5 for 5, recipe fail

Well the recipe yesterday... I had so many pictures of my cooking, step by step, to share. But I'm not even going to because the recipe turned out terrible. Okay not terrible as in completely inedible just... blah, why did I even bother making it? I used frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach, and it turned out mushy... should have drained it more. And I put so much seasoning on top of the chicken but it turned out bland and just boring. Which raises the question I obviously don't know the answer to... how much seasoning is too much? How much is just right? I guess it's better I under season than over season.

Sigh. One of these days I will learn how to properly season while cooking. Back to the drawing board! It sounded interesting, and I ran it by the boyfriend before making it, and he said it sounded good.

I would have been better off using the spinach and just making a spinach lasagna, like one I made in the summer for father's day when my parents came up to see the new apartment. Live and learn. I'll just need to make that again some time.

It's time to do my weekly 5 for five!

1. Laundry, laundry. Do your laundry -- and put it away!
2. Go to Zumba twice. Tuesday and Thursday, you are my days! I should try to go to the 15 minute ab workout they have before my 7pm Zumba class too. I did that last week (the one time I worked out, blah) and ow! My abs were sore for days! Good stuff!
3. Talk with the boyfriend more on plans for Valentine's Day weekend. Where are we going, how long are we going for? Talk to work about it being okay to be gone for All Star weekend.
4. Wall art. Put it up! At least one room. I don't really care which one at this point.
5. Try out the new food processor. With something, don't know what. Hummus seems easy enough. You like it, you have a good recipe for it.

Long term list!
1. Organize books and movies.
2. Put up wall art.
3. Go through clothes.
4. Go to Goodwill. Did this Saturday! Took away a bag of clothes and old towels and stuff, a lamp, and the old pots and pans. I will need to go again if I, excuse me, WHEN I go through my clothes, but it's on the list!
5. Revisit the shoe cubby idea.
6. Figure out how to make Thai tea.
7. Clean my car. Clean out the trunk, clear out the back seat, get it washed.
8. Reorganize the pantry. 

New Years 5 for Five!

Yay Monday. Time for this!



Let's see how I did on my list from last week... Green good, red fail!

1. Put away Christmas presents - new fan, new blender/processor, new pots and pans. So close! I put away the new blender/food processor, pots and pans, but not the new fan. 
2. Go to Zumba twice. Well when I failed on this I failed hard. I didn't go once!!
3. Strip the bed and remake it with fresh sheets. Did it yesterday - it counts!
4. Keep your schedule how it is now... open. Non chaotic. Yay. Did it. 
5. Just... make it through the next few days. I hate the end of the year at work -- SO MUCH to do! Well it's a week later and I survived so... well done, self!

Not touching the long term ones this time... I didn't do anything on that list.

So we're doing it a little different this week since Monday falls on New Years Eve. Usually I would now make a list of things to accomplish in the next five days but.... drumroll please...


Five things I want to accomplish in 2013... Hm. Okay go!

1. Complete my 2013 Reading Challenge - read 3 or 13 (aim for 3... if you hit 3 early on, go for 13!) books from the BBC Big Read list in 2013.

2. Lose 20 pounds. I'm not putting my weight here... I have other tracking methods. I know what it is. And I know what it needs to be. And those numbers are not really very close. But they CAN be.

3. Cook more often! What's more often? Hm... I guess I should make these goals SMART -- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely. Okay so let's make it measurable.
Cook at least once a week. Use the crockpot for a meal at least once a month. That's pretty attainable.
Take a cooking class? Maybe.. those are stupid expensive. And I have plenty of recipes I want to try (thank you, Pinterest!). I think I'm good on my own.

4. Oh this one's pretty important... and I've been telling myself for weeks I need to do this. Control your schedule! Too many times I joke, "I don't know how many hours in the day I thought there were when I made this week's schedule" because I'll have something planned every single night and still need to do laundry, clean, sleep, etc. My sister can see my Google calendar and tells me often she has to hide it because it makes her feel a little crazy. So yes. More me time. Remember to have at least one night a week where you're not doing a damn thing and it's so glorious.

