2013- Year in Review

January: Had 'Ukrainian Christmas' dinner with old roomie (and her husband and my soon-to be sister-in-law) at Applebees. Busy trip to Pennsylvania where we took the in-laws to visit my parents and we secured all the vendors for the wedding. Cake and Catering tasting. Tried to 'reboot' for the first time this month. Did 3 days and 'finished early'.

February: Tom sent me roses to work for Valentines, and my coworkers were convinced there that Tom was awesome :) Trivia night in the city was ruined by people using smartphones. Tom tries to make tofu taste like something good, but failed.

March: Height of my caffeine addiction, made worse by extreme wedding planning. Trip back to Pennsylvania to deliver decorations and spend time with my maid of honor and my flower girl. Movie night at a theater with Lazy-boys. Created invitations, working on assembling them over several Amazing Race marathons with Tom. Taught Dora to drive.

April: Starting to look like spring! Bachelorette Party in NYC at a karaoke bar and I got to play tour guide to my sister and maid of honor. Found adorable (yet embarrassing photos) of Tom, wondered if it would be inappropriate to use them at the wedding. Humorous cake topper from coworkers. Mailed out the invitations.

May: Met with my Ukrainian bridesmaid and her soon-to-be husband (married 2 days after Tom and I). Tom's nipple was rumored to have been pierced at the Bachelor party (they weren't). Tom's sister stayed with my at my mothers to help me finish up the last minute crafts. The groomsmen almost blew up my mother's house the night before the wedding with fireworks. Oh, and we got married!

June: After returning for a month to live at my old shoebox apartment, we found out we got the apartment we wanted and could move at the end of June. Went on our honeymoon cruise around the Southern Caribbean, and about that time got pregnant. Whoops :) Tried to explain how rhubarb (a vegetable) is amazing in pies, and told my coworkers that I would bring them some green tomato jam from my mom (which they loved). Got wedding photos back, and they looked amazing.

July: Moved! Spent the 4th of July at Jones beach, where I severely burned my feet. Furnished the entire apartment in one Ikea trip. Tom had his 26th birthday, but since we didn't have any candles, he blew out a lit match. Found out we were pregnant, and went crazy. Heard a lot of "took you long enough" remarks. Then realized that we would have to dismantle all the Ikea stuff in a few months to move things around, and laughed since it took us 3 weeks to assemble it all. Went to Maine on wknd on an impromptu 'Lobster

Crawl' where I just looked at the in-laws enjoy copious amounts of affordable lobster.

August: Laughed at the in-laws, who after seeing a raccoon run up on the roof decided to pursue it. Office party in Long Island, starting to fall into a nice routine of dinner at home with husband. Started feeling sick with headaches (pregnancy symptoms?) but then a week later started to bleed a bit. Took some time off work to deal with losing the baby. Tom cancelled trip to do missions work in Puerto Rico and we bummed around for a while. End of the month kind of fizzled, waiting for a conclusion.

September: We decided we should go to Pennsylvania and visit my mom for my 27th birthday. We returned to NYC and a week later officially miscarried, but life went on. Went apple-picking upstate with the in-laws and later I made natural applesauce that got RAVE reviews from the in-laws. They compared it to baby food, which wouldn't normally be a compliment. But it was, so I took it. Decided to take a day-trip to Maryland for some crab cakes where I got to eat along with everyone this time, unlike the lobster crawl in July. I got around my documents to get name changed on Oct 1st...

October: only for the government shutdown that started today to close the social security office I needed to be open for me to change my name. (Today, as I write this, I still haven't changed it). Returned to Pennsylvania (again) for my brother's wedding and to buy some autumn items. Bought my tiny pumpkins and took Tom through a great maize maze, that we wasted almost 2 hours in, and eventually gave up on. Drank a lot of cider. Took another trip to Lake George and enjoyed the changing leaves and saw our first drive in movie together. Surprised Tom by setting up the NES Nintendo games he used to love when he was.... 5? They still work too!

