Gardening mistakes already made

I have a terrible record when it comes to gardening. I've killed many a plant in my time, but despite the many failures, I can't help but keep trying. There is just something nice about having something alive and growing and green in and around the home.

So what have I done wrong already? Well, here's the list:

1. The 3 tomato plants were started in cardboard egg carton cells. This is bad because the containers are tiny, not allowing the seedlings to grow deep roots and get strong. I think I'm going to try to transplant them into toilet paper rolls or newspaper pots and see if they survive that. The backup plan if my seedlings die is to buy a small brandywine tomato plants from the greenmarket (once they re-open)

2. Not enough light from the window to grow strong seedlings. Yes, some of my plants have sprouted, but they're still looking week and leggy. I'm hoping hubby will be willing to take me to the garden center this coming weekend so I can get some grow lights. I did read that you can construct your own out red and blue LED Christmas lights, but I'm not a handy person, so that may not be the best route for me.

3. Some seeds are too old. My lettuce and spinach seeds still haven't sprouted. They are very old and I don't think they'll be coming up anytime soon. I think I'll just have to toss the seeds and buy new ones. I don't think it's too late to start anew, but it's a bit disappointing nonetheless.

4. Some seedlings are drying out too fast. When I first planted the seeds, I covered them with a small glass jar. The tomato seedlings are now tall enough that soon the glass jar will be too small. However, if I uncover the seedlings, the soil tends to dry out too fast since the windowsill they're on is right above a heater. The heater was great for bottom germination, but terrible about keeping moisture. My seedlings aren't dead yet so maybe if I could find a big tray, fill the bottom with a layer of pebbles in some water and then put the seedlings on top, the seedlings won't dry out as fast. It would be nice if I had a nice big dome to cover the entire set of seedlings, but I don't have anything like that. I'm imagining a beautiful mini-greenhouse, like the stuff for big terrariums. Or maybe I'll just go to the garden center and get a big seed starting tray with a fitted dome. I'm all for makeshift stuff, but I'm finding the stuff I do have at home is just not cutting it in this case.

So despite mistakes having been made, the growing season hasn't really started in my zone yet, so there's still hope. Some of my plants have really suffered wintering indoors, but again, this is a learning experience since I've never tried a lot of this stuff before. I suppose I shouldn't feel too discouraged and should remember that despite any failures, I have had some successes. Last year, I did harvest enough basil to make a batch of pesto and we did have some fantastic tomatoes. I also successfully forced some tulip bulbs into blooming indoors in January and our one sedum leaf that we stuck into some soil has sprouted babies. All is not lost after all!

Movies

I recently came across this little opinion piece:
www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/9904278/Why-cant-men-just-be-men-any-more.html

The writer here laments how in today's world, actors who have invested heavily on getting their bodies into peak physical shape are more popular than men of the average body. He does acknowledge that what is happening to the male actor and in turn, the social pressures on men, is something that women have had to contend with for generations already. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to sympathize his lament because of the fact that instead of saying, we should celebrate the average person's looks in every age and gender, he is nostalgic for the days when average-looking Roger Moore can still get hot chicks younger than his daughter.

It's true that I find it disturbing that instead of having more average and healthy-looking women be the norm in Hollywood, they are re-making the image of men into something equally unattainable. On the other hand, Hollywood is all about the fantasy and the unattainable. It isn't exactly known for its faithful representation of facts and/or reality. The way I see it, I have less of a problem with movies featuring handsome, shirtless men with gorgeous, well-endowed women than I do with movies featuring old, paunchy men sucking face and pawing at a hot, nubile woman young enough to be his granddaughter. Honestly, Hollywood is still casting actors and actress like that and it grosses me out, despite the fact that we're supposed to just ignore the obvious age disparity and pretend that the 20 year old woman is really supposed to be a 35 year old mom and that 50 year old dude is really supposed be a 40 year old who is not single because there is something wrong with him, but because he just hasn't found the right woman yet. Blech!

