30 x 30; Buy a New Car

I mentioned this not so very long ago; when I graduated high school and turned 18, my parents bought me a car - what a lucky girl, right?
I drove that car for 10 1/2 years. It was nearing the end of its time with me and we were looking at possibly trading it in for something newer and a little more grown up. It also happened that buying a new car was one of the items on my list of 30 x 30.

Then December 10th happened, and after a week and a half of calls to the insurance company, it was finally determined that I would never see my little car that could again. Trade-in plans were foiled, new car plans were seriously expedited, but trying to stay on the bright side - this meant I was getting a shiney new car.

I started my research and we decided we would go after Christmas (because they would certainly have the best deals then...right?)
Online research told me that VW had the best year end deals - seriously, Sign Then Drive, check it out. So, a few days before Christmas we headed over to our local VW dealer to compare models and get a better idea of what kind of deal we might get. We decided that a Passat would be the best fit for me. It got just as good MPG as the smaller Jetta, and it should still suit my needs when I'm in my mid to late 30's and *hopefully* have a family to tote around.
The sales guy opened up with an amazing deal - dude, its the end of the year - and we went home to think about it.
Then I remembered something kinda important... I know a guy.

Into 2013...

I will be ringing in the new year in the 'Bu. My parents own a small beach house out there and are letting my sister and I call dibs on it for the night.

This year has been madness, and I can't really believe some things that happened in January through March were actually this year. 

Since this is probably the last chance I'll have to post before it's 2013, I want to take a second and appreciate some of the more monumental things that happened in 2012, as well as some of the things I'm hoping for in 2013. With plans going the way they are so far, it's looking to be a year full of adventures. 

Let's focus on the amazing, shall we?

Our Christmases 2012

Christmas celebrations started early for our family this year. Big sis and I got ourselves all up and married in the last few years, so we now have to divide our Christmases between our family and our husbands'. We were alternating which Christmas to be home with our parents, so Tim & I haven't seen them on Christmas in 3 years. :(

Starting next year, we have officially changed the schedule and we will both be at our parent's on the same year...

But this year, we got an extra Christmas celebration by gathering on the 21st (after little sis got into town, but before big sis left) so we could exchange gifts, eat dinner together, and decorate a gingerbread house.

Wishing you...

If Christmas were a place, it would be right around the corner. Festivities are picking up, family is heading in and out of town, and I will be in front of my computer (a little) less often. There are people to see, yoga classes to absorb, and treats to bake!

I just wanted to take a second to wish you all the very merriest holiday

Happy Christmas, one and all!

Love, 

Us

Remember What You Love

Y'all know this - It's been a rough week and a half for me. A roller coaster that put me in a mental and emotional place I didn't want to be in. A lot of self doubt, a lot of not knowing, a lot of anger.

Today is the last Thursday before Christmas. It really forced me sit down and think about the things I am grateful for this holiday. I really love the holiday season, so it was important for me not to let it be ruined. When you find yourself crying when you try to sing along to Christmas songs, its a sign that something needs to change (or you're PMSing. whatever.)

Now... maybe it's because I don't host the holiday, but Christmas has never stressed me out. Gifts can get pricey, but its easy to make adjustments according to your budget - and anyone truly worthy of receiving your gifts won't care how much you spent on it.
I love baking and decorating and wrapping presents. I love the sounds and the smells, and I don't even mind staying late to help clean up. It's the other stuff that makes Christmas stressful - the everyday stuff that still needs to get done amidst all of fun things I want to do more.

It's been kind of surreal this last week or so - floating in and out of the holiday spirit.

I literally just got up from my desk and got knocked back out of it. The phone calls continue...

Here's to cold mornings in Malibu and wearing big fuzzy sweaters. To blue skies in December and Christmas lights contrasting the green grass of our neighbors lawns. I may not be feeling awesome right now, but I have the highest of hopes for tomorrow.

And in a minute I'm going to put on the Rockin' Christmas channel on Pandora so I can focus on the things that make me smile - like the giant hug I'm going to get when Tim sees his Christmas present next week, and making gingerbread houses with my mom and sisters tomorrow night.

Bye Bye, Baby

When I turned 18, my parents bought me a car as a birthday/graduation present. Last week I was in a car accident and this morning I found out that she's been declared a total loss.

Not only did she take me places, but she went everywhere with me. When I moved to Alabama in 2006, we shipped her out so I could drive around T-town.

After graduation, we caravaned safely back from Tuscaloosa to SoCal. 

At the continental divide

YTT Update; Week 10

I briefly thought about doing a YTT update every week, but I thought I would run out of things to say. I am also pretty surprised that we've just finished week 10 of the 14 week program. I don't know how I would have found time to post a yoga recap every week. It would have been two lines. "Today we learned about the bandhas and the skeleton. It was good."

