New Year, New Goals

I am a group of contradictions. I LOVE organization and order, but I also realize that things will indeed get done in due time. I hate unpacking after I get back from a trip, I leave random things in a pile on the table.  However, in the footsteps of my father, I have a huge love for goals. This man takes courses on goal-making. I've taken courses on goal-making. It's true. And I loved it. No denying it, I love me some goals. I've always been a to-do list addict, but as I've grown up I have realized the power of setting goals and the sense of accomplishment that comes from fulfilling them. I make a list of weekly goals- things that I want to accomplish throughout the week. It's an accountability thing- that little rush from checking them off when they're done. So this year, I will continue to make the weekly goals and I'm adding monthly goals. Monthly goals will be things that are bigger projects or might take a bit more time and energy. So here are my goals for February: Hang the artwork that is currently strewn about my house and resting on most every flat surface, upload all my photos so I actually do something with all those photos I've taken, set up once a month brunches or something similar so I can drag those friends I barely see out of their houses, and lastly (mainly) my goal is to create at least five times. This means I create something, anything- that is not food.Yes, I realize that food is creating, but I do it everyday and so it becomes more routine and I don't feel the rush from creating dinner every night. I have been making this list of things I want to draw/paint/make and haven't done a one of them. I've got a stack of knitting patterns I haven't cast on, so it's time to get creating! Whew! That being said, I didn't get too lofty with my goals, as it's just my first set and I didn't want to set myself up for failure. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

P.S. Don't you love the "thinking Lauren" pose?

Back from hiatus (kinda)

Sorry about the hiatus, but I've been in New Zealand for three weeks. I know, how lucky am I to get to type that?! To live that? As a teacher who lives abroad, we tend to get longer breaks and we use these breaks as an excuse to travel as much as we can. Yet another bonus to teaching internationally. PB and I traveled throughout the North and South Island, loving every minute of it. I must have picked out 7 places I wanted to live. If only I could make loads of money doing nothing but traveling the world and reading. Perhaps some baking though in there. But I digress. Really this is a teaser post, as I am going on holiday again, this time to the island of Phu Quoc, Vietnam. Rough life, I know. On a side note, while in NZ, we hiked Fox Glacier and I got to wear a fun set of ass-kicking boots, complete with metal cramp-ons (which are metal spikes that help you cling to the ice). Sorry you can't see the spikes very well, I'll have to do some tweaking in Photoshop... but that's for another day.

So come this Saturday its off to sit on a beach, read, and hang out with some mates from my old school in Cairo. I'll leave you with proof that I was actually active on my holiday. Yeah buddy, I'm on the top of a glacier, and I hiked to get there!

Good thing I have a whole week to be on the beach and recover from all that exercise. Phew!

Ikea: the Target of Beijing

This is the story of my life when it comes to Target. And I will have this same experience, repeatedly over the same summer when I am back in the states visiting. I just can't stop myself.

Here in Beijing, we don't have Target (obviously, but still sad face). However, I have found my Target replacement. Now, I have loved Ikea for a great deal of my life. Everything I had in my parent's house was from Ikea. We took yearly pilgrimages to Ikea just outside of Chicago because Ikea is too cool for Iowa. So I had to stop at Ikea for a few things the other day, and since no one goes to Ikea in Beijing alone- it's a safety in numbers thing- I took along my friend Jolene. This is what happened:

As a result of our trip, this is our new Ikea slogan.

"Ikea: where you can find all kinds of shit you didn't even know you needed until you saw it, and then couldn't live without it."

Anyone else have a store like that? What is it? Not that I need help finding new ways to spend money, but still. 

Where do you always find things you can't live without?

'Tis the season to eat cookies...

I found these at the grocery store ages ago (could be like two weeks, but anything longer than two days ago becomes ages ago in my memory). 

