Happy New Year!

I almost went to bed without writing anything today, not on paper, on my blog, nowhere. So, I had to jump online and just post a quick one.

We celebrated Christmas with our friends today. My (very pregnant and due any day now) friend Bekki was kind enough to let me host it at her house (my own home has been overrun by a toddler and I can't seem to get ahead in cleaning after him - or myself), so I made my famous Chicken Quesadilla Casserole, some yellow rice, some rice pilaf (which The Boy loved), and an Aztec salad (the dressing is strained yogurt and salsa - no kidding). And then I left my leftovers at their house, so I have to swing by tomorrow. No big.

Bekki got me a book called The Big Green Purse, which was so timely as it corresponds nicely with my primary resolution for 2009. Reading the first few pages, though, I've discovered that I have already made some green shifts in my life, and that makes me feel really good. But it also points out areas where I can certainly improve - which were the things I most needed to see, anyway.

I also received a gluten-free cookbook (which will help me make gluten-free foods, in addition to having no gluten among its pages). The Boy is okay with wheat now, but he had such a bad reaction to my breastmilk whenever I was eating wheat, so I'm not entirely convinced that he's never going to react to wheat ever again. As such, I'd like to know more about gluten-free cooking, master a few recipes and introduce them, and overall prepare myself for any future sensitivities. And if he never reacts to wheat again, I'm okay with that, too. I would still have mastered some good, healthy recipes, anyway.

I really scaled back on Christmas this year, for which I was quite proud of myself. Everyone had lots of little things to unwrap, but I didn't spend a whole lot of money on anyone. Usually, I would spend around $30-50 on each person - with eight adults and one child (plus the one on the way) in the mix, that is quite a chunk of change. So, I really reduced it, made a serious list, watched for sales and used coupons, and only spent an average of less than $25 per person. And I'm inordinately pleased with the presents I gave this year, too.

Anyway, the year has started out nicely. The Boy was in good spirits most of the day (and willingly tried a black bean, which he later spit out and handed back to me), I got a lot of stuff done last night, and I'm in pretty good spirits. Tired, but happy.

And you really can't ask for more than that.