Stay Tuned

I have exciting news :)

Clydesdales... Wow

Hands down best Superbowl commercial...ever. Pretty sure I cried (on the inside) and have watched the commercial 20 times on Youtube (I know I am a joke sometimes).

We're also not going to talk about the Niners heartbreaking loss. 

Kid President

I'm in love with this kid. He is adorable and brilliant. I want to adopt him. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, watch the video! It's everybody's duty to give the world a reason to dance.

Not Cool, Robert Frost.

Thanks for sharing Amber, I needed the inspiration :)

Christmas with the Evans

Well it's officially been lightyears since my last blog post (which if you recall may have been about becoming a better (and more consistent) blogger), but hey...you win some, you lose some. Maybe it will make this blog post ten times more special??? Anyways, I'd like to dedicate this post to the Evans family. Why??? Because they are AWESOME! This was the first year Matt and I spent actual Christmas day together (if you recall, Matt spent Thanksgiving day with my family, so we did a swap-a-roo for Christmas) and it was so magical and special. So here's a blog post dedicated to my second favorite family!!

Matt and I drove up to Reno the Friday before Christmas. Well that was a rough start. It took us 9.5 hours to get to Reno from Sunnyvale (read as: that took us twice as long, and then some), which was awful (but weirdly Matt and I made it through without wanting to strangle one another). Literally we were stopped in bumper to bumper traffic for at least 2 HOURS. I could have walked faster. But thank God for Taco Bell and Kenny G Christmas music. So Friday night was kind of a bust, and we went straight to bed!

Our co-pilot for the trip!

Putting on chains for the first time!

When we woke up on Saturday, the 12 days of Christmas was in full swing. On the dining room table, there were Christmas gift bags labeled with each of our names. Matt had told me about the 12 days of Christmas traditions year before I had a chance to experience it, so you can imagine how excited I was to find a bag with my name on it. On that specific day, it was sugary breakfast cereals! I'm usually not a huge fan of cereal for breakfast (it's just too sweet) but I was ecstatic for my Cinnamon Toast Crunch!!! Every once in a while, it's fun to overload on sugar before 10am :) (did I mention General Mills now uses whole grain to make the cereal...so it's practically like eating vegetables!). Matt and I each scarfed down a bowl of cereal (I think he got Reese's Puffs) and then watched some football until it was time to meet up with his friends for sushi. All-you-can-eat-sushi isn't very Christmas-y but it is a very Reno thing to do. We tried a new place called Kitzmo Sushi and if anyone from Reno reads this blog, I highly recommend it. Great food, plus we got to hang out with Matt's brothers and his friend Bas (who is practically a brother). After sushi, we went back to Matt's house and he watched more college football (yay...not) while I got a mani-pedi with his sister Abby, it's always great to catch up with her (especially now that she's a college kid). Afterwards, we went to my favorite store, Charming Charlie, and stocked up on accessories, and hung out at their house until the rest of the fam came over. I'm jumping ahead, but every year Matt's family has a Christmas day tradition of watching a movie at the theaters, and this year, we were going to watch the Hobbit. So in preparation for the Hobbit, we decided we were going to watch all of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. So his entire family crowded around the couch and we started the first movie that night over takeout pizzas from Papa Murphy's! You know, I never really loved LOTR before (I had only seen each movie once in theaters before our movie marathon) and I actually really enjoyed it the second time around!

 

I made a cake, it says Merry Christmas!

When we woke up on Sunday, 12 days struck again. This time we got socks! I loved them, mine were red and green and yellow and pink (I think). We ate breakfast (sugar breakfast cereal FTW) and popped in the second LOTR movie. It was pretty gloomy outside and kind of snowy so we figured, why the heck not? Afterwards, Matt and I did a little shopping until we went to church. Matt's brother Brandon is pretty involved with a church called Living Stones in Reno, and they had a really great service. If I lived in Reno, that would be my church of choice! After church, we piled back into the Evans' SUV and went through the drive-thru at In & Out. Needless to say, they hated us. Just kidding, there was only seven of us, and we were pretty organized with our ordering! Plus we got to say hi to Matt's friend, Levi, who also works at In & Out. Guess what we did when we got back to the house!? You're right, we did watch the last and final LOTR movie!!!! Plus we got to do the Walmart gift dash! Because there are so many people in their family, the Evans have a tradition where they draw names out of a hat, and go to Walmart as a family to buy a gift for the person whose name they drew out. So of course, I picked the one person who doesn't write anything on their list, so I had to scramble around trying to find something fun, creative, clever, and useful (I take gift giving very seriously). Luckily, I found an electronic indoor basketball set, because what 20-something year old guy doesn't want to play basketball against their roommate sitting on the couch? In all seriousness, I love this tradition: running around Walmart at 10PM shopping for gifts is kind of fun, especially when you're ducking behind things so that the other family members don't see what you're holding. Yes sounds a little sketchy, but I promise, it's loads of fun :)