November: Started my new split shift, where I work from home (aka surf the net, answer emails and a phone call or two) from 6am-9am, and then work in office from 2-7. Love the change, and became a morning person. Started making breakfast every morning and waking Tom with coffee, and chatting before he leaves for work. We got pregnant again mid-November, but waited to test until we returned to Pennsylvania (6th and final time this year). Was hoping to surprise mom, but came up negative. We cleaned out all the wedding stuff mom has been holding for us. Caught sticker-pox with my adopted niece and went black Friday shopping. Brought home my old hope chest, which was filled with all the items I no longer needed. Blender from the 70s? Yep. My baby blanket? Uh huh. I explained the history of a Hope Chest, and Tom remarked about how old fashioned of my mom to put my sad dowry in there :) Came home, and had a positive pregnancy test!

December: Did a lot of decorating, cleaning, and stringing of popcorn around the apartment. Spent time with Tom's sister and in-laws. Did not go to Pennsylvania this month. Surprised? Me too. Spent the nights at home, feeling nauseous and getting migraines every morning. I baked a lot and I've gotten better than Tom at playing Call of Duty (half the time, I'm happy with that!) Learned my father-in-law loves cornbread, so I can add that to the approved list of recipes my in-laws love.  Learned that hosting a Christmas party is a lot of work, but it's great to be the official 'entertainers' in the family. Made Jesus a birthday cake, and played dominoes. Got some fuzzy pajamas and lit a ton of leftover wedding candles.

And tonight, on New Years Eve, we are going to Tom's grandmother's where we'll play more dominoes, watch the ball drop and drink some Chardonnay grape juice from Trader Joes. I can pretend it's the real stuff, right?

Happy New Years to anyone who reads this, I hope you all have a wonderful 2014 that is so great that it leaves you sad to leave it next year. That's the dream, right?

Friday's Letters

Early Mornings-
  I might not have always had a good relationship with you, but... I think I'm falling in love with you.

Dear Twinings-
  Your spiced Chai tea is nasty! I love your other ones though, especially your Irish breakfast. What happened to the Chai though, did I get a bad box?

Dear boots-
  I did get you on sale at Payless, and therefore am not surprised at your short lifespan. But why?? I've become addicted to your comfort, looks like I need to branch out to other stores for durable boots. Sad day.

Dear sick-people-on-the-bus-
  If you need to cough, do like I do. Hold it in even if it means your eyes pop out of your head and you tear up. Really. If I suffer so that I don't get my hands germy (and hold the grab bars) then you should too!

Dear Purell-
  Thank you for all you do.

Oatmeal-Banana (ONLY) Cookies.

Our stove has arrived, and is doing splendidly. Right now, potatoes are cooking for Shepherd's Pie for the family coming over. Nice to have people to cook for (and hopefully they like it). :)

But. I wanted cookies earlier this week. So I decided to cristen our oven's insides with this wonderful recipe form The Burlap Bag, where the recipe below is basically copy/pasted from.
http://www.theburlapbag.com/2012/07/2-ingredient-cookies-plus-the-mix-ins-of-your-choice/
They were amazing! I doubled the recipe, and it made 32 cookies. See below pictures.

Banana- Oatmeal (Only) Cookies

On Becoming a ''Morning Person''

This Tuesday (Monday was Veterans Day), I started a new schedule at work. It involved me waking at 5:45, washing my face and turning my phone on to take a few phone calls from 6-9am. Basically just being awake to answer it. So really, I was a little concerned I would fall asleep from boredom.

I used to work from 11-7pm, waking at 9am and going to bed at 1pm (if I went to bed on time).

I discovered that it is amazing to wake up early! And I've searched the web for the week leading up to it, to search for tactics (because waking up is like war??) on how to wake up early.

I've found a few things.

Drink Tea and avoid TV before bed, and go to bed on time.
  Duh, right? But I did it, and I went to bed sleepy, versus stimulated. And stayed asleep. And woke refreshed.

Wake up to a nice alarm. 
  I changed out my alarm (which was HORRID) to a favorite song. And as it slowly gets louder, I no longer scowl and attack it to save my ears. I actually kind of enjoy it because it's never loud. I have even downgraded from 10 angry-sounding alarms to 4 nice alarms.

