Things Thursday: Things I've Been Doing Instead of Blogging

1. Couch surfing.  Maybe a little too much time on the couch.

2. Tons and tons of family time!  Last Sunday, we managed to have each meal with a different group of Handsome Husband's family!

3. Um, Big Brother started.  Hello?

4. Using my camera.  I got to take some pretty pictures of MIL Red and her fiance, Mr. Bear, down at their oceanfront wedding location last weekend.

5. Getting more and more excited for our upcoming Beers & BBQ 4th of July Party!  Friends, booze, food, sun and 'MERICA loving...my type of day.

6. Planning (and by planning, I mean, listening to Gardening Mom's plan and loving every idea) a long weekend getaway with Gardening Mom and Sisters Singer and Swimmer.  August can't come soon enough!

7. Enjoying basking in the sun on my walks to and from my work parking lot and on the weekends, but not loving the too hot evenings that have already started. 

8. Having mini family reunions at Downtown Disney.  Lots of family was in town, and it was so nice to see everyone!

9. Really missing blogging, but really lacking the motivation to write.

10. Reading lots of blogs!  I might be lagging, but I'm reading YOU!

Quotable Tuesdays

Gevalia Makes Friends

This weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting Mother-in-Law Red and her fiance, Mr. Bear, over to our home for some yummy coffee, french toast bake, and a yogurt bar!  Obviously this was paired with fabulous conversation!

We were lucky enough to get to try some yummy Gevalia coffee for the first time, and it was a hit at our house!  Mr. Bear isn't a coffee drinker, but everyone else was raving about the yummy coffee!  HH, who prefers a flavored coffee, drank it black and said it was great!

This was the first time I've put together a yogurt bar, and I guarantee if you're coming to my house for breakfast or brunch in the future, you'll see one there.  I had vanilla and strawberry yogurt; and strawberries, blueberries, bananas and granola as toppings.

I made a new recipe for our breakfast get together, which turned out fantastic!  We were too busy scarfing it down to remember to take a picture, but you can find the recipe HERE.  Take my advice, and make it ASAP!

I love hosting people in my home.  It was one of the things I most looked forward to during our Home Buying journey, and I am happy to say that nearly a year later, we have made a lot of memories here in our home.  I can't wait to continue having friends and family in our home over the years, and continuing to make more memories with them.

After our lovely breakfast and some catching up, we headed to our next fun event of the day - we went to the beach to take some pretty photos of MIL Red and fiance, Mr. Bear!  Their wedding is coming before we know it - less than a year, now!  We took some photos to remember this special time in any couple's life, and they might just get some use of them for wedding stationary!  HH was a lovely helper, holding my camera bag and MIL's purse, and even doing some sand-sketching for some creative photos!  I'll let MIL decide when she wants to share these photos (spoiler alert: they turned out so cute!), but here is a picture of my very helpful and Handsome Husband!

All in all, a very successful and joyful Saturday!  

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Lots of Link Love

Like Tara, I think it's important to emphasize the importance of community in the blog world and not only focusing on ourselves and our own blogs, but to spread lots of blog love to those who deserve it.  Every once in a while, I will highlight the posts over the last few weeks that touched me, made me laugh, pulled at my heartstrings, and inspired me.

• Laurie had a wonderfully informative tutorial up on Click it Up a Notch regarding White Balance, for those of you interested in DSLR photography!

• E shared about the most beautiful lantern floating ceremony.

• My very own little sister started a blog!  You can check out her first post, a fantastic recipe for cocunut and caramel cookies over on her new little space on the internet.  

• Becky wrote a great post about Judgements in the blog world.

• A whole slew of amazing bloggers are giving away some incredibly awesome blogging advice!  This is a must-check-out if you're a blogger!

What It's Like Being Married to a Saint

It's true.  My husband is a saint.  You may think I'm being sarcastic, but the man truly deserves a medal for the things he does.  I don't know any woman who is quite as lucky as I am.  And here's why.

My husband:

• Does the laundry, almost exclusively.  I've literally done maybe four loads since we moved in to our home in September.
 
