So Long 2010...Bring it 2011!

I cannot believe just last week I celebrated Christmas. Honestly, where has this year gone? Santa was really good to me this year. I got a Flip video cam from my parents, along with some B&N gift cards for my Nook, Lululemon gloves, and other little things. From my sister, I received a super cute apron and Julia Child's cookbook, 'Master the Art of French Cooking'. I can't wait to try it out. I've recently taken an interest in learning to cook different types of foods. I've also found that cooking relaxes me and it's something I'm good at, baking on the other hand, is a different story.

My grandparents live in Arkansas and they only come during Thanksgiving for deer hunting season. That is when we do our big family Christmas with my aunt, uncle and cousins. So this past weekend was very low-key filled with lots of good food, relaxing, and quality time with the parents and sister :-)

*my mom's gluten-free chocolate cake. Turned out sooo good!

As much as I enjoyed my time off and the holidays, I'm glad they're over. Christmas is one of my favorite times of year, but I wasn't feeling it so much with LC being gone, and my family knew it. I tried to be in good spirits but it was really difficult. But now that Christmas is behind us, this means I have about a month and a half until he's back home!

Tomorrow I'm going to a house party with my BFF, Dani (she's also one of my BM's). It's been a while since her and I have spent NYE together and I'm looking forward to it. I'm loving our plans because I hate going out for NYE. I think it's so over-rated, over-priced, and under served. Pass.

2010 wasn't the greatest of years and I'm looking forward to leaving it in the past. I have a lot to look forward to in 2011 and begin a new chapter in my life as a wife. I'm not one for making resolutions, but I do set goals for myself each year. Within in this past year, I participated in my first Bank of America 8k Shamrock Shuffle, two 1/2 marathons, visited New Orleans for the first time, and started planning a wedding. The first of my Best Friends got married and another one had a baby. On the flipside, I learned who my true friends really were which resulted in losing a bridesmaid and someone who I thought was a friend. My mother suffered from random neurological symptoms, was tested twice for multiple sclerosis, and remained a "medical mystery" for months. She was finally diagnosed with celiac disease, which was actually a relief considering what it could have been.

In 2011 I plan to: get married (I'm giving myself a freebie!), visit St. Lucia (another freebie), pay off a credit card, run another 1/2 marathon, talk myself into running the Chicago marathon in 2012, visit NYC during the Christmas season.

Have a safe and happy new year everyone!

Weekend Recap

I'm back in the very windy city, after a long weekend in WI. The weekend was a lot of fun and very relaxing. Two things I was in desperate need of. I drove home Wednesday after working and a long cardio session (gearing up for yummy food). I stayed at my sister's house because she lives closest to where we were planning on going out that night. We met some of her friends out at a restaurant in Milwaukee, called Hinterland. From the outside, it looks like a fancy wine bar. But inside, it's very cozy and perfect for a cold, rainy fall evening. I had the pork chops with butternut squash and red quinoa. It was the perfect kind of comfort food. After dinner, my sister and I parted from her friends and met up with some of my girls at Cafe Lulu. It was wino Wednesday, which means 1/2 price bottles of wine which equals one happy Maria :-) We drank wine and danced the night away to 5 card studs. What a fun band!!! They were a "Vegas Style" live band that sang music from the 70's and 80s. They wore wigs, white button shirts, and aviator sunglasses. They were a riot. If live bands weren't so expensive, I would have definitely booked them for our wedding.

I started off Thursday morning with a little 2 mile run, along with strength training and big flights of stairs. Thanksgiving day was held at my parents house. My mom did most of the cooking because she has to be gluten-free. I was a little worried about this because I've had some gluten-free products and could definitely tell a difference in the taste. But everything was magnificent and more! I could not tell a difference between the gluten free stuffing vs. the stuffing from last year. I could, however, tell a difference in the pie crust. It wasn't a bad different, just not what I was used to.

Friday, my mom and I met with the florist for the wedding and went over ideas and price quotes. Flowers are expensive. Even coming from a woman who works out of her home. I could not believe the price that I was being quoted for my bouquet. I quickly texted my friend who just got married, and she paid the same price for hers. Unbelievable. Especially because they will end up going to waste at the end of the night. I'm excited to see how they turn out though. It's hard for me to grasp the fact that I won't see the finished product until the day. It makes me a teensy bit nervous.

The rest of the weekend included taking the puppers on long walks so that he wouldn't be so crazy inside, football (WOO HOO BADGERS!) and spending quality time with the family. Now it's back to the grind and time to finish out the semester strong. 3 more class and 3 more tests! I never thought I'd see this day again, where I look forward to winter break :-(