Guess where I am this week? 

Saturday, October 20, 2012 -
If this photo doesn't give it away...




Having a great time in Columbus, OH for my conference this week. It all begins on Monday, and we are ready to go! We took a little break from pre conference prep to go to the The Ohio State University vs. Purdue University game. It had been a while since I went to a game, so I was happy to be back on the collegiate train. The weather was perfect, the company entertaining, and the team I was supporting won. I enjoy Purdue, after all, I did cheer them on for many years. But I couldn't help but cheer for the home team (not to mention the city our conference is currently supporting!)

Next up, the conference! Back to work in the OH.....IO!

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I'm learning Southern! 

Sunday, October 14, 2012 -
Remember me? Well, hubs and I are in Atlanta. As you know from my previous post, we have moved. What you don't know is what has happened since we've got here!

Well, to begin, I did find a home. Mark that off the list. We were lucky and found one quickly to rent. Hubs moved all of our belongings down here and we got settled in. One hiccup - my engagement ring was stolen. The movers or cable installer took it out of our master bedroom. I still can't wrap my head around it...it still stings and probably will forever. Long story, lots of tears, and no ring to be found.

But, despite that 'warm' welcome, we aren't going to let it deter us. I'm traveling a bit more for my job, thus why it has taken so long for me to write. I just didn't have the desire to blog when I was settling in. And to be honest, I'm still settling in. I don't feel quite comfortable yet as I don't feel like I have a schedule...yet. I know I'll get that soon, but it may take a bit as I have a few more trips lined up - professional and personal - before the end of the year.

With all that being said, still wanted to let you all know we are thriving. A few examples:

1. I'm learning "southern" by saying y'all and cooking fried green tomatoes, with my own twist (as eggs benedict). Of course, hubs is always part of it (his hollandaise is fantastic).

2. We are attending festivals. When mom and dad visited, we made our way to a Speakeasy Festival where we tried some moonshine, whiskey, and some delicious cheese.

3. Seeing the sights, we have made our way around (a little bit) to see what is offered in our new city.

We are eating out and I'm beginning to blog again over at City Nom Noms. Family has come to visit and we plan on seeing my parents again (in Disney!) in the next few weeks. I'm working some great conferences and having a fantastic time with my new job. Tim is enjoying his job, and the pups are settling in at our new home. Heck, we even have a new grill.

Life is good. And soon, I'll be writing more to show you. Until then, here's to the good life!

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Millions of Peaches (or Peachtrees) 

Saturday, July 21, 2012 -
I'm alive & well. However, things have taken quite a turn in my life. Let me fill you.

Hubs and I have moved. Well, almost. About one month ago (right around the time of my last post that is), I accepted a job offer with a company based out of Atlanta, GA.

Yes, Atlanta. The South. Millions of streets named Peachtree something.

It is an exciting journey. I'm beyond elated to be part of this great company who is a leader in the hospitality industry. I see so much potential in the company and am stoked to be a part of it. But, with the excitement, also comes some bittersweet feelings.

  1. Having to say 'see you later' to my Indianapolis family
  2. Moving further from my family in Wisconsin
  3. Leaving all the great food and beer scenes of the Indianapolis area
  4. Saying goodbye to a job that I have adored for almost 8 years
  5. Have to locate a new Green Bay Packer bar (NFL network is a MUST now)
  6. Moving and finding a new place after calling Carmel, IN my home (love that Farmer's Market so close to my home!)
I accepted the job, worked Sigma Kappa's convention in The Woodlands (Houston, TX) and then made the drive to Atlanta on Tuesday. I started my new job on Wednesday, and have been searching for a place to live since (anyone have a fantastic house they would like me to rent for a year or so?). Once a house is found, hubs will meander his way down to the South to join this (now, well, probably not) Southern peach.

What does this mean for Entertaining Life Daily? Well, I guess it means it has a new home in ATL. ELD will still function as time permits, especially once hubs and I find a place to live, cook and make our own in this city of new possibilities.

Thank you all for your support, texts, tweets, well wishes, hugs and tears. It is a journey, and one that we could not have done without the love and support of our friends and family. Cheers to our new adventure!