• Washes the dishes, even when he cooks.  To be fair, sometimes it takes him a few days to get to them, but I'm the last girl you'll hear complaining about a few dirty dishes in the sink.
 
• Makes the bed nearly every day, just because he likes the way it looks and feels.
 
• Sweeps and steam cleans the floors.
 
• Is the only person who touches our vacuum.
 
• Brings me lots of meals and drinks in bed, often times without even being asked.
 
• Takes the very very best care of me, in every single way possible.

He does all of this while making me smile, laugh and fall a little more in love with him each day.  I truly don't know how in the world I got so lucky and blessed.  The truth is, I would love him just the same if he was a big ole slob (coughlikemecough).  But can't lie, it's nice that he's the opposite!

 

He also looks good golfing, another win for HH!

 

You may be wondering what it is I do after reading HH's long list of chores, and I gotta be honest, so am I at this point.  I suppose I do most of the cooking, and lots of looking pretty around the house.  Let's be real - HH is definitely the lucky one.  

Quotable Tuesdays

Sprinkles Ice Cream

Sprinkes Ice Cream.

 

Did you even know this was a thing?  I, for one, had no idea until Sister Swimmer enlightened us over our family weekend at the River.  Curiosity, my sweet tooth, and needing a reward for surviving another four-hour-long river roadtrip (each way) led us there last night before we headed home to watch Mad Men and snooze before work on Monday.

 

{via}

 

The entire car ride back from Arizona, I was looking forward to the cupcake sundae Sister Swimmer raved out.  I ended up deciding on a red velvet cupcake with chocolate chip ice cream (though they were almost out of chocolate chip, so I ended up with mostly vanilla).

 

{Yelp}

 

This cupcake sundae idea is genious.  Basically they cut the cupcake in half; put the bottom at the bottom of the ice cream cup; top with a few scoops of ice cream and throw on the top of the cupcake, frosting and all!

 

The red velvet cupcake was moist and yummy, and the cream cheese frosting was delightful.  The vanilla ice cream was seriously some of the best I've ever had, and I actually preferred it to the chocolate chip, so I was glad I ended up with it!

 

All in all, a fun novely treat every once in a while!  Note that these sundaes are so sweet with the combo of cupcake, frosting and ice cream.  Definitely not an everyday type thing, but a must-try if there is a Sprinkles Ice Cream near you!

 

Have you ever had Sprinkles Ice Cream?





At River, Will Return

As you're reading this, I'm currently counting down the hours until the work day is over and I am stuck in a car for four hours headed to my parents' home in Arizona.  Okay, so I'm not excactly looking forward to the car ride, but I am looking forward to the heat, the sun, the river and the sweet sweet family time.

It has been nearly a year since HH and I were in Arizona, and that?  Is just way too long.  So this weekend, if you need me, I'll be lounging in a beach chair on the sand river-side.  Catch you on the flip side, y'all!

Riverside with Cute Apartment: 2011

Sisters Singer and Swimmer having a river chat: 2012

Boating with my favorite guy: 2012

Goofing off with Best Friends Swagger and Fashionista: 2007

Fresh & Easy Date Night In

I was so excited to head to Fresh & Easy to plan my date night in with mu Handsome Husband!  I had actually never shopped at the good old Fresh & Easy, and it far surpassed my expectations!  I actually headed to an express store, which I don't think they all are.  I was a little dissapointed at first thinking I wouldn't get the full neighborhood market experience, but if this is just the express?  I can't imagine how awesome the full stores must be!  There was such a wide selection, and it was so fun to pick what to make our date night in menu consist of!     

 

I had to pick up with darling I love California wine.  1. Because I do love CA, and 2...

 

...how cute is the little heart on the top of the bottle?  Adorbs.

Had to whip up one of my "signature" salads to serve with the fresh&easy organic balsamic vinaigrette.  My signature salad consists of: chopped lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, Mexican cheese blend, and whatever else happens to be in my fridge/pantry at the time!

 

Gotta be honest, we don't usually have such elaborate dinners (unless you count eating on the couch while watching Mad Men elaborate), but it was so fun to get a little fancy with our Fresh & Easy meal!  Totally makes me want to put together a nice meal for the two of us more often!