5. This one's a little vague but okay. Do something adventurous I haven't done before. I've gone sky diving, rappelled down a building, rock climbing (indoor), scuba diving... So what's next? Bunjee jumping? Base jumping (lol right)? Trapeze work?

Christmas 5 for Five!

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates! And to those who don't, happy Tuesday! Sorry everything's closed - you didn't need to shop though, did you? The stores will be more normal again starting tomorrow.

Good Christmas weekend! Busy Christmas weekend... It was my first time handling one with two families to take into consideration. I think I did okay with it... Some flaws. I'll work on them next year!

Friday I ended up taking the day off because I had to finish shopping and wrap up all the gifts -- except my own. Told the boyfriend I would wrap all of his stuff but not my own present. It's the principle of the matter, yea?

A Friday well spent! Seriously, when did I expect to do this stuff?

On Friday night the boyfriend and I met up with a friend of mine who moved away last year and her husband. They'd heard about the boyfriend but hadn't met him -- they moved away about a month before I started dating him. We went to Ninfa's on Navigation -- the original Ninfa's in Houston! And now the only Ninfa's in Houston... The other locations are now Maggie Rita's. It was so good. I love their queso. I love their fresh tortillas. I love their fresh tortillas rolled up and dipped in queso! My boyfriend ordered something I seriously have to try next time -- fajita burger. It's, you guessed it, fajita meat on a burger. Delicious!

I joked that they seated us in the perfect spot -- by the pun wall. Have I mentioned Chris loves puns? Like, almost unhealthily?

You read that right. Fleece Navidad!!

And then Chris and I spent a very romantic evening bagging his cards for his multiple expansions of Dominion so he can actually carry it with him and play it. Seriously, it has about 8 expansions! He got the newest one for Christmas from my sister and brother-in-law.

So many little baggies....

Saturday morning we drove down to my parents' house to meet up with my family for Christmas lunch and present exchange, and played some games with my parents and siblings.

Merry Christmas to my kitchen!!

That night we had a party to attend with some friends. I made my Funfetti dip and Chris made a cheesecake and we brought some presents for a white elephant gift exchange. Chris was feeling under the weather so my sister went with me. I've played white elephant gift exchanges with various house rules and I don't think the ones we did on Saturday is my favorite version.

1. #1 goes first, picks a gift. #2 can pick a new gift, or steal #1's. Pretty standard here.
2. After the third steal, so the fourth owner (not necessarily the fourth UNIQUE owner, just the fourth owner) the gift locks.
3. After the final person goes, #1 has another turn. All gifts unlock for them and they can swap presents with someone or keep what they have.

Here's where it gets different. The way I've played in the past the game stops there. But the way we played this weekend, #1 stole the present from someone at the end and they then had the chance to steal or keep what #1 had. So then it became a circle of stealing... Just different house rules than how I've ever played. I think of this more as a Dirty Santa? Just part of the fun!

We came back late afternoon on Sunday and yesterday we went down to Clear Lake to hang out with some of Chris' friends early in the afternoon and play board games. And then around 6 headed over to his uncle's house for a big family dinner. He actually just left again for Clear Lake for a big family gift exchange, that he found out about last night. I had to bow out... I feel bad but I had to. We originally planned to do nothing but hang around the house all day Christmas Day. I don't have presents for anyone so I would feel awkward just sitting and watching everyone open gifts but more so, I have such a busy week... no, month really, ahead of me at work I just need to take some time, the only time I have, to relax and breathe and just stop. Take a nap if I want! I already did all morning. :) Clean if I want! Organize some of the presents, out with the old in with the new. Read a book.  Make some cookies. Eat some cookies. Do some Wii Zumba. What does the rest of the day hold for me? No idea! After I finish blogging I'll find out!

No Sunday confessions for me this week. It's already Tuesday! I will do an update for the 5/Five though.

Last week's goals:
1. Finish up Christmas shopping.
2. Wrap up Christmas presents. 
3. Zumba once!
4. Do laundry.
5. Vacuum. 

