NYE in ATL

Best New Year's plans ever. Thanks to Allison, I was lucky enough to welcome 2011 in style at the Zac Brown Band concert in downtown Atlanta. The concert was amazing, they are sooooo good live.

We had dinner at a funky tapas restaurant downtown called Lunacy Black Market. The food was really good and super cheap. The waitress said 2-3 small plates per person was typical so that's what we ordered. Pssshhh. After all the food came out, Allison and I looked at each other and laughed. Apparently we aren't typical diners and had to order a few more plates. It seems that this was so out of the ordinary that the eccentric chef/owner felt the need to come out and tell us how much he liked cooking for girls like us...girls with great appetites. Ummmm, thanks. I think. Then he offered us his own personal tickets to some super cool club party. Ummmm, pass.

We got to the concert just as ZBB was going on stage. Perfect timing. The music was fantastic, the atmosphere was even better. It was just such a fun way to celebrate. I didn't know all of the songs because he did a lot of stuff from his new album but I will def be listening to it all again.

As good as the music was, the people watching was much better. A few rows in front of us we watched two middle aged, overweight people find love. She came with two of her least attractive friends (presumably to make herself look better) he came with his drinking buddies. After the first few songs the two groups began to merge into a super awkward dance party in their row. After about a minute and a half of this everyone else in their group realized the awkwardness and logistical nightmare of an inter-row dance party and went back to their seats. Not these two. They continued bumping and grinding to the music (country music, where bumping and grinding is next to impossible). After both their hands started to wander, they ended up in an awkward embrace/make-out session. It was so awkward it was impossible to look away. A few minutes later they released their death grips on each other and went back to their respective groups. After whispering a brief message to their friends, she grabbed her purse and he gave out a few high-fives. Then they left. Never to be seen again. It's true, there IS someone out there for everyone.

Again, all the credit goes to Allison for this awesome night! And a special thanks for driving me to the airport the next morning at 5 AM. What a good friend.

A Few of My Favorite Things

If Oprah gets to do it, so can I! Although, I regret to inform you, dear reader, I will not be handing these out like she does. I just thought I would share a few of my favorite things to help anyone who was struggling to come up with gift ideas or just to entertain anyone who was bored at work :)

philosophy- They have so many great products, I love them all. But to be more specific, my favorites are: Hope in a Jar face lotion (One of Oprah's favorites too), Purity face wash, and Bubbly, a champagne scented body wash.

Under Armor Cold Gear Fitted Pants- Perfect for yoga or running outside when its chilly! Aaaand they're also good for lounging around the house or running errands.

The Game of Things- Hilarious party game where you get to guess people's responses to questions like..."Things you do when no one is looking", "Things you shouldn't say to your in-laws", or "Things you would title a children's book". Regardless of whether everyone in the group knows each other really well or just met, you will have a blast hearing the answers that people come up with.

Mossimo Pocket T-Shirts from Target- Super comfy, casual and flattering. Lots of different colors and they are nice and long for those of us with longer upper bodies.

Daisy by Marc Jacobs- I'm not normally a perfume fan, but this is light enough so it doesn't suffocate everyone in the room with you.

Toms shoes- Yes, its a little bit hippie, but these shoes are so comfy to walk around in. Its my cooler weather alternative to Rainbows flip flops...they go with everything and your feet won't hurt when you wear them. And as a bonus, when you buy a pair they donate a pair to kids in need. How cool is that?

Landsend Tote Bags- Pick your color, customize it with you name or initials and use it all the time. They are cheap enough to justify having multiples...I have one for my yoga stuff, one with a zipper that I use as a carry-on bag, and one that I use for class.

Personalized Stationery at MJPaperie.com- I love hand written notes and I love being able to choose the colors and designs for my note cards. This is my favorite new online paper store, they have a great selection and the girls who own it are just about the sweetest people in the world!

Hunter Rain Boots with Cable Cuff Welly Socks- My first pair of rain boots! Never really needed them before living in NC. I love all the color options and the cute socks you can mix and match with the boots. And if you (like me) struggle to get your calves in normal boots, try the "Huntress" boots, they have a little extra room in the leg so you don't cut off your circulation.

Chanel Mascara and Foundation- Ever since I had my make up done for our wedding, I have been hooked. Yes its a bit expensive, but you don't have to buy all of their products just the good basic items. They are worth the investment!

Tory Burch "Reva" Ballet Flats- Cute, comfy and dressy all in one. I get complements every time I wear them. Expensive yes, but they last for years and really dress up a pair of jeans without having to wear heels, something I try to avoid at all costs.

Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Pillow Spray- The Lavender Vanilla scent is wonderful to help you relax and fall asleep. I have been using it ever since college.

Long Sleeve Faux Wrap Tee from VS- Perfect with a cami underneath, unless you are trying to show off your goods...its up to you really. Flattering and comfy, lots of color choices and pretty cheap.

Books by Jen Lancaster- Laugh out loud funny accounts of her own life. She doesn't hold back.

Books by Celia Rivenbark- Hilariously entertaining accounts of living in and loving the South. Must read if you are a transplant, like myself.

Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Slow Cooker at Target- I never knew the awesomeness of the slow cooker until this year, but now we use it at least once a week. This one is great to take with you for potlucks or bringing meals to friends. The lid latches securely so it won't spill in the car!

Bliss Wines- Yes, they finally dedicated a winery to my family. Its about time! Reasonably priced, my favorites are the Cab and the Chardonnay.

Skidless Yoga Towel- Keeps you from sliding all over your mat during a massive sweat session also known as, hot yoga. Mine is purple!

Martha Stewart's Everyday Food: Great Food Fast Cookbook- The recipes are organized by season, so its easy to cook using ingredients that are in season and make meals that fit the weather. Some of the recipes are a little out there, but its good to try new things, right?

Asics Gel Cumulus Running Shoes- So comfy, love them for distance running or just in the gym. Really I love all of their Gel shoes, but these are the best in my humble opinion.

Twining's Tea- My favorites are Irish Breakfast, Lady Grey, and Pure White

Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm- Not a fan of their minty stuff, but I love the pomegranate!

OK that was ridiculously fun to do! If anyone else has a list of their favorites, please share! I might have to do this again some time...

Thankful!

What a wonderful Thanksgiving week it was at the Jansen house this year! We were blessed with visits from JJ's Aunt and Uncle from Atlanta the weekend before and his parents the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Always nice to see family around the holidays! Their visits overlapped just long enough for everyone to be able to go to the game on Sunday.

While JJ's parents were here we went to Mimosa Grill in uptown. JJ met the executive chef a while ago and he had been encouraging us to come down and visit him at the restaurant. Oh. My. Goodness. The food was amazing! From the appetizers all the way to dessert, it was delicious. So many good flavors and very reasonably priced for what you get. If anyone in Charlotte has a date night coming up I would HIGHLY recommend trying it out. You won't be disappointed.

Thanksgiving morning Allison (who was nice enough to come down from Winston-Salem with Annie, Barney's favorite bulldog friend) and I did the 5 mile Turkey Trot. It was cold and a little rainy, but we both really enjoyed it. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and cooking while JJ was at practice. I have to admit, I cheated this year and bought the Turkey from Fresh Market already cooked. All I had to do was re-heat it. And we split up the sides between all our guests, so it was a wonderful stress-free day for everyone.

Side note, I was able to witness Allison's successful attempt at making vegetarian gravy. And I have to admit it tasted pretty darn good. Not that I am switching over to the dark side any time soon. Nope, can't do without Big Daddy's Burger Bar. Not only did Al standout with her meatless plate of food, she stood out as the only USC alumn in a room full of Notre Dame kids (minus me, but I still kind of count because I married into the cult). Needless to say, some bets were wagered on the upcoming game...ND picked a good year to beat SC! JJ will be cashing in his free fro-yo next time Allison is in town.

After dinner, we finished the night off by playing a few rounds of The Game of Things. My favorite game ever. If you like Apples to Apples, you will love this game. Pretty much any time we have a large group of people over we end up playing this game, it never fails in providing lots of entertainment and humor. What a good night!

So in summary...Thanksgiving=Good food, good friends and lots of fun

Holiday Party

Friday night I was invited to a neighbors house warming/holiday party. I was really excited to get to know our new neighbors better and maybe meet more people on our street, but I was also a little nervous becaue I would have to go by myself as JJ was in New England for the game. No one likes to go to parties alone, but I planned on just staying for an hour or so to make an appearance and be polite. That didn't happen.

Luckily, our new neighbors are our age and ironically went to Arizona State so we had plenty to talk about. They also invited a lot of their coworkers (also around our age) so it wasn't as awkward as I had previously thought.

