds full of pictures for them to look through. Sometimes you forget certain things and pictures bring back those memories.

I have also decided that I am going to take more photos of everyday events in our lives. I adore using my camera and want more pictures of our friends and family to display at home. I want to make sure that when I get older I have all of the memories of the great times I am having now!