Last Year's Words

Greetings friends!

The Batch's Christmas holiday was everything I had hoped it would be & more. This year, more so than in year's past, the loving husband & I made it a priority to focus on what really matters to us. Per usual, Christmas Eve was spent with everyone we love. Our first stop was my "aunt & uncle's" home (translation, besties of my mother's) to sip egg nog with my pseudo cousins & visit with my deeder & mother before heading to my in-laws. We then spent time with the hubbs entire extended family before heading out to meet the father & step mother at Sabatino's for our traditional annual Christmas Eve dinner. Each year, for as long as I can remember, the Seibel clan would then reconvene at church at 11pm for the Christmas Eve service. My mother is a member of the Altar Guild & we love this service more than any other service throughout the year. This year, however, we ran late & couln't make it in time. If I could identify anything about this year's holiday that wasn't absolutely perfect, missing church would be it.

Christmas Day turned out better than I had hoped. We have hosted Christmas dinner at our home since our marriage & I am honored that our family, both immediate & extended, anticipate the menu all year long! This year's feature was Beef Wellington (dry aged), cooked to perfection. My homemade mulled, spiced wine was made once again, by popular demand, and 12 of the best family a couple could ever hope for spent the whole evening laughing & loving. I do a formal sit down dinner, complete with my great, great aunt's wedding china from Germany and all our beautiful Waterford barware. It was another beautiful Christmas.

This new year's eve, however, we will (for the first time) spend it alone; just the two of us. 2011 was very challenging, eye-opening & an overall tough year for us. It is important to us that we honor our commitment, respect, love for one another, and strength in a way that is private & meaningful to us. My college bestie posted a beautifully written & insightful blog entry & I can't help but repeat a very beautiful message she shared:

"For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning."

~T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

Our voices are stronger than we realize, Mo. oxo

Happy New Year Friends. Love & Light To You All.

Winding Down the Week

Thank GAWD it's Thursday ya'll!!! What's even better is that tomorrow is my last day of work and then I'm on vacation for 10 glorious days!

Quickest of re-caps: Last weekend was a blur. Mike's party was great, and we looked fab, per usue. Saturday was spent doing some errands & then later that night, another holiday party. I legit feel like I haven't stopped since last Friday & things def are starting to catch up with me. Working something like 50 hours a week, running a home & having a life are not for the faint of heart. I have always been an overachiever & typically I can manage without a hitch, but throw in the holidays & even I can get overwhelmed.

Oh, & lest I forget yesterday & today's two hour meetings, led by yours truly. It was spent speaking to our Directors on our benefit & disability programs; I worked on the material for two weeks & ready or not, D day approached. I was nervous, anxious & excited all at once. On Friday at Mike's party, when asking me about work & what I do, his bosses wife (who also happens to be the mother of my oldest, dearest friend)said she still sees me as a little girl from Our Savior. Honestly, at times, I do too and have to check myself every now and again and remind myself that I am NOT, in fact, a child who needs to take direction from others. Who would've thought I'd end up here. (Well, let's get real...I always knew I would be amazing, but I'm glad to see that now everyone else is on board).

Now, I'm off to finish my shopping....working on Michigan Avenue is super convenient and I've finished nearly all of my gift buying, less a couple people. Tomorrow is my last day in the office before Christmas, and a early day, to boot since it's our company party. Vacation, here I come!

The In-Between

Hello out there! Ugh, for realz I would be shocked to discover any remaining followers after my months-long hiatus. Trying to fill you in on what's been going on since my last entry would not only be impossible, but also super uninteresting (zzzzz). So, in the interest of keeping my 3 probably only remaining readers (my sister & 2 besties), I'll save the boring yip yap & attempt a witty & cheeky recap.

Halloween party was great...pix went up on FB for all of you on the interGoogle. Since Halloween, things have been ultra busy in the Batch household, as I'm sure they've been in yours. T-day was great & so was the long weekend that accompanied it. Per usue, I went to shop it up on Black Friday & came home with lots of great gifts for others, and an even greater gift to myself: new couches! They were delivered last Saturday & look fantastic. Of course, with new couches, I couldn't possibly continue life with our current tables, so last Saturday was spent at Pier 1 picking out new ones. Now my living room looks all fresh & new just in time for the holidays! ;)

And, speaking of the holidays, can I just say...I.Can't.Wait. This Friday is the loving husband's annual company Christmas party. It will be at Gibson's on Rush again this year & we'll stay the night to party it up and then shop the Saturday after. I walked over to the Macy's at Water Tower on lunch one day last week & snagged a beaut of a dress for the occasion, though I'm not 100% about it so I may run again one night this week. Then, on Saturday night, we have my "aunt & uncle's" annual Christmas party. Next weekend is my company party at the Mid America Club, and then Saturday I am really hoping we can go to the Christkindlmarkt at Daley plaza.  Even though I can totes walk there at lunch, I want me a hot tottie, and that would not be conducive to work-time productivity ;) 
 
Speaking of ChristKindl, I hope you all had a fruitful St. Nikolaus morning and received lots of goodies.  I certainly did and, because I was such a good girl, missed the the Rute from mean ol' Ruprecht.  Grrrr <:{
 
Besides the usual Christmas festivities, life is just as crazy as always.  Work has been CRAZY!  While I can definitely say I love, love, love my job 98% of the time, the remaining 2% is questionable.  When things get ultra stressful and difficult, I find it's super hard....it's like all or nothing.  Having said that, though, I am still (deep down) grateful for having gotten through these challenges because not only will it help me to grow professionally, it also helps me to grow as a person.  And who wouldn't love that :)
 
I hope to be a better blogger in the coming weeks.  I will try my best to get on here and update more, and as work begins to slow down a bit, I know I will be more willing to get on the computertyper in the evenings to do just that.  Have a great week all xoxo.

