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Would I Make It Again: Pasta from Chickpeas
The perk and curse of grocery shopping in the U.S. is there is always a new product to try. It is a seemingly revolving door of new product barrages introductions! It didn’t phase me much until I lived in Europe. Being back now and grocery shopping in the U.S. feels like I’ve been dropped into the middle of a carnival funhouse with a bunch of clowns jumping out every three seconds to show me the latest and greatest product. Then the funhouse mirrors show me what my hips will look like if I eat that product. Unfortunately, it’s never the mirror that shows me getting taller and skinnier. However,…
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Adventures at the DMV
The one thing I really dread about moving is not the hard work. It’s not the mess. It’s not the purging. It’s not the cost. It’s not the mountain of cardboard boxes. It’s GETTING A NEW DRIVER’S LICENSE or really anything associated with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). My recent adventure at the DMV was quite a doozy. I’ll spoil the ending of the story by saying I got my new driver’s license! WOOHOO!! Imagine when I typed that sentence I was saying it in my most EXCITED voice and there was confetti sprinkling down!!! The one time I don’t mind confetti is in my imagination. This story has…
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Happy List: #78
Summer feels like it is flying by, doesn’t it? Admittedly, my perception of how fast or slow summer is progressing changes based on how my kids are behaving at any given moment. Just keeping the emotional whiplash it real for you! Speaking of real, did you catch my latest makeover? It’s so cutting edge, I’m sure the home decor magazines will be pounding down my door. I think I wrote my last post about Ireland on Wednesday. Maybe. Probably. Don’t hold me to that. It was about all the random, practical tips for expats that I’d picked up during our time there. And continuing the randomness that defines this blog,…
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Living in Ireland: Practical Advice for Americans
I realize most of my readers are not expats, but I have to get this information out of my head before I forget! If it saves just one person a tiny bit of anxiety about their move to Ireland, it is worth it. On with the show… We spent two years living in Ireland. I don’t say this lightly. It was the opportunity of a lifetime! People say about our experience, “That must have been amazing. Ireland is so beautiful.” Yes, it was. Yes, it is. However, this is real life and real life under normal circumstances can be freaking hard at times. Throw in a foreign country and you’ve upped…
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Cat-tastic Chair Makeover
If there’s ever any doubt that I love my kids, let’s all remember this blog post, shall we? On a recent trip to the Habitat Restore where I found THE couch, my daughter found a chair for her desk. It’s actually less of a desk and more of a vanity table (from IKEA), but let’s not mince words. She draws her cat pictures there, so I’m calling it a desk. Plus, we’re a little too early for the vanity stage of growing up. Draw cat pictures as long as you want, kid. Now, back to the chair. My daughter tested out a lot of potential chairs and finally after I…
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Happy List: #77
Hello, hello! How was your 4th of July? Did you BBQ and watch fireworks? We had a good day celebrating the 4th by going to a parade. If you’ve been reading this blog for very long then you know that my crowd-avoiding self actually LOVES a parade. Go figure. If you missed it and haven’t already moved onto pumpkin spice everything, then I did share a burlap flag craft on Monday. On Wednesday I shared a different sort of flag – a memorial flag that I discovered on a hike. Now, I don’t usually start the Happy List with a warning, but Handy Husband’s opinion makes an appearance somewhere on…
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Happy 4th of July
One of the things I enjoy most about moving is the opportunity to explore a new area. It’s the unexpected details of an area that delight and inspire me the most. For instance, we hiked a new-to-us trail last week at Tourne County Park, a 565-acre park with an extensive trail system. I expected to feel the burn up that long hill. I expected to see wildlife and get bitten by mosquitoes. I expected to have a discussion about which plants were poison ivy – seemingly all of them. I expected my kids to ask for a snack before we’d even left the trailhead. I expected someone to parkour their way…
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Burlap American Flag Centerpiece
Let me tell you a little something. There’s only so much “settling in” a person can do in a new home before a break is needed. I’d normally take a break on a comfy couch with a cold drink in hand. Maybe kick my feet up on a cute ottoman. Alas, I don’t have a couch yet. Or a cute ottoman. I do have a cold drink though. Priorities! In lieu of time on the couch, I decided I’d recharge with a cold drink and a crafting session. I might not have a place to sit, but I do have paintbrushes. Go figure. I also have a random burlap bag…
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Happy List: #76
Exciting news in my life this week. I got a haircut. To put this another way, I trusted a complete stranger to wield a pair of sharp scissors on the single most identifying part of my anatomy – my unruly hair. Finding a new hair stylist is easy. Trusting that person is hard! In other news, discussion on the Adirondack chair situation is in full swing. Handy Husband invites you all over to help with the build. Oh, and I received a bunch of direct messages about my potluck anxiety when I wrote about the Lemony Pasta Salad on Monday. You guys crack me up and encourage me! Bottom line…we aren’t alone…
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Which Adirondack Chairs Should We Build?
Do you know what I’ve wondered more than once in my life? You’re dying to know, I can tell. Here it is. Why are Adirondack chairs so expensive? Does anyone know? It’s not like they are the most intricate chairs ever built, right? These chairs from L.L. Bean are all-weather Adirondack chairs that come in a variety of colors. They are $299. EACH! Although, they are made in the USA. These Acacia-wood Adirondack chairs from World Market are regularly priced at $129, but are on sale for $78. That’s much more affordable. The chairs come highly reviewed, but the product info says you should cover the chairs or bring them…
