That's a Wrap!

We're about to wrap up what has been a truly great year 

for me (and I hope it has been for you as well). I want to say thanks for taking the time to read my blog and show your support. It has been a great joy for me, and I look forward to doing an even better job with it in the New Year. 

There is lots in store for 2014 - including my wedding!!!! - and I am so excited to share it all with you. Until then, I'll be offline relaxing and enjoying the last few days of 2013 with friends and family. 

I wish you and yours all the health, happiness and love for 2014. Until next time... xo.

Welcome to the North Pole!

I love love love the holidays. They're pretty much the only part of winter I enjoy, and I love decorating, but our small apt doesn't really leave room for much decor. So when they announced our office decorating contest, I knew I was going to go all out! (I admit, I am pretty competitive). 

Thanks to some great tips, Pinterest ideas and my amazing fiance, I turned my cubicle into the north pole. This took some time, but was actually fairly easy. Here are the pictures:

Santa's Workshop & the Candy Cane Forrest

Welcome to the North Pole! 

Looking into Santa's Workshop

Even Elves Need Directions 

This project is actually really easy, it's mostly foam board, popsicle sticks, construction paper, and the lights. I love being artistic and crafty, and rarely have a reason to do it, so this really made me happy. Plus, now I get to work from Santa's Workshop all week - and what's better than that?!

Also for more hilarious Christmas spirit, watch this families virtual Christmas card:

The Canned Tomato Conundrum

In my whole food lifestyle overhaul, one of the things I've been trying not to use is canned tomatoes (you can read more here about why), however I've been having issues using fresh.

First I tried to make chili using whole tomatoes instead of canned. I think I used too many tomatoes (issue #1) but the really big problem was they didn't break down and meld like chili usually does. I ended up with a crock pot of meat, cubed tomatoes, a lot of extra liquid and seasoning instead of a wonderful soupy blend of chili.

Monday night, I tried to make tomato sauce in the crock pot from whole tomatoes (using this recipe). It said it cook on high for at least three hours. I did that (at 7 p.m.), and 3 hours later had a crock pot of liquid, cubed tomatoes, and other ingredients. It was like warm bruchetta, not sauce. I kept cooking, and cooking, and at 5:45 a.m. (10 hours and 45 min later) I still had big chunks of tomatoes in that crock pot in a semi-liquidy sauce. I ended up pulsing it in the blender quick and moving on. 

Does anyone have ANY recommendations? Is it the tomatoes I'm using? The ratio? Should they be cut smaller? The crock pot? Any help to answer my canned tomato conundrum is MUCH appreciated!! 

Home is Where the Heart Is

"Thomas Wolfe once said you can't go home again. Well, that's great for old Tom. But he wasn't a chick who made a pact with her friends when she was twelve to get together whenever any one of them needed each other." - Now & Then

I think that we can all agree that Now & Then is a cinematic classic for any girl who grew up in the late 90's, myself included. Anyway, I had this quote on my mind when I was thinking of my blog topic today, because I really don't agree with old Tom. 

We went home to Long Island this week for Thanksgiving. Every time I come home for the holidays it just feels like a big hug. A crazy busy, super fun, big, warm hug. I love it. We had the absolute best time the past 5 days, from our first LI Turkey Trot, to  wedding planning stuff, to going out dancing, to sitting around my Grandma's table on Thanksgiving just laughing and joking and eating.

I feel so happy and rejuvenated going into the rest of this crazy holiday season, and hope all of your holidays were equally as wonderful! Here's a few photos from our wonderful trip - I already can't wait to go back! 

Oyster Bay Turkey Trot

Dancing the Night Away

 

Last Look from the Plane :(

The view of the Sound on our Turkey Trot

My New Year: 28

First day of 28 and I'm feeling great! Thank you again to all who called, texted, Facebooked and emailed birthday wishes. I felt to loved! 

My 23rd Birthday.
I love this crown! 

This year (if you are into numerology) is a 5 year for me. 5 years are a year of change and personal growth and new freedoms and this couldn't be more true. I'm so excited for all that lays ahead - our wedding, traveling, meeting my godson, Sean's graduation from law school, and so much more. 

With that said, I've set a couple goals for my year because I'm ready for some change and I have great expectations:

1. Train to run a 5K (running the whole time). 
2. Reach my goal weight before my wedding dress comes in.
3. Learn a little German for our honeymoon.
4. Continue my whole food eating and education.
5. Really, truly be present in every moment and enjoy it, instead of rushing around. 

That last one can be difficult, but I feel that it is so, so important and I'm really going to be working on that the most.

This year is going to be so amazing, and I want to be sure I am really enjoying every single minute! 

Where Does the Time Go?

