It's 2a where I am, and I can't seem to get to sleep. That's probably because it's 7p at home, and my body hasn't adjusted yet. It's bizarre. Even though I had anticipated the jet lag, I'm finding it very difficult to acclimate to the 7 hour change from Chicago to Munich.
Back story: my dad has never been to Europe. I have been twice, one on a study abroad trip on his dime. So, I decided it was time to take him. He thought it was a great idea and, when I asked where he wanted to go, he responded, "Europe." Where specifically? He shrugged, "Europe."
So, I set an itinerary that has us starting in Munich (that's where I am, sleepless!), traveling south to the Neuschwastein Castle (it's the model for Sleeping Beauty's castle, and probably a huge tourist trap, but it's also beautiful), west through the Black Forest (can't WAIT; even what little we have seen of Germany's forests have been amazing so far), then north along the Rhine River to Cologne. From there, we will depart Germany for Belgium, hitting both Brussels (one of my very favorite cities) and Bruges (think of how pretty the movie In Bruges was before it got violent...) and then ending our trip in Amsterdam.
Today, we suffered the unavoidable (previously-mentioned) jet lag, but we also did a pretty stellar job of checking the city out. We strolled from our hotel (located very close to the central train station) in the general direction of the main pedestrian plaza, Marienplatz. We got side-tracked at a small park and, starving, sat to eat at a restaurant within it. The waiter took pity on us and asked if we were looking for traditional Bavarian food since their menu had recently changed, and the English versions had not arrived yet. We told him yes, and he presented us 300 grams (I had no concept of how much this was, but it turns out it's a whole plateful) or schnitzel as well as roasted pork shoulder, which is apparently an area staple.
We didn't get far past the park before we got very tired, so we returned to the hotel for a nap, then braved the S-Bahn (subway system) to take us to Marienplatz. This was after unsuccessfully hopping on and off at least two different trams. I have still not successfully mastered a foreign tram system...
Marienplatz, a shopping stronghold, was absolutely packed, but we did get to see the New City Hall, complete with famous Glockenspiel, though it was too late to see it go off. We strolled around, taking photos of the fascinating churches, nipping into one of them to view a few minutes of an evening mass, and then finally finding a place to eat.
We actually struggled to find a place to eat and walked into several establishments before finding ours. The first place was right on the main drag, and they sat us in between two couples. I have heard of table sharing and have even anticipated in it during previous trips, but this was just downright awkward. We then tried another restaurant with a bar that had been empty when we walked by it previously, but it was jam-packed by the time we came back. We were forced to keep looking. I really thought it would be easier to find a beer in Germany. I think we may be looking in the wrong areas, but our dining location was ultimately fantastic, and we ordered sampler platters and indulged in some of the best local food.
Our plan to hop on a bus tour of the city tomorrow (or later today) was thwarted by the fact that the Munich Marathon takes place in the city tomorrow. Just our luck... We were also informed that most stores are closed on Sunday, so we may try to pop by some museums instead.
Wish us luck!! (Pictures will be posted when it's not inconvenient for my roommate...)
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Surprising Adventures
Recently, my husband's work wife reminded me that I hadn't posted anything in awhile. With work being all-consuming during the season and inspiration thin, I'll admit that it hasn't been top of my list. But, her words made me realize that I was letting go of something that started off as an escape from work, an outlet from feeling overwhelmed. And I haven't been indulging.
So, I was thinking of it a little more when Tuesday went from ordinary to adventure. My friend, Jamie, and I grabbed lunch at Olive Garden, and part of our conversation focused on how it's hard to "adult." (Did you know that Pinterest has made it a verb?)
We wondered what our lives would be like if we had more money, more time off, more ability to travel. Inadvertantly, we wondered what our lives would be like if we had more adventures.
After lunch, we went to get our nails done (can you believe that we were really complaining about adulting in this situation?). We were just wrapping up a wonderful day together when, to my dismay, my car wouldn't start.
We did our sex proud by grabbing jumper cables, opening both hoods, and preparing to YouTube our way to a jump before a nice passerby offered to help. We had to move Jamie's car because my cables weren't long enough. Then, they still weren't long enough, so we used hers. Our helpful passerby explained that hers weren't working (is that even possible?!?!) before a State Trooper lent us his (poor guy was just trying to pick up his drycleaning).
We FINALLY got the car started, but our triumph was short-lived. It lasted only half a minute before dying again, and I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to call a tow truck. Jamie, being a great friend, insisted on staying with me. We sat in her car for awhile before, out of nowhere, she said, "Let's go to the wine store."
