A couple weeks ago we took a road trip to visit friends for the weekend. You may recall I mentioned them, saying they “had the nerve to move away.” Yes, I said it. Because honestly? I get really annoyed when people I love move away.

I’m not mad at them, of course. Or any of my friends who have moved across town or the country, or any of my friends who never lived here in the first place and refuse to move next door to me.

But the hard, grown-up fact that I can’t gather all the people I love the most and force them to live with me, like we’re in the dorm at college? I kind of hate that.

Every time a friend moves away, I tell myself that’s it. I’m done. I’m not making any new friends. Because you know what? They’ll just leave. They’ll get a new job, go to a different church, go on a mission trip and never come home.

I’ve been pretty comfortable in that big baby scaredy cat mindset, too. But earlier this year, a sermon about this very thing hit me between the eyes.

The topic was connecting and community, so I didn’t have to work hard to apply the message to my longing for close relationships and fear that they’ll only end in hurt and “I miss you, please move back” emails. And it’s not like I’d never noticed that Jesus had close friends – close friends he knew would hurt him in the end. But I hadn’t really thought about the fact that while Jesus knew Judas would betray him and Peter would deny him, He chose to love them and live with them anyway.

After I was smacked in the face with that message, though, I felt frustrated. Sure, I get it. Community is important and relationships are worth the possible hurt I might encounter along the way. But how on earth do I make that happen?

There was a time when I was rolling in friends. I had work friends and church friends. I had single friends and couple friends. I had high school friends and college friends and new friends. (Notice how I didn’t call you “old friends,” lovely ladies from high school and college!)

Today is a different story.

Today is sporadic emails and Facebook messages instead of spontaneous happy hours. Today is scheduling a girls’ night out two months in advance only to cancel at the last minute because of a sick kiddo. Today is, “I haven’t seen you in forever!” and “We should get together soon. Yeah, we should.” Today is realizing that I have closer relationships with the people I Skype and tweet than the people I sit next to in church and drive past at the preschool.

Today is hard.

Maybe you know what I’m talking about?

Maybe you miss girls nights out or scrapbooking retreats or book clubs or coffee dates. Maybe your friends have moved away or drifted away. Maybe you’ve always had a hard time finding friends to connect with – or finding time to connect with your friends. Maybe it’s a little bit of all of the above. I know it is for me.

That’s why I love what (in)courage is doing in a few months.

(in)RL is going to be a day of (in)courage meetups all around the country and globe and a webcast for everyone to tune into. Women will gather to watch live webcasts of (in)courage contributors and community, connect with each other and discover new friendships they didn’t know were right around the corner.

On Saturday, April 28, thousands of (in)courage women all over the world will be getting together in homes, coffee shops, restaurants, or churches to connect in real life.

And even though it’s hard – and not a little bit scary – I’m going to host an (in)RL meetup. What about you? Will you attend a meetup or even host one?

Sure, those new friends might live across town. Or be different from you. Or hurt your feelings someday. Or move away and never call, never write. But what if they don’t? Or what if they do, but they also give great hugs and listen with their whole hearts and watch chick flicks with you and drink coffee with you at any hour of the day?

Let’s do this. Let’s reach out and connect in real life. Let’s make new friends anyway.

[Oh, hey! If you're worried about planning a get-together, check out my ebook, Plan a Fabulous Party {without losing your mind}!]

Here are the links you need for (in)RL:

(in)RL website
(in)RL Q&A
Register for (in)RL
Host an (in)RL meetup

And don’t miss this great trailer video:

This post is part of a progressive blog tour. Don’t miss Sarah Mae’s post from yesterday or Arianne’s post tomorrow!

Do you find it hard to make friends anyway? Are you going to – or hosting – an (in)RL meetup? Will you come to mine???

P.S. I can’t remember who took the photo up above. It’s from Relevant, and I’d love to give credit where credit’s due. So if it’s yours, please let me know!