So to the author of that article linked above, I have to say that although I understand that you don't want our boys to chase after an unattainable goal for themselves, I do not like how you seem to have no problems with the fact that women have been faced with this to the point where we have terrible illnesses like bulimia and anorexia. When you ended the article saying you'd still watch Roger Moore if he were still around, lamenting how Daniel Craig have sort of ruined the fun of Bond movies for an old man like you, I feel no sympathy. Obviously you'd like watching the average old, balding man with a belly get a hot girl because you can then go home and feel good about yourself, rather than go home, look in the mirror and feel dejected. How do you think thousands of women feel? Instead of saying you want the old Bond movies back, how about you saying you'd like to see more movies of old, not-so-pretty women, getting a young, hot-blooded dude, and more movies of average-looking men like Roger Moore getting paired up with women who look his age and are just as average-looking in body size and weight.

So yes, Hollywood is finally getting around to cashing in on the idea that hot dudes bring female audiences to the theaters, and they are being well-rewarded for their efforts. Considering how long men have had eye-candy to stare at, I say if we can't improve things so that both men and women can celebrate the average body and face, then I'll settle for gender parity where women can get their eye candy too. Maybe this way, men will finally get the idea that being objectified and constantly looked at takes its toll on a person. Maybe this way, some men will learn to show a little friggin' compassion towards women's struggle against body image issues. In the author of the above article's case, there is apparently no hope he'll ever "get it."

The luffa has sprouted!

I had a packet of very old luffa seeds and finally decided I should try growing this year. I planted them in a small pot with potting soil and waited and waited. The tomatoes sprouted first, but still no luffa. Then the petunias and still no luffa. After that, the angel's trumpet sprouted and yet, still no luffa.

I began to think the seeds were dead and I might have to use the pot to grow something else when lo and behold! Last night, I spotted two seedlings! I felt a spark of joy when I saw them, but now I worry the growing season here isn't long enough. Perhaps I should have started them earlier indoors. In any case, if things don't go well, there's always next year.

Why grow luffa? Well, it's a wonderful natural sponge. You can decontaminate it in the microwave like a commercial sponge, but at the end of its life, you can compost the thing. Hubby doesn't like using it, but I think hubby just isn't used to it. Maybe if I cut a bunch of luffa into sponges and hide/throw away all the plastic sponges, he'll be forced to use them and then get used to them? Heh heh heh...

Another miscarriage

I suffered a second miscarriage recently. Unlike the first one, this one happened later, in my late first trimester, which meant it was painful and the natural process took a bit longer. When we found out the fetus wasn't viable and to expect a miscarriage, I specifically asked the doctor what to expect. Her response was not to worry unless there were signs of hemorrhaging, meaning bleeding through a pad an hour. She said nothing of the discomfort or the pain.

When I began to miscarry, I can say that I had really bad cramps, like labor pains. It came and went in waves and the only time I felt any kind of minimal relief was when I walked around. So in between running to the bathroom to pass clumps, I was walking around the house. After passing a rather large clump, I felt better almost instantly. However the saga wasn't over. I started having pain soon after. It built and built until I couldn't sleep I was in so much pain. Finally it was too much to bear and I called the midwife, who advised that I take 4 Advils and an antihistamine to help me get some rest. An hour later, the meds had no effect and hubby drove me to the emergency room, where they stuck an IV in me and gave me a combination of Motrin and morphine.

I have never taken as much medications as I did that night and certainly have never been on anything stronger than the advised dosage for OTC stuff. Despite the morphine, I was still in pain, but at least I was more comfortable. I was poked a prodded a few more times and the doctors said that my uterus had very little to pass and they didn't want to do any procedures considering there wasn't much in there to get out. However, I was still in pain and when it was suggested that I be sent home with OTC ibuprofen, I panicked. I didn't want to go home only to be writhing and sobbing in pain again. The doctor relented after seeing me beg over and over for help and sent me home with a prescription for percoset, which again didn't make the pain completely go away, but definitely helped. I supplemented with my own advils and was finally able to get some sleep.

