Chocolate chip cookie recipe, plant green onions inside and 30 Days update

I tried a new chocolate chip cookie recipe called Jacques Torres’ Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. Sounds fancy, oui? I made a 1/2 batch. They were good so I've designate the recipe A Keeper. Notes: I used regular flour instead of 1/2 pastry flour, not as much chocolate (mistake) didn't let them chill for 24 hours (wanted them asap) and baked them at 325' for 13 minutes (still too long for my oven). You can find the recipe on Martha Stewart's website, here or where I originally found it at A Tender Crumb (cute name, right?) here.

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I usually throw out the green onions bits from the grocery store but not this time. I planted them in a pot of dirt and they are sitting on my daughters nightstand because her room get the most sun in the house. I'll likely transfer them outside once the weather gets nicer, but for now I have fresh green onion at my disposal (in the winter) and she has a plant to water. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! As much as I'd like to credit myself for this idea, I have to turn to Pinterest. I have a Gardening Board that you can check out if you're feeling the spring feva!! (say it with flair while pretending to shake maracas in the air with both hands...? why not!) P.S. My Mom reminded me that St. Patrick's Day is the day to try and dig in your Sweet Pea seeds. They like it cold and by spring the plants will be +/- 6" (note: they are climbers)! 

So...my 30 Days is going well! I've completed the first 7 days and you know what? I feel pretty snappy about it. Check out my accomplishments here.

On the side, I've also started:

• wearing earrings every day
• shining the kitchen sink every night (no more waking up to a sink full of dirty dishes, this makes me happier than I could have ever imagined)
• keeping the kitchen table free of clutter (what?)
• following a meal plan (original post here, update in progress)

So far, so good. I can do this!

Ok. With all that being said, I need some direction with the de-cluttering. For Week 2 I'm turning to Project Organize your Entire Life: Declutter the Kitchen from Modern Parents Messy Kids. Modern Parents Messy Kids turned this funny post about the "ultimate organized woman" into a how to series. Look out kitchen here I come! Yesterday was Day 8 and here's what I did (go me!):

 

If you're doing 30 Days I'd love to hear how it's going :)

Book of Firsts for Parents - additions...

I think that new parents deserve their very own Book of First for Parents. It can sit right on the shelf next to their children's baby books.

This Book of Firsts for Parents [read the original post here] would not only serve as record of how your life changed after having children, but also as a way of bonding with them when they grow up. It  may even serve as a marriage saver when in the middle of it someone grabs The Book and instead of throwing it says..."Remember when?"

Like Baby's First Calendar, there would be places to add things to help document your life:

stickers: your drink(s) of choice (double double, frappuccino, glasses of wine, w-ever), take out menus, counseling appointments, check marks (ie. yes everyone was fed and clothed, for the most part, today), sayings like - Funny, I don't remember asking for your opinion, Where did the baby go? and Why does this laundry basket full of clean clothes smell dirty?

places to attach special photos: the house in shambles the night before (fill in the blank), outfits you wore when you thought you looked good only to realize that your husband should have told you people may confuse you with a crazy person (but he knew better, right?), how you looked from behind the night you went to the store with vomit (not yours) down the back side of your shirt, portraits of people without kids who gave you "good advice" on raising kids

Here are some additional firsts to add to the original list...

THE FIRST TIME YOU:

• Used a baby wipe to wash your face because you were late and the last to get ready, again, but at least it was a clean baby wipe...you think.
• Caught your husband on the ipad, under the covers, in bed instead of napping (b/c he really needed a nap) and sang"Busted, busted, Daddy's busted..." to your preschooler all the way out of the room while in your head thought, HA! At least I didn't get busted when I did it last week!
• Stopped yourself THE SECOND before you were going to apologize to that person in the grocery store for THEM running into YOUR 3 year old with their cart and started at them until they apologized.
• Realized that if you spent as much time cleaning your house and meal planning as you did online, things would be a lot different...eh, maybe tomorrow.
• Reconsidered your plea to family and friends NOT to recommend you to Stacy and Clinton's show What Not To Wear

Confessions and Funnies

Confessions:

• I've been eating 2 bowls of Lucky Charms a day because my 3 1/2 year old DOESN'T LIKE IT. (Why the heck did I buy her Lucky Charms, you ask? Good question. It has just a bit more sugar than her Alphabets and I thought she'd like a treat.) P.S. It's gooood!
• I'm blogging, pinteresting, etc. when I should be sleeping and/or cleaning the house (someone unplug my computer PLEASE!) I think I need to join a support group.
• When I feel like a bobcat would be a better way to clean up around here Sometimes (like Christmas Eve) I take photos of how messy our house is so I can look back (when my house is in constant perfect order, clean and purged - read this article, it's funny) and think, ah, those were the good old days.

Funnies:

• My daughter asked me what would happen if she put just her elbow in the closet and then closed the door. I told her to try it. She gave me the As If  look and said in all seriousness, "No Mom, tell me the troot" (truth)
• She also asked me where by "boob thing" (bra) was this morning before I got dressed and why I needed it. I said, "Well, it hold my boobs up." She replied, "Mom, what happens if your boobs fall down?"  Uhhh, I didn't know what to say! But I was thinking...tooooo late (!)