Making New Friends Anyway {inRL} is a post from Giving Up on Perfect. Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Related posts:

1. Now that I see you, I miss you!
2. Best Friends Forever: Fact or Fiction?
3. Wordless Wednesday: Friends & Animals

I really love commercials. And billboards. And magazine ads. It’s no wonder I ended up working at an advertising agency, albeit briefly. [And speaking of jobs, after working for a national real estate company, the AdAge quote above resonates with me. A LOT. Because it's true. Marketing real estate was actually worse than pitching pet food.]

So while I don’t give a flip about football, I look forward to the Superbowl every year. A ridiculous amount of money is spent by the biggest and baddest companies out there to craft the message they want people to be talking about on Monday and beyond. And I love every ridiculous second of it.

As usual, some of the commercials were annoying, lame or disappointing. I’m talking to you, Jerry Seinfeld, Elton John and stupid Jillian Michaels and Danica Patrick. (Seriously. Way to go, ladies. *huge eye roll here*) I didn’t like the NFL commercial, either (What’s the point? We’re already watching your big game!), and I was bummed out to see none of the Budweiser commercials was moving or funny.

But it wasn’t hard at all for me to come up with 10 commercials from this year’s Superbowl that I really enjoyed.
 

Top 10 Superbowl {2012} Commercials

The Coca Cola polar bears are just cute. The end. [Click here for Coca Cola video.]

Sassy chocolate girl candy? Yes, please. (And, as fans of the The Wedding Planner know, the brown M&Ms are much healthier.) [Click here for M&Ms video.]

Yes, the couch is annoying (and, as one article I read noted, not comfortable-looking at all). But a blender that plays Lionel Richie? And, duh, rain that makes you skinny? IT’S LIKE THEY READ MY MIND! [Click here for the Toyota Camry video.]

Who hasn’t been there? And, really, making something related to taxes kind of fun deserves major kudos in my book. [Click here to see the TaxACT video.]

“Should we tell him?” “Nah, let him tire out first.” This commercial was completely over the top, but it cracked up every person at our party! [Click here for the Camaro video.]

“Dave drove a Ford.” Ha! Even if my husband didn’t detest Ford as much as he does the Jayhawks, the combination of Barry Manilow, tough guys, the end of the world and frogs falling from the sky would make this a winner in my book. [Click here for the Chevy Silverado video.]

Once I got past the creepy extra neck factor, I couldn’t stop grinning at this one. I really thought, “Why yes, you are right. My confidence should be dancing and singing disco!” [Click here for the Cars.com video.]

Ahhhh, Ferris Bueller. After seeing the mini teaser ad on Facebook several days ago (and hearing my friend Amy tell us how very awesome the whole ad was), I was excited to see this spoof on what really is one of my favorite movies. I’d say it lived up to its hype, even though I wasn’t sure what the ad was for until watching it again on Monday. Also, I am sure the heavily made-up Matthew Broderick was entranced by the walrus simply for the fact that he, too, is long in the tooth. Overall, though, this ad was a ton of fun. [Click here for the Honda CRV video.]

Okay, fine. I will admit that handsome, ages-so-well Uncle Jesse was the main draw for me here. But every single one of us burst out laughing at that head butt, and when Mark and I discussed the game commercials later, this was the first one he mentioned. [Click here for the Dannon Oikos video.]

With the kids [mostly] relegated to the downstairs toy room, my three friends and I watched the game from the kitchen, while the four husbands lounged in the living room. And throughout the game, we ribbed each other about the commercials banking on sex selling anything, from clothes to flowers (ICK on both accounts.). So when this commercial began, we started mocking the guys, noting that while they changed the channel during the David Beckham skin-fest, they didn’t bother with this one. But we soon realized there was more to this commercial than girls in bikinis. And after watching the whole thing, I decided this was definitely one of my favorites. It was creative, it certainly had something for everyone, and the ending was a good payoff for both genders. And the tagline is great. [Click here for the Kia video.]