During a conversation with a guy (who may or may not play for the other team, not that there's anything wrong with that, but it might explain what happened next) the topic of how I ended up in Charlotte came up. I don't normally tell people about JJ's job unless asked directly what he does for a living. I don't want to lie or be awkward or anything so I feel like I have to share at that point. As soon as I tell him, he squeals so loudly that the entire party stops chatting and looks at him. He then takes that opportunity to make a group announcement about what my husband does for a living. So I have 50 people staring at me waiting to see what happens next. At this point I am bright red and starting to sweat because of all the people staring at me. No one wants to be the center of attention in a room full of strangers. Luckily another girl (who is probably quite comfortable being the center of attention in all situations) uses the silence as her chance to announce that she will be doing shots with whoever would like to join, so the focus shifted back off me, Good job drunk girl!

Other than that, the party was fun. Even though I intended to only stay or an hour I ended up staying till midnight talking with our across the street neighbors and their realtor. They gave me tons of information and recommendations on what to do in the area. I am most excited about going to The Dog Bar. Its a combination dog park and bar. Barney will love it and we can meet all the other crazy dog people in the area.

Party in the NYC

I just got back from a FABULOUS trip to NYC with my sister. We were there for 6 days and had just the right combination of cheesy touristy activities and "real" New Yorker activities. I spent quite a bit of time before we left researching and planning our trip and it really paid off. We fit in so many things and enjoyed every last one. So for anyone who plans on taking a trip to the city anytime soon, let me share our perfect (if I do say so myself) itinerary for getting the ultimate New York experience.

**A special thanks to Phil for letting us use his midtown apartment and making this all possible and affordable!!

Day 1

We got to NYC late afternoon the Friday after Thanksgiving. Black Friday. I hadn't really put two and two together when we decided to wander around midtown and the Times Square area (which is a huge shopping area). We went to Macy's to enjoy all the Christmas decorations and window displays. It was wall to wall people with a line to even go up the escalator. That was a bit too much to handle, so we continued on an wandered up Broadway enjoy the sights and sounds. After we had our fill of the Black Friday crowds we met up with Bethany one of my good friends from college at La Paella, an awesome tapas bar on 9th Street. After catching up and enjoying a pitcher of sangria we headed out to a wine bar and then to a Texas style bar, Rodeo.

Day 2

During the course of my research I spent a lot of time on Trip Advisor and the number one recommended NYC activity was a walking tour with Real New York Tours. The tour was amazing! We must have walked like 10 miles all over the city. Keep in mind, I was in a boot for our whole trip because of my stress fracture. But that didn't stop us! We started out in midtown and then took the subway up to Central Park and explored The Dakota and Strawberry Fields (where John Lennon was killed and the memorial dedicated to him in the Park). We took the subway back down to Greenwich Village had lunch at Famous Joe's Pizza (where they filmed Spiderman), and wandered around SoHo. Next we headed over to the best smelling part of the city, Little Italy. You could smell the garlic as soon as we turned the corner. Heavenly. One more turn and we entered one of the worst smelling parts of the city, Chinatown. It smelled like dirty feet mixed with fish. Next, we headed to the World Trade Center site and visited St. Peter's Church, where the recovery efforts were based during 9/11. It was incredibly moving to see the memorials and pictures from that time. If you go to NYC, it is a must see. We also went to Wall Street which in all honesty looks a bit Disneyish. We were there at night so there wasn't the normal business crowds and the way they were lit made it look a little fake. The tour ended at the South Street Seaport and Carolyn and I ate at The Paris Tavern. The tour guide was great at mixing historical sites with pop culture sites and had lots of stories to share. If you were only in NYC for one day, I would highly recommend doing this tour because you see everything and really get a sense of the city.

Day 3

Game Day! The Panthers' game was the original reason for this trip so we hopped the train and headed out to New Jersey. We met JJ's Aunt, Uncle and cousins in Short Hills and had a fabulous breakfast and tour of their neighborhood to admire the beautiful, historic houses. Next in true game day fashion, we left for the stadium and had the ultimate gourmet tailgate where we were joined by Bethany (she wrote a much better account of our day and included pictures so I'm going to cheat and link to her blog). Unfortunately the Jets and the Panthers played what might the most boring game in NFL history. Just to prove my point, the man in front of us fell asleep for the majority of the third quarter. At one point I actually considered poking him to make sure he was still alive. A fan trying to get out of his row saved me the trouble and woke him up on her way to grab her 4th or 5th beer. Regardless of the game, we still enjoyed the experience at the Meadowlands.