The next few days continued to be uncomfortable. My next visit to the doctor was a terrible experience because the doctor was horrible and poked an prodded me with jerky motions, causing pain and discomfort. She was also the only medical professional, whether nurse or doctor, that didn't bother to say the perfunctory, "Sorry for your loss." I was so glad to be out of there when I was discharged. That was the visit that confirmed that my uterus was clean and everything was back to normal.

I no longer needed strong medications at that point, but there were still some pain. Over the course of the next few days, I felt better and better. I feel okay now, but am rather pissed about how no one told me that late trimester miscarriage could be painful or at best, really uncomfortable. If it weren't for the internet, I would not have known if what I went through was normal. Thankfully, because medical sites and other pregnancy related information don't say sh*t about what late first trimester miscarriages could be like, women posted their own personal experiences to forums, blogs and other sites. I thank these women from the bottom of my heart for sharing their painful moments. Many were just as angry as I was that no one warned them or told them what to expect or what was normal. There was simply no information provided. None whatsoever. It is a travesty considering how often miscarriages happen that there is such a dearth of information on this topic. I am beginning to wonder if would still be the case if men could give birth.

New year, new gardening ambitions

Our back yard really doesn’t have a lot of room for gardening and only small sections of it get full sun. Since I also have a black thumb, I tried keeping my garden ambitions modest. Last year, we grew/planted the following:

Peppermint

Basil

Brandywine tomatoes

Cherokee tomatoes

Horseradish

Garlic (fall planted)

I am a little concerned about the peppermint plant. Towards the end of the summer and into fall, the plant looked sickly with yellow and brown leaves. Looking online, this could be a fungal infection, which could spread to other herbs in the garden and is nigh impossible to get rid of. One person suggested cutting the plant down to the soil level, taking the plant out and re-potting it in fresh compost after washing it vigorously. I’m not sure if the plant can take that kind of abuse, but the poster said that mint is pretty hard to kill.

I tried to save the basil and overwinter it indoors, but as soon as it came into the house, it developed black spots on the leaves that spread throughout the plant and it died. This year, I’m going to try growing basil again. I’m hoping it will grow well enough for me to make some more pesto!

Of the two tomato plants, we loved brandywine the most, so this year I’m only planting brandywine tomatoes. Last year, I planted the two tomato plants too close together and I massively underestimated how big they would get, which made our little stakes completely useless. We did not get many tomatoes last year. This year, I will plant them farther apart and we'll use tomato cages to support them.

The horseradish is a root we bought at the local supermarket for our seder last spring. I saved a pieced of the root and buried it in a large planter and it thrived all throughout summer, the leaves only died when the winter got cold. I am planning to dig the root up this spring to use for this year’s seder. Since this winter has been rather cold, I have high hopes that this root will be extra pungent. I am planning to replant a part of the root again, same as last year.

Last year, my in-laws gifted us with the most delicious, fantastic garlic we’ve ever tasted. I saved a big bulb and planted 5 individual cloves last fall. They did sprout a little before the winter killed off the tops, but they are sprouting again now. From what I’ve read, I should be able to dig them out around mid-summer. I can save another big bulb and plant the cloves again this fall for another summer harvest. You can plant garlic in the spring for a fall harvest, but the bulbs won’t be as big.

In addition to the plants I mentioned I’ll be planting again this year, I’m planning to add a few things to the garden:

Lincoln peas

Kentucky Blue beans

German butterball potatoes

Bloomsdale Longstanding spinach

Little Gem Lettuce

Garlic Chives

Luffa

Angel Trumpet flowers

Petunias

Cover crops

The Kentucky Blue beans will be planted where the tomatoes were last year. I read that planting beans will restore some of the nitrogen used up by plants that are heavy feeders, such as tomatoes.

