These Three Things of Orient Are

Three things on my mind today:

1. Cookies.
2. Adjective-Based Goals.
3. Spray-On Tans.

First, cookies.


I love baking. But I remembered this weekend why I don't bake cookies all that often:

I can't stop eating them!

Seriously.

When I bake a loaf of bread, I never think about eating the whole dang thing. It's too filling.

But when I bake 164 cookies, there's a chance--a real chance--I'm going to eat 16 of those gingerbread boys before I realize, "hay, I may be overdoing it." (And when I say 16, I really mean 22.)

Oh well.

Oh--and this was the first year I bought the icing at Hobby Lobby in the cake decorating section. It probably doesn't taste as great as homemade, BUT it sure is PURTY! We bought frosting with glitter, edible metallic stars, and easy-to-pipe shiny red and green frosting. And it was all 50% off--love that!









Second, adjective based goals.

I'm still working on my 2011 New Year's Resolutions/goals, and I've stumbled across an idea/article that I think makes complete sense. It's by Martha Beck (and in O! Magazine for the January edition).

So here's the idea: Beck says our goals should be adjective-based, not noun-based.

For example, instead of saying, "I want to take a vacation to location Z," we should consider what it is about that goal that we are striving for. In the case of a vacation, maybe it's feeling "relaxed" or "joyful."

Beck says by focusing on the adjective vs. the noun, we make sure that our goals really do bring us what we are striving for (PS: It's actually okay to end a sentence with a preposition.).

Beck's point is that sometimes our noun-based goals don't actually bring us closer to the things we are striving for.

Because maybe--just maybe--a vacation to location Z is going to bring you anything but relaxation and joy.

Anyway, it's something I want to think about this week. I'm not sure I'm ready to abandon my "Ride in a hot air balloon" goal, but it probably is helpful to consider WHAT I'm hoping to achieve/gain/feel by riding in the hot air balloon. (PS: Like I'm queen of the world, that's what feeling I'm striving for. Duh.)


And third, spray-on tans.


We may live far away from family, but we're not going to have a Blue Christmas.

Nope, we're planning on having an Orange Christmas!

Yup, stay-tuned for photos . . . several of the fairer family members are getting spray-on tans for Christmas.

Dumb idea?

Maybe.

But you only live once. (Just a little reminder.)

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