Time is something that has always really intrigued me. I know that sounds dumb, but I always feel its so interesting how time can move fast and slow at the same time. Like when you go on vacation, it seems to speed by (is it time to go home already?) but at the same time seems like the last time you were home was so long ago. I'm totally feeling that way today. 

Today, Sean and I have been engaged for a year. I remember it like it was yesterday, and I can't even believe a year has passed. I remember starting my blog and doing my 2013 goals, and now I need to start thinking of 2014 goals. At the same time, this week is moving so slow, I can barely remember Monday and feel like its been AGES since last weekend. Is it really only Thursday?

I'm sure hoping today and tomorrow hurry up because I'm ready for my birthday weekend and next week's Thanksgiving festivities. Until then, here's a little something in honor of throwback Thursdays, and time. 

We're Having Fish Tonight!

I'm a parents worst nightmare - the pickiest of the picky eaters. Most of my life I sustained on bagels and french fries, with an occasional dose of string beans mixed in (my veggie of choice). I didn't eat any cheese (besides cream cheese or mozzarella)  until I was 18. I lived on what I call the white diet - white bread, white potatoes, white rice, white cheese - and bacon. 

It wasn't until I moved in with Sean and I had my own kitchen that I really started to expand my palette. In the past 2.5 years, I've tried more new foods than I've tried in my first 25 years. And guess what - I actually LIKED some of it! Okay, I liked a lot of it. 

One of the biggest shockers to most of my family and friends is my new found enjoyment of seafood. Nothing crazy (like sushi or oysters) but when I told people I was having cod for dinner last night, a few of them almost fell over. 

I have to give a lot of credit to Sean - he put a lot of effort into strategizing and introducing me to seafood in a way he knew I would like (like starting with fried fish and chips). But the recipe he made last night was definitely the one that topped them all so far. The recipe calls for tilapia, but we used cod and it was incredible, so I'm sharing it with y'all: 

Click here for Honey Lime Fish from the blog One Lovely Life.

Also because I am still a child and treating me like one helps me try new foods, he deals with me continuously quoting Bruce from Finding Nemo ("I'm having fish tonight!") on seafood dinner nights. I'll tell you, he's really a CATCH! (hahaha get it?! Sorry, I couldn't help myself). 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. Remember - fish are friends, not AND food! 

Austria, Here We Come!

Earlier this week I blogged about the excitement of wedding planning and how much I've been in enjoying it, but I think what we're planning this weekend might take the cake. Since it's going to be a free weekend (literally there is NOTHING on the calendar), we're going to start planning our honeymoon! 

We've decided to go to Austria, and I couldn't be more excited. Fall in the Alps, beautiful old cities, tons of history for us to explore... it's just ideal. We'll also be looking into some mini-trips, possibly to Prague or Budapest or Munich or Bratislava, or maybe a combo.

It took us a really long time to decide on a honeymoon destination, mainly because there are so many places we want to travel and Sean's never been to Europe. We wanted something a little off the beaten path, that we could combine sightseeing and lazy mornings in cafes sipping coffee (and devouring pastries). 

After lots of research (we're now the proud owners of multiple Fromers guides, if you're ever looking for one) and discussion, we think we've picked the perfect trip for us. Now, with 330 days to go, we face the biggest challenge of all - waiting patiently until the trip!

P.S. If you've ever been to any of these places, comment here or on Facebook and share some of your favorite things about them! 

Monday Morning Pizzazz!

More so than any other day, I really like to put the theory "when you look good, you feel good" to the test on Monday. So I decided that would apply to my blog, too. It got a little spruce of color and a face lift this morning. I'm also wearing a new sweater and colorful scarf  - and I feel great. 

However, the scarf isn't the only thing contributing to my cheer. November and December are two of my favorite months. I love the fall and early winter. I love the holidays (including my birthday, which is in just 20 days, so mark your calendar) and spending time with family and friends. And in addition to all the things I love, we get to add some wedding planning in the mix. I've been absolutely LOVING planning for our wedding. 

Some people rush into getting married, but I've enjoyed our long engagement. We'll never be engaged again, and it's such a fun and exciting time, with so much to do and share. It's a time to enjoy and we both are enjoying it very much. 

I'm sure as the clock winds down it will become a little stressful, with all the last minute details and what not, but I know when I look back it will be one of the most fun and exciting times of our lives. The Thanksgiving we had a bunch of wedding appointments. The Christmas we picked wedding cake and invitations. This holiday season will be just a little more exciting with wedding planning involved. And though we have so many holiday seasons ahead of us, I know we'll always looks back at this one with fond memories and a smile. And that makes me feel great. 

Getting proposed to last thanksgiving!

Right after our engagement
(thanks to my ninja soon to be sister-in-law Kate for getting these photos!)

