Tacos are always delicious. I usually do spaghetti with meat sauce or meatballs because while it can be messy (depending on the age of the kids) it's tasty, popular, and easy for me.
No kids but depends on the kid. I had/still have very light hair so I didn't start until 5th grade (I think?) I got in trouble for starting so early, but over time my mom let it go.
Baked goods (making and eating them) Coffee Wine Long walks Time with close friends Travel Time with H and our pup Tom Hanks movies Christmas movies All things Christmas, actually (listen to Christmas music year-round) Baths Rain
Pizza and a movie on Fridays and big breakfasts on Saturdays. We don't have kids but here are the things my parents did with us:
Ordered pizza and watched TGIF as a family, mom would also make popcorn Breakfasts on Saturdays (usually muffins or pancakes) Mom would take me out of school and go to lunch one a month When we got good report cards, we would go out to eat to a place of a kid's choosing (alternated between kids) Ice cream cones after soccer games
We're Catholic and Italian so we love us some traditions...
My friend's wedding in Detroit a few years ago. It was tied to a hotel, there was a live band, tons of booze, and the party went from the pre-wedding "party" at 1 - 4 am.
H at one point told me that we just have different levels of what good looks like. I get that, but I told him he seems to really enjoy having a well-kept house. A lot of work is required to keep it at the level he enjoyed so much.
He also maintained for awhile that if I ask him to do something he would do it but...a) he would forget and b) having to ask for basic shit to be done was exhausting me. I just want it done. My love language is also acts of service, so when I'd ask him to do something and then he wouldn't do it (because he forgot) it was a slap in the face. It took us 12 years together and almost 6 years of marriage to get him to comprehend how shitty it was. I had to point out to him all the times he forgot, and how much it impacted me. One time he forgot to do something 3 days in a row and that humbled him when I pointed it out.
I'm from there but live on the east coast now. What others have said so far is true, but I'll try to be fair and say it's getting more diverse and tolerant as it grows. H and I would like to move back there (or at least MI) in the next few years and it's very affordable. The closer you live to downtown the more liberal people are. It's also a small college town (Grand Valley, Aquinas, Calvin, Kendall, etc.) and with that comes at least a few more academic progressives than normal.
1 or 2 people mentioned the snow, and I don't recall where you're from, but that is no joke. I don't mind snow, but you need to commit to giant puffy coats, a good scraper, a good snow blower, and maybe a car with 4x4.
Well, aside from the fact that Calvin & Aquinas are religious affiliated
True, but you can be religious and still progressive! My SMIL teaches at one of those schools and is one of the most progressive people I know.
For breakfast we have pumpkin muffins (1 can pumpkin, 1 box spice cake mix)
For appetizers I do a caramelized onion dip with chips and nuts. I keep it light because we eat breakfast around 9 and then Thanksgiving dinner around 4.
This year it's just me an H so we're doing the following:
turkey breast mashed potatoes cranberry sauce roast brussel sprouts dinner rolls pecan pie pinot noir
We also go to a Friendsgiving the weekend before and I usually make dinner rolls, a pie (pumpkin or apple), and a green salad.
If you're looking for recipes, I love Giada's Aunt Raffy's stuffing and I make a killer pear caramel ice cream. If you want a fun appetizer, Jenny Steffens Hobick has a goat cheese dip served in a Hubbard squash.
I'm from there but live on the east coast now. What others have said so far is true, but I'll try to be fair and say it's getting more diverse and tolerant as it grows. H and I would like to move back there (or at least MI) in the next few years and it's very affordable. The closer you live to downtown the more liberal people are. It's also a small college town (Grand Valley, Aquinas, Calvin, Kendall, etc.) and with that comes at least a few more academic progressives than normal.
1 or 2 people mentioned the snow, and I don't recall where you're from, but that is no joke. I don't mind snow, but you need to commit to giant puffy coats, a good scraper, a good snow blower, and maybe a car with 4x4.
I've learned that making sure I'm getting enough healthy fat in my diet makes a world of difference. Also learning to use proper seasoning and make interesting sauces makes my food delicious and holds my interest.
YES! Some people can do low-fat diets, some do best on low-carb, etc. I can cut out a number of starches but I need good fats in my diet.
I don't try to get fancy with my veggies. I eat the same view quite regularly, or have them incorporated in a meal like chili, where there is meat, but also onions and a bunch of peppers, tomatoes, etc. I make a big batch of that or other soups and it reduces the number of meals to plan. Soups are a great way to incorporate veggies, but stick to broth v. cream based soups.
Otherwise, there are many nights when we roast meat or fish and steam or roast a vegetable like green beans, sugar snap peas, brussel sprouts, carrots, etc.
I also have a fruit smoothie with a ton of spinach every morning.
I'd also suggest maybe skipping Venice on this trip since that's a lot of travel after Tuscany. I'd definitely recommend a day trip to Florence! When we went to Italy we did 3 days in Rome, 3 in Tuscan countryside, and 3 in Florence.
I guess that's the result of growing up in tornado alley and just accepting that there wasn't much of anything I could do besides go to the basement and hope we don't all die.
Yes, that's it . It's just a very solid eye cream. Did not aggravate my sensitive skin at all.
I generally don't have sensitive skin but almost all of the eye creams I tried before this one irritated my skin. This one is perfect.
A few women noted wearing hats and sunglasses - YES! I wear sunglasses every day just out and about - mostly because my eyes are sensitive to sunlight but it also reduces aging around the eye.
At the beach, I wear a huge hat. It's popular now to have these big diva hats, but I've been doing it for awhile now. If I spend more than 5-10 minutes outside I'll wear a baseball cap during hikes, dog walking, etc.
I also never lay out or go tanning. Ever. I'm a fair-skinned Irish lass and I've embraced being pale.
My daily routine is a gentle cleanser, moisturizer with SPF 35, and Bobbi Brown's eye cream. About once a week I use a gentle exfoliator and every two weeks I use a mask. I also drink a ton of water.
I'm doing too much emotional labor at work and through my volunteer work. I know I'm too stoic, but does everyone really need to share ALL of their feelings, ALL of the time?
I'm working on a project with a gigantic bully. Over the weekend, I forwarded some of his most abusive emails to my boss and his. His boss wrote to me and said, "I've talked several times with Bully and stressed that all communication must be professional and productive. We have a zero tolerance policy on this." Does anyone see a contradiction here?
I'm sorry to read that so many of us are frustrated or worried.A
Do we work at the same place? I'm going through the same thing. It's just way too much feelings right now and everyone "just needs to vent" and I'm done.
Otherwise, in my life, it's our busy season and leadership keeps pushing pushing pushing and people are just at a breaking point. I think we'll make it through the season, but I don't actually see things letting up all that much after this big event. It'll just be moving on to the next thing. I'm all for enthusiasm and dedication, but this pace just isn't sustainable.
I had a really good dinners at Cafe Amelie and GW Fins. Have a hand granade at Tropical Isle, and hurricanes at Pat O'Briens. Do either the martini lunch or jazz brunch at Commander's Palace (I have done the jazz brunch and it was fantastic!).
YAASSS. Can't believe I forgot Pat O's. Go to the piano bar and yes, get a hurricane. I loved it so much.