March 2018 goals
Friends, I am restless for spring. I’m not sure why, exactly, but I am craving a new season with a much stronger hunger than usual. There’s been some out-of-the-ordinary unknowns in my life lately, and as you know, I prefer the knowns. I’m ready to turn the page into green grass, more sunlight, tangible accomplishment, and earlier bedtimes (the Olympics really messed with my sleep schedule!).
Given that, I’m not sure how wise it is to have such a long list of projects this month, but they all center around things I’m passionate about cultivating: simplifying our home, building our legacy (can you tell I’m working through Nancy’s photo organization e-book?), being outside, and having adventures with people we love. Perhaps those four themes will be my new goals for the year – we shall see :)
Breaking ground in style for our church’s new building!
What I read in February:
— Station Eleven (This came highly recommended by you all on Instagram! I wasn’t sure if the author would be able to wrap it up to my satisfaction, but in the end, she did!)
— The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (A fun novel for vacation!)
Revisiting my goals for February:
Set a date for our spring camping trip (Done! So excited!)
Make our “areas to be purged” list (Not yet. This is so simple and I’m irked I didn’t make time for it!)
A neighborhood walk. Every day. (Not every day, but much improvement here!)
Decorate our house and kitchen table for Valentine’s Day!
Ruthlessly edit the loft ruthlessly (Nooooo.)
Make a list of monthly dates for the year (Nooooo.)
Find a new toy storage solution for our family room (Thought about it but tabled at the moment and focusing on a different area!)
Choose and commit to a photo back-up service (Yes! I chose Amazon Prime Photos plus a new hard drive.)
Enjoy our trip to Florida! (Done!)
March goals:
— Make our “areas to be purged” list
— Ruthlessly edit the loft ruthlessly
— Fill out the two-year-old section of June’s baby book
— Repair the raised bed in our backyard
— Plant out the little lawn strips beside the road in front of our house
— Inquire with four designers/services about e-design
— Sort and better organize baby clothes
— Book Asheville accommodations for our fall trip
— Gather and cull all loose printed photos and sort them into new storage boxes
— Organize and cull existing photo albums
— Host a fun and low-stress birthday dinner and game night for friends
— Post a second annual survey on EFM!
I am currently debating menu options for our dinner and would love to hear what y’all like to make for friends! We’ll have eight adults, which is kind of a big group, and I want something delicious and simple, with little last-minute prep. The weather is the trickiest factor for me: in mid-March, it could be 75 degrees and find us eating outside, or it could be 50 and blustery! It might have to be a bit of a game time decision based on the forecast from my in-house weatherman :)
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Keep me posted on who you go with for the e-design. I was really excited when I read about how that even existed last time you shared about it. I would love to do that for our house!
Will do! Just emailed a gal today! :)
My go-to meal for a crowd is pulled pork in the crockpot! I use Mel’s kitchen cafe blog recipe
Yum!! I love pulled pork… that would be a great option. Except I’d be nervous to try a new-to-me recipe on a group!
This is my go-to “fancy” meal. You can prep everything before hand and then put it all together right before serving. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/farfalle-with-chicken-tomatoes-caramelized-onions-and-goat-cheese
We’ve made this before on your recommendation – so yummy!
Like Natalie, I’d love to read more about your e-design adventure. :) I’m so intrigued!
Lasagna or baked chicken sausage pasta are my go-to’s for big groups since you can prepare in advance and just pop in the oven! I also like doing a turkey enchilada casserole, but I know not everyone loves Mexican flavors! Here’s the recipe for the chicken sausage pasta just in case you want it: http://mommysavers.com/baked-penne-chicken-sausage-spinach-tomatoes-greek-yogurt/.
Will do! I’m excited – it’s all new to me, too! And lasagna is a strong contender for sure, depending on the weather!
Taco or burger bar
Yummmmm… though cooking that many burgers would stress me out, ha!
I love making baked spaghetti and cheesy bread. You can prep the spaghetti ahead of time, and then warm the bread as guests are arriving.
Cheesy bread = my favorite
Your goals are so balanced and inspiring! I definitely want to get outside more this month too, although I have a black thumb! :) My favorite meal for a large group is chicken in the crockpot with lots of taco seasoning, maybe a can of rotel. Shred it and have a taco bar with all the fixin’s! It’s easy, inexpensive, casual, and suits anyone’s taste because they can make it the way they want to. Happy March!
Thank you so much, Kate! Taco bar is a popular suggestion here and definitely a strong contender!
This is one of my husband’s and my favorite meals, which can easily be doubled! Just chop everything before hand, sear the bacon before hand, then a half hour before guests arrive, throw it all to simmer! It’s delicious and great served with bread and /or a salad. https://www.cookingclassy.com/black-bean-soup/
I have a black bean soup I love, too! I was also considering a beef stew, depending on the weather. However, because most of these folks have been to our annual pumpkins and soup party (where we have soup – obviously!), I’ve kind of used up all of my favorite soup recipes on them!
My go-to’s for cooking for a crowd are frittatas or roasted whole chicken. I love the idea of pulled pork though as mentioned above. That seems even easier, if you use a slow cooker! You could do that with baked potatoes or tacos, maybe?
Mmm, pulled pork tacos…
Make your own burritos is my go-to meal for big crowds. They can be tailored to fit every dietary restriction and personal preference. I make meat in the crock pot, rice in the rice cooker, and prepare the rest of the fixings a day or two before and just pull the bowls out of the fridge. Easy!
Next thought about a burrito bar, but that’s a great idea!
I recently saw an Instagram ad for a e-design company called Havenly. From what I could tell, you send pictures of your home to a designer, they select items, paint, etc. within your budget and then you can shop their selections. Seemed pretty cool!
Yes! I read about Havenly in a magazine a few months ago and am definitely interested in contacting them!
Three words: Baked. potato. bar. So incredibly easy, you just throw the potatoes in the oven and assemble toppings on a table (most popular at my house are steamed broccoli, bacon, CHEESE, salsa, black beans/chili, avocado, chives, and caramelized onions). Everything can be made in advance and reheated on the day of, I usually pair it with a nice caesar or garden salad. Voila!
Always love reading your goals Em, and some great ones to tick off this month!!
Our meals are often different here in South Africa but when I hist a large group – I love a DIY bar like burgers but also a big warm dish like a stew or curry with rice. Hope that helps x
I’m so with you on the craving Spring part!! It’s SO cold in Germany right now!
As for the dinner: I like to make lasagna with garlic bread and salad on the side. A new favorite is chicken taco bowls: https://lemonstripes.com/recipes/chicken-taco-bowls/
Easy to prepare in the crockpot ahead of time.
Have fun celebrating!! And happy happy Birthday!!
You can see my March goals here: http://www.meandmyhaus.com :-)