Check, check, check!

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Happy Friday everyone!

I don't know about all of you, but I feel like lately my life is one big whirlwind of stuff to do.  Not necessarily bad stuff, but there's a lot going on.  I blame the wedding. :-)

As much as I love the planning process of making an event happen, I feel like the most satisfactory part of planning this wedding is when I get to check off a box on my to do list. Dress shopping? Check! Venue? Check!  We finally figured out our save the dates and invitations last week and I got such a rush out of checking this off the list.  I know I have so much more to go to get this done, but knowing the end is in sight and at that end I get to see my fiance's smiling face is definitely worth it.

This weekend we go to pick out rental items (tents, place settings etc) and do a tasting with the caterer.  After we figure that out, we're celebrating with going to see the tulips up in Mt. Vernon, check out the street fair and lunch/wine tasting at Carpenter Creek.  Supposedly the weather's planning on cooperating so that makes it all that much sweeter. Although if M has his way we'll be checking out the new Cabelas opening, after all Troy from Swamp People will be there. ;-)

So...any good weekend plans?  And if you're planning a wedding do you feel like this as well?

Happy Birthday & your 30's

Today is M's 30th birthday. Currently he is taking in very important business meetings in Chicago & hoping he can catch an earlier flight home but he's also desperately trying to hold on to his 20's.

I get this.  We celebrated my 30th birthday last year and I did the same thing.  For the 6 months prior to my birthday I was freaking out.  You know, worried that I haven't accomplished enough, that despite being as old as you feel...what if I feel old?  Now I realize that this is how it's going to be with us, every ten years.  I'll go through the motions first and we'll follow up with him.

But despite M being out of town for his birthday, we did manage to do it up right.  We celebrated his birthday last weekend on St. Patrick's Day.  Making sure to get a couple of our friends we went out to a fancy dinner at El Gaucho Bellevue since the one thing he was requesting was a good steak.  Followed it up with a trip to Lucky Strike, a fancy bowling alley and we were laughing our asses off.  Apparently M is the only one who while drinking can still bowl a decent game, and our group of friends have some interesting takes on bowling form.

Monday was also our 4 year anniversary and the day before he left for his trip so I gave him his gifts: a blu ray player and Game of Thrones Season 1.  He was beyond excited, but insisted I set it up while he was gone.  Somehow I'm the tech person in our family. :-)  We also head across the mountains to Yakima for the weekend so he can spend some birthday time with the rest of his family.  I'm hoping for some relaxing and good weather since yet again I woke up this morning to a dusting of snow.  Spring can't come early enough to WA.

Happy birthday M - come home safe tonight.

Love & holidays

I'll admit, I've been behind on my blog for a while. Posting Ten on Tuesday is pretty much all I had time for, and by the time I've caught up with my Google Reader there's not a lot of time to actually post.  But I'd like to work on this a little, so let's start slowly with a little bit of a list.

+ Biggest & brightest reason I've been absent? I got engaged!  Back in October M & I headed out to Kansas for a KU football game (my first trip out there).  He wanted to show me the town where he spent his college years since in our home it's Jayhawks all the time.  Well, toward the end of the campus tour he started acting a little weird.  We made it to the campanile which overlooks the stadium and he pulled out the most beautiful ring.

We spent the rest of our trip celebrating it up and cheering on the football team even though they lost.

+ Because of the engagement it's been a bit of a whirlwind around here.  As per usual, everyone we come in contact with wants to know details.  Have you set a date? September-ish.  Where is it? Not sure yet. Etc. etc.  Add in the fact that almost every other friend I have is engaged or married right now that's all they want to talk about.  But we have appointments on Sunday to look at some venues...so stay tuned.

