the giraffe life

Time for a goals update! Financial   •  Save $300 per pay  - Yes! Easiest goal ever because this was automatically deducted from my paychecks! Personal   •  Attend more than 67 yoga classes  - Nope! I stopped attending yoga classes in June because I was modifying so many of the poses to accommodate my growing belly that it seemed silly to pay to take a class that I wasn't fully participating in. I couldn't find any local prenatal classes so I switched to DVDs from the library until the very end when just cooking dinner felt like a work out. How do pregnant women who already have children do it?? •  Read 52 books  - Yep, a total of 70 . It was a banner year for reading actually, considering almost all those books were read before September. Now baby girl and I listen to audiobooks (electronically downloaded from the library to my cell phone) during some daytime nursing sessions when I want to read something. Plus I read a kids book to...

When it's chilly, I crave warm, cheesy dishes. And last week was particularly cold so I made some enchiladas to satisfy my desire for warmth and cheese. They hit the spot.  1° F = -17° C Usually enchiladas are tortillas filled, rolled up, covered in sauce, and baked. But after reading Bread & Wine last summer, I make mine in layers like lasagna because it's quicker. It allows you to be creative with "fillings" too . . liked sliced potatoes.  Sidenote: I borrowed my parents' simple slicer for this job. I would definitely lose a finger doing it the old fashioned way! Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas • 16 ounce can of enchilada sauce • 1/2 cup vegetable broth • 1  can black beans  • 2 potatoes, sliced thin • 6 tortillas • 1/2 medium onion, diced • 1 - 2 cups  Monterey Jack or pepper jack  cheese, shredded  Optional (I've tried all of these and they're delicious - just don't use more than 2 of them at the same time. You...

One of my goals for 2015 was to cook six new recipes with my husband, roughly one every other month. We hosted a big family dinner last weekend (well, large for us - twelve guests) and decided to give tiramisu a whirl. I find family parties a great time for a dessert trial run - I get honest opinions and there are plenty of people to share with so I don't end up eating 86 cookies by myself. We used the recipe from  Chop, Sizzle, Wow   because it was the most straightforward one I found. There are plenty of super complicated ones that estimate it'll take you eight hours start to finish. Hmm, no thanks!  Regardless, everyone was impressed (I think they had that eight hour extravaganza in mind) and kept saying things like, "It tastes like regular tiramisu!" which made me laugh. And I have a newfound respect for restaurant presentation - this was the best I could do! Would you cook a new dish for guests? I know some people only make their tried...

2015! It feels like a good, round number for some reason. I'm excited to share my goals for this year - a couple familiar carry overs and some new ones. Financial   • Save $300 per pay - Continued from last year . And to make it easier, I'm having it automatically deducted from my paychecks.  Personal   • Attend more than 67 yoga classes - Super random number, right? Last year I attended about 67 yoga classes (can't be 100% sure because I didn't start keeping track until late July) so I just want to beat my previous record. I'm going to use this daily goal calendar  - black Xs on days I do any kind of exercise (probably a walk), purple Xs for yoga, and left blank for no exercise. This method is quick and very visual so I think it'll work for me.  from the make29 shop • Read 52 books - A book a week (or so). Aiming for 50 books pushes me to make reading a priority without pressuring me to choose short books to inflate my numbers. So I just ...

I think the only thing better than dreaming up goals is checking them off :) Finances Put at least $2000 toward mortgage prepayment  - Yes! We actually paid $2600 by September.  Save for daycare  - Change of plans! My employer doesn't provide paid maternity leave so I figured we'd kill two birds with one stone - practice paying for daycare and use the money to pay bills while I was home with a baby. Since we now know we'll need medical intervention to have a baby, this savings account will instead be the start of our fund for that. I'm super glad we have this moolah set aside!  Personal   Finish my degree  - Probably my proudest moment of the year! I turned in my final project in April and graduated in May :) Read 50 books  - Success! 73 books in all. I'll have a post about my favorites soon. Marriage Travel at least twice  - Yes! We traveled to California to celebrate our anniversary in June and to NYC for a day in November. Learn something ...

The short answer:  not much. The long answer:  I started four books this month, only finished two. The ones I managed to complete . . El Deafo by Cece Bell - Delightful. A graphic novel about a girl (rabbit) who is going through the journey of growing up coupled with the challenges of being deaf. I also enjoyed Cece's book Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover though it's written for a much younger audience. Firebug by Lish McBride - A new series about Ava, a firebug (set in the same supernatural world as Lish's other books, so the two can eventually intersect), trying to escape her magical boss, Venus. I think I like these books so much because all the characters seem so effortlessly cool, even when they're floudering. This will be my last Lish McBride book for a while - I have to wait a few years for her next one to be published. I left The BIG Disconnect unfinished (I know the author's trying to make her point about limiting technology, but every anec...