Slacker Supreme

Yes, that's me...slacker supreme.  I realize I am lucky if I get one entry out per week, things here are just so crazy.  We're steadily gearing up for next weekend's costume party, in honor of one of our most favorite holidays, Halloween.  The 2nd bedroom is pretty much finished (with the exception of a dresser for Mike's clothes, which still needs to be purchased).  Comcast is coming tonight to install an HD/DVR box in the room & once that's done, all we need is the mount and finito! 

As I mentioned, we're super busy; it seems as though we're constantly up to something.  Last week I hosted my monthly book club meeting, so in between organizing the 2nd bedroom and shopping for Halloween costumes, last weekend I was busy cleaning and shopping for Tuesday's book club.  On Friday of this past weekend, we hosted a small celebration at our house for my cousin's birthday.  Saturday was spent running errands and then later in the evening, celebrating another birthday for a friend in the city.  Sunday I was busy nursing the world's WORST hangover ever, but still somehow managed to make it to the grocery store and make homemade stuffed peppers for dinner (delish!)  I even dropped off dinner to one of my longtime friends, whose life is a little stressful right now.  Having gone through some of my own biznazz this year, I know how much it means when friends reach out to show their support and show that they care.  I also know what it feels like when "friends" don't...and I vow never to be that kind of "friend".  Everyone is super busy, the loving husband and I are no exception, yet I am never, ever too busy for people in my life who are important.  So, while I didn't get a whole lot of "stuff" done yesterday, I did make a difference to someone who means a lot to me.  Winner winner, chicken (actually, stuffed pepper) dinner.

So, while I would love to say that once the Halloween party is over I will have more free time to blog it up, chances of that are slim.  Work is super busy since the end of the year is coming to a close and open enrollment for the 2012 benefit year is beginning.  Since I am the benefit gal, the next few months (until February) are the busiest of the year.  Throw in the holidays (super jazzed), with parties and planning galore, you've got yourself a socially overcommitted lady ;) 

Stay tuned this week for decor pix of the house, in anticipation of Saturday!  Have a great week loves!

Busy As A Bee...

Whew, I cannot believe how quickly last week flew by!  I'm finally starting to feel back to my old self and I think my cold is officially ovah (please, God, let it be so).  This is my last weekend of the month that I am not slammed back to back with obligatory functions, so one would think I would spend this one last blissfully free weekend relaxing and doing nothing but enjoying myself...

Yeah right, I wish.

Instead, I have packed this weekend with chores and to-do's and everything else in between to get Casa Batch party worthy in preparation of our Halloween soiree.  I woke up crack ass this morning (on a Saturday, mind you) to get my arse to the gym.  Immediately following, the loving husband and I headed down to the North side to peruse vintage clothing stores in hopes of finding the perfect duds for our costumes.  While we didn't walk away with any amazing finds, we did have a fantastic afternoon.  We must have walked a minimum of 2 miles through the Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Roscoe Village, Andersonville & Boys Town neighborhoods.  We walked down Roscoe, down the beautiful tree lined streets, the colors of fall and the smell of leaves surrounding us as we talked about our dreams of buying a brownstone of our own.  We snagged Nottoli on the way home for our fav Italian subs and then got down to business!

Not that kind of business you dirty birds, the business of reorganizing my house, specifically my 2nd bedroom!  We finally set up the daybed, complete with the new slipcover and throw pillows I snagged from one of my all-time fav stores, TJ Maxx.  After rearranging and reorganizing the linens, positioning and repositioning the fab chair we picked up from Pier 1 last Wednesday, we finally got the room into some semblance of order.  We ended this most amaze day with a trip to Target in search of a set of walkie talkie's for our godson's birthday, and also ended up with a new LED, LCD flat screen for the room.  Now all we need is a dresser for Mike's clothes (that, at this very moment, remain on the floor of the 2nd bedroom), and the room is officially d.o.n.e. Whoop whoop.

So while there's still a  bit  a lot of cleaning to do in the dining room, and crafts that need to be made (yes, I have been known to make my own holiday decorations, a la Martha Stewart), and one godchild's birthday to attend (at JumpZone, nonetheless...kill me now), I must be done by tomorrow night since Tuesday I'll be hosting my monthly book club.  Next weekend consists of dinner & drinks Friday night for my cousins bday, Saturday afternoon an Oktoberfest party at a friend's house, followed by another friend's birthday party in Wicker Park, so clearly I'll have little time to clean & prep for our Halloween party on the 29th.

I need a nap just thinking about it all.  I suppose, however, if my biggest worry is being too socially obligated due to functions where I will my spend time among great family & friends, then I'll take it ;)

Whew, What A Week!

After staying home from the j.o.b. on both Monday & Tuesday due to being sicky sick sick, then suffering through the remainder of the work week, I've finally made it to Friday! And not a moment too soon.