+ Thanksgiving came and went with a lot of drama.  My grandparents usually do dinner at their house, but my mom called me the Tuesday before saying my grandfather had a really bad cold.  Because of this my grandmother didn't want to get the rest of the family sick.  My mom offered to host the event, but I reminded her that her oven was out of commission and in turn Thanksgiving was at our place.  Almost 20 people over and a 25 lb turkey?  That would make most people's head spin...let alone two days before the event.  Add in I've never even roasted a chicken before, let's just say I was a little anxious.  But it went off w/o a hitch...no burnt turkey and everyone had a great time.

+ As for now?  I'm hopelessly trying to get my holiday shopping done in time.  I managed to get my cards out, but I have another 250 to do at work so I just keep remembering to breathe.  Anyone else running behind schedule???

Ten on Turkey Day

I'm a little behind as Thanksgiving was dumped in my lap yesterday so let's get this started! Compiled at Roots & Rings (Chelsea) and questions provided by E is Random (Elizabeth).

 

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1. What are you doing for Thanksgiving this year?

This year was supposed to be at my grandparent's place, but my grandpa caught a horrible cold.  As of yesterday morning a few phone calls were made and now it's at my place.

2. What are you most thankful for this year?

A great group of people around me.  Family, friends & future family make things wonderful.

3. Do you have any traditions on Thanksgiving? The parade? Football? Long naps?

In our family this is the start of having lefse.  For those not of Scandinavian decent, it's kind of like a potato tortilla. You put butter & sugar on it, then roll it up.


For M he insisted on the Macy's parade & football on TV at all times.

4. Is it called stuffing or dressing? Is it in the bird or a separate dish?

It's called stuffing if it's inside the bird, and dressing outside the bird.  We usually have both.

5. Do you cook?

I do this year!  I usually bring a few dishes (I was supposed to bring 3 apps) but I'm going to attempt a 25 lb turkey and have 20 people over to my house.  Please wish me luck, I'll need it!

6. What is your favorite dish?

I love stuffing & cranberries (real, not in a can).  Oh, and the wine. :-)

7. What is your dessert preference?

Pumpkin pie all the way, with real whipped cream.

8. What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory?

When I was little I used to sit on my grandparent's organ seat at the table because it was a little higher up.

9. Do you plan to shop on Black Friday?

Absolutely not.  I have a hard enough time shopping on a normal day, I can't handle that many people being inconsiderate.  M might go out tomorrow on his own though, he loves a good deal.

10. What are you most dreading about Thanksgiving this year?

Honestly? Part of me is dreading hosting...only because it's harder to get away.  When we have this many people together I usually need a few mins to get away and recharge.  It's easier when it's at someone else's house, but if I have to lock myself in the pantry I'll do it. Ha!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Ten on Tuesday: Pasta Edition

 Today's Ten on Tuesday post comes from Kristen @ St. Monica's Bridge and it's all about pasta.  As pasta is one of my favorite foods ever I couldn't resist.

1. Red Sauce or White Sauce?
I like a little combination of both.  Or, even better...make a red sauce & add a little cream (and syrah!)

2. Do you prefer pasta you can twirl or stab?
I like both, but we do a lot of angel hair so there's some serious twirling going on in my house.

3. Baked or boiled?
Mostly boil, but on occasion there is a casserole around here.

4. Do you like meat in your sauce or do you kick it vegetarian style?
I think if I didn't include meat in the sauce M might kick me out of the house.  I used to do veggie because I had a serious phobia of raw meat, but I'm getting better.

5. Where have you had your very best pasta ever?
Probably at my grandparent's house.  My grandma gave me the recipe and I make it almost weekly.  But it's super basic...chicken, carrots, broccoli, pasta, swiss cheese, cream & garlic.

6. What is your favorite pasta dish?
My step dad's chicken parm w/pasta alfredo is pretty awesome.

7. Do you serve meatballs when you make spaghetti or just do a meat sauce?
Mostly do a meat sauce unless meatballs are requested.  I don't really like balls or loaves of meat (insert joke here) so I break it up a lot.

