I should start with an apology. The first quarter of the year is over, and I think I've only managed one blog post. But I have a good reason. Seriously. I got married! So in between planning two weddings (that's what happens when an Indian marries an Italian), buying a house, selling a house, and just trying to get through life, the blog has fallen by the wayside :( But now that it's almost over (we just have to move house and we'll be done!) I'm hoping that things will pick up, and I'll be back into it. But in the meantime, I think it's only fair that I do a bit of a review of what's been happening, using the questions from the lovely Meet Me At Mike's blog....

Making: Lists. Lists of things to pack. Lists to things to get rid of. And also lists of people to whom we need to send thankyou cards for the wedding!

Cooking: Not much. We've hardly been at home. Instead I've been spending lots of time at Tamil Feasts, who always send me with leftovers galore, plus we have two sets of parents who love having us over for dinner.

Drinking: Water. Detox imperative.

Reading: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I'm only of the very few people who have never read or watched the Harry Potter series, so I thought it was about time that I rectified that.

Wanting: Sleep. I am ridiculously sleep deprived. Daylight savings couldn't have come at a better time for me.

Looking: Forward to moving into the new house!

Deciding: What songs to use for our wedding video. I want some western music and some Indian music.

Enjoying: Looking at our wedding photos. I can look at them multiple times a day and it always makes me feel so happy! As cheesy as it sounds, it really was the perfect weekend.

Waiting: For the rest of our wedding photos. Unfortunately we will be waiting for at least another five months :(

Liking: Married life. It's nice :)

Wondering: What the Tamil Feast menu will be this week. I'm lucky enough to have a volunteer shift, which means I get to spend time with some awesome people, and eat some delicious food.

Loving: The fact that we got our first wedding invite addressed to us as Mr and Mrs Russo. It's a bit special :)

Considering: When is a good time to change my surname. I've already decided that I will change my name, however given that we have a lot of bank paper work to sign regarding the house transfer etc, I figure I should wait until all of this is over to avoid any confusion.

Buying: A new drink bottle and a new wallet. Both my old wallet and drink bottle have died, and it's a perfect opportunity to replace these items with sustainable, environmentally options. I'm open to suggestions...

Watching: Not enough. I am so behind on all my TV shows, plus I've added to the list of shows I need to watch. At some point I need a week of downtime so I can sit there and watch Grey's Anatomy, The Leftovers, Black Mirror, Big Little Lies, Riverdale and Suits.

Hoping: For another holiday soon.

Marvelling: At how we and our families managed to get through our crazy wedding weekend in one piece and smiling on the other side!

Needing: Time. We have been so busy, that we really just need some time to relax and do nothing.

Smelling: The gorgeous eucalyptus type scent of my Burt's Bees lip balm. I love it.

Wearing: My DeJour jeans. I love them. If you haven't got a pair, get yourself down to Brunswick and get a pair of custom fitted jeans for a ridiculously reasonable price.

Following: Lots of different podcasts about my favourite TV shows.

Thinking: About writing our wedding thankyou cards. We really need to get onto it.

Admiring: My wedding bouquet, and all the wedding flowers in general. One of my husband's cousins took the lead on arranging all the flowers and she was seriously amazing. We gave her no brief, no clues on what we wanted, and let her have free reign, and she delivered beyond our expectations. We are so lucky to be related to such talented and generous people.

Sorting: My wardrobe. I need to do a purge before we move house.

Getting: Excited for Easter. I'll be glad to have a few public holidays and hopefully some time to rest.

Opening: Emails. My work inbox is a mess. I really need to clean it out.

Giggling: Thinking about various comedians I've already watched at the Comedy Festival. I'm lucky enough to be seeing a lot of shows this year as part of a media team. I've made a point to go and see smaller shows, by unknown comedians, and some of them are bloody hilarious. We saw Jeeves Verma last night, and I haven't laughed that much in a  long time.

Feeling: Exceptionally lucky. Life is good.

Snacking: On cheese. Our wedding cake was a cheese cake. Like literally, wheels of cheese, and we still have a lot of the hard cheese leftover. This is great news for me, it means I can spend the rest of my foreseeable future eating cheese and crackers with quince paste. It is not so great for my waistline though.

Hearing: The office hum. I miss being on holidays.

What’s been going on in your life?

It’s time to take stock of February. Time is just flying by, and whilst it’s been a short month (although a day longer than February last year!), there’s been a fair bit going on…

Making:  A dinner party menu. There will be dinner guests this weekend, so I need to work out what to cook!

Cooking: Pasta sauce with mint. I made this really interesting tomato based sauce with olives and mint. I didn't think the mint would work, but it tasted really nice.

Drinking: Cranberry juice. I received a few bottles of Ocean Spray Cranberry juice to try and I’m a fan.

Reading:  Nothing. I’m so slack. I need to get back into a reading. There’s a few books on the bookshelf that I really should get into.

Wanting: A break. I feel like I have been flat out since the start of the year. I really want some time to do nothing.

