Weekending

Happy Monday! 

I wanted to thank those of you who sent me such sweet comments about my blogging return! I really appreciate your kind words. 

I hope you had a great weekend and are ready to face a new week. We had a great weekend staying in town. Unintentionally, we've ended up having a busy summer, so it was nice to have only a few plans for the weekend. 

Friday, I spent the afternoon with Emily lounging poolside soaking up some rays. I love conversations with Emily because she has a huge, tender heart for the unreached, orphaned, and lost. I'm always encouraged and challenged after being with her. 

 That night, we got to spend the evening with our friends, Allison and Jarod. We had the perfect summer meal at their place of burgers, corn, pasta salad, and banana pudding. Not only are they so much fun to be around, but they are such genuine and kind friends. 

Ever since going to Joule Coffee with a nurse friend, I've been dying to go again. So, I told the chef we had to go for brunch on Saturday. I devoured the "Hangover grits," and the chef loved the eggs benedict. I would definitely go again any weekend. 

For the rest of the weekend, the Chef had a list of little projects to get done around the house: the joys of homeownership. No but really, it was nice to get things accomplished. While he worked on the yard, I cleaned out and reorganized the attic and both of our guest room closets. It feels so great to be cleaned and organized again.

Recently, we changed churches to a smaller one and have wanted to give it a good try and become more involved. We decided to take the first step and sign up to serve, so this week, we were greeters. We really enjoyed it and loved meeting new people.

All in all, it was a great relaxing, productive weekend. Hope you have a great day back to work!

New Beginnings

Hello!

  

It's been incredibly too long of a writing hiatus. It was something that I wasn't planning but just needed for myself. 

We've had some big life changes, life has been rushing forward, which I'm sure it is for most people, and this little space has been neglected. 

If you follow me on IG (aileenpp), you know back in March we closed on our first house!

It's been an exciting, whirlwind of a time settling in with lots of purchases: some expected and some not so expected. Read: in the first four months we've replaced the water heater and our whole HVAC system with two new AC units. 

There have already been great memories made in our little house: celebrating Easter, my birthday, dinner parties, and friends and family staying with us. 

Through everything going on and taking a little blogging break, I've learned more about myself, my marriage, friendships, and what I want out of this space. While I was gone, I attended a fabulous blogging workshop and learned how I want to move forward with this little blog.

I've learned that I'm too hard on myself with growing this blog and constantly comparing it to other blogs. I needed to step away to see this. At the workshop, I realized that in order to grow quickly I need to have something to "teach" readers. Honestly, I don't have that something, nor do I want to. I love lifestyle blogs and that's what I want for mine. This is my space, and I want it for me and my family. 

So, I'm going to share about our life even though it might not be glamorous or thrilling all the time. But this is me, and this is us. And I'm glad to be back! 

the sniffles

and hacking and the green snot. 

Ok, you get the idea. It's been that kind of a weekend into week. The Chef came home on Thursday night not feeling the best and then Friday I came down with whatever he had. Through the weekend we've been nursing each other back to health. 

I started to get excited yesterday afternoon, getting some energy back and rocking out some chores in my pjs. Then last night, I fell apart again. Hacking, coughing, and if you were to suction me you'd get green. Appetizing, I know. 

Thank you so much for all of you who have texted, called, and left IG comments wishing me to get better and if I need anything. I really appreciate it. 

In other news, we're continuing our house search. I love our apartment and wish we could stay here forever, but I'm also anxious to have a real home.

This past weekend, we put an offer in on a home, but unfortunately we didn't get it. It was a cute house in a great location and apparently others thought so too. 

So, we're back at it. If you think of it, we would love prayer that we choose the best house and home for our little family. 

Cheers (holding up my DayQuil)! 

Remember to constantly wash your hands with all the grossness going around. 

beginning 2014

It has been exactly a month since the last time I posted. 

I really did not mean to take a month away from this space but life happened. 

Christmas time was incredible.

We celebrated with both of our families in DC. Enjoying time with our parents and siblings. We are excited for the day though that we have our own kids and start our own Christmas traditions...really blending the best of both family traditions. 

We loved seeing DC friends who we miss so much. It was great spending time catching up on each other's lives. I'm so thankful that we've stayed friends with people from our first married years together. 

We had the best New Year's Eve with our small group: we cooked, laughed, drank wine, and had everyone spend the night. Seriously, other than growing up in Vienna with our traditions of fireworks, chili, and staying up all night with friends, it was the best NYE.

January has flown by. 

The absolute best thing that has happened in January is that our niece was born! My SIL texted me in the middle of a night shift saying she was having contractions, so I left work, raced home, woke up a grumpy husband, packed our bags, and drove to DC at 3am. She is the cutest baby, ever. I may or may not be biased.

Remember our small group that we started meeting with back in the fall? Well, we were more of a social group then and now have officially started meeting. I cannot wait to see how we grow, change, and become better friends this spring. 

If you've been following me on IG (aileenpp, my24daychallenge) then you know I (like many others this time of year) decided to commit to getting and staying healthy. I started the Advocare 24 day challenge. I've enjoyed it so far, but I'll save all my thoughts until I finish.

So, I'm glad that we're caught up now. Hopefully, it won't be another month until we meet again. 

Linking up with Lauren

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve to you and yours! 

I'm very thankful for the PICU nurses who are away from their families, traditions, getting little sleep, and working today and tomorrow so that I can be off with mine. We love that we get to see both sides of our family this year. 

I hope your holiday is filled with love, laughter, and joy!

Fulton & Roark Giveaway

Have you been searching for a new cologne for your man? I'm loving the new Fulton and Roark solid colognes for men. 

Recently, the Chef tried the Tybee scent, and it is a very sophisticated, musky, manly scent for my handsome husband. The scent lasted all day, and I thought it was the perfect new scent.

I absolutely love the packaging of this product with silver F&R logo and the printed old school directions.

And today, I get to offer one of my reader's their own scent to choose. Check out Fulton & Roark and let me know which one is your favorite!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**I did receive a cologne sample to try (or rather the Chef to try). All of the opinions are my own.

A Raleigh Christmas Party

We had a short but fun weekend full of Christmas cheer. I worked Friday night shift, got home Saturday morning and napped while the Chef cleaned the house for our first Raleigh Christmas party. 

We decided to keep things simple with cookies and cocktails since I worked the night before. I love baking and baked a variety of Christmas cookies that I had not tried before and thought they all turned out well: chewy peppermint mocha, ginger snaps, chewy lemon, chocolate crinkle, my mom's candy canes, and Pfeppernusse cookies from Trader Joe's. 

We were so thankful for everyone who came to spend the evening with us. 

We love hosting parties and were so glad that everyone had a good time because we will definitely be having more. 

I'm so thankful for all of the friends we've made during our first year and a half of living here. 

We absolutely love living in Raleigh, and it's all because of the people who we share life with here. 

And now I only have three more shifts before a Christmas vacation of nine days off! 

Linking up with Sami and LeeAnn