Merry Christmas!

'Tis the season and that time of year again - Christmas! Where did the year go? I feel like it was just yesterday when we were battling 100 degree weather in the dead of Summer. Now we're battling 60 degree weather in December. Go ahead, be jealous, I won't gloat.

We put up our tree early this year. Hubby took a few days off around Thanksgiving so he was all gung-ho to start decorating for the holiday. Despite its crookedness, I really like our tree. We have an artificial tree because my dad is a retired firefighter and that's what we've always had. When my sister or I would beg our parents to get a real tree, my dad would lecture us on the dangers of having real trees in the home. Apparently they're high fire risks. It's probably for the best that we have a fake one, though, considering we have two cats and a dog who like to eat foreign objects off of the floor. They also like to chew on things so I wouldn't be surprised if our cats channeled that one cat from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and electrocuted themselves and short circuited the house. They're most definitely cute animals but none of them are going to be inducted into Mensa.

This year Hubby and I will be celebrating with Sister and Brother-In-Law in their new home. My parents will be visiting so it will be a family affair. I've realized that I haven't had a "normal" Christmas in 3 years. By normal I mean waking up Christmas morning at my parents' house and ripping open gifts in our PJ's, followed by a gluttonous Christmas linner (yes, linner) with family and ending the evening by Sister and I making our annual rounds to visit friends. Sadly I haven't been able to institute a new "normal", either, not since Hubby and I have been married. Christmas of 2008 was spent in Vegas with my parents. Neither Hubby nor I wanted to fly because we had done too much traveling for our wedding and honeymoon months before. We spent Christmas vacation 2009 on a cruise to Mexico, again with my family, and last year, Christmas 2010, was spent by ourselves at home. I always said that once we have kids I would like to institute a new tradition by combining a bit of Hubby and my childhood traditions as well as making our own. For instance, I would like to open gifts in the morning, followed by a breakfast of homemade cinnamon buns while watching Christmas themed movies. That's as far as I've gotten with my plan. The rest of the day is up for grabs!

What are your holiday traditions?

I'm a big kid now!

Hubby and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary yesterday. Instead of exchanging gifts between the two of us we decided, moving forward, to rally together and buy gifts that can be enjoyed by the both of us. We’ve been talking about getting a new bedroom set for a while. Our old set consisted of mismatched pieces of furniture including an iron bed frame from Ikea, a bookshelf used as an entertainment center from Target and a set of really old, really ugly nightstands from my grandmother’s menagerie of junk. My sister and brother-in-law recently upgraded their bed to a California King and we decided to follow suit. Not because we’re copy cats, as some people, whose names I will not mention, would like to believe (:::cough cough Sister cough cough:::), but because our bedroom is large enough to fit eight bunk beds, doubly stacked and side by side. That and our 8 year-old Queen sized mattress just wasn’t cutting it anymore. Hubby did some internet searching and came across a link to a hotel surplus warehouse in the San Fernando Valley that is opened to the public. They have both new and used hotel furniture which is fashionable and affordable. We walked out with a 6 piece set for $1300 before taxes. Not too shabby considering a 5 piece set at a retail store could run us anywhere from $1800-$2400. Can you say score? The only downfall about the experience was that we had to do the pick-up and moving of the pieces ourselves. The warehouse doesn’t deliver and the delivery companies that they suggested were all booked so we were stuck with the manual labor. The following day we rented a van and played He-Man and She-Ra for the remainder of the afternoon. Needless to say my upper body got a workout. The pain was well worth it, though, because we finally have “big kid” furniture.