This weekend will consist of LOTS of R&R people, make no mistake about it.  Tonight, I will be whipping up a delish turkey lasagna for my family, followed by homemade, triple chocolate madelbrot's.  We'll be rounding out the night at the in-laws, relaxing around the fire pit in their spacious backyard (with a nice glass of wine, obvi).  Tomorrow is a spa day; mani/pedi and facial for sure and I may even throw in a massage for good measure.  Maybe I'll even hit up the gym in the morning if I'm feeling up to it (working out with a cold is the WORST and while I managed to push through last night's workout, it was not fun).

Sunday I should probably clean my house.  The cleaning lady is supposed to be coming next week, and I clearly have to clean before she comes.  You know how I roll.

Hope your weekend is shaping up to be as stellar as mine.  Happy Friday cuties!

Time of Reflection

As many of you know, I grew up in a small community on the northwest side of Chicago.  I attended a small parochial school (Lutheran) where all my friends were just like me; WASPS.  After graduating grade school, I moved to a small suburb, minutes from where I grew up, to live in a neighborhood and attend a high school that was predominantly Italian American (with a peppering of Polish), and where everyone was Catholic.  I proceeded to further my education by attending Dominican University (private, Catholic college), where I lived for 4 years while completing my studies.  While not everyone at DU was Catholic, those who weren't were Lutheran like me.  So, when I started dating the loving husband and learned that much of his family celebrates the Jewish faith, I became extremely interested in learning what I could.  Over the years, I have learned a lot and have found many wonderful things to appreciate about the faith...one especially meaningful time called Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the lunar calendar year, and is therefore called the “head” (Rosh) or beginning of the Year (Hashanah).  Rosh Hashanah literally means “Head of the Year” in Hebrew and is the most celebrated holiday in the Jewish faith.  I remember one Thanksgiving, a few years back, Mike's Aunt Anita telling me how she used to prepare for Rosh Hashanah for days leading up to it and have all the family to celebrate with tables upon tables of food...much in the same way Christians prepare for Christmas (which is centered around Jesus' birth) and celebrate in big ways, the High Holy days of Rosh Hoshanah (followed by Yom Kippur) falls in the month of Tishrei, which is believed to be the month in which God created the world. Hence, another way to think about Rosh Hashanah is as the birthday of the world.


One lesson I especially find beautiful in this celebration is that on this day Jews take the time to examine their lives and repent for any wrongs they have committed during the previous year. They're encouraged to make amends with anyone they have wronged and to make plans for improving during the coming year. In this way, Rosh Hashanah is all about making peace in the community and striving to be a better person.  The thought behind this is that you want to have a year filled with great blessings and happiness by taking the opportunity, through thought and action, to draw all of the energy that will reveal itself later. Everything done on the days of Rosh Hashanah (this Thursday and Friday) is meant to assist in planting the right and best seeds for the blessings wanted and needed in the coming year.

Whether Lutheran, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist or even Atheist, we can all benefit from living an examined life; by righting any wrongs done and by striving to be better people.  I know this past year has been an especially testing one, and I have learned more in this year then I think I have in my lifetime.  I want to take these lessons learned, my thoughts on what I've done and can do in the year to come, and use that positive energy in ways that will manifest as blessings and happiness in the year ahead.

Shanah Tova.

Friendship Divorce

I was talking to one of my bestest friends about this very thing not too long ago when I came across a newsletter from the website GOOP that I subscribe to.  My girl Gwyneth posed the question that I have been posing to myself more and more recently, and that is:

“What do you do when you realize that although you may have years of history, and found real value in each other in times past, that you kind of don't like a friend anymore?"

Have any of you ever felt this way?  How did you handle it?  I am forever the eternal optimist, trying to always find the best in people and always trying to be compassionate and understanding.  Sometimes, however, it just doesn't matter and all you really want to do is file for friendship divorce.

I thought the contributors had some really insightful comments and thoughts on the subject, and I especially liked the piece written by Cynthia Bourgeault who says that while oftentimes friendships are situational, true friends do still exist "amongst all the situational flux".  She goes on to say that these “ 'friends forever,' ” however they play out in your particular life situation, always seem to share three characteristics: (1) They have a capacity to grow with you (and you with them) through life’s changing circumstances; 2) They are low-maintenance, rarely-to-never imposing themselves or laying expectations on you; and 3) contact with them, when it comes, is never a duty, but always a gift “heart to heart.” Such friends—always a rare and special breed — have an uncanny knack for being able to stay in tune with you emotionally over huge gaps of time and space. Maybe you don’t hear from them for three years — or thirty — but then the phone rings and there they are again, and it’s like picking up as if you never left off."

I loved this because it reinforced my belief that while, yes, many of the friendships I have are situational, my true frienships are anything but friends of convenience.  Actually, when I think about the friends I have that really are "forever friends", I realize that we have more differences in our lives than we have commonalities. 

Which brings me to my final thought...is it okay to have these types of feelings?  Sure is, and guess what? Not only is it normal, it's also healthy to feel this way and actually do something about it.  You're not a "bad person" if you feel like a "friend" does more harm than good in when it comes to your life and well being and changing that dynamic will make you better for it in the long run. 

Done & Done!

