A Few Highlights Off My Loot List

Like every year, I made out like a bandit this Christmas!

One of my favorite gifts was JetBlue money from my parents – I LOVE taking adventures and I LOVE JetBlue (I mean, they offer endless cups of Dunkin Donuts coffee!!!).

I got this North Face jacket that is 800 Down… it is SO comfy and warm! I love that the sleeves are long enough for my gangly arms! Another thing that is awesome about this jacket is that it is SO LIGHT. I can’t stand feeling smothered and constricted – the lightness and great fit of this jacket makes it feel like you’re hardly wearing a jacket it at all!

This next gift I was a tiny bit skeptical about since skincare products are often all hype. But I’ve always been big on taking care of my skin and since I’ve been left a little disappointed in the results of my past few regiments, I decided that the gift of the “Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System,” was worth a shot (my mom had kindly offered to take it back if it wasn’t something I was wanting to use).

I’ve used this product twice now and I can already feel and see a HUGE improvement on the smoothness of my skin. Before using Mia, my skin wasn’t bad, but the texture was not as smooth and soft as I wanted it to be. But now I’m totally hooked and so thankful that I got this gift! It’s gentle enough for my insanely sensitive skin to use once or twice a day. Mia REALLY cleans your skin and gets the grime/makeup that inevitably builds on your face during the day which consequently allows your other beloved skincare products to work the way they should. LOVE!

Also, check out the Smashbox Photo Op Palette my Aunt Jill got me! This is PERFECT for traveling since it has a huge variety and it folds up! Can’t wait to use so many of these!

Needless to say, I’m very grateful and thankful for the generosity of my friends and family. Whether they gave me a great gift or simply wished me a nice holiday, they certainly made this Christmas merry.

Catching up with friends

This past Tuesday I got together with former basketball teammates (but life long friends) Megan K. and Susannah S. over at Bonefish Grill that newly opened in Short Pump. Bonefish was good; they seem to still be working out some minor kinks, but no big deal. And if you like martinis – try the grapefruit one! It is one of the best martinis I’ve had to date! Anyways, the three of us get together every 4 months or so. I love that we are pick-up-where-you-left-off type of friends. It was so fun! We all seem to have such exciting plans on the horizon, I’m thrilled for all of us. Although I don’t get to see them nearly as often as I’d like to, I still consider them to be some of my dearest friends. I would do anything for them.

This week I also got together with one of my besties, Lauren (aka LT). She moved to Florida and it had been over a year since I had seen her last. I went to her parents annual Xmas party (which was fabulous, as always). Then later in the week we went and had lunch at The Water Grill in Carytown. The food was fantastic. To start off, I ordered an arugula salad (figs, local melon, prosciutto, goat cheese, balsamic honey drizzle)… it was huge, but I of course found a way to eat every bite. For my entree I ordered the bagel with locks and capers with homemade chips. SO good.

It’s always comical going out to eat with LT since we basically have opposite palettes – rarely can we find an appetizer to share, haha. Our conversations were hysterical and at one point there might have been a part of a crab leg that flew down someones shirt… haha! Never a dull moment with that girl!

Last night, I ran seven miles with Emily C. It POURED rain, it was dark and we did some mud-skating… but it was a blast! It may not have been our fastest run, but we had a good time chatting nonstop about old times and talking about the exciting things that lie ahead of us.

Another reason I love this time of year: I get to see some of my best friends.

Tis the season!

I am a Christmas fanatic. I am shamelessly one of those people. You know the type… we listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, we daydream about what gifts to get people while we’re sunbathing on the beach in July… There is no denying it – I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

I pretty much love everything about the Christmas season, but here are a few highlights:

*Finding the perfect gift for people. I get so excited when I find a present for someone that I know they will love.
*The music.
*The lights.
*Decorating.
*Christmas crafts.
*Picking out a REAL Christmas tree and then admiring it after it’s decorated. They smell SO good!
*Holiday parties. Any excuse for a celebration with great friends and great food – I’m down!
*Seeing kids get excited about Christmas stuff – SO cute.
*Witnessing and doing random acts of kindness simply because it’s the season of giving.
*Unwrapping gifts.
*Having my dad still read to my siblings and I “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” each and every Christmas.
*Still leaving cookies and milk out for Santa.
*Christmas movies!!
*Christmas smells!

