The Year in Review & Bed Beard

Happy New Year everyone! Looking back on 2010, I can't help but feel truly blessed for what a great year it's been.  Michael and I had our share of disappointments, but overall, 2010 was very good to us. We took our 3 week honeymoon trip to Thailand and celebrated our first wedding anniversary.  We did a 3,200 mile road trip through the Midwest, and also traveled to France, Croatia and Germany.  Some very dear...

Baby’s First Christmas

Living on the West Coast and having our families in two different states in the Midwest, it can be difficult to decide where to spend the holidays.  The Hub and I are so lucky that we both come from amazing families that we actually want to spend time with, so we have to plan our holidays diplomatically.  However, this year the decision was simple.  You see, this year, we had a new person in the picture:  our...

Hump Day: The Origin of the Soft Kitty

Back in 2005, our dear friend, the esteemed Dr. David Stephenson, worked with his old roommate Perry to develop this week's Hump Day drink: a shot, called  Soft Kitty. Equal parts Jager, Bailey's, and Captain (actually, a little less Captain)  the Soft Kitty is shaken with ice and strained into shot glasses.  It is taken like a shot and has a signature hand motion to go with it that must be done every time a...

The Year of the Beard

Last year was the first Christmas that The Hub and I celebrated together as a married couple.  We decided to spend the holiday in San Francisco and start our own traditions.  We bought a tree, had our parents send us some of our favorite childhood Christmas ornaments (Barbie for me, Star Wars for The Hub) and spent a quiet, cozy holiday with our little family of us and Figaro. Because we like to make a big deal...

Snow Beard and Bed Beard: Double Christmas Edition

Fig joined us on our long flight back to Wisconsin, and he was a true champ! He stayed calm and quiet in his bag, even during our unexpected 4 hour layover in Chicago. Fig's been having a great time back in Wisconsin.  He's wearing his sweaters to stay warm and he loves playing in the snow.  My sister-in-law snapped a cute picture of Fig outside and had the great idea of posting it as his "Snow Beard." ...

Belated Hump Day: New Glarus Back 40

We finally made it back to The Hub's homeland - Waunakee, Wisconsin, the only Waunakee in the world! After a slight delay in O'Hare (to which the pilot said, "Sorry about the delay - it's a Chicago thing") we landed in Madison at 10am yesterday morning.  I think I've already gained 15 pounds.  Between all of my mother-in-law's delicious cookies and my father-in-law's amazing meals, I'm already having trouble...

Parisian Sweets

After an unexpected stay in Zurich, The Hub finally made it home from Paris on Sunday.  He came bearing lots of goodies (some of which I can't see until Christmas!) including a special request for my Mom.  Lenôtre Chocolates. It's pretty awesome that The Hub gets to go to Paris once, sometimes twice, a year for work.  It's even awesomer when I get to go with him.  I have big plans to blog all about the...

Snickerdoodle Heaven

A few weeks ago I had a Snickerdoodle at a friend's holiday party and since then, I just haven't been able to get them off of my mind!  I've never been a Snickerdoodle kind of girl, but the buttery, cinnamon-sugar aftertaste haunted my brain until I broke down and made a batch of my own yesterday while I watched Sex and the City 2 (don't judge) waited for The Hub to return from Europe. I'd never made...

Bunny’s Bed Beard

From the time Figaro was a baby, I have referred to him as my Little Bunny.  I'm sure I'm giving him an identity complex, but there is something so precious and cuddly about Fig that makes me think of a soft, little bunny on Easter morning hopping around with some plastic eggs.  I don't tell Fig about the fact that bunnies are Michael's arch rival, causing him to sneeze and his eyes to get red and watery...

Don’t Forget the Earth! Holiday Tips from Patty Preachy

Patty Preachy here again. You missed me. As much as I love recycling, I'm going to try not to use any material from my Thanksgiving post. If you're looking for food tips, you can likely find them there. Now tis the season to talk about what you all love to hate to love to do: SHOP. CONSUME. FILL THE VOID. While I can't give you a conscience, I can give you some pointers. SHOPPING/GIFTS Give gifts with a...