A little warmth and sweetness on a cold January evening.

I have been neglecting my blog the past few weeks. The holidays were a whirlwind of fun family gatherings and magical moments with the girls that I will cherish always. We celebrated the new year with a bang and we all came home from visiting with family to come down with the flu that passed through all of us last week. Thankfully it was a mild virus that lasted a couple of days only but it was unpleasant all the same.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that it is one of health and prosperity and new found doors or windows of hope and inspiration for all! Ode to a brand new year! January brings new beginnings and frigid weather...brrrr. I am not at all disappointed that it is going by quickly I have to admit. If I didn't have two young children I would be outside more often but the idea of getting them both bundled up and then myself seems less appealing when the wind chill factor is -28 most days lately and I can feel my contacts freeze a little within minutes of stepping outside. One thing about January that I love though is the idea of making resolutions. I am notorious for writing down a list of what I would like to attempt to change in my life and some of my dreams and goals I wish to fulfill. This year I will attempt to cut back on my coffee intake. I am getting more sleep these days compared to last year with a newborn so I think I can manage now. More exercise is a given every year. I am determined to get a meal plan set in motion for our household this year as I am really tired of scrambling for what to make come lunch time or dinner time. I used to be adventurous with new receipts but with a picky toddler it went out the window, that is my excuse these days. I won't bore you to death on my resolutions as I am sure you have your own in mind.

Earlier this evening I attempted to make my Mother-in-Laws Apple Crisp receipt with the girls. I have to say, I think she is the master after tasting mine tonight. My little errors in quickly skimming through her directions, or it could have been that the apples were just not as fresh, it tasted nothing like hers. My husband was a good sport as always and had seconds and a half after dinner but I just know...