Lazy and Loving It

I haven't written in over a week, because honestly, there's not been much to say. I had to work this past weekend, so since the last time I've written, all I've done is work. I'm looking forward to having a super relaxing weekend! 

It's Sean's birthday weekend, so we'll be going to dinner tonight and Sunday and the rest of the time just hanging out. It's going to be so relaxing and fabulous. I'm really looking forward to spending some quality time together, and cooking him is favorite dinner on Saturday. (The diet is totally on pause this weekend.)

A perfect fall weekend of lovely meals and being lazy. What could be better?

Couch + Snacks = Perfect

The Government is a Mess, but Washington is Perfect.

Sometimes I need a little extra inspiration on Monday mornings. Especially this one, where there's some work drama. So I'm going to channel Kerry Washington today, because she's my modern day Mary Poppins (practically perfect in every way).

I've always been a fan of Kerry, but as Olivia Pope on Scandal she's become my total favorite. Oliva always (well almost always) got her ish together and she's not afraid of anything. Off screen, everyone says Kerry is a total doll and brings sunshine and joy to work every day. Again I say, practically perfect.

So today, when I'm feeling a little less-than (less than perfect, less than happy, less than a few other adjectives), I'm going to try to be a little Kerry Washington-esque. Be a little more happy, a little more sunny, a little more of a gladiator. I mean really, who wouldn't want to be this fabulous. 

Goal Reorganization

When I first started my blog earlier this year, I talked about my goals for the year and separating them by month. I lost steam mid-spring and with all my summer travels everything just went by the wayside. Now, it's time to regroup!

October: Diet Reboot. I've actually been pretty good considering all the travel and weddings I've attended. I've still managed to lose weight over the course of the year, but since the summer I've pretty much plateaued. Now's a perfect time to restart. With all the wonderful produce fall has to offer, I'm back on the veggie train!! 

November: Wedding Workouts. With less than a year to the wedding - but more importantly months to my first fitting - I've got to get my butt in gear! Also, I'm hoping that starting at this time will keep me motivated through the holidays (instead of making excuses) and get me into a routine for the worst part of the winter slump in January and February. 

December: Gift Giving. I used to be very organized, but city living makes me a sucky gift giver. I don't love online shopping, and not having a car to drive to a mall where I can aimlessly wander for the perfect gift makes shopping more difficult. I've become a chronic gift card giver and hate it! I vow to be the gift giver I once was this holiday season! 

So there you have it - goals for the rest of the year. There's no better time than today to start, so enjoy your Monday and go out and dream big! 

The Tuesday Blues

I have a serious case of the Tuesday blues. The fact that the Tuesday blues are something I made up is neither here nor there. 

Most people hate Mondays, but I actually like Monday. It's my fresh start for the week! Weekends were either lots of fun or very relaxing (or both) and Monday's like the first page of a new notebook. And then Tuesday is like the gross page 3/4 of the way into the notebook that got some coffee spilled on it and it's kind of crinkly. 

There's still so much week left, and things to do, but the shiny fresh start to the week has worn off. And we're still so far from the end. There's just nothing good about Tuesday....

...except Sons of Anarchy. There's nothing some Jax Teller can't make better. Maybe Tuesday isn't so bad after all...

Feeling Like Fall

It finally feels like fall. I'm so excited! Fall is my absolute favorite. If it didn't lead to winter it would be perfect. However, I just adore scarves and boots, the leaves changing, pumpkins and Halloween, baseball playoffs, football and so much more. This is the first weekend of fall, and I've got big plans! 

Sean's parents are coming in to visit this weekend, and we're taking is Dad to his very first Notre Dame game. He's been a life-long fan, and I'm so excited to be part of his first game. Having been to my first ND game last year, I can only imagine how much he'll enjoy it after following the school and team for so many years. 

I was so impressed when we went to ND. Having gone to a city school with minimal sports, stepping onto Notre Dame's campus on a perfect fall day felt like I had fallen into a college campus brochure. I couldn't believe a place like this really existed. It was so different than my own college experience and so special - the whole campus felt electric. Getting to re-live this experience with Sean's parents is going to be awesome, and a perfect way to spend my first fall weekend (especially if they win). 

I hope you all have something great planned for this weekend! Here's a picture to get you in the fall mood. Go Irish! 

Sean and Touchdown Jesus

Perfect Ending

I was doing so well on posting frequently, but life just got so crazy for a minute there! Well, things are finally winding down and my travels are completed. I'm not sure what I'll do now - the idea of not spending time at the airport feels foreign - but I managed to rack up 63,000 airline miles, so I can visit all my friends at Southwest again real soon.

In all seriousness, it was a great summer and yesterday was the icing on the cake. Sean's sister gave birth to our beautiful godson, Thomas, and everyone is healthy and happy. It really was the perfect ending to a summer that was all about love. 