A few more commercials that I couldn’t help but comment on:

• The Voice – Vocal Kombat: I don’t watch The Voice, and I suppose you could say that Betty White has been overexposed to the nth degree, but I loved this one. It was exciting and fun and had a funny surprise ending – which is a lot more than I expected from a TV show promo.
• Audi – Vampire Party: I thought this one was kind of dumb. But as someone who has less than stellar night vision (and I’m underplaying that a LOT to ease the minds of anyone who has ever ridden with me at night), I want me some of those headlights.
• Chrysler – Halftime in America: Was it too much? Too much sap? Too much gravelly Eastwood gravitas? I don’t know. I really couldn’t decide. Hence it not making the top 10.
• Chevy Sonic – Stunt Anthem: Though this was one of Mark’s favorite commercials of the night, I found nothing remarkable about it other than its choice of song. Apparently “We Are Young” is the new “Mercy.” (I like both songs, but hearing them in widely varying commercials, movies and TV shows is bizarre.)
• Swamp People – This is Your Boss: Am I the only one who thought this was going to be a truck commercial? (And for the love of classy reality TV everywhere (*snort), why is this show still on and making enough money to broadcast a Superbowl commercial?)
• Volkswagen – The Dog Strikes Back: Obviously, as someone trying to lose weight, I loved this dog’s quest to fit through the doggy door. But the Star Wars tag at the end was awkward and a little weird. Don’t get me wrong; I love Star Wars. But that seemed like an afterthought. An awkward afterthought, at that. (Whew! Say that five times fast!)
• MetLife – Everyone: I loved seeing all the cartoon characters together in this feel-good commercial. But the commentary from AdAge cracked me up: “But it raises more questions than it answers. How many characters are inthere? How did they get the rights to hold this prom? What is Daphne doing in Richie Rich’s limousine? When did MetLife turn socialist?” Valid questions, all.

P.S. How stinking AWESOME was Madonna at halftime? That was undoubtedly my favorite halftime show EVER.

Now it’s your turn. What did I miss? Do you agree with my list or disagree? What was YOUR favorite commercial during the Superbowl?

This post will be linked to Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda. And it has affiliate links.

Top 10 Superbowl {2012} Commercials is a post from Giving Up on Perfect. Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

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2. What I’m Into :: January 2012
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I suppose it’s possible that if the Chiefs ever made it to the Superbowl, I’d care about the game more. But considering I don’t really care about Chiefs games in general (and, let’s be honest, based on the past 40+ years, this is not a likely scenario), it’s doubtful.

So food and commercials it is.

Last year, I went a little crazy and hosted a Chinese New Year-themed Superbowl party. It was a lot of fun, but I won’t deny that attending a low-key party at someone else’s house this year was way easier!

I took a pot of [award-winning] chili, jalapeno popper dip (we can’t get enough of this; it’s so good!), and mini baked chicken taquitos.

Once again, I found a new recipe to try on Pinterest. (What DID I do before Pinterest?) But after reading through the first taquito recipe I found, I decided to figure out how to bake them instead of fry them. So my recipe is a sorta-kinda combination of Our Best Bites and Mommy, I’m Hungry.

I’m not even sure why I stopped at this recipe in the first place. I don’t normally like taquitos. I suspect it may have been the mention of BACON.

[Dear Weight Watchers leader, Please stop reading now. Come back when I talk about working out.]

But after putting a strangely large amount of thought into this recipe, I decided that MY taquitos were going to be awesome. Mainly because I wasn’t frying them (taquitos always taste more like oil than anything filling to me) and because I was using flour tortillas instead of corn. And because they have bacon.
 

Mini Baked Chicken Taquitos

2 cups shredded chicken
6 slices of bacon, crumbled
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
Dash (or so) of chili powder, cumin and garlic powder
8 large (10-inch) flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut each tortilla into three or four small circles with a cookie cutter (or plastic cup and paring knife, if you don’t happen to have a large round cookie cutter). The original recipe said to cut three circles; I got four out of mine.

