Holding On...For Sentimental Reasons

I opened my fridge to get my daughter some orange juice this morning and realized we have a 10-year old bottle of water!  

How do I know that it is 10 years old? We brought it back from our honeymoon in Tahiti 10 years ago, that's how! 

We brought it home, along with a bottle of Cristal that we picked up at the duty-free shops in Tahiti, as a reminder of our fabulous honeymoon and how we wanted to go back someday. Our original plan was at our five year anniversary, but with a 3 and almost 1 year old at that time, it just wasn't feasible. So we pushed it off to our 10 year anniversary. Needless to say, that didn't happen either. 

So the bottle still sits there. The funny thing is, my husband is kind of a cleaning freak and likes to throw things out. The fact that he has left it there for 10 years is astounding. 

Are we sentimental? 

Absolutely! 

Perhaps a little crazy? 

Most definitely!

But it bring a smile to my face every time I look at it. And that is certainly a great thing.

Someday, we will go back to Tahiti and brig back another water bottle to give it some company. And let's face it, that is much more economical than a black pearl!!!

What item(s) have you held on to that most would see as a toss away but you hold on to as a treasure?

Napa Getaway

I just spent the weekend in Napa on a business trip with my husband. We often spend time in Sonoma, so Napa was a fun change. Someone else put together our agenda. We stayed at the Embassy Suites Napa because that is where the conference was being held. (The shopper in me loved that it was right across from the outlets and just off the highway.) It is also just a few blocks from downtown Napa.

 We hired a driver ($35 an hour) and had him shuttle us around in an SUV. There were 3 couples and it was a perfect fit. We started off with a mid-morning tasting appointment at Frank Family Vineyards in Calistoga. One of the couples in our group belong to their wine club so we were able to buy wine at a small discount. I think early morning is best, because as we were leaving there was a line outside.

Then we took a short drive into Calistoga for lunch at Brannans. We were able to make a reservation here and enjoy a nice leisurely lunch with more wine, of course! I loved their truffle fries! Our next scheduled tasting and cave tour was at Cuvaison Estate at their Calistoga tasting room. The staff was amazingly friendly and knowledgeable about their wines. You can tell they were really passionate about what they do.

image from mummnapa.com

To finish the day, we headed to Mumm Napa, in Rutherford. It was the place to be, I couldn't believe how busy it was. It was the perfect late afternoon tasting. They have a large patio and the most amazing treats to enjoy. We chose the dry selection of 4 sparkling wines and indulged on the champagne and caramel truffles. They were a prefect mix.

We finished off our day at Angele in Napa for dinner. They had a very popular bar. We enjoyed a few more bottles of amazing wine. I choose the sunchoke soup and the kabocha squash tortellinis with Pancetta and apple vinaigrette. I have to say the best was saved for last. I almost licked the dish in was so good. My husband and I shared the banana gratin with almond crust and vanilla bean ice cream. It was the most amazing way to end a fabulous day!

I indulged in a little shopping on my trip home and I was refreshed and relaxed. Napa proved to be the perfect getaway!

Posted by Liz

Why I love My Husband

Earlier this morning,  I saw that Jen over at Tiny Oranges had a post titled "Why I love My Husband."  At first, I thought their anniversary might be the reason for this post and since I am a sucker for love, I wanted to read more.  And boy, am I glad I did.

The post introduced me to a whole new club: The Happy Wives Club.  No, it's not "desperate" or "real," just "Happy"!  I visited The Happy Wives Club website to read more about it and absolutely love the concept.  Basically, the creator, Fawn, is trying to promote happy and healthy marriages and inspire people to remember the things they love about their husbands. What a great concept!  And her goal is to find at least 1 million happy wives all over the world to join the club. 

While this is in great time for Valentine's Day, this is a year-round, life-long concept.  But then again, that is what you sign up for when you get married, right!?!

So, here is Why I Love My Husband (or at least the reasons I can think of right now because I am sure I will forget something):

