Resolution: Style

From the fabulous ladies at Ain't No Mom Jeans, here are some real, honest-to-goodness style resolutions that I can actually make happen this year.

I'm already well on my way with my new Frye boots.

Swoon

And wouldn't you know it, I just bought a darling white sweater dress that will look perfect with said boots and leggings for cold winter work days.

Not to mention my fav cropped pants from JCrew.

Perhaps I'm not a total lost cause after all. Now to get working on those remaining four resolutions... I'm feeling a new spring coat coming on!

Finally Fifteen

OK, internet peeps. I need some help here.

I was one of those blessed teenagers that never had breakouts. Like never. I think I had one pimple the entire time I was in high school.

Blessed, right? Well, wrong. Apparently you can't escape breakouts, only postpone them. Fast forward to present day, and holy crap, my face looks like I'm fifteen (or what it should have looked like at fifteen).

Pay back's a bitch.

I've tried everything... I stopped using makeup sponges, I got skin clearing foundation, I switched to powder, I got really legit concealer, I tried practically every face wash they carry at Target. And then Walgreen's. I even bought an acne treatment system from Clinique (face wash, toner, moisturizer), but NOTHING IS WORKING.

Gah. This is so lame.

I assume this is one of the lovely side affects to pregnancy and birth. Likely coupled by the fact that I am no longer on the pill (don't get excited here, I haven't been since Will was born and we're still using other methods of birth control). But I don't believe it's purely hormonal since I'm breaking out throughout the month. What gives?

So I'm looking for advice. Anything that worked for your breakouts as a teenager, or, if you're like me, as a postpartum, twenty-something woman. Products, tips, tricks, what have you. At this point I'll try anything.

The Four Agreements

I recently got wind of some people saying catty things about me behind my back. Nothing major. They were basically just picking apart a decision I had made. But it was enough to make me think twice about who to trust, and who has my best interest at heart.

I was feeling kind of down about it, until I remembered to pick up one on of my favorite books: The Four Agreements.

My mom gave this book to me in high school. It presents four principles to help you live your best life:

1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Don't take anything personally
3. Don't make assumptions
4. Always do your best

Just some food for thought. It was #2 that helped me rise above the situation last week. When people are catty and judgmental, it's not about you, it's about them.

Along those same lines, I also want to pass on this post from one of my favorite bloggers. It chronicles her past-life as an internet mean girl, and issues an apology to the people she may have hurt.

I have been called "weird and judgy" myself a time or two (Grey's Anatomy? Anyone? Anyone?). But it's good to remember to try and speak kindly and offer friendship whenever you can.

Resolutions

I'm never really big on New Year's resolutions. I love goal lists, like the one I set for interim break. But New Year's resolutions always seem so massive and unattainable to me. Like there's just too much time for you to veer off track.

However, in the spirit of starting fresh, I am going to set a few resolutions this year. Among them:

1) Get a real hair style. It needs to be low-maintenance (I mean, let's be realistic). But there has to be something more polished than what I have now. My hair has a slight wave to it, so I'm thinking something that embraces that.

2) Be more fashionable. I love clothes, but I really have no clue how to style myself. I need a couple of basic pieces and some fab accessories to start feeling a bit more hip. Pinterest has been helping with this, but I need to clean out my closet, take inventory of what I already have, and strategize some new purchases.

3) Unplug while Will's awake. I need to stop checking my email, Facebook, Pinterest, etc when I'm home with Will. Not that I'm neglecting him, but I certainly login more times than I need to while he's awake. Save online for nap time.

4) Find more time for Ben. It's not easy on the hubs having me in school. Virtually all of my free time goes to homework, leaving very little one-on-one time for us. We're making due and the end is in sight, but I need to do a better job of carving out time just for him.

5) Get our finances figured out. Now that I'm back to work, we actually have the capacity to save again. I need to update our budget and come up with a figure that we can reasonably set aside every month. I need to open a 529 college savings plan for Will (this in is long overdue). And we need to add Will as a beneficiary on our 401(k) plans.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

Back in September I returned to work 15 hours/week after being a stay-at-home mom for 13 months. In many ways I was ready (I missed the adult interaction, professional responsibilities, etc), but I mostly did it because we needed the money. We were making it month to month on one income, but we weren't saving enough to do the things we wanted to do for ourselves and Will. Vacations, a basement playroom and Montessori preschool cost money, people.

