New Orleans || September 2017

Gary and I decided that traveling was one thing we wanted to prioritize last year. We never took a honeymoon so we knew that one day we wanted to take a trip with just the two of us but I wasn't convinced we'd have the courage to do that. Leaving our boys for even a night is nerve-wracking because they are two wild and crazy boys. Like, on another level wild and crazy. However, we also decided that the boys were perhaps a little too young to appreciate a trip like this and it would have been much more work with them at this age for us. That doesn't sound like much of a vacation, huh?

We finally committed to where we wanted to go back in March or April when Gspice came up with a really cute idea. We both got to pick several cities we'd be interested to visit and then we watched a bunch of Expedia videos on those cities. We both wrote out the pros and cons of each city and then ranked our top three choices. If I remember correctly, we both chose the same top three but maybe in a slightly different order.

#3: San Diego - solid choice but we'd like to take the boys here

#2: Boston - the boys MUST go here with us!

#1: NEW ORLEANS! Definite first choice but not an option for the boys. This aspect made us nervous but we took time to think about our decision before fully committing.

And as crazy as this sounds, Gspice and I returned just over five months ago from our very first vacation together since before the boys were born! While we did struggle with making this decision, I am so glad we did! Being away from the stress of our daily lives for a few days was such a blessing. We were able to relax, enjoy the city, enjoy each other and eat amazing food.

RECAP

Day One: Friday, September 22

It was pretty obvious to our amazing babysitter, Sarah, that we had never traveled before but we somehow got out of the house by 6am. We traveled from New Orleans to Dallas and then Dallas to New Orleans and both flights were uneventful. I loved being able to see the different terrain as we flew south and Gspice was able to catch a nap or two.

We then took our first Uber from the airport to our hotel, the Hampton Inn & Suites (French Quarter Area). It took about 25-30 minutes but at least the driver was super nice and gave some good suggestions on what to do and see. I think we ended up doing some of the things she suggested too!

After settling in to our nice room, we made our way to dinner at Juan's Flying Burrito. It was within walking distance from the hotel and was a really cool spot to have our first meal in the city. My fish taco was nice and spicy, just the way I like it. 

After a drink at Back Space Bar, we then made our way to the movie theater to watch Kingsman: The Golden Circle. I know, I know. Why did we go to the movies on vacation? Well, it's actually something we do often whenever we do travel so it made sense for us. We did manage to have a drink or two while there so that was fun :)

On our way back to the hotel, I tried jumping over a patch of water and biffed it. Totally biffed it, and some guys behind us tried to help me. I'm surprised they were so nice but I was fine. I did scrape my ankle a bit so that was annoying.

Day Two: Saturday, September 23

We got to sleep in while on vacation which was a DREAM since I never get to do that. And of course, I let Gspice sleep a tad bit longer because it was his BIRTHDAY!

When we did end up leaving, we headed to what seems like a pretty popular spot, Ruby Slipper Cafe, but the one in Uptown versus the one closest to our hotel. Gary got french toast which looked amazing and I got the smoked salmon benedict. Though it certainly looked good, I think I was in the mood for something else because I only had one of the two. Oh well. When I see a salmon bene, I've got to try the salmon bene!

Strangely, after brunch, I started to feel really out of it. I felt weak and had a hard time catching my breath so we just tried to take it easy for awhile. We walked around the old, historic Lafayette Cemetery 1 and found a really friendly black cat. Only slightly spooky.

When I was feeling a bit worse (probably because of the sun), we then decided to go to the National World War II museum and were quite surprised that we got in for FREE! If I remember correctly, we weren't originally going to go to the museum on Saturday so I'm really glad we did!

Of course, I needed to rest after such a busy day so we went back to the hotel for a nap. After that I was feeling so much better so we decided to go to LUKE - New Orleans. It was by far my favorite spot of the trip. That Shrimp & Crab Etouffee hit the spot and I loved being able to see into the kitchen. Gspice enjoyed his burger but I don't think that compared to mine!

After such a nice dinner, we decided to be typical tourists and walk down Bourbon Street. It was a bit of a mess with all of the construction so it wasn't really all that fun. That said, we found a cool jazz spot and got some drinks before heading back to the hotel for the night.

Day Three: Sunday, September 24

We started the day by eating at EAT New Orleans in the French Quarter. It was cute spot, but it was a bit underwhelming. That said, I'm glad we gave it a try and it does really look like a good spot but perhaps we choice the wrong items for our palates.

The night before we had been on Bourbon Street but seeing the French Quarter during the day was really cool. The area is beautiful and I love walking the streets. As we made our way towards Jackson Square, we saw some festival up by the water. Turns out, there was a Fried Chicken Festival in Woldenberg Park. We didn't try any of the fried chicken but had fun walking through that area too. Of course, Gspice found a good drink to gulp down, not once but twice.