Maybe you didn't know this, but if you are in yoga teacher training that runs through December, its pretty likely you'll end up having two weeks off for "winter break", and here we are. Week 10 has just ended and we are on YTT winter break. Class will resume after New Years. I'm a little sad, but I'm not complaining. I'm planning on using this extra time to play with sequencing and try and memorize some more of these dang Sanskrit names. Lucky for me, their memorization is not essential for earning my certificate - but it would help. :)

We're finally learning how to put classes together, which is pretty cool. Yesterday my group and I split an hour long class four ways. I did the beginning and baby warm up. It was so cool and scary to teach a group more than one pose for the first time.
I was standing in the front corner, drinking hot green tea and looking at my notes every now and then. I wish I'd walked around a little bit, but no sense dwelling on it now.
The week before we'd partnered up and taught one on one, but teaching a group is so different. So many critiquing eyes & ears!
I practiced my section the night before to make sure I could figure out what to say and that it ran about 15-20 minutes.
Getting up there and actually teaching though - is so unlike just running through it aloud in the middle of the kitchen floor.

And then the holidays were stressful

This week started off on the wrong foot when, on the way to work on Monday, I was in a car accident. I'm not going to go into detail, but it happened and it was rough. I held it together through all the "jive" (as my dad put it). Phone calls to our insurance agent and adjuster, talking to the CHP and tow truck drivers, getting chauffeured by my husband to the tow lot, back home and then to my parents' to borrow a car, and finally driving into work where more phone calls ensued.
When I finished the phone calls, I guess the shock wore off and I sat at my desk thinking about what happens now.
It's Christmas time. It's the most expensive time of the year - on top of gifts, we just paid our property tax (oof). I was overwhelmed by "what ifs", and I sat there staring blankly at my computer screen, trying to let myself relinquish control, but hanging on to my plans as hard as I could.
I swallowed hard, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.

It is what it is, I told myself. Whatever happens is going to happen and I'm not going to make it better by worrying about it.

I treated myself to fried fattening foods, chocolates, wine and cocktails (yes, both) for the rest of the day. Letting go was going to have to be life encompassing for the day.

One "person" who really helped me let go, was this lady.

I hope she makes you smile today too.

In honor of Panda's total spaz out - at one point she actually stepped on my face. ouch. - and letting go of what might be, submitting for the approval of the midnight society, I call this story...

my Be Happy linkup post.

Kitchen Adventures; Candied Clementine Peels

Remember how I did that juice cleanse? I just posted about it. Maybe you read it, maybe you didn't. I don't know. I don't know your life. ;)

Basically, it was decided that since we've invested in a juicer, we would have TONS of produce in our house, including a giant bag of clementines from Costco. I always wondered who bought those giant bags of produce, and now I know... because it's me.

For a while I was just tossing the peels. Who wants to eat them anyway? They're bitter and stringy and, well, not delicious.

Then Tracy Benjamin posted this recipe on Shutterbean and it was like a lightbulb went on in ma brain.

No longer would I waste the peels of these delicious snack-sized fruits! It was time to turn this bitter discard into something downright delicious.

Recap Fall 2012

When does fall officially end? Are the seasons different because I'm in SoCal? Does that kind of cancel out winter?

I'm confusing myself.

Here's my "Fall" aka mid-September through Early December in Instagram...

We started off with a bang. Our anniversary wasn't even over when sickness crept into our house.

I made caramel mocha brownies to make myself feel better. It was mostly spiritual. ;)

My mom trained me to takeover as designated maker of fig pinwheel cookies.

Christmas Wishlist 2012 & a Stocking Stuffer Giveaway

100% serious. I'm a grown up. (Ok, maybe 90% serious)

Husband and I try very hard to be financially responsible, but if I really wanted, I could run around town and blow all my money on things I want this time of year. How-ev-ah, because it's Christmas, I have made a list of fun things I would like to have at my disposal.

My Christmas Wishlist

Kitchen Adventures; Maple Pecan Bars

I finished my juice cleanse on Wednesday night and all I could think about on Thursday were baked goods. I wanted to make everything. I wanted the sounds and smells of the holidays to take over my house. So, when I got home I busted out the wrapping paper, gifts I'd bought, put on Love, Actually, and flipped to the cookies sections in some of my favorite cookbooks.

I needed to find something to make that wouldn't involve a run to the store... until it dawned on me that I didn't have eggs. I wanted to bake and I didn't have any eggs... Seriously?

Movie paused. Grocery list written up. Reusable bag grabbed.

30 x 30; Juice Cleanse

Right around Halloween this year, I was sitting at my computer thinking about when and what kind of juice cleanse I should do.

How long should it be? When would it least impact my day to day life and have the most benefit? Should I buy a juicer? or use a juicing company? What companies were out there?

I feel like I should tell you that I've done cleanses before, but this was my first one without solid food.

I didn't fully weigh the pros and cons of everything because I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do when.

After Thanksgiving. Short cleanse (3 days plus pre and post cleansing). Not buying a juicer since I didn't plan on doing it again and my husband had no interest in doing it with me.
Found 2 juice cleanse companies that looked good. I picked one and ordered my juices.
Decided to start on Wednesday, November 28th. I thought about starting right after Thanksgiving, but I had a mark party/pottery boutique scheduled with my mom for the 27th and I thought that would over-complicate things.