Oh I have missed my Suntag posts! I did not have 1) the time 2) the energy 3) the right tags to post anything for the last few weeks and it made my Sundays much less interesting. But all is well now and we can have fun again.
Now when everyone is busy thinking about Christmas, I’m already planning 2017!
Do New Year resolutions work for you? If they do, please teach me your way because I fail every year. I think I’m allergic to the pressure that comes with resolutions. You HAVE to make resolutions. You HAVE to keep them. You HAVE to show up and do the work. There are already too many obligations in this world (yes, I’m talking about you, working out sessions) to voluntarily add more to your plate! But you can set goals, a couple of big ones, lots of easy ones, to make the year something to remember. Even if it is just about trying new restaurants with plenty of dangerous-sounding dishes or stop losing one sock of every pair you own. With this mindset, I have decided to accept this tag for which I was nominated by the delightful Fadwa @ Word Wonders, thank you! ๐
The Rules:
- Thank the person who tagged you.
- Write your goals for next year.
- Write how youโre going to achieve your goals.
- Tag at least 5 of your blogger friends to share their goals.
- Then if you wish in 365 days write a post for everyone to see if you have been successful or not!
One thing I realized thanks to this blog is that a story not reviewed will end up a very fragile memory that is bound to disappear. We devour so many books that it is impossible, at least for me, to remember clearly something that I haven’t written about once I was done with it. I feel so guilty about the books I read and enjoyed but did not take the time to talk about in 2016. Because guilt is not a happy feeling, I have decided to review all books I read in 2017.
It is all about control. *starts laughing hysterically* Easier said than done. I had to set bans to avoid going over the edge several times in 2016. A book buying ban (a total failure), a request ban… I don’t want to feel like a prisoner, so I need to figure out a way to control my sudden urges and find a balance to avoid punishments!
The cooking bug got me earlier this year when I realized the easiest way to find food my body would accept was to cook my own meals. I have made a few mistakes (Burnt couscous tastes really bad) but overall it has been a great experience. I want to take it to the next level and add new recipes to my list. I hope to be able to cook a real Thanksgiving dinner next November! If you have British / American cookbooks recommendations, hit the comment box!
They say a name is just a name. Well sometimes a name is hard to carry because of the luggage it totes around. The last name I have today doesn’t reflect who I am and is my last attach to a family I was never a part of. It is time to say goodbye. It will never disappear because a birth name stays forever, but at least I have the option to use another one for my daily life.
I know, I have already annoyed you way too much with those readings. But I learned I was going to study Environmental History and The US and its Arts very soon and the books I am supposed to peruse are not appealing so I had to add it as a goal to overcome the issue. I am heading the the library tomorrow to start ahead, with a smile on my face and happiness in my heart.
Or maybe not.
One thing I miss a lot since my agoraphobia came back is my tendency to grab the dog, a bottle of water and go for a stroll with no destination in mind. I love walking and I had made an habit of bringing my baby around to visit. From 20 minute walks we went to 2 hour tours, and I thank the City Hall for the holy tram brought me home completely exhausted! There are still so many streets of Bordeaux I haven’t seen and so many I want to see again. I’m planning on training both dogs to walk all around town before the end of 2017.
Bonus: my bottom will thank me for that when it wears a skirt next winter!
That’s if for me. Some are easy goals, others are a little bit more complicated, but these are the simple things I want for 2017! What’s on your list? Let me know and let’s find the motivation together (or the chocolate to bury our lists in and forget all about it)
I am not tagging anyone because this post is all about losing the pressure and I don’t feel like telling you you need goals for 2017 ๐ Consider yourself tagged if you want to try it!
On a side note: Today is my Mom’s birthday ! Happy birthday to the strongest woman I know. Thank you for being such an inspiration.
Here’s the cake I baked just before I added the frosting. Yummy! Thanks Claire @ย Art and Soul for the recipe!
Happy birthday to your mum ! Love your cake ! It’s nice that you didn’t tag me (or anyone else) because I don’t do new year’s resolutions. Never have, never will :-). I do admire your list though and I think you will achieve them all ! I’m glad you explained your goal of changing your name though.. I would have been supportive too if you wanted to change your first name to something more masculine ;-).
