I planned to share my recipe... (1 cup of flour, one egg, pinch of salt)
I planned to be that girl that overachieves at all parties by making every single item homemade.
But I don't even want to think about those things. My stomach hurts just thinking about them. And I get a minor headache right behind my eyes. They were okay for the first couple of bites, even though the texture was really creepy. And then I couldn't do it anymore. I dumped the entire pot down the disposal. The thought of them made my stomach hurt so bad that I just had to go to sleep and hope to wake up with them off of my mind. I get grossed out by food pretty easily, but this takes the cake. Or noodle. Never again.
3. Get a passport and make plans to use it. Check!
Well, almost. I have filled out the paperwork and need to go get my picture made. I have made plans to go to Europe in 2013 with one of my besties from college. Yep, the Montana Travel Friend. I'd leave tomorrow if I could.
4. Attend a coming home ceremony for soldiers.Check!
I have been tracking the Fort Campbell website for 6 months and haven't found a coming home ceremony that I have been able to attend yet. Until just now. There is one scheduled for this coming Sunday (1/15) at 3pm at Fort Campbell. I plan on being there. Let me know if you want to join me! Technically this one will be completed in 2012, but who's counting? January 24, 2011 update: I attended a welcome home at Fort Campbell. See my experience here.
5. Find a way to volunteer more regularly. Check!
I love this resolution. I have been a Childlife volunteer at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital one night each week since August. It is absolutely the highlight of my week. You can read more about my experience on a previous post or learn more about volunteering here.
Twenty Twelve Resolutions
So here they are. My 2012 resolutions:
1. Learn how to sew.
Pinterest will be much more applicable when I am actually able to execute those projects!
2. Hula Hoop a 5k.
I have a sweet friend that is a professional hula hooper in a hoop troupe, The Spinderellas. She reads my blog, so right now she is finding out that she needs to teach me to hoop walk so that I can complete a 5k. Considering that she has hooped a half marathon multiple times, I think I'm safe. She just needs to teach me. And then do it with me. Please? I called you "sweet"!
On a side note, if you are having a fun Girls Night In or hosting a Bachelorette party or children's party, having a hoop party is so fun! I had my friend come to a Girl's Night a year ago and teach us hoop tricks. We have never laughed that much. It's fun and refreshingly unique for a Girl's Night. Contact them through their website if you are interested in having them host a hoop party for you or do a performance at an event. No, I don't have a business / sponsorship relationship with them, I promise. But I did have fun at our hoop party and I am really sucking up for the whole hoop walking thing. :)
3. Learn a Country Dance.
These boots were made for dancing, and that's just what I'll do. Wildhorse, here I come.
4. Read at least one book each month.
I will read one book each month. You know. The kinds of books that made you a better person. Like these that I just purchased:
That's right. This is where you come in. I'm going to let my reader's decide what my last resolution should be. To throw out an idea, leave a comment on my blog. I'll pick one to add to my list. Just don't be crazy. I mean, I will go skydiving, but don't put something like "eat worms". That's not happening. Be creative! Be adventurous! Be nice!
I know I’m late on this blog post. But you know what? Hawaiians are notoriously late for everything. And I have been in Hawaii for the last 8 days, so I am practically Hawaiian now.(More on that to come).
You know what they say. “Never look back.” But when you have a year as great as 2011, sometimes you just have to. You have to look back and remember the adventures and the relationships and the travels and the excitement. This year held a lot of firsts and greats for me.I feel like when I am old I will look back and say “What year did I do that totally awesome, really cool thing again? Probably 2011. That’s when all of the cool stuff happened.”
Here’s a little glimpse:
I camped in Yellowstone National Park with two of my favorite people in the world. And got chased by a buffalo. And went white water rafting. And encountered a rattle snake AND a grizzly bear.
I spent New Year’s Eve in Waikiki Beach. And spent the six months leading up to the trip perfecting my hula dance. (Technically the rest of the trip was in 2012.)
I went backstage at the Opry with one of my best friends from high school. Hello there Trace Adkins. You are really tall. Hello there Little Jimmy Dickens. You are really short. Hello there Rascal Flatts. You can sing extraordinarily high.
I went skydiving with my sister. Famous last words: “I’ve never been in a plane this small… or with this much duct tape in it.”