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Around the World in 5 Hours 

Tuesday, June 5, 2012 -
After a great cruise, hubs and I made our way back to Orlando for our final days of vacation. Leaving Port Canaveral that morning, we had pretty much all of Friday to spend at Hollywood Studios. It was crazy busy because it was also Star Wars weekend. Some great costumes, that is for sure. We didn't last long - rode a few rides here and there, but we ended up leaving early to get some rest at our hotel, the Marriott World Center.



We ended back at the Boardwalk for some dinner that night only to head back to Hollywood to ride a few more rides before heading home. If you haven't seen the show Fantasmic! in the Studios, I insist you see it soon. Great show!


On Saturday, we took our time getting ready by laying out at the pool and relaxing. We grabbed some lunch at the Polynesian resort and then headed over to Epcot to drink our way around the world with one of my great friends, Stacy, and her friend, Matt.


We had a great time beginning in the United Kingdom, only to end in France for the fireworks.


It was a great vacation, ending with a quick lunch at The Wilderness Lodge before saying goodbye on Sunday. Couldn't have done it without Stacy. I always look forward to seeing her at least once a year. This girl can give a hub, let me tell you. She's so friendly, so giving, so caring. A great, true friend that I met back in 2009. Glad to have her in my life.

Now, we have been back in Indy for a bit. Am I missing The Mouse? Absolutely. After all, this is a place that is magical. Hubs and I got engaged there, and we've returned with friends and by ourselves many times always enjoying every minute. Lots of great memories, and I'm happy to say we had another fantastic vacation once again!

'Our' rock where we become an engaged couple in 2006

Muah - love you hubs. Thanks for a great 30th birthday vacation!

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Happiness at Sea 

Friday, June 1, 2012 -
After our first couple days in the Disney parks, hubs and I made our way towards the ocean. Towards a ship that I was extremely jealous of during our last cruise for hubs 30th birthday.

I may or may not have tried to get on this boat rather than the one we were really on. Okay, I thought about it though I didn't act on it. I really wanted to, trust me on this.

Beyond the fact that I adore The Mouse, there are man other reasons why I advocate for this cruise line. Disney Cruise Line (DCL) knows what they are doing. People scoffed and said "you are going on a Disney cruise? There are going to be so many kids..."

Well, everyone. I am happy to report that though there were children, there were no more children on this boat than there was on the other. If anything, I'd say I saw less children on the boat because Disney gets it.

They have a variety of different areas just for children of all ages. A nursery, a tween area, an area for teenagers. And you guessed it, that also means there is a variety of areas that are adult only. Plus, a lot of family friendly areas too - like the movie theater (called the Buena Vista Theater) where we saw "The Avengers" and "John Carter", or the Walt Disney Theater where we saw two Broadway style shows (The Villians was absolutely fantastic) and a comedy show.



We stopped in Nassau and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, where we spent time on an adult only beach - Serenity Bay. Talk about a quiet place - it was beautiful.


That evening, we also got to experience fireworks at sea. There is only one cruise line that does fireworks at sea and I was happy to on board. They call it 'Pirates IN the Caribbean' - cute. One of my favorite moments was sitting under the stars on deck, watching Pirates while literally being in the Caribbean with a drink in hand. Love it.



Five days and our nights were perfect. We were never bored, we ate well, and we saw great entertainment. We had such a great time, we even booked another cruise! Alaska 2013 here we come - who's in?

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Happiest Place on Earth 

Monday, May 28, 2012 -
I know, I know. After the last time, I promised I would be around more. I guess life got away from me once again. With a trip to Vegas for work, followed by long days of playing catch up at work before leaving again for vacation, time got away from me.

When time gets away from you, sometimes one just needs to get away themselves. And this vacation that hubs and I had planned to continue the 30th celebration couldn't have come at a better time. We had scheduled a great vacation of a few casual days on Disney property, followed by our first ever Disney cruise aboard the Magic ship, then a few more days at the parks before heading back home.

