life lessons

So there I was, thinking about the amazing trip we took to Disneyland in December. Wishing I was there... or anywhere really. I have a serious condition that requires taking a vacation every few months or so. It's an epidemic. Thanks to Curt, we have about ten hours of footage from our magical journey to the Happiest Place On Earth. As I was watching videos and reminiscing I came across this little beauty that I hadn't seen yet. It really capsulated the essence of the vacation and exactly what it's like to road trip with Curt and Paul. I call it "Life According To Curtis & Paul". Enjoy. 

happy earth day

Welcome to Earth Day everyone! Here are just a few ideas to help keep our planet beautiful and clean. 

-Plant a tree that will shade your house as well as reduce the need for air conditioning.

-Combine short car trips, or use a bicycle or walk instead.

-Improve your home's energy efficiency by adding insulation and caulking, and regularly cleaning heating and air conditioning filters.

-Compost yard trimmings and food waste in a backyard compost bin. 

-Practice water conservation; install a low flow shower head or make an Earth Day pledge to take shorter showers.

-Use compact fluorescent lights to conserve up to 75 percent of the energy consumed by incandescent bulbs.

-Purchase durable goods and choose products made with recycled materials and with minimal or recyclable packaging.

-Reduce the amount of unwanted junk mail, have your name removed from mailing lists.

-Bring a reusable cloth bag to the store instead of taking paper or plastic bags at the checkout.

-Use cleaning products with natural, non-toxic ingredients in your home.

-Recycle. Recycle. Recycle. This is so easy to do.

happy 5th!

Well, we made it! Today is our five year anniversary! I can't believe it's already been that long. Being married to my best friend has been the greatest adventure and I'm looking forward to many more years of fun. Thanks, Curtis, for everything. I love you!

easy sunday

Today was the kind of day that you wouldn't mind reliving over and over. Good friends, good food, and good times. Just one of those easy sundays. Curtis and I watched conference this morning then Paul and Alison came over for a BBQ, conference watching and some serious gaming. Now when it comes to grilling I have to say that Curt is a grilling connoisseur. No question about it. Being the first real BBQ of this supposedly spring season we went all out. 

As you can see, a delicious array of baja chipotle marinaded chicken, brats...

asparagus tips brushed with garlic butter...

garlic lime shrimp skewers...

and glazed pineapple.

Here's the grill master hard at work preparing our delicious lunch. 

I even made a lemon cake (from scratch) with buttercream frosting. Everything was amazingly scrumptious. Hopefully the weather will soon realize that it's actually spring and start acting accordingly. It can't hold out for much longer... can it?

makeover month

I am nominating April as the official Makeover Month. We all love a makeover, and for good reason: makeovers show us the path between before and after. Think of this month as a natural reality show with a big reveal at the end: the world made new and vibrant in a few short bursts of warmth. Only April can do that. Whether it's a change in season or in our homes, most of us are fascinated by makeovers. From magazines to television shows to websites, we eat up reinventions of every conceivable thing: rooms, wardrobes, cars, bodies, even relationships. Why? Because they offer a window into the process of transformation. So, as Makeover Month is upon us we should all decide on something in our lives that we would like to makeover. Whether it be as simple as organizing and de-cluttering a closet or as involved as rejuvenating an entire room, pick your project and breathe in the fresh air that is change. 

A few tips for a successful makeover:

-Take before and after pictures. After pictures are much more valuable when alongside a before picture. Often, the pairing reveals solutions that are reassuringly simple.

-In regards to room makeovers, begin by thinking about the mood you want to create, rather than specifics. Setting broad goals first will help you have tunnel vision of sorts as you bring the makeover to life.

-Be realistic. Have ideas and goals that are practical and attainable.

-Most importantly, have fun. This should be a project that is enjoyable and that you feel excited about finishing.

Keep me updated on your makeover projects and good luck!

monk on nbc

Monk is a fantastically funny show staring Emmy award winner Tony Shalhoub. I was introduced to Monk a few years back by Craig and Carol when we were on vacation in Washington. We spent a day in our pj's having a Monk-a-thon, I was converted. Unfortunately, Monk is on the USA network (which I don't get), but that's about to change on April 6th. Monk will be coming to NBC on sunday evenings! Curtis and I are really looking forward to watching our favorite obsessive compulsive detective. This is a great video I found on You Tube, I love the jump roping. Enjoy.

movie calender

The fantastic movie season is almost upon us. Those movies that have been teasing us since last fall are finally about to emerge onto the big screen in the next few months. I don't think there is anything comparable to packing up your vehicle with snacks and soda and heading to the drive-in to watch that movie you've been dying to see. (Make sure you get there plenty early to get a good spot and also to watch the freaks, drive-in theaters rival the county fair when it comes to that.) For those of you who have let yourselves wander into a warm summer night at the movies, here's a little movie calender so you won't miss any of the summer blockbusters.

• April 4--Leatherheads
• May 2--Iron Man
  
• May 16--The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
  
• May 22--Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
  
• June 13--The Happening (the new M. Night Shyamalan movie)
  
• June 20--Get Smart
  
• June 27--Wall-E
  
• July 18--The Dark Knight

Visit http://www.apple.com/trailers/ to check out all of these great trailers.

road trip report

Our Seattle trip was good times! We had a lot of fun and even learned a few things. For example, before passengers fall asleep they need to make sure that the driver and navigator know exactly where they are going and when to merge onto I-82. Our three hour detour did allow us to see parts of Oregon we usually miss, so that was a bonus. We also were able to participate in a sing-a-long that, had we not veered off course, might not have taken place. All in all it was a great trip! We spent one of our days in downtown Seattle checking out the aquarium and Pike Place Market. Pike Place is a gem for finding "teammates". In fact, I'm pretty sure we found most of Brian's team hanging out there. The aquarium was fantastic as most all aquariums are. Here's a little video I put together from some of the footage Curt took. I hope you like it.

video gamers unite!

I love to play video games, I always have. It started at a very early age and, Zac, I have you to thank for it. We spent a lot of our summer time together in his room, on the Atari, playing games with some of the sweetest graphics we'd ever encountered. Our personal favorites: Joust, Food Fight, Pole Position, River Raid, Pitfall, Yars' Revenge and, of course, Space Invaders. Over the years my palette of video games and gaming systems has definitely developed. One of my all-time faves is Lego Star Wars and this year we'll be able to re-dedicate ourselves to video gaming with the release of Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Batman. Game On!

What are your favorite video games?

spring things

Some of the most fabulous spring things!

What are your favorite spring things?