It's the Most Wonderful Time...

... of the year! Let the season begin!! Fa-la-la-la-laaaa, hustle and bustle, non-stop Christmas carols... isn't it grand? One of my favorite season traditions is to make hot chocolate, decorate the house, and watch the annual lighting of Rockefeller Plaza. This year's performances were spectacular and sweet little Justin Bieber stole the show. Jarrett and I smiled as we hung our beloved ornaments, each with a story of its own.

Next on deck is a Christmas breakfast and turkey shoot on Saturday followed by the Wake Forest Lovefeast on Sunday. Looking forward to a weekend of holiday cheer!

Turkey Top Ten

This year we retreated to Williamsburg to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. The trip usually takes four and a half hours, but somehow I managed to get lost in conversation and missed my exit. I ended up taking a detour to Williamsburg, following my Garmin's commands. Somewhere along the way, Jarrett gestured to the dark screen and asked, "Is that a boat?" We were in stitches when we discovered that our alternate route involved boarding a ferry!! The surprise turned out to be quite pleasant and we hopped out of the car to stretch our legs and enjoy the cool breeze off the water. At last we arrived at my parent's home to officially kick off of the holiday season. Our excursion was the perfect blend of activity and relaxation with these favorite moments:

10. Daddy the Soldier: I haven’t seen my Dad since July and was shocked to see his grown out beard! Naturally, his favorite perk of his new look is the authenticity it provides for his Civil War look. After dinner Wednesday evening, he dressed up in his reenactment uniform to share the full effect. Good times J.

9. Turkey Trot and Pumpkin Milkshakes: Our favorite place to start Thanksgiving day is in Colonial Williamsburg. We rallied together with over 2,000 runners and walkers to complete the 3.1 mile course. Jarrett and I walked with my parents all throughout Colonial and around the William and Mary campus. As tradition would hold, we treated ourselves to pumpkin milkshakes while watching the Macy’s Day Parade. Kaitlyn and Austin arrived in time to see Santa and were especially excited by the spirited moment.

8. 2 Eagles and a Turkey: I must admit that I was a tiny bit nervous that the boys would be using an outdoor turkey fryer. Jarrett always cooks his turkey in an indoor fryer and the horror stories of the outdoor fryers left me skeptical. Like two Eagle Scouts would do, Jarrett and Mike read the manual, cleared the leaves, and effortlessly cooked up a darn good turkey. I think more than anything they loved drinking beer and being outdoors on a beautiful November day.

7. Mom’s cooking: There’s nothing better than my mom’s cooking. I know I’m biased, but my mom cooks the best traditional dishes. I couldn’t get enough of the corn pudding and love her stuffing. Every single bite on my plate was savored and left me both stuffed and excited for leftovers. As we shared conversation, I reflected on how thankful I am for each individual at that table. My niece and nephew, sister and brother-in-law, parents, and husband have enriched my life beyond words.

6. New Town Cinemas: Thursday evening we ventured out to the movies where the boys opted for Hugo and the girls chose to see The Muppetts. As you know, I am not the biggest movie lover, but I could not peel my eyes away from the screen. The Muppetts was hilarious and had an excellent plot. The guys enjoyed their movie and referenced it on several occasions throughout the weekend. It was fun to get out and enjoy the evening.

5. Long Walks: Friday morning I slept in and then joined my mom on a neighborhood walk to the river and back. I grew up going on long walks with my mom and enjoy this time we spend together. Essentially this gives us a solid hour to talk. It’s amazing to think of the many conversations we’ve shared over the years. There are certain unofficial landmarks in the course of our path that remind us of specific times in our lives. For example, one street we pass automatically triggers the memory of preparing for my interview at Wake Forest. This time is so special to me.

4. Black Friday: I want nothing to do with long lines, large crowds, or rowdy behavior. I do, however, enjoy getting out on Black Friday later on in the day. I managed to convince Jarrett that a trip to the outlets would be a fun experience. Fortunately, this proved to be true and we to kicked off our Christmas shopping in the process!

3. Christmas Towne: Since this Christmas will be spent in Winston, we decided to go to Christmas Towne while we were in the Burg. This is one of my favorite holiday traditions, and somehow always seems to top the previous year. Jarrett and Mom got Gluhwein, which brought back memories of Christmas in Germany. While they sipped their warm beverages, Dad and I got on the Mach Tower which hoisted us 240 feet into the air and gave us an aerial view of the Christmas-lit park before dropping us at a thrilling speed. After strolling through each uniquely decorated country, we settled in Germany for the last showing of the Christmas production. An evening in the park was all it took to officially get me in the Christmas spirit.

2. The Kingsmill Resort: A trip back home would not be complete without stopping by the resort. I did a heavy leg workout followed by some crazy treadmill intervals. The change in scenery was appreciated, especially given the beautiful view of the river. After a great self-inflicted sweat, I laid in the sauna and then jumped into the whirlpool. A little bit of pampering sure does go a long way.

