Try Something New: Weeks 20 and 21

Lack of blog motivation lately. Hence the two week absence. I will try to be better.

Here are the past two weeks of my Try Something New journal. It's only been five months and I'm already kind of tired of documenting all this. BUT...I set a goal, and I will stick to it! (Because maybe this ONE will make up for the many others I flake out on every single year.)


May 13 -- Found this video on YouTube. LOVE IT. Especially the weird guy on the right who chimes in every few bars. Why wasn't I invited to participate in this?!



May 14 -- Bought a sweet new cruiser bike on Craigslist. Actually it's very old and there is duct tape where the handles should be, but I'm excited about it. Josh was riding in the driveway that day and told me he really wished I had a bike so I could ride with him. I'd been wanting one anyway so I could pull the kids in a trailer around the neighborhood, and Craigslist came through for me.

May 15 -- Sent out a bunch of invitations for my first Pampered Chef party. I had no idea putting these parties together was so much work! Won't be doing it again soon. It was a fun party, but I'd rather enjoy it as a guest than a host.

May 16 -- Bought a used dresser for our closet. (Craigslist again.) We're going to try a new system of organization in there. Remember how Jude likes to crawl into my closet, pull all my jewelry onto the floor, and tangle it into unrecognizable blobs? I had enough of that. Ten bucks later, and my jewelry stand now lives atop a high dresser, undisturbed. Ahhhhh.

May 17 -- Saw this video on my friend's Facebook page. I am mildly obsessed with Pentatonix, the A Capella group that won the Sing Off this year. The music they can make out of five young voices will blow your mind. Here is a video where they combined with LMFAO.




May 18 -- Made a new paper mache recipe on the stove. I was trying this idea for a treble clef clock I wanted, but the paper mache look didn't end up working for me.

May 19 -- Mowed the lawn! I had never done this before. Not once in my whole life! We have riding mower now, so it was kind of cheating I guess, but I'm still proud. There are not many moments in life where I have felt like a real Miss Priss, but the day my husband learned that I had never mowed a lawn was one of them. No more mocking! It is finally done!

May 20 -- Tried a recipe by Bobby Flay. Matt discovered it, of course. It's this amazing sauce for chicken wings. We only used the sauce part of the recipe, but based on how delicious that was, I definitely want to try the rest of the steps next time.   Chipotle-Honey–Glazed Chicken Wings with Toasted Sesame Seeds and Green Onion. My mouth is watering.

May 21 -- Went to a work dinner with Matt and tried a Chocolate Charlotte for dessert at The H Hotel. Not great.

May 22 -- Made a stand to hang our Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter on. Actually Matt made it, but it was new. It's up in the backyard now and is growing much better. This is also the day I made a necklace hanger for my closet. I used an old scrap of wood and some decorative nails that I saved from an old project -- totally free, and it makes me happy every time I see it.

May 23 -- Went to a friend's house for dinner and saw their beautiful home and yard. Envied their finished landscaping, swing set, porch, etc. -- all projects that seem like we will never complete at our house.  Also, not sure if this counts, but I thought it was interesting. I read Jude's diaper box for the first time. Did you know there are directions on there? For how to use diapers? Apparently, I've been doing it all wrong. You're actually instructed to flush the solid waste down a toilet before you fold up the dirty diaper and trash it. Raise your hand if you've ever done this before with disposable diapers. Am I killing our planet?

May 24 -- Hosted my first Pampered Chef party. I really love kitcheny stuff. It was a fun evening. Lots of wonderful friends came over and ate and chatted. I felt very loved.

May 25 -- What can I say about this day? I didn't really actively try to do something new, I'll admit it. But we did have a guy come over to price out a deck for our backyard, which is something new we might add to our house. And Josh did have his first sleepover here, so maybe that counts? It was a crazy week. I'm not too concerned.

May 26 -- Used a jigsaw. Totally awesome! What is it about power tools that makes a woman feel so...powerful?? It's a whole new way to express creativity, and I really enjoyed it. I will be thinking of more projects soon just so I have an excuse to use it again. This one was the second version of my treble clock idea. We used reject pieces of our wood floor that I literally dug out of the dumpster in our driveway during construction. It's not sanded or painted yet, but I think it will turn out nice. Perfect for my piano room.