Add seasonings to cream cheese, then combine with chicken and bacon (which you should definitely bake in the oven). Spoon about a teaspoon of filling into each tortilla circle and roll up. Secure with a toothpick and place on lightly sprayed baking sheet. Spray the tops of the taquitos with baking spray and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp.

For a dipping sauce, I combined about 1/2 cup light sour cream, 1/4 cup light mayo and some homemade salsa. I’d love to tell you how much salsa, exactly, but it was really a add a little and see how it looks sort of thing.

Because I had to bag up the taquitos shortly after taking them out of the oven, they were a little soggy when we arrived at our friends’ house. So we popped them back in the oven (at 350 degrees) for a few minutes, and they crisped right back up.

I’m happy to say these cute little taquitos were a big hit at our Superbowl party. Adults and kids alike gobbled them up. (Well, kids and husbands gobbled. Wives nibbled daintily, of course.)

What did you eat during the Superbowl?

Psst. Stay tuned for my Top 10 Favorite Commercials from the 2012 Superbowl tomorrow!

This post will be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green, Works for Me Wednesday, I’m Lovin’ It and Foodie Friday.

Monday Morning Mmmm: Baked Chicken Taquitos is a post from Giving Up on Perfect. Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

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Remember that time when I was all, “Hey, check out this crafty craft I made. I saw it on Pinterest, and I made it, and I’m so awesome!” Remember that?

Yeah. Well, it turns out that not every project I find on Pinterest is quite as easy to do.

That rainbow drink up above? It was supposed to look like this:
 

And not only did ours look like a muddy mess, but it introduced my daughter to the wonders of Sprite. Until this little project, I’d kept the wonders of sweet, sweet pop a secret from her. But in the spirit of “I’m a fun mom and this will be cool if it’s bubbly,” I poured Sprite over our food-coloring-dyed ice cubes. It looked nothing like the picture. But, “Hey, Mommy! I like pop now! It tastes good!”

*sigh*

Oh, and the cute animals made out of marshmallows that I saw on Pinterest? The ones with no instructions? Yeah, those didn’t turn out too well, either. We did get ourselves quite the sugar high, though, eating all our mistakes.

Thankfully, not every Pinterest-inspired activity has been such a failure. Here are a few other things I’ve done.
 

• I printed out that home quote (in the red and gray) and framed it for our living room.
• I’ve been using this weekly to-do/menu sheet for four weeks now, and I LOVE IT! I try not to use it as a duplicate calendar (especially since I’ve got it on the fridge right next to our calendar), but use it to assign tasks to specific days, list out a dinner menu for the week and keep a running grocery list.
• We’ve started doing chores and allowance with Annalyn. I’ll write more about that next week, but I modeled her “banks” after this pin!
• I’d seen this poster on Pinterest several times but didn’t know it was available for purchase. I finally found the company that designed it – and is selling copies – and ordered one as a [VERY] late Christmas present.
• And Pinterest is the source of many of my recent recipe adventures, including smoothie packs, cake batter bark and white chicken enchiladas!

Are you on Pinterest? (If not, email me for an invite, and I’ll hook you up!) Have you made or done anything that you’ve pinned?

This post will be linked to Saturday Stumbles at Simply Staci.

Weekend Pins :: Stuff I’ve Done, 2.4.12 is a post from Giving Up on Perfect. Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

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1. Weekend Links, 8.6.11
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My daughter is a girly girl. Somehow, I gave birth to this child who loves all things pink, purple, pretty and princess – even though I’m just about as UNgirly as a woman can be.

I don’t paint my nails.
I don’t use product in my hair.
I don’t wear lace or ruffles or pastels.
I don’t giggle. Or scream.
I never owned a Barbie doll.
And I don’t sew.

Okay, maybe sewing (or not) has nothing to do with femininity. And I realize that those other points are stereotypical. But I’m really not into all those typical girly things. (Except romance novels. And chocolate. And goodness knows, I cry all the stinking time. But other than that . . .)

So to have this child who, despite my best efforts to ignore the World of Pink, is determined to be as twirly and sparkly as possible? It really boggles my mind.