Despite the fact I had a late meeting & didn't get home last night until after 7:30, I still managed to pull it together & be at the gym by 5:30 this morning. By 7am, I was already en route to the office for another long day. But, guess what? My night is free to do whatever I please, like heading to Pier 1 to buy that chair I've had my eye on. Who knows, maybe I'll even cave & get the dresser ;)

Here's to hoping I don't nap under my desk, Costanza style! Rock on, party people!

Morning, Schmorning

As far back as I can remember, I have always loathed morning time.  It seems, no matter how many hours of glorious sleep I get each night, it's never enough.  I can remember back when my parents were married and we lived in our 2-flat in Edgebrook, my dad (King Morning Person Extraordinaire) would come barging into me and my deeder's room at crack ass and rouse us from sleep.  When this method was sure to fail (with me anyway), he would snatch the covers off my sleeping body to startle me into wakefulness.  I am convinced, because of this barbaric treatment, I now must be coaxed into wakefulness each and every day.  Additionally, once I am up and at 'em, no one (including the loving husband) is allowed to talk to me for AT LEAST 30 minutes after I get out of bed. 

Lately, however, I have been finding it difficult to schedule in my gym time each day.  Not only must I make this a priority so I'm not reminiscent of the good year blimp, I also look forward to relieving stress from my workday by sweating it out on the elliptical.  The health club where we're members is conveniently located across the street from our house, in addition to the free membership I am offered with my employment in the building where I work.  It can not get more convenient than that, I tell you.  While the membership I am offered through work is free for me, I also would have to work out on lunch, which...no thanks.  When I work out, I like to really go full steam for an hour or more.  This would require a post-workout shower prior to returning to the j.o.b. and while long lunches are nice, they're not an everyday kinda thing, you know what I mean?  So, this has left me with my only other option of working out at the Club after I get home from work.  The problem I find here, however, is that by the time I finish up, get home and take a quick rinse, it's pushing 8pm and dinner hasn't even been considered.  And if I should have an errand or two to run after I get home, push that to 9pm.

So this leaves me no choice but to consider a morning workout before the day begins.  Even typing this is giving me a sense of dread.  Have I mentioned, I hate mornings?  Oh okay, just wanted to be clear.  Not only would switching to a pre-dawn workout free up my evenings, the Club also has classes that are much better starting at 5:40 am (gasp!) that would not be available to me in the evenings.  I need to do this.  I must do this. 

How the hell will I do this?

So, for those of you with full time careers, how do you manage your workout routine?  If you do an early morning session, how on earth do you do it?  I for serial need all the help I can get!

Have You Been Pinned?

By suggestion (via comments in my last post) my deeder suggested I use pinterest to organize all my lovely ideas.  Where has this been all my life and why, pray tell, have I not heard of this amaze website until recently?

If you've not heard of/used pinterest before, I highly recommend dabbling on the google and getting acquainted immedes. 

Happy hump day pretty people!

Oh, The Possibilities...

So, folks, remember yesterday when I mentioned the loving husband & I would be redecorating the 2nd bedroom?  While we've yet to actually purchase any new pieces for this room, the possibilities are endless.  Currently, the 2nd bedroom is used as a guest room, and it in we have a full bedroom set, complete with a 4 poster bed, an armoire and mirrored dresser.  This set was gifted to us by my great aunt, who received it from her parents.  It's a beautiful heirloom set from Belgium and is in fabulous condition.  I love it, and if I had a 2,000 sq ft home with several bedrooms, you better believe it would be showcased in one of the rooms.  But, I don't.  In fact, I have a 1,100 square foot condo, with this massive set housed in a bedroom with dimensions measuring exactly 11x10.  It's a tight fit in there, to say the least.  Not only that, it's a major waste of space in a home that's not exactly overflowing with extra square footage.  Don't get me wrong, we defs don't feel cramped in our little home and have enough space to meet our needs, but when even a small amount of that space feels like wasted space, something's gotta give.  The loving husband and I spend the majority of our time in the living room, which opens up into a separate dining room.  It's an open floor plan and really does meet the needs of our lil' family of 2 (3 counting Rae, of course).  But in that living room, we not only watch T.V., we also entertain, work (laptop typically stays in this room), read and just plain ol' hang out.  What if we had another space that was specifically designed for a work space, while also serving as a guest room when needed?  Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Since the bedroom set is so beautiful, we wanted to keep it in the family.  Ideally, when Mike and I buy a home, we will use this set in one of the bedrooms.  In the meantime, my mother-in-law will be using the dressers and my mother will take possession of the double bed for her spare room.  My MIL has already received the dressers, so it's just the bed that's left.  Mike has been steadily going through his clothes (that were being stored in BOTH dressers as well as the closet) and is donating (fingers crossed) at least half of the loot within.  This is a HUGE undertaking as there is AT LEAST 10 years worth of clothes to go through.  Good luck honey!