I remembered them when I needed to make something for a holiday party. What is one of the classic holiday cookies? Peanut Butter Blossoms. NOM NOM NOM! I remember eating these like a sugar addict as soon as the Hershey's Kisses started to get all glossy and melty. Oh, the chocolaty-peanut buttery bliss. How could I improve on these classics? MAKE THEM MINI SIZED! I had mini kisses, so of course I had to make mini cookies. And the result? Mega delicious!
Extra bonus: you don't need to unwrap all those kisses! They aren't encased foil like their big brothers. Here's how you make these miniature pieces of glory.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
2/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated (caster) sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Extra granulated sugar 
Hershey's Mini Kisses- about 1/2 bag is what I ended up using


Directions:
1. Beat together peanut butter and shortening. 
2. Beat in sugars until combined. 
3. Mix in egg, milk, and vanilla until well combined. 
4. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
5. Gradually add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture, mixing well after each addition.
6. Take out your teaspoon and scoop out teaspoons of the dough (they are miniature, remember), roll them into balls.
7. Roll the balls into the extra granulated sugar.

8. Place sugar rolled balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 
9. Bake for 7-10 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit or until light brown. 
10. Upon removing from oven, take one mini kiss and press it into the warm cookie.

11. Cool cookies for a few minutes on pan and transfer to wire rack to cook completely.
12. ENJOY! 

Must Have Cookie Cutter

When friends and I were walking around some markets here in Beijing, I stumbled upon this gem of a cookie cutter. I immediately snatched it up; as it gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling of home. No, my parents are not farmers, no, I have never raised pigs; but pigs and corn will always remind me of Iowa. 

I have no idea when I am going to need to make pig-shaped cookies. But it's nice to know that I can, whenever I feel like it. 

Hello Winter

So winter has begun to arrive. It's officially snowed a few times now and the temperature has consistently dropped. I know, from the above picture it just looks like I painted the picnic table, however, I assure that is not what happened. It was actual snow. And it melted by the end of the day. However, now it's started to get legitimately cold, -8 celsius(I know all of you Midwesterners are laughing at my low tolerance). But let me ask you this; how many of you bike to work? That's that I thought. I am all for bundling up, but not for biking through the cold and wind. And man, is it WINDY here! Phew! I thought it was windy at UNI, but it is actually windier here. Or at least it feels like it when I'm biking. Even when I'm all bundled up. I am supremely bundled, see? (sorry for the bad quality, but it was taken in my camera phone, which may or may not have had some snow on it)

So, I started taking a taxi to school this week. The Iowa girl in me laughs at how silly I am being about the cold. The-living-in-Cairo-for the-last-three-years girl in me can't believe I lasted this long. So, my beloved bright green bike will have to be retired until the weather gets warmer. Sorry girl, but I just can't take the cold. I'll see you again in March. 

A Week and a Half of Mayhem

So I'm a teacher, you know, tiny people, shaping lives, all that jazz. And its the end of the semester, which means that we've got reports due (one page narratives for each little gnome I have in my room) and that means that my desk, brain, and life look like this:

A big, blurry, confused mess. Luckily I've just finished writing my reports and have entered them into out fabulous grading system, so freedom is mine once again.


Since I was so busy, you are just going to have to be content with photos and small captions. Deal?
Good talk.


Recently, I don't even remember when, I watched Love Actually and put up my Christmas tree. (thanks to my mate, Carly, for that fabulous idea!) I love that movie.  And I love having a real tree that is not made of paper and adheared with sticky-tak to our wall.  So here's my first legit tree since movin' abroad. 

(insert oooh and ahh here now)

2 Christmases ago, I was in India and I picked up this glorious textile. I've been carrying it around with me since I purchased it. I had it framed here in Beijing and it was just delivered. I love the way it turned out! So glad it turned out well and I can't wait to hang it, or rather call someone larger and stronger with proper tools to hang it. Must to that soon. 

After three days of ordering out so that I could get my reports sorted, we needed some greenery in our tummies. I'm all for splurging, but there is only so many carbs one can take before exploding. (PB might disagree, but I make the call on food, so he has no say in this matter) So tonight, PB hopped in the kitchen and became a vegetable chopping machine, so that we could enjoy a lovely chicken salad with peanut-soy dressing. Recipe to follow, when I'm not feeling so lazy. 
My apologies, but a girl has to catch up on her TV shows, after all!