January Goals Review

Here's how this month went:

• crossstitch every day - done!
• clean / organise the house - working on room 5 but happy with the progress.
• organise my work schedule for February - done!
• get back into healthier habits - done!
• get our routine back - done!

Recipe: Chicken and Courgette Kebabs with Almond Dip

Ingredients:

• Chicken
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• Italian herbs, salt, pepper
• 4 tbsp oil
• 2 courgettes
• 100g ground almonds
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar

Instructions:

1. Marinade the chicken in the oil, mustard, lemon juice, 2 clove garlic, herbs and seasoning for at least an hour.

2. Dry fry the almonds, being careful not to burn. Add 150ml water, the honey, vinegar, garlic clove and seasoning. Set aside to cool.

3. Slice the courgettes in long strips. Roll them and skewer alternately with the chicken pieces. Fry for about four minutes on each side until cooked through. Alternatively you can grill the skewers.

Make it Monday - Coconut Bodywash

 Last week I finally got around to refilling my bodywash. I used this recipe. Basically 2/3 cups of base soap that I made a while ago and 1/2 cup coconut milk.

It's easy, refreshing and feels good to know exactly what is in there.

Weekly Wisdom

Once the limits of your mind have been expanded by a new idea, they never go back.

The Saturday Update

What a week! I never learn not to plan too much or expect too much from the last quiet week before work kicks off. I had wanted to continue my big clean this week and get all my paperwork prepared before I start my main job on Monday.

We'd had a great weekend in Schneverdingen, Joshua got his new shoes and so did I and despite a lack of sleep, we all enjoyed brunch on Sunday.

Then the kids got sick. Both came down with conjunctivitis on Monday. Isabella was home for two and a half days and Joshua for four. On top of that Nico had an accident mid-week which led to a trip to A&E. Luckily he is okay with 'just' stitches. It never rains but it pours!

As for me, despite my original plans going to pot, I did acheive a fair bit: I made solid and liquid soap, sorted my health insurance and benefits, prepared and picked up a key for my new job, spoke to the finance department, taught Kindergarten and a new tutoring student, took part in a working group at Kindergarten and enjoyed a sauna with friends. Not bad for a last week of freedom with a poorly family! And I managed to stick to Paleo, losing a third kilo in just a week and a half.

We're enjoying a quiet weekend before a short working week.

Links!

I agree!

Fairytales for the modern woman.

Inspirational quote.

Excited about this new pattern.

Funny.

Amazing photographs.

Friends!

Travel goals!

Funny

Reading Review

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

I picked this up over Christmas week and it was wonderful. Of course I've seen film and television adaptations but reading the book was different and typically Dickensian. I really enjoyed it.

Never Far From Nowhere - Andrea Levy

This follows the story of two second generation immigrant sisters of Jamaican descent through their teenage years and into adulthood as they live in London.

The sisters are very different but I liked them both in their own way and was keen to follow them. The story was good but I felt it left me hanging a bit at the end.

Dark Homecoming - Eric Van Lustbader

This was a crime novel following a former detective who has to choose between killing someone or watching his niece die of liver failure.

For the first time in ages, I really did not enjoy this book. It was over complicated while full of errors and mixed in too much superstition for my taste. Quite a disappointment unfortunately.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Tacos

Ingredients:

• Sweet potato
• 250g mince
• 2 shallots
• 1 red pepper
• 1 avocado
• 1 small lime
• 1 chilli
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tomato
• 100ml tomato passata

Instructions:

1. Roast the sweet potato at 175℃ for 45 minutes.

2. Brown one shallot with the garlic and mince. Add the pepper, tomato, passata, season, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Mash the avocado and mix with the lime juice, chilli and remaining shallot.

4. Cut open the sweet potato and serve with the mince mixture on top and the guacamole on the side.

Make it Monday - Scented Soaps

Today I've been cooking up a storm in the kitchen with soaps again. I've been meaning to for a while but finally running out of the soap I made in June has given me the push I needed to try again.

I was really pleased with my first batch of soaps. This time I wanted to try two new things - scents and moulds.

I split the batch in two near the end of the process and added some lavender oil to about a third of the mix and orange and lemon oils to the larger portion. I had tried oils last time but sparingly and it was lost in the soap, hopefully these will be stronger.

The moulds are silicon ice cube makers we picked up at ikea so not designed for soap but we'll see how it goes. I liked the rustic bars from last time too so I put the remainder of the mixes in big containers lined with baking paper.

Now it's a five week waiting game to see how they turn out.

Here's my favourite tutorial and lye calculator.