We’ve also been able to get away as part of our anniversary celebration, so that’s great. Two weeks ago we took a weekend trip up North to visit Hearst Castle. It’s this amazing mansion in the Santa Barbara area built by uber rich newspaper and magazine publisher William Randolph Hearst. I don’t recall how many acres or rooms there are in total, but trust me when I say there’s a lot! The grounds are gorgeous, too, and he had two swimming pools, one indoor and the other outdoor. We took the “beginner” tour of only the grand rooms, but there are multiple tours and if we wanted we probably could’ve taken them all in one day. Hubby wanted to take pictures of the gorgeous grounds, though, and I like to roam freely and touch things which you couldn’t do on the tours. That was torture, by the way – not being able to touch stuff inside. Whew! I had to keep my fingers laced together behind my back the entire time. For more information on William Hearst and Hearst Castle, check out these links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Randolph_Hearst and http://www.hearstcastle.org/tours.

Hearst Castle wasn’t our only trip this month. Tomorrow we leave for a weekend adventure at Big Bear Lake. A friend of ours organized the trip and found a group of cabins that house 15 people and that are pet friendly, so we’ll be bringing Elphie along. This will be our first time traveling with the dog so I’m a little nervous, but luckily she’s older now and used to riding in the car. There will be other dogs there, too, so it’s not like she’s going to be alone. Hell! She’ll probably think the entire weekend is for her! She’s pretty ridiculous like that. I’m looking forward to the time away from the office, with friends, and the ability to sit by the lake and have a glass of wine - or six. Don’t judge. The downfall is that we’ll have to keep Elphie in our room at night. If you haven’t been reading my The Wicked Life of Elphie blog then you wouldn’t know that she’s a snorting, snoring, stinky dog! Maybe we should invest in some nose plugs along with our ear plugs.

In other news, I jumped back on the weight loss bandwagon and joined Weight Watchers for the third time. Maybe, just maybe this time will be the charm and I’ll be able to sustain a healthy weight for the rest of my life, but considering I have yet to bare children, we’ll see how well that goes. The process has been slow moving this time around and so far, within the 5 weeks I’ve been on the program, I’ve lost barely 2.5 lbs. Ok, maybe part of the reason is my fault. Maybe I’m fooling myself into believing that the king sized Snickers bar I had after dinner was really only 2 points, but shouldn’t this be a little bit easier? Shouldn’t my body be stoked to lose the fat that’s mooching off of it like a lazy, unemployed roommate? Am I wrong to believe that my body should do all of the work for me without any pain, sacrifice or suffering? Am I alone here? Anyone? Bueller?

Ok, well, blogging makes my brain hurt so I’m going to peace out. I’ll make sure to have the hubby take plenty of pics of our weekend getaway and I’ll post them in my next entry. When that will be I can’t tell you, but it will eventually happen. Eventually.

Kitchen: Before and After

I promised that I would post some before and after pictures of our kitchen when it was finished, so here they are!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 

 

So there you are, folks. Our new, beautiful kitchen! All of that pain and aggravation definitely paid off and we're both so happy with the outcome.

Very short update

Our kitchen is done and there are pictures to come! Hey! That rhymed!

An update? What?

I’m sorry I haven’t been updating. Life, as always, has gotten a little crazy. Between our kitchen remodel, my getting sick and our preparing to go on vacation, I haven’t been able to find a moment to sit down and update the world on, well, our kitchen remodel, my getting sick and our vacation plans. But fear not! For I am here and ready to write!

First our kitchen remodel. We’ve finally gotten our kitchen back to ourselves. The last remaining pieces are our dishwasher and microwave that are being delivered and installed this weekend. We also need to ask the installers to come back and fix some hinges on our cabinets and to install our hardware. That, unfortunately, is going to have to wait a few more weeks until we return home. Last week I had set a Salvation Army pickup request to come pick up some large items that we had in our kitchen that we were intending to donate. The items included a wooden counter, a small microwave, a small filing cabinet, and a big box of miscellaneous items including but not limited to Tupperware, a popcorn machine and a backpack. Hubby and I brought the items out to the curb last night around 8 and by 10 the majority of the items were gone. I was a little miffed because I had good intentions, but then realized that there were some decent items out there and the people who took them can probably make good use out of them. I mean, they would’ve been taken by someone eventually, right? Lesson learned: the next time I make a Salvation Army request, I’ll keep the items in my house and be home to pass them over. When the kitchen is completely finished I will post before and after pictures. It looks great and neither Hubby nor I can believe this is our kitchen!