Drink some cold water (OJ, etc) immediately.
  It replenishes you since you hadn't drank anything in about 8 hours. That's why you always feel so sick/blah in the morning. Drink some water. And it wakes you up.

Have something to wake up for.
  Apparently, I needed my work to demand an early wake up. I have for the longest time wanted to wake up with Tom, but never have. Now, I get to read my Bible, make us breakfast, put dishes away, play Scrabble on Facebook and read the news in the hour before he wakes. And he's a big fan of eggs instead of Cap'n Crunch, so I get major props for the breakfast thing.

Do something to help you later in the week.
  I accidentally made biscuit cookies my first day in. They were supposed to be cookies made with Jiffy Cake Mix (first day in, keeping it simple!) But, upon removal they appeared incredibly biscuit-like. They were still tasty though . Oh, and I discovered that I can't use my big baking sheets in our 24'' oven :(

Yes, they will slide all the way down..

And those have been my findings so far. I woke up today and couldn't stay in bed. I eventually tried luring Tom out at 8:30 with some coffee, which he sneered at, drank, and then went back to bed.


So, how has your week been? Any suggestions on making this new schedule continue to rock?

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

We have a stove! But it is sadly stationed in our living room until we get a hose, an adapter and bust a part of our wall apart. So despite these dire circumstances (considering I want to bake!) I improvised.
And while we do not celebrate Halloween and tend to stay inside the evenings surrounding it (people egg things in NYC on Halloween- no thanks) I did make one concession. I don't think it's a bad one either.
In an effort to enjoy the peanut-buttery goodness of the Halloween holiday (the only part I will partake in), I decided to surprise Tom with homemade Reeses' cup bars. I found the website on Pinterest, and followed the pin here. And then browsed around for along time before I had to close the browser or go buy cookies from the Hot 'N Tasty downstairs. And they have horrible cookies, so I my day would've been ruined if I hadn't pulled myself away from temptation.
I have fallen in love with Pepperplate- the web version and the app. So don't mind me if all my recipe's are copied from recipe on there.  But to get the exact same recipe, click the link below. I didn't change anything, didn't need to :)

From Jen's Favorite Cookies:

Peanut Butter Bars (No Bake!)
An easy no-bake recipe for peanut butter bars with chocolate frosting.
INGREDIENTS
  Bars
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
  Frosting
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a bowl, melt butter and peanut butter together.
2. Add cracker crumbs, sugar, butter, and peanut butter. Spread mixture evenly into a 9×13 pan.
3. Melt chocolate chips with peanut butter in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
4. Pour chocolate mixture over bars, and frost evenly.
5. Chill for 40-50 minutes until chocolate is set.

Shoulda melted the chocolate more. Coulda took my time cutting. Woulda gotten better photos.

Whatever, they were amazing and I stand by the original recipe and vouch against myself. Bad blogger. Why don't I try harder to get nice photos. Because.... I was about to pop that lil broken piece into my mouth and forced myself to stick it back where it belongs for the photo. You're welcome...

BUT: We did find (in the final row of the pan of course) that the best way to cut and enjoy them were to cut mini cubes and pop em in your mouth. 

And try not to let them get room temperature. Because they tend to soften up- and as much as I love eating candy like a kid on Halloween, I don't want to look like a kid who ate candy on Halloween.

Jay-Z and my "You've Broken the Law" notice

I have really weird dreams (can't you just talk from that title?) And while I don't do any form of dream divination or secular fortune telling I do know that I get really worked up during the day and suffer for it at night.

This could I'd what goes on inside my head when left to run amok, when I'm asleep."This is what I imagine Tom has to endure. Poor Bizkit. Usually I don't wake so dramatically.

Part One
I've been kidnapped by Jay-Zs mobsters with a bunch of random people who I don't know (but seem friendly with). Isn't that always the case. We're poking around, wondering why his house isn't all that impressive, and he walks in. He's upset about something, but guess I didn't care because I just kept thinking that he should have at least 2 cars, considering he's such a big deal. Unimpressed.


Part Two

We're leaving Jay-Zs and apparently it ain't no thang, because we never met Beyonce or baby-Z, and we all just say bye.

