Weekend Report.....Back to Reality

Joel and I got home yesterday afternoon after such a great weekend in Napa & Sonoma. The only bad thing was that I seemed to have taken home a pretty nasty chest cold so I'm going to plan to post my trip details and winery reviews tomorrow (Thanks for all of your tips last week). In the meantime, I think reality is going to be tough to get used to after all of this...

Take me back!

Next Stop: Napa

Our year is starting off with a bang as we head up to Napa for wine tasting and relaxing. We are heading up with two other couples and staying in a house in Sonoma. The plan is to go out tasting and exploring during the day and cooking at home and playing games at night.

I've never been to San Fran or Napa but I've been assured that we will fall madly in love! Any last minute musts for us? We are staying in Sonoma but we will be visiting Napa, Healdsburg, Russian River Valley...the whole kit and kaboodle!

New year, same me.

 I thought with a new year, I'd loop you in a few things about me that you might not already know....and some you probably do!

::: We are early to bed and somewhat early to rise. Both Joel and I are usually asleep before 10pm. Joel gets up before or at 5am, and I'm up by 6:45.

::: I love working from home until 2pm, then it gets really quiet and boring. The chunk of my work is done and I often find myself twiddling my thumbs and watching the clock. Joel doesn't get home until 6:30/7 and those 4 hours feel long.

::: My biggest tip if you work from home or stay home with kids is to get dressed (out of workout clothes or lounge wear) every day no matter what. 

::: Speaking of working, I'm not sure if I I'm in my forever job. Am I always going to be a sales person? The pros outweigh the cons, for now, but I don't know what the future has in store.

::: Joel and I have been together for 8 years in March.

::: We got married on the young side (24 & 25) and some people gave us a little flak for that, but one of my parents friends said to us once; the only thing I regret about my marriage with my wife is that I didn't marry her sooner - and I feel the same way.

::: I get really bad motion sickness in the back of cars, roller coasters...and as I've gotten older hammocks and swings make me sick too! 

::: I think my best quality is my ability to nurture and love and my worst would be my lack of discipline.

::: Favorite food in the entire world is spinach deep dish pizza from Georgio's - which is not in the city (of Chicago) but in the burbs, and it really is better than Uno's, Lous, Giordano's.....but I will take them all if we're being honest. 

::: This blog has seen me through a lot. It's actually one of the few hobbies that has really showed staying power in my life and I'm really, really proud of it even though it can be a collection of nothings

::: I drink a lot of La Croix (lime) and a lot of wine.  Separately, mostly - but they're actually not bad mixed ;)

::: I think we might be in California for longer than we originally signed on for and that makes me happy and sad. I think if I had to leave tomorrow it would be a lot harder than I could even imagine, but thinking about someday starting a family without my family here keeps me up at night.

::: If I could work out some arrangement that I was in Chicago every summer for like six weeks, and then my friends and family were on a rotating schedule of visiting LA every four weeks, I think I could make it work. 

::: My only Starbucks order is a grande non-fat latte.

::: I was pretty lame in college...and besides a few occasions....most of my wild drunken experiences happened after I graduated.

::: I talk on the phone a LOT. I honestly think I'm on the phone with friends or my family for at least an hour or two every day.  If I'm driving, I'm on the phone....and pretty much the same goes for walking the dog, unloading the dishwasher, putting away laundry, or sitting on the couch.

::: Roscoe is literally our biggest source of just pure joy! I don't think I will ever be able to live without a dog again.

::: I've had pretty bad anxiety all of my life....when I was little I could only label it as "bad thoughts" but, I'm starting to feel like I have a teensy tiny bit of control over it and have starting to find coping mechanisms that actually work.

::: We cook dinner at least 5 nights a week at home and while we splurge on good meats and seafood, I'm proud of how much money we save every month by meal planning and not going out to restaurants.

::: I use the wrong words in sentences more frequently than I should....and it makes perfect sense to me but...it's wrong.

::: My how things have changed.

::: I burn a lot of candles almost all day long, but I've found that Michael's jar candles are the best bang for my buck. Have I shared that little tidbit before? Sometimes you can get 4 for $10 and they're long lasting and fragrant.

::: I love Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives 

Ok.....tell me something about you that I don't know!

Five on Friday

O N E  

 

 My how things can change in a week.....I really like afternoons filled with good books and a cold beer.

T W O 

We had heard that Jessica Alba and her family were in Punta Mita while we were there, and then when we got through security at the Puerta Vallarta airport, low and behold, Jessica and her family were right behind us. Of course I had to secretly stalk and basically watched their interactions for a solid hour before we all boarded. My takeaway? She's really, really attractive and so is her husband and they seem as down to earth as you could be - although she did reapply her makeup twice while I was watching.