1. Game Day: The UVA/Virginia Tech game always occurs the Saturday after Thanksgiving and is always highly anticipated. Unfortunately, the outcome is usually the same and my Wahoos just don’t seem to pull through. The upside is that it makes for one happy brother-in-law, who has a crazy love for all things Tech. This family rivalry is of the friendlier sort and game day usually involves some awesome appetizers and a little bit of talking smack. In light of the disappointing game, I opted to play with Kaitlyn and Austin and painted my nails with Andrea. At least the game always gives us a good excuse to get together!

All in all, Thanksgiving 2011 was just perfect.

Imagination

Aren't kids just brilliant? I admire their imagination and eagerness to play. I love this sweet picture of Kaitlyn, who was playing school with her stuffed animals at my mom's house this afternoon. I'm not entirely sure why she is wearing a flotation device, but I would venture to say it must seem to offer some sort of authority (by her standards). Judging from the picture it would also seem that the chair in the front row belongs to Domie, who clearly will have nothing to do with it. Sweet little Kaitlyn, I can't wait to see you this week!!!

The Secret Menu

There are a few advantages to working on a Saturday. First of all, I always wear jeans! After noticing that my colleagues were dressed down on the weekends, I made the bold move one day to try wearing jeans myself. It felt strange at first, but I swear I'll never go back. The day feels more relaxed and therefore less like work.

Another advantage is that there is never any traffic. Despite this fact, I still always leave my house out the same time. The ten extra minutes I get is happily diverted to a bi-weekly trip to Starbucks. I strategically wait until I'm in High Point to make the stop, that way I have a warm beverage to accompany me during my morning rounds. I also love the liveliness of the employees who are reliably in a wonderful mood.

This morning I was chatting with one of my favorite baristas about the secret Starbucks menu. Essentially Starbucks will make you whatever your heart desires and there are some popular beverages that aren't advertised by the company. The Huffington Post recently had an article that referred to an unofficial java secret society and their "secret" flavor combinations that I will share with you today. Here we go!

Green Eye
Three extra shots of espresso in a regular drip! A Red Eye has one extra shot and a Black Eye has two extra shots. Personally, I would rather just take a nap ;) .

Dirty Chai
A Chai Latte with a shot of espresso. Add another shot and it's "Double Dirty." Add a third and it becomes an "Extra Dirty Chai."

Zebra (or Penguin) Mocha
A combination of the White Chocolate Mocha and regular Mocha. If you want to get even fancier, you can add raspberry flavoring to make it a "Red Tux" mocha.

Chocolate Dalmatian
A White Chocolate Mocha with a sprinkling of chocolate chips and java chips. This sounds so delicious!

Cake Batter Frappucinno
A Vanilla Frappucinno with added vanilla and almond syrup.

Captain Crunch Frappuccino
A Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino with hazelnut (or toffee nut) syrup. My husband would love this!

The Short
You can order this size for any beverage. This version is slightly smaller than a tall and also less expensive!

Super Cream Frappuccino
If you're a whipped cream lover you are in luck. You can order "Super Cream" version of any frappuccino which equates to an extra half cup of whipped cream blended in.

Affogato-Style Frappuccino
Any frappuccino with a shot of hot espresso added on top of your drink instead of blended in.

Triple C's
A Cinnamon Dolce Latte with caramel syrup and chocolate mocha syrup.

Biscotti Frappuccino
If you buy a package of biscotti cookies some baristas will blend them into your frappuccino. I bet my baristas would hook me up!

Pretty fancy, huh?? I have never tried any of these myself, so if you are so bold as to give them a try, please let me know what you think!!

Dinner Parties

With the holiday season approaching, I am reminded of how thankful I am for friendship. I truly value my relationships with others and in many ways my best friends are like family. Last week Jarrett and I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner party for the Townsends, a beautiful couple both inside and out. We enjoyed a delicious spread that included brie en croute, salad with prosciutto, walnuts, cranberries, and goat cheese, butternut squash and black bean chili with cornbread, and an apple raisin cake served with pumpkin ice cream! What a wonderful feast and time for sharing in a joyous celebration of Thanksgiving!

Speaking of thankful, I am also reminded of the blessing of family. Last night Jarrett's sweet mom came over to spend the night. All day long I was looking forward to her visit! We had a delicious soup and salad dinner which proved perfect on a rainy, cold evening.

Happy (early) holidays!!

Breakfast

I have always been one of those people who loves breakfast. I'm always hungry when I wake up and love the large variety of options and combinations to choose from. I tend to go through phases. Sometimes I crave veggie omelettes, sometimes I am in the mood for a protein shake, and usually in the summertime I'm all about some overnight oats. Right now, I I just so happen to be on a huge pancake kick. I love pancakes that are higher in protein, as they tend to keep me full all morning. This is my absolute favorite recipe that you've got to try!!