Weekly Wisdom

Tough times don't last, tough people do.

The Saturday Update

It's been a really hectic week here. I started two new jobs on Monday and Wednesday which were both challenging in their own ways. It did feel good to be teaching more though.

We were called into Kindergarten on Tuesday where they announced the hours are being cut and we have to pick the kids up at one. Not ideal for the little ones who are sleeping at that time. We've spent a lot of time trying to find a solution, especially for the parents working full time.

I've been doing Paleo and caught up on some fitness classes. I also got my hair cut for the first time in ten months so you'd think I'd be feeling great but I seem to be getting flu or sonething since last night.

We're away this weekend to celebrate a family birthday and then another week of trying to be healthy, early pick ups and preparing for getting back to work properly.

Links!

Some cool new hobbies to try.

Paleo ideas!

I feel like I need one of these!

Cool.

A funny side to this weather.

Should I be happy or nervous that Isabella is learning to write?

I really want to go here.

Inspirational reminder.

Paleo Restart

Since Monday I've restarted my Paleo diet. It takes a bit more planning but I'm down two kilos already and feeling so much better.

For breakfast I've been whipping up the banana pudding recipe I shared earlier this week. It's tasty, quick and filling.

Lunches have been salads or leftovers. I was surprised how many ingredients we had in the fridge and pantry.

For dinner I tried a new recipe, which I'll share next week, and bought a cooked chicken to eat with veg which lasted two nights.

Basically you can eat meat, fruit and veg. I've been gluten free for a while but I notice a big difference when I cut out dairy too.

I can't recommend it enough.

Tannbach

We're currently watching and really enjoying this German series. It follows the story of a village split in two by the border between West and East Germany after World War Two.

I studied a lot of the history in school and at uni but this really brings it to life and makes it personal. I wish it had been around when I was a student.

Recipe: Paleo Banana Breakfast Pudding

Ingredients:

• One banana
• 75ml almond milk
• 2tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp cinamon
• 1tsp honey

Instructions:

1. Mash the banana and combine with the other ingredients.

Make it Monday- January Birthday Cards

I allowed myself an easy start to crafting in 2018. Using papers from my Mollie Makes magazine, I made these four cards for friends and family with birthdays in January.

I love the colours and patterns and managed to find a less feminine pattern for my Dad.

Weekly Wisdom

Stop looking for happiness in the same place you lost it.

The Saturday Update

We've had a nice week getting back into a kind of routine. Joshua has settled right back in at nursery and slept there for the first time yesterday. Isabella is back at nursery like she was never away and Nico is back at work too.

I'm getting ready to go back to work and spent the week making the most of my child-free time by cleaning the house. I aimed to get through a room a day and managed three and a half so that's not too bad.

More of the same next week plus starting two new jobs, many appointments and a weekend with Nico's family.

Links!

Just one of the reasons I love this show.

A fun game.

Nico makes me a similar drink to this and it's wonderful (and great for PMT).

Amazing!

Enjoying taking part in Mollie Makers Week on instagram.

What a beautiful friendship. (I love number five.)

Looking forward to seeing this and this in 2018.

Thinking of putting this somewhere I will see it every day.

Looking forward...

I'm struggling a little with this new month, new year. While I'm sticking to my two main goals, I'm having a hard time finding a balance with the usual healthy eating, more activity, less stress side of things. Maybe it will settle more when I get back to work full time. In the meantime I thought I'd jump on Amy Liz's bandwagon and describe what I'm looking forward to this year.

Getting back to work!

I know it will be stressful and bring on a new wave of working mum guilt but I am looking forward to getting into a new challenge, taking my career in a different direction and bringing a bit more financial stability to our family. I'm especially looking forward to meeting new people and enjoying conversation with other adults!

My sister's hen do and wedding.

This Summer I'll be heading to England twice for these wonderful events. The first should be a fun, girly weekend and the second is especially exciting as we're taking my mother-in-law with us and I'm excited to show her my home country and get all the family together again.

The kids' birthdays.

While Isabella's incessant talk of her birthday party and the guest list is incredibly annoying right now (she turns four in June), I am looking forward to it. As with Christmas, birthdays with children just seem more magical and both of the kids are a joy to watch as they grow and learn.

Completing some ongoing projects.

I'm really hoping this will be the year I finish my biggest crossstitch yet.

I'm carrying on apace with my crochet course and looking forward to finishing the blanket project.

I'm also really excited to see how the one second every day video turns out. I'm backing up weekly and week one had both of us grinning ear to ear.

Currently...