I remodeled my patio and guest bedroom and tons of yard sale items. Martha Stewart.
I took my favorite little friend to her first concert. Taylor Swift. Duh.
An old friend came in town and we rocked it out at the Keith Urban concert. Who Wouldn’t Want To Be Me?
I met Herman Cain. Before he dropped out. And had an awkward conversation with Newt Gingrich. Newt: How’s it rolling? Emily: Pretty… umm… fast!?!??!(Seriously, Newt. Who says ‘rolling’? No wonder I was caught off guard. Atypical greeting.)
I saw Maya Angelou at Belmont. I went to lots of Preds Games. I chased two growing nephews. I saw the Avett Brothers in concert. I watched my cousin in Hair Spray. I found Pinterest. I rekindled broken relationships. I went to a record number of bonfires. I started a blog. (You’re welcome.)
So do it. I dare you. Look back and find the gems of your year. I promise they are there. And if they are anything like mine, they involve all of the people that you love. And they are all beautiful.
And as I have gotten older the Christmas scene has changed a bit. Traditions are altered. Festivities are relocated. Schedules are moved around. But I am thankful, because that means that my family is growing and changing and that legacies are living on through new generations. And even though we might celebrate on the wrong day or in a new way, the miracle of Christmas lives on because Christmas is so much more than a day. Christmas is an entire season. A spirit. A love. A baby. A gathering. Plus, I have finagled these new schedules to my benefit. I have been Christmasing for two months now. That's how I like it.
P.S. - I hope I still appreciate the Christmas season when I get back from Hawaii and my decorations are still up. I never got around to that...
Speaking of Hawaii, my friend helped me pick my outfits for the trip. Check out her blog post with specific tips for me. Have an event or trip coming up and don't know what to wear? Drop her a note on her blog. She can piece together cute, affordable styles in a flash. And you know that we all need a friend like that.
God chose a young woman. Someone normal. Someone ordinary. Someone original. She may have been a quiet, shy, and sweet girl, but she may have also been a little bit sassy, strong, and driven too. She probably liked to cook for her friends, make crafts at her house, and grow organic foods in her own garden. I’d imagine that she got tired of doing laundry, rolled her eyes at the marketplace when the people in front of her were taking forever, and occasionally dreamed of something bigger than her current circumstances. Honestly, Mary sounds a lot like me. And you.
But when God enters your world, everything changes. And after a divine encounter, Mary is still Mary. But now, Mary carries Jesus into the world. The tiny baby fingers that will heal the broken, the eyes that will look into faces and see souls, the lips that will calm nature, and the tiny little heart full of a perfect love is living in Mary in a pure and perfect way. And on a silent, holy night a baby was born that changed the course of time, the hearts of the holy, and the way that God relates to His people. The God who created mankind to live in relationship with Him came to His people. He entered our broken world and our wounded lives because He is a God that always meets us right where we are. And when He meets us, nothing is ever the same.
On a silent night in the little town of Bethlehem when the herald angels sang in celebration of the first noel, the God of Abraham and Moses and Esther chose Mary to deliver Jesus into the world in a physical, redemptive way so that He could move from living in our temples to living as a human. Immanuel. "God with us". And through His life and resurrection, the God of Elizabeth and Paul and Timothy moved to living in our hearts. And while we don’t have mangers or messages from angels or three valuable gifts from some very wise men, you and I are just as much a part of the birth story as the original crew.We are all Mary. Jesus has never lived in our swollen abdomens, but He has taken up residence in our hearts. And we are called to do something huge with this holy resident. Something extraordinary. Something divine.
WE ARE CALLED TO DELIVER JESUS TO THIS FALLEN WORLD.
Christmas is this weekend and I am so excited. I can’t wait for the traditions, the food, the family. I love all of it.
Speaking of loving Christmas, this person in my neighborhood apparently loves Christmas a little bit more than most of us. Seriously, can she fit anything else in her yard? I’m not so sure that she could. It's scary how much stuff she has stuffed onto her lot.
All is BRIGHT
Speaking of scary, my nephews were in town recently (which I loved) and we spent a lot of time together (which was fun) and I habitually jumped out from around corners to scare them (which was hilarious). Okay, that makes me sound so mean. It may be mildly mean, but the oldest (4) is old enough to scream and then laugh about it. One of my absolute best scares ever was one night when I came home from work. My nephew had apparently been crafting all day with my mom and made all sorts of things including a yo-yo from a toilet paper roll (which did not work… not surprising), a drum from an oatmeal container, and a scary mask from a paper plate. Apparently he decided that the mask is the "Red House Monster”.