I was thinking just the other day about how much more I seem to be reading in 2014 as compared to years past. I track all my reading on goodreads , which has a handy stats feature that shows I've read 19,790 pages this year, the most of any year recorded there. And then I remembered - this is the first time in my adult life that I've only been working one job, and I finished school in April. Combine the two, and that means more free time and zero required reading! I'll enjoy it while I have it :)  Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse - Rifka is a young Russian girl in 1919 whose family is on their way to America to escape anti-Semitism. Of course they face a whole string of troubles along the way.  Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson - I'll admit I picked this up because it was sitting next to Letters from Rifka and the cover caught my eye. Lonnie's parents passed away four years ago in a fire, and this is the story of him finding his voice through poetr...

Just as the title says, this is my bucket list. I wrote about the beginnings of this list a little over a year ago (I'll blame finishing it on all the dying plants around here).  Not in any particular order, except my marriage and a (future) child are at the tippy-top, importance-wise! Nurture my marriage Have a child (I think I want 2, but it's hard to predict without having any; hubby votes for 1 or 2 as well) Complete 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training (and depending on how that goes, possibly become an instructor?) Go on a cruise Hike part of the Appalachian Trail (a guided tour probably) Pay off all debt ( car loan and mortgage) Go whale watching Vacation with extended family Write a book Get a passport and  . .  Travel outside the US Do a handstand  without a wall Save for retirement (and retire!) Go snorkeling in the ocean (I tried it briefly in a giant tank at Disney World ) Of course, I've already accomplished some things that would'...

Ahh October. Mr. G and I are keeping our calendars free for a lot of relaxation this month because November is full of birthday parties and holidays (and hopefully a day trip to NYC!).  Nothing new to report as far as goals go, so just a reading update.  It was a slow month. I needed one of those :) The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell - A tough one to describe in a short synopsis. Basically, there are 6 mini books (all intertwined) in this one novel. It begins as the story of Holly, a fifteen year old who leaves home after a fight with her mother and has some strange experiences in the countryside. The 4 stories that follow are told by important people in Holly's life, and then the last one returns to Holly. A well done mix of realistic fiction and fantasy. The Magicians by Lev Grossman - Quentin is super smart, depressed, and unsatisfied with his life. He accidentally stumbles upon a school for magicians in upstate New York, and the book chronicles his years there a...

One of the women I follow on instagram occasionally posts "Transformation Tuesdays." This is one of my favorites: Impressive and inspiring! I love how stunning a visual her progress makes.  I know I've improved since I started yoga just from being able to reach a bit further or hold a pose longer, but both are difficult to quantify. So I took some pictures of myself in various yoga poses . . kinda like the one I took in tree pose a couple months ago. And in another few months, I'll take some more and see if I notice anything. It also got my wheels spinning . . how else could I use this? W ouldn't it be nice if the bank put all the money from my retirement account in a big stack and sent me a photo of all that cash? :)

Hello September! Time for a goal check-in. Not much to report on this month, just the mortgage and what I've been reading. I was able to work a few extra hours this month and decided to put that toward the mortgage payment for September 1st. It's not money I normally have (or count on) so it won't be missed! My 2014 total is now $2600 - far more than I thought I'd have paid by this time in the year. August was a superb month for reading. I read 9 books, so I've officially passed my goal of 50 for the year! My secret? Get poison ivy on your face, take off from work, and hole up in your house, reading all day ;)   Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Anna is forced to spend her senior year of high school attending a boarding school in Paris, and she's not happy about it at first. But then she meets  Étienne St. Clair and things start looking up. All in all, a well done romance.  What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World b...

June went fast, right? Can't believe the year is already half over! I'm still feeling good about all my goals though :) This month I was able to cross off two goals - traveling twice and learning something new. We visited Ocean City for a friend's birthday, and then spent 9 days in California. (I'll post my final recap on Monday.) We still plan to fit in a day trip to NYC in a few months. Learning something new was surfing  lessons! I've already met my mortgage goal for the year, but I've decided I'm going to continue to overpay. I'm in the habit of putting extra money toward it anyway, so why stop? $2,330 total - yay!  As of the end of June, I've read 35 books this year so I'm on track for 50. This month's reads: The best was Daughter of Smoke & Bone , hands down. Bread & Wine - Memoir mixed with favorite recipes. I loved that she advocates inviting people over for dinner even when your house is a mess - been ...

I'm writing this on Sunday night, after getting in from the airport late last night (about 3 am because of weather delays), and regretting my decision to go immediately back to work tomorrow. Here's a time zone map to illustrate my plight: I live in the yellow area, and every vacation I've ever taken has been in the yellow area (except a 3 day weekend in Texas). On the other hand, my husband has traveled quite a bit, and even been deployed to areas 2-10 time zones away. He adjusted without a problem -  but I was tired by dinnertime for the first week or so of vacation. It was like Daylight Savings Time but more intense. Here's hoping I adjust back quicker than expected! Does jet lag bother you?

