10 adults, 4 babies, 2 toddlers, and a partridge in a pear tree!

Last weekend we had our friends over for a Christmas Party. 
We enjoyed lots of great food, conversation, hot chocolate, and as always, lots of laughs.
We are very thankful to have such great friends who we really enjoy spending time with.  And it's just a bonus that all of their kids are just as fabulous.  :-)
Enjoy some pictures...

From left to right (oldest to youngest) Estrella, Dominic, Ezra, Josiah, Moses and Calvin.

Lovin' little Moses.  :-)

Estrella, me and the "gato"

Merry Christmas!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!

Christmas is definitely my favorite time of year (surprising, since I work in retail!!). 

I love everything from decorating the house, to Christmas music, to Christmas scented candles, to baking, you name it!!

(Even the cats join in the fun--okay, they're kind of forced to.)

So I thought I'd post some pictures of Christmas in our home

(I was inspired by Abby G's blog to share some pics!). 



Our Tree!



The baby tree

The stockings hung by the fire with care...
And our nativity set, complete with a new stable built by Matt!

I think Mazy needs to work on having a better attitude about the holidays.



Miel is not much more cooperative.
Oh well!

Merry Christmas to your family from ours!



Adventures in Dublin...

As many of you know, I was just recently in Dublin, Ireland for work.  I was supporting a new store, one of two locations now in Europe.  The other is in Birmingham, England.
I've never been to Europe, so this was my first time "across the pond".
I wish I could have blogged while I was there, but between very long work days and after-work shopping (every day--oops!), crashing into bed was about all I could accomplish at the end of the day!
So I will share a few highlights of my trip now...

Arriving in Dublin:
My company gave me specific directions to follow to find my way to the hotel once I arrived in Dublin.  I was to take the city bus to a bus stop near the hotel, once I exited the bus and turned to my right, I would see my hotel.  Sounds simple, right?? 
Well, first of all, the weather was not very accomodating to travel.  It was snowing and VERY cold (at least to me--I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to cold weather).  First of all, once I finally located the bus stop at the airport, I had to stand in the cold for about 40 minutes waiting for the right bus.  Once I was on, I realized that this is an actual city bus where the people on the bus clearly know where they're going and just press a button when their stop is approaching.  The directions I was given were, "since there will be no signs or announcements about upcoming stops, you must constantly remind the driver of what stop you'd like to get off at"--What?! 
But I followed the directions and probably was about to get thrown off the bus if I "reminded" the driver one more time.
Finally my stop came, so I lugged all my belongings off the bus into the snowy street, eagerly turned to my right aaaannnndddddd....NO HOTEL!  Okay, let's be optimistic...maybe it's my other right?  Nope.
My thought process is: ok, it's night time, it's snowing, I have more luggage than I can handle, I'm in the middle of Dublin with no clue where I am and my cell phone doesn't work...don't panic.
So I picked a direction and began walking and dragging my luggage.  I say "dragging" because due to the snowy conditions, my luggage wheels would no longer roll--wonderful!
After seeing several pubs, many stumbling drunks (it is Dublin, you know), I found someone who looked nice, sober and possibly directionally inclined.  I was given entirely new directions and continued on.  So there I was, trudging through the snow, hoping I'm headed in the right direction, when a kind Irish woman (or who I believe to be an angel), came up beside me and said in the most endearing Irish accent, "I'm walking along and I see this poor girl dragging her luggage through the snow and here I am just passing you by!  Can I help you?"  I was politely reluctant, then gladly handed her one of my bags. She was nice enought to assist me all the way to the hotel door.

The weather...
The first few days we were there, England and Ireland were experiencing what the new stations called, "the big freeze".  Apparently, it's pretty unusual for it to snow in Ireland and especially unusual for it to snow this early in the winter season.  But boy did it snow!  It was absolutely beautiful watching the snow fall on the streets of Dublin--especially with all the Christmas decorations!
Unfortunately, the whole city shuts down because it doesn't deal well with snow.  So stores, restaurants, etc. closed early for a couple of days because of the adverse weather conditions.  Which, to this midwest girl, that snow was nothin'!
I thoroughly enjoyed the snow, and wish that it had snowed a little more...although we did get a few surprise flurries throughout the rest of our stay.

The shopping...
It's not that Dublin offers the most amazing shopping, but they do offer stores that I don't have here.  There were also several stores that we found to be really interesting and a few really fabulous...so we shopped...EVERY DAY!  Unfortunately, stores were only open until about 6:00pm or "half 6".  Luckily for us, they were offering their December "trading hours" (extended holiday hours), so things were open "late", which meant some were open until 8:00pm or even (gasp) 9:00pm!!