Red House Monster
Sure. Anyways, when I came home and into the kitchen, my mom called “Oh, look who’s here!” I heard the patter of little feet scrambling to get to the kitchen. I could have greeted him with hugs and a hearty “I love you”, but instead I saw a mask sitting on the countertop. I quickly snatched it, put it on, and crouched down around the corner. As the sound of little feet got closer, I lunged out from my hiding place and screamed (more like roared) as loud as possible. I heard a tiny little voice scream in response. OOPS! Wrong nephew. It was the 2 year old little brother who had just woken up from his nap and had not seen the mask until that point. Okay, that was a little bit mean and more than a little bit scary. But I didn’t intend to be. But then I heard the patter of bigger feet. I crouched again. I lunged again. I roared again. This time: Success. My nephew screamed the loudest, purest scream that I have ever heard, which was immediately followed by an eruption of giggles and “Never do that again, Aunt Em.” And “I’ll get you back!”. I laughed so hard that I was literally on the floor crying. I still get that watery-eyed smile every time I think about it. But, no. I didn’t quit while I was ahead. At one point I hid in the bathroom in a clown costume and elf hat. Another time I jumped out from behind the couch with Dalmatian ears on. They were all pretty good, but none as good as the Red House Monster.
Speaking of doing bad things, Santa is more than welcome to bring me coal this year. In fact, I hope he does. Has he seen the price of commodities lately? He’s gotta pick something cheaper or the North Pole will have to start outsourcing.
Speaking of cheap, most people think that I am a very healthy eater. But I am here to tell you that I love Taco Bell. It’s true. Nachos Supreme with no Sour Cream. Double Decker Tacos. Bean Burritos with no onions and extra hot sauce. (Disclaimer: I don’t eat all of that at the same time.) And all for just a few dollars. And who is always up for thinking outside the bun with me? My dad. We went recently after a Preds game. Ryan Suter (my pretend Predators boyfriend) played a great game, but the Preds just couldn’t pull out the win. Preds Game. Taco Bell. Perfect.
I Do.
Speaking of fake boyfriends, some day I will marry Tim Tebow. You are all invited to the wedding.
Speaking of smart choices, Hello, 21st century. It was a sprint, but I finally caught up with you. You move too fast! Just 5 or 10 years ago it was a thrill to have a cell phone at all, but now it is inconvenient to not have a smart phone.
Dumb Phone
Enter: iPhone. Finally. I can now send/receive picture texts, check my email from my phone, find my parked car, use a full touch screen keyboard, and play pacman anywhere I want. My favorite app? Shazam. In the car I am always trying to guess the title of a song or who the artist is. With Shazam you just tap the screen, it listens to a few seconds of the song, then it tells the artist and title. It fuels my obsession with knowing artists and titles of all songs at all times.
Speaking of songs on the radio, I have been loving a few of the remixed Christmas songs this year. My favorite classic? Joy to the World. So of course I love the remix by Chris Tomlin.
I’m also a big fan of 33 Miles' O Come All Ye Faithful remix.
But my absolute favorite modern Christmas song is Welcome to our World by Chris Rice.
And while I do rock out to the Christmas tunes and get in the Christmas spirit during rush hour every day, it is also true that sometimes during the winter I try to make it feel like summer. I crank the heat in my car until it is unbearable – just like that Tennessee July Heat. Then I blast the AC to make it feel like summer while blaring Keith Urban’s "Long Hot Summer". It happens… often.
Speaking of warm weather, I’m getting close to my Hawaii trip with my mom to see one of my friends get married. I can’t wait. I just know that she will be a gorgeous bride. I am going to Oahu and Kauai. I know that I will just love it. I am a beach girl at heart. Like, I love it almost as much as Kenny Chesney does.
Speaking of country music, my sister got me this awesome guitar for Christmas. It is signed by Lady Antebellum among many others. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised by my generous gift!
Speaking of pleasant surprises, I just purchased gasoline for an amount that started with TWO! My first time in a long, long time.