I hadn't noticed the small wine shop, but I was happy to oblige. This particular wine store had all of its bottles for $11.99. Jamie bought one bottle. I bought three.
After our purchases, we had nothing to do but wait, and it took a lot of willpower not to open one of those bottles and take a few pulls as we sat on the curb. The wait was long, and Jamie and I had already had hours to catch up, so we ended up spending most of the time in silence (the measure of a true friend is how long she will sit next to you on a curb in the sun, waiting for a tow truck. Sober.).
Finally, the truck arrived, and the delightful Michael cracked jokes as he hooked up my car (I really love my car, and it was hard to see her laid up). Jamie bade me farewell with the whisper "call me so I know you don't get taken," and I spent a reasonably enjoyable ride to the mechanic with Michael.
I wasted a lot of time today on the phone with the mechanic, waiting for the tow truck, and then driving Kevin around becuase we were, once again, down to one car. There were a lot of things I planned to do: grocery shop, cook, exercise, etc. that I did not get to do.
And yet...
There was the text from Jamie making sure that I didn't die, to which I responded, "Thanks for being so great today."
Her response: "Of course. Always an adventure."
Advenutres can, of course, be found in the most unlikely places, including a $1,600 car bill.
So, I was thinking of it a little more when Tuesday went from ordinary to adventure. My friend, Jamie, and I grabbed lunch at Olive Garden, and part of our conversation focused on how it's hard to "adult." (Did you know that Pinterest has made it a verb?)
We wondered what our lives would be like if we had more money, more time off, more ability to travel. Inadvertantly, we wondered what our lives would be like if we had more adventures.
After lunch, we went to get our nails done (can you believe that we were really complaining about adulting in this situation?). We were just wrapping up a wonderful day together when, to my dismay, my car wouldn't start.
We did our sex proud by grabbing jumper cables, opening both hoods, and preparing to YouTube our way to a jump before a nice passerby offered to help. We had to move Jamie's car because my cables weren't long enough. Then, they still weren't long enough, so we used hers. Our helpful passerby explained that hers weren't working (is that even possible?!?!) before a State Trooper lent us his (poor guy was just trying to pick up his drycleaning).
We FINALLY got the car started, but our triumph was short-lived. It lasted only half a minute before dying again, and I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to call a tow truck. Jamie, being a great friend, insisted on staying with me. We sat in her car for awhile before, out of nowhere, she said, "Let's go to the wine store."
I hadn't noticed the small wine shop, but I was happy to oblige. This particular wine store had all of its bottles for $11.99. Jamie bought one bottle. I bought three.
After our purchases, we had nothing to do but wait, and it took a lot of willpower not to open one of those bottles and take a few pulls as we sat on the curb. The wait was long, and Jamie and I had already had hours to catch up, so we ended up spending most of the time in silence (the measure of a true friend is how long she will sit next to you on a curb in the sun, waiting for a tow truck. Sober.).
Finally, the truck arrived, and the delightful Michael cracked jokes as he hooked up my car (I really love my car, and it was hard to see her laid up). Jamie bade me farewell with the whisper "call me so I know you don't get taken," and I spent a reasonably enjoyable ride to the mechanic with Michael.
I wasted a lot of time today on the phone with the mechanic, waiting for the tow truck, and then driving Kevin around becuase we were, once again, down to one car. There were a lot of things I planned to do: grocery shop, cook, exercise, etc. that I did not get to do.
And yet...
There was the text from Jamie making sure that I didn't die, to which I responded, "Thanks for being so great today."
Her response: "Of course. Always an adventure."
Advenutres can, of course, be found in the most unlikely places, including a $1,600 car bill.
Surprising Adventures
Recently, my husband's work wife reminded me that I hadn't posted anything in awhile. With work being all-consuming during the season and inspiration thin, I'll admit that it hasn't been top of my list. But, her words made me realize that I was letting go of something that started off as an escape from work, an outlet from feeling overwhelmed. And I haven't been indulging.
So, I was thinking of it a little more when Tuesday went from ordinary to adventure. My friend, Jamie, and I grabbed lunch at Olive Garden, and part of our conversation focused on how it's hard to "adult." (Did you know that Pinterest has made it a verb?)
We wondered what our lives would be like if we had more money, more time off, more ability to travel. Inadvertantly, we wondered what our lives would be like if we had more adventures.
After lunch, we went to get our nails done (can you believe that we were really complaining about adulting in this situation?). We were just wrapping up a wonderful day together when, to my dismay, my car wouldn't start.