So, while husband has been working feverishly to organize and get the room in order, I have been shopping around.  I know without a doubt, a dresser of some sort will need to be purchased for whatever clothes will not be stored in the closet.  I defs want something functional, yet decorative since this piece will double as both storage as well as decoration since it will be the 2nd largest piece of furniture in the room (save the daybed).  I have had my eye on this beauty from Pier 1 for some time now and paid a visit to the nearby store to check it out.  It's an even bigger beaut in person:

You can't exactly tell from the pic, but it has an entirely mirrored finish.  Since the room looks like an exact square, with the windows being on the wall directly across from when you walk in the room and the closet being along the same wall as the door.  This then leaves the walls to your left and right for major furniture, television, etc.  The plan is to put this to the left wall and mount the flat screen directly above it.  The daybed will go on the wall opposite and perhaps the desk directly underneath the windows.  The walls are painted a very light green, much like the color seen here.  The style I am aiming for is something between farmhouse/vintage and shabby chic, with the main objective to keep the room light, airy and minimal.  Since re-doing our floors 2 years ago and going with these beautiful Armstrong floors, it's certainly become somewhat of a task to keep the house from looking too dark and foreboding.  So, having said that, we will be keeping the look fresh and the best way to do that, in my opinion, is through the furniture style.

After the dresser, the next major piece will be the workstation.  While I have yet to find "the perfect desk" I definitely know what I'm looking for.  It doesn't need to be very large, as it's going to house an iMac desktop computer that is quite compact (no tower, only a screen) and a photo printer.  The desk itself will mostly house paper and craft items (I am an obsessive crafter), as well as crafting tools.  Ideally, I would find a wooden desk that I could refinish my brother in law Joey can sand and refinish to look antiquated white and/or robins egg blue.  Something along these lines:

I'm also planning to add storage elements like these from etsy to the side of the desk for additional storage.  While I have found a bunch of desks, storage elements, dressers I really like, I'm not 100% sold on any of them (well, maybe with the exception of the Pier 1 dresser, but the hefty price tag gives me pause and I can't help but wonder I'm able to find something I love just as well, with a more manageable price point).  Since the style I am going for is shabby chic/vintage, that gives me much more room to think outside the box.  I'm thinking resale shops and estate sales may be my best bet.  Any suggestions on places, websites, etc that you think I should check out would be most appreciated!

The only absolute purchase I will be making is this chair, which will double as a reading chair and a desk chair:

The daybed is already in my possession, which is a pretty enough wood, but I want it white (vintage chic) so my adorable brother in law will be sanding, painting and re-sanding it for me for the desired "weathered" effect.  It sure does help having a contractor/construction/jack of all trades in the fam!  Thanks Joey!

So, as you can plainly see, we have our work cut out for us.  But, like any true stylist, I must have a deadline to stick to.  After much consideration, I have decided that this room must be completed, it its entirety, by the Halloween gala, which is taking place on Saturday, October 29th, therefore the Monday prior (October 24th) this room will be complete.  I realize the enormity of what I am committing to, and like any girl with a mission, I am determined not only to meet my deadline, but to also have, at the end of it all, one fabulous spare room/office/tv room/reading room/crafting room.  I know there are many details (such as fabrics and accents) that I haven't even touched on, but feel that until I decide upon and purchase the furniture, can' even consider that.

So, loyal readers (you know, all 12 of you out there), help a sister out!  I promise to also post pics of the progress for those of you who won't be around throughout the process to see it in person!  xoxo

Out with the Old & In with the New

Whew...I am legit tardy on my blog updates, and have 0.0 excuse (other than the fact I've been tre busy).  Last week flew by, busy as ever at work and before I knew it, Labor Day Weekend was upon us.  Wasn't it just yesterday that I was yip yapping about good ol' Mem Day Weekend?  Huh.

So, allow me to re-cap for those of you that care to hear about my adventures (because, as you're well aware, there's never a dull moment at Casa Batch).  Friday I jet setted out of work early to start off my amaze weekend.  My Birchwood bestie Megan and I met at my fav watering hole Market to do what we do best...analyze everything whilst drinking bubbly.  2 1/2 bottles plus, mind you.  This was captured just before bottle #2

Best.Night.Ever.  Coasting into Saturday, I was rested and ready to move my in-laws.  Saturday was also, quite possibly, the hottest, most humid day of the century.  But, I put my big girl pants on and got it done.  Moving 16 years of love and life from one home to another was not without its challenges (or emotions, as this was my husband's family home and where he lived when the magic began 13+ years ago).  But, it was time to move on and the new home is more fab in all the best ways <3

Saturday night was another ridic fun time with my bestie Rena in Wicker Park at Prasino's for our friend Natasha's 30th birthday party.  This included sushi, Prosecco and even a decadent cake all in honor of our girl Tash.

Sunday brought us back to the in-laws to help some more & then Monday was spent cleaning our house and me starting the planning of this year's Halloween costume gala.  Yes, you read that right, gala.  Not to be confused with party.  I have already hand crafted the invites, which are just begging to be mailed.  All the while planning the redec of our 2nd bedroom.  So much to be done, purchased, refurbed etc.  As this blog is appropriately entitled...out with the old & in with the new.  In more ways than one.

This past Labor Day weekend we had nothing ridic planned, but it turned out to be one of the best weekends I have had in a long time...and the fact that it was spent in the company of some of the best gals a girl could hope for, is not lost on me.  Grant it, we all have our "stuff", and the last few months have certainly been a roller coaster...however, at the end of the day, I wouldn't trade places with anyone.  Not for all the money in the world.

The Verdict Is In...