Looking: At clothes. The month has ticked over, and I’m allowed to do another lot of online shopping.

Playing: Candy crush. Still

Deciding: On holiday plans. I have big dreams to go to Mongolia this year, so I really should start getting organised.

Wishing: I could permanently be on holidays. Mongolia, Egypt, Tanzania, Antarctica. So many places, so little time (and money).

Enjoying: Having fresh chillies from the garden. My parents’ chilli plants are going nuts, so I have a massive supply.

Waiting: Labour Day. Our next public holiday! I love the first half of the year!

Liking:  My colouring book that I got for Christmas. I haven’t done nearly enough colouring, but that’s mainly due to the fact that I just don’t have much spare time.

Wondering: If I will be able to run a marathon this year. I’ve started training, and given myself till November, so hopefully I can do it, assuming I don’t get injured along the way.

Loving: The fact that the Melbourne Food and Wine festival is about to start. There will be so many awesome events!

Pondering: Whether to go out for dinner tonight. I want to, but there is so much food at home that should be eaten first!

Considering: What to spray the mint bush with. Our mint bush was getting devoured and we ended up finding 13 fat, well fed caterpillars in it. We got rid of them all, but no doubt we would have missed a few. Apparently spraying a mixture of salt, detergent and chilli should help get rid of them.

Buying: A bike helmet! I’m totally going to start riding a bike! I don’t think I’ve ridden since I was about 8 years old, so hopefully I still know how to ride!

Watching: My Kitchen Rules. I love MKR and Masterchef, so I have been following the series closely. I think my favourite is the brother and sister from Mornington, VIC. Hopefully they go far.

Hoping: That I have time to make some apple muffins tonight. My parents gave me all their old apples to bake with, so I thought some apple and cinnamon muffins would be lovely!

Marvelling: Ah nature. I love looking at the herbs every morning and seeing how much they have grown.

Cringing: At George Pell. How pathetic was his hearing? My arse he doesn’t remember.

Needing: To find some cruelty free toothpaste that contains fluoride. For some reason, the people that advocate for cruelty free products, are also anti fluoride. I am pro cruelty free, but I am also pro fluoride. Our teeth need fluoride.

Questioning: The Americans. Trump. Really?

Smelling:  Tommy Girl. I found my bottle from ages ago, and I still love it!

Wearing: My size 4 dress! I can’t believe I fit into it!

Following: The Spice Adventuress. I have been following Dhanya’s blog for a while now, and she has some great recipes and restaurant reviews. It’s a great read.

Noticing: The fact that the daylight hours are slowly getting shorter. The now dark when I go for my run in the morning, and the daylight doesn’t last as long in the evening  Winter is coming.

Knowing: That the first quarter of the year is almost over. It’s a bit scary.

Thinking: About the fact that I have been a bit slack with the blog over the last couple of weeks. I started off the year so organised, and completely on schedule, but I think time (and a little bit of laziness) has got the better of me. I need to get back on track.

Admiring: Kerryn Phelps. After seeing her on Q&A last night, I was so impressed. She is intelligent, clear in thought, and makes her point so well.

Sorting:  Emails. I have 11, 728 emails in my inbox. It is a bit nuts.

Getting: A couple of Maxwell & Williams platters. These arrived in the mail yesterday, and I discovered I won a competition I had entered before Christmas! I love surprises!

Bookmarking: Recipes with apples. I have lots that I need to get rid of.

Coveting: A degustation meal. It’s been a long time since I’ve had one, and I’m not sure I can justify the price tag these days, but damn there are some good ones out there.

Disliking: The fact that I worked a day for free. Damn the 366th day this year, I only get paid for 365 days!

Opening: Bills. I HATE BILLS. This time of the year is the worst too, rego, car insurance, rates, it’s the worst.

Giggling: At Drumpf. #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain

Feeling: Sleepy. Late nights and early morning training are not a good combination.

Snacking: On fruit. My parents gave me a whole heap of peaches, so I’ve been eating them.

Helping: At Tamil Feasts. I have my first opportunity to volunteer at a dinner, and I cannot wait. I also can’t wait to partake in another feast. So delicious.

Hearing: The Sweet Teen Club podcast. This podcast takes me back to my high school days. I loved the Sweet Valley High books, and it’s so nice to reminisce.

What’s been going on in your life?

This year I want to try and do a recap of each month. This set of Taking Stock questions were originally published on Meet Me At Mike’s by Pip, and then I stumbled upon them at I Spy Plum Pie by Liz. They seem like a great way to get a snapshot of what’s going on in my world. Hopefully you enjoy reading them as much as I have compiling them!

Making: Watermelon and feta salad. It’s been so hot recently and this is a really refreshing salad that takes advantage of the sweet watermelon that is in season and the limes that my tree is fruiting. It was also a great salad to take to the Australia Day festivities.

Cooking: Pita bread muffin cups with potato and herbed onion. I made them early in the month and they were a big hit. I paired them with some chilli jam which worked a treat. I might blog them soon so you can all partake in the deliciousness.