With six weddings, a few engagements and a bridal shower, we spent a lot of summer celebrating as families came together. It was truly wonderful and the perfect way to prepare me for the year leading up to my own wedding.

With just 12 months and 23 days to go until my own wedding (yes, I know how many days) I'm feeling lots of inspiration and love and joy. It was a summer of love. And really, isn't that how summer is supposed to make you feel? 

Thanks to everyone who made our summer so special. We were so happy to celebrate with you. And thanks to my soon-to-be sister-in-law for birthing the most awesome kids. We love Thomas already!

Summer Friday!

So it's that time of year again... Labor Day is just a week away, kids are going back to school, summer's winding down. Except I feel like summer just started...

Not only did Chicago just get the memo that summer is supposed to be warm - temps are finally rising to the high 80's! - we spent most of the summer traveling. I traveled eight out of ten weekends. That left one weekend to enjoy Chicago when Colleen came to visit, and one to do my laundry. And now here we are, facing the end of summer.... but I'm not ready!

It's supposed to be gorgeous this weekend, and I can't wait. I'm fidgeting in my office chair like a little kid on the last day of school. I just want to break free! Let me into the sunshine! (But only with SPF 50. At least.)

Tomorrow we're going to go to brunch and then do a walking tour/scavenger hunt that I bought from Groupon. It's called Stray Boots (though I keep calling it Shady Boots like I'm NeNe) and it's a tour via an app on your iPhone. I'm super excited to give it a try, and if nothing else at least we'll get a nice long walk around Chicago. I plan on soaking up every last minute of summer that I can get... and I've only got 4 hours and 45 minutes until I can start :)

Feeling Inspired

It was a long weekend. We drove Thursday night and all day Friday to Long Island, spent Saturday at the Kenny Chesney concert, and drove back to Chicago all day Sunday. We drove because it was cheaper than flying, but somewhere around Ohio, I had that a-ha moment you have when you realize you're in the middle of something that was just a really dumb idea, but it's too late to go back. So we continued down I-80. 

We hit very little traffic on Sunday, and were home by 6 p.m. Still, spending 28 out of 72 hours in a car put me over the edge, and I was beyond crabby. Like, way beyond. So I got home, quickly unpacked, showered, got into my PJ's and put on the Teen Choice Awards. 

Not only am I not sorry for watching them, I'm so glad I did. Ashton Kutcher was honored with some lifetime achievement award (what he called the old-guy award) and gave this really awesome speech that immediately took me out of my funk. Now, I would not call myself a fan of Ashton's (I'm pretty indifferent to him) but this really bumped him up a notch in my book. 

I don't know if he's been inspired by playing Steve Jobs, or if he's much smarter than he looks under his goofball persona, but his speech really struck a cord for me and made me feel motivated to not only do better, but be better. Really, it was just what I needed. 

If you missed it, you can click here to watch. It may or may not have as much as an impact on you as it did on me, but if it doesn't, I hope you find something to inspire and motivate you this week. After all, it is Monday, and we can all use a little motivation to be the best we can be. 

Happy Monday!

It's My Friday & I'll Blog If I Want To

It's my Friday today! thanks to some PTO time that had to be used up I'll be off tomorrow. I love a short week! (It's also Drew Lachey's birthday, just in case you weren't aware. My true first love <3 )

Anyway, back to reality. It's my Friday and I'm super excited. We're seeing Eric Church AGAIN this weekend, when he opens for Kenny Chesney. They are two of my favorites, and they're in concert together. I'm super excited to head to a country music concert, because I haven't been to one all summer (minus Eric Church's hour set last weekend). 

Because this summer is going by so fast (and in Chicago it was barely warm at all, feeling like chilly spring rolled right into to fall) I'm glad to spending the last couple weeks doing very summer-specific activities. Country music concerts, baseball games, brunching outside. It's going to be GLORIOUS. 

I hope you all have a fun weekend and are able to get your last few weeks of summer activities in while you can. It won't be long until we have to say the dreaded f-word... FALL! 

P.S. I love fall, it's actually my favorite season, but I get fall-related anxiety at the end of the summer thinking of how long it is until next summer. And yes, that's a condition I totally made up.

Word Vomit

I have so many (non-important) things swirling around my mind that I'm finding it difficult to blog. Staying on topic in a cohesive, easy to read format is becoming increasingly difficult. So, I've decided just to word vomit all my thoughts into bullet points and you can take them or leave them.