The people...
One of the things I love the most about traveling abroad for work, is that I get to spend all my time with the local people.  I always learn a lot about the culture and in this case, their Irish "lingo"!  Obviously they are known for fabulous accents, which are SO fun to listen to, but I had no idea how much could be lost in translation when everyone is speaking English!
Here's some vocabulary I learned: (remember, I only heard these, so I have no idea how some are spelled)
"What's the crack?" --meaning, "what's up" or "what's the story"
"How are you getting on?"--How's it going?
We were told that nobody says "cute", and we'd sound very American if we did, so we asked what would be proper substitutions in the context of telling someone their outfit was cute.  Here were their suggestions "massive", "deadly" or "savage". 
There were a lot of other sayings or phrases that I found very hilarious, but mostly I just enjoyed their extensive vocabulary.  For instance, how many of you know a young person to use "gaunt" in an every day sentence??  My point exactly.  :-)

How I Rate Hotels

As many of you know, I travel very frequently for my job.  And by frequently, I mean I am gone anywhere from 1 night to 3 nights about each week. 

So naturally, hotels are my like my second home.  I travel to 3 different cities and most of the time, I stay in the same few hotels.  As of lately, I've been booked in some hotels I haven't stayed in, making me realize I've become very critical of hotels.

So, I've decided to share my list of things I look for in a satisfactory hotel.  Now once you read this, you might think I'm awfully picky.  But remember, I hit these hotels very frequently and normally after a long, tiring day of traveling and working.  So something as small as not being able to find a parking spot at your hotel OR not having automatic doors, can be very upsetting.
Remember, that I'm not staying in fancy hotels.  These are your run-of-the-mill Hampton's, Hilton Garden's, Wyndham's, Fairfield's, Double Tree's, etc.
I will rank each hotel after my visit using a very scientific method...a scale of 1 to 5 plush robes.
Plush robes, you ask!?  A plush robe is one of my favorite amenities, and I happen to have a picture of myself in one...so plush robes it is!!  :-D

    1 Plush Robe:  Terrible.  This hotel is probably dirty, dated and slightly shady.

2 Plush Robes: Unsatisfactory.  I've stayed in worse, but I will definitely try and avoid this hotel in the future.

3 Plush Robes: Satisfactory.  Has most of what I'm looking for, but probably falls short in several categories.

4 Plush Robes: Great. I'm very happy to stay here, but it might be lacking in a few small details.






5 Plush Robes: Excellent. I have no complaints.  When can I move in?

Here are the categories I'll be judging and the specifics I look for within each category.

First Impression:

--Is there enough guest parking (well lit parking lot) and is it a short walk to the entrance?

--Are there automatic doors? 

It’s never fun to try and balance your purse, luggage, dinner, and try opening a door when you are traveling alone!

--Does the lobby offer snacks or drinks?  This is an added bonus and might add a plush robe! 

My personal favorite is lemon water, cucumber water, chocolate chip cookies, etc.

Check-in Process:

--Is the desk attendant fast, friendly and efficient?

I’m all for a little friendly chit chat, but get down to business, and get me my room!  Also, too many questions can be a little awkward…especially if the attendant is a male.  “What are you here for?”, “Who do you work for?”, “Where do you normally stay?”, etc.

--Do they accommodate special requests? 

I prefer to not be on the first floor, so honoring simple requests like that goes a long way.

--Is my room easily accessible?

Anything involving looking at a map, having to re-park my car or having to go back outside is a real hassle in my mind!

Room comfort and convenience:

--Does the room smell good or at least odorless?

--Is the decor updated?

Anything involving gold, maroon, and forest green probably hasn’t been updated since the early 90’s.

--Is there a Coffeemaker? Are cream and sugar available?

Personally, I prefer the simple Wolfgang Puck coffeemakers where you put one cup of water in the top, a small “pod” of coffee and hit brew.  I also prefer if they have “real” creamer as opposed to the non-dairy powder.

--Is there a refrigerator?  This is valuable on stays longer than 1 night, but even then, it's a plus! (or should I say plush!)

--Is there free Wifi? 

I only count this as a “yes” if it WORKS CONSISTENTLY.  A lot of hotels have "free wifi", but it might not work if you are higher than the 2^nd floor or simply has an inconsistent signal.

--TV:  I don’t require a flat screen, however something bigger than 25” is preferred.  Also, are there a wide variety of channels offered?  Bravo, HBO, etc. are some of my favorites.

If the TV is static or the batteries are dead in the remote, the hotel would definitely lose plush robes here.

--Power Outlet:  Is there a conveniently located power outlet?  If I have to charge my phone across the room or have to move furniture to access an outlet, I’m annoyed.

Amenities:

--Is there a workout facility?  Is it updated, clean , and offer more than just a stationary bike?  Is there a TV in the workout room?

--Do they offer breakfast?  I prefer fresh fruit, hot breakfast options and definitely coffee.

--Do they offer clean, fluffy plush robes?  This of course, is an added bonus!

Stay tuned for future hotel reviews!!

Must Love Pets

One thing Matt and I have in common is that we both love animals.  I guess I thought that everyone did, but recent discussion among our group of friends revealed that not everyone does!  I totally understand not wanting pets and everyone is definitely entitled to their own opinion and lifestyle...so I pass no judgement on pet haters...eh hem, I mean, those who choose to live without pets.  ;-)

A recent event revealed Matt's soft side for animals, which I love. 

