Gearing up for the New Year

I chose not to participate in a bunch of Christmas posts for a couple of reasons.  One everyone is doing it and doing a wonderful job I enjoy reading everyone's holiday posts and two my biggest reason I'm still having a hard time adjusting to an empty nest.  My Christmas shopping has been done for 2 weeks now and has been shipped out and received which has taken a huge load off my shoulders.

Now I'm taking comfort in listening to Christmas music and planning a holiday dinner for my husband and myself and reflecting on how thankful I am that everyone I love is happy and in good health.  It's been pretty hard down sizing the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.  I am use to feeding armies of people.  When living in California we had all my husband's single friends over to share the holidays with us, my daughter's friends, we had an open door policy, I miss that.

Wow, I sound like a Debbie Downer and I didn't plan on that.  I'm sorry.  Time to change gears. (no offense to the Debbie's out there)

Between now and until the end of the year I am going to start planning out my short term and long term goals for 2014 and beyond.

Cooking Groups:

I am going to continue with the two Cooking Groups I'm in:

Baking Partners a group of home bakers working on expanding out of our comfort zone 

Cooking from The New Midwestern Table by Amy Thielen  Cooking through Food Network Star Amy Thielen's cookbook

A new Cooking Group that starts up in January:

Baking through Monica Holland's cookbook Lick The Bowl Good

Getting in touch with my creative side:

My husband and I are both going to be working on Art Journals.  I have bought each of us a bound sketch journal.  The plan is to use the two open pages to be creative, sketching, painting, doodling, or writing once a week through the whole year.

I plan to work on my writing skills in 2014.  I have two different writer's kit and will be setting aside time each day to do some writing.

I am going to read up on and take online classes in Photography.

I would like to start dabbling into home decorating - my 2014 project will be my bedroom

I am planning on officially opening my Ranch Delux Etsy Shop.  Which will have handmade and vintage gifts.

Enjoy these last few days leading up to Christmas

Sit down with a cup of tea and some of those holiday treats that friends gave to you or that you made yourself.  Watch a Christmas movie, listen to your favorite Christmas CD,  journal about blessings in your life and look forward to the new year and new beginnings.