Drinking: Water. It’s usually water, and my water bottle is usually within arm’s reach.

Reading:  My Darling Lemon Thyme cookbook. This was a Christmas present, and I am really loving it.

Wanting: A new mobile phone. I dropped mine the other day and shattered the back of it. At the moment it’s being held together by some creatively applied duct tape, but I think it’s time to bite the bullet and upgrade from my iPhone 4S.

Looking: At the herbs that are growing. The luxury of having fresh herbs at my disposal that I can just pop out and pick while I am cooking is something I will never tire of.

Playing: Candy Crush. I’m always playing Candy Crush.

Deciding: What clothes to buy from The Iconic. I only recently discovered this website, and I am hooked. I have limited myself to only one order a month, otherwise I’d be buying things every second day!

Wishing: That I could have more holidays. You can never have enough holidays.

Enjoying: The plethora of sport on at the moment. Between the Indian cricket tour, the Australian Open tennis and the Big Bash League, there is so much sport on offer in Melbourne, and I am loving it!

Waiting: For lunchtime. I’m always hungry.

Liking:  My new black flats. Bought from The Iconic of course.

Wondering: What the new season of MKR is going to be like. I love this show. I love the cooking and I love the bitchiness. Can’t wait for it to start!

Loving: Welcome To Thornbury. This place is seriously awesome.

Pondering: The future. Doesn’t everyone?

Considering: Buying some Who Gives A Crap toilet paper. As part of shopping small, I need to find somewhere to buy toilet paper, and this is an initiative I have been wanting to support for a while. It’s time to do it I think.

Buying: Vegies at the market. It’s all part of shopping small for February.

Watching: Star Wars. I popped my Star Wars cherry and have now watched all 7 episodes. Strangely I actually enjoyed the newer movies more than the originals, with the exception of Episode 1. Jar Jar Binks needs to be buried in a very deep hole.

Hoping: That the presentation I have to give to senior management at work this week goes well. I’m a little bit petrified. I don’t want to be ripped to shreds.

Marvelling: At ultra marathon runners. How the bloody hell can someone run for 230kms?!

Cringing: At the Donald Trump Freedom Rally. ‘Nuff said. 

Needing: A new mobile phone. I dropped mine the other day and shattered the back of it. At the moment it’s being held together by some creatively applied duct tape, but I think it’s time to bite the bullet and upgrade from my iPhone 4S.

Questioning: Steven Avery. Like much of the world population I am hooked on Making A Murderer, but I’m not sure whether he is guilty or not. I think I am more inclined to believe he is guilty, especially with all the evidence that has popped up online since the show was released, but I’m not 100% sure.

Smelling:  All my delicious Lush products, some of which I bought, and some I received as a gift. I’m trying to shift all my toiletries and household items to be cruelty free, so Lush has become one of my regular shops.

Wearing: My new playsuit from The Iconic. Like much of my wardrobe it’s a super bright colour, orange, and I love it!

Following: I Spy Plum Pie. I met Liz at a blogger event I was hosting for work, and since then have been following her blog. As she describes it, it is one part vegetarian cuisine, and two parts sustainability. I describe it as awesome reading.

Noticing: The grey clouds outside. A storm is brewing…

Knowing: That I know nothing. Like Socrates said, ‘True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.’

Thinking: About how the hell I am going to following through on my resolution of running a marathon this year. Sometimes I really do come up with some stupid ideas.

Admiring: The people behind Tamil Feasts. We are going to this on Monday, and I have done a bit of reading on the people behind the scenes. What they have been through is almost incomprehensible to me, and I really tip my hat to them and their ability to not only keep going, but to do it in a positive manner. #RealAustraliansSayWelcome

Sorting:  Through my clothes. I have so much stuff that needs to be put in charity bins because I don’t wear it any more.

Getting: Annoyed. People annoy me.

Bookmarking: Pink Moscato and Nutella cupcakes. I have bookmarked these when this recipe was first posted, but I still haven’t made them. I really should make some time to bake!

Coveting: A new bike… I have a restored one coming to me, for me to decide whether I will ride it enough, and whether I deserve a new one.

Disliking: The heat. I HATE SUMMER. Yes I’m weird, I know, but I’d much prefer winter over summer.

Opening: Bills. Why is it that every time I get mail, it’s a bill?

Giggling: At episodes of Big Bang Theory. Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj can always make me laugh.

Feeling: Lucky. Just generally lucky. I have friends that I love, family that are always there for me, and my health. It is more than many others, and I really should be grateful.

Snacking: On cherries. I love cherries, especially when they are sweet. I really should make a trip to a cherry farm this season.

Helping: My parents move house. They have just moved out of the house they lived in for 27 years and into a new house. This has been a lengthy and difficult process given that both of them are hoarders. Goddamn.

Hearing: Podcasts. I know I’m very late to the party, but I’m finally listening to Serial.

How has the first month of 2016 been for you? If you want to do a recap using these Taking Stock questions, please feel free to leave me a comment below, I would love to have a read!