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I can’t wait to eat the cake, haha! In fact, there was a line about how I did not want to tag anyone because like new resolutions, there’s a bit of pressure but WP did not save it and I did not realize when I published! New Year’s resolution is society’s way of telling you you have to change, I hate that. ๐ Yeah, the change in name could have mean lots of thing, in my case I’m only getting rid of a weight!
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Before we know it you’ll be posting recipes like Clare too :-). Maybe different recipes with Waffles or Chocolate involved.. mmm. You should definitely do what makes you happy !
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I’d love to share recipes but I’m still a baby cook. Next year maybe ๐ Oh yes, I should try and make experiments to have lots recipes including waffles and chocolate. How did I not think of that??
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Lovely post my sweechie! I don’t really like making new resolutions, just like you, I don’t like the pressure that comes with it and I’m not really good at remembering and keeping them haha. Wishing that you’ll manage to succeed with these!
And a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your mom! That cake looks so great!! โค
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Thank you Sweechie! โค Haha, I never remember either, that's why I made the post. I wanted something light today on the blog ๐ Thank you, I never mention her here so I thought today was the day! I want to eat the cake but I have to waaaaaaaait, haha
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Oh noooooooooo, why, that’s too bad haha, you can’t even eat just a little bite that no one will notice? :p
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The frosting makes it impossible haha! Next time I’m baking, I’ll make sure to be alone and devour an entire cake by myself.
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YES. That’s what you should do. ๐
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Happy Brthday to Mom! ๐
Lovely post! ๐ Had to LOL @ the bum thanking you when it gets to wear a skirt! ๐
Hmm… new year’s resolutions… for me it’s always the- quit smoking, drink less wine. Kinda boring ๐ But I am seriously planning quitting smoking… AGAIN! I’ve quit so many time, the longest I was off them was 3 years and fell off the wagon again… darn it! But what’s the saying- God loves a trier! ๐
Your resolutions sound lovely and I wish you success… .. now… I’m going looking for some cake as well… you made me drool with that cake pic! ๐
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That is so sweet thank you ๐
Yep, my bum prefers it when I work out a little, haha!
Smoking is like the most common but the hardest resolution to keep! My mom has always smoked and I have seen just how difficult it is to give up. But good luck with it! You’ve already shown you can make it happen, 3 years is awesome!
Oops ๐ It’s a fantastic cake and my first try at carrot cake and frosting, I lost a bit of blood and it took two hours but I’m proud of the result!
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I just totally suck when it comes to baking… it’s like this weird gremlin in my head that denies following the recipe for some reason… ๐ But I hope you all got great enjoyment out of your creation! ๐
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Happy birthday to mama Donna โค
All the best with your goals.I think I'll borrow yours on reviewing all books read in 2017. My other goal is on fitness.Will try and keep it simple
I hope you'll have a wonderful 2017 filled with great meals,amazing books,wonderful walks and love and laughter!
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Thank you so much โค She was mad about me mentioning her birthday at first but she appreciates the nice words ๐
Simple is the way to go. Big goals never work for me ๐ I hope 2017 brings you lots of awesome books to review and a nice fitness routine to stay in good shape, as well as all the little things that make you happy!
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Aww Happy Merry Birthday to you Mom!!! ๐
And I tend to recall books easier when I either write or talk about them too. I review all the books I read, unless it’s a reread and I have nothing new to add, because I treat my blog a bit like a reading journal, well I try to.
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Thank you!!! ๐
I wish I was as disciplined as you are, I let books slip away and now I barely remember them. Next year I’ll be more careful ๐
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Lol I think this is probably the only thing I’m disciplined in.
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First, Happy birthday to your mom! I have to admit that I loved each answer for personal reasons and was going to comment on them all. But I am truly most touched by the answer regarding your name. I resonated with me due to personal reasons โค You are going to rock 2017 lovely lady!
