Thoughts on Thirty #30

Today is a big day, loyal readers. Today, I turn 30 years old. 30 FREAKING YEARS OLD!

To be honest, I'm a little nervous about entering a new decade. Mostly because I feel old. Old as the tomato Mr. Handsome bought and never ate that's rotting in our refrigerator. (She types while pulling out a gray hair).

A dear friend of mine was born one day before me, and she is embracing 30 with full force. Ergo, I'm going to take a page of out her book and write a post about being grateful for what I accomplished in my 20's, and a list of goals and what I'm most looking forward to about my 30's!

My 20's (2007 - 2017) - Accomplishments

• I both started and graduated from college
• I met, fell in love with, and married Mr. Handsome
• I traveled to fantastic places like Ireland, London, Paris, Seattle, Austin, Toronto, Charleston, New Orleans, Chicago, San Francisco and Harry Potter World, (just to name a few)
• I adopted a dog
• I've volunteered for 4+ years at a nearby animal shelter
• I've worked at two different full-time jobs and started developing my career
• I passed both my CBS Cicerone Exam and my Introductory Sommelier Exam
• I've read dozens and dozens of wonderful books
• I ran two full marathons and at least a dozen half-marathons
• I bought a condo

My 30's (2017 - 2027) - Goals

• I would love to finish writing a book and get it published, either by self-publishing it online or getting a book deal with a publisher
• I would like to try to start a family with Mr. Handsome - MAKING BABIES!
• I would like to get my finances in order and start saving for retirement
• I would like to upgrade my wardrobe and develop a better fashion sense
• I would like to continue eating healthy and taking care of my body
• I would like to run at least one more full marathon
• I would like to read more. So many books, so little time!
• I would like to continue my wanderlust and take many, many more trips and vacations
• I would like to make an official will, heaven forbid!
• I would like to continue having cooking adventures and discovering new recipes.
• I would like to continue developing relationships with my friends and family, treat them well and treasure the time we spend together

As many wise men and women have said before... Cheers to 30!

One Feisty Meadow

Happy Friday, Loyal Readers! Today marks the 2 month, 1 day anniversary of a very special event. On June 17th, Mr. Handsome and I became parents! Doggy parents, that is... (obviously)...


Meet Meadow! Our crazy little pup. She's a 2 year-old Feist Mix that we adopted from the animal shelter I volunteer for on the weekends. Her favorite activities are chewing the heads off her toys, eating everything in sight, sniffing during walks and snuggling on the couch.


As a rescue pup with a questionable past, she's a bit of a nervous Nellie, so we're trying to keep things calm and relaxing at home so she can settle into her new environment. That involves lots of naps in her crate, keeping her on a tight feeding and walking schedule, training her every day and giving her plenty of belly rubs.


You can follow our little goober on Instagram @onefeistymeadow


Woof! Woof!

Picking dem Bones...

I’ve been dealt a good hand in this life and know that I am a very, very lucky lady.

That being said, I have a few bones to pick with the world this week. Here are my bones…

1.      I’ve been binge watching Dawson’s Creek re-runs on Freeform.com in the late evenings. (Mostly because I’m too scared to binge watch The Walking Dead when I’m alone and it’s scary and dark outside). ANYWAY - One of the best things about Dawson’s Creek is the catchy theme song… “I Don’t Want To Wait, for our LIIIVEEEESS to be OVVERRR…,” am I right!? I’m right. So then WHY on EARTH did they change the theme song for the re-runs streaming on TVs around the world? I’m heartbroken, and the new song really sucks. 

2.      What do all of these locations have in common?... Front porches, back porches, dive bars, outside of restaurants, in your own car, in your own home, in your best friend’s basement when his parents are asleep... I’ll tell you what they have in common: They are all great places to smoke! That’s right. There is a list of great places to smoke, and I just made it. You know what place ISN’T on that list? Running and Biking Trails. Dear Smokers, Please DO NOT smoke cigarettes, cigars, joints, etc. on running and biking trails. It both aggravates and infuriates the athletes. Please, let us workout in peace.

3.      I’ve had my fair share of flight delays and cancellations in this lifetime. I’ve also had my fair share of medical emergencies on flights, mechanical errors, and crew mistakes that have derailed my travel plans. If there is a tornado or hurricane outside of the airport, then YES, you can delay my flight and not refund my voyage. But if my flight gets cancelled because there aren’t enough crew members for the plane, then OH-MY-GOSH how can you NOT refund me for that trip? An airline mistake that causes me to miss my cousin’s wedding? I want my money back! And that FAA regulation-sized suitcase I bought online... Do NOT make me check that bag!

4.      One thing that brings me joy in this life is alcohol. A few days a week, this girl loves to have a glass of wine. It’s a relaxing, enjoyable and social ritual that I find absolutely delightful. So why, oh WHY does alcohol have to have calories? Depending on the beverage, two drinks can quickly add up to 300 calories or more. To burn that off, you’d have to run an additional 3 miles. What the heck!? If scientists can invent a calorie-free alcoholic beverage that doesn’t cause hangovers, I’d immediately order a case… or five.

Hmmm, I feel better now that I’ve vented. Consider my bones picked!

Le Television

Television: It brings us such joy. There was a recent article in the Washington Post about how amazing a woman's life became when she gave up TV for a year. I say NONSENSE! My only words for that woman are "You Do You, Girl."

I am QUITE productive outside of TV-land, but love to get lost occasionally in some of the stories and plots that Hollywood has graciously produced for our amusement. Over the years, there have been a number of TV shows that have served me as a great source of comfort and/or welcome escape from reality. Here's a list of some of my favorites.

1) Gilmore Girls - Once you're introduced to the charming, eccentric town of Stars Hollow, you'll never look back.