Here's the story...
I was working over-nights at work, so Matt was home by himself.  He decided to go for a late night run around our neighborhood.  He ran into several LARGE javelinas along his path. For those of you who don't live in Tucson, javelinas are a relative of the pig/boar family, are kind of smelly and often aggressive towards small animals.  Which is why Matt was so concerned when he ran across a stray, rather rotund, chihuahua. He knew if the chihuahua continued on it's path, it would run right into the pack of, assumingly, very hungry javelinas.
So naturally, my animal-loving husband, picked up the pudgy puppy and headed home...asking any neighbors he saw along the way if anyone recognized the dog.  Having found no leads, Matt decided to bring the dog to our back yard until he could figure out what to do.
Being that it was midnight, there were really no options except to either release the dog into the wild of the desert, or keep it in our back yard until the morning.  Obviously, he decided to keep the dog safe in our yard.  However, a problem arose when he realized that the dog did not want to be left alone...crying and whimpering at the sliding door was too much for Matt to bear.
So......as anyone would do.....okay, probably not anyone......okay, probably not many people.......Matt slept outside in a lawn chair with the chihuahua on his chest.  :-)
Here's the lost chihuahua:

I took the dog to the shelter in the morning, hoping that her owners would check there.  That evening, when Matt returned home from work, he found EVERY lamp post, traffic sign, etc. littered with "LOST DOG" signs!!  Apparently, "Cheyenne" had a very loving family who missed her very much.  We didn't even know, but Cheyenne, likes to dress up in clothes (as the color pictures of the sign showed)!  Matt called the number and let the family know where they could find her. 
And the chubby chihuahua and her family lived happily ever after!!


Here are some pictures of the animals we love...

Stratman: the newest addition to Matt's family

(will cover this in upcoming blog post)

Matt's dog in Chicago: Cocoa

At our friends Chris and Katie's house with

their dog Molly!

And of course, the BEST of them all....

Miel and Mazy!

This blog post in loving memory of Kirby...the best dog a girl could ever ask for.

I pink I can, I pink I can...

2010 Race For the Cure

Team "Keepin' 'em Real"

As many of you know, both Matt's mom and my mom were diagnosed with breast cancer about a year or so ago.  They both underwent surgeries and have been cancer free since.  We are so thankful that both of them are healthy and doing great a year later!
This year, Matt's family and some of his mom's friends all participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure downtown Chicago.  We went to Chicago to participate in the event as well.  Matt ran the 10k and I ran the 5k.
If you know me, you know that I am not a long distance runner.  I've actually never ran more than 2 miles in my life!  So the thought of running a 5k was definitely daunting and my goal was just to run the whole thing--which I did!  I was super excited to discover that I could run that far.  The picture below is a "reenacted finish".    :-) 

Here are my stats...nothing impressive, but I thought I'd share:
Time: 35 min 2 sec
Place: 875 out of 1334

Matt's 10k stats:
Time: 46 min 6 sec
Place: 47 out of 1012

After the race, I was lucky enough to witness Matt's Uncle Rick's retro fashion statement and couldn't resist posting a picture of this!!  These are Zubaz pants straight from the 80's, I believe. 

Here's a close-up of the pattern...classic!

Let's go surfin' now...

Over Labor Day weekend, we headed to Oceanside, CA for some time of relaxation and fun with our friends. All together it was 8 adults, 2 toddlers and 1 infant...a lot of craziness as you can imagine.


Although the ocean was pretty cold, we were able to rent wet suits and do some boogie boarding and surfing! Here's some pictures from our time there...

Looking SO stylish in our wet suits!

All of the men who gave surfing a try...apparently, it's harder than it looks.

Enjoying a GIANT carne asada burrito...yum!!

The beautiful view from our patio.

Matt with Baby Josiah. :-)

On the pier.

A GIANT FLIP FLOP!!!

Finally...surfing success!!  Ok, we can go home now.

The September Issue

Although it's still 95+ degrees in Tucson...in the fashion world, the season is FALL!
Each year, the September Issue of fashion magazines features the newest, hottest fall fashion.
I got so excited when Matt told me, "You got your September issue of InStyle...it's like an inch thick!"  My response was..."just wait until you see the Vogue!"

I'm almost finished with the InStyle, and haven't even started the Vogue yet...and I'm really loving it.  You have to understand that I really love magazines, especially InStyle and I read practically every word!

So just imagine how long it takes me to read 2 inches of FASHION!!

I've found some pictures of my favorite Fall Fashions so far...

A leather jacket is a must!

Laid back.

Menswear bottoms?  Yes, please!

A maxi skirt--so chic.  I don't have one...yet!

Military jacket, super cute.

I love this layered look--even the tights with shorts!

Fashions courtesy of vogue.com and instyle.com