As previously stated, I’m getting sick. I’ve been exhausted for weeks and last week I started developing a slight cough. The cough has started to worsen yet it’s not bad enough that it wakes me up at night. Not yet that is. My nose isn’t congested but my head sure is stuffy. I also sound like a man. I’m trying to eat better, stay hydrated and load up on Vitamin-C. I’m getting on a plane next week and we all know it’s never fun to fly when you’re sick. I may have to knock myself out with some Nyquil for the ride if it gets too bad.

I like to call my upcoming vacation a working vacation because for the majority of it I’m going to be running around like a headless chicken. My BFF is getting married and I am the MOH (matron of honor. Technically the maid of honor, but since I’m used goods (married) I’m now a matron). The festivities and nuptials will take place down the Cape the week of July 4^th. The stress of coordinating with my fellow bridesmaids (all nine of them) and planning parties for the bride is equal to planning my own wedding. It’s exhilarating and fun but I know I’m going to be happy when it’s all over. But I’m going to be sad, too. I will have after wedding blues like I had following my own wedding. So many emotions for one 6-hr day! Hubby and I decided to travel back east a few days earlier so we can dedicate some time to our friends and family. We’re already booked! I just know that I’m going to need a vacation from my vacation when I get back. I’m mostly looking forward to being away from work and to sleeping in. We’re renting a car so we won’t have to depend on anyone else for rides – we’ll be able to come and go as we please.  Excellent. The best part? We get to load up on Dunkin Donuts! YES!!!

This is probably the last post for a few weeks so soak me in, folks. Stay safe and I hope you all have a great 4^th of July!

Almost There!

Our counters were installed yesterday. We're almost there and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Sister sat in for us during the installation. It only took a couple of hours and they were done by the time lunch rolled around. She told me before she left to not do anything to them and to let them sit for 24hrs so the sealant can dry. I got it, but I don't think the cats are that advanced in their understanding to grasp the concept.

Oh well. You win some, you lose some!

Pity Party...Table for 1

The problem with being home alone for five days is that you have a better chance of having a pity party for yourself. Amongst your plans of Lifetime movie watching and bon bon eating, you find yourself watching sad 90's music videos on your computer and balling your eyes out. The plus side is at least you can turn on the waterworks in the privacy of your own living room, in your PJ's, with only your dog as a witness. Then you can snap out of it by getting a pedicure, doing a little shoe shopping and eating some cookies with your sister. This is all hypothetical, of course, because it didn't happen to me yesterday or anything...

(Hypothetical) shoe shopping was a little frustrating, but I think I might've found a pair that I'll be happy with. In the midst of searching I was able to buy a black sun dress and a pair of puddle jumper pants so winning all around! The shoes I brought home are in the vein of the gladiator sandals that are all the rage these days but I really didn't have much of a choice. I needed something casual but that I could wear with a sun dress. Maybe it'll be warm enough today to break them in at Sister's Memorial Day BBQ. Oh the possibilities!

Our kitchen is getting put back together piece by piece. I spent a couple of hours on Saturday cleaning up a bit and I put a huge trash bag together...of trash, that is, and it's still sitting in my kitchen...two days later. I'll get to throwing it out eventually. Our stove, dishwasher and over-the-range microwave are being delivered on Thursday so maybe we'll be able to have an oven cooked pizza Thursday night. Or maybe I'll break the microwave in by popping a bag of popcorn and not have to worry about shaking the unit to make sure it continues to spin. I like burnt popcorn on occasion, but I'm starting to forget what popcorn actually tastes like.

