More?! You want...MORE?

Around the turn of the New Year, I read a post by Becca Wihite: "Instead of resolutions, this year I'm giving myself gifts...the gift of words. Mine(!) and other people's."  This sounded brilliant to me. I do love making resolutions but my goal-making persona tends to veer wildly from my goal-doing one. "Planning Annie" can be puritanical and rigid, highly optimistic about my time and willpower, and deeply disappointed in "future Annie" when she (or I--that is, regular old sometimes-tired-and-likes-her-comfort-zones Annie) doesn't comply to the high standard. 

So Becca got me thinking. What gifts can I give myself? So many of my goals are about deprivation or limiting--or at least that's how non-planning Annie thinks of them: Impositions. Style-crampers. Buzz kills. What if I thought in terms of gifts and what I want MORE of? 

So that's how I came up with my 2018 S'Mores. Of course I want serenity and wisdom and love but the actual items are concrete, quantifiable things I can give myself and others. I mentioned a couple of these in an Instastory yesterday and Sarah texted to ask what the other Mores were. Here we go:

• More water
• More books--real hold-em-in-my-hand-and-turn-the-pages books
• More candles, more often
• More cards & letters
• More gatherings
• More words 
• More (camera) photos
• More hugs and affection

What about you? What are you wanting more of in 2018? What can you give the world and yourself? 

p.s. This photo reminds me. Have you seen the 1968 vintage Oliver movie? Growing up my family used the line "MORE?!!! You want [pause]....MoooOOOOORRRRE?" over and over again to great and humorous effect. But I just went to find a clip of it and he just says "MORE?!" We must have embellished it over the years, ha!

A few good gems

Happy Friday! I'm pretty darn happy to not wake up at 5 AM come Saturday morning -- my eyes feel so scratchy and tired! Plus, I'm super excited to see my BYU Cougars play University of Houston -- live and in person at Reliant Stadium. I've got my game day shirt all ready to go, and I've been practicing the BYU Fight Song for days now. Rise and Shout!

But before I go, a few links for your weekend perusal. . . 

via Darling Magazine

A monthly food swap? Sign me up. This one is beautiful. 

Here's a fascinating book review on Claudia Hammond's Time Warped. She actually proposes that we can control how we experience time: "We construct the experience of time in our minds, so it follows that we are able to change the elements we find troubling." I'm totally into this because when I'm waiting in line or in traffic, I'm practically crawling out of my skin. Also, I might want to lengthen out those moments I'm on a deadline, or reading a book in bed, or eating donuts. And . . . who isn't interested in mind control? Seems like a good middle age (parent of teenagers) hobby.

This is a must-read NYTimes article on how to deal with (and avoid) teen drinking. There are so many differing opinions on when and how and if to introduce drinking to teens. The article is careful to mention a number of teen drinking philosophies. Interestingly, there is statistical evidence that encourages postponing the first drink as long as possible -- that later start dates actually encourage more moderate drinking practices in later life. So there. No drinking kiddies!

I just happened upon this site, so I haven't had time to give it a proper shakedown. But it looks like it could be a good resource for YA fiction. 

While I can't recommend the ABC series, Nashville (what the heck are they doing to Tammy Taylor?), I am a fan of teen singers Lennon & Maisy. This is my latest find. I'm campaigning to have Becca learn to sing it. It's soooo good.

Like Annie, I'm thinking about Christmas over here and browsing through Etsy for interesting and beautiful gifts: 

• Love this print. And these mid-century beauties.
• This gnome pattern (But I'd have to make it myself, which ISN'T happening.) 
• These Christmas cards. Since my people are all over the place, this could replace the family photo. She only allows three people on the card, but I could try begging. 
• Becca gifted Maddie one of these when she left for college. More for Christmas! 

But while I'm waiting for Christmas, I really need these donuts. Someone. Please.