When we woke up on Monday, there was nothing in our 12 days bags yet. We went to lunch with two of Matt's best friends (Jeremy and Bas) at BJ's and played pool at Bas' house. These guys are a riot, especially when you get them all together! Plus Jeremy lives in Naaasshville, so it's been a while since both Matt and I have seen him. For Christmas eve, Matt's family always goes to his Aunt Merrie's house for Christmas Eve dinner, and this is another tradition I've been dying to be a part of!! His aunt always cooks like a 12-course meal, and all he can ever talk about is the shrimp cocktail and the prime rib. Everyone was there, including Matt's grandparents, his uncle Chip (who is married to Merrie) and even Caitlin's brother Sean and dad Jeff (Caitlin is Brandon's wife). It's always great to see Matt's extended family because his grandparents are the nicest people, and his aunt and uncle are the biggest Lakers fan (well only his uncle, but Merrie by association has to be a Lakers fan too). The dinner was SPECTACULAR. Literally, this woman is a culinary genius. Being a big foodie, this was like a dream come true: everything was so original (creamy celery soup and pistachio-crusted grapes) and delicious (Prime rib, shrimp cocktail, prime rib, shrimp cocktail). Seriously, I would gain 400 pounds if I ate like that all the time. Definitely a feast to remember. Thanks for cooking Merrie. After dinner, we did the gift swap with everyone. There were so many presents everywhere! Thanks for including me in everything and making me feel like part of the family (definitely loved my Starbucks gift card and bath set). When we got back to Matt's house, his parents gave us our last 12 days presents. And guess what I got!??!???! A ONESIE!!!!!!! YES, full on footed pajamas. And yes, I was ecstatic. Literally Abby and I looked at each other and were like, "Can we put these on?" "yes!!!!!" So naturally, I spent the rest of the night in a onesie. And I'd never been happier :) :)

On Christmas morning, we woke up to a Christmas breakfast. His mom made french toast and bacon, and all his brothers came over. Another recipe I'll have to save for later: baked french toast. Seriously, I feel like I ate my way through Christmas. After breakfast, we did presents. Matt's parents really go all out for this. Every single person had a pile of presents, myself included. I can't stop saying thank you, but thank you Connie & Jerry for including me in everything (and also for my new Chi straighter, cooking gear/recipes, gift cards, and everything else). It was so much fun going round and round in circles watching everyone's faces light up over their presents. Plus his family is so close that it really is just magical being part of it. When we finished with presents, we did their annual movie on Christmas and went to see the Hobbit. I loved it, I think it's a great story, and I'm hoping to read the book soon! Plus when you're surrounded by popcorn and family, even the worst movie could be good. Afterwards, we came home and unloaded our stockings, which were filled with little gadgets and trinkets, like Lakers pens, Giants stickers, recipe cards, etc. Probably the most random assortment of stuff ever, but you can tell Matt's mom really thought about what was going into each person's stockings! We also did the Walmart gift exchange, and I gave Brian his indoor basketball set (which I think he really liked). Guess who got me? MATT. No wonder he wouldn't shop with me when we were at Walmart. He got me a cupcake holder (which I had pointed out while I was in the store) and plenty of candy (because I have a sweet tooth like no other). He really is the best isn't he? Afterwards, his mom whipped up a last minute dinner, which included a full ham and twice baked potatoes. Even last minute meals are very homemade at the Evans household. Unfortunately, I had a plane to catch right after dinner, so we said our goodbyes and Matt drove me to the airport. The whole time I was hoping that I would get snowed in, but unfortunately, my plane just got delayed for two hours instead. Overall, this was probably one of my favorite Christmas holidays to date. I love Christmas with my family, but it's much more low-key than Matt's family. His family really just relishes the Christmas traditions and you can just tell they love each other so much. I'm so incredibly grateful to have been with his family this year. Thank you for a wonderful celebration of family and love and baby Jesus. I can't wait for many more Christmases to come with the Evans.

Lily also got presents!

Merry Christmas from Matt & Margaret

Thanksgiving 2012

I know this is a few days late (which is kind of my style I guess) but I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Sometimes with the daily wonders (and struggles of life) we forget about the simple things, like how many people out there we love and are loved by, and how many blessings we have in our lives (especially the ones we forget to count).