And I, clearly having issues with the sun and heat, had to sit down to relax. We were waiting for a friend so it was a good time to sit and watch all of the tourists in the area. We ended up meeting Branna, a friend of mine from Rubaiyat, who had recently moved down to New Orleans. She had never been to Cafe Du Munde so we all got to try beignets for the first time. They were messy and delicious, as expected.

After another afternoon nap (yes, we definitely prioritized sleep on this trip!), we decided to go to another nice spot for dinner, Marcello's Wine Market. It was a fancier spot with a good display of wine all over the place. This was by far, Gary's favorite spot and simply put, it was the Truffle Mac&Cheese. Holy amazeballs, that was good. How do we get mac and cheese that good around here? Seriously?

Day Four: Monday, September 25

We had a little time before we needed to leave for the airport but instead of going out for breakfast, you guessed it, we slept in a little. I was really sad to leave such a beautiful city but we were also excited to get home. 

We had a long day of travel ahead of us and we savored every last second we had without the mass chaos that is our boys. We love them to pieces but man, they tire you out! We also cannot thank Sarah enough. She is a F&*K!@G r.o.c.k.s.t.a.r. and wrangled our boys from Friday after daycare to Monday morning when she dropped them off all by herself. Holy Cow. Of course she also got to take care of them after daycare on Monday but we tried to get back as soon as we could so she could go home! I will say, it was really fun to surprise the boys the next morning when they woke up. It was almost like we were never gone!

Sadly, there was one spot that I REALLY want to go to but found out after going to LUKE that this spot wasn't open on Sundays. To say that I was sad is an understatement. That just means we'll have to go back sometime soon.

Traveling to New Orleans with Gary was a really nice way for us to reconnect and really got us thinking about where we will go next. We've got big plans for the boys this year. In fact, next up on our vacation list is just a few weeks away and we can't wait to surprise the boys!

What's for Dinner {41} - Irish Nachos!

When Gspice came up with a fun date night idea, I started looking up recipes right away. His idea? Irish Night so we could celebrate St. Patrick's Day from the comfort of our own home. I thought it was such a cute idea and found a recipe we just had to try! We had also talked about watching a movie that would be appropriate for this particular day but when we sat down to eat, we decided a couple episodes of Better Call Saul would do just fine. So beyond the recipe we tried, there wasn't an ounce of Irish in there... We tried :)

The recipe we decided to make was so darn easy and delicious. If you're looking for a good appetizer or side dish, you should consider this! We paired it with some beer battered fish fillets.

Irish Nachos adapted from The Gluten Free Homestead

*We made only enough for us so our quantities are low. If you want to use this as a party appetizer, I'd definitely check out the original recipe or just pay attention to how many potato slices you have.

• 3 medium russet potatoes, wash with a vegetable brush, sliced ⅛ inch thick
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup Sargento Mexican shredded cheese
• 1 package turkey bacon, baked per instructions and cut up into pieces**
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• sour cream for dipping
• Tabasco for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 450℉
2. Toss potatoes with olive oil and dashes of salt/pepper. Bake potato slices on a foil-lined baking sheet for about 15 minutes, turn over and bake another 15 - 20 minutes until golden and slightly crisp.
3. Use any leftover olive oil to coat bottom of the pan. I didn't want ours to stick! In our case, we used a square cake pan lined with foil for more easy clean up!
4. Make one layer of potatoes and top with cheese and bacon bits. Create more layers until the ingredients are gone. Season potatoes with salt and pepper. Bake for 5 minutes to melt cheese. Then sprinkle with scallions.
5. Scoop up your serving and add a dollop of sour cream and even hot sauce for extra dipping!

**Gary also asked me to use this as the moment to declare that I liked the turkey bacon. I bought turkey bacon because I really, really dislike bacon but I knew we couldn't make this recipe without it. Though he would have preferred the real stuff, Gary said he's willing to forgive me that it was turkey bacon.

2017 Goals {1}

Come January, a lot of people make resolutions. I've tried to do that in the past with very specific goals, but I always have trouble keeping up with them. Regardless of that, I'm going to keep trying! This time, however, I just have some overarching goals that I will try to work on. Specific goals may come as I develop new habits and that's okay. Actually, that's what I'm hoping for. I want 2017 to be full of purpose and progress. To achieve those two things, I've come up with some areas of my life that I would like to focus on. Some might need more developing but that will come with time. It'll be a year-long working list!