Not that I need to tell you that I adore Disney. But I was really looking forward to this for a variety of reasons. Those first few days really were just what I needed. We spent our first day flying to Orlando (hubs worked in the am) and picking up our rental before checking into the hotel. We really wanted a casual night to kick off our vacation. Plus, a movie that I had been wanting to see, Dark Shadows, just opened in the theaters. We made our way to Downtown Disney and had a casual movie date night, while taking in the sights and sounds of the vacation destination.

The next day, we spent sometime in Magic Kingdom, with a quick jaunt to Fort Wilderness for lunch at Trail's End (you can read more about that over at City Nom Noms).


A relaxing afternoon followed by dinner in Epcot was just the day I needed to kick start our vacation. We were lucky to see the Flower & Garden Festival once again this year. It amazes me to what they can do with all the flowers, not to mention the great photo spots that become available.


The next day, we got up and started to casually make our way to Port Canaveral to board our cruise. More to come on that. Here's a hint - it was amazing!

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The Celebrations Continue... 

Sunday, April 15, 2012 -
 As my final full week of being a twenty-something arrived, I knew that the celebrations were going to continue. Even if they were small, I was going to celebrate each day as I approach the 3-0 on the 17th. Day 9, a Monday, can sometimes be a struggle to celebrate. If you come off of a wonderfully relaxing weekend, getting up in the morning may not be on the top of the to-want list (vs. to-do of course). However, after a healthy day of eating and working out, I found that I could still enjoy a pool of frozen yogurt at Yogurtz. A combination of fat free strawberry fro yo, waffle cone chips, strawberres, blueberries and three mini-marshmallows had me celebrating. However, I did have two pups that weren't celebrating. Drooling for a bite may be a better way to describe their stares...


Nothing says surprise like unexpected flowers! When I don't have to dig for a way to celebrate, that makes the day that much better. And on day 10, hubs supplied me with beautiful tulips! Perfect for the Spring weather we had been having, these absolutely added a little spring to my step that day. Muah - thanks hubs!

As a self-proclaimed restaurant reviewer, food is obviously important when it comes to socially hanging out with friends. And this was prominent as a few of my friends and I celebrated a dear friend's birthday on day 11 with a progressive through Main Street in the Carmel Arts & Design district. Living in the district, I love that so many great restaurants and art galleries are within walking distance. We began with some bubbly and wine tastes as Shiraz before heading to Sonata for a tapas style meal. Dessert was served up at Detour as we rounded out a great night of conversation and delicious food. You can read more about the tapas at City Nom Noms soon!


And yes, the celebrations are continuing!

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We've Got a Gator 

Monday, April 9, 2012 -

As promised, day 5 brought gifts! Yes, I did buy these for myself, but when they got delivered I couldn't have been more surprised. You see, Vinylmation is usually a surprise. And though I knew I was going to receive the Hawaii and Japan Vinylmation, but the Ice Gator was a surprise (I was hoping for the bride from Haunted Mansion). That is what makes Vinylmation hunting so intense...you really never know what you may get. Sometimes, the anxiety is pretty intense...let's leave it at that.

Day 6 - more bubbles! I like this sparking wine thing that I've got going on. It works for me. Plus, I was able to share with friends after over a campfire and s'mores.

Pizza from Toppers for day 7. Normally, I wouldn't chalk that up to be a fun part of birthday month, but staying in and being lazy without any plans in the world is unique. Quiet and precious. I couldn't help to love the Downton Abbey marathon and the cheesy breadsticks. If you read my other blog, you'll receive more information soon.

And of course, day 8 was a holiday. Friends, lots of food, and furry costume made it complete. I'm looking forward to a new week!

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Birthday Bubbles 

Thursday, April 5, 2012 -
On the first day of birthday month, I celebrated with a great Sunday full of activities. This day was unexpected, because I was anticipating on sitting in the car with friends as we drove back from a great weekend in Missouri. Why? Because it was the March & April "12 of 2012" events. March was to take a day off together as a group, while April was a trip to Truman University, M & S' alma. But, do to unforeseen circumstances, hubs and I couldn't make the trip.

Instead, we enjoyed an unplanned weekend together. And of course, kicked of the birthday month with champagne.

