See ya later 2012...2013 is where it's at!

The last day of 2012...phew, I made it out alive, well, and happy! I won't lie and say 2012 was all rainbows and sunshine but the good definitely outweighs the bad. Today marks the 1 year anniversary of me and the bf's official first date and that alone makes my heart so incredibly happy! Jared has been a blessing to my life this past year and I feel so lucky to call him mine. My sweet Puggle, Lola, adapted really well to apartment living and has given us so much love. My family and friends are still awesome. Their love is so unconditional and they always find a way to be there. My parents deserve a special shout out...they are the absolute best! I celebrated 8 years of service at work on December 20th. And last but not least, I am (for the most part) healthy. BUT 2013 is going to be my year. I have so many things I want to be better at and new things I want to do. I have never really been into having a New Year's resolution but this year I feel so inspired and motivated that I have decided to give it a shot. I will probably slip up or make some adjustments along the way but it's a start, right? So here it goes. My 2013 New and Improved list...

1. Wellness. This is going to be a priority this year (and hopefully ever year after). In 2013 I will eat more clean and healthy. I will exercise 4-5 days a week and practice yoga on a regular basis. I'm even going to give running a chance. Signed up for a 5k in March so keep your fingers crossed that I actually start to like it. Most importantly, I am going to try my hardest to worry less and enjoy more.

2. Time. In 2013 I will make more time for the things I love. Blogging, crafting, reading, cooking, and movies. All of these things allow me to escape from my every day stressful work life and deserve more of my attention.

3. Family. In 2013 my family will continue to be a priority. Love and laughter, and probably the occasional sadness and anger.

4. Focus. In 2013 I will be more focused. Focused on the big things that matter most and move on from things that are out of my control. I will work hard, love deeply, and show kindness. Oh and I almost forgot...I am going to get even more organized. That's right folks, more lists and more planning and cleaning out, etc.

5. Love. Jared and I have already decided 2013 is our year. We feel so lucky to have each other and we are going to take on 2013 TOGETHER! 

I love that I am documenting this list and I can come back to it as many times as I need to remind myself what is truly important to me. It is just too easy to get derailed in this crazy life of mine and I am putting a stop to that right now. You are all my witnesses :)

Happy New Year to you and yours. May 2013 bring you happiness, love, laughter and good health!!

                                          

Julep Maven = FUN

Nail polish is one of my favorite things. Which is funny because for as much nail polish as I have, I don't paint my nails very often. It just takes a lot of time. Well actually painting them is pretty simple. It's the letting them dry part that gets on my nerves. I need more patience. It never fails. I just don't wait long enough and them BAM...smudge!

Anyway...back to how much I l-o-v-e nail polish and especially Julep nail polish. Awesome colors, dries fast  and it doesn't take paint thinner to get it off. But the thing I love the most is all Julep nail polish is toxic-free! Yay for that!

Ok, now I'm really going to blow your mind. Not only do they have great nail polish, but they also have the coolest subscription (I don't really know what else to call it) ever! You take a cute little style quiz and the results tell you what style group you fell in. Mine is "Classic With a Twist". So cute, right? So every month they put together your Julep Maven box with the colors that match your style and ship it out to you. The box usually includes 2-3 nail polishes and something else from their shop (nail polish remover, foot scrub, etc). All for $20. Yep, it is pretty much the best $20 I spend all month (well that and Starbucks). You always have the option to skip a month or change to a different style if you would prefer one of the other boxes. So like I said...Julep = FUN

Here are some of the colors I have gotten.

www.julep.com

Julep Maven

Lentil Stew...LOVE!

We have been trying new vegetarian and vegan recipes lately and I must say, everything (minus imitation cheese) has been fantastic. Tonight I made Lentil Stew and we can't stop talking about how yummy it was. The recipe is from Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet. It does take some time to cut all of the veggies up but it was totally worth it.

We had some toasted Sourdough bread with ours and it was perfect.  You should make it. Seriously.

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large onions, cut into chunks
2 celery stalks, diced
1 carrot, sliced
1 potato, cut into chunks
1/4 cup shoyu (this is basically soy sauce)
5 cups vegetable broth
3 tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups brown lentils (I used green lentils)

Combine the garlic powder, paprika, salt, cumin, oregano, and basil in a small bowl. Heat the oil in a large soup pot (you'll be adding a lot of liquid late, so make sure it's big enough) over medium-high heat, and add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and potato. Stir in half the seasoning mixture and the shoyu. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7 minutes or until the onions are tender.

Add 5 cups of water, the broth, tomatoes, and lentils. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid askew for 30 minutes. Add the remaining seasoning mixture, and cook for 20 minutes longer or until the lentils are soft.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

i'm mildly obsessed with all things christmas. i love the music, the food, the decorating, the presents (giving and receiving), spending time with family...i could go on and on. there is just something about this time of year that makes my heart happy.

so tonight we busted out all of the decorations and the tree, turned on some music and went to town! did i mention we live in a 2 bedroom apartment and have a roommate? as you can imagine, space is not something we have a lot of, but it is cute and cozy so i really don't mind. 

the tree turned out great...thanks to my sweet man for helping me.

lola was thrilled about this pretty reindeer collar. she's such a good sport.

2 happy hearts & a puggle <3
words can't express how blessed i feel to be celebrating our first christmas....well, almost christmas.

2 Happy Hearts & a Puggle

this is exciting.

really exciting. my very first blog post.

i am looking forward to documenting this life of mine and sharing it with all of you. 

xoxo