I found a plank of wood in our laundry room that I doubled into a makeshift countertop. It's not much but it'll do for the time being. The counters will start to be made on Tuesday and we'll probably get them in a week or two. Luckily we're getting a discount on the counters. It's not much but at least it's something. And once we return the remainder of the flooring we'll get some money back on that, too. I like savings because savings mean I can use that money for something else. I think our next project will be new carpeting and/or new handrails. Or new flooring in the living room. Hmmm....we need a lot of "new".

I hope everybody has a great Memorial Day! I would like to thank all of our troops who have and are continuing to fight for our country. And my thoughts are with the families who have lost somebody in this fight. You are always appreciated. Thank you so much!

Birthday Weekend

My birthday weekend was spent working on the kitchen. I. Am. Exhausted! It's funny because Hubby did the majority of the work. I just handed him stuff and made sure he drank water. I'm pretty happy with the outcome, though. Take a look at our purty floor!

Flooring courtesy of Home Depot

Luckily my weekend didn't entirely consist of home improvement. I was able to catch a movie and have some lunch with friends on Sunday. By the time everything was done, though, I was super tired and just wanted to sleep. I rectified that with eating lots and lots of food, so I felt fulfilled. And full. Very, very full.

They say a clean kitchen is the sign of a wasted life

Well, we don't have to worry about that because we're in the middle of a kitchen remodel and man is it messy! We started demolition on Monday and installation of the new cabinets took place yesterday. I'm really excited for the outcome! It's pretty amazing what some paint on the walls and new cabinets can do to a space.

Before. New cabinets in the corner.

Now. Walls painted and cabinets up!

 

This weekend we'll be busy laying down the flooring and finishing painting. We've also ordered new appliances (stove, OTR microwave and dishwasher) and hardware for the cabinets. Next week everything will be measured for the counters and hopefully within 2-3 weeks we'll be able to install those and we'll finally be done! I can't wait! For a woman who doesn't like to cook, I sure do enjoy a pretty, clean kitchen. If that means I lead a wasted life then so be it!

I have bangs

I got my hair cut on Saturday and as strands fell to my chest piece by piece I couldn't help but remember the time my dad took Sister and I to get our bi-annual trim. We were still in the single digits and most likely unaware of what a "trim" entailed. I suppose the stylist on duty that day was new/inexperienced/just plain bad but she eagerly accepted our business. My dad waited in the reception area, undoubtedly reading up on his celebrity gossip (or whatever gossip they had in the late 80's), as the stylist went all Edward Scissorhands on us. The end result was two little girls who looked like they belonged on a farm in Germany at the turn of the century.

German milkmaids

Shortly after the end product was revealed, there was a big to-do and who I assume was the manager of the salon pulled Edward Scissorhands to the side and gave her a stern talking to, showcased by a severe finger wagging. My dad looked a little surprised and a bit nervous, as I'm sure he was bracing himself for what my mother was going to say upon our return home. I remember bouncing on the chairs at the salon, gazing at my beautiful 'do in the mirror, flipping (what was left of) it from side to side as I watched it gracefully fall into place. My little 6-year-old self thought she was the cat's meow.

Not long after the follicle homicide, I was at a park in the city playing with a bunch of kids. It was the days of cooties and I remember that we had split up in two groups - boys and girls. I can't recall the details, but I somehow got mixed up with the boys, listening intently to their plan of domination. Thanks to my styling haircut, it took the group a moment to realize that I was, in fact, a female. Talk about a complex! Screams abound and the boys scattered away. From then on out my dad opted to stay out of the salons.

Luckily the haircut I received on Saturday is no where near as humiliating as it was 20 years ago, but it will take a little getting used to. For instance, I have bangs again which I wasn't expecting to walk out with when I went in. And lucky for the stylist, who was not Edward Scissorhands, everyone has complimented me on my new do - a do which I still watch fall into place as I flip my head from side to side, all the while bouncing on chairs.