Upon getting home, my mother -because I'm living with my mother again in my dreams?- told me that there's a letter from The Government. It's a 'You've broken The Law' notice, with a shot of me taken from a surveillance camera, throwing something in the garbage.

"You've been caught throwing recyclable material in the garbage can" it reported. "Also, your coworker expressed concern that while it was 'only a date stamper', it could prove to be a heartwarming souvenir, as all the employees quit in your department and were relocating".

When I arrived at work I got another copy of the same notice. And that the company was relocating all the workers, and I should go buy a date stamper for the girl who reported me to The Government.
I don't think that I did, as I woke up afterwards. And while I was in trouble for not recycling (but wouldn't that go in the trash?) she was willing to steal office supplies. Hm.


Where's did all this come from? 
I went to a work event yesterday and saw a Jay-Z look alike, but creepier and eyeing the candy I had placed out on my table. And then that evening, Tom scolded me about not recycling a piece of paper.

And it seems I fear for the future of the known world, considering it was 'the Government' versus the police.

#4 Drive In Movie

#4: Drive-in movie at the Malta Drive-in.

Image courtesy of ponsulak / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Raised Eyebrows

I'm all for the brave new world of bold eyebrows (or in my case, creating visible eyebrows since mine are see-through), but who decided that it was a good idea to redesign their shape?

Two girls were sitting across from me and I was captivated (in the worst way). And while I'm not scared to take random pics of people because they have cute shoes // they are in the way of the advertisement I want to photograph // they look like a stuntdouble of my friend/sister/husband and it's hilarious- I'm not going to take mean pics and post them online.

Plenty of people have made posting about bad eyebrows their thing- so you can look here if you're so inclined.
http://awfuleyebrows.tumblr.com/
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/bad-eyebrows
http://bad-brows.tumblr.com/

But, if you are interested, these are my renditions.

Way to high/archey, and sleeping fuzzy caterpillars
I have amazing MS Paint skills.

I have embraced the eyebrow pencil and brush, and I really just stick with the 'color within the lines' rule of thumb. As I commuted along this morning, I debate whether or not mine are as ridiculous. I faced the door windows and raised my eyebrows at myself. I'm sure it scared some people on the other side.

And then I realized I was being dumb, sat my butt down and fell asleep for the rest of the commute.

Craving some Baking

I have a seriously frivolous problem. I want to bake (things that I could do without) in our nonfunctional oven. Well it functions, constantly, in leaking gas. We've done everything to fix it but it's time to get it out of our house!

Truthfully, we don't cook all that often. We work odd/late hours, so when we get home we go to my inlaws to eat leftovers. And that's cool. Except for when it isn't. I want to bake bread. I am craving a cake. I want to make a pie, and I have a nice pie plate who has never seen the inside of an oven.

I used to be a baking master. Then I moved to New York where I didn't have a kitchen for 3 years.

I seems it's time to get us an oven ASAP. And with any major purchase, (this is major in your 20s, people)- it requires way too much research. Ovens are expensive though! You have to pay for the window in the front, which I thought came standard.

How much do they really expect me to spend on a 24 inch stove? I've never bought an appliance before, I can imagine how I'll be repeating this when we hit the more expensive section in our life. You know, like kids and hopefully a house.

Friday's Letters

Dear Post it notes:
     I can't wait to replace you all with my new planner. I get thrilled every time I can throw one of you out, one by one, but there are really just an endless pile of you. Time to Go. Additionally, buying a planner reminded me of getting a new one from high school every year, and how I loved to decorate it. I was a dork.

Dear Husband:
     I take back yesterday's post. I want you to stay. This weather is cold and your warm feet (opposite of women's feet?) were the only thing that sustained me. Oh, wait. Electric blanket. Nevermind :)

Dear TMJ:
    Thank you being less irritable, I sincerely hope we can work this out and once I get the mouthgard my teeth grinding will stop.

Dear weather:
     Um, thanks for the cold weather but wow! Way to jump from 80's to 55 in the morning. Not impressed.

Dear NYC:
     Can you not be so smelly and annoying this morning? And can you not have a lady screaming on Queens Blvd below my work window, and the Cash for Gold guy not block my path as I am on my way to glorious Dunkin Donuts?