The peas will be planted after the garlic has been pulled. I think peas also replace nitrogen used up by previous plants, but really, I just wanted to try planting peas. Plus, I’d rather not leave the garlic patch bare for months at a time.

I bought a potato bag to grow the potatoes in and am hoping the potato plant doesn’t get too obnoxiously big like our tomato plants did. I read that they tend to spread out and some people have had success caging or staking them. I guess we’ll see how it goes. I haven't received the seed potatoes from my order yet.

The chives, Luffa and flowers are going into pots. The luffa is a vining plant that I’m planning to grow in a big pot and let it climb up our back porch. I am considering getting a trellis for the luffa, but I’m not even sure the old seeds I’ve got will germinate. The petunias have a weeping habit so I’m planning to put them in a window box in the front porch. It’s a bit shady there, so the flowers might end up not doing so well, but we’ll see. The trumpet flowers have an upright habit, so I’ll keep it in a pot and if it doesn’t like one location, I can move it to another.

The spinach and the lettuce doesn’t like full sun or high heat, so I’ll most likely be growing them in the front yard or indoors. I’m not growing very many as I’m not sure how successful I’ll be. Also, the seeds I have are very old and they might be dead. If that is the case, I'll dump the current batch and start again.

This year, I may try growing cover crops. Cover crops replace nitrogen used up in the soil, prevent soil erosion and smother weeds. They are usually planted after pulling up plants that have been “used up.” Cover crops need to be mowed down and tilled into the soil before they flower and re-seed themselves into the patch. They need to be tilled into the soil 2 to 3 weeks before new crops are planted.

So as you can see, I’m feeling rather ambitious this year. I’m rather excited about the project and can hardly wait for the weather to be warm enough for me to start working on the garden outside. Right now, the garden's a mess as we failed to clean it up after the plants died. So once it's warm enough, I'll be out there pulling and cutting up stuff and then adding fresh compost. Yay!

Perfumes for babies

What the heck kinda world do we live in that people buy this crap?!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/mother-tongue/familyadvice/9831917/Baby-perfume-The-idea-stinks.html

Facebook

I happen to think Facebook is a great way to connect with friends and family. However, with each new article, I'm forced to wonder if it's worth it to stay on Facebook when it's constantly showing that it doesn't understand the concept of privacy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ari-melber/why-graph-search-could-be_b_2580798.html

If you look a little more, there are tons of other articles about how Facebook doesn't care about their users. Right now, I am seriously considering closing my account.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-levin/7-ways-to-avoid-identity_b_2634967.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/technology/personaltech/protecting-your-privacy-on-the-new-facebook.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2274954/Facebook-developing-app-track--s-turned-off.html

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/facebook-disclose-targeted-ads-you-just-have-know-where-look-1B8269988

http://www.webpronews.com/yes-facebook-may-owe-you-10-that-email-isnt-a-scam-2013-02

Fold a t-shirt in 2 seconds

Check it out:

http://lifehacker.com/331405/fold-a-t+shirt-in-two-seconds-redux

Maternity

As it turns out, I am pregnant again.  I didn't want to say earlier because I didn't want to jinx it, but it's getting harder to fit in my pants. I'm still in my first trimester, but my belly is already bulging out and it's gotten uncomfortable wearing my pants. Unfortunately, I am loathe to buy new clothes too, so I'm in a bit of a quandary.

I started looking at maternity clothes online and found that I didn't like most of the styles. The other problem was that most of the clothes were made out of man-made materials like polyester or rayon. I don't understand why there aren't more styles made in a simple cotton jersey fabric. The other problem is that many of them are unimaginatively plain and unstylish.

So while I ponder the dilemma, I bought myself a belly band to hold my pants up and to hide the fact that I'm now wearing my pants unzipped. I'm going to try to avoid buying maternity pants for as long as possible. There are actually a lot of tutorials on how to make your own belly band, however, the one I bought has some advantages that the homemade stuff doesn't have. First, I didn't have to take the time and effort to make it. I am lazy so this is a plus. Second, the one I got has a non-slip band running around the edge of one of the openings. This grips the pants and also keeps the band from riding up. I wear this thing every day now and I am so glad to have purchased it!