I love it all.

What do you look forward to during the Christmas season?

Change of Plans

So I was planning a great post for today… but it turns out I ended up with something to share that is way better than my original idea!

…drumroll please…

My older sister, Janina, is pregnant! This is Janina and Marc’s (her husband) second baby. Janina was born with this nurturing quality about her (maybe also because she’s the oldest of three) that makes her an amazing mommy. And I have no doubt that Sydney will be a super sweet older sister! Janina just found out, so I don’t have any stats on Munchkin, but once I have those I’ll post. But for now – Congrats Janina, Marc and Sydney!

You know what is simply fantastic about being an Aunt? It’s like bypassing the turmoil of parenting and going straight to the grandeurs of grand-parenting. My only job as an Aunt is to love, spoil and help Sydney (and eventually Munchkin) in any and all ways possible. I LOVE it.

While I love kids and know I want them someday… I also know that someday is not any time soon.

Here’s why I don’t have baby fever:
*I love being independent.
*I love having the ability to do things on a whim and without having to think about the complexities of car seats and baby schlop (food).
*Am I the only person that is grossed out by the fact that babies LEAK out of EACH and EVERY leakable orifice of their squishy little bodies?

I love little ankle-biters, but for now I’ll just enjoy being Aunt Dana.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

In no particular order…

I’m thankful for…

1. …God.
2. …my incredible family.
3. …my friends that might as well be family.
4. …my boyfriend and Colby (the pug).
5. …my health.
6. …my education.
7. …the fact that my parents raised me to be a good person.
8. …getting to live in an awesome house in Carytown.
9. …living in a great country.
10. …the people that protect our country. (Special shout out to my great friend PP!!! Can’t wait to welcome you home!!)

Sometimes I think about all of the positive things in my life and I literally feel a little guilty for having so much going for me when there are tons of people in this world who aren’t nearly as fortunate. Where do I even begin? I was raised by two loving parents who provided for me, pushed me to do my best and embraced the fact that their middle child was/is a tiny bit spit-fired. While not wealthy, I was certainly raised in a house rich with love. I beat cancer…not once, but TWICE?! I graduated from a good college – JMU. Although I’m not doing exactly what I want career wise, I have the brains to get me to that point and I KNOW I will get there. My health is fantastic! I’ve gotten to do a ton of traveling in the country! My life is RIDICULOUS! How much luckier can I get?!

I reassure myself that I’ve worked hard and earned a lot of the good things in my life and that I do give back… honestly… I can do more, give more and try to better a positive influence on more people. Most people, including myself has taken some time to reflect upon on all of their blessings, and yes, that is a great thing. But I think it’s time we also TAKE ACTION and reach out to someone who doesn’t have as much have and do something kind for them. I think we (including myself) forget how easy it is to do something nice for someone and how impactful a small kind gesture can be. I’m excited to step up.

Switching gears on the subject a little…

Although I’m very thankful (and hopefully this was made clear above) and do my best to be grateful for all of the wonderful things in my life, I’m actually not a huge fan of the Thanksgiving holiday. It just happens to involve a lot of things I’m not crazy about… it’s actually quite comical….
1. The Food… I KNOW!!! It’s insane that I happen to really dislike baked turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and especially mashed potatoes. But every year, I muscle down a serving of each of respect and gratitude for the cook who took the time to prepare such a savory meal.
2. Football. I hate it. When a game is stopped every 20 seconds for team pow-wows/play set ups/commercials it just loses my interest.
3. Parades. I just…don’t… get it. Even as a young kid, I was not entertained by giant balloon versions of my favorite characters.

What I DO like:

1. Having a family meal. I love spending time with my entire family. And I like the family-orientedness (so what if I made a word up?).
2. My dad’s homemade whipped cream… I literally ask for a bowl of just whipped cream because it is THAT good.
3. Late this morning I went for a 7 mile run with my brother (was my long run training day for the marathon)… it was a blast to spend time with him. I’m pretty sure we could turn it into a tradition.
4. Thanksgiving marks the day before it is socially acceptable to be in full-fledged CHRISTMAS SPIRIT!!!!!!!

As you can see, like most things in life… the good outweighs the bad when you take the time to see it.
Happy Thanksgiving!