1. He loves me for me.
2. He puts our family first.
3. He is a fantastic father that absolutely adores his kids and they, in turn, adore him.
4. He loves to have fun.
5. He encourages me to try new things.
6. He works hard so that I can stay home with the kids.
7. He holds my hand every night when we go to bed.
8. He's athletic and strong.
9. He knows I am a stress case so he tells me as often as possible that everything is going to be fine.
10. He is incredibly loyal. (He's still a die hard Bears and Cubs fan after growing up in Chicago until he was in 5th grade, if that is any indication of his loyalty! Oh, and he's made our kids Bears fans, too.)
11. He is the life of any party.
12. He is as handsome as the day I met him and hasn't aged a bit.  (That aging part is actually kind of annoying, but it does work in my favor since he is 6-1/2 years older than me!) 
13.  He knows lots of random facts/trivia which makes him the perfect Trivial Pursuit partner + he usually knows the answers to my obscure questions.
14.  I love that my daughter is a Daddy's Girl and I love knowing that, unlike many men, he wanted a daughter for that very reason.
15.  He could strike up a conversation with a rock if he had to, which is always fun to watch and makes my life so much easier when we go somewhere he won't know anyone.
16. He supports me in everything I do, even if my ideas seem crazy (which they rarely are).
17. He is the yin to my yang.  We balance and compliment each other.
18. He's my rock. I can count on him for anything and everything. 
19. He's the kind of guy that my dad told me I should hold out for..and I am so glad I did!

Are you a Happy Wife?  Then why not join the Happy Wives Club today...celebrate your marriage and be a happy wife every day! 

Posted by Leslie

9 Years Later...

This is what my husband gave me for my birthday, just 5 days before our 9th wedding anniversary (today). For a tough and strong guy, it melted my heart to receive such a "mushy" gift from him.  I couldn't have said any of it better myself.

Here's to 9 great years and many more wonderful years ahead!

(BTW, he bought this darling piece of wall art from tuvaluhome.com. They have tons of great home decor items!)

Our First All-Inclusive Vacation to Playa Del Carmen

Last week, I was fortunate enough to tag along with the hubby to his business meeting...in Cancun!  Well, Playa del Carmen to be exact.


We stayed at the Hotel RIU Palace Mexico in Playa del Carmen and this was my first experience at an all-inclusive resort.  (I have been on a couple of cruises but nothing like this, aka. booze included!) I was a bit nervous about an all-inclusive resort because I have heard horror stories about awful food.  But the food was actually pretty good.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the best food ever.  But there was plenty of variety and tasty options that kept the hubby and I quite happy.  (Plus they had soft serve ice cream, which is always a great way to my heart!)

Their were 5 other RIU properties in and around our resort, one of which included a disco.  (Woot!  Woot!) All properties had gym facilities and spas.  I had two great massages while there (only $70 bucks 50 minutes...that's usually the price of a 30 minute massage at other resorts I have been to).

Here is the view from inside our room.  All rooms had patios, a separate seating area, and fully stocked refrigerators with soft drinks and water, plus bottles of alcohol mounted upside down above the fridge, bar-style! 

(Yet another view from our patio)

We were greeted with a towel swan when we arrived...always a good way to score points with us!

Here is the patio area outside the main dining room and bar.  In the evenings, people would hang out here, enjoying drinks and live music.  (It was very Euro!)

 

Here is the view from the main patio area out to the beach.  

 

Ahhh, the beach.  Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya has some of the most beautiful water I have ever seen...very similar to that in the Bahamas and the rest of the Caribbean.  My traveling isn't extensive, but I have only seen water more beautiful in one place: Bora Bora. 

After this experience,  I am a fan of the all-inclusive resort because I loved that I could keep my money and credit card in the safe at all times.  It's refreshing not to have to worry about the money aspect on your vacation.  Just go and enjoy! 

If you plan on staying at an all-inclusive, I highly recommend asking what alcohol they carry.  Just like at a wedding, it will be a good indicator of how much fun you will have and also their quality level for drinks and food. 

14 Days of Love - Recap

A couple of weeks ago I shared with you my "14 day of Love" plan.  In a nutshell, instead of waiting until Valentine's Day to tell my husband why I love him, I decided to break it up into 14 days, culminating on Valentine's Day.  I figured this would be more heart-felt and romantic.

Now that the 14 days of Love are over, I am happy to tell you it was a great success.  But I also have to admit it was hard and, at times, awkward.  (Crazy, right!?!) 

The thing is, we say "I love you" to each other at least once a day.  However, throwing in the "because" added a whole new twist.  I think it was a great twist for me because I wasn't just saying "I love you" to say it.  I was putting thought into why I actually love him.  After 8 years of marriage and two kids, it can be easy to forget the reasons why you love someone.  Not to mention, sometimes those reasons for loving someone can easily turn into annoyances if you let them.   It felt good to share with him the "why."  And he did seem to mind it one bit either.  In fact, without even being on the plan, he started sharing why he loves me as well.  