Speaking of cars, try to make your car a No Phone Zone. It isn’t worth the risk to try to do much of anything on a phone while driving. (Not to mention that it is illegal to text and drive in Tennessee anyways.) Just ask the grandmother and little boy that I saw get backed into at Target last week. She was pushing her buggy with her grandson in the red buggy seat when a distracted man on his phone put his SUV in reverse and never even bothered to looked. He slammed into the side of the buggy, but fortunately the woman and little boy were both okay. You know how the Target buggies for kids have the two red seats in the front? He was on the side farthest from the car. If he had been on the other side, I’m sure he would have been hurt. That’s close enough of a scare to count. And yes, I do say buggy instead of cart. It’s one of those things that I never knew was Southern until the past few years. Like wearing pearls and saying “fixin’ to”. Siri (the iPhone 4S smart girl) has a hard time understanding my Southern Belle charm.
“Siri, Do you have a hard time understanding my Southern accent?”
“The time in Blantyre, Malawi is 8:35 am.”
Noted.
Speaking of misunderstanding, I was recently invited to a Christmas Panty Exchange. Yep. I went. Just to check it out. I read the invitation 10 times before it sank in. I kept thinking it said “party exchange”. Nope. Panty. I had never heard of such. Before the party you exchange names/sizes. At the party you take turns opening your gifts. I thought that you take Christmas panties. I searched high and low for the tackiest pleather snowman with googly eyes or something, but due to my procrastination I ended up just taking a red, festive pair. Well, sometimes procrastination pays off. Turns out that this was an exchange that happens to take place at Christmas. Not actual Christmas items. Everyone brought nice sets. So glad I didn’t go the tacky Christmas route! I would have been so embarrassed!
Speaking of gifts, check out my manly dirty santa gift that I ended up with at our family’s Christmas party last weekend. A knife and a Chili's gift card. Nice.
Speaking of food, my family recently got our citrus order from the Agriculture students in town. A full box of oranges and grapefruits. I ended up with most of it. You know how you are supposed to eat citrus if you have a sore throat because all of the Vitamin C will heal you? Well, turns out if you don't have a sore throat and eat as much citrus as I have, your throat will actually start hurting from all of the acid. Oh well, I do love oranges.
Speaking of colors, I always pull out my red high heels this time of year. And while I wear them I sing Kelly Pickler's "Red High Heels" in my head nonstop. They are my festive party shoes. Other than the tacky ones.
And speaking of Christmas parties, Christmas is this weekend and I am so excited. I can’t wait for the traditions, the food, the family. I love all of it.
If you are like me, you have already been to approximately 57 Christmas parties, each one with more desserts than actual food. And you know me. I don't like sweets. I love baking (just not eating it), so I usually take my standard Fresh Fruit Salad to a party because I am... well... boring. But, if you are looking for a great dessert to make for a party, I have the perfect recipe. When we were younger, my mom used to make a special Christmas Mix for us that I always called "That White Chocolate Christmas Mix Stuff". Well, I recently made two batches of the mix, one for work and one for a party. It was a big hit - after I renamed it "White Christmas".
White Christmas Mix
White Christmas Mix Ingredients: 1/2 box Rice Chex 1/4 box Cheerios 1/4 bag Pretzel Sticks 2 handfuls of Pecan halves 1 Tray Vanilla Candy Coating 1/2 bag red and green Christmas M&Ms
Directions: Honestly, I don't measure my ingredients because you can mix just as much stuff as you want, but I mixed the approximate amounts of cereal, pretzels, and pecans listed above in a large mixing bowl. (You may want to start with less and add in more at the end to make sure that you have enough of the candy coating to cover it all.) In the microwave, melt one package of vanilla candy coating. (I bought the Kroger brand which comes in a microwaveable tray in little squares like bark in the baking aisle). Pour the candy coating over your mixture and stir to completely coat. Add in more cereal or pretzels if necessary. Spread the mixture out on wax paper to let it dry (about 20 minutes). Break it apart in small chunks and toss it in a bowl with red and green M&Ms. (Don't put the M&Ms in the mixture until the mixture is dry - it's prettier with the M&Ms uncoated.) Salty. Sweet. Addictive. Voila.
White Christmas is one of those things that people love so much that they will kind of get mad at you for making it because they can't stop eating it. But then they'll ask you to make it every year. The best kind of party treat.
