Big Things: Focus

Portsmouth

This year, more than any other, seems to carry focus. Not because of some determined resolution but 

because of a path that I have slowly, oh so slowly, been wearing down and creating.

But before I can press my feet into the dirt and continue, I need to take a little bit of time to reflect. A year has ended and a new one has shuffled into place. In reflecting on 2015, the year of balance, it took me a moment to recognize the year as it was. Most of the changes, with some serious exception, are small. A few are light, simple, and fun. But my reason for creating a list is to provide a reminder, context. And in this post of introspection, I realize that 2015 was the year in which this quote proved true:





We rang in 2015 at our house with some of my best college friends. It was wonderful!

A few weeks later, Nick, Emaline, and I flew to Sanibel, Florida with my parents. We rode bikes, collected shells, watched sunsets, drank jai-alai, and swam in the ocean.

While we were there we found out that my Nana Rice was very sick. We wondered if we needed to return home early, but the decision was made for us when a massive snowstorm shut down New England. When we were able to get back,we spent time with my Nana before she passed away.

Nick pulling Emaline through the backyard of the house where my Mom grew up.

My Uncle Paul doing something on the roof. My Nana watching us through the window. The last day we saw her.

On my birthday, we said goodbye to my last grandparent. I wrote about her here. We spent the next few months buried in snow.

When finally the last bit of white melted away, we broke the record for the snowiest winter in Boston's recorded history. And moving forward from that hibernation, I realize now, how many small changes happened then:

• Started a number of house projects 
• Tended the yard and gardens around our home
• Discovered podcasts 
• Continued to simplify, declutter, and slow my home
• Began eating more fruits and veggies with a daily smoothie
• Got myself to enjoy black coffee
• Started wearing lipstick. (It only took me 32 years to decide that I liked the way it looked.) 
• Learned to like cooking a bit more and picked up a few recipes
• Took a painting class
• Attended networking events
• Found a workout class that I really enjoy and have stuck with it. Barre!

In May, we celebrated Emaline's second birthday with a big party at our house and got her a swing-set. A few weeks later, Nick had to go to Amsterdam for a work conference and I took the opportunity to join him. We left Emaline with my Mom and traveled Bruges and Amsterdam for six days. It was a great reminder how much Nick and I love to travel together and want that for our family in the years to come. We also:

• Traveled to Minneapolis three times
• Vacationed on the Cape
• Visited the National Seashore
• Hosted a number of family and friends

The day after we returned from Europe, the organization that I serve as a volunteer board member had our biggest event of the year! We shut down the main street in Portsmouth to host the Stiletto Sprint! A short race run in heels (men and women) to raise money for Big Brothers Big Sisters. It was an incredible event and I am so proud to be a part of it. In our last meeting, I agreed to take a higher position on the board for this coming year.

And at the end of the summer, I got an offer to join a long term writing project. An author who I love and respect is writing a historical fiction novel and has asked me to research and edit. I officially started on September 1st and it is the best!

In addition to this list, are the countless days I have spent with Emaline. Often we are in pajamas, playing hide and seek or babies or kitchen or coloring or singing or freeze dancing. I will admit that sometimes Emaline has to say "Mama, play with me!" before I decide that it is okay to stop what I am doing (this included) and be with her completely. But every night when I squeeze her in my arms before tucking her in, I know this is a time to cherish. And I do. She is no longer a baby but a little person. She is smart, funny, thoughtful, and curious. She counts, sings, knows her colors and letters, uses a high-pitched voice when we play pretend. Every day she does something that just pulls on my heart. This morning she hid stuffed animals in Nick's jacket pocket to surprise him when he went to work.

So 2016, I am ready for you. 2016 is the year of focus. Travel. Finances. Family. Friends. Writing.

Happy New Year!

Sunday in October: Little Bits of Magic

It is Sunday and football is on. We have nothing planned today and I am happy for it. We will take on a few house projects and hang out as a family. I will write and we will cook dinner together. Days like this are not as common as we would like but so nice when they occur.

This fall Emaline is getting into the season, seemingly collecting baby pumpkins, painting them, placing them on the steps, and repeating the process every time it rains and the paint runs off. I love sitting with her on the deck as she focuses on putting just the right amount of blob and swirl on each little pumpkin.

 

And my addiction to Netflix documentaries continues. My recent favorites are Maidentrip and Hungry for Change. The second, pushed me into a smoothie kick. I really enjoy stuffing handfuls of leafy greens, carrots, and fruit into our Big Boss blender. I know I am doing something good for myself and it really does taste great! 

All of this

Becomes this.