• Made it through my three hours at Lollapalooza. The people were weird. I ate a cheeseburger and loved it (which is weird, because I usually don't eat pattied meat, let alone like it).
• Eric Church was unbelievable and rocked my face off. I'm so glad I'm seeing him again on Saturday, this time at a country music concert with seats. 
• Sean and I are seeing the Yankees at WhiteSox tomorrow night. I really hope Mo pitches. This may be my last chance to ever see him, which makes me sad. I don't care about seeing A-Rod at all, so I'll be mad if he plays and Mo doesn't.
• Speaking of Sean, he complained I didn't mention him in my last blog, so there you go babe. Now stop whining. 
• I got on the scale this morning and I've officially lost 15 pounds. I feel like I don't look any different, and that's annoying, so I ate two mozzarella sticks at lunch. I'm aware if I just work out I probably will look different, so you don't have to remind me.
• Our fantasy football draft is in three weeks and I'm totally unprepared  I probably shouldn't say that on my blog, but I doubt the boys read my blog anyways. 
• I need to make my fall TV schedule. Maybe I'll do that tonight.
• Dinner. Ugh. I've barely cooked all summer. At some point, half an avocado just became an acceptable meal. I wonder how long I can continue the charade before Sean wants a real meal. I'm going to guess about another three hours until I get home. Guess I'm going to Google some recipes. 

Hope you all have a little more focus than I do today. And if you're together enough to already have your dinner recipe picked out, please send it over. Love you, mean it :)

Livin' Part of Life

I'm going to Lollapalooza tomorrow, against my better judgement. I know myself. I know myself well enough to know I hate crowds, I hate drugs (which often many people at music festivals are on), and I hate being hot for prolonged periods of time. So really, Lollapalooza shouldn't be my weekend destination. 

However, I love Eric Church. Love him. Love him more than I can put into words in a short novel, let alone this short blog post. And he's playing at Lollapalooza. 

So on this lovely Friday afternoon, I'm asking you, all my wonderful friends and followers, to say a little prayer for me tomorrow.

First, that I don't have a total freak out among the crowd of 160,000 people. 

Second, that Eric Church sings "Livin' Part of Life" - my absolute favorite song. I've been tweeting him daily for weeks about it. (At time of blog post, he's not yet responded. I'm praying that in the middle of his set he says "Who is KBeanie83 on Twitter that's been requesting this song for 6 weeks?" and pulls me up on stage. Don't kill my dreams.)

Finally, that perhaps this experience that I'm feeling very torn about (so excited to see Eric! so not excited about the rest!) turns out to be an experience that broadens my horizons, and helps me realize just because I don't think I like something, I should at least try it. Life is about experiences, and I do feel some of the most interesting people have had the most life experience. 

Your thoughts are appreciated. I hope that whatever you do this weekend puts a smile on your face - even if you thought it might not have. 

A Midwest Monday

There are certain times when I am really, truly aware of how NOT in New York I am. This morning was one of those moments.

If I was in New York, half of my co-workers would be just as tired as I am this morning, after the Yankees and RedSox went FOUR hours and 45 minutes and 11 innings last night. But here in Chicago, almost no one knew the game even happened. As I practically fell into the coffee pot, co-workers asked what was wrong, and if I was sick. In New York, people would have just known why I was so tired. 

It's just the small moments like this that make me miss home. I'm glad that I was able to spend the weekend with my family and some friends celebrating my step-brothers wedding. Though it wasn't in New York, seeing loved ones all weekend made it hurt just a little less when my midwest co-workers looked at me like an alien for watching baseball all night. 

Thank god for my family... and the New York Yankees.

Playing Tourist

No more boring weekends for me. This weekend was the first of many weekends filled with awesomeness, and I have to say it exceed my expectations!

My friend (and Sean's cousin) Colleen came to visit Chicago. I love when people come to visit and let me play tourist with them. It's always a great opportunity to see the city that I often spend so much time just commuting through. Especially with all of the history Chicago has to offer. 

We started the weekend off right - deep dish pizza - and kept going from there. The Sears Tower, a bus tour, the bean, Navy Pier, the Chicago History Museum, a Cubs game. Plus, lots and lots of local food at yummy restaurants and Roscoe Village Burger Fest. Fun and food - it's always a winning combo.

Thanks for being a stellar visitor, tourist & friend, Colleen! Here's a few pics from our amazing weekend:

Enjoying all Wrigley Field has to offer (make your own joke).

Panoramic from the Upper Deck at Wrigley Field

Panoramic from the SkyDeck at Sears Tower (103 stories up!)

I found my ideal sized coffee mug!

Ready for My (Boring) Weekend

Most people would agree that it's rare when I don't have something to say. However, I haven't blogged for weeks because I really feel I have not had anything to say. I'm old and boring. It's Friday afternoon and I'm thinking about my laundry, and hoping when I get home I beat people to the washers. And the sad truth is, I will. Because it's FRIDAY people are OUT PARTYING (or at least enjoying a casual bev at Happy Hour). And honestly, I don't even care. 

