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Monday, September 26, 2016

Weekend Dinner Guests

It's no secret that Chris and I love to entertain.  From my first grown-up dinner party at the Watson girls' home to my mother-in-law's flawless Christmas dinners, the desire to gather around good food and connect with family and friends runs strong in our blood.  


Over the years, our entertaining has evolved from occasional events that take a lot of time to plan to more frequent, casual dinners.  We still love entertaining and as a stay-at-home mother, I anticipate and enjoy our nearly every weekend dinner guests.

These dinners run the gamut of impromptu pizza dates to sit-down dinners with an appetizer, main course, and dessert.  Both are enjoyable times spent with family and friends and I decided to share how I prepare for the later.

Towards the beginning of the week I start to think about what will be served for dinner.  Last week Fiona made her request for "Yummy Yummy Chicken" which is our take on Julia Child's "Casserole Roast Chicken."  I decided to serve potatoes on the side (which we had from our CSA), along with a side salad of arugula (also from the CSA) and mixed greens.  Yep, that's right!  Only three items were planned for dinner.  If our guests decides to bring a side, great!  If not, I've learned that three items is plenty and everyone is always satisfied.


We purchased the chicken on Friday so that I could brine it the morning before cooking it.  Below is the recipe I use to brine (this is not part of Julia's recipe and I cannot quite remember where I found it):
One Cup of Salt
One Cup of Sugar
One Lemon, Cut in Half and Squeezed
Half a Bunch of Fresh Parsley, Folded in Half and Tied with String
1 Tablespoon of Seasoning (we used Tarragon this time but have also used Herbs de Provence)
Mix together in a stock pot with enough water to cover the top of the chicken.

I try to allow at least half a day for the chicken to brine.  It makes it so flavorful and tender!

Normally I would arrange any flowers for the table on the day of the dinner, but this particular weekend I had classes all afternoon, so I arranged the flowers on Friday.  Trader Joe's is a great place to get flowers for very little.  I also use whatever happens to be blooming in the yard!

One practice that seems to put more at ease about entertaining is our strict cleaning schedule.  When it is followed, our house is generally clean by the weekend.  While a clean and tidy house is not necessary to have friends over (and, in my opinion should never be something that stops you from having guests over), it does make entertaining more enjoyable for me.  



I'd love to hear your thoughts on entertaining!  How often do you have dinner guests?  Do you have a systematic way of preparing dinner for company?

Friday, September 23, 2016

Linger Moments ~ No. 3

lin·ger
/ˈliNGɡər/
verb
  1. to stay in a place longer than necessary, typically because of a reluctance to leave.


  2. You know those moments: the ones often catching you by surprise, causing you to pause a little longer than perhaps intended.  Whether your upcoming weekend is filled with activities or a weekend in which the only thing on the agenda is relaxation, you are invited to take a moment to linger before heading to the end of the week.  



Ya'll, please take a moment to check out of reality and check into this gorgeous New York City apartment, complete with a SWING in the living room (you know, for reading and stuff), a bed so large it needs custom sheets, and a view of the cobblestone streets below.



I discovered this lovely lady on Instagram and have loved following her inspirational posts!  We share a love for the finer things and she has great tips for planning out our weeks to ensure they unfold smoothly.  Her blog's tagline is, "The Pursuit of Refined Living," so I'm sure my readers will see how I was naturally drawn to her!



As an avid 90.1 WABE listener, I'm quite familiar with Atlanta PlanIt and the many Atlanta events they promote.  However, I just discovered this week that they also have an App (!) that displays the events under categories (museums, music, dance, theater, festivals, family and *free*), allows you to select specific dates (or date ranges), and allows you to find these events, save these events, favorite events, and receive event alerts. Sold!

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

In Pursuit of Gratitude


I'm still enjoying binge-listening a Linger Moments' feature, Young House Love Has a Podcast. Guys, seriously- if you haven't listened yet, stop reading (it's ok, I'll wait) and go add the podcast to your feed.  Each episode they have a "what we're digging" segment during which they each share something they're currently... well, digging.  In episode 11, Sherry shares that she's digging a gratitude journal.  While writing down things I am thankful for is not a new concept, it got me thinking and I decided to start a project with Fiona.

We decided that each night as she's going to bed, she'll list out her favorite things that happened that day or something that she's thankful for.  Not an earth-shattering ritual (she doesn't even have a notebook to record them), I just want her to get into the habit of reflecting on the good in her days and nudge the cultivation of a spirit of gratefulness.