One thing you must understand about me. I'm a firm believer that every person should always have a bottle of champagne on them. You just never know when you may need it like the first day of birthday month. And lucky for me, we had a bottle to kick start the month on the 1st. To continue this 30th celebration I'm having, I decided bubbles should be part of the fun.

And by champagne, prosecco or sparkling wine works just as well my friends.

So day 2 and 3 found me sipping on birthday bubbles. I think this bubble thing is here to stay. I'm just sayin'.

To compliment Monday's bubbles, hubs and I (in a collaborative effort of course) made din din. He made these great flour tortillas from scratch, while I sauteed up some chicken, onions and jalapenos with a variety of seasonings. A little bit of cheddar and we were good to go with quesadillas for dinner. They were absolutely delicious and not so bad (health wise) for us either.

The bottle was finished on day 3 of birthday month. And since bubbles couldn't be a repeat 'special treat' of the day, hubs and I decided to engage in a friendly battle of Wii Sports. It has been quite a while since we cracked out the Wii controls and I have to say, why did we ever stop? Sure, he beat me in bowling and golf, but barely.

Day 4 brought us semi-working out together. Yup, hubs said he would start working out for my birthday month. Well, that began with a semi-work out. By semi, I mean he rode his bike with the two pups while I ran. But I have to say, I quite enjoyed seeing them on the Monon here and there as they passed me or caught up (after passing me of course) as it made the run a tad bit more enjoyable.

What did day 5 bring? Well, guess you have to wait until tomorrow. But I can tell you, I'm celebrating everyday this month as always - entertaining each day with a little bit of birthday flair!

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The Beginning of Birthday Month 

Sunday, April 1, 2012 -
I'm a birthday brat. I have claimed the whole month as my celebration. I believe this is because both my brothers have their birthdays in April too. And growing up, it always seemed like it was really a month of birthdays.

So why stop? I've continued this tradition and hubs embraces it. He's good like that. And this year is a bit different. I'm turning 30.

And for those asking, I'm okay with it. I always look forward to birthdays, so why wouldn't I be excited for a milestone birthday?

So, how did I spend day 1? Well, we have to first acknowledge that it is my brother's birthday. Happy Birthday David! Lots of love as you celebrate in Virginia with dad!

Here is my day. A recap with photos.


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Cookies & a Movie (this is not a cheap date theme) 

Friday, March 30, 2012 -
After Sunday brunch, company went to see The Hunger Games. A great book, I equally enjoyed the movie (who else has seen it? Did you like it?).

Despite enjoying a lot of food at breakfast, we all still got popcorn. And cookies. We (okay, I) snuck them in for some movie treats. And what was the inspiration for these cookies you may ask?

My friend Melinda gave me a "Year of Cookies" - a collection of cookie cutters for every month. I had decided that I would make these every month to use them - makes sense huh? So this month, shamrocks.

A yummy, basic sugar cookie. My secret ingredient? Maple syrup. I like it when they are just under done, just enough that they are still soft and perfect. Nom. A perfect movie snack. Two movies in one weekend, I'd say that is a weekend well done!

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A Brunch of China and Germany 

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 -
This china was my grandmother's. I use it more regularly than my own wedding china because it is accessible. But I still don't use it enough. My grandfather gave it to my grandmother - a gift from Germany. And surprisingly enough, it isn't damaged at all. It has made it through the years all in one piece - a full collection. I'm so happy to have this collection. It is perfect for the Spring, so when it was our turn to host Sunday dinner in March, I just had to use them. And when that Sunday dinner was transformed into Sunday Brunch, it made it that much more appropriate.

I failed in taking photos, but two is better than none. We had prepared turkey sausage, bacon, a french toast bake (as pictured), an asparagus and tomato frittata, and fresh fruit. The baked French toast was ooey gooey and delicious. Plus, it is SO easy to make that it is a staple of brunch items for me when a large group of people are coming over. I have prepared this in a variety of ways, and this time was no different.