I like being old. I like going to bed early, and having a nice big mug of tea before bed, and playing board games with friends and calling it an early night. (Did I mention going to bed early?) I was not always this old. I used to go out right after work, stay out and dance the night away. I was a night owl, who could run on 3 hours of sleep. Go out at 10 p.m. on a Wednesday when the Yanks were playing on the west coast, and get up at 5:30 a.m. for work no problem. Now, just typing that sentence makes me feel tired.

After this weekend I have seven straight weekends of plans. I'm excited, because they're all wonderful - traveling, celebrating weddings with family and friends, spending time with some lovely visitors & showing them around Chicago, seeing some of my FAVORITE musicians in concert. It will be an amazing way to spend summer, but it kind of makes me tired thinking about it. And it makes me that much more excited for this weekend, and doing my laundry at 4:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon, and going to bed at 9. In fact, I kind of feel like I'm living the dream this weekend. And I'm not sorry :)

Hope you all have a weekend that you enjoy as much as I will enjoy mine, whatever it is you're doing.

P.S. I'd like to give a shout out to everyone celebrating PRIDE this weekend! I probably won't be celebrating, because I hate crowds, but I am with you in spirit!! 

The Newbie!

I've been dying to share some big news and finally can. We've got a newbie in the family!!

My family is super huge and super close. We're like the family in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, just not Greek. It's been one of the biggest blessings of my life to have so many crazy, loud, loving, wonderful relatives and I'm so excited to welcome another cousin to the mix! 

Welcome to the family, Mariah Christine! 

Mariah and her big brother, Frankie.

It's Summertime...

You have never seen anyone as excited on a Monday morning as I was when my alarm went off this morning. I practically sprang out of bed - which anyone who's ever seen me before 11 a.m. can attest is nothing short of a miracle. 

But today is the day my summer begins, and I'm EXCITED! The work event that was all consuming my life took place on Saturday, and turned out great. Though I wasn't so thrilled to work on it in the beginning, I'm glad I was able to work hard and pull off a great event for all of our participants. Now, I'm so happy to be able to take a deep  breath, relax and get my summer started. 

I think it's going to be the best summer I've had in years. My last few summers have been nice - wonderful occasions have been celebrated, fun summer nights on Long Island - but I feel like I haven't had a truly GREAT summer in a long time. One of those summers that you remember for life. I think this summer is going to be one of those summers, and I'm so excited it's finally here!

Blogging on the Bus

Life has reached a new level of busy - I'm blogging from the bus. It's actually kind of nice to do it here, so I can ignore the freaks and geeks around me. And let me tell you, the 76 eastbound had PLENTY of both. They say it takes all kinds, but I often look around the bus and wonder... I really don't think we need all of these kinds. At the very least, I don't think I need to commuting with all of them daily.

With the exception of one job, I've always been a public transportation commuter. It provides for endless comedy, aggravation and confusion. My step dad, who grew up on a farm in Minnesota and has always driven to work, thinks my commute stories are amazing. He's always encouraging me to write a book about it. But the more I develop the idea, the more I'm thinking it should be a collection of short stories. Commutes around the country, maybe. The more I commute, the more I think I could make this book. 

What do you think? Would you read a book about crazy, hilarious commuting stories? Would you contribute to one? I want to hear from you on this one! 

Feeling Lucky & Full of Nostalgia & Excitement

I'm feeling really lucky today. I'm homesick. You might wonder how that makes me feel lucky, but it's because I'm homesick for multiple places and yet still excited to be where I am. Okay, yes, I know this makes me sound totally insane. 

I'm sitting at my desk thinking of how badly I'd like  to be in Charleston - where our love story started, where Sean's wonderful family is, where it's warm and the sun is shining and people are friendly.  

Then I think of how much I can't wait to go to Long Island, to celebrate weddings of beautiful friends that I've known for years, to hang out with my sister and awesome family and amazing friends, to go to my favorite bagel place. I also hope to catch a Yankee game because I miss the Stadium SO MUCH. 

Then I think about how excited I am for our engagement photos this weekend, to capture really nice photos and memories of the first place we lived together, our adorable neighborhood, in an awesome city. A place neither of us had any knowledge about or experience with up until a month before moving here (when we came to find an apartment). Though its sometimes been a struggle here (being homesick, missing events I'd love to be at back home), it also will hold a special place in my heart, something I know we'll look back on for years to come and smile. 

I feel super lucky to be torn in so many different directions, having so many people and places to love. I'd feel much luckier if I owned a private jet to shuttle me to and from them at a moments notice. Unfortunately that isn't the case, but very fortunately I'll be traveling quite a bit this summer, visiting everyone and all the places I love. Though I'll be settling for Southwest instead of a private jet, it'll get the job done, and I can't wait. 

The Old Stadium

  

Life's for Livin', Child Can't You See...