Howdy ya'll!  I know it's been over a week since my last post, but I've been a busy little bee cooking and baking my way to a more wholesome lifestyle.  Last weekend was dedicated to trying new recipes, some with new ingredients never before used in the Batch household, others with old standby's.  While I would love to say that each recipe tried was a smashing hit, I would be less than honest.  Many were great, some not-so-great, and others just plain terrible.  But, I refuse to throw in the towel and for those not-so-great and terrible recipes, I am determined to find ones (through trial and error, of course) that work.  I will not accept defeat!

The very first recipe I tackled was for granola, found on the 100 Days of Real Food blog.  This recipe was one of the "greats" and I am steadily gobbling it up.  It makes a ton, which is nice, because it bakes for just under an hour and a half, so defs not a quick whip-it-up kind of snack:

Moving on...I quickly then whipped up a jar of basil pesto (which is really a no-brainer and while I plan to have this for dinner tonight, I can guarantee the deliciousness of it, as I have made homemade pesto countless times and love it)

While the food processor was out (or shall I say my La Machine), I also whipped up some homemade PB (which, BTW if you have never done this, you are missing out and have to try it), sweetened with a bit of raw honey:

These here Cheesy Crackers were next, and while I had high hopes for these little gems, disgusting does not even begin to describe these.  Nast.  Do not attempt unless you have a hankering for gross things.  They were easy enough to make, so I am on a mission to find a recipe that doesn't produce a terrible product.  After the cracker debacle, I stored away the processor and moved on to baking.  While I didn't snap a picture of the brownies I made, I can tell you that they're not-so-great, in my opinion.  Mike, however, said he liked them and since I'm not much of a sweet eater at all, maybe he's the expert.  Said brownies included homemade chocolate chunks as well as chocolate fudge frosting, all made from Sucanat.  For those of you who've never heard of sucanat (also known as rapadura) it's a brand name for a variety of whole cane sugar. Unlike refined and processed white cane sugar and brown cane sugar, Sucanat retains its molassas content. It is essentially pure dried sugar cane juice.  It takes some getting used to, let's put it that way.  While it's not necessarily bad, it is different.  So that's that.

I also made tzatziki, which is great with raw veggies:

Saturday morning I got up bright and early and whipped up these delicious pancakes for my bestie and Godbabies before heading out to the EP Fest parade (which was later cancelled due to the rain ).  While the pancakes themselves had no sweetner, the bananas lended a delicious sweetness to them, and when coupled with 100% pure maple syrup, they were right on the mark.  All of Sunday was then spent making homemade chicken stock, and then with the leftover chicken, I made chicken salad for sandwiches later this week.  Mmm mmm good!

While I defs did my fair share of cooking, I wish I had been able to tackle more.  Next on the list is homemade tortillas for my tortilla loving hubby, though I had to wait until my press arrived from sur la table, which lucky for Mike, just came in yesterday!  More to come soon from your very own Suzie Homemaker (ba-dum-bum).  Stay tuned!

Finding A Balance

There are so many things I love about living in an urban city, even more to love about living in the Chi. Surely, you’ve heard me talk about my fav restaurants, the culture, not to mention the watering holes I have to choose from. While my city has so much to offer, there are some trade offs to living in such a large city. I will, however, be so bold as to say that for a price, you can get just about anything your little heart desires. While I firmly believe the good outweighs the bad, I will say one thing I wish I had better access to (without having to pay an arm and a leg to have at my fingertips) is local, fresh produce, dairy and meat. Not only would I much prefer to directly support a local business (i.e. local farmer) vs. through a corporate grocer (i.e. Whole Foods), but likely it would be somewhat more affordable, and even if it’s only by a slight margin, at least 100% of my purchase would go directly to said local farmer.

It was probably about a year and a half ago when I started to change how I ate. Not necessarily what I ate, but I started to became more aware of where the food I was eating came from.  Responsible consumerism, if you will.  It was sometime after I was gifted this amazing cookbook by Jamie Oliver titled "jamie's dinners: the essential family cookbook" where in the forward he writes about the importance of knowing where your food comes from, and making a priority to feed yourself well.  Since that time, he has made it his mission to raise public awareness about your food and where it comes from through his Foundation and his television Food Revolution.  Since then, I have slowly made changes in how I shop and what I eat and have made it a priority to make as many positive changes as I possibly can.

I would like to add a disclaimer before going any further, however.  My change in eating has been, and will continue to be, a gradual process.  I do not always by USDA certified organic, I do not always buy grass fed, hormone & antibiotic free meat & poultry.  I don't always purchase foods that are preservative, sugar or even sugar substitute free.  I still buy prepackaged things and have an occasional Diet Coke every now and again, all the while enjoying meself a cocktail.  I can say, however, I have become much more mindful of what I do eat, and as a result of acquiring the knowledge over the course of the last year and half, of how whole, natural foods free of artificial sugars, sugar substitutes, etc are always a better bet that those that aren't.  Personally, making the transition this way, is the only way I can do something that will become a permanent fixture.  As such, I have begun to actually make mindful decisions about what I buy and eat because I believe in the choices I am making vs. simply making them because that's what others (society, health care providers, etc) tell me is best.  Some small changes I have already implemented is primarily only buying organic produce (whether it's actually USDA Certified Organic, Certified Naturally Grown, or from a local co-op or farmer who maintains these standards without paying the hefty price for the certifications).  While I have never had a huge sweet tooth, I still partake in the occasional refined sugar sweet, but have begun to purchase Sucanet to use in place of regular ol' white sugar when I can.  While this is not always feasible, and I do definitely still consume sugar here & there, I will make the swap whenever I can.  Organic milk and free range eggs are constant staples in our home, as is flavored, unsweetened water (i.e. La Croix), but the bottom line is, I still eat out, I still consume things that are not always organic or free range, etc but what I do believe is that any step, however small, to better my food choices, is a step in the right direction.