8. Why type (rice, whole wheat, egg, etc) of noodles do you use?
Umm...whatever the standard is.  I don't go out of my way to buy gluten free or anything extremely nutritious.

9. What type of meats or vegetables do you put in your sauce?
Mostly hamburger & spicy ground sausage, but I had leftover zucchini one day...threw it in and I loved it.  M on the other hand requested I never put it in again.  So sad.

10. Do you make a “Sunday gravy” to use throughout the week or do you just open a jar of whatever and heat it up? (No judgment on this one!)
That would probably make more sense, but I'm more of an open up a jar kind of girl.  At least for the base, adding herbs, onions & garlic along with the cream & wine from above makes it taste almost completely homemade.

In other news tomorrow I head on vacation to Kansas of all places.  M went to college there so he's giving me a complete tour even with a football game.  The weather's supposed to be way nicer than at home, so I plan to relax and enjoy.  Now if I can only get everything done before we leave...that's a whole different ball game!

Can the planners of the world please stand up?

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Do you think you're a planner out of necessity, because it's your nature or something else?  I think I'm a little of the first two.  In my job I'm an office manager.  While the image of this is usually payroll or accounting...in my situation neither of these really apply.  I work in a building that is probably 4-5 times the size for the people we have which means facilities management.  I work with people who need a lot of hand holding.  But most of all, I plan EVERYTHING.  Office parties, moves, board meetings...you name it - I'm the glue.  And the only way I can keep track of everything is a massive to-do list.

But I'm also a planner in every day life.  Whether I'm planning a vacation (especially coordinating with lots of friends), figuring out the menu for the week (yes, I write it all out) or scheduling things for the weekend it's what I do.  But is it ALL I do?  Am I a planner at home because I'm a planner at work?  Or am I a planner at work because it's in my nature and I'm getting paid for something I do well?

Sometimes it's exhausting.  In my group of friends there's a lot of planner types and I will just step back and let them take the reins.  Just tell me where to go, what to do and how much it's going to cost.  I need to turn my brain off.  Is it surprising I have anxiety?

If there is any of you out there, please feel free to share your tips to make things run smoother or thoughts in general.

Ten on Tuesday

There is a real post that I need to get around to making but I've been lazy and haven't transferred my photos to the computer. So in the meantime, let's play Ten on Tuesday courtesy of Chelsea @ Roots & Rings (questions by Sarah).

1. Do you do laundry all at the same time or a load here and there?
I try to do laundry all at the same time, but ever since we started softball things have been off. Laundry day is usually softball day, so I get one load done (w/our shirts) and then hope I can get the rest done during the week.

2. What kind of detergent do you use?
Costco's free & clear (Kirkland Signature). I have really sensitive skin, so most anything else makes me itch like crazy. M once attempted to be nice & do laundry but used the leftover soap he had from his house...let's just say he's doesn't do laundry anymore.

3. Do you use fabric softener?
Nope, just go with the dryer sheets.

4. Do you use dryer sheets?
See above, the Bounce free ones.

5. Do you iron your own clothes or take them to a cleaner to get pressed?
I don't think I've ever taken my clothes to a cleaner to be pressed. Those items that are complicated to iron usually are dry cleaned anyway so it's a 2 for 1 deal. I kind of like ironing though, it's calming.

6. Do you like heavy starch or light starch?
Light starch on a rare occasion. It seems silly, but I like it on my sheets if anything. I think the smell brings me back to my childhood.

7. Do you wash all your laundry at once or separate it?
Separate it, definitely.

8. How do you separate it? By people or by colors?
Colors & type. There's whites, bright colors, darks, jeans/sweats, dark or light work clothes (dress pants/sweaters), towels, sheets...I think that's it.

9. What clothes get hung up and what goes in drawers?
Everything is hung up except basic tanks & tees.

10. Do you use plastic, wire, or wooden hangers? Do they all match?
I use plastic white hangers. I think there's a few random ones thrown in that I haven't tossed yet, but I like it to match.