This morning "These are the Days" by Keith Urban came on my iPod. If you don't know it, the moral of the story is to live your life now because you won't get these days back. Which made me think about how much I've been putting off lately (including the blog) and that I just need to get refocused and in the moment. Even if it's difficult, I have to keep trying.

It's been a totally crazy couple of weeks at work. I know I had planned to write more often, but we recently have had some staff turnover at my office and it has essentially left me doing two people's jobs. The past 6 weeks have just been TOTALLY insane and overwhelming. However, I only have one month left of this, then the big event I'm working on will be over, and I'll have a minute to breathe.

Spring finally showed up in Chicago this weekend (it hit 63 degrees!) and it's supposed to continue warming up. It's about time! The beautiful weather has done a ton to improve my mood, despite the business, and reminded me how close I am to one of the most amazing summers ever. I'll be traveling a ton, seeing friends and family, celebrating amazing life occasions and having an awesome time. 

Speaking of awesome times, earlier this month I went to Disney with my mom and sister and had the MOST awesome time. I am so lucky to have such a great family. Living so far away is hard, and I count down to the next time I see them the minute I leave. This girls weekend was really special and we had a spectacular time. Here's a few pictures of Megan and I (Ann hates pictures, so none of her): 

Just a few favorites of mine. Hopefully I'll be finding some time in this next month to write more often, but if not, I'll resurface at the beginning of June and look forward to sharing my summer travels. I hope you all have some great summer plans ahead of you, too. Remember, enjoy each day. You don't get it back. 

Walkin' on Sunshine

Here we are, another dreary Sunday in Chicago (cloudy, feels like 19, supposed to have flurries through Tuesday). I, however, am feeling SUPER sunny. I lost 3 pounds this week, which is, 1., is a freaking miracle with the junk I've been eating and, 2., puts me into the next lower bracket of tens, changing the number between the 1 and the 0. I won't be telling what the number went from or to, but I'm SUPER motivated by it. After a few weeks of losing a pound, gaining a pound, I'm re-motivated by this loss!

As you may or may not recall, my resolution for March was to calm my inner voice. I have to say, I don't want to. I've been so happy lately seeing my friends and family and have so much awesome stuff coming up, my inner voice kind of sounds like a 6-year-old on Christmas morning. So I'm just going to keep letting her shriek and giggle. When I start to stress over something, then I'll work on calming it.

So, I am going to re-new my February goal of working out more. I started strong, but fell off the wagon. Now I'm more motivated than ever to keep those numbers going down. Plus, I'm going to have to shop for a wedding dress eventually. And when I do, I want to be ready for it. Nothing is worse than a bridezilla, except a starving bridezilla trying to fit into a gown. 

I hope you've all had a weekend that makes you just as happy as I am today. And if not, try to take sometime to calm your inner voice and count your blessings. There are many.

xo 

Reboot

I haven't posted in almost a month. Shame on me. I'm sorry I've left you all totally hanging. 

February and March are so hard for me. It's cold (a day before spring and it's a Real Feel of 1 degree here in Chicago), it's dark, it's dreary. I honestly don't have much to say, as I haven't been doing much except working.

Last weekend was the first weekend that got the ball in motion for all my amazing spring/summer activities. I got to go home. To Long Island. To my people. 

To some it may not have sounded like anything crazy. Friday night at local bar with friends. Saturday breakfast with Grandma. Saturday night engagement party for my middle school best friend. Home Sunday morning. To me, it was like a mental and spiritual reboot. 

I was so happy to be with my people, and just relax, and dance Friday night away, and listen to my Grandma give me all the gossip of the people in town and at church. I was so happy to curl my sister's hair before she went out and then celebrate a beautiful couple and meet some new friends. I feel like I just got a fresh start. 

So now I'm ready. I'm refreshed and looking forward to spring (even if it's still freezing) and all the amazing things coming up. And to sharing it with all of you.

Blog Slacker, Cooking Queen

I've been a blog slacker! I woke up this morning and realized it was Thursday already (how did that happen?) and I hadn't written all week! Work has been a crazy, and I spent the weekend doing a ton of cooking and prepping of food, which was so lovely. 

I've noticed that my love for cooking is really growing. Though I'm no super chef (yet), I really feel at ease in the kitchen, and it puts me in a fantastic mood. I spent Sunday chopping veggies, making home made tortillas, and trying new recipes. Some were great (the popovers, below) and some not so much (spaghetti squash - though many friends said I got a bad recipe and suggested some others). Also, doing a lot of prep on the weekends makes the weeknight dinners easy (for the most part) and makes it easier to stay on track with healthy eating. 

I'm still working off the concept of the real food pledge (www.100daysofrealfood.com). It's been really great and eye-opening to think about what's REALLY in our food. I won't preach, but when you start reading about it, it's frightening. 