 

The above vegetables were the most impressive thing I picked up at Fresh&Easy.  They came all seasoned and prepped and in little foil pouches that you could put directly on the grill!  The coolest, right?!  I see these no-prep veggies coming to my house quite often in the future.

 

I am so glad I got the chance to try out Fresh & Easy, and even more thrilled with the fact that is inspired me to put on a little romance at the Stress Case household.  We will definitely be having more date nights in, and we will be heading to Fresh & Easy to supply the goodies for them, too!



I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Quotable Tuesdays

Who Says "Crayon" like "Crown"?

Last week, I stumbled upon this seemingly off-topic article on Starcasm (the one and only source for MY celebrity gossip!), and thought these colorful maps were so interesting, I had to come share.

I have a thing for accents, like I seriously wish I was Southern, because I think the accents are so darn cute.  Alas, I am not, and though I do say y'all every once in a while and I pronounce my "a"s a little off, I really don't think I've got an accent.

Coke is a type of soda.  If you want another type, you can't just go around calling them all Coke!

I say pa-jam-ahs

This one made me laugh out loud.  Who the hell calls a crayon a crown?!

If someone told me to put my mouth near a "bubbler", I would not be on board.

 

Where does your dialect fall on these maps?

There are tons more of these over at Starcasm! 

5 on Friday v.4

5 Things...

...I really really miss

 

1. Riding ATVs (we called them quads cause we were professionals) in the dessert with my Daddy-o and cousins multiple times a year.  I can't even remember the last time we went, and I wish I would've known then that it was the last time.

 

2. Our little Taco Tuesday Crew.  It sort of disintegrated about a year ago due to lots of factors - friendships evolving, changing and ending; people moving; and everyone generally getting a little older and having more responsibilites.  I miss our little group, though.

 

3. San Diego, and our San Diego friends.  I miss listening to my Handsome Hubs scream and the TV during the last World Cup with Mr. Concussion and Best Friend Dodger screaming along with him, and I miss Pacific Beach and getting drunk while smelling the ocean.

 

4. My Delaware family.  It's only been a few months, but I miss them dearly.  Tag, you're turn to come out, guys!

 

Hanging out on the Museum steps in DC in February

 

5. Disney World.  HH and I discuss them far too often for two grown adults, but DW was just so much fun.  It was fun to wake up and do something a little different in the many parks, and head somewhere for the morning and somewhere else for the evening.  It was such a great trip, and we talk often about going back.

 

Last Summer at The Magic Kingdom

 

5 Things...

...I want to do this summer

 

1. Go to the beach.  I am so not a beach girl, but for some reason I am really feeling a beach trip coming on.  We'll see if that actually comes to fruition.

 

2. Spend time at our community pools.  We pay a hefty HOA fee for the beautiful community we love to live in, and would you believe we haven't spent a single moment in one of the eleven pools in our small town.  I would like to spend some time soaking up some rays and floating over the weekends of this summer.

 

3. Get away for a weekend.  I don't care where, I don't care when, but I want to go somewhere this summer for a short weekend getaway.

 

4. Spend time on our patio.  We have a gorgeous little patio at our house, and while we have rocked quite a few six-packs and fires in our fire pit, we don't spend too much time out there during the day.  I would like to spend some time lounging on my patio furniture, smelling my sweet Jasmine, and listening to the community go by.

 

5. Arizona.  This is a gimme, because we're totally heading there next weekend for Father's Day, but still I haven't been to my parents' desert house in nearly a year!  We somehow missed the entire winter season, but the summer's not passing us by without a boating trip or two!

 

Hat Dad basking in the Arizona sun last year during Father's Day Weekend

 

5 Things...

...I'd like for my home

 

1. A new microwave.  Handsome Husband may or may not have accidently ripped the handle right off our microwave this week (he's so strong), and that shit?  Is just a little too ghetto for my taste.  Now the only decision is do we go white to match our current appliances, or spring for an upgrade like stainless steel and eventually upgrade everything?  #HomeownerProblems

 

2. Some cute little throw pillows to put outside and brighten up our patio for summer!

 

3. Some kind of storage cabinet for a very bare section of my living room, during Christmas there is a beautiful tree there, but the rest of the time?  A big empty space of wall!