T H R E E 

This is how Roscoe feels after he had to get shaved this week.

F O U R 

Ok, so I just got NetFlix and I just started New Girl. I'm aware I'm behind the times on both of these, but both are game changers. 

I randomly decided to start New Girl in its third season and I've been actually laughing out loud during every episode I've seen since. 

F I V E  
Joel leaves for a business trip on Sunday morning, so our weekend is pretty low key. Besides a friend's BBQ on Saturday, we're trying to keep it chill and undo some of the damage we've down to our bodies over the last three weeks. 

Must Have/Do

::: What Alice Forgot ::: 

 

My new Liane Mortary favorite. This book really, really, got to me. Alice falls off her spin bike and finds her 29 year self in her 39 year old body. 3 kids and a divorced husband later, her 29 year old self has no idea how or why she is who she is ten years later. Trust me, get this book. I want all of my girlfriends to read it because I'm anxious to hear their thoughts. 

::: A&E Bralettes :::

 

Literally may never wear normal bras again and it's crazy flattering.

::: Ugg Slippers :::

 

This is probably nothing new to anyone on the face of the planet, but Joel got me these for Christmas and I haven't taken them off since. They don't come in half sizes so I ordered up with a 9. It's a little big in the toes, and I feel like it makes my feet look huge, but they are so comfortable I've gotten over it. 

::: High Tea at The Peninsula :::

This was another present from Joel for Christmas. It was "Tea Time With Tess" and was one of my most favorite things we've ever done in LA. It was so fun, Christmasy, fancy....I just loved every second of it and felt like we were transported back to Paris. I highly, highly, recommend! 

::: Vacation in a glass :::

You couldn't find me in Mexico after 4pm without this in my hands. Literally, it's the best drink ever. 

It's 2 parts vodka, 3 parts pineapple juice, 1 part cranberry juice, twist of lime

Anything I need to add to my list??

Fresh Start

I like that we get a chance to clean up our act with the New Year. I know resolutions get a major eye roll because they're normally forgotten by the 20th, but it's refreshing to look back at 2014 and decide parts of my life I want to keep, and find the areas that need a little refining. 

And I guess even if they last twenty days, better than zero, right? 

Do something everyday

I wanted to label this resolution as One a Day but Joel said it sounded too much like a vitamin commercial, so we're going with the above.

I'm a pretty active worker outer - but on my off days - I find myself too off. Like, because I've claimed it an "off" day I won't even take the dog on a 15 minute walk. 

No more of that in 2015. If I'm not having a defined workout (class, hike, or run) than I need to find 20 minutes to stretch, walk, or lift light weights. 

Not hard and makes me feel better mentally and physically. 

 

Tone it Down

This one is a weird one, but if you know me, you might get it. I have a tendency to overcompensate for energy in the room. If there is a lull at a dinner party, I'll fill it because I don't like the awkwardness. If someone is quiet, I will try to balance them by being too loud. When I'm with groups, I often feel very "on" and less real - and quite frankly it's exhausting.

Stay Present

The days can seem long, but the years are short, and I want to focus in on what I'm doing, who I'm with, and what I'm bringing to this world. Making a conscious effort to keep the phone and ipad at bay when I'm on the couch with Joel, not stressing about the future or the past, and just being more mindful will really help me stay in the moment.

I have about sixty other things that I could add or subtract from life to make me, my relationships, my health, my job, my attitude, whatever better....but I'll tackle those things day by day.  Here is to a memorable, exciting, happy, healthy, and loving new year!

But really.

Our week in Mexico

I'm trying to think how to recap our trip to Punta Mita, and what really stands out was that it was relaxing, indulgent, fun, and fulfilling. 

To have 8 days with my family, minus Hannah who came the same day we had to leave, is worth it's weight in gold, and to do it in paradise? 

Our days were spent with a walk in the morning, reading, games, and pool during the day, happy hours watching the sun go down, and amazing dinners usually followed by music and more games. 

I took 800 pictures, but I think these next few sum our trip the best.

I love how Joel is waving and I am crying.

 

 

 

And, as luck would have it, our flight was delayed 30 minutes and right when a car pulled up, Hannah and her boyfriend walked in! It couldn't have been more perfect.

I can't believe another perfect Mexico trip is under our belts, but Joel and I feel really, really, really lucky to have that slice of paradise and be able to call it home. 

and, now....it's back to reality, until next week!