While I have been eating WAY more fruits & veggies than I ever have in my life (yay me!) we're still in what I'm calling a transition phase. There's still some not totally great for you food in the house (white flour, sugary flavored yogurts, etc.). I don't like wasting food and think it would be shameful to throw it out, so I'll be replacing items with healthier options as we use them. 

So since I need to use up our flour, I made popovers. They were AWESOME!

Here's the recipe for this delicious treat - you can swap out white flour (which I used) for whole wheat flour. Just make sure the milk and eggs are at room temperature when you start, or they won't pop right.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 2/3 cup organic fat free milk at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. of butter, melted
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 
• Grease muffin tin VERY liberally. Do NOT use cupcake/muffin liners.
• Wisk together the eggs, milk and butter.
• Wisk the flour and salt into the egg mixture until it's well blended.
• Pour batter into muffin tin until they are about three quarters full. 
• Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Turn oven temperature down to 350 degrees and bake another 15 minutes.
• Take popovers out of the oven. Serve warm with butter and jam.

In this 30 minutes of baking it is imperative that you DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR! It's really hard to not know what's going on in there, but if you open the door, they'll collapse on themselves and you'll have little dough hockey pucks.

Serve these with some fresh fruit, hot coffee and enjoy! :)

I Love Love!

Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. It just makes me so happy!

Some people view it as a day about couples, but to me, it's about LOVE... for everyone! Maybe because it is my sister's birthday (Happy Birthday Meg!) and we always celebrated it together as a family, I've just never seen it as such a romantic day. 

It's a day to share your love with everyone. I just love getting up in the morning and texting my friends with hearts, emailing my parents, and just taking the time to make sure that the people I love know that I love them. It's important to let people know how special they are to you.

So from me to you, have a very happy, wonderful, love-filled Valentine's Day! 

Check Yo'self Before You Wreck Yo'self

It's a little hard for me to sit here and write this post, mainly because I feel like a hypocrite. I'm a very extreme person - it's usually all or nothing. There are very few things I'm in between on. However, I do believe that one few places that there is a place for moderation is when it comes to eating. 

My goals for the year included living a healthier lifestyle. Not just to lose weight (though it's an added goal), but I also don't want to be a crash dieter for the rest of my life. I want to be healthy and happy for a long long time. Alzheimer's runs in my family, and I don't want it. I have a really blessed life, and I want to live it to the fullest.

In my searching for yummy, healthy recipes, I have come across some INSANE diets - and many of them conflict each other. All meat, no meat, all grains, no grains, no sugar, all sugar (okay I made that one up), and cleanse, cleanse, cleanse. I've become VERY frustrated. Then... I got sucked into the trap. 

I started thinking, "Maybe I need to cleanse. Maybe I can't start changing my eating UNTIL I cleanse. Maybe I can cleanse over a weekend, so when my body goes into detox, I can just lie in bed and suffer through." I was falling into the misinformation trap. Until a former co-worker pulled me up from the dark cleanse hole.

Real Food. It's that simple. Stop eating processed junk, and eat real, natural food. Eat fruit. Eat veggies. Eat organic meat. Eat whole grains. Eat organic dairy. Don't buy anything with more than 5 ingredients. Make things yourself instead of buying them prepackaged, filled with chemicals. It was like seeing the light again. Just use common sense. 

I want to thank Lisa for snapping me out of my vortex of dieting doom and introducing me to the concept of real food. The blog - www.100daysofrealfood.com - has tons of great info, great recipes and is a great reminder that sometimes, common sense and moderation really is all you need. 

Oh Christmas/Valentines/Spring Training Tree...

Last winter, we hibernated. I'd like you to think I'm joking, but I'm not. I went to work and came home, we ordered a lot of take out, never worked out, and watched tons of TV. It was beyond lazy winter weekends. It was just sloth. And depressing.

This winter, I'm making changes - and even though it's still yucky outside, my mood is much brighter. I've been regularly working out on Saturdays and Sundays. Sean and I will get up, go take a walk, run some errands - anything to get out of the house, even if it's cold. I've been cooking healthy meals - mostly in the slow cooker, which still makes it feel like comfort food. 

But there is one thing I am still so lazy about, mainly because it brings me cheer all year - the Christmas Tree. Yes, our tree is small (4 feet) and fake (thanks Walgreens!) but I love it so much. I love the warm glow of tiny white twinkle lights. I love all our new engagement ornaments we got over the holidays, and I love the NY Yankee tree topper that pretty much gets me into the spirit of my favorite American past time (winning World Championships).

I know it's almost Valentine's Day, and I know I've changed my winter habits for the better, but I can't let go of the tree. It brings a warm tingly feeling that gets me through the winter, that no amount of exercising or eating right can do. It warms my heart.... right through Opening Day.