This year, we had an extra special Thanksgiving because we had TWO Thanksgivings (two dinners with two families!). Matt drove up the Sunnyvale on Wednesday and we had Thanksgiving with my family for the first time together. He met a lot of my extended family for the first time, and I am thankful he is such a trooper. I mean 35 family members (half of whom may or may not speak English) can be a lot to handle. Plus he had a lot of Chinese food (but also the traditional turkey, honey baked ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, etc). Everyone loved him, and in true Thanksgiving fashion, he bonded with some of my uncles over football. He really is the best guy. On Friday, I spent a few hours at work (because for some terrible reason, Wall Street decided that the market had to be open on Black Friday, even though you really can't get a discount on stocks), and then we drove up to Reno for second Thanksgiving. Matt's mom is such a trooper because she pretty much cooked Thanksgiving dinner twice (they also celebrated Turkey day on actual Thanksgiving). Since Matt and his brother Brandon (plus me and Brandon's wife Caitlin) couldn't be there on Thursday night, his family decided to redo it again on Friday night. Let me just tell you, the amount of food I consumed the past few days has been pretty obnoxious. But you know what? That's not even that important. It was awesome just being able to eat and laugh and play games. My family played Scattergories and Matt's family chose to play mafia.

I wish Thanksgiving didn't only happen once a year because it really makes you put your life on time out for a second to think about what you are grateful for. And I have so much in my life to be grateful for. So here's my Thankfulness Project list (a little late, but worth the wait):

1. My amazing boyfriend of four and a half years (OMG) who has always been my strongest supporter, my best friend, and the love of my life. This sounds corny, but I don't think I'd be as nice or as patient or as accepting of a person without you in my life. You help me become a better person every day, and I love you for that.
2. My loving family who has always loved me despite my faults (which include but are not limited to my non-stop personality, my quick temper, and my constant need for attention). Thanks for loving me unconditionally and helping me through all the challenges I face.
3. My second family (the Evans) who have welcomed me into their home and their hearts. They really are the best people, and have raised the best son and brother, and my love for them continues to grow every day.
4. The best friends a girl could ever ask for. You guys know who you are and I just want you to know that I couldn't get through a single day without you. Thanks for listening to me whine and going along with my crazy ideas, but more importantly, thanks for always making me laugh and feel loved.
5. Starbucks red cups, because they are the first sign that Christmas is here (and you all know how much I love Christmas).
6. The Giants for winning the World Series. Because everyone needs a reminder that we can do anything if we have a strong support system. Actually, thanks for proving to all the haters that 2010 wasn't a fluke.
7. The city of San Francisco because there is no place I would rather be. You are beautiful and delightful and eclectic and vibrant, and I can't wait to call you home some day.
8. Wreck-It Ralph because it is the greatest movie ever. I've seen it twice already. Clearly I just cannot get enough of it. Plus it's been such a great bonding experience!
9. Having everything I need. I don't ever have to worry about whether or not I'll have dinner, or heat, or how I'm going to pay my bills. Sometimes we take life for granted, so it's nice to remember that no matter how rough my day is, it wasn't really that bad.
10. My faith in God. Sometimes I forget that he is always on my side, and it's nice to know that he never forgets about me.

I hope you and your family had a lovely Thanksgiving. Just take a few seconds to think about what you are thankful for (and if you want to share, we can definitely revamp the Thankfulness Project). Here are some previous lists if you want to check them.

10 Reasons I'm Not A Very Good Blogger

So as you may (or most likely may not) have noticed, I haven't blogged in a very long time. So instead of diving right into a blog post about something completely random, I decided to put up a list...of why I am not a very good blogger...as inspiration to become a better blogger (fingers crossed).

Here's why I am not a very good blogger:

1. Our last blog post is from July...and I didn't even write it. Matt wrote it. My last post was from June. It has been like 5 months. WOW. MAJOR LIFE EVENTS HAVE HAPPENED...without any word on our blog. Going backwards in time (from today)...
• The Lakers got a new head coach -- who is NOT Phil Jackson. Prove yoself D'Antoni.
• Halloween happened!! I was a peacock for Halloween (Matt revisited the Mad Hatter).
• The Giants won the World Series.
• The Taylor Swift CD came out.
• Matt started his final year (aka thesis year) and lives on coffee and anxiety and big dreams.
• One of my oldest friends, Andrew, got married (in the most fabulous and fancy wedding I've ever been to).
• One of Matt's oldest friends, Meaghan, got married. Sweetest wedding ever (see Love is Sweet picture below).
• Matt's sister Abby STARTED COLLEGE. When we started dating, she had just finished up her last year of middle school. Talk about feeling old.
• I turned 24 **insert anxiety attack here**. Don't worry, we played slosh ball (in honor of how mature and grown-up I am).
• My dad opened his new restaurant, Royal Garden, in Cerritos.
2. I rarely talk about anything other than Matt and me. I don't blog about cooking, or shopping, or DIY projects (even though I enjoy all of those things). So really, the only reason to read this blog is to figure out what in the heck Matt and I are up to. 
3. Our pictures are never edited and they never look like they could be published in a magazine. Blogs of the world, tell me how you do it.
4. In connection with that, I'm not a very good photographer. I'm just NEVER ready when something funny or cool or crazy or brilliant happens. Seriously. By the time I whip out my phone, the moment is gone.
5. We are not world travelers, so we have no world wide trekking to blog about. Italy, Brazil, Zimbabwe...we're coming for you someday. 
6. I rarely talk about my feelings, except in moments of severe weakness (and being in a long distance relationship...man I have a lot feelings). I mean really, isn't a blog supposed to be an emotional outlet? Well if it is, I don't use it.
7. We have 9 followers (yes 9 WHOLE followers). 
8. Our blog layout is kind of boring, it really could use an update.
9. Remember those lists we start (our summer list, which launched the blog, or the 7x7 best things to eat in SF list??)....well we never quite get to the end of them. It's not like we proactively give up or anything, they just never really get to the end. But our next list (whatever it shall be) will get finished!
10. The more time that passes, the more thought I feel like needs to go into my next big post...which ultimately gives me a little bit of anxiety (and by a little, I mean a lot). That's honestly probably the biggest reason why I don't blog well, because each day that goes by without a blog post, makes me feel like the next blog post had better be super cool. So here's to hoping my next blog post isn't 6 months from now. Special shoutout to my friend Caroline over at A Foodie's Fun, who reminded me I still have a blog, and who gets equally as much anxiety as I do about not blogging and getting back into blogging shape. Anyways, like I said, here's to opening I'll blog again...sometime this week. Wish me luck.