We did our sex proud by grabbing jumper cables, opening both hoods, and preparing to YouTube our way to a jump before a nice passerby offered to help. We had to move Jamie's car because my cables weren't long enough. Then, they still weren't long enough, so we used hers. Our helpful passerby explained that hers weren't working (is that even possible?!?!) before a State Trooper lent us his (poor guy was just trying to pick up his drycleaning).
We FINALLY got the car started, but our triumph was short-lived. It lasted only half a minute before dying again, and I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to call a tow truck. Jamie, being a great friend, insisted on staying with me. We sat in her car for awhile before, out of nowhere, she said, "Let's go to the wine store."
I hadn't noticed the small wine shop, but I was happy to oblige. This particular wine store had all of its bottles for $11.99. Jamie bought one bottle. I bought three.
After our purchases, we had nothing to do but wait, and it took a lot of willpower not to open one of those bottles and take a few pulls as we sat on the curb. The wait was long, and Jamie and I had already had hours to catch up, so we ended up spending most of the time in silence (the measure of a true friend is how long she will sit next to you on a curb in the sun, waiting for a tow truck. Sober.).
Finally, the truck arrived, and the delightful Michael cracked jokes as he hooked up my car (I really love my car, and it was hard to see her laid up). Jamie bade me farewell with the whisper "call me so I know you don't get taken," and I spent a reasonably enjoyable ride to the mechanic with Michael.
I wasted a lot of time today on the phone with the mechanic, waiting for the tow truck, and then driving Kevin around becuase we were, once again, down to one car. There were a lot of things I planned to do: grocery shop, cook, exercise, etc. that I did not get to do.
And yet...
There was the text from Jamie making sure that I didn't die, to which I responded, "Thanks for being so great today."
Her response: "Of course. Always an adventure."
Advenutres can, of course, be found in the most unlikely places, including a $1,600 car bill.
So, I was thinking of it a little more when Tuesday went from ordinary to adventure. My friend, Jamie, and I grabbed lunch at Olive Garden, and part of our conversation focused on how it's hard to "adult." (Did you know that Pinterest has made it a verb?)
We wondered what our lives would be like if we had more money, more time off, more ability to travel. Inadvertantly, we wondered what our lives would be like if we had more adventures.
After lunch, we went to get our nails done (can you believe that we were really complaining about adulting in this situation?). We were just wrapping up a wonderful day together when, to my dismay, my car wouldn't start.
We did our sex proud by grabbing jumper cables, opening both hoods, and preparing to YouTube our way to a jump before a nice passerby offered to help. We had to move Jamie's car because my cables weren't long enough. Then, they still weren't long enough, so we used hers. Our helpful passerby explained that hers weren't working (is that even possible?!?!) before a State Trooper lent us his (poor guy was just trying to pick up his drycleaning).
We FINALLY got the car started, but our triumph was short-lived. It lasted only half a minute before dying again, and I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to call a tow truck. Jamie, being a great friend, insisted on staying with me. We sat in her car for awhile before, out of nowhere, she said, "Let's go to the wine store."
I hadn't noticed the small wine shop, but I was happy to oblige. This particular wine store had all of its bottles for $11.99. Jamie bought one bottle. I bought three.
After our purchases, we had nothing to do but wait, and it took a lot of willpower not to open one of those bottles and take a few pulls as we sat on the curb. The wait was long, and Jamie and I had already had hours to catch up, so we ended up spending most of the time in silence (the measure of a true friend is how long she will sit next to you on a curb in the sun, waiting for a tow truck. Sober.).
Finally, the truck arrived, and the delightful Michael cracked jokes as he hooked up my car (I really love my car, and it was hard to see her laid up). Jamie bade me farewell with the whisper "call me so I know you don't get taken," and I spent a reasonably enjoyable ride to the mechanic with Michael.
I wasted a lot of time today on the phone with the mechanic, waiting for the tow truck, and then driving Kevin around becuase we were, once again, down to one car. There were a lot of things I planned to do: grocery shop, cook, exercise, etc. that I did not get to do.
And yet...
There was the text from Jamie making sure that I didn't die, to which I responded, "Thanks for being so great today."
Her response: "Of course. Always an adventure."
Advenutres can, of course, be found in the most unlikely places, including a $1,600 car bill.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Sloth Magic
I recently quit Facebook because I was spending a lot of time and none of it was very quality. I'm not a hater--I loved FB for a very long time--but I wasn't getting out of it what I wanted.
