I don't make New Year's resolutions. They're corny, cliché, and -well, frankly- kind of lame. Now, I'm not knocking people who make them...I just don't understand why someone would (a) try to come up with something for the sake of coming up with something for a resolution or (b) wait until January 1 to start something that they could just start now.
Wanna lose weight this year? Congratulations, you have the same resolution that all of last September's fat people had a year ago. Plan to start spending more time with your family? What are you waiting for? It isn't like you'll have more free time in a few weeks. How about unwinding more and living in the moment? You know, seize the day and all that? I hope you've saved a lot of cash because you have to get a prescription for all of that Xanax.
Sorry, y'all. I'm just sayin'.
I do, however, appreciate the freshness of a new year, and the feeling of rejuvenation that often accompanies it. More than a new year, becoming a parent has encouraged me to find pleasure in simplicity - an aspect of hygge. (For more on hygge, see my Anouchka's Favorites of 2016 and 2017 post.) It is for that reason that I am launching a new series of monthly posts: New in 2018. While I'm not necessarily going out of my way to try new things, I am trying to be more mindful of the things that I do that happen to be a first-time experience for me. These don't have to be big events, mind you (i.e. climbing Mount Everest, scuba diving, winning a Pulitzer...); they can be seemingly insignificant things. To see what I mean, keep reading.
January was mainly a month of new culinary experiences, the first of which being a new buttercream recipe for Chicky's fourth birthday cake. Every year, I make an (amateur) original cake for for my kids, depending on their request or the theme of their birthday celebration. This year, Chicky wanted an under the sea/mermaid theme, and requested a yellow seashell cake (lemon flavored). So, I deviated from my usual buttercream recipe and opted instead for the lemon buttercream frosting recipe from Movita Beaucoup (my favorite blogger). It was delectable, and the seashell was pretty cute too, if I do say so myself.
Have you ever popped sorghum? The first time I heard about doing this was on NPR's The Splendid Table. This versatile grain somewhat resembles a bulgur wheat or even a buckwheat when boiled, but when popped? Totally different. Popular in both India and Africa, popped sorghum is a common snack that looks like teeny weeny adorable popcorn. Anyway, our popping experience wasn't all that successful, but I'm determined to get it right next time. The tiny kernels that did pop were pretty yummy and oh so cute.
I'm not a huge proponent of children watching TV, and I'm an even bigger nay-sayer when it comes to kids watching television for adults. (I'm thinking adult sitcoms, the news, that sort of thing.) However, I am a human and do allow my kids to watch children's programs and even some of my stuff. Let's face it: sometimes, you just need a little of the televised babysitter to get the laundry done. Or maybe to keep your sanity, you need a little help from your friends at 30 Rock. From time to time, it's just nice to have something on in the background that doesn't feature cartoon animals or earworm songs, but certain stories on the news can be disturbing for little ones. To keep myself awake one morning last month, I decided to search on Amazon and Netflix for one of my favorite travel shows in college: Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown. Does anyone else remember that? Unfortunately, you have to pay for it from Amazon, but they do offer a free (albeit über dorky) show that is relatively similar: Laura McKenzie's Traveler. Each episode features our host (Laura McKenzie...duh) traveling to a different part of the world. It doesn't require all of my attention, so I can still interact with my kids or get shit done around the house. The kids are only semi-interested in it, so they aren't glued to the TV and still want to play or talk while it's on. Best of all, I don't have to worry about the content being inappropriate for little viewers. In fact, it has even piqued Chicky's interest enough to make her understand that there is a whole wide world full of interesting things and people outside of her day-to-day life...a great lesson in perspective for a four-year-old if you ask me.
So that about wraps it up for January. Unless the spirit moves me to write another post before next month, I'll see you then with more New in 2018.
Wanna lose weight this year? Congratulations, you have the same resolution that all of last September's fat people had a year ago. Plan to start spending more time with your family? What are you waiting for? It isn't like you'll have more free time in a few weeks. How about unwinding more and living in the moment? You know, seize the day and all that? I hope you've saved a lot of cash because you have to get a prescription for all of that Xanax.
Sorry, y'all. I'm just sayin'.
I do, however, appreciate the freshness of a new year, and the feeling of rejuvenation that often accompanies it. More than a new year, becoming a parent has encouraged me to find pleasure in simplicity - an aspect of hygge. (For more on hygge, see my Anouchka's Favorites of 2016 and 2017 post.) It is for that reason that I am launching a new series of monthly posts: New in 2018. While I'm not necessarily going out of my way to try new things, I am trying to be more mindful of the things that I do that happen to be a first-time experience for me. These don't have to be big events, mind you (i.e. climbing Mount Everest, scuba diving, winning a Pulitzer...); they can be seemingly insignificant things. To see what I mean, keep reading.
January was mainly a month of new culinary experiences, the first of which being a new buttercream recipe for Chicky's fourth birthday cake. Every year, I make an (amateur) original cake for for my kids, depending on their request or the theme of their birthday celebration. This year, Chicky wanted an under the sea/mermaid theme, and requested a yellow seashell cake (lemon flavored). So, I deviated from my usual buttercream recipe and opted instead for the lemon buttercream frosting recipe from Movita Beaucoup (my favorite blogger). It was delectable, and the seashell was pretty cute too, if I do say so myself.
Have you ever popped sorghum? The first time I heard about doing this was on NPR's The Splendid Table. This versatile grain somewhat resembles a bulgur wheat or even a buckwheat when boiled, but when popped? Totally different. Popular in both India and Africa, popped sorghum is a common snack that looks like teeny weeny adorable popcorn. Anyway, our popping experience wasn't all that successful, but I'm determined to get it right next time. The tiny kernels that did pop were pretty yummy and oh so cute.I'm not a huge proponent of children watching TV, and I'm an even bigger nay-sayer when it comes to kids watching television for adults. (I'm thinking adult sitcoms, the news, that sort of thing.) However, I am a human and do allow my kids to watch children's programs and even some of my stuff. Let's face it: sometimes, you just need a little of the televised babysitter to get the laundry done. Or maybe to keep your sanity, you need a little help from your friends at 30 Rock. From time to time, it's just nice to have something on in the background that doesn't feature cartoon animals or earworm songs, but certain stories on the news can be disturbing for little ones. To keep myself awake one morning last month, I decided to search on Amazon and Netflix for one of my favorite travel shows in college: Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown. Does anyone else remember that? Unfortunately, you have to pay for it from Amazon, but they do offer a free (albeit über dorky) show that is relatively similar: Laura McKenzie's Traveler. Each episode features our host (Laura McKenzie...duh) traveling to a different part of the world. It doesn't require all of my attention, so I can still interact with my kids or get shit done around the house. The kids are only semi-interested in it, so they aren't glued to the TV and still want to play or talk while it's on. Best of all, I don't have to worry about the content being inappropriate for little viewers. In fact, it has even piqued Chicky's interest enough to make her understand that there is a whole wide world full of interesting things and people outside of her day-to-day life...a great lesson in perspective for a four-year-old if you ask me.
So that about wraps it up for January. Unless the spirit moves me to write another post before next month, I'll see you then with more New in 2018.
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