Protein Pancakes:
1 serving

Ingredients:
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
3 egg whites
1/3 cup of cottage cheese
1 splenda
(optional-- I add several dashes of pumpkin pie spice and a spoonful of canned pumpkin this time of year.)

Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a magic bullet (or any other blender) until mixtures combines into a smooth batter. Pour batter into skillet sprayed with PAM and cook like a normal pancake. I usually give them a few squirts of butter spray and drizzle with maple syrup. So easy, so delicious, so nutritious! A must try!!

Bahston

The idea of visiting to Boston has always been intriguing. Jarrett and I have both always wanted to visit, so naturally this city was at the top of our list of US destinations to see. We have mastered the 3 day, 2 night extended weekend concept and took on the feat of experiencing this incredible city for our first anniversary. Let's just say that Boston delivered with flying colors.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon, just in time to check into our hotel, perfectly situated in the heart of Back Bay. Despite the steady rainfall, we threw on our weather gear and ventured out to explore our neighborhood. Our first stop was the famous Newbury Street, where a stretch of brownstone buildings featured festive window displays and trees lit with Christmas lights. Our anniversary weekend is such a magical time of year, just on the brink of autumn and winter. Somehow this seems to culminate into an overwhelming sense of excitement. As we walked around, we stumbled upon Trinity Church and the Boston Public Library across Copley Square. The architectural design and artistic magnificence were equally impressive and memorable.

A couple hours later, two chilly Dineens were ready to head indoors. We made our way to the 52nd floor of the Prudential Tower for cocktails at the "Top of the Hub." The lounge provided a panoramic view of the city below, featuring rush hour traffic and Bostonians carrying about with business as usual. After a few beverages, we returned downstairs to enjoy a delicious dinner at "Legal Seafood." We sampled the New England clam chowder, lobster bisque, and an appetizer platter with crabcakes, tuna, shrimp, and wontons. Each bite was delectable and savored as such. Jarrett made the executive decision to go to "Finale" for dessert, and so our taste of Boston continued. We strolled home to our hotel for a solid night's sleep after a perfect first day.

I was so excited to wake up Friday morning because our first destination was going to be the Feneuil Hall Marketplace downtown. A short "T" ride dropped us off at the front door and we hustled inside. We strolled up and down the market, window shopping and admiring the various food stands. Oddly enough, a pumpkin spice latte and ginormous asiago bagel to split was what struck our fancy. We headed back outdoors with our treats in hand to explore downtown Boston and the financial district. We saw the Old State House where the Declaration of Independence was first read. We also wandered around Downtown Crossing and the Ladder District. Somewhere in the midst of all that we spotted a patch of green trees and decided to head in that direction to grab a picture. Much to our excitement, we had stumbled upon Boston Common, a quiet hiatus in our day.

On our way back to our hotel, we made our way through Beacon Hill for an uppity taste of the town. The cobblestone streets and exclusive patch of real estate were both impressive and beautiful. We queried a sweet lady who was walking her dog about the cost of getting into the neighborhood. She was pretty certain that you could buy your way into a 700 square foot one bedroom condo for roughly $450,000. She kindly told us that we should strongly consider it, to which Jarrett and I shared a subtle wink.

Our exploration of the city continued in the North End and Waterfront, the historical jackpot in our humble opinion. We toured Paul Revere's home and I got a private American history lesson from my husband. I'm pretty sure I learned more history in one weekend that in my entire formal education, thanks to his engaging approach. We followed Hanover Street back to Faneuil Hall where we returned for another round of chowda and bisque. Holy moly, best soup in the world!!

After a brief siesta, we were ready for some dinner and some night life. What better place to go than to Cambridge! When we got off the "T" at Harvard Square we were stunned in our tracks. What an exciting place to be! We wanted to save Harvard for the next day, when we could appreciate its beauty in full daylight. We went to Davis Square in Somerville, where our guidebook correctly called it that we would be guaranteed a good time. We met some really nice people and ate some delicious Italian food. The scene was perfect and exactly what we had in mind.

Saturday morning before heading back to Harvard, we made a pit stop to Fenway to see the "Green Monster." There was an eerie off-season silence to the area, so we made a quick lap around the stadium before hopping back on the "T." When we arrived to Harvard, we joined a tour group to see the campus and learn more about the history. Unfortunately, due to "Occupy Harvard", we weren't allowed to walk through Harvard Yard. We did get to see alot of the campus through the gates and got to witness history in the making! We couldn't have planned that any better!

Our trip to Boston made our first anniversary so memorable and stayed true to our spirit of adventure and travel. We love you Bahstan and can't wait to return!