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Thank you! ๐ She was mad I mentioned it at first but so surprised when I told her many of my online friends had wished her a happy birthday. It’s so sweet! โค
Names can be such a difficult thing to bear ๐ โค Thank you for your endless support ๐ 2017 is gonna be our year ๐
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It is gonna be the best Donna โค
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Happy birthday to your mom! What a lovely cake!
And I hope you manage to accomplish all your resolutions! The cooking one… I might accomplish that one because my mom is giving me her Thermomix… I WILL BE THE BEST COOK EVER haha
My only resolution is to do a bit of exercise… ๐ฆ Today i got tired just by walking. UGH.
:* Lots of luck and strength!
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Thank you ๐ The cake was yummy except for the cream cheese frosting, yikes!!!! ๐
A THERMOMIX!!! I’m dreaming of it because I almost cut all my fingers with all the work for this cake. I did not even have a grater! How am I supposed to cook in those conditions??
Walking is tiring! When I spent three hours at the mall earlier this month, after weeks not leaving the house except for the dogs’ walks, I had so much pain in my legs the next day I felt like a 90 year old lady!
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Hahaha I love cooking, but with the Thermomix I’ll be a great chef XD Malls are the worst, I’m always exhausted after shopping. Don’t worry, I’m a 91 year old lady lol
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New Year resolutions just end up adding pressure sometimes and that really shouldn’t be the point, great post! You’ve probably tried it before, but Nigella Lawson is a great cook and her recipe books, such as Nigella Express, are great for delicious meals. She also uses chocolate a lot, which is always a plus ๐
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I actually have never heard of her! Thanks so much for the recommendation ๐ You can never use chocolate too much so I’m sure to find interesting recipes!
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Good luck with what ever you aim for in 2017, it’s trying that matters, not pressuring yourself into achieving everything. Life has a nasty habit of getting in the way of most plans, so do what you can! Great cake by the way – bet your mum loved it. ๐
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Thank you!:) I like setting small goals so that life has little chance to crush my plans, haha! The cake was excellent but I am not a fan of cream cheese!
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I completely agree that writing reviews help me remember more about books. Plus, if I DON’T remember something, I can always go back and look at my review to job my memory ๐
Good luck with all your 2017 goals!
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Thank you! ๐ We devour too many words to keep track, another bookworm issue! I’m thankful for reviews, haha!
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Yup, so true!
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With a cake that gorgeous, your mom’s destined to have a great birthday. =)
Do you think you might take and share pictures from your future walks around Bordeaux? My mom lived there for a few years when she was in high school, and I grew up fantasizing what it must be like there; I’d happily beg for any photos you might be able to share.
I think I might adopt most of your resolutions, myself. Best of luck staying on top of all of them, and I’m looking forward to hearing about your successes! You can do it!
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I did not show the final cake because I hated the cheese cream frosting and thought it did not deserve to appear on my blog, hahaha, but the carrot cake was so good!
You know what, I would love to try and take pictures to show you Bordeaux! I’m a terrible photographer, though so they might not be great or interesting! But it’s a fantastic motivation for me to go out more, thank you! Do you know my Instagram? I’ll post there for you! Even lazy and terrible pictures because sometimes it reflects real life in a place just as well as a gorgeous shot ๐
Thank you! โค Let's share resolutions but be nice to yourself too! ๐
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Frosting’s one of those skills I’ve never mastered. Maybe you’ll be a pro by this time next year!
Aw, yay! I found your Instagram, and I’ll be incredibly excited for any picture you post, even if it’s dark and grainy and blurred. Carefully staged and lit pictures are lovely, but I adore pictures that reflect real life in a place. Makes it feel more like I’m looking at a memory than an art piece, and I like that. But no pressure! I’m not going to be upset or anything if you’re never inspired to take pictures.
โค
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It looked okay but cream cheese… How do people eat that??? ๐
I’ll do my best, it’s a great way for me to stay motivated to go out ๐ โค Well, it's raining right now so no pics, hahahaha
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*Shakes a fist at the rain.* Hopefully the weather’s cleared up and you’re enjoying a beautiful week by now. ๐
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I love this idea! The problem is, I’d definitely forget to do an update.
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Haha, me too! That’s why the creepy-organizer I am made a note on her calendar to remember this!!