The other part of me that's grown to the point where I had to purchase something is my... uh, chest area. This was a bit unexpected for me since I've been washboard flat all my life and expected that I would always be that way. So when my bras started pinching me, I was forced to purchase new ones that didn't have underwires. For sleeping, I am now using stretchy sports bras, which work surprisingly well. In any case, if my boobs get bigger, I may have to purchase a couple more, but I hear that's not unexpected.

In any case, my extra mass takes getting used to. I can only hope that I won't grow too big!

Turn about is fair play

Whenever I hear about some confrontation between paparazzi and famous people, I thank my lucky stars I'm a regular, uninteresting, unknown person. In the video linked below, one famous person decided to turn his camera on the paparazzi and the ensuing interaction was actually kinda interesting.

http://gawker.com/5981401/pictures-of-assholes-joseph-gordon+levitt-points-his-camera-at-the-paparazzi-and-they-dont-care-for-it

Random chain of kindness goes on for hours

I know this is old, but it's still a goodie!
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/random-chain-of-kindness-at-tims-goes-on-for-hours-185398352.html

Men try out labor pains

Maybe if more Republican men did this for 8 hours straight, they would feel differently about being against contraception and abortion.

http://www.neatorama.com/2013/01/21/Men-Try-Out-Labor-Pains/

Flu season

This year, the flu seems to be particularly bad. After realizing just how bad it has gotten, and how many people in my own office around me were sick with it, I got myself a flu shot for the first time ever. Unfortunately, I'm reading that the shot takes two weeks to take effect, and plus there's no guarantee that the shot will keep you safe from this year's strains of flu.

Aside from taking the flu shot, I've been making extra sure to wash my hands exceptionally well. I usually wash my hands well, so I now fear that perhaps that's not enough. My company was kind enough to issue everyone a small bottle of hand sanitizer, so I think I'm going to start using that every time I touch something on the subway that other people tend to touch, like poles and handles. If I could, I'd stay home and self-quarantine myself, but that's probably going a bit too far.

Normally, I would not be so paranoid. However, this year sounds like it's pretty bad, and there are other circumstances that make getting the flu now a particularly bad time. So hence, the paranoia. I really don't want to come down with anything debilitating for the next several months.

Violence against women act

Things like this make me feel depressed:
http://gawker.com/5974873/whatever-happened-to-the-violence-against-women-act

Composting

Late last year, I bought the Envirocycle mini compost tumbler to start composting in my urban home. It's quite small and can fit on top of a table, but I just set mine on the floor. It's been a little over a month since I started dumping stuff into it on a weekly basis and it's getting full. Unfortunately, because it's winter, there is not much rotting going on. :-(

Once it fills up a bit more, I'll have to stop putting stuff into it. At first, I tumbled the thing every week, but since it's been so cold and nothing's happening, I've given up on doing that until the weather warms up. Because it is so cold, I am unable to tell if I'm putting in enough "browns." I tried sniffing it, but I can't smell anything, especially since everything is probably frozen. Then there's the issue of whether or not I'm keeping the stuff wet enough. Again, moisture is just freezing up in there so I'm not sure if it's at the consistency it should be.

In any case, it looks like I'll have to wait until it's warmer to know for sure how to proceed and facilitate rotting. I am pretty excited to see it rot! I can't wait!

Maintaining a home is hard work!

This is not news to anyone, but maintaining a home is hard work! I find it is especially difficult to keep up with housework when working full time and dealing with long commutes. If only I didn't need to sleep!

When we first moved into our new place, my first priority was settling in, getting furniture and finding a place for everything. I'm still not completely happy with the way the kitchen is organized and the basement is still a mess because we're using it as a storage/staging area. There is still too much clutter on the small table in the dining room and the office needs reorganizing as well. A house's work is never done.

