Life: It Goes On - January 3

New Year's selfie - selfies should not
be taken after too many drinks!

Happy New Year! Hope you've all had a good start to 2016! We kicked off the year with a very relaxing, very long weekend and enjoyed ringing in the new year with friends we've been celebrating with for the past few years. Very low key but yummy noms, good drinks, and the kids were able to stop in to spend some time with us as well.

This Week I'm:


Listening To: As my word of the year is going to be "happier" and as my reading for the New Year's Resolution challenge will revolve around reading things that will help make that word a reality, some of my listening will also focus on that word. Hence, I'm kicking off the year getting caught up on Gretchen Rubin's podcast, "Happier."

Watching: We rented the latest Mission Impossible movie and "Trainwreck" this weekend and hope to get to "The Martian" this afternoon. We finally got back to watching a couple of episodes of "Longmire" and caught the latest "Sherlock" episode (holy twistiness!) on t.v. Mostly, as the college football season comes to an end, we've watched a lot of college football.

Reading: My last book of 2015 was Tana French's Faithful Place (review this week) and started 2016 with How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran. I have been reading parts to my husband. He is not as amused as I am by Moran, especially the bits I've read him about pubic hair. Yeah, it's that kind of book.

Making: Shredded seasoned chicken breast which we've used on buns with barbecue sauce and on stop of rice with rogan josh sauce, ham and baked potato soup - mostly, though, we've noshed on a lot of leftovers from all of that Christmas cooking.

Planning: On heading off the the YMCA shortly - third day in a row. Because part of being happier in the coming year is being smaller and more fit.

Grateful for: This four-day weekend I've been enjoying. My department will be working at half staff this coming week and it's going to be ridiculously crazy. Good thing I'm going in well rested and relaxed!

Mini-me's girl and The Big Guy

Enjoying: A couple of hour with Mini-me's girl before she headed off to Texas for a four-month stint finishing up her final practical for her degree. She was only home for a couple of days between a Christmas trip and heading down to Texas but she's one of our kids now so we couldn't let her go off without seeing her!

Feeling: Like I should have taken down the Christmas decorations this weekend. But it's so much work! I can leave them up through the twelve days, right?

Looking forward to: Continuing organizing this week. Because it's the first of the year and with all of the upheaval of the holidays, it needs to be done. Kitchen is just about done - even the doors are closed and no one can see in the cupboards or pantry, I swear I feel a weight off my shoulders!

What are you looking forward to this week? Do you anticipate a letdown after all the busyness of the holidays?