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Lol! It’s good to be organized-especially for things like this ๐
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This is a great post, and I loved reading all your resolutions as well Donna, do you think you’re likely to keep them all? I can never keep my resolutions, I made some bookish ones at the start of last year and I think of all the ones I made I only kept one or two. Most tend to be broken before January comes to an end. Still I keep making them hoping one year I’ll manage them for the whole year! ๐
I love the idea of living with self-imposed bans but I wouldn’t be able to manage that myself either! Also cooking more should be one of my resolutions for next year as well!
I hope you manage to keep all these Donna, also happy birthday to your mum as well! ๐
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I will try to ๐ It’s okay if I don’t but those are things I really feel like doing so it should be okay. It’s been hard not to break the bans and they take the fun out of everything so by being an adult and not jumping on every book, I should be able to live without them… We’ll see! ๐ Cooking has become an obsession, I want to learn how to make everything. Now I prefer eating food I’ve prepared myself, I’m awful to live with.
Thank you ๐
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It’s definitely OK if you don’t but I guess seeing them as things you should be doing may help you actually stick with them for the year you know?
Honestly for me it varies with bans. For some reason these past couple of months I haven’t really felt the need to buy any books, which is a strange feeling but maybe that’s just the ban at work or something.
It’s an obsession for me, and one I am hoping to get back into as well. I loved baking so I have no idea why I haven’t in ages!
That’s all right. ๐ โค
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Aww happy birthday to your mum!!
Ahh yes I know what you mean about new year’s resolutions- but this is a wonderful post!! I know what you mean about reviewing all you read- I just know I’d totally fail with that one cos I’m not even *close* with reviewing books in comparison to the number I read (oh the shame!!) Ooh avoiding self imposed bans sounds like such a good idea though!! I think after what I just wrote I could do with less guilt for sure!! hahaha I learnt to cook for the same reason lol!! It’s challenging (especially when you have to eat all the food you burn ๐ ) but worth it! Good for you to deciding to change your name- I used to think about that a lot tbh (for complicated reasons), but decided to keep it in the end (for more complicated reasons- jeez could I be anymore vague?) Anyway, I think it’s good to just do what makes you happy and if you feel like your name is weighing you done, definitely change it ๐ Anyhoo- great post!!
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Thank you โค
Haha, it's so hard to review sometimes that I am not sure I'll be able to work on every book but that's the plan. Having a plan is the first step to success, right? Food has taken such a big place in my life that I want to try it all! With more or less success ๐ But every failure is a lesson, and you learn it even faster when you're forced to eat your bad experiences. I'm okay with vague ๐ Vague is good here. Names are tricky. I think I'm just happy to have the option of changing it. If I were born one year before I would not even have had the choice ๐ฑ
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You’re welcome! โฅ
Ahh i get that- sometimes NY reaction is just *shrugs* that was OK, onto the next one… Absolutely!! Ahh yes!!! I love food!! Hear hear! Hahaha that’s so true!! Haha good! I don’t think I could do anything other than vague ๐ ahh that’s good! Is that too do with the strange laws France have about names I’ve never really understood? (feel free to give the vaguest answer if you’d like!)
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My turn to be vague, hahaha! I can’t really say about all the laws but one says that if you were born after Sept 1sr 1990 you can choose to have both parents’ names. That’s what I’m going with, to drop the one I don’t like and keep my mother’s for anything non super-official
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Ahh that makes sense- haha I understand!
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Happy birthday to your mom! Your cake is adorable :). Wonderful post Donna! I am horrible at keeping my new year resolutions, but I try. I think the pressure gets to me ;). Your goals are wonderful though and I hope you achieve all of them in this new year! Happy Holidays!
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Thank you! ๐ The cake tasted so good it was hard to believe it was me who had actually bake it, haha! Happy holidays to you too! I like easy goals, they help me get excited about the new year, as long as they keep the pressure low!
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That’s what I’m aiming for, good goals with not a lot of pressure put on to achieve them!
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Happy belated birthday to your Mum. That cake turned out so so so beautifully! She must have been delighted ๐
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Thank you ๐ and thank you for the recipe, it was a big success!
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