Our newfound ritual got me thinking about a book I recently completed, Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project.  One of the exercises Gretchen describes in the book is keeping a gratitude journal.  She claims that gratitude is important to happiness and that studies show that grateful people are happier and more satisfied with their lives.  Additionally she states that gratitude brings freedom from envy since when you're focused on what you're grateful for, you don't think as much about what you don't have.  I thought this was a great exercise for Fiona to start as a Kindergarten student.


Different ways we've practiced being Grateful and Thankful around our household include a "Thankful Board" we made one Thanksgiving (and is displayed at my parents' farm).  I also seem drawn to journals and planners that prompt daily and weekly reflections on all of our blessings.  During Lent 2016, Maybooks offered a notebook journal with 40 days of Prayer and Gratitude.  My current Emily Ley Simplified Planner also has space each Sunday to record a "happy memory from this week."
As I go throughout my weeks, I find myself experiencing moments and thinking, "this will be great to write in my planner as my happy memory of this week!"  One of these moments this past weekend was taking our children to the park.  We had a great time with each other and for that I am very thankful.


Friday, September 16, 2016

Linger Moments ~ No. 2

lin·ger
/ˈliNGɡər/
verb
  1. to stay in a place longer than necessary, typically because of a reluctance to leave.


You know those moments: the ones often catching you by surprise, causing you to pause a little longer than perhaps intended.  Whether your upcoming weekend is filled with activities or a weekend in which the only thing on the agenda is relaxation, you are invited to take a moment to linger before heading to the end of the week.  



  1. I recently discovered a blog from last week's Linger Moments' feature, Young House Love Has a Podcast, and I've really enjoyed spending a few moments this week checking out Orlando Soria's entries and rummaging through his blog's archives (that's pretty much the same thing, right?).  I was especially encouraged to read his post, "Stop Squashing Everyone Else's New Year Resolutions," in which one of his resolutions was to return to writing his blog.  It was nice to hear that even professionals make resolutions similar to mine.





    Along with the rest of the world, I was deeply saddened by the loss of such a great actor.  I received an email informing readers that the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival will be screening four of his movies this Sunday, September 18, 2016 at the LeFont, Sandy Springs theater in Georgia.  





    I'm really enjoying the "Blog Life" class by A Beautiful Mess, and one thing it is emphasizing over and over is to do your own thing and be YOU.  This is pretty much common sense, I know, but it's so easy to look at other blogs and think, "Ooo, maybe if I do that, I'll be successful!"  Then I randomly open a Dove Chocolate and see this message.  I guess sometimes God can use even Dove Almond & Dark Chocolate to speak to you.  


    Monday, September 12, 2016

    The September Issue: Goals for the Month

    Just as January sparks a desire to commit to new resolutions, the start of a new school year does so for me.  Here in Georgia our schools have already been in session for over a month (who's idea is that, anyways?), so by the time September rolls around (you know, when the majority of US schools begin), it feels as though we have an established routine and I can look towards my goals for the upcoming semester.

    I am all about setting some clear goals and one of my goals this fall is to take some time before the start of a month to write down things I would like to accomplish in the upcoming months.  Below are the goals I set for myself at the end of August for the month of September.

    1.  Take a blogging class.
    In 2010 when I first started this blog, my extent of blogging knowledge centered around what I saw from the movie Julie and Julia.  Since then, my blogging as had it's highs (like that one time when Jennifer L. Scott commented and gave me a shout out of her blog), and lows.  Just check out the archives of 2011 & 2014... and I literally just noticed that those two years were the years our children were born!  

    This July, I had the pleasure of meeting with Mary Beth Johnson of Annapolis and Co. to pick her brain about blogging and get ideas about how to stay focused and consistent.  She had some great suggestions for me ("Establish your why," was definitely one of my favorites).  I was very inspired by meeting with her and this month decided to delve even deeper into blogging life by signing up for the "Blog Life" course by A Beautiful Mess.  The class consists of 25 lessons, and while I want to be thorough with the class and not plow through all 25 lessons in one month, I did want to get started on them this month.


    2. Increase Wake up 35 minutes earlier.
    Guys, this is something I've struggled with since f-o-r-e-v-e-r.  Admittedly, Fiona starting Kindergarten this year has been a huge motivator to getting us up earlier.  I just wish I would get up even earlier so that I have a chance to accomplish an additional item on the list before she's ready for breakfast.  The first week of school we were all dragging ourselves out of bed at the last possible moment and, of course, over the course of the month it's gotten a *bit* easier to get up.  My plan is to get out of bed just 5 minutes earlier each week, gradually working my wake-up time back.

    3. Write grant application for GMTA and Steinway.
    As a music teacher in Georgia, I have a great opportunity to apply for grants sponsored by Georgia Music Teachers Association and Steinway and Sons Pianos.  The grants can be used to attend workshops or conferences, which are such a great way to stay motivated and inspired.  The deadline to write these proposals is TODAY, September 12, so that's what I'll be doing as soon as this post is finished.