We are slowly easing into summer time temperatures around here. It was 80° (27° C) on Monday, then cooled back off, and only a high of 56° (13°) yesterday. I've started checking the forecast in California too (three more weeks!), and wow, San Diego has some of the most consistent weather I've ever seen: Nothing new to cross off this month, but all's well. We are still working steadily on our savings goal and finding a book to read together ( Beedle the Bard didn't pan out).  This month wasn't anything special in the solo reading department either. I only read 4 books, partially because we started watched Modern Family, and partially because nothing really grabbed me. Everything was just okay.  I'm ready for June!

I talked about the Pedometer Challenge my work is sponsoring a few weeks ago, and since all I had to share at that time was baseline information - I figured I was due for an update. :) I've been doing well increasing my steps each week (although I still haven't quite made it to the mystical 10,000 steps). Thankfully other activities count as well, like cooking, cleaning, and yoga, which boosts my totals. My work also posts the participants' weekly averages in the break room, and looking those over while my lunch is heating up has encouraged me to walk several times when I didn't feel like it. Mr. G is having a tougher time improving his totals and we've talked about it a few times. He thinks the challenges have been easier for him when they're offered by his work because then there's a group of guys in his division that walk together for the second half of their lunch break and during their shorter breaks as well. I think he's not giving himself e...

As much as I enjoy the cold, crisp air of winter, and the scenes of snow . . this in between time might just be my favorite time of year. Not too hot and not too cold. Plants waking up but not too many pesky weeds. Just lovely. This month I accomplished two of my 2014 goals so I made this handy dandy list in PowerPoint so I can cross them off as the year goes on.  Now, on to the details!  The mortgage:  I took on a temporary responsibility at work, which at first was only supposed to be one additional hour per week, but morphed into an extra seven hours! Thankfully I'm being paid for my time, and that unexpected money went to the mortgage for May, helping us pass the $2k mark. I still plan on putting extra toward the mortgage, just not as much as we have been.  My degree:   My projects were graded and I passed, so it's official - I'm finished! (Thank goodness because we already celebrated , haha). Reading:  This month I read a good bit . . 6 ...

Oh, March. I called it in my end of February post - this month we had highs in the 60s (15° - 21° C) and several snowstorms. Such a tease! But for April, I'm hoping the weather cooperates with some more consistent (and pleasant) temperatures. :) Besides nicer weather, it's also time for some goal updates. First up is the mortgage: $1100! It looks awesome on paper, but in reality, it's just my tax refund and proceeds from selling my wedding dress. Yes, I sold my wedding dress! This is one of those decisions that seems to fire people up, but for me it came down to the simple fact that I don't plan to wear it again and it was taking up a ton of room in the closet. Plus the woman I sold it to was overjoyed, so I'm super happy with my decision. :) Books I read this month:   I was running a little short on time this month because I've been cramming in school stuff after work, but I still managed to fit in a little reading. I'd recommend: The Rosi...

Back in my original goal post for 2014, I mentioned finishing my degree. And crunch time is officially upon us! My deadline isn't until next month, but I'm feeling the pressure increase. So in an effort to gain a few more hours a week, I'm going to cut back my posts around here to twice a week - most likely one longer post on Monday and a brief post + photo for wordless Wednesday. I'll still be visiting/reading blogs and leaving comments though :) A shot of the lovely sky yesterday. I couldn't resist because the moon was peeking out despite being 3:00 in the afternoon!

February is not a well-liked month 'round these parts. Tons of people at work have complained that it's the worst month ever. I have to disagree - I really love February. It's got Valentine's Day, more daylight than January, and a bonus day off from work (for Presidents' Day). And with February, I know what to expect: cold. March is often tougher for me because it teases with spring weather one day followed by snow the next. So yay February.  Ready for goals? :) Mortgage repayment was minimal this month because I bought a smartphone . However, by the end of the year, I'll recoup the purchase price of the new phone plus a little more because the monthly service charge is so much lower. A win in the long haul. :) I read 7 books this month (only possible because 4 of them were under 35 pages). My favorite was Tell the Wolves I'm Home  by Carol Rifka Brunt. It's the story of June, who loses her Uncle Finn to AIDS, and the strange man she first no...

For a month that's normally pretty laid back and slow moving (compared to December, anyway), this January's been lightning fast. I didn't set any month-long goals for January, so all these updates are for my 2014 goals , some of which I haven't begun to tackle so they aren't mentioned. First up is the extra $2k toward the mortgage. We're at $570 so far. Yay! Another goal I made progress on was reading 50 books this year (works out to about one per week). I actually read 8 books in January. What?!  I can thank the snow for this - there were several weekend days when I stayed home because of the weather (if I don't have to drive in it, I don't!). I also had a couple days off from work because of snow, plus Martin Luther King day off (he was a very influential leader and civil rights activist). Much of that time was spent reading. A cozy couch + warm blanket + good book = happiness! Out of these 8, I'd heartily recommend: These is my Words...