Day 4

Because it was a rainy day and we were still recovering from the non-stop action of the past few days, we took it easy on Monday. A little light shopping at Macy's, getting my phone fixed at Verizon, and lunch at Pret a Manger. Next a visit to the New York Public Library to admire the beautiful architecture and...visit the site of the wedding from Sex and the City! We also got tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, the ultimate New York City holiday experience! I was feeling pretty fancy, so I had a glass of champagne while we waited for it to start. The show was a blast and I am so glad I talked Carolyn into seeing it! She was only hesitant because she didn't really know what it was all about. (Interesting side note, our tour guide from Saturday is married to a Rockette!) After the show, we met up with Bethany and Cori in Little Italy at a restaurant our tour guide had recommended. Da Nico was a great place for dinner, but apparently we were there a little too long because the waiter came over and told us they were ready to close and were just waiting on us to leave, haha! Wait...this is NYC! I thought everything was open late! We continued our evening at Ferrara, also in Little Italy, and enjoyed amazing Italian desserts and coffees. I wish I could go back for another cannoli! Great food and catching up with old friends is a fantastic was to spend an evening.

Day 5

Our friend from high school Kat, who is finishing up at Fordham University, joined us for the day. We met downtown and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to explore one of the other. boroughs. According to my research you can't go to Brooklyn without eating at Grimaldi's, the best pizza in New York, and then getting ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, right on the water. Both were quite good and worth the 25 minute walk across the bridge. While we were there, we also wandered around The River Cafe, wich had a beautiful garden and amazing views of the Manhattan skyline if you aren't in the mood for pizza when you go. After walking back across the bridge, we went to the home of the Food Network, Chelsea Market! Being a foodie and huge fan of all cooking shows, I was really excited and it did not disappoint! I probably could have spent the entire day there, eating my way through all the different gourmet food stores. After some window shopping, we stopped for wine and cheese at The Green Table. Next up for the evening was a true New York experience on Broadway. We saw In the Heights, winner of many awards, at Richard Rodgers theatre. I have seen a few Broadway shows and this might be my new favorite. It was really fun and had great music, I would highly recommend it!

Day 6

What would a trip to New York be without a day at a museum? We spent the morning at The Met enjoying the more art than I knew what to do with. My favorite part was the European decorative arts displays, which were basically rooms from houses or hotels set up to look just like they did hundreds of years ago. It made you feel like you were transported back in time to see how they lived. Amazing! Carolyn really enjoyed the 19th century Italian paintings section, because she has spent a lot of time studying them in her art history classes. We worked up quite an appetite wandering the museum and headed to Alice's Tea Cup for a late lunch/afternoon tea. What a blast! I wish they had one in Charlotte because afternoon tea is now my favorite meal of the day. That night we met up with Bethany one last time to celebrate her birthday with her coworkers at The Wharf. A good time was had by all.

So blessed to be fortunate enough to see old friends, spend quality time with my sis, and explore one of the greatest cities in the world. Can't wait to go back!

Pictures to come!!

In All Things Give Thanks

There was an interesting editorial in the New York Times today. It was a Thanksgiving toast about being thankful for the unpredictability in our lives, appreciating the fact that we cannot plan out every detail.

For all the control freaks out there, that is a tough pill to swallow. We often think that we know best, and our way is the only way. But I have found that some of the best moments in my life are things that couldn't have gone better than if I had orchestrated every last detail. Sometimes we just have to trust in the process and trust that there is someone else who knows better. Who knows all things and all people. Who loves us and wants what is best for us.

I feel that this especially true for us with JJ's job. We often feel like the uncertainty is unbearable, but it is the uncertainty that makes our lives so exciting. We have lived in places that we would have never even visited otherwise (i mean really, who would have thought we would end up in the Frozen Tundra for 6 months??). Been able to explore different parts of the country and learn new cultures (yes, even though it is part of the US, the South has its own culture). Meet new friends and keep in touch with old friends (because it seems that everyone ends up on the east coast).

Thanksgiving can be seen as a benchmark in our lives. We can see where we've come from, where we are and where we're going just by looking around the table at Thanksgiving dinner. I know this first hand by just looking back at my recent Thanksgiving dinners.

This year we are in Charlotte, NC far away from family and close friends celebrating our first Thanksgiving as newlyweds with new friends. Last year, we were in Green Bay, WI celebrating our engagement with good friends that felt more like family. The years before that we celebrated apart, me in Phoenix, AZ with family and lifelong friends and JJ wherever the football season took him, usually South Bend, IN.

We have come a long way and ended up in a place that we never could have predicted. And as scary and stressful as the changes were at times, I wouldn't change anything. We are happy, healthy, and loved. We have wonderful families, faithful friends, and the best puppy in the world. Who could ask for more?

I just wonder what state we will celebrate in next year...