I have become a regular follower of this amazing blog, Heavenly Homemakers.  I aspire to someday be as thoughtful and planned about the food I eat as Laura is, and while I defs enjoy reading her recipes and how I can be a better consumer, cook and eater, I am also a realist.  I know that having a full time career, whilst living in an urban city in a 1,100 sq. foot condo, preparing nearly ALL my food from scratch (this one-woman-wonder even grinds her own flour from wheat), researching the different sources for said local, organic, free range products without filing for Chapter 11 all the while making room to store said homemade delicacies is just not on the menu here in the Batch household.  If, like Laura, I was a stay at home wife, living in rural Nebraska, I may be able to do such things.  But, alas, I am not and so while I can't be as dedicated as she, I can make a difference by doing what I can. 

Which leads me to the real crux of this post.  Switching out to grass fed, hormone and organic free meat, poultry and dairy where and when I can.  I did my research to find a local farmer that serves the Chicagoland area (not an easy task peeps), who could provide me such things, without a) breaking the bank and b) doing my share to support local family businesses.  After days of research, I think I finally found my gem.  Family Farms Cooperative consists of 3 family owned farms, working together to provide products to the Illinois, Michigan and Indiana areas.  All of their beef cattle, lambs & dairy cows are grass fed. All farmers' raise the products with the same integrity-pasture raised in the fresh air & sunshine, no antibiotics & no hormones.  For a yearly membership fee of $25, I can get all the products I want, delivered to my home, all the while, reasonably price.  This is a huge step for us to make, which will not only require a bit more planning on our parts, but will also likely cost us a bit more than we're used to spending per month.   Like Jamie Oliver said his cookbook, most wouldn't go into a store and look for the cheapest shoes or clothes, so why should you do that with your food?  That doesn't mean you have to overspend on it either, hence the choice to put in my due diligence and find my local farmer.  Yes, buying this way is more expensive that looking for a sale on meat at my local grocery, I also never batted an eye at dropping over $50 per week on purchased lunches downtown.  If I instead used that $200 per month toward more healthful food purchases for my household, and prepared wholesome lunches to bring each day, I would certainly come out ahead.  For me, it's all about priorities and what takes precedence as prioroty is shifting.

So, what are your priorities peeps?  Have you jumped on the organic, free rage bandwagon?  If so, how do you manage (regardless of where you live) and to what lengths do you go to find your best options?  I would love to hear what (if anything)  you do!

Happy Thursday loves!

Without Further Ado...

Sincere apologies for the delay, as I know ye all have been waiting with bated breath!  As you can see, we had a fab spread and had a ridic fun time.  Can't wait to go again, though next time, defs taking the whole day off or making it a strictly Saturday affair.  Here's  to summer ;)

All-Star Saturday

Go Team!

Back To Business

Howdy y'all!  I cannot begin to tell you the deliciousness of last week...words cannot express how in need I was of this vacay and man, did we have an amaze time.  Birchwood never disappoints.  Never.  We have been going up for over 25 years and partake in the same activities (boating, swimming, fishing, cocktailing & tubing) and it never gets old.  My Birchwood besties & I are all, on average, around 30 years old (give or take), and always, come the end of the week, we still get into full depression mode.  One of my oldest, dearest pal's Quinton even started in on Wednesday with the melancholy..."it's almost over".  Birchwood to us is love in the first degree and we all feel so incredible blessed to have families that created this amazing tradition for us that we've continued into adulthood (thanks 'rents!)  We created more priceless memories to hold us over until next year...only 352 more days until bdubbs 2012 ;)

Having said all of that, however, it does feel sorta good to be home and get back into our routine.  I absolutes missed my precious pup and my ultra comfy bed.  I did not, however, miss work and all the bs that comes along with the j.o.b. sometimes.  Don't get me wrong, I am NOT complaining and overall, I love what I do, but being out for 6 work days makes for a challenging return and def adds to the stress levels.  Thankfully, however, we're already coming up on Friday and tomorrow brings us to Ravinia to see the BoDeans!  I'm hope, hope, hoping that the rain holds off and we can enjoy the concert sans storms.  The plan is to cut out around noon-ish (give or take) and head home to get all of our snazzy gear together so that when Mike gets home from work, we can head on down. 

The remainder of the weekend is still up for grabs.  My loving husband has been chosen for the All-Star team for his baseball team (go babe!) and that game is set to take place on Saturday morning.  In an attempt to be a good wife, I'm considering making an appearance (for those of you who know me well know that this is a huge thing), so you'll just have to stay tuned for more on that later.  The rest of the weekend I plan to finish cleaning my insanely messy home.  I am making a concentrated effort to try and slow down a bit over the next few weeks, mainly because I feel like I am on overload & need to slow down.  Mike and & recently resurrected our love of bike riding, so the plan is to, at some point, on Saturday afternoon, purchase little headlights for me cycle.  We love to go after dinner and the streets of Park Ridge are NOT, I repeat NOT friendly to the after sunset rider.  Hence, the need for some bike headlights...like my pal Kiki said, this fact alone makes us either 12...or 90.  Ha!  I'm also hoping to swing by Whole Foods and do some grocery shopping as well as source out a local source for organic milk.  Thanks to my dear pal Klinker and the recent post on her most awesome bloggity blog, I am now jelly of her local farmer and must attempt to find something like this near the Chi.  Wish me luck with that.