Successful week! Even if I did have to look up if I made it to Zumba or not. I totally did. Not on the day I was originally expecting to, but it doesn't matter. I went!

New list!
1. Put away Christmas presents - new fan, new blender/processor, new pots and pans. 
2. Go to Zumba twice. 
3. Strip the bed and remake it with fresh sheets. 
4. Keep your schedule how it is now... open. Non chaotic. All I really have on it this week is exercising, a party on Saturday night with the single's group. Maybe get one more use out of a Groupon I bought at a hot yoga place. It's good for 10 sessions, it expires 12/31. I've been... once. Whatever. Hot yoga's a pain.
5. Just... make it through the next few days. I hate the end of the year at work -- SO MUCH to do!

And where am I on my long term goals?
1. Organize books and movies.
2. Put up wall art.
3. Go through clothes.
4. Go to Goodwill.
5. Buy fake book boxes for the table near the TV. Did this yesterday!! Combined errands with the boyfriend. He needed to go to Hobby Lobby sometime to get more craft bags that are sized right for his Dominion cards, I knew that Hobby Lobby had the book boxes I wanted. Bingo! Went to one in Clear Lake on the way to his friend's place. Go team!
6. Revisit the shoe cubby idea.
7. Figure out how to make Thai tea.
8. Measure table and hit up Target on 12/26 for clearance holiday table clothes. Actually did this already! I went to Target on Friday with a friend, before we had lunch, so I could buy gift wrapping. We were walking in the holiday tableware section and the cloth napkins and tablecloths were already on 50% so I just did it then. Didn't even need to measure the table - bought a round one that says the measurements and says the table would seat 4-6. Mine seats 4 so took a chance. Perfect fit! So now I don't have to go near Target the day after Christmas. YAY. I do need to go to some store before Saturday night though to get more tissue paper and one more thing for a white elephant gift.
9. Buy my iPad. Done!! Did this on Tuesday with the boyfriend on our way to dinner with his family.
10. Clean my car. Partially done... used a shop vac at my sister's house to vacuum out the floorboards and sides next to the driver and passenger seats. And while I was doing that... lo and behold, I found the phone I lost a month ago. That I already got replaced. Sigh.
11. Reorganize the pantry. Seriously. There's no rhyme or reason to the order it's in now.

5 for Five #2

It's Monday... and I'm putting off getting ready for work... so it's that time again!

Let's see how I did last week, then set the new goals for this week! Green is successful, red is epic fail.

1. Put my laundry away.
2. Zumba at least twice this week.
3. Make food for parties.
4. Do some more Christmas shopping.
5. Call my parents.

Not bad, not bad... I did at least go to Zumba once last week. On Thursday I thought about it, but I got stuck at work a little late, and I needed to go to the store to get ingredients for the things I was making for Friday and Saturday. And the last time I want to go to the store is after I've worked out so I'm sweaty and tired. So I just went straight to the store and then home and spent some time with my boyfriend. And Saturday morning I could have gone... but didn't. Instead I made the Jello for cherry coke salad and went back to bed and lazed and then did Christmas shopping.

So here are my new ones! This week's are hard to come up with because it's a really busy week for work and socially... but here we go.

1. Finish up Christmas shopping. One more present to go, one more present to go!!

2. Wrap up Christmas presents! I usually like to do one big wrapping party and get them all out of the way in one shot, but I might have to do a present a night or something this year. This week is really busy... I think I'm doing something every night. Gotta cram in my social time because I'm going to disappear come January thanks to W-2 season and other year-end and quarter-end filing required for my job.

3. Zumba once! Tomorrow is my only chance! It's offered M-Th at 7:00P and Saturday morning at 10:30A. Tonight I have kickball, Wednesday I have the Rockets vs. 76'ers game (Chandler Parsons bobblehead night!), Thursday I have Bingo with coworkers for one of my coworker's birthdays, and Friday is up in the air. Invited to two End of the World parties or I may have dinner with my sister and a friend or I may just stay home and finish wrapping presents.