To be honest, though, I kind of love it. Loving pink and glitter and tiaras and baby dolls is fun. And even if it doesn’t come naturally, I sort of like being silly and fun and carefree with my little girl.

It’s not like we only play princess games at our house, though. (In case you’re getting concerned or wondering who I am and what I did with the Mary you know.) As much as she loved the Strawberry Shortcake dolls and twirly, sparkly dress she got for Christmas, Annalyn loves – and plays with – her new tool kit and firefighter costume just as much.

Learning to love pink and everything that includes has actually helped me lighten up a bit. [Shut up. I said "a bit"!] For most of my life, I’ve equated serious with mature, reserved with responsible. But it’s possible, I’m learning, that letting loose and having fun doesn’t mean I’m frivolous or shallow. And you know what I think? A little glitter never hurt anyone.

And if my pretty pink princess girly girl thinks that a bra is called “broccoli” and hair gel is called “Jell-O,” well, that’s not all that bad, either. [For now.]

Are you a girly girl? Do you have any kids who are really different than you? How do you feel about glitter?

Broccoli, Jello & Other Girl Stuff is a post from Giving Up on Perfect. Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

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I hate cleaning. This is a fact that has been well-documented (or, to non-bloggers, whined about a whole lot).

But over the past several months, I’ve found a pretty good groove of doing chores fairly regularly and keeping our house neat and tidy (for the most part). However, I still have a problem anytime life happens.

That could mean we went out of town, someone was sick, I got a new book from the library or we were out unusually late or often several days in a row. But no matter the cause, when our life’s schedule is altered, even the tiniest bit, my house gets out of control.

Some days, it’s so bad that I feel like I’m living in a frat house. Not that I’ve ever lived in a frat house. Not that my house is covered in pizza boxes, dirty boxers and red plastic cups. But it’s just out-of-control, I-don’t-know-where-to-start messy.

Creating a cleaning schedule has made a world of difference in how I approach cleaning (and has actually helped me hate it a little less), but when life happens and “normal” is thrown out the window, I need to have a system in place that prevents my house from turning into a disaster in [seemingly] mere minutes.

Enter my friend Dana’s ebook, 28 Days to Hope for Your Home. Reading her book has shown me that I need to have a short list of non-negotiables, things that must be done each and every day to maintain my house’s status quo.

As Dana says, if you’re the type of person who would never dream of going to bed with dishes in the sink, this book isn’t for you. But, as I say, if you’re the type of person who would never dream of saying to a friend, “Sure! Stop by anytime!” for fear they really would stop by anytime and catch you living in a fraternity house, this book is for you.

My house is reasonably clean much more often than it’s not, but I still struggle with staying on top of things day after day (especially when those days are stressful or long or otherwise unusual). Getting it through my thick skull that some things just must be done has helped. A lot.

Not that Dana is going to force you to do anything, really. She writes a blog called A Slob Comes Clean, where she honestly (and hilariously) shares just how not natural this house keeping thing is for her. But while she’s transparent and practical, empathizing with those of us who’d rather read a book or put our feet up or do pretty much anything else other than clean, she’s also encouraging and inspiring. And did I mention she’s funny?

28 Days to Hope for Your Home is a 45-page guide that includes specific, day-by-day instructions to help you develop four basic but essential home management habits, insights into why these concepts seem foreign to you and practical tips to keep you from giving up. It also has a bonus section with realistic strategies for laundry management, meal prep and decluttering. This month only, the book is just $4.00 (50% off).

Dana’s four essential habits aren’t actually the same daily, non-negotiable chores that I’ve chosen for my home. I mean, I could tell you I’m going to sweep my floor every night, but I suspect you know me better than that. But the point isn’t [just] what habits you stick to; it’s the mindset behind it and getting some motivation and encouragement to keep it up – even when life happens.

My non-negotiable daily chores are loading/emptying the dishwasher, wiping down kitchen counters, filling ice trays and wiping down the bathroom. I usually pick up the living room, too, but there are days when the toys don’t get picked up and I pretend like they aren’t there.

