JUST A LITTLE WT

While you’re running around prepping for your NYE festivities, don’t forget to spend some quality time with your favorite pups. Now you can keep them exactly where they want to be and still have both your hands free!

Yes, my mom got a Baby Bjorn for the dog for Christmas (with reflectors for night jogging). And no…wonders will never cease.

 

9 YEARS IN MY HOME

I had an OMG moment this morning in the shower…right about now, 9 years ago, I moved into my home. I got my keys in December of that year, but slowly moved in that month, and then finally began sleeping there a couple of days after Christmas.

NINE YEARS AGO.

It’s incredibly hard to believe that nine years have gone by.

I was 26 years old, I purchased my condo here because it was half way between the city where I grew up and work…and it was right by an awesome shopping center. (That first year, the gals at Ann Taylor Loft got to know me by name – but that’s a story for another time.)

I was convinced that I’d only be in my one bedroom condo for a couple of years before I traded up or got married, so I did a three year adjustable rate loan. HA.

I’ve made some awesome memories in this house. As I look back on my favorite memories, I remember my first dinner party, where I essentially opened a plastic bag of pasta and heated it on the stove and a recent dinner where friends told me I had become an incredible cook. : ) I remember my annual Christmas Eve Eve Open Houses that have changed from tipsy singles to families with kids running around. I remember my couch where I’ve cried many a tear and a closet that I stand in every day and just love. I remember my deck where I had my wine club/small group over and served them my amazing corn. I remember the hot tub downstairs where I’ve been tipsy with girlfriends, flirted with boys, and relaxed sore muscles after the triathlon. I remember all the awesome DIY projects my dad and I have accomplished over the years, my own DIY screw ups, including a fall off of the top of a four foot ladder while holding a drill. I remember the time when the dining room light fixture fell straight out of the ceiling, crashing onto my table. I remember when my cat singed his tail walking by lit candles.

It’s been nine years of awesome memories…and some that weren’t so awesome. There were times where I felt burdened by home ownership and trapped in a one bedroom cage. There were times where I cursed the lack of storage, the summer ant problems and the fall spider infiltration. There were times where I sent nastygram emails to the HOA management company.

But all and all, I’m so thankful to have a roof over my head, friends who encouraged me to buy in spite of my young age, and parents who came to look at the house and supported me through the process, who helped me paint, decorate, and make my condo into my castle!

In the last nine years, I’ve painted the interior (some rooms three times), recarpeted twice, installed moulding, new light fixtures in a couple of rooms, designed my deck, remodeled my kitchen, remodeled my bathroom, remodeled my closet, got new living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture, and got all new appliances.

I LOVE IT! WHAT IS IT?

I had a WONDERFUL Christmas with my family and I hope you did, too! Family traditions, having kiddos nearby, and tearing into countless gifts just makes the festivities so exciting. On top of the joy of having all of those things, the Holiday is really about the birth of our Savior. Can I get an amen?!

Our extended family celebrates on Christmas Eve and I can’t wait to share photos from that. Our immediate family celebrates by wearing matching PJs, and opening gifts on Christmas morning. My mom makes breakfast, then we lounge about for hours like true lazy goofs. I was blessed by our time together and LOVED each and every gift I received. I was just unpacking my car,  going through gifts, and realized a funny moment I had to share.

I’m 35 years old and I don’t think I’ve opened a gift with confusion since I was a child. However yesterday, I was stumped TWICE!

My sister (showing how well she knows me) found a really cool gadget for wine drinkers! When I opened the package, I saw the name, but didn’t really know what the item was. It looked like the stick an orchestra conductor uses, but I quickly learned it’s a groovy device for cooling down wines and keeping them at the perfect temperature!

And then my dad, knowing how much of a fitness kick I’ve been on, gave me a funny looking armband in a clear box. I actually said, what is it?! He laughed and explained it was for tracking calories burned, food consumed, exercise, and even sleep patterns. The Up device was right up my alley, I just hadn’t learned about it, yet. After unpacking and getting settled back at home tonight, I’ve set it up and look forward to learning more about how it works and how my body processes calories, exercise, and sleep!

I could care less how much money people spend on me, but I do LOVE it when I realize friends and family have given gifts a lot of thought…to me, that shows love. Yes, it’s a love language, people! (And speaking of gifts as a gift of love, the Gentleman Caller got me a Cuisinart Fondue pot because he knows how much I love to entertain…so sweet, huh?!)

So, tell me about some of your favorite gifts or funny moments! Were you confused by anything you received this Christmas???