New Year Project

I am starting a food blog! I will try not to neglect this personal blog...which I will use for trip reports, fun stories, life updates and pictures I remember to take. I wanted a more structured way to share recipies I'm working on, trying and enjoying. I am, however, limiting the blog to a certain type of recipes. I kind of wanted to start with a niche and then expand later if I want.

The Blog will be called "OnlySoups". Click Here to get there. Come on over and follow me there too! First recipe post will start next week. Invite your friends if you enjoy what are you reading there!

Merry Married Sickly Holidays

I hope everyone's holidays were happy and bright. Ours turned out a little different than planned.
   Ben got sick...all week, so much he actually cancelled the private ski lessons he was supposed to teach-that almost never happens so he was really ill. So much that he finally let me take him to an instacare. Poor guy. Luckily, the antibiotics finally won the war and he is finally feeling better...just in time for me to catch it. :( Even though I was extra careful not to get it: I even slept in a different room and attended the family holiday parties by myself (I am used to that by now) and left him at home so he wouldn't spread the germs, took Zicam, vit C and drank water like a fish. Still not enough prophylaxis. My immune system has never been a strong player.
   Even though he was sickly, Ben was still very sweet to me. I need to work on being extra nice even when I don't feel good. He was excited to tell me what he got me for Christmas, that he woke me up at 7:00am to let me know. (I got a ski helmet, ipod shuffle for exercise, and subscription to Bon Appetit).
    All that really matters is that we were able to think about Christ and his birth and life. What a wonderful gift we have from Him, the power to bring us back to perfection and into His presence. Merry Christmas!
 

Ask Me...

Ask me what on earth came to my house in such a huge box...
Ask me how much it weighed...
Ask me how only 2 of us were able to get it out of the box and down the stairs...
and then back up 2 flights of stairs and then down the stairs again... (not without casualties, I assure you)


Ask me how I like my new Tempurpedic...

We've been in the market for a new bed for a couple months.  We shopped stores, laid on many a mattress, did a lot of research asking personal friends and looking up surveys/reviews, etc. online and finally decided on a Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme.

So far, we LOVE it.
Here's my review...in case any of you are considering one:

1.  It is awesome for the back or back pains, etc. support, support, support.
2. Soft enough for a princess like me who can feel a pea, firm enough for the guy who can sleep on a hard floor without trouble.
3. I think it feels like it just hugs your body curves all over. It lets my bony shoulders and hips dig in without pressure.
4. Softer than the original Tempurpedic or other versions we tried...doesn't have that initial hard feeling on first contact.
5. We are still debating whether it sleeps "warmer" than any other bed because heat gets trapped. It is firmer when cold, though.
6. There is definitely a smell with the newborn mattress. Not too bad for me, but then again my allergies make sure I don't have a very discerning nose like Ben-it does bother him some.
7. VERY heavy, even the bottom box support. Get friends to help you move it if you are going to do stairs. 
8. Much less residual bouncing when a spouse tosses and turns in the night
9. Whoever told me that I probably need a tempurpedic pillow as much or more than a mattress, I agree. Gotta get me one of those so my neck feels as good as the rest of my body.
10. Can be pricey...but there is a reliable company on eBay that sells original products for about $500 less than retail. :) 

Christmas Craft

My token craft of the season this year was a new wreath for my front door. My wreath from last year was way cute...and ended up being very versatile. The fabric flowers' colors were diverse enough to leave around through Valentines and then by spring the fabrics had faded enough to pass as a spring wreath and then... let's be honest, I was just lazy to take it down. Anyway, with all the wreath ideas floating around on the internet and blogosphere, you'd think people were making them all the time for every holiday, and yet, where do they find space to store them all?? So, this year's wreath is generic enough to be able to work for several seasons...maybe I'll get ambitious and change the ribbon color!
I branched off from my usual twig type and got a foam wreath. Then, wrapped it with white yarn (this is not hard but time consuming, unless you have a couple hrs watching a movie or chilling with your sisters at "craft day"). Then I added some bright red and brown artificial hydrangeas and a ribbon.  Here's how it turned out.