So back to work I went. And surprisingly, I loved it. Way more than I thought I would. I forgot how much I missed my professional self. And while I also missed Will, it was great to get a break.

Being a stay-at-home mom is hard work. Damn hard. So going to the office actually felt like a mini-vacation. Enough time to energize my brain and recharge my batteries. And while I found myself missing play dates and child development classes with all our friends, I also found that I was a much more present parent when I was with Will. It's as if being apart made me make the most of our time together, since it was no longer unlimited.

It seemed to be a nice balance, and I was a rock star at my job. So much so that they offered me a 30 hour/week contract position within the department. I wasn't sure that I wanted to work that much when Will is this young, but it's a great opportunity. It's a two-year project appointment, throughout which I will be planning a new master's degree program for the university. The best part is that they gave me a flexible schedule, which means I can work from home two afternoons a week. So I work three days a week on-campus, and two days a week at home during Will's naptime. Perfection.

However, on top of this new job and being a mom, I'm still trying to finish my master's degree. I have three semesters and 13 credits remaining before I graduate this December (woot!). Just 11 months to go... wish me luck!

My Little Picasso

Ben had the past 11 days off of work, which meant lots of fun outings with Will! Last Monday we took him to the local children's museum. Will had a blast playing with all the exhibits, and made this masterpiece in the art studio...

Picasso in the making

Although his artwork is already displayed in his bedroom, I'm going to try not to hang on to every last thing he ever makes. I am however, taking a picture of every last thing he ever makes and adding it to a Shutterfly scrapbook. So his artwork will be preserved for all time (in photos anyway).

I think it will be fun to look back and see how his creative talents evolve (or never develop, as was the case with me). But, as you can see, he's off to a strong start.

Tomato Basil Soup

We used to have this amazing restaurant in Oshkosh called the Water City Grill. The space was vintage, the decor was hip, and the food was incredible. It was one of our favorite date spots before it closed in 2009.

The food at this place was the stuff of legends, and the chef's famous tomato basil soup is no exception. The recipe has been included in community cookbooks over the years, but I got a variation from a friend of a friend of a friend who used to work there.

Ben and I made this with grilled cheese for Christmas Eve dinner. It should serve four people, but we're freaks for this soup, so we ate the whole pot ourselves. Enjoy!

(Sorry, no photo! We gobbled it up before I thought to grab the camera.)


Tomato Basil Soup
Adapted from Ryan Nolan and Water City Grill

4 cups diced or crushed tomatoes (we used Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes)
2 cups cream
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 T. sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine tomatoes and cream in a large pot. Bring to a boil.

Blend the mixture with an immersion blender (we don't have an immersion blender, so I just poured into my regular blender, pulsed, and returned to the pot).

Add basil and cheese. Season with sugar, salt and pepper.

Allow flavors to simmer for at least an hour. Serve with parmesan cheese and fresh basil sprinkled on top.

This Christmas

Be merry and bright

Feeling extraordinarily blessed this year, celebrating Christmas in our new house, watching the holiday through the eyes of our toddler. He's wholly unaware of everything going on, but he loves the special decorations and food. Not to mention having Daddy home with us for 10 days straight!

We started celebrating last night, hosting Ben's parents, brother and sister-in-law for dinner. We ate together, exchanged gifts, laughed, talked and drank plenty of wine. It was the perfect start to our holiday.

Tonight, we go to church. I love church on Christmas Eve. The candlelight. The carols. Taking a moment to slow down amidst the hustle and bustle. Taking a moment to be thankful for all we have.

Later on, we will put Will to bed, pull the gifts out of the guest room, and enjoy a bottle of wine in front of the fire place. We will go to bed early, excited to celebrate with our child on Christmas morning.

He won't understand what is going on or why, but it doesn't matter. We do, and we will always remember this, the first Christmas in our new home.

We will make pancakes and hot chocolate for breakfast, pile into the car and head to Ben's parents for Christmas Day. I went overboard on the food (two desserts and two sides), but there will be almost 20 of us this year, so I'm sure it will all get gobbled up.

After a fun-filled day with family, we will head home, stuffed and exhausted. We will take a day to rest, only to head to Minnesota on Tuesday to do it all over again with my family.

As I said, we are so blessed. Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy, joyful holiday!