On obligatory New Year's resolutions

Sometimes I make them, sometimes I don't.  I read somewhere that the top three NYR are:

By far, the top 3 new year's resolutions are: - weight loss, - exercise program, - stop smoking These are not mine.  I don't smoke.  I already exercise (possibly not enough but I am not a complete pessimist) and I don't really want to lose weight.  I'd like to tone up a little, though.  I don't think that it's worthy of a NYR.   I would like to stop talking so much -- I think that this is a result of being an attorney.  I am constantly persuading someone of something.  I need to listen more.  I need to want less and be content with what I have.  I need to get a hobby and stop letting work dominate my life.  However, I don't plan to start making sweet and low bras -- I was just really impressed that someone took the time to do this.  I found this as I was looking for the image below.  Seriously, stunning . . . .  I am going to read more.  Finally . . .  I'm going to give up artificial sweetener.  It may take me awhile to give up diet drinks but I'm giving up adding sweetener to my tea and coffee.  I think I can do this.   Okay, I want to go to the gym more often, too.  Happy new year!

Under pressure: Christmas Traditions

For the past few weeks, I've been mulling over obsessing about the fact that now is the time to start traditions.  I have tons of Christmas traditions with my immediate family but now that I am married I have begun thinking about creating our own Christmas traditions for our family.

Christmas has always centered around church and spending time with family over the years.  There were Christmas parties, Operation Christmas Child Shoebox projects (my church has been an area-wide collection center for over 10 years), Christmas plays, cantatas, Advent, and my favorite, Christmas hymns.  It has been hard to keep that up since I've been away from my home church in years past but I hope to revamp my efforts (even far away in Chicago) over the next few years.

My immediate family has never been apart on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.  I don't know how I'll deal with the first Christmas morning that we spend separately.  I'm hoping that we find a way to adapt without losing many of our own traditions.

We typically put up our Christmas tree in the couple of days after Thanksgiving.  We have a gorgeous 9 foot tree.  Fake, yes, but I have no affinity for real trees.  They leak sap, they shed worse than sheepdogs, and they are incredibly flammable.  I love seeing the ornaments from my childhood every year.  Among my favorites: the eskimo ice fishing in a little pond (I definitely tried to melt the pond by running it under water when I was younger), the baby carriage purchased the year I was born, my grandmother's smooth green glass ball ornament and, among others, my sister's hand-painted man who bears a striking resemblance to Mr. Bill.


My sister and I always went to get the other before going to the living room on Christmas morning.  My mother always has an elaborate display with some of our larger unwrapped gifts and overflowing stockings spread out under the tree.  We never touch any of our gifts without making coffee and/or cinnamon rolls for our parents.  It was the only way that we could entice them out of bed before 6 a.m. some mornings.  We've become a little more lax in recent years but Christmas morning is always such a wonderful time to be at home with my parents and sister.  Sometimes, my sister and I woke up too early -- 4:30, 5:30 so we had to entertain ourselves in the basement with Christmas movies until an acceptable time to wake up our parents.  They have always been very cooperative on Christmas morning -- very admirable considering they probably went to bed around 3 a.m. after decorating the living room.  We sat around for hours, excitedly watching one another unwrap gifts, gorging ourselves on Christmas candy, and playing with our new gifts -- even as we grew older.

Even after reading multiple articles about Christmas traditions, I'm still not sure how exactly Christmas traditions begin.  I we could just keep doing what we're doing: decorating our home together right after Thanksgiving, choosing and sending Christmas cards, walking down Michigan Avenue to see the storefronts, the CTA Christmas train, the Christkindl market, and Macy's, baking Christmas treats, and traveling home to share the holidays with our families.  I'm sure that our "traditions" will change as we have children and move around but I think that's okay.  The important traditions will stick and the others will fall by the wayside.

On my favorite holiday candy: Bourbon Balls

If you like bourbon, you should try this recipe for Kentucky Bourbon Balls.  It's the best one I've found and I've tried a few.  





KY Bourbon Balls 
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
• 5 tablespoons Kentucky bourbon (I prefer Makers Mark or Jim Beam) 
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar
• 18 ounces semisweet chocolate

Directions

1. Place the nuts in a sealable jar. Pour the bourbon over the nuts. Seal and allow to soak overnight.
2. Mix the butter and sugar; fold in the soaked nuts. Form into 3/4" balls and refrigerate overnight.
3. Line a tray with waxed paper. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just-barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. Roll the balls in the melted chocolate to coat; arrange on the prepared tray. Store in refrigerator until serving.

If you don't have a double-boiler, you can improvise.  HOW?

On being proud

I. am. so. proud.

Words can't describe how amazing it was to watch my mom walk across the stage at her college graduation last week.  After working for 13 years in human resources, she decided to finish her bachelor's degree in organizational communication and business.  She has worked so hard for the past two years.  I know that she's shocked that she finished.  I'm not.  My mother has always been so determined.  I know that this will open up doors for her that she never thought were possibilities.

Surviving the last days of 2010

Between work and traveling, I haven't had much time to breathe lately.  However, several things have helped me survive the past few months:

Our trip to Napa/Sonoma/San Francisco 

Michael Buble's Holiday station on Pandora 

Starbucks "Red" cups 

and of course my amazing family.  

Work has certainly been testing me lately. I think I'm up to the challenge -- for the moment, at least. 

Wonderful weekends like the past several weekends help, as well.  One of my best friends came to visit with her boyfriend.  We love having guests, so it was wonderful to spend a weekend bumming around Chicago with them.  My bf's boyfriend got some amazing photos at the Christkindl market: 

We even ran into some carolers during our stop at Garrett's popcorn.  Macy's was truly gorgeous. 

I fell in love with a toy . . . but my husband just wouldn't cave :) 

Of course, I took them to the Bean

We hit up Michigan Ave. and the Signature room for the cocktails and undoubtedly, the view: 

Too many wonderful photos to post but you get the idea! 

We didn't take too many photos during the karaoke sponsored by wine and tequila we sang the night before but needless to say, our rendition of the Remix to Ignition will not soon be forgotten.  

If I can make it through the next three days, I'll get to head home and relax for 6 days work-free :) 

Snapfish deal!

Be sure to check it out! These are some of my favorite from their site. They're some of my favorite for quality and price, as well. They're great for newlyweds, and what better way to share one of your favorite wedding pictures with your family and friends than with a fabulous Christmas card.

I love this one because I can use my new last name initial.
And the simplicity of this one.

And this one so we can showcase a bigger picture.