tending my livestock

"Everybody's coming back to take stock of their lives. You know what I say? Leave your livestock alone." -Minnie Driver, Gross Pointe Blank

What's on your New Year's Day agenda? Are you cleaning? Shopping? Enjoying the outdoors? Taking stock of your life in 2011?



I find myself periodically checking in over the last week at how the year has gone, so today, I'm taking a page out of every show on NPR this week and recapping the major events of my year on the blog:

• January 1, 2011: We moved up to Boston to start Nate's new job. Happy new life! 
• After a month of looking for work and day care and lots of agonizing, I decided to be a mom full time and to write about taking the plunge on the blog (here's one of my favorites).
• Winter also saw Snow-prah Winfrey 2011, the caging of my inner monster, and the posting of my first recipe on the blog, which has become a recurring theme that I cataloged here.
• In the spring, I posted my first Vivisms, which seem to be a reader favorite (especially these and these. Oh, and who can forget her journey into Ebonyx?).
• Over the summer, we escaped to the Caribbean, I philosophized on my desire to end suffering, and I over-shared for your enjoyment.
• The fall brought with it Vivi's first days at preschool, in which I agonized over snack duty.
• I love the holidays and all the fun and ridiculousness they bring, as evidenced when I wrote Wonder Woman's beauty secrets, witnessed our goat rodeo, and started a fire in our house.
• Last but not least, I changed the name of the blog!

I noticed some themes popping up:

• The trials and tribulations of parenting were my constant companion this year. There are too many to list them all, so here are my selections: my top 5 list, creating a good eater, moving to a big kid bed, swimming against the current, and my ode to nap time.
• Throughout the year, I wrote a few letters to my girls: Charlie at 7 months and 1 year, and Vivi at 3 years.
• In preparation for swimsuit season, I ramped up my gym time and shared some spinning workouts: #1-80's love, #2-here and now, #3-steady state, and #4-upbeat.
• I shared some organizing ideas: loves of my life, more loves, and decluttering tips.
• As usual, I had several ideas for jobs I could do: exercise instructor, owner of a drop-off play center, or maybe a nurse or doula?
• As is also typical of me, I shared some info about health, like how to buy sunscreen and how to avoid pink slime in your meat.
• My frugality was displayed frequently in my spring bargain fever, great Mother's Day shopping, and some frugal baking. 

Oh, and did you come around here when I did NaBloPoMo in November, that thing where you post every day in a month? Well hold onto your butts because I'm doing it again this month! I'll post every day in January and tell of my attempt to live frugally during my 23-Day Frugal Living Challenge, which starts on the 6th.

Will you join me? I'd love to share more good times with you in 2012. Thanks for riding the roller coaster of 2011 with me. You made my first year as a stay-at-home Boston mom so enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to another topsy turvy year.

In honor of my besties who are spending today in gay Paris...
Bon Annee!