14 Days of Love

I have heard time and time again about how people don't like Valentine's Day because it is a greeting card/roses/candy driven holiday.  And while I, at times, share the same cynical thoughts, I was reminded by someone today that Valentine's Day isn't a day of unmet expectations (or a day to wear black, as many girls seemed to want to do in college).  Instead it is a day to reflect on those whom we love. And other than sharing our feelings, all the other stuff like flowers and candy is a metaphor for a our thoughts.  It's pretty simple when it comes right down to it.

So, with this thought of Valentine's Day being a day to reflect on those that we love (and hopefully, share those feelings of love) why should this sharing of love come on just one day this year?

Enter my idea of 14 Days of Love. 

The target: my husband of 8 years

My plan: Starting February 1st, I am going to share with him 1 reason why I love him every day until Valentine's Day.  (I know, I was a little intimidated by the idea of coming up with 14 different reasons.  But I think I can muster up that many!)  And I am keeping it simple.  Whether it is a note in his briefcase, a text, or telling him to his face, he is going to know why I love him.  (And I hope it makes him feel special!)

While I am choosing my husband as my main target for the 14 days of love, really, anyone you love can be your target.  Your spouse, child/ren, sibling, parent or friend are fair game.  Feel free to express your love for 14 days...I dare you! 

What's My Age Again?

Last night the hubby and I along with some of our friends had a blast seeing Blink 182 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, albeit we were the oldest people there.  In our quest to relive our youth, we even opted for GA Floor seats.

The good news about the floor: most of the people at the concert were kids and we were taller than them!  So we didn't have to stand right up front to still have a great view of the stage.  Of course, the one downside of floor seats was not being able to bring food or DRINKS in for the show.  (Should have planned that out better!)

Since I have been to a few concerts where artists lip sync (Britney Spears I love you, but it's true), it still always amazes me to see bands like Blink 182 sound just like they do on their albums, and in fact even sound better.  I was also amazed at the adorable (and shirtless little boy, maybe 8-10 years old) who was playing the guitar next to Travis Barker the entire show. (I am thinking since the boy was shirtless and Travis is always shirtless during a show, it was probably his son.)  I have tweeted Mark Hoppus to find out who the talented little musician is, but am still awaiting an answer.  I'll keep you posted. 

This is the best my Blackberry could do at the concert.  Pathetic, I know.  Someday I will rise up and get a better phone!

 Here is Travis Barker hoisted above us for his drum solo prior to their encore. 

 Image at top from Blink182.com

The Better Marriage Blanket

I will admit, I found out about a product on one of my favorite shows, Chelsea Lately, and would now like to pass it on to you. As their official website indicates, The Better Marriage Blanket is a blanket that "eliminates the odor of flatulence in bed."

No, this is not a joke! There is a military-grade blanket out there that has special carbon fibers to absorb odors so that you don't have to endure an awful odor that lurks under the blanket. Hilarious, right?!?

But then again, as they say in their ads, "You owe it to your marriage!" Perhaps this is a real solution to a problem you have been having for quite some time. Or perhaps this could be the best $49.95 (plus shipping and handling) you have ever spent on Father's Day or your anniversary.

Either way, I hope you enjoy this lovely commercial for the Better Marriage Blanket!

Better Marriage Blanket - watch more funny videos

Only on Cable

I will admit that I am up way past my "bed time" right now, but I was floored by the commercial I just saw on the E! channel while watching a repeat of Chelsea Lately.

I have heard about and read in magazines about a website called AshleyMadison.com which is basically a social networking site for people who want to cheat on their significant others. For all of us married people, it's a really great concept...in bizzare-o land!

While I understand that sites like these exist, I was flabbergasted to see the website actually promote itself with a TV commercial. The word "infidelity" actually appeared on the screen during the commercial! While E! is probably my favorite cable network, come on, do they have no shame?!? I know it's cable and everything, but maybe they can have just a little bit of integrity and ethics.

And there is my rant for the week!

Mommy's Princess Book

It's official...my 2 year old daughter is in full-fledged princess mode. If you were to ask my daughter what her name is, without hesitation she would say, "Snow White."

We read princess books, watch princess movies, talk on princess phones. For the most part it is really cute, and I was pleasantly surprised when she took a liking to a more personal princess book.

About a week ago, she noticed a big book on one of our bookshelves and asked to see it. The big book she noticed was our wedding album. I opened the book to the first page and she looked at me with astonishment, "Mommy, you a princess?!?" When I flipped to the next page, her comment turned from a question to a comment, "Mommy, you a princess!"

We went through the entire album, and she said, "Read it again!" I will admit, I was thrilled to show somebody the wedding album that hasn't been cracked open in nearly 7 seven years. (Well, that's kind of a lie. I crack it open every now and again to remember the glory days...ahhh.)

