What a weekend!!!

Hey there friends!

I hope everyone is getting in the holiday spirit! Even though we likely won’t be seeing snow in San Francisco for Christmas, frost covered peaks are just a few hours drive away. Phil and I spent our first weekend of the season in Tahoe and it did not disappoint! We didn’t hit the slopes because we’re still working on our gear situation but we explored Squaw Village, got settled into the house, and watched the snow fall from the hot tub – not a bad way to getaway! Even more exciting, for me anyway, is the discovery that one our housemates is also a yoga instructor in SF – WHOOT WHOOT!!! I am so excited to have a fellow yogi at the house and to get to know another bay area teacher…it’ll be fun to flow together and  nerd out on yoga stuff!

It’s Phil’s birthday tomorrow !!!!! I had a few tricks up my sleeve but he has to travel for work last minute 😦 , so we’ll have to save them for another time. Instead we’ll be celebrating with friends Friday at Dosa since Phil loves Indian…I still might have a thing or two planned! 😉 I have a lot to do for him in preparation for Christmas next week but can thankfully say I am done with everyone else. We’re going to be spending the holiday away from family this year so I think we’re both trying to make an extra effort to make it special!

It’s going to be so much fun to fill this space below the tree with gifts for him and have a nice dinner just the two of us.  Since we’re doing Christmas here I am so excited to be shooting up to Tahoe for some skiing for New Years!!

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

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Holiday Season Spinning

From mine to yours, I hope everyone had the merriest Christmas, happiest Hanukkah & are looking forward to the most fun New Year ever!

We’re having a whirlwind of a holiday season but are thrilled to be spending time with family and friends, as well as managing some time for just the two of us. While New Year’s Eve is right around the corner, this brief return to reality is a necessary evil. We capped off long weekend #1 with an amazing Chilean wine course at The Wine School. We always have so much fun when we go & end up learning a fair amount as well…I can’t wait to get a little more wine education when Sonoma & Napa Valley are just a car ride away! We learned all about the history of their various regions, wine production, why their wine is such an incredible value and the many grape varietals. What I found most interesting was the fact Chile produces some of the oldest Carmenere in the world. Turns out, there was an infestation in France that wiped out all the old wines so the shearings transplanted to Chile are older than any of the wines growing Carmenere in France…cool, huh?

Anyway, this short week I am doing my best to stay on top of school – I have about 30 minutes of sanskrit lecture to finish, flash card review, a few hours of yoga philosophy to conquer, & my very first recording. I am both excited and nervous to video myself teaching an easy, 60min. vinyasa flow. I can only imagine how uncomfortable its going to be for me to watch it back but as my teacher says, its one of the most invaluable things you can do as a teacher if you’re looking to improve.

‘Til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays!

Things have been busier than ever this holiday season! With about 38 days until we officially move to San Francisco I have been apartment hunting in between biscotti batches, searching for movers as my cinnamon bun dough rises & planning how to pack as the granola bakes!! I’m totally looking forward to family time Wednesday evening and Thursday, I just have to finish that pesky little shopping thing first!

Now that we’ll be planning our wedding from across the country I am trying get 101015 things done before we leave: get the sketch and my mother’s dress to a seamstress so she can get to work on the redesign (that’s right, I’m wearing my mother’s dress down the aisle), figure out Pre-Cana so we can get married in the church, finalize the room block for the hotel and make sure the venue can schedule a private tasting for us when we come home for Phil’s brother’s wedding in June…

…did I even mention my fiance’s brother got engaged a little while after us and is getting married in June?!?!?! yea, that happened, so its going to be a year full of fun and travel in 2015. 

I’m also doing my best not to fall behind on my 200hr TT with Yoga Medicine. Tiffany was gracious enough to give us a little break this week which means Colleen will be cramming two weeks of Sanskrit lessons into whatever morsels of free time are left. I have been steadily teaching 1-2 times a week which I love & have been taking steps each day to move me in the right direction…every little bit counts!

I know January will need to be well planned to accomplish everything left to do with the wedding, 200hr TT, and move but nothing worth it is ever easy & I’d say this is ALL worth it!

‘Til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

Birthday Celebration

Happy Monday! Christmas may officially be right around the corner but the birth of Christ has been the furthest thing from my mind because today is my very amazing boyfriend’s birthday!

This weekend was spent with friends and family celebrating the occasion!

We did manage to keep some of our festivities holiday themed with a little iceskating at Winterfest – SO FUN! – but mostly we celebrated with cocktails and comfort food!

Happy Birthday Phil! I love you!

Snow Days and Seasons Greetings

I woke up this morning to the snow falling outside and a text from corporate telling us to stay home and stay safe! Yippeeee!

Instead of driving through awful weather I am comfortably working from my couch with a lovely view of my Christmas tree. 

This past weekend we trecked up to Terrain and chose a lush evergreen to decorate our living room and decided to have our Halloween minions stick around for the holidays!

I’ve unfortunately caught a bit of a bug, so instead of kitchen experiments its green tea with lemon, broth, lots of vitamins and some veggies with garlic and cayenne. I’m hoping the extra rest well help me feel better soon so something that could drag on for two weeks will last only a few days – fingers crossed!

For all those in snowy weather: Bundle up if you’re outside, drive safe if you have to drive at all but MOST IMPORTANTLY….Enjoy the snow! 😉

Foodie Friday!

WOOOHOOO!!! Happy Friday! I am in a celebrating kind of mood!

Even though Thanksgiving isn’t for about a week, today marks the unofficial start of the Holiday season…really, Halloween did but that’s besides the point! Out of town family begins traveling home this weekend, friends & family gather for ‘early thanksgiving’ this weekend and the Christmas Village set-up at Love Park in Philadelphia kicks into high gear this weekend…SoOoOo exciting! I can’t say I shop much at Christmas Villiage but I love wandering through and taking in all the holiday merriment – it’s a real mood booster and an unbeatable way to get into the holiday spirit…

…as are these heavenly honey wheat cinnamon rolls!!!

These tasty treats were what rounded out mountain weekend as well as supplied the lovely ladies in my office with a baked bite to begin the work day! I can’t say this was entirely my original creation because I used this awesome honey wheat dough recipe I found on HealthyHomemakers but the gooey center and luscious icing are all me!

While the dough may not have any sugar in it, the center and icing are definitely not short on sugar…or butter for that matter, but the recipe yields about 6 8in cake rounds with 8-10 rolls a tin, so one or two dozen wont kill you! 😉

Pick a rainy Sunday, slow Saturday or try to bake these sweet treats – I am sure your family, friends and coworkers wont mind sharing in the fruits of your labor! Did I mention these would be awesome at ANY holiday party or as a special gift  for neighbors and loved ones?!?! Just throwing it out there!

Enjoy!