Since then, my husband has been trying to keep me up to date on the "important" stuff, like video of a dachshund getting a bath. It was cute, but it was followed by one of the most adorable things I've ever seen in my life. I invite you to enjoy as I did:
From the second I saw this clip, I fell in love with Jimima and her adorable little stuffed animal. I don't care that sloths have weird, long fingernails, or that there's a brief time in the video when she tries to bite her handler. I don't care that her eyes bulge.
Cutest. Thing. Ever.
I texted to clip to friends, but then I realized that I have a sloth problem. Slothweek.com is my new addiction, and, if you're like me or Kristen Bell, I invite you to join in the crazy!
Happy Sunday!
Since then, my husband has been trying to keep me up to date on the "important" stuff, like video of a dachshund getting a bath. It was cute, but it was followed by one of the most adorable things I've ever seen in my life. I invite you to enjoy as I did:
From the second I saw this clip, I fell in love with Jimima and her adorable little stuffed animal. I don't care that sloths have weird, long fingernails, or that there's a brief time in the video when she tries to bite her handler. I don't care that her eyes bulge.
Cutest. Thing. Ever.
I texted to clip to friends, but then I realized that I have a sloth problem. Slothweek.com is my new addiction, and, if you're like me or Kristen Bell, I invite you to join in the crazy!
Happy Sunday!
Thursday, January 14, 2016
21 Day Fix
I was in the basement one day cleaning when I got sucked into an infomercial for a fitness program (you know you've done it before), and I found myself wondering if it would be the right fit for me. It's called the 21 Day Fix, and it's based on the idea that you can break a bad habit in 21 days (which neither I nor most psychiatrists will admit has any value, but I digress).
The premise relies on both fitness and nutrition, which is why I was so drawn to it. There are 7 different workouts that follow the workout calendar below:
I hope that this document helps you out. It was created in Google Docs and is therefore a little more compatible there, but it can also be downloaded as an Excel document.
The premise relies on both fitness and nutrition, which is why I was so drawn to it. There are 7 different workouts that follow the workout calendar below:
It's three weeks straight of working out, but the workouts themselves are only 30 minutes, and (dare I say it?) they are pretty fun! I will admit that I nearly died during the first one, but don't be discouraged-- you will feel so much better if you keep on it.
As I mentioned, this is also a nutrition plan, and it's based on eating at a caloric deficit, which is achieved by portioning food. To aid this, there are color-coded containers, and you are allotted a certain number of them every day. The hardest part of this entire process is, as you could imagine, planning. You have to know what you're going to eat for each meal/snack before you leave the house, or you will not be able to follow this well.
The first week I did this challenge, I only did the exercise and ate healthier than normal but not according to the guidelines. When I started to buckle down and really get into the nutrition aspect, I found myself floundering a little. That's where this helpful worksheet came in handy:
I really appreciated this guiding document from Kimberly Jobs of Sublime Reflection, but it was only available as a PDF, and I wanted to be able to use it to calculate my needs for me. So, I re-created it using Google Drive, and it's available for download:
This document, unlike the original, allows you to play with your meals and warns you when you've gone over your allotted serving. You can easily see your remaining servings, and when you do exceed what you're allowed, it will let you know:
 |
| Clearly, I tried to sneak in too many veggies... |
I hope that this document helps you out. It was created in Google Docs and is therefore a little more compatible there, but it can also be downloaded as an Excel document.
Re-fashion
It's a new year, and I'm sure you may have guessed that means I'm on a new diet and exercise plan (more on that in a different post), the reason being that I am no longer able to fit into some of my clothing. However, this has given me a unique opportunity to revisit something I have always had an interest in but never indulged, and that is re-fashioning clothes.
I am a decent seamstress. I took sewing/fashion classes in high school and even sewed my own prom dress. In college, my friend Casey and I discovered a book all about re-fashioning T-shirts, and though we did some, we only ever did the no-sew options.
 |
| My junior year prom dress, inspired by Beauty & the Beast... |
 |
| Casey modelling one of our transformed shirts |
One reason I'm not really into sewing is because it overwhelms me, mostly due to the yards of fabric needed to make a decent piece of clothing. When I was in high school and had plenty of classroom space at my finger tips, it didn't bother me, but since then, I have mainly focused on projects that are very limited in size, such as stockings.
What's great about re-fashioning is that it takes pre-existing garments and allows you to modify them without taking up too much time or space. To make a t-shirt, I would probably need at least two yards of fabric, and I would end up doing a lot of the onerous work, like creating the collar. For the t-shirt modification below, I only needed a few inches of fabric and got the whole project completed in half an hour.
