Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Because these are too cute not to share...





I used to make cookies, cupcakes and bake all the time. I've cut back on it a little bit, mostly because of my tendency to want to sample and eat what I've created! So, I was excited to get back into the swing of things and make some cookies for a co-worker's baby shower. It was a little tricky since we don't know if Baby S is a boy or girl! This little onesie cookie is one of my favorites to make and decorate...probably because it's hard not to do a big awwwww over them.

Monday, February 20, 2012

A fun weekend away with my sisters and mom...there's something about visiting the coastal areas of New England in the off season that I love. The weekend was full of shopping trips..


and lots of quality time making jokes and laughing with the ladies I wish I could see everyday. While there was also lots of fun, there was also some debauchery to be had as well. Who would've thought we'd be on the other side of the law at a traffic stop with my Mom in the front seat :)

And who knew Peeps are 1) already out and 2) now come in Chocolate Mousse Bunnies... 

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I've been a little delinquent on my What I'm Loving Wednesday posts...so here's to hopping back on this blog hop with http://www.littledaisymay.blogspot.com/!

So..what am I loving this Wednesday?

I used to be a huge coffee drinker and have scaled back. I've replaced my morning cup of coffee with some tea instead. Since I'm not buying Dunkin Donuts coffee in bulk anymore, I decided to splurge at Whole Foods and try a new kind for Mr. Allan. I opted for Allegro's Breakfast Blend...bold but not over the top Starbucks strong and not that overly Dunkin Donuts taste either. It's a hit and I enjoyed a cup with the Mr. as a little treat!



My husband travels a lot. That leaves me plenty of time to muck up our Netflix list with lots of chick flicks. One movie I randomly added to my queue was The Other Woman with Natalie Portman. I don't think I had any clue what it was even about and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed not only the entire movie but Natalie Portman as well..who I'm not really a huge fan of!



A couple years ago, I think I subscribed to something crazy like 15 magazines. I started to scale back and now only have a few select ones I read faithfully...guess I just outgrew Cosmo! One that's definitely going on the subscription list is Clean Eating Magazine. I've been retreating to these old issues that I've bought more and more for great recipes.
I'm also excited for a girls weekend in Maine! excited to get away and leave Mr. Allan alone to do the taxes and hopefully I won't do too much damage shopping with my sisters and Mom!



Happy Wednesday! Enjoy your week!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here's the best Valentine's Day card I've ever received! (kudos to my big sis for finding it!) Personally, I like Valentine's Day...it's probably because I have someone who always manages to do a little something special for me..it doesn't matter how big or small, but it always makes me enjoy this day!

Monday, February 13, 2012

My kind of snow storm

where the trees and yard look pretty and it doesn't stick to the roads. Can't complain at all about this mild winter in New England...

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

More from Sedona...

After the holidays settled down, it became quite apparent that we needed to get away..for a night, a weekend..anything. We usually do a big vacation in February to get out of the cold New England weather. While we talked and talked about heading to Puerto Rico, I just never planned anything and before we knew it, it seemed too late to go. Then, I finally the bullet. As we moved further and further into January, I thought..screw it..we're going somewhere. I logged into Mr. Allan's frequent flyer accounts with all the different airlines he flies on a weekly basis and randomly picked Arizona as a nice place to go. Why? Because Delta would get us there for free and I've been to Vegas and loved that dry heat, so I'm sure I'd love Arizona as well.

Approximately 3 weeks before we left, we planned this trip. Tickets were booked and it moved onto a place to stay...Sedona seemed like a talked about breath taking beautiful place, so Sedona it was....

I can't say I disagree...coming from the East Coast, the terrain was just so different from where we live and I loved it!

The trip was filled mostly with long days of hiking. One thing I loved about Arizona, it was filled with people who spent most of their time doing activities outside. People that were health conscious and there was such a big focus on taking care of yourself.

Once we hiked Brins Mesa we decided to leave a little note that we were there

 One thing I loved about the trip..being outdoors, exercising, and enjoying the beautiful scenery around us.


I also ate the best turkey sandwich in the whole world...turkey, lettuce, cream cheese, sprouts, sunflower seeds, avocado and a dash of cranberry sauce on whole wheat bread @ Sedona Memories

There was also some touristy things to do...we hopped on the Pink Jeep Tour...I didn't realize a Jeep could climb some of the mountains we did!


Mr. Allan and the ducks at the hotel....every morning at 8am, the hotel had a duck feeding along the creek. We grabbed coffee, wandered outside and fed the ducks. Might sound a little silly, but I really enjoyed watching how much my husband loved these stupid ducks.

As usual, the trip was too short, but we made the most of it. We flew across the country and back in 4 short days. We set out to hike the trails we chose and even fit in some decent hot tub time with Mr. Allan's smuggled in bottle of Wild Turkey and the way overpriced $18 glass of pinot grigio. While it may have been somewhat of a whirlwind trip...it was just what the Allans needed!

Monday, February 6, 2012

It was just what we needed.
A little get away to make us forget about the daily grind.
A place where the weather wasn't so cold and the city wasn't so busy.
A place that looks like a little slice of heaven that was so very different from our home.
It was a chance to recharge our batteries and enjoy the nature around us.
But, most importantly, some time to reconnect with my best friend and remember each and every reason  why he's the perfect match for me.


more from Sedona, AZ coming soon!