    4. Clean out coat closet.
    Guys.  I. Can't. Even.  And certainly not in that "OMG-he's-adorable- I-can't-even!" way.  In a, "Is-it-entirely-necessary-to-post-a-before-picture?" type of way.  But here it is.  Our coat closet is more like a cr*p closet,  and it's such an anxiety-producing, stress-building one for me, it's time to put on my big-girl panties and pony up.  Can you tell that I have a tendancy to fill space with random words when I get nervous?  This closet makes me very nervous.
     


    5. Complete The Nightingale, Read: A Homemade Life & 10% Happier
    The loophole continues as by the time I'm writing this, I've already completed The Nightingale and started two more library books... I'm also working on one of the books from my Completion Project, but can not seem to get inspired to read any of the others...


    Friday, September 09, 2016

    Linger Moments ~ No. 1

    lin·ger
    /ˈliNGɡər/
    verb
    1. to stay in a place longer than necessary, typically because of a reluctance to leave.


    You know those moments: the ones often catching you by surprise, causing you to pause a little longer than perhaps intended.  Whether your upcoming weekend is one filled with activities or a weekend in which the only thing on the agenda is relaxation, you are invited to take a moment to linger before heading to the end of the week.



    Sunday's Instagram story featured some background noise of a newly discovered podcast: Young House Love Has a Podcast. Along with many of you, I've been a fan of Sherry & John Petersik for quite a while and have been inspired by not only all of their home renovations and decorations (if you have not yet done so, check out younghouselove.com), but also how dang successful their blog is. They're both fun, down-to-earth people and it's really no surprise I've been binge-listening their new podcast. Check it out- it's seriously awesome and even features a game-show segment. Day. Made.

    2. Smith Gilbert Gardens' 6th Annual Hummingbird Banding

    This may be news for some of you, but Chris and I are old souls and L-O-V-E bird watching. We also dislike squirrel's breaking out bird feeders, so have taken a bit of break from our seed-beaked friends to pay more attention to our figure-8 winging friends. We've attended multiple classes (see, I told you we were old souls!), and Chris actually attending the 3rd annual Hummingbird Banding event at this same location. It's pretty cool (or so I've heard): professionals catch the hummingbirds, put a tee-tiny identification band on one of feet, and then observers (such as my then two year old daughter) get to release them back into the wild. Last time this happened, I had another commitment and wasn't able to join in the festivities. This time, we had the date on our calendar way in advance and already have our tickets purchased. This event takes place TOMORROW (9-10-16) at 2382 Pine Mountain Road, Kennesaw, Georgia, from 8:00 A.M.-11:00 A.M.

    Who doesn't like this Georgia born boy?  His short 26-year life was tragically cut short, just three days before his hit "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay."  Click on the title above (and skip to minute 33) for an interview with his son, Otis Redding III.

    Monday, September 05, 2016

    Book List Update and Newly Found Loophole

    Since childhood, summer has always been synonymous with reading.  We would always sign up for the Summer Reading Program at the local library and dutifully list every book read.  The reward at the end would be a certificate with our name scrawled in pen and maybe an ice cream cone from Dairy Queen.


    Reading has continued to be a great pursuit of mine, and when we discovered we were pregnant, we promptly began to fill shelves with favorite books from our childhood.  This summer, I took our two kiddos up to the local library to see if the Summer Reading Program was still a thing.  It totally is, but instead of a free ice cream upon completion of the list, the ante has been raised to an entry to win a free tablet!


    The Library is where I discovered a loophole to my Completion Project... I don't know why I hadn't thought about it before!  I could borrow books and not technically be breaking my vow to finish my stack of half-read books before purchasing a single one more.  My project has taken a bit of a left turn as I've enjoyed some good ol' summer reading:

    "For fans of The Paris Wife, a sparkling glimpse into the life of Edith Wharton and the scandalous love affair that threatened her closest friendship," (description from Amazon).

    One of the few books I've read before it was made into a movie.  Quite the psychological thriller, but honestly felt the ending could have been more convincing. 

    I can't get enough of Gretchen Rubin these days and enjoyed this second book of hers, a new project to make home a happier place.  

    I'm not the book-jacket-reader-type, and once again it bit me in the pants.  A great read, but definitely not one I wold have chosen had I known what it was about.

    I still hope to complete my Completion Project by the end of the year, I was just really needing some new material and decided the summer was the perfect time to take a quick detour.  Isn't that what summer is for, though?  Following whims and getting lost in a good book?  I don't feel a bit guilty about my newfound loophole. :)