Home...or kitchen...is where the heart is

Hubby and I have finally gotten our gluteus maximuses into gear and started with our kitchen remodel. Between designing the kitchen and purchasing the materials, we’ve spent somewhere between 8-10 hours in Lowe’s. On the one hand I’m sick of the store and feel I wouldn’t miss it if I never step foot in one again. On the other hand, though, I feel like it’s a second home because we have spent so much time in it. I feel like I know the aisles like the back of my hand. Karin, our kitchen specialist, even feels like a part of the family. Ok, maybe that’s going a little too far, but you get the gist. It’s been a long process and demolition hasn’t even begun yet!

About a month ago we ordered and purchased our cherry cabinets in burgundy. I really love the color and couldn’t wait for them to be on my walls. The order took 4-6 weeks to be processed and on Tuesday they finally arrived. Hubby took the morning off to receive the delivery. Everything was in boxes so there was really no way they could be inspected. Luckily one of the cabinets, a bottom corner cabinet with a lazy Susan built in, had to be taken out of the box in order to be brought through our front gate. It was then that Hubby noticed it – all of these cabinets were in the wrong color. The dimensions and wood type were correct, but they were buff and not stained. Hubby admitted that the description on the check-list also said buff, but he didn’t think anything of it and just figured it was the cabinet company’s custom description. Always able to think on his feet, Hubby called Lowe’s and someone was able to come by within 10 minutes of his call to take pictures and set a rush delivery of the correct color cabinets. We should receive them in 8 days. They also offered us free hardware for our trouble. Yes, please! Lowe’s wanted to make it clear that they placed the order correctly and it was the cabinet company’s mistake for processing it incorrectly. Because of Lowe’s prompt response to our problem and their willingness to make it up to us, they are not on my sh*t list. Yet. All I have to say is that they’re lucky I wasn’t the one home for the delivery. I probably would’ve gone on some sort of tangent about the money and time spent for these materials only to get the wrong cabinets. Between Hubby and me, I’m definitely the hothead. I thank my parents for that charming attribute.

I am excited for the process to begin but I’m dreading it, too. There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done by us and I’m just not in the right frame of mind to embrace the tasks. We need to paint the walls (did I mention we have vaulted ceilings in the kitchen?) and put down a new floor. There’s a reason why I never worked jobs consisting of manual labor. I’m going to be the one complaining that I got plaster under my fingernails. I just don’t like it. Me and exertion don’t mix. It makes me cranky :-(

I’ll try to document the kitchen progress in photographs once the process begins. Stay tuned for those.

Mmmm

I try to eat 3 meals a day with 2 small snacks in between meals in an effort to ward off hunger and in a way boredom. I don’t really follow any specific guidelines when I’m snacking, but I tend to throw fruits and dairies into the mix. Yesterday I had apple slices with a Jif To Go cup of creamy peanut butter and whole string cheese which I cut into pieces. You can see how pretty it was arranged on my plate in the picture to the right. But I couldn’t help to think that if somebody didn’t know better they would think that I was preparing breakfast for a small child. If that were the case, I most likely would’ve skinned the apple and sliced it smaller and thinner, but the premise is the same. I didn’t have to cut the string cheese into pieces but by doing so tricked my brain into thinking that I was eating more than I really was. Sure enough I was extremely content and wasn’t hungry in the least for lunch. I ate lunch anyway because, let’s face it, I like food, but I’m sure I could’ve gone a couple of more hours without anything.

If you haven’t deduced already, I’m trying my darndest to watch what I eat and to just eat better…period. Yes, I would like to lose a few pounds so I will not be mistaken for being pregnant again (a nightmare of which I had recently), but in general I just want to feel better. FitDay.com has been such a great help in tracking everything. It does get a little monotonous when I have to create custom foods by entering all of the nutritional info, but once they’re inputted you can use them at any time, which is especially nice considering I tend to have the same breakfast every day during the work week. I’ve grown to love oatmeal with applesauce mixed in and I enjoy combining that with different yogurts or some toast. Endless possibilities!