The inspiration for this particular project can be found here, though there aren't any real instructions beyond: "I cut out the side seams and serged in a panel of fabric on each side and, voila, the shirt fits."
Here's what I did with one of my very favorite t-shirts (that's a little snug these days):
Materials needed:
- Old t-shirt
- Extra fabric (dimensions will vary)
- Sewing machine, straight pins, & thread
Steps:
1. Cut side seams from bottom hem to top and through arm holes; measure cut distance (for me, it was 19.5" x 4" to accommodate .25" seams on sides and .5" hem on top and bottom)
2. Sew top and bottom hems of add-in fabric.
3. Pin and sew in side panels.
It is a pretty fantastic and fun little maneuver, and now I feel comfortable wearing this shirt again. If I ever got back down to my skinnier size, I could always just re-sew the initial seams.
I also did another shirt, and now I'm afraid I may be addicted...
I also did another shirt, and now I'm afraid I may be addicted...
Now that I have this project under my belt, I am ready to take on more. Some will be more challenging while some will just be plain fun, but I'm sure a trip to Joann is in order!
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Loving My Living Room
When we first moved into our place in December 2012, it was a very nice blank canvas. It didn't need a lot in the way of repairs, which I always expected my home would. Instead, it was a very nice, very bland home just waiting for some inspiration to hit it.
Problem was, it was REALLY intimidating to fill an entire house at once. We had furniture, and I had some of my favorite items from when I lived at home, plus some raw materials for projects that I had collected over the years, intending to utilize them when I finally got my own place.
I had grand ideas, but somehow, almost two years in, my house was still looking pretty boring. My living room, especially, was making me angry. I had curtains and pillows that I liked, but there were some issues with the walls. I'm not a huge fan of the color yellow (because it has to be the PERFECT shade), and the whole first floor is...you guessed it-- yellow!
Here's the LR when we moved in:
We had couches and some other great furniture, but the walls were severely lacking. The only original thing on the wall was the picture of me that my friend's mom had painted, and it's a little odd to be looking at yourself all day.
My husband is not much on home dec, but he reports that I spent months just looking at the wall before I finally decided on what to do.
As I said, it's just too much to look at oneself all day. I switched it out for something I found at Joann for about $30 (I only buy stuff on sale; you should know that by now). It's one piece, but it's staggered for interest.
As for some of the smaller pieces, I switched one circular table out for another, and I bought an ottoman so that I could stop resting my feet on a decorative trunk.
That's really all I did to make my living room one of my favorite rooms. I felt like I had so many good pieces that just weren't coming together.
Problem was, it was REALLY intimidating to fill an entire house at once. We had furniture, and I had some of my favorite items from when I lived at home, plus some raw materials for projects that I had collected over the years, intending to utilize them when I finally got my own place.
I had grand ideas, but somehow, almost two years in, my house was still looking pretty boring. My living room, especially, was making me angry. I had curtains and pillows that I liked, but there were some issues with the walls. I'm not a huge fan of the color yellow (because it has to be the PERFECT shade), and the whole first floor is...you guessed it-- yellow!
Here's the LR when we moved in:
And a shot towards the Dining Room:
After almost two years, it looked like this:
My husband is not much on home dec, but he reports that I spent months just looking at the wall before I finally decided on what to do.
Step 1: Remove photo of self and find something more appropriate; switch out small items that aren't working.
As I said, it's just too much to look at oneself all day. I switched it out for something I found at Joann for about $30 (I only buy stuff on sale; you should know that by now). It's one piece, but it's staggered for interest. 
As for some of the smaller pieces, I switched one circular table out for another, and I bought an ottoman so that I could stop resting my feet on a decorative trunk.
Step 2: Utilize garbage-picked shutters in fun and funky way.
I found these AWESOME shutters on the side of the road and (swallowing my pride) threw them in the back of my car. I looked at all kinds of different ways to use them, but, ultimately, just putting them on the wall with a thorough cleaning was the best way to go. I got the idea to put up photos with clothespins from this blog.
Step 3: buy (and dress) a leaning bookshelf.
A leaning bookshelf is something I have always wanted (can't tell you why), so I was excited to find this affordable version at Walmart. It's not hardwood, but it's really nice, and it acts as the perfect way to showcase a lot of stuff I already had and just didn't know where to put. I had dudes commenting on it. That's how you know you actually made a difference.
TA-DA
That's really all I did to make my living room one of my favorite rooms. I felt like I had so many good pieces that just weren't coming together.
To review:
Before
& After
Got a room transformation you'd like to share?
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