4. Do laundry. Getting low on my favorite workout clothes... I need to just buy more good workout pants.

5. Vacuum. We had people over unexpectedly yesterday and I realized I hadn't really swept or vacuumed in awhile, and I didn't have a chance to before they came over... It's presentable, and probably fine, but it still bugs me.

And here are some that I don't expect to get done in the next 5 days but they need to be done at some point... So... long term 5 for 5! Do in the next... 5 months?

1. Organize books and DVDs/Blurays. I was looking for Love Actually yesterday to watch with Ana, as is my yearly tradition around Christmas, and it took me awhile to find it. The order to the books and movies in the bookshelves is still 'get it out of boxes and into the shelves' that was created months ago when I finished unpacking.
I still need to do some measurements and make it down to Harwin where there are a lot of merchandise display stores. I have my books and DVDs in two rows in the bookshelves, because they're really deep, and I would like to put the back row up on risers. Just a half inch or so would do it. Just so I could see the titles of what's on the back row.

2. Put up wall art. I have a lot of it, I have wall hangers, I have a hammer... I just need to get it all out, organize the layout in my head, ask Chris if he wants any input on it (lol), and then DO IT! Put some holes in those walls!

3. Go through clothes. I have stuff I'm sure I never wear. Some may not even fit that well or I may not even like anymore. And if I go through clothes and get rid of it... I can justify getting new clothes~~~.

4. After #3 is done, Go to Goodwill. I actually know I will need to go to Goodwill soon after Christmas because I happen to know I'm getting a gift that will replace some stuff I currently have, and it will find a good home with Goodwill.

5. Buy fake book boxes for the table near the TV. Just an idea I came up over the weekend. They're really handy, and I think they look nice. Pretty sure Hobby Lobby always has them.

6. Revisit the shoe cubby idea. Need to continue looking for something that would fit near the door for our shoes and guest shoes. They're all spread out now and it drives me a little crazy.

7. Figure out how to make Thai tea. I have the mix, I have a tea sock. The method of using a coffee pot to just brew it won't really work for me since I have a single cup coffee maker (got it at Kohl's for $9!), so... figure something else out!

8. Measure kitchen table and hit up Target on 12/26 for clearance holiday table clothes. Maybe matching napkins if there is anything really pretty left over.

9. Buy my iPad. Okay, this one actually should be done in the next week or so, but I keep forgetting to go over to Microcenter so here it is. 

10. Clean my car. Go all out -- car wash, vacuum the inside, clear out the stuff in the backseat, clear out the stuff in the trunk. 

5 for Five #1

I really like this idea... Saw this linked on one of my new followers' blogs (Hi Mia!) And since this is my first time doing this, I only have to make a list! I don't have to update how I did on this last week.

So here's the deal. This is a link up with Jenn and Jessica. Every Monday, I'll set five goals for myself to be accomplished over the next five days. Then the next Monday, I'll evaluate how I did on my goals and set new ones. And then the next Monday, I'll evaluate those and set new ones... Do you see the pattern?

Okay, new motivation method... Let's go.


1. Put my laundry away. That's right. I know. I did some of it last night but I still need to hang stuff up. So. Do it!

2. Zumba at least twice this week. Last week I was sick, so didn't. Fine, whatever. But this week, no excuses! I have it on my calendar for Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I want to make it to at least two. If I can do all three even better!

3. Make food for parties. I have some get togethers this weekend, Friday and Saturday night, and I plan to make Funfetti dip for Friday's and cherry coke salad (no link for this, it's an old family recipe and I can't find the exact recipe online... I may just have to make one on Allrecipes and then take a picture) for Saturday's. And maybe my dad's cranberry sauce for Saturday's. Maybe. I don't have a zester or a small hand held juicer and I would need that for the recipe.

4. Do some more Christmas shopping. Need to get a present for my dad, my mom, and a white elephant gift for a party in late December. That gift might bring me to Bed Bath & Beyond... which is a dangerous place to go when I already stated I don't have a zester or juicer!

5. Call my parents. I haven't talked to them in awhile... Dang, self, have you even talked to them since Thanksgiving? Bad daughter, bad. Call mom and dad.