Calendar, Christmas Cleaning, and Cooking

We always have a calendar hanging on the inside of our little pantry.  I hate trying to find a cute calendar because they are always so themed.  You know...kittens, beaches, motorcycles, Ireland, etc.  It's no easy task to find a cute calendar! :)  I have NO idea why I never thought of this before, but I made a calendar for us this year at Shutterfly.  And you probably won't be surprised, but I used a 40% off code when I ordered!  When the calendar came in I was soooo impressed with the quality.  The colors were beautiful and the pages were super THICK.  I LOVED it!!!  The only thing I might do differently is order the next size up, but overall it's fantastic!

Front cover:

January

We got almost all of our Christmas stuff put away while Ellington was at my parent's house.  The two main things I haven't put away (and don't want to yet!) is Ellington's Christmas artwork and the Christmas cards.  I love them both so much I will probably keep it out for just a little bit longer!

One of the things I want to work on this year is cooking more often!  I REALLY want to be great at cooking and do it A LOT.  For some reason I let fear of it keep me from doing it.  Crazy I know.  I am always so lost when it comes to meal planning.  Last night I made Chicken Tortilla Soup.  I hadn't ever made it before and I got to use my new pot that I got for Christmas.  Robert and Ellington both LOVED it (especially Robert!).  Unfortunately I didn't love it, but I came up with a few ways to change it that I might like more.  When I actually do it, I love cooking supper for my family.  This will definitely be the year that I turn things around in the kitchen!