What are your non-negotiable daily chores that keep your house neat even when life happens?

Affiliate links are used in this post.

Keeping a House Clean When Life Happens is a post from Giving Up on Perfect. Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

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Yesterday Annalyn came home from preschool, excited that today is the last day of the month. I’m not sure what makes that so exciting, but for a good five minutes, she danced around the kitchen, saying, “New month! New month!”

I promise our January hasn’t been that bad.

Actually, it’s been a great month. After all, as I said to a friend over the weekend, it’s January so we’re doing everything right. We stuck to our budget (mostly), had a date night even though our babysitter didn’t work out as hoped, and I’ve dusted off my treadmill. I’m also helping our pastor’s wife lead a small group that has just gotten started, and over the last weekend of the month, we visited our good friends who had the nerve to move three hours away last year.

Several weeks ago, I came across a fun post from Megan at Sorta Crunchy. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure how I found her. I am pretty much her opposite – Not Crunchy at All and Proud of Myself for [Usually] Remembering to Use Canvas Grocery Bags. But I love some stuff she’s written for A Deeper Story, she loves talking about Once Upon a Time, and she has a really fun monthly post called “What Are You Into?”

And for me, that’s enough. We are now [in my mind] total blog friends. The kind of friends who copy each other’s monthly “into” posts. I’m kidding, of course. Not about being friends, but about copying. I’m pretty sure this idea was meant to be shared. Either way, I’m doing it. I’m talking about what I’m into today.

What I’m Reading: As I’ve mentioned a time or twenty, I’ve been reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Yes, it’s a kids series. Yes, it’s about a make-believe world full of mythical gods and monsters. And yes, it is fantastic. The stories are save-the-world epic, and the action and adventures are non-stop. But even more important to me, the characters (and their dialogue) are realistic, and every book is really funny. That’s why I’m not too embarrassed to tell you that I’ve now moved on to the Heroes of Olympus series (same world, adventure and humor, some new characters), and I’m anxiously waiting for book two from the library.

Another book I’ve read recently that I simply loved is Heiress by Susan May Warren. I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, and I can’t remember reading any book set in the United States’ Gilded Age. It took me a while to pick this one up, but once I did, I was hooked. The novel tells the stories of two sisters whose father is a rich newspaper owner. Their stories are tragic but not hopeless, and the historical part of the book was fascinating. I was satisfied with the endings both daughters got, but also happy that the author didn’t choose a simple, fairytale formula.

I’m also reading Grace for the Good Girl by Emily Freeman and  A Confident Heart by Renee Swope in small groups.

What I’m Watching: I’m watching less TV these days than I have in the past, but when I type all my shows out, it still looks like a lot! I can’t call anything “appointment TV,” since I watch most everything after taping it [yes, on my VCR] or online. But the shows I’m not missing are Once Upon a Time, How I Met Your Mother, Hart of Dixie, Castle, NCIS, White Collar, New Girl, Parks & Recreation and Up All Night.

I know. It’s a lot. And you find this surprising because . . . ?

A show that I won’t be watching every week anymore? Chuck. It’s sad but true: The series finale of Chuck aired last week. My all-time favorite show of ever is over. I’m okay with it being over. But still sad, too. I’m pretty sure I’ll be watching the two-hour series ender again this week . . . and saving up for the DVDs starting now.

Okay. Confession time. I’ve also been watching Jane by Design, a new teeny bopper show on ABC Family. It is silly and fluffy and cliched, but for some reason, I have watched every episode since it started a few weeks ago. I’m also watching season three of Greek, but only when I’m on the treadmill. I started the series over the holidays when everything was in reruns, and I really love it. It is super soapy and about the Greek system I avoided throughout my years in college, but it’s kind of my new favorite. And using it as a bribe for exercising is working really well so far. I actually want to find time to get on the treadmill now!