In the meantime, enjoy the plethora of pictures that's coming at you.

Family Fun Time

After settling into my first full week of work, and Margaret continuing to get to used to the new system at her office, we were in need of a really fun weekend.  Family comes to the rescue!  My mom, dad, and Abby came over to SF along with Abby's friends Matt, Ryan, and Marissa.  Despite having very long drawn out text message conversations about every detail of the trip, we were really excited for them to cruise over to the Bay Area.

The Fam got in on Friday morning to their hotel and did their thing until both Margaret and I were off of work when we met up at Shoreline Amphitheater for the Brad Paisley concert.  Brad also played with The Band Perry and Easton Corbin, and it was a GREAT show!  We had lawn seats so we had the luxury of experiencing the s#%$ show that was every teenager/20 something year old being drunk and sloppy while not paying attention to anything but their phones and getting more beer.  However, this was not unexpected so we were able to laugh about it and, to be honest, I think it made the concert more memorable in a way since we had a good laugh at it.

On Saturday, I met up with my parents and the gang in SF to watch the Giants get slaughtered by the hated rival Dodgers, and Margaret luckily saved herself the agony by staying home and being productive.  We had really nice seats in the third level directly behind home plate where we could see EVERYTHING going on in the game and in the cove.  Despite the score, we had a lot of fun at the ballpark and enjoyed the great weather.  

Margaret trained up to the city to meet us for dinner, where we were headed for Bubba Gump's on Pier 39!!  While she made her way up on the train, Abby and the other munchkins walked to Chinatown to be tourists.  However, I still love Chinatown and I'm not longer a tourist...well sort of.  Anyway, the four of us walked to the car where we needed to locate the nearest gas station because the Yukon had an estimated 30 miles until empty and momma was not feeling comfortable about that whatsoever.  We ended up finding a Shell station down the road so we were all good and on our way to the pier. 

To be honest, both Margaret and I had our reservations about going to Bubba Gump's because we felt that it was simply an expensive tourist trap rather than a high quality restaurant.  We were sooooo wrong!!  The food was amazing!!  Our server was probably the best I have ever had as a restaurant patron, and for once I was stuffed after having a non-sushi-seafood dinner.  Every dish we got was tasty and flavorful and exactly what we wanted!

After dinner, the folks dropped Margaret and I off at the train station and we said our goodbyes...well until we see them Thursday night (we are traveling back to Reno for Meaghan Callahan's wedding!).  We purchased our tickets and boarded the train only to find out that there was apparently a car on the tracks causing over an hour delay.  We got impatient quickly and departed the train station and made our way to a place called Basic Bar to grab a drink and wait it out.  The bar was the perfect setting because we just wanted to grab a drink and be able to relax and not have loud music/people all around us.  They had a tv showing Twitter Tweets from locals about sports and other events and it was this moment that I decided to cave in and make a Twitter account (@doseofevy 13).  The deciding factor was being able to follow the trade deadline talks and that has proven to be an awesome thing because the Giants managed to trade for Hunter Pence!  We are very excited in SF Nation to see how he plays!  

We were mad at Caltrain

And after you're mad, you get bored

This is us...bored.

To sum things up, we had a WONDERFUL weekend full of fun events and memorable experiences.  These weekends make me miss my family a lot, but a 4 hour car drive is not too bad so that is always a good option to see them more often!

You can also follow Margaret on twitter (@margaaareeta).