 

4. A big ole chalkboard.  Call me trendy, but I want to have a cute place to put quotes or greetings to guests or anything I want!

 

5. Some garage storage.  I love that our garage is big enough to fit both of our cars and some other crap, but I'd love to spend some time and moola getting the rest of that crap organized and looking cute!



HBD, GM.

Today is one of my favorite people in the entire world's birthdays: My Gardening Momma.

 

That's her as little cutie in front, sitting with my Bubby (Yiddish for Grandmother) and my Great Grandmother in the back.  All such pretty ladies - right?

 

My Gardening Mom is one of the hardest working women I've ever known, and she totally deserves to have a day to herself just lounging, relaxing and doing whatever it is that she most enjoys (which would probably be gardening, a hobby I just can't get on board with) for her birthday.  But because of her aforementioned work ethic, she will probably be busting her butt at work and barely acknowledging that today is her special day! 

 

But I acknowledge it, and can't wait to see her this evening for a lovely family dinner over Italian food! 

 

HBD, GM!

(Happy Birthday, Gardening Mom - if you don't happen to speak Handsome Husband lingo.)

Quotable Tuesdays

Wedding No Nos

Around the blog world, and in real life (and by real life, I mean on Instagram and Facebook, as I haven't been to a wedding in nearly two years - sad), I have been seeing all sorts of blatant wedding faux pas!  So, being the wedding ettiquette junky I am, and perfectly timed with the onslaught of weddings during the summer - I thought I'd share some Wedding No Nos.

1. Wearing white to a wedding.

 

http://www.nicoevents.com

 

This will never ever be okay in my book, unless specifically requested by the bride and groom.  Though that is not my cup of tea, if that's what the happy couple wants well then, let's keep them happy.  In absolutely any other circumstance, this is tacky as all hell.  

 

2. Not giving a gift.

 

We all know that weddigs are about celebrating love and two lives joining together and all that jazz.  However, it is a gift giving occasion.  Showing up to a birthday party without at least a card is terribly distasteful, and showing up for a wedding without one?  Way worse.  Certainly not naming names, but we had a handful of guests who didn't give any kind of gift or card at our nuptuals.  A card with just a nice sentiment and nothing else would have been better!

 

3. Asking if you can bring someone.

A bride spends long hours deliberating who to invite, who to unfortunately exclude, and who to extend a "guest" invitation to.  After making those tough decisions come to brutal ones on how to address the invitations - how to make their intentions clear to avoid awkward conversations like "Can my friend come with me to the wedding?" or "I am newly dating this great guy, I'd really like to bring him.".  Let's break it down, if your invitation is addressed to you and someone else by name - you are to bring yourself and that specified someone.  You are not to bring anyone of your choice (we had a guest do this at our wedding, a complete strange to both bride and groom and everyone else in attendence).  If your invitation is address to you and a guest, you can bring anyone of your choice.  If your invitation is addressed to just you, you are to bring yourself and only yourself.  Simple enough, yeah?

4. Arriving late.

 

Wedding invitations normally go out six to eight weeks before the exciting event. Thus, you know exactly what time you are expected to be somewhere for months.  Being late is simply rude, and totally unacceptable.  Arrive early, allow time for traffic, and ensure respect to the many people involved who planned a wedding that I'm sure they didn't anticipate being interrupted by late attendees.  On a related note: attending the ceremony but missing the reception due to other obligations is much more polite than the other way around.

 

5. Bringing a very small child.

 

Unless your child is in the wedding, or the bride or groom specifically requested their attendence, very small children do not belong at weddings.  Our wedding was only children 13+ due to the nature of 22-year-olds at weddings, and the fact that there would be no tantrums (other than a few bridesmaids who had a few too many cocktails maybe) on my day if I had anything to do with it.  Howver, some couples love the idea of dancing with the toddling and young children in their family.  However, it is my opinion (and I don't think I'm alone here) that a child under a year simply doesn't belong there (unless of course, they fall into one of the aforementioned categories).

 

What are your Wedding No Nos?