All I did was gather french bread and layer it in a greased pan. Then, I poured over an egg mixture that included 8 eggs, about a tablespoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg, about a cup of milk and two cups of half and half. This mixture sits in the fridge overnight before being topped with a combination of butter (think one stick), more cinnamon and nutmeg (teaspoon each), pecans and brown sugar (1 cup-ish). I love to slather maple syrup on top too, though it isn't necessarily needed.


Oh, and cookies. We saved them for the movie. Which I chalk up to be our 2012 activity for March since a day off couldn't happen for all involved parties. But more to come on that.

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Three Weeks. But Who's Counting? 

Sunday, March 25, 2012 -
Convo that happened today.

Hubs: "How come I haven't see anything on your blog lately?"
Me: "I'm blogging today, I have some reviews to post."
Hubs: "Nope, I mean on Entertaining."
Me: "Oh. Well, um...I guess I'm entertaining life daily rather than writing?"

Sometimes it happens to all of us who blog. I'd like to say I haven't had the time. But I've been keeping up with one of my New Year's goals. The one where I said I wouldn't over-program myself. The one where I would try to only do a few things a week, 3 max. I've been pretty successful I might say. By successful, I mean I haven't strayed at all. Yup. Go me.

So with that said, I have been Entertaining Life Daily, but I haven't been the best at recapping these events or all the new kitchen creations that hubs and I have noshed on throughout the year.

Like this past weekend, hubs and I went to Clowes Hall (on Butler's campus) for great show with two friends. We went and saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. You may think, "Angie. You are a Disney fan. You are a Pirates fan. What is special about it this time?"

Photo Credit
Well, the answer is that it wasn't JUST the movie. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra played all the music in the movie. So while the moving was showing, live music brought it to life in perfect synchronization. A choir sang the music so well that I sometimes forgot that there was a live performance happening while the screen was playing the movie. It was an amazing performance and I'd go in a heartbeat for any other movie they would like to perform. Congrats ISO, it was a beautiful show! Not to mention, we got sippy cups again.

And today, a Sunday brunch rather than a dinner. But that my friends, a recap later this week.

I promise.

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Sunday Dinner: February 

Sunday, March 4, 2012 -
Oscar night. A fancy night. And the way I wanted to spend was just how I did - with my friends. Our February Sunday dinner ended up on the night of the fancy awards, and we had some great food while watching the event on tv.

A delicious, tender pork tenderloin had been waiting for us in the slow cooker. It was accompanied by sweet and russet roasted potatoes and also roasted broccoli. And, it follows the Paleo diet that Ral is doing for their CrossFit challenge.


Delicious. I like Sundays...

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Smoked Chicken & Apple Pot Pies 

Monday, February 20, 2012 -
One of my favorite Sunday to-do's is cooking with husband. Sometimes we spend the day prepping for the week. And by we, it is usually hubs. He'll bake bread for lunch sandwiches while I put away groceries. Not saying that I can't bake. But, my hubs is the baker of the family because he is good at it.

He is also a smoker. Not the gross, cancer type of smoking. The delicious, full of flavor type of smoking. And on Sunday's, it is a great day to smoke meat. He uses the grill, low temperature and all. He even stuffs the thing with burnage to give it the full, smokey flavor. A 'coal hole' if you will.

I really do mean to get him a smoker, but he makes do without it. Beautifully I might add. And I'm happy to say I reap the benefits of his beautiful leisurely smoking.

Sometimes I whip a simple coleslaw to go with it. But this time around, I was dehydrating apples while he was doing his thing. I had extra apples and decided to make us mini apple pies. Apple pot pies if you will. I had bought these adorable red snowflake ramekins from Crate & Barrel and decided this was the perfect time to use them.


We eat pretty good on Sunday's. Sunday fun-day that's for sure.

All I did to make these little apple pies was add some cinnamon and sugar to sliced apples. After putting them in the ramekins, I put the pie dough on top. This dough was made out of flour, salt, iced water, and butter all pulsed together in the glorious Cusinart food processor. Honestly, I love my fp. It is phenomenal.

A quick egg wash, a few slits in the dough and a sugar sprinkle before going into the over at 375 degrees was all it needed. Once the crust was browned, these delicious little guys were quite a sweet treat for us.