...cleaning my way through the house.
...enjoying getting back to Zumba.
...settling into a new routine.
...drinking lots of coffee.
...cycling more.
...keeping our family memories in old ways and new.
...gearing up to get back to work.
...cosying up by the fire.

Recipe: Salmon Rolls

Ingredients:

• Pancakes
• Smoked salmon
• Lettuce
• Creme fraiche
• Horseradish sauce
• Lemon juice
• Seasoning

Instructions:

1. Mix the creme fraiche, horseradish sauce, lemon juice and seasoning.

2. Spread the sauce on the pancake. Top with lettuce and salmon. 

3. Roll up and enjoy.

Make it Monday - Fimo Photo Holders

One of my crafty Christmas gifts was a Fimo set from Nico. It's a bit like play dough for adults and it's surprisingly fiddly. Photo holders were the perfect beginners project for me. I made one for each of the family.

First, you have to work the Fimo. You can mix colours but I didn't try that this time. Then you form the shapes - this bit is harder than it looks. You bake the finished product for half an hour and once it's cooled, you can varnish it.

I love the colours and am looking forward to seeing these in use. I did learn the hard way that you have to consider designs carefully - the smiley won't stand up by itself!

The possibilities are endless - you can make ornaments, jewellery, all sorts. I'm looking forward to experimenting more.

Weekly Wisdom

If you do what you always did, you will get what you always got.

The Saturday Update

We've had a great start to 2018. It was a quiet start to the new year, well, the fireworks weren't but the kids slept through them!

We've had a quiet week on the whole and my gym has been shut but we have had some nice family time, watched some films, done some crafting, cooking and reading - quality holiday activities.

I had an interview for a job teaching literacy and German to refugees and I start at the end of the month! So excited to get cracking on a new challenge! I did one tutoring shift this week too, still enjoying that.

I've spent a lot of time reviewing 2017 and looking forward to 2018 this week and it's been a relaxed but positive start.

Links!

Funny grandparents.

Ideas for spending that Christmas money.

Need to take note of this.

Beautiful photography project.

Good advice.

One way to shake up the to-do list?

And another?

This scares me but there are probably a few things I need to check out on there.

One Little Word 2018

Following the success of my year of 'create', I want to share my new One Little Word for 2018 today. It is:

Refresh!

I thought long and hard about this and 2018 is going to be a whole different set up for me. Both kids will be in daycare, I'll be starting several new jobs and it seemed to make sense that I refresh several areas of my life in the process. Here are some of my goals for 2018:

• Refresh my work situation.
• Refresh my home environment.
• Refresh my attempts at One Second Every Day video keeping.
• Refresh my crossstitch efforts.
• Refresh my diet and fitness plans.
• Refresh my finances.

By the way, although I loved and acheived last year's goals - I'm actually enjoying creating and reading much more now that the pressure is off.

Also, I've decided not to have my mobile phone upstairs at night any more and after just four nights, I'm feeling refreshed!

January Goals

This month I want to...

• crossstitch every day.
• clean / organise the house.
• organise my work schedule for February.
• get back into healthier habits.
• get our routine back.

Recipe: Chorizo Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1.5 cups risotto rice
• 150ml red wine
• 1l stock
• 150g chorizo
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 100g frozen peas
• Handful of rocket
• Parmesan
• Seasoning

Instructions:

1. Fry the onion and garlic for five minutes. 

2. Add the rice and chorizo, followed after five minutes by the wine and then tomatoes.

3. Add the stock, ladle by ladle until absorbed, stirring regularly.

4. With the last ladles, add the peas and rocket and check the seasoning.

5. Serve with parmesan.

Happy New Year!

I love the fresh start of a new year and this year is special as it marks a real new start for me with new jobs starting soon.

2017 was equally unique in that I was home with Joshua and looking back, I can't believe how far we have come in the past twelve months from that new born haze that felt like we'd be breastfeeding and co-sleeping forever.

In 2017 we bought a new car, Nico started a new job, Joshua was christened, we attended a wedding weekend in Arnstadt, I resigned, we travelled to England, Isabella turned three and finished nursery, I flew to England for a hen do and again for another wedding, I joined a fitness studio, we went to the Harz, Isabella started Kindergarten, I took and passed the C1 German exam, my best friend had a baby, Joshua turned one and started nursery and we got through the crazy Christmas season.

Amongst all of that, I kept my resolutions of creating every day and reading a book per week.

2018 looks set to be equally busy for us and I'm really excited about this new phase. This year I am renewing my efforts to try the one second per day video as a new, fun way to document our lives.

The rest of my goals and my One Little Word, I'll be sharing with you later this week.