On the movie front, we rented Moneyball a couple weeks ago and saw Haywire on date night. Moneyball was a bit slow to me, but interesting. Mark, of course, loved it. And Haywire was a simple spy movie but I loved that the main character was a normal-sized (though abnormally strong) woman who kicked a lot of bad guy butt. I didn’t love watching her take hits, though. Call me a hypocrite, but that bugged me.

What I’m Eating/Cooking: The big excitement in my kitchen this month has involved menu planning and counting Weight Watchers points. But since that might not float your boat like it does mine, let me tell you about the brownie fudge cupcakes I made over the weekend. They were ridiculous. As in, crazy rich and sweet but not too sweet and delicious. As in, I left every single one (after we each ate one) at my friend’s house for fear I would stuff myself silly. Yes, I will be sharing the recipe soon.

I’m also working on a recipe for mini baked chicken taquitos. Stay tuned.

(And I suppose I could also tell you about the barbecue chicken salad I had on Sunday night. Mark pretended to be offended when I said I loved it so much I wanted to marry it. At least, I think he as pretending . . .)

What I’m Listening to: I’m really enjoying my Mumford & Sons Pandora station, especially since I’ve bulked it up with the Avett Brothers, Eddie Vedder and The Head and the Heart.

What have you been into this month?

What I’m Into :: January 2012 is a post from Giving Up on Perfect. Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

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A couple weeks ago my husband took out the trash (yay) before I had the chance to put some spoiled food in the garbage (boo). I mentioned that to Mark, exasperated, and he said, “Oh yeah, I meant to grab that bag of bananas from the freezer. They look disgusting!”

Right. He was referring to the bananas I’d been saving for smoothies. For months.

But those frozen bananas (which are not disgusting, just for the record) weren’t the oldest smoothie component in my freezer. I bought three bags of frozen berries a YEAR AGO. At first I thought I’d eat them with fat-free whipped cream for a healthy yet tasty dessert.

I’m not sure who I thought I was then. Once that dream faded, I decided to keep them for smoothies.

The only glitch in this fruit-freezing plan? I didn’t have a blender.

Thanks to a few returns after Christmas, though, I am now the proud owner of a shiny red blender that looks fabulous in my kitchen. [Yes, I said fabulous.] And last week I put it to use.

First I made some salsa, but after rinsing out an extreme amount of cilantro and a touch too much jalapeno (plus the actual salsa, of course), I got busy figuring out how to turn my bizarre collection of frozen fruit into smoothies.

Once I figured out the ratio of fruit to yogurt to milk that I preferred (and discovered that it’s pert near impossible to take a good picture of a smoothie), I clicked around Pinterest to find that “make smoothie packs for the freezer” pin I’d seen a while back.

How I Make a Banana Berry Smoothie:

1. Buy a four-pack of low-fat vanilla yogurt. Freeze in ice cube trays (I got about six cubes out of each cup of yogurt.).
2. Add two cubes of frozen yogurt, 1/2 cup of frozen berries and 1/2 a banana to a zipper baggie.
3. When you’re ready for a smoothie, dump the contents of the baggie into your blender. Add about 3/4 cup milk (more or less depending on your preferred smoothie consistency) and blend.

I’ve bookmarked, tagged and pinned several smoothie recipes, and it appears I can add all sorts of healthy things like oatmeal, spinach and wheat germ. For now, though, I’m not going to lie. I’m really proud of my new healthy breakfast!

Do you like smoothies? And do you have any mystery food in your freezer like I did?

This post will be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green, Works for Me Wednesday, I’m Lovin’ It and Foodie Friday.

Monday Morning Mmmm: Banana Berry Smoothie is a post from Giving Up on Perfect. Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Related posts:

1. Monday Morning Mmmm: Restaurant-Style Salsa
2. Monday Morning Mmmm: Ultimate Banana Bread
3. Monday Morning Mmmm :: Best of 2011

Since I’ve been keeping up with regular house cleaning and semi-regular exercise (not to mention, reading through the Percy Jackson series like a crazy person . . . or a 13-year-old [you know, the books' actual target audience?]), I’ve had a hard time reading as many blogs as I like to.