The next morning, when my daughter woke up, she asked, "Can we read mommy's princess book?" At first, I didn't quite understand what she was saying, until she walked me over to the wedding album. And of course, I am more than happy to show her all the pictures again and again.

It's funny, I always thought you needed a prince to feel like a princess. But it turns out, a princess in training can make you feel that way, too!

Images courtesy of Aquario Studio

The Best Actress Curse for Sandra, Too?

It happened to Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Halle Berry, and Kate Winslet. Now it could be happening to Sandra Bullock, too.

What is "it"? "It" is the best actress Oscar curse. All of these women have grabbed the ultimate achievement in acting with the love of their lives by their side. But for one reason or another these men don't seem to stick around. For many of the men, infidelity was the reason for split.

Unfortunately for Bullock, it looks like it might be the same situation for her. She moved out of their Southern California home on Monday and just today James issued an apology to Bullock and his children. He did explain that many of the allegations are unfounded and untrue.

He went on to say, "There is only one person to blame for this whole situation, and that is me. It's because of my poor judgment that I deserve everything bad that is coming my way."

Sounds like he definitely did something wrong.

What is wrong with these situations? Is the success too much for their relationships? Are these men not getting enough attention from their incredibly talented women?

In the case of Bullock, it is especially sad that this is all happening after she sang his praises for "having her back" every chance she got. And she definitely went above and beyond what other actresses have mentioned of their significant others in the past. It makes me wonder why he was so teary-eyed at all of those award shows when she mentioned him...were those tears of love, or tears of "I screwed up big time"?

Let's just hope she is able to get through this as quickly and painlessly as possible, and she can remember the month of March as when she won the Oscar for The Blind Side, not when she was blind-sided by her husband.

Image from WashingtonPost.com

Tiger Speaks...Finally

If you haven't heard by now, Tiger Woods is holding a heavily controlled press conference tomorrow. By heavily controlled, I mean that there will only be one camera, no one will be allowed to ask questions and those in attendance are his supporters. There is not word as to whether or not his wife, Elin, will be at the press conference.

Other than the staged run with all of his Nike gear on this week (he had to show love for the major sponsor that didn't dump him), no one has seen him prior to his Thanksgiving accident. (Interesting side note: I love that the photo of him jogging was released by Getty Images, a paid-subscription photo agency. It was thought that the paparazzo that got the first shot of him might score $1 million, and Tiger essentially made that first picture worth nothing by staging the photo and releasing it through Getty, thus screwing the paparazzi. That is awesome!)

So what's he going to say?

Here's my prediction: "I am sorry. I will try harder to be a better person. See you at the Masters."

If he says anything more than that, I will be shocked by the fluff. If anyone thinks they are going to get any major revelations from a guy who has managed to stay in hiding for nearly 3 months while the entire world has been playing a game of "Where's Tiger?" (you know, like "Where's Waldo?"), they are sadly mistaken.

But I can't wait to see it anyway. Keeping count of how many times he says the word "sorry" and how many Nike labels are clearly visible could make for a very interesting drinking game...

Image from UsMagazine.com

Advice #9 for Expecting Moms

When your baby enters the world, everything gets turned upside down. Something that you want to make sure DOESN'T get turned upside down is your relationship with your spouse.

Here's some advice from Deci Worland that every new mom can use:

"My best advice is to allow for couple time, do not neglect your husband."

This may be difficult in the first few weeks but always make time for your partner. A wise person once told me the best gift you can give your child is a happy home. And a happy home begins with a loving relationship.

Image courtesy of Baxterboo.com

Blogging Dilemma...Well, Not Really

Here is my dilemma tonight:

Blogging vs. Spending quality time with my husband

Sorry, world. My husband wins every time!

Have a great week!

Happy Anniversary to Me (and my Husband)!

This past Sunday my hubby and I celebrated 6 years of marriage! Yay! We had made some plans in honor of our anniversary, but those got squashed by two kids with fevers. Oh yeah, both of our kids woke up on Sunday morning with fevers...neither one showing any signs or symptoms of illness before that.

Luckily for me, my very sweet hubby had the beautiful bouquet above delivered on Saturday, so at least I had something to enjoy while he rejoiced over an entire day of football. (And he was very wise to include one of my favorite flowers, the hydrangea, all over the arrangement. He remembers!) The picture really doesn't do the arrangement justice but my husband certainly deserves props for his thoughtfulness!

The kids still had fevers today, but hopefully they will subside soon. Two kids achy and cranky makes for a tired and cranky mommy!

Wanna Get Away to San Diego?