Eventually, big projects aside, I settled into a more regular cleaning routine. At first, I was too ambitious and if I did everything on my checklist every day, I would have no time to sit down or relax. So I started spacing tasks out more. After all, do I really need to dust the whole house every other day? I also took the advice of Scrooge McDuck to "work smarter, not harder!"

Here are some things I've started doing that I find beneficial:

1. When I am about to use the tub or sink, I first spray a vinegar spray on the surfaces and let it sit for a few minutes. Then when I brush my teeth or shower, I wipe down the sprayed surfaces with a cloth. This allows me to keep the bathroom presentable all the times.

2. Washing and prepping veggies on Sunday saves me lots of time on weeknights. Prepped veggies means I can come home, heat up the wok and toss the food in right way and start cooking. It definitely saves a lot of time!

3. Hubby and I used to waste a lot of food, though we certainly don't mean to. Planning out meals is a great way to avoid wasting food. When I know what I'll be making, I can have a more efficient shopping trip, buying only what I need that week. Not only am I saving money, but time as well.

4. Shopping at the supermarket is a horrible experience, unless I go late. During peak hours, the place is so crowded that I can bare move 2 feet before having to stop and wait for someone else to get out of my way. Either that or I'm the one in someone's way. Going late avoids the crowds and allows for a much more pleasant experience. I can actually take time to focus on what I'm buying, rather than fuming at the old lady pushing her cart into me.

5. Getting stuff delivered can be a good thing! I have stuff delivered to the house all the time. At times I feel guilty about all the shipping, gas and cardboard boxes that I'm using up, but the bottom line is, I simply don't have the time to devote to going to all the different places that have the things I need. Some places have what I need, but are not of good quality. I am lucky enough that I can get most of my daily needs delivered right to my door - from groceries, to pet supplies to air mattresses. I like buying certain things in bulk, and not having to lug a year's worth of sugar across several blocks is a good thing!

6. Freezer meals are great! Some days when I come home, I really don't want to touch the stove. I just want to pop something into the microwave or oven and voila! Food is on the table! Every so often, I'll make a big batch of tomato sauce, veggie soup, lasagna, pumpkin pie or chickpea patties. We'll eat some and freeze the rest. The night before I plan to eat it, I take it out of the freezer and put it into the fridge. If it's not fully defrosted by the time I come home, I stick it in the microwave. I like freezing my food in single serving portions inside of freezer and oven safe containers that come with covers. For instance, I bake the lasagna in an oven and freezer safe container. When it cools, it goes into the freezer. Later, it gets defrosted in the fridge and when I come home to eat it, I warm it up in the oven. I love functional containers!

7. Doing a few chores every day means feeling less overwhelmed on the weekends. In the beginning, I tried to do all my chores on weekends, which meant for very busy weekends! Often, I either didn't finish or just got frustrated with all the work I was making myself do. These days, I find that if I quickly clean areas during the week, I don't have to do them during the weekend, which saves me a great deal of frustration and keeps the house clean. Some people recommend setting a timer for 15 minutes and just do as much as you can until the timer is up. What works for me is a list of tasks for each day and checking them off when I get home. Daily tasks include wiping down the dining table after eating, wiping down the kitchen countertops and stoves, and loading and unloading the dishwasher. Every other day, I dust, check and water the plants, and add to the mini compost tumbler. Ideally, I should also sweep and mop the kitchen and dining room floors, but I just can't get my energy up enough to manage that. Cleaning the floors remain a weekend task

So that's all I got for now! Later!

All Glory to the Hypnotoad!

This past holiday season, I did not just shop for others, but I also shopped for myself. For the most part, I am happy with my purchases, except for one. It is the Hypnotoad. On an impulsive whim, I bought the figurine (doesn't actually move its eyes or make noise - it's just cute!) and now I have no idea where to put it. It lived in the bathroom for a while and now it has moved into the bedroom.