I am most of the way through Big Magic and love it! I knew I would. Elizabeth Gilbert is one of my all time favorites. I have written about her podcast, her TedTalk, and her books. She is wise and honest and her opinions on art and creativity are so refreshing.

This book could not have come at a better time. I have been met with a very special writing opportunity and have appreciated the encouragement as I begin a new adventure. I will be able to share details with the blog very soon!

**And speaking of creative living, my awesome SIL has opened up an etsy shop! You can check out Smudge Guest Books HERE. Babies, engagements, showers, weddings, little kid birthday, personalized art. Elise is offering a special offer for Write to Simplicity readers. If you order before the end of October and mention this post, you will receive 10% off your order!

Guest Post: Making Memories, Making Potato Skins

Today's guest post comes from Krystal Cooks. In addition to being a good friend, Krystal is a busy mom and a great cook! She's the girl who throws together delicious food from scratch and shrugs it off as no big deal. Her blog does all the work of trying popular recipes and rates them on ease, cost, mess, and taste. I am pretty excited that the post she decided to feature is one of my all-time favorite foods!

Raise your hand if you’ve ever read Like Water for Chocolate. If your hand isn’t up in the air, go get yourself a copy. I read this book way back as a sophomore in high school and it still creeps into my mind every once and again. This book speaks a lot about why I like cooking so much. It’s not about finding the most delicious food or the food with the most tradition steeped in its making – it’s more about what that food represents and the memories and parts of ourselves it carries with it. It means enjoying the good times and remembering the better times. I enjoy cooking because it means friends; it means family.

 So, if you haven’t heard, there was a Superbowl. And if you haven’t heard, it was kind of a ridiculous match. But lets not talk about that anymore, mmkay? Instead, lets talk about how nice it is to have another reason to get together with friends and share good food and good company – to try a new recipe and create a new memory. We spent time with some of E’s family – some of my favorite people to spend time with. E’s cousins have a little boy, Caden, who is just a couple weeks younger than Little K. The two boys were so well behaved and absolutely adorable together. It was the first time the two kids actually played together. They chased each other and played hide and seek and even tried their hand at playing Chopsticks on the piano.

 Amongst all the fun, we also had some delicious food to share. E’s Aunt Gail made this amazing pulled pork that I couldn’t stop eating and I brought some potato skins. (They’re shaped like footballs. They remind me of “pigskin.” It seemed like a no brainer for a football party.) I used Pioneer Woman’s recipe from her latest cookbook. You know, she and I are tight. See; check this love letter she wrote me.  

 Ok, actually, my lovely sister Rachel gave me this signed copy of PW’s Cookbook, A Year of Holidays, for Christmas. Ree and her hubby, Marlboro Man, made a book tour stop in the great state of Arkansas where my sister lives, so Rachel gave up an entire Saturday to get me the signed cookbook. I know you’re all mired in grief because you don’t have a sister that amazing. It’s ok; you’ll get through this.

In the meantime, invite some people over and make memories. And, more literally speaking, make potato skins!

Potato Skins

 These were easy to make and so customizable! I loved that about them. I went with the classic potato skin and had green onions, cheese, bacon, and sour cream. However, you could’ve made little tex-mex taters or pizza skins or went crazy with the veggies and had olives, peppers, and broccoli in lieu of the bacon. Do what your soul tells you, my friends! Recipe here, from Pioneer Woman.

The clean up was a cinch and although the process took a long time (lots of baking time and waiting for the oven timer to go off!) it was incredibly easy. However, I will say that I had a tough time scraping out enough of the meat of the potato. It’s important that you get most of the innards out – you really want the skins to be the star. However, you don’t want to bust through the skin or for them to lose their form. It’s a tight rope to walk, and I could’ve done a little better. They were still good, but a little starchier than I’d like.

Even so, one of the best things about this recipe is the cast offs. Look at all the delicious potato guts I have to make into mashed potatoes this week. Yayz! 

 (Note: I told E to buy me the smallest yellow potatoes. Apparently our grocery specializes in super-sized potatoes. If you can find them, you should use smaller potatoes though.)

Another thing I was happy with is the ability to travel with these little po-taters. I made them at home – all the way up to the last step of melting the cheese. Then I stacked them (double with a liner of tin foil) and popped them in the oven at the party for just a couple of minutes. It worked out lovely.

I also thought about bringing a few containers of various toppings and making it into a little DIY assembly there, but I kept it simple. I think this would be a super cute idea for a kids party though – you could have a whole table of toppings for kids to customize to their heart’s content. Basically what I’m trying to tell you is that this recipe is versatile, easy, and quickly devoured.