It's tough to take a vacation these days...many have opted for stay-cations at home. But my favorite place to stay in San Diego, Paradise Point Resort and Spa, is offering room rates that start at just $99 (which believe me, is unheard of for this place!)

I will admit, I am a bit biased to this resort because the hubby and I got married there 5 years ago. But we have been back several times with and without kids. The resort is quiet enough to relax and enjoy when you are without kids, but full of fun activities for the kids when you do have them with you. If you are looking for a tropical feel when visiting San Diego, I highly recommend looking into staying at Paradise Point!

Visit ParadisePoint.com now and use the promo code 24sale when looking into room rates. It is a limited-time only sale that ends 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, so reserve now!

(P.S. Photos above are from just a couple of visits we made to this fantastic resort!)

10 Second Kiss - What a Concept

For those of you that may have caught Oprah today, you heard all about the 10 second kiss. The entire show today revolved around intimacy and romance. Oprah even elicited the help of a sex therapist for the show.

But the 10 second kiss was the #1 homework assignment given. It's simple. Kiss for 10 seconds...not just the peck you have grown so used to.

So for all you married or dating people out there, I dare you to try the 10 second kiss when you see your significant other for the first time that day. Who knows, you may get that giddy feeling you got when you first started dating. I just hope I don't get caught up in counting to ten...that's a long time!

Happy kissing!

Image courtesy of blogs.knoxnews.com

Surprise Giveaway: Macy's Gift Card for your Anniversary Ideas

In just 10 days, my husband and I will be celebrating five years of wedded bliss. In honor of this momentous occasion, one lucky HC&B reader can win a $100 Macy's gift card. (My anniversary and you are getting the gift...lucky you!!!)

We already have made plans for celebrating our anniversary, but it is always great to hear your ideas, too. So with a theme of love and wedded bliss, please share with all of us (a)how you have celebrated an anniversary in the past, (b)how you intend to celebrate an anniversary, or (c) a great anniversary gift idea.

Here's how to enter:

• Post a comment with your anniversary celebration/gift idea (please keep it PG) along with your name and city/state/country.
• All comments must be received by midnight PST on Friday, September 12 to be eligible. No anonymous comments will be accepted.
• In order for your entry to be accepted, all information requested above must be included.

The winner will be posted shortly after Friday, September 12. Please keep checking back because the winner will not be contacted.

Good luck!

Don't Let Bad Habits Ruin your Marriage

Let me start off by saying that I am not a relationship expert. However, I came across an article that talked about bad habits that can ruin your marriage that made me think. Here are the top 10 ideas that can destroy a marriage:

1. Not having sex
2. Letting yourself go
3. Spending too much time with the in-laws (which includes telling them private information)
4. Spending too much time with work, friends, hobbies
5. Not consulting your partner about purchases
6. Forgetting the smaller gestures
7. Criticizing and nagging endlessly
8. Always playing the victim
9. Sweating the small stuff
10. Not fighting fair
    

Having said all these, let's turn them into positive ideas on how to keep a marriage healthy and happy. (You know, how you felt on your wedding day!)

1. Have Sex!
2. Don't let yourself go...put a little extra effort to look attractive for your spouse (he or she will most likely do the same in return!)
3. Don't spend too much time with the in-laws...you have your own family now!
4. Don't spend too much time with work, friends, and hobbies because your spouse is bound to feel unimportant in your life. This means get your priorities straight...your spouse comes first!
5. Talk to your spouse about money. Come to some sort of agreement on what purchases your need to consult with each other on and those you can make on your own. And while you are at it, talk about how money will be handled and who will be paying the bills - well, at least the activity of making the payment!
6. Make small gestures like a hug and kiss when you walk in the door, holding his/her hand when sitting next to each other, or saying thank you when your spouse does something for you.
7. Don't criticize or nag your spouse - remember, you chose your spouse for better or worse and should have known this about him/her when you tied the knot. And remember, nagging often leads to tuning out anyway.
8. Don't always play the victim. Take responsibility for a bad behavior. The sooner take responsibility, the sooner you can move on and be happy with one another.
9. Don't sweat the small stuff. I know, easier said than done, but him leaving the toilet seat up every now and again isn't going to kill you. Just remember, you have annoying habits and forget to do things every now and again, too! Lots of things are going to go wrong in a marriage, so you really have to figure out what is worth getting upset over.
10. Fight fair. Arguing in a marriage is inevitable, but just make sure you have good intentions when you are arguing with your spouse.

Did I miss anything? What do you think it takes to keep a marriage happy and healthy?

Click here to see the entire article.