GOAL #1 - Read

I would say read more but I'll be honest, I read one book a year. Michael Connelly has been my favorite author for a very long time and he publishes one book a year. It's time for me to branch out! I hope to add this to my evening routine. For awhile I was doing a sudoku puzzle, which I really liked doing. I'll probably do that and then read for 15+ minutes. That's a better way to end my day (I typically spend time on my phone anywhere from 15-75 unproductive minutes!) Here's my current list:

Hands Free Life: Nine Habits for Overcoming Distraction, Living Better, and Loving More by Rachel Macy Stafford

The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell

How to Really Love your Child by Ross Campbell

The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time by Arianna Huffington

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin

The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry

So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson

Hungry for Change: Ditch the Diets, Conquer the Cravings, and Eat Your Way to Lifelong Health by James Colquhoun

And of course, whatever Michael Connelly's 2017 release will be. He's celebrating 25 years this year so maybe I should get a signed copy at one of his book tour stops!

GOAL #2 - Control Finances Better

We were great about paying off debt when I had a second job. Since I stopped, we haven't been as great because we just don't pay close enough attention. We aren't good at meticulously managing our every day spending. We.are.lazy. It'll take a bit of work but once that's done, I hope to have a very clear debt payoff goal (this will depend on the cost of repairing our main sewer line - yikes, but manageable!) and a better way for us to manage our spending.

GOAL #3 - Cook More, Cook Smarter

This is two-fold. I haven't tried out a lot of new recipes lately or even made previous favorites all that much. I would love to get back to that and cook nice, healthy meals for the boys. Owen has gotten an interest in helping me in the kitchen so I would love to capitalize on that too. By planning ahead, we can spend more wisely, spend less, and eat healthier too! Gotta break those bad habits!

GOAL #4 - Form Healthy Habits

Not only do I need to eat better but I need to get moving! I hope to integrate physical activity into 5-6 days a week. I really enjoy group classes so I will find some of those to join and then all I need to do for the rest of the week is decide the time and location. I also want to drink more water. Gary gives me so much crap about how many water bottles I have so I'll just put those to good use! Lastly, I'll start taking daily vitamins too.

GOAL #5 - Travel

This is something we've never really prioritized. We're such homebodies and that has to change! Since last fall, we've put aside money every month for this so we've got some planning to do! Right now, we're thinking of taking a trip without the boys (as a sort of belated honeymoon) and I'd like to take the boys on a couple of smaller trips. One idea for them is the National Balloon Classic in Indianola, IA. It starts on the same weekend as Nordic Fest so it'll be a busy time if we do plan to go!

DIY Bedroom Art

This is the real-life story of a DIY project of epic procrastination.

I had my eye on this particular project for quite awhile. Problem was, I could only find this particular image but no supporting details from its original location (you know, like within someone else's blog and such). Without the instructions I was a little nervous to try this out myself. I am soooo not a fly-by-the-seat -of-your-pants type of person. I love instructions. Detailed, numbered, listed instructions. With none, I just let the idea roll around in my head for well over a year.

Then, during one of my "let's be crafty and productive" shopping trips to Wal-Mart six to eight months ago, I grabbed 4 - 11x14 canvases and a crap ton of blue and white acrylic paint. I determined that the 11x14 was a little too big so again, I just sat on the project.

Then, on another one of my "let's be crafty and productive" shopping trips to Wal-Mart four to five months ago, I grabbed the 8x10 canvases and the rest of the supplies I needed. After determining these were a perfect fit, I let the project sit a little longer for no reason whatsoever.

A month later, I finally got down to business (with a busy boy to care for, my "let's be crafty and productive" bits don't come around too often!). I was nervous to paint the letters but it wasn't too difficult and am quite pleased with how this step turned out! First, I painted three coats of blue. Then, I painted the letters free form so if I can do it, so can you! I also painted the sides to make it look continuous (if you look at it on an angle - check out my final pic below). One thing you don't need to do is buy so many little bottles. I completed everything with one bottle of blue and one bottle of white. My bad!

The next step was to attach the hanging pieces. The instructions I had for that made it seem WAY easier than it actually was. I should have been able to twist the eyehooks in myself. Yeah, right! Three weeks after that, I was visiting my parents and decided I needed my dad's help to get this part done. Out came his handy dandy electric drill to save the day! I was able to twist the eyehooks in and attach the hanging wire easily after that. Thanks, Dad!

And now, here we are, nearly two full years later, I've finally hung up these bad boys to their rightful home. I am not so proud of my productivity to actually finish this rather simple project but quite pleased with how it turned out. Couple this new bedroom art with new bedding AND a completely painted-all-by-myself ceiling....This is much better than how this room started! (I should mention that way back when we painted our living room in December 2012, we also painted our bedroom a beige color to match every single other room in the upstairs - not sure why we did that, but oh well!)

I have dreams of adding in a small gallery wall in this large open space to the right of this picture. Given my track record, I'm sure this will be completed in a couple years or more but I've already drawn up a plan and figured out which photos I want to use. That's something right?!