So, I’m sorry to say, if you’ve posted something awesome in the past couple of weeks, I’ve probably missed it. Will you help me out by linking to your best recent post in the comments? I’d love to catch up with you and your blogs!

Weekend Links, 1.28.12 is a post from Giving Up on Perfect. Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

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1. Weekend Links, 1.14.12
2. Weekend Links, 8.27.11
3. Weekend Links, 4.16.11

I got in the car, mad and looking for a fight. Since it was just me and my temper on that ride, I smashed the buttons on my radio like that would solve all the injustices of my world. I needed angry music.

Hoping for Pink, but settling for the Beastie Boys, I slouched in my seat and scowled. As the Beastie Boys faded into Billy Idol and then slowed down into Billy Joel, I rolled my eyes. C’mon! Could nobody play some good mad songs? Don’t they know I’m throwing a tantrum here?

I took a deep breath. And another deep breath. I knew I was acting childish, but I didn’t care. It’s not fair! I did the right thing, I did what I’m supposed to. And am I rewarded, recognized, patted on the back? NO.

As a matter of fact, I was punished after doing all the right things. Barely, but still. That’s practically the opposite of being rewarded.

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I pitched this fit after my weekly weigh-in, when, after a week of tracking all my food and working out four – FOUR! – times, I had a tiny gain. I went in to my meeting expecting a big loss. And as I saw the scale settle on that hateful number, I couldn’t help myself. I felt the tears spring to my eyes and my blood pressure soar, and then I heard my voice.

“But I did so goooood this week!”

Yes, I not only whined but I also did it with poor grammar. *sigh*

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Much as I’d like to distance myself from that childish outburst, I can’t. That girl who whines about not getting what she wants, what she deserves, the brat who curses her non-satellite stereo playing easy listening songs at the moment she needs heavy metal – she’s me.

I might keep her hidden most of the time with my positive outlook and encouraging words, but she’s always there. And she’s ticked.

The day before my disastrous weigh-in, I argued with my husband. Nothing big, but nothing new, either. As we talked about our schedule and our budget, he made a comment justifying his job and its long hours, implying [in my mind] that I’m not appreciative of him.

After breathing deep for a minute or two, I reminded him that I am very grateful for his job and his dedication to working hard and providing for our family. And then I launched into a speech he should have memorized by now about how I’m not complaining and anyone else might complain and I want to complain but I don’t and have you noticed how awesome I am and why don’t you ever tell me how awesome I am!

I said to him, “I’m not asking for a trophy or anything, but some recognition would be nice.”

But you know what? I do want a trophy.

[And, yes, I did turn that conversation about him right around to me.]

——————————

I am highly motivated by recognition, and words of affirmation is my strongest love language. But I’ve been thinking lately that maybe I need to quit looking so hard for approval, take a break from longing for pats on the back. Because it seems like I spend a lot of time feeling frustrated or underappreciated (or, in the case of my weigh-in, totally ripped off), and that can’t be good.

I’ve even been thinking about this in relation to my One Word for 2012 (obey). Over the past several days, I’ve changed my prayer from, “Please give me the strength to obey” to “Please help me obey in love.” I’m realizing that I do a lot of “good” things out of fear or my need for approval and recognition, when really, I should be doing them out of love.

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This isn’t really a fully formed realization; it’s more like a collection of random thoughts that kind of go together. I’m still working through it and figuring out where this tendency affects my life, when it’s okay and when it’s actually hurting me or holding me back.

By the way, when I got home after searching for some music to rage to in the car, I pulled up my Pink Pandora station. And the best it came up with was a little Evanescence, Sara Bareilles and Maroon 5. Who I like. But still, when I need angry music, I need angry music!

Are you motivated by recognition? Have you ever noticed a pattern of obeying out of fear instead of love? And what kind of music do you like when you’re mad?

Where’s my trophy? is a post from Giving Up on Perfect. Can't get enough of Giving Up on Perfect? Subscribe here, follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page.

Related posts:

1. One Word 2012 :: OBEY