Mandii's Muse

Image A new year means resolutions! I have some resolutions that I want to share with your for this year, but let's take a look back at last year and the resolutions I made.  I break my resolutions down into categories, and will do the same for this year! Environment: Last Year: To buy items locally.  How I Did: Honestly, I probably failed on this one. I purchased some items locally, but probably not enough to count.  I plan to restart this resolution this year and make a conscious effort to buy locally, support small businesses, and independent business people.  Health: Last Year: Drop some pounds! How I Did: I did really well until work started. Then work started and I got lazy, and put a few of those pounds back on.  I would like to lose an additional 25 pounds this year and tone up. I am committing to eating clean 5 days a week, and 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 days a week. I know I can do this! Beauty: Las...

How is it 2016 already? Time sure does fly! So, I was really bad about taking pictures for New Year's. It is a relatively low key event for my family. My grandparents and aunt and uncle came out for New Year's Eve. My family decided on a taco bar, and it was a HUGE hit! I got to use some present and former Christmas presents which I love! My fondue pot came in handy for keeping the queso warm, and my new 2 quart crockpot was great for keeping the rice warm.  My mom, aunt, uncle, and I started off the night playing Uno. Funny story, there was a time a few Christmases ago where they got me an Uno game for 3 years straight.It is now a running joke in our family! Then, we played Dominoes or Mexican trains. I love, love, love this game! I don't play it enough, so I am going to have to have a "game night" and have some of my friends play it with me. Have you ever played this game? Cashew, Clarice, and I right before the ball dropped. He was in bed, I was heading for...

First, I just want to say that I have absolutely no pictures from Christmas. I'm terrible, I know. In my defense, I was sick all through Christmas and just wasn't feeling "it." I do however, have pictures of some of the gifts I received and New Year's. Christmas Eve dinner was hosted by my parents and I. We had lasagna, wedding soup, salad, bread, and Italian butter. I made a homemade alfredo sauce to go along with the lasagna. I also made the Italian butter, and attempted to make my homemade French bread. This year, the bread did not turn out. For dessert, I made white chocolate raspberry shooters. They were SO good! I will do a recipe on those when I make them again! After everything was cleaned up, we honestly just relaxed. I would have liked to have gone to Christmas Eve service at our church, but I was coughing, clearing my throat every 5 minutes, and blowing my nose every 10. I was a hot mess. My grandparents came back out to our house after church and w...

Image found here Happy New Year everyone! I hope that 2014 finds you happy, healthy, and is your best year ever! A new year is always a time to start fresh, and know that no matter what has got you down in the past, you can start new today. Many blessings for the year ahead! ~Mandii