Monthly Goals - January 2019

All the goal setting in the beginning of the year has me itching to get things done. I posted my overall goals for the year, but I want to make some smaller goals for each month, as well. Some of these align with the larger goals. Some are just things I need to get done.

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For January | 2019

Inbox to 0
I’ve already started working on this in the last few weeks and have gone from over 8000 messages still in my inbox to just over 4000. I want to have it completed by the end of the month so I can move on for the rest of the year.

Find 2 Japanese resources
I’ve already downloaded a lesson book. I would like to find some writing and reading resources to work with as well.

Blog at least 4 days every week
I did pretty well on this in Dec, so I hope to continue in Jan.

Photograph 6 items per day for mad cat market
Weather permitting. I feel like if I set this lofty goal, I’ll at least do more than I have been currently.

Add 12 listings per week to mad cat market
This is pretty much the same as above.

Add tags to 100 blog posts
Right now, I only use categories but I think tags will be easier to find and cross reference.

When making these goals, I didn’t realize that they are almost all about technology. I like that without trying, I made a theme for this month.

These seem like actionable and achievable goals for this month. What are some of your goals for January?

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December Plant Update

December tends to be a tough month for plant observations, and this one was the same. It’s cold, Winter has set in, it’s a busy month, and this year we were sick for a big chunk of the month. There were still some good plants this month. December was a month of critters! Perhaps this we should be calling these posts Plant and Animal Observations?

On a warm day, Tom checks out if there’s any catnip left.

On a warm day, Tom checks out if there’s any catnip left.

Our garden, waiting for spring.

Our garden, waiting for spring.

The pines are happy in the yard.

The pines are happy in the yard.

The vines are happy in the kitchen.

The vines are happy in the kitchen.

December was cold, but there were enough warm days to go to the beach.

December was cold, but there were enough warm days to go to the beach.

Can you spot the cardinal and blue jay?

Can you spot the cardinal and blue jay?

Some stray kitties getting special attention.

Some stray kitties getting special attention.

A night visitor.

A night visitor.

A happy sidewalk.

A happy sidewalk.

Very festive front yard.

Very festive front yard.

Also festive.

Also festive.

We don’t get an xmas tree anymore, which overall we are happy about. But there is something nice about having an ever green in the house during the darkest days and winter months. I’m always happy to visit family who continue this tradition.

It’s been a great year of plant observations. I love to go back thru and see what was happening in each month. In the coming year, I hope there are many garden posts, many houseplants observations, and lots of getting outside into nature!

What were your favorite plant moments of 2018?

December in Review

Well, that’s 2018 Done and Dusted!

Last night, for the last few minutes of the year the whole family (people and cats) were eating a late dinner and before we knew it is was 12:01am. It was the first year in a really long time that we had “missed” new years. But we were happy together as a family, content, well fed, but not quite in line with everyone else in the world. It felt like a good metaphor for the year. And an interesting thing to see at the start of a new year.

In December, we saw friends and family and had low key celebrations. We got back into doing a few beach walks, and tried to spend our time off together doing things we love. We were sick this month, so self care was a priority.

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This month we made a conscious effort to create more, to eat healthy, to make new habits, and to care for the health of ourselves and the cats.

#watchercats were few, but we saw some this month!

We worked on our house a little in December but more than work, we identified somethings we want to work on in 2019.

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Overall, Dec went by quick and easy, and it was a good month.

Now we are ready to say goodbye to December, goodbye to 2018, and hello to 2019.

Bullet Journal Check In: December - Daily Spreads with Journalling.

With my new larger format Bullet Journal, I was excited to start reincorporating some notes on each day into my daily spreads. Although I use my BuJo for organizing and keeping myself on track with goals and tasks, I also use it as a record of my life. I fell out of the habit of this practice, which was always one of my intentions with bullet journalling.

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My weekly spreads look a lot different in this bigger journal. It’s perfect to jot down a few notes for each day. I like to record what we did, how I felt, what time I got out of work, and general info.

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What info besides tasks and to dos do you like to keep a record of?

Recipe | Zero Waste Vegan Baked Oatmeal

I usually like my oats pretty simple. Hot water, fruit, sweetener. The other day I made this baked oatmeal for a brunch and it was a huge hit! It requires slightly more work, but it’s still really easy and can be made very low waste! This recipe is easily adaptable, you can swap out your favorite flavors and change it up often, make as little or as much as you want, and eat hot or cold!