2) Greek - It's fun to relive college through the eyes of the sororities and fraternities at Cypress Rhodes University.

3) Friends - What famous TV show quotes did NOT come from Friends? Answer: Very few.

4) Sabrina the Teenage Witch - Growing up, I loved watching Sabrina's life unfold every Friday night on TGIF.

5) Boy Meets World - Oh Cory, Oh Tapanga. Oh Sean, Oh Angela. You showed me what true friendship was really about.

6) Once Upon A Time - The perfect show for any Disney fan! Watch your favorite fairy tales come to life in Storybrook, Maine.

7) Grey's Anatomy - Every woman alive wanted to be Meredith Grey at one point in time.

8) The O.C. - Ryan Atwood and Seth Cohen, the OG's of our teenage hearts

9) Orange is the New Black - Watching OITNB always makes me grateful I'm not in women's prison.

10) Shameless - The Gallagher family never fails to entertain.

Get out there any live your lives! But when you need a break every now and then, enjoy binging on your favorite TV shows.

"The Cleanse"

Hello, loyal readers! I've come here today to write about the concept of a "cleanse," or elimination of certain foods in order to feel like a weightless goddess. It's a topic I've both written about and experimented with before. A few years ago, I attempted to do a 3-day fruit and vegetable cleanse. (It was supposed to be a week-long cleanse, but I couldn't fathom the idea of eating nothing but fiber for 7 days). ANYWAY, I got half-way through breakfast on cleanse day #1 when I decided I wanted a big bowl of cereal... and scrambled eggs. Hence, end of cleanse.

There is something incredibly sexy about the idea of a cleanse. You believe that monitoring what you eat for a certain period of time will make you the beautiful, skinny embodiment of health. In some cases, this is in fact the case, and a cleanse will leave you with an abundance of energy, clear skin, flatter tummy and newfound appreciation for produce. Other times, cleanses will make you hangrier than a Basic B who was too busy to go to brunch with her squad.

I have yet to successfully complete a cleanse. (My four long years as a vegan aside). After much thought and deliberation, I think there are two main reasons for my failure... 1) FOMO... 2) Hypoglycemia. If I see a cookie, want the cookie, and don't let myself have the cookie, I get very upset. No, I don't want to eat seven cookies, I just want ONE! And not letting myself have that one cookie is devastating for everyone involved. Additionally, limiting calories or only allowing myself to eat a certain number of meals per day leaves me shaky, weak and full of anger and anxiety.

Maybe someday I will successfully complete "Whole 30," or will only eat colorful produce for a number of days. Until then, I will continue eating as healthy as possible... but won't deny myself the occasional cookie. Balance, variety and flexibility!

January is OVER... Rejoice!

Hello, Loyal Readers! So far, it has been a very interesting 2017. The politics in Washington have been an absolute mess... and horribly entertaining... and disappointing. Mr. Handsome and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas where I was able to frolic with a flamboyance of pink flamingos. We also went to NYC to see an amazing musical my father-in-law wrote. (How cool is that!?) I've spent most of my evenings binge watching Shameless. (If you haven't watched it yet, stop reading this post and go watch it now). And I've spent most of my weekends trying to stay warm while visiting wineries around Northern Virginia. Glug, Glug!

January is always the hardest month of the year for me. It's tough going back to work after the holidays are over and you have to put away the tree and stockings and cookies and carols. It's mind numbing driving to the office when it's dark, and driving home when it's even darker. (Sad Whimper)

BUT- It's February now, and ALL IS WELL! Valentine's Day is right around the corner and we've had a few beautiful 60 and 70 degree days this past week. I have two work trips coming up to Chicago and San Diego which should be very entertaining... and boozy. I'm planning more fun winery and brewery trips this month and just started studying up on the Whole 30 diet, which Mr. Handsome and I are talking about trying in March. (Wish us luck!)

I hope you all are having a fabulous and adventurous 2017, and may you have a romantic and/or scandalous Valentine's Day next week. Cheers!

Happy New Year! 2017

Happy New Years Eve, loyal readers! It's been a wild and crazy 2016. Mr. Handsome and I took a number of fabulous vacations, and we tied the knot in June to officially become Mr. and Mrs. Personally, it has been a momentous year for this optimistic blogger.

Unfortunately, politics around the world were an absolute mess, and peace on earth is becoming a harder and harder goal to achieve. But through all the hard times, we must tread on and hope for the best in the future.

Each year I like to publish an "In and Out" list to review what I believe is "HOT" and "What's Not" in our modern world of wonders. I also like to set New Years resolutions for the year to come. Unlike most humans, I like to set achievable New Years resolutions; ones that I'm pretty much guaranteed to achieve so that I won't feel terrible about myself and feel buckets self-loathing at the end of the year.

My New Years resolution for 2016 was simply to cook more often. And luckily for me, I got tons of pots, pans and nifty appliances at the wedding that helped me achieve my goal! Below are pictures of just some of the delicious meals I made in 2016...

In 2017, I'm stepping up my game and setting TWO resolutions...

ONE: Read more books

TWO: Get my finances in order

I have a list of 27 books that I'd like to tackle. I realistically know that reading ALL of them will never happen, but I would like to finish as many as possible next year. I've also been meaning to get my finances in order for years, so I'm finally saying that 2017 will be the year! YAY GOALS!

And now, the infamous "In and Out" list...

What's HOT?

Vacations to Iceland, Germany & Cuba

Heavy, Hearty & Spiced Craft Beers

Leather Jeggings

Hygge

Silver, Gold and Chrome

Puppies dressed as BB8 and R2D2

What's NOT?

Wine served in anything but wine glasses

U.S. Politics and everything and everyone involved

Peasant Sleeves

Crossfit

Neon

Puppies dressed like other animals

I wish you all a very, very Happy New Year. Bring it on, 2017!