Despite its adorable charm, I would rather not have yet another object in the house to dust and maintain. This is especially true since he doesn't actually wobble his eyes or make the Hypnotoad noise. After all, he's just a figurine that I got for fun, and now it seems, I am over it.

Still it seems like such a waste to get rid him considering the fact that I've had him less than 2 months. So alternative that I am considering is bringing him to work as a desk toy. He can sit on my desk where I can stare at him staring at me. With him at work, I can not feel guilty about getting rid of him, but he is also out of the house when I'm trying to dust and wipe everything.

A knitting rocking chair

So cool!
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/a-rocking-chair-thats-knits-you-a-beanie-182194

Brewing your own Kombucha

My first taste of kombucha did not leave me wanting more. In fact, I disliked it. However, I had heard so many good and miraculous things about it that I thought I would give it another shot and bought a bottle. It was a hot summer day and I was craving something sweet and fizzy and that bottle totally hit the spot! From then on, I loved kombucha! The only problem is, they're so expensive!

So one day, I decided to make my own. I didn't bother buying a scoby (kombucha mother). Instead, I grew one from a store-bought bottle of kombucha. You can read how to do that here:
http://www.paprikahead.com/2009/07/how-to-brew-your-own-kombucha-from.html

Now that I have a healthy scoby going, I brew and bottle every 2 weeks and I make it with green tea. Hubby likes his fizzier so he likes to keep the bottles at room temperature to continue fermenting for a while. The longer they ferment in the bottles, the fizzier it gets. I don't mind drinking it as soon as it tastes right.

Now, I don't put much stock in the reports of how kombucha cures stuff and does all these miraculous things. I just like the taste and I do think it's healthy because it has live cultures in it that helps digestion. Other than that, it's also fun to know that I can make something so yummy at home!

A new year, a new start

Happy 2013 everyone!

This coming year, I have many resolutions and many plans. Most are the same ones I had last year. Haha! However, that's not a bad thing as it shows that I'm still trying and haven't given up. In any case, my goals are all related to living healthier and more frugally. Some of my resolutions are:

1. Cook most dinners and pack most lunches. This not only allows me to live healthier, but also saves a lot of money. This is a repeat from last year as I lost sight of this goal halfway through the year.

2. Create a household cleaning schedule and share chores with hubby. Since hubby works late, I'm not expecting an equitable division of labor here. However, I do like to have the option of saying that I'm too tired to do the chores and just point to the list so hubby can step up. The way I see it, in order to keep the house spic and span, certain things need to be done regularly.

3. Grow more food. Last year, we planted two heirloom tomato plants, some store bought scallions (ate the tops and just planted the bottoms) and some store-bought celery (again ate the tops and planted the bottom). The scallions and celery were miserable though the celery is, amazingly, still alive and green in our back yard. The tomato plants were planted too close together and tried to kill each other, resulting in only a handful of tomatoes. This year, I'm going to do things differently. I'll plant two tomato plants farther apart and also put tomato cages around them. I also have garlic growing on the side, some mint growing in a pot and a horseradish root buried in a big planter. I currently have a couple of citrus trees under grow lights, but I don't think they're going to make it through the winter. :-(

4. Take more breaks from staring at stuff. I spend all day staring. I stare at my computer at work, I stare at my phone when commuting, I stare at the TV when I'm relaxing and I stare at my iPad before bed. That's a lot of staring and my eyes are always feeling dry and strained. It's time to give them a break by taking hourly breaks every day. So this year, I'm going to try to break away from backlit screens every hour by taking a walk around the house or office floor, even if it's just to pet the cat or get a drink of water.

5. Run 5K by the end of the year. I want to exercise, but I can never keep it up because I'm super lazy and always tired. So I figure if I have a concrete goal in mind, I can be motivated to keep moving. So the goal is to run 5K by the end of the year. Yeah, I'm taking it easy, but it's better than doing nothing!

So that's it! My 2013 resolutions. I wonder how many I'll be able to keep!