I love Sunday. No make-up on Sunday makes it that much better too. Just sayin'.

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Almond Crusted Tilapia 

Sunday, February 19, 2012 -
On Sundays, I make our menu. With the help of hubs, we determine what we are craving and work from there. We always have at least one vegetarian and one seafood meal on the menu though. I really like to stick to this to ensure our diet (and menu) isn't redundant. If I can get away with it, I'll try to have two vegetarian meals to be part of it as well. It just really depends on what is going on that week to be honest!

It is a little difficult to always get seafood in the menu due to being land locked and on a budget. Unfortunately, our grocer doesn't always have the highest quality, so it is a hit or miss.We had some good tilapia this time around, which made me pretty excited. I'm a fan of the mild fish, and was looking forward to a good dinner. I decided I was going to pan fry the fish. I marinated it in some milk for a bit as I prepped the other ingredients. A well seasoned flour mix, an egg wash, and then a breading. I had some leftovers from the previous week I had to use up, including bread and parsley. I ended up pulsing the almonds with these two ingredients and breading the fish lightly with them. The bread was a little soft and took on the green from the parsley which made the dinner a fun, unexpected color.

 

I was doing all of this while roasting some sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts, red onions, and parsnips. All were cut to the same size and roasted well together with a simple toss of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. As they were wrapping up (and giving the house a great smell), I pan fried the fish in a little bit of olive oil so all finished at the same time. The dinner was delicious with as the fish had good texture and a fantastic crust with a side of satisfying, roasted vegetables.


Funny thing, as much as I plan our menu, I don't always plan specifics. This menu item was listed as "fish with roasted vegetables". That night, as much as it was planned, it is always fun to continue to incorporate the unexpected into a meal.

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Cinnamon Leftovers 

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 -
I'm a fan of cinnamon. I may even say 'fan' is an understatement. It is much like pumpkin to me. They should be their own food groups.

In the winter, I consume cinnamon on a daily basis. I mix it in my oatmeal. I mix it in my coffee. And if I can get away with it, I'll put it in dinner, not to mention breakfast and lunch. Love that stuff. So when I saw hubs had leftover dough from making bread, I grabbed it and started to make some cinnamon rolls.



These didn't come out quite like I imagined. A little too small - I could have let the dough rise again. Hubs said it was because the dough sat too long before I used it. But, they were a little dry. Maybe I should have added more butter. You know, go all Paula Dean on the dough. But alas, I was trying to be good.

But, I've never met a cinnamon roll I didn't like. Just sayin'.

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From Me to You 

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 -
Valentine's Day is about love of all kinds. From my husband, family and friends, I wish you all lots of love on the day filled with paper and candy hearts, red and pink clothing, and flowers galore.


I'm avoiding these cookies I made like the black plague. Something about putting maple syrup in sugar cookies makes them that much more addictive....I just hope I can avoid them and not spoil my dinner.

Celebrating Valentine's Day tonight? Being the food lover that I am, hubs and I are heading out to dinner, trying something new. Make sure you check out City Nom Noms for a recap in the upcoming week!

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12 of 2012: January 

Sunday, February 12, 2012 -
To kick off 2012, some of our closest friends with hubs and I decided to kick of 12 To Do's of 2012. This list of ours will ensure that we live 2012 to the fullest with good friends and a variety of activities. Some simple, some more planned, it will surely be a great time for all of us. We began with a fantastic New Year celebration, but our list continued:
January: Sledding/tubing in a Winter Wonderland

For one to sled, one needs snow. Alas, we didn't have that.

Instead, we opted for a winter weather movie night. On a Wednesday night, we all got together to watch a movie while drinking hot chocolate and noshing on popcorn. I have to say - it was a really great evening.
Photo Credit
As we watched The Day After Tomorrow, the comments were flying. It is one of hub's favorites and we have all seen it, which leaves the floor wide open for comments such as "why aren't the people freezing like everything else" or "that just doesn't make sense." Of course, these comments are all out of love. And if you know my hub's 'fascination' with Dec. 21, 2012, you would understand a bit more.

