I can't stop! Seriously...

2011 Project 52...

Not too bad!  Need to come up with my 2012 list :)

1. Paint Silas's Room
2. Cut Bangs
3. Donate Blood - OOPS
4. Try Zumba - Loved it!
5. Get Silas in a big boy bed
6. Host a Girls Night In dinner party - I did have a Scentsy party with lots of food so that could count...
7. Run a 5k for a cause - I did run a 5k but it was The Shamrock and I think the only cause is a lot of beer at the end...
8. Use my Crock-Pot at least 2x per month
9. Try at least one new recipe per week
10. Read two classic novels (over 50 years old)
11. Dress up for Halloween (in a real costume) - I was Kelly from Handy Manny and Ryan was Handy Manny himself!
12. Get some house plants and keep them alive - I got the plants but only a few are still alive...
13. Read at least 25 books - I think I hit 19, pretty close
14. See at least four movies in the theater
15. Find something pretty and childproof to organize my jewelry
16. Keep an exercise log - FAIL
17. Take a trip somewhere with Ryan (even if it is just for a night or two) - Seriously recommend Resort at the Mountain for a quick, close to town getaway!
18. Host a BBQ this summer
19. Get professional family photos taken
20. Watch 25 movies from my Netflix Queue
21. Go to a Duck game or two
22. Go to a museum or art gallery
23. Take the kids to at least four new parks this summer
24. Take a road trip
25. Learn how to bake bread & rolls from scratch
26. Send out two handwritten notes/cards per month
27. Grow tomatoes - I don't even like tomatoes :)
28. Update blogs at least once a week
29. Organize our linen closet once and for all (and keep it that way)
30. Get a hot stone massage - AMAZING
31. Potty train Silas - a Momma can dream right!
32. Get our ceilings painted - definitely going on this years list...
33. Get Noah out of pull ups at bedtime
34. Read at least 10 books to the boys per day - FAIL, we do read a lot just not 10 books a day...
35. Bake a pie from scratch (crust and all) - Made a Sour Cream Lemon Pie, a pretty yummy ice cream pie and a few cheesecakes!
36. Take the boys to the Children's Museum at least twice
37. Go to a concert
38. Implement at least three things we can do at home to live more green
39. Go to the zoo at least once a month when the weather is nice enough
40. Design my dream dining room with hopes of moving the Cozy Coupes out of ours to have a nice family meal or two - Designed and furnished!!!!!!!
41. Clean out my composter and start using it again - Cleaned and ready to go, maybe this summer...
42. Meet my annual retirement account contribution limit - Whoot!
43. Keep track of our budget for the entire year - FAIL
44. Go to the coast at least once (Silas has still never been)
45. Learn how to make a coconut mojito - Not as good as the ones we had in Puerto Rico but still pretty good!
46. Grow mint in my herb garden for those mojitos
47. Hire a babysitter for an entire day to get out of the house and do whatever I want
48. Register Silas for a fun class or two while Noah is at school
49. Make a ridiculously huge holiday meal for one holiday during the year - I did Thanksgiving!!!
50. Go sledding - Never really had enough snow, we did pull them around on a sled a little in Bend last spring...
51. Hike up a mountain (no mountain in particular) - Hiked up Pilot Butte in Bend, nothing major but kind of a mountain (or big hill)
52. Go to Multnomah Falls (hiking to the top does not count as mountain listed above :)

Best card ever...

I just got this card from one of my most favorite ladies, Rita the Builder!!!  I can't stop laughing every time I look at it, she said it reminded her of all the pictures and maybe a story or two from my brother's wedding... Ha!!!

Scribblers

A good friend recently sent the us a package of Scribblers and I just have to share!  I had no idea there was such a thing and am so excited that she shared these awesome crayons with us!  She sent robots for Noah (of course), some animals and Toy Story Scribblers for Silas and then added a packet of the Halloween Scribblers and a special Batman one just for me :)  The boys are loving them and I love that they are made from recycled crayons and are so stinkin cute, I want to get more just to display somewhere!!  Thanks Pickle Woman :)
You can check them out at 2ndChanceCrayons.com!

Love this...

You don't raise heroes, you raise sons.  And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes.

I found that quote on a piece of scrapbook paper by Cosmo Cricket and am totally obsessing about the paper and craft ideas they have on their website.  I went to a scrapbook night and when cleaning out all my random stuff came across these pages and am so in love with them I probably won't ever be able to cut them up.  Well, maybe for just the right project someday!

Seriously, every single one of these pages reminds me of my Noah, from
the quotes, to the pictures, to the space references, so perfect!
LOVE - LOVE - LOVE

 

New favorite!

We have a short list of favorite movies that we rotate through very regularly at our house including but not entirely limited to the following -

The Hangover
Old School
All American Pie movies
Knocked Up
Meet the Parents
The Notebook (mostly me)
The Devil Wears Prada (again, mostly me)

We have pretty much memorized all of these movies and they always seem to be the ones we "go to" however, I have a new one to add to the rotation and am pretty pumped about it!!!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this movie!  I saw it in the theater (loved it), watched it with my ladies last night (loved it again) and will be watching it with Ryan tomorrow night (laughing just as hard as I did the first time)!

Beans, beans the magical fruit...

When it gets hot like it has been around here lately the last thing I want to do is cook. This usually means we resort to Chipotle, Cafe Yumm or a delicious homemade salad or two.   I am a huge fan of bean salads so I thought I would share a couple of my favorite recipes!  Not only are these salads easy and delicious but I think they are pretty healthy too, bonus!!!

Corn & Black Bean Salad

1 can whole kernel corn
1 can black beans (drained & rinsed)
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 of a red onion chopped
1/4 cup minced cilantro
2 cloves minced garlic

Dressing
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tb white vinegar
2 Tb oil
1 1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper

Combine ingredients and toss with the dressing.  Best if chilled for several hours or overnight before serving.
Seriously delicious!!

Cool Beans Salad (Silas loves this one)

3 cups cooked basmati rice
1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (thawed)
4 green onions thinly sliced
1 small sweet red pepper (chopped)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbs sugar
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp pepper

Again, combine ingredients and toss with dressing.  Chill before serving.  So easy!