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Ingredients
Quick oats
Dried spices. I used nutmeg and ginger.
Lemon Zest
Sugar
Frozen berries. I used bluebs and cherries.
Plant milk. I used cashew.

Equipment
Oven safe dish
Micro plane or zester
Spoon for mixing

Put your oats into your baking dish. I used about a cup of oats, but you can add more or less depending on who your feeding. Add dried spices, lemon zest, sugar to taste, and mix. Add frozen berries and twice the amount of milk as oats, mix well and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Mix again and pop in a 375 degree oven until oats are cooked and the top starts to brown a little. for the amount I made it took about 20 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or cooled. This would be great served with some warmed milk poured over it or with yogurt.

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A few notes:
- The lemon zest is key!! used about half a lemon’s worth of zest But I could have done the whole lemon. if you don’t have a zester or micro plane, you can slice off the skin and fine chop.
- I used white sugar bc that’s what I wanted to use up, but this recipe would be great with brown sugar, maple syrup or any other sweetener you like. You can also change up the spices and fruit added.
- To be extra fancy, sprinkle some brown sugar on top and pop in the broiler to brown and crystalize the top of your oatmeal.
- My oatmeal came out a little dry this time bc I didn’t add quite enough milk. It was still good.

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To make this recipe low waste, I used bulk oats and spices. I also used up some of my spices, which feels so good! I used pre packaged frozen fruit; I like the fruit from Whole Foods bc you can rinse out and recycle the plastic bags they come in. To make even more low waste, use fresh fruit or fruit that you have frozen yourself.

I didn’t plate mine up very beautifully, but it was still delicious!

This is an easy meal to make in advance. What are some of your favorite easy breakfast foods?

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Pantone Color of the Year 2019

Each year Pantone, the paint and color people, choose a color in December for the year ahead. They imbue these colors with ideas and ideals for the new year. I don't always agree with the choices but along with many in the quilting community, I like to ruminate on them a bit.

For 2019, Pantone chose Living Coral.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

“Vibrant, yet mellow PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.

In reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life, we are seeking authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy. Sociable and spirited, the engaging nature of PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral welcomes and encourages lighthearted activity. Symbolizing our innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits, PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embodies our desire for playful expression.

Representing the fusion of modern life, PANTONE Living Coral is a nurturing color that appears in our natural surroundings and at the same time, displays a lively presence within social media.

PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral emits the desired, familiar, and energizing aspects of color found in nature. In its glorious, yet unfortunately more elusive, display beneath the sea, this vivifying and effervescent color mesmerizes the eye and mind. Lying at the center of our naturally vivid and chromatic ecosystem, PANTONE Living Coral is evocative of how coral reefs provide shelter to a diverse kaleidoscope of color.”

I may seems like a downer when it comes to Pantone’s color of the year. I started examining it and sharing my thoughts in 2016 and I’ve disagreed with the meaning or idea behind just about every color since. Serenity and Rose Quartz (2016) felt confining in it’s binary structure (at a time when we should be seeing past blue and pink), Greenery (2017) felt tone deaf in it’s optimism in nature as opposed to the world-leader’s intent to destroy it, and Ultra Violet (2018) would have made more sense if they had called it Ultra Violent (I mean, it was the year with the most mass shootings in the US so far).

I’m sure that Pantone intends these colors to be uplifting and inspiring.

But come on!! At a time when most of the world coral reefs are headed soon to destruction, when the US is actively repealing environmental safeties and sustainability, Pantone is going to say looking at an intestinal putrid pink is going to save us from the fantasies of the internet and connect with nature and the world??

But perhaps it is all in the name. If it had been called Puke or even Drink the Koolaid or Road Kill, I might have felt it was more appropriate for what we have to face in the coming year.

If this is our color of the year, let it be named Extra Strength Pepto Bismol. Pantone, help me stomach another year like the last few.

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But don’t take my word for it. Here are a few articles on Living Coral

From Tree Hugger (you know I love them!)

NJ News likes it bc it’s from NJ!

I always love to read what A Quilter’s Table has to say about the Color of the Year.

Well and Good thinks Living coral is … sexy?

I really like what Thrillist says: “it's not a reflection, it's a response -- an answer”. I personally can’t seem to get that point, but I want it to be true!

What are your thoughts on Living Coral?

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