In addition to the list of 12, we also decided to start Sunday dinners. Sunday dinners evoke the feeling of family. Of a wind down of the weekend. A time to get back to the things that mean the most before another hectic week begins. These Sunday dinners began at M's house over a bowl of chili and cheddar biscuits. Quite tasty I might add - great job Melly!



How are your New Year goals coming out? So far, my decision to not be over programmed is working, and our goal of regrouping is getting there. I continue to be excited as I look forward to the many things 2012 will offer.

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Super Alumni and Celebrities 

Monday, February 6, 2012 -
After volunteering at the Media Party and then the Super Soiree, I was still looking forward to my third and final Super Bowl volunteer event: NFL Alumni Player of the Year. I had been having a great time, but I knew this event would feature more celebrities and nationally recognized faces I would know. I'm horrible with names, but I knew I would at least recognize faces.

When I arrived at the beautiful Scottish Rite Cathedral for the event, we were trained as a group and given our assignments. I was designated an usher, but found myself doing a bit more than that due to how events happen. If you have ever volunteered or planned an event (which really, everyone has at one point!), you know that things don't always go according to plan. And because of that, you have to prepare for the unexpected.

I found myself pulled from the waiting room to guard the West door as many of the celebrities and NFL alumni were coming in through that door rather than walking the red carpet. My job consisted of asking the guests to walk around the building and enter in through the front door so they could walk the red carpet. Something like this, "Hi Mr. famous football man, would you please walk around the building so you can walk the red carpet? The media would like to see you. Thanks, have a super night!" Pretty intimidating to tell a big man that, especially when his beautiful date is wearing the highest heels ever. But everyone was great about it - even Mr. Roger Goodell was dropped off front. Yup, the NFL Commissioner in all his glory.

I then was pulled to guard Alec Baldwin's personal belongings in the green room. Yes, you heard me right, Mr. Alec Baldwin. And his brother was there too, Stephen. I exchanged words with both, even got a half hug/arm tap from Alec as he apologized for having me have to sit there and watch his things. This glorious job ended quickly though as a staff member replaced me and was able to lock up the room. Back to suhering in all the NFL Alumni, current players, sponsors and guests.

A lot of faces in the crowd, the show was an amusing success. Jokes and banter were all around, with people clapping for the men who won the awards. The awards ceremony was taped for television, so if you want to see all that I saw, tune into the NFL Network tonight at 10pm eastern.



To cap off my night, I made Nick Lachey and his two friends night complete in getting them a car as I was leaving. They needed a driver, and since I was in uniform, they assumed I was still working. No biggie as I was literally just leaving the building. A hug from him and his two friends after their car arrived was my last moment before leaving the property. He seemed very nice, though his friend (aka bodyguard) was pretty insistent on getting that car so they could make their St. Elmo's reservations. I got it buddy, you are good to go.

Photos are fuzzy, but others that I saw include Vivica Fox, Quinton Aaron (from the Blind Side) and Matthew Stafford (quarterback of the Detroit Lions), and all the award winners. It was a fun night full of athletes and celebrities - another great Super Bowl celebration!

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Found & Happy 

Sunday, February 5, 2012 -
Happy to report, Remy made it home safe and sound! A fantastic woman found her 30 minutes after she ran away yesterday. The woman took her in and made 'found' signs in her neighborhood. We didn't see these, this panicking all through the night into today.

Fortunately, she brought her to a vet today to scan her microchip. And we now have a happy ending a good lesson - make sure your pups are microchipped!

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Lost Dog - Your Help is Needed! 






Hey all - this has nothing to do and everything to do with entertaining life daily. One of our Shiba Inu's ran away yesterday. She snuck through the door and was last seen running away from 3rd Ave. SW/City Center (near the Palladium) toward Guilford/College Avenue.






If you see this dog, PLEASE let me know. She went missing yesterday, February 4th at 3pm. We searched and searched but haven't seen her. She is friendly and from a home that misses her so much.



Please pass the word along to anyone in the Carmel/Indianapolis area. I appreciate all the help we can get in finding this pup!



Thank you readers - this means the world!







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