Other than that, folks, not much to report.  I should have my Birchwood pics uploaded sometime in the near future so if you dabble on the google and are a facebooker, you can see them on there.  If not, well, you're outta luck.  Smooches!

Birchwood, Wisco

<3 <3 Love <3 <3

Happy Monday Cuties

Cheers!

The Real Deal

What a cah-ray-zee day folks! T minus 2 days 'till bdubbs & I just can't wait! But, that is not what this post is about...more on that tomorrow. No, this post is solely dedicated to the realness that is me. I received a truly heart warming text today from my dear pal Mo, asking me if all was good in the 'hood. See she read yesterday's blog & wanted to check on me. I have such amaze friends & I def don't want to worry these gems. Yesterday's blog was particularly important, but for a different kind of reason.

I had a friend tell me recently that she loves reading my blog & that it's super fun. She went on to say how lucky I am & how great my life is. Now, don't get me wrong ya'll, I have an amazing time & feel incredibly blessed to have been given the opportunities I've been given, the loving husband I was lucky enough to snag & the amazeballz friends in my life. But, my life is NOT perfect, and the last thing I ever want is for people to think I don't have my fair share of probs. Or, worse yet, for people to think that I have the totes deluded notion that I'm above the everyday bs that life often throws your way. Often, because I'm blogging, I only talk about the good stuff, because frankly, people have enough of their own shizz to deal with in the day to day & defs don't forever want to hear about my neg jazz. Some of you reading this know the deets of personal demons & know me (& my life) are far from perfect.

So yesterday was to show that we all have our stuff, no matter how great things seem on the surface. Everyone does. And anyone who pretends like their life is all sunshine & ponies is out of touch...and that's just not me.

I'm the real deal folks. That's just how I roll.

Fear

I have not ceased being fearful,

but I have ceased to let fear control me.

I have accepted fear as a part of life -

specifically the fear of change, the fear of the unknown;

and I have gone ahead despite the pounding in my heart that says:

turn back, turn back, you'll die if you venture too far.

~ Erica Jong ~

Life Is Good...

...when you have your bestie at your side.  Happy Saturday cuties!

Friday Fun

With the 2nd week of July already looming ahead, it's fair to say this month is in full swing.  We had an ultra fab 4th of July weekend, spent attending any number of parties, get togethers, bbq's and the like.  We celebrated with great family & friends and even managed to fit in a night of cuddling on the couch, watching movies (well, I watched while Mike slept, per usual).

Being supah busy at the j.o.b. (umm...being important is taxing) def helped push this week along.  Working from home a day or two a week also helps to break things up, and then, before ya know it, it's Friday.  I made an appointment at the salon in my building for a mani/pedi during lunch and tonight brings me to my old stomping grounds of Oak Park for dinner in La Bella's outside patio with one of my oldest pal's, Joellen.  Since the weather is perfection, I plan to doll it up with some super simp cotton shorts and a peasant top (said peasant top will do double duty of looking adorbes and discreetly hiding my pasta/dessert/wine belly).  Dinners with Jo are usually hours-long affairs as we're not short-winded individuals, so likely I will head straight home after, but don't quote me.

Tomorrow will totes be spent laying out at my pool, and as for the evening...it's still up in the air.  My bestie is trying to convince me to meet her and the Godbabies at a carnival just down the street from the casa, attempting to entice me with promises of a beer garden.  We shall see.

Sunday, as ye all know, is my day of rest.  As such, I will be resting.  The day may just take me to Costco, where I will do some shopping to prep for...(drum roll please).....

BIRCHWOOD!  (whoop whoop)

That's right folks...exactly one week from today, we will be packing up to hit the road for our summer place.  I seriously can.not.wait.  The obligatory planning phone calls with our Birchwood besties have already commenced and the count down officially begins tomorrow.  Get ready to hear more than you've ever cared to know about Birchwood, WI.

In the mean time, have a Happy Friday peeps!

Little Pink Houses...

Oh but ain't that America for you and me

Ain't that America somethin' to see baby

Ain't that America home of the free

Little pink houses for you and me

<3

 

 

Bread & Butter

Nothin' says lovin' like mowing grub with my bestie & Godbabies

 

Give us Lord, a bit o' sun,
A bit o' work and a bit o' fun;
Give us all in the struggle and sputter,
Our daily bread and a bit o' butter.

My Kind of Town

Yesterday brought the loving husband and I toWrigley for a 1:20 game.  We went with some besties and had a totes fab time.  My gf Brianne & I work super close to one another, so we met at noon and took the Red Line over to Addison while the boys met us at the park.  We got there early and decided to partake in some icy cold beverages (a Land Shark for me, and a tall ice water for her) at the Captain Morgan club on Sheffield while waiting for the rest of our posse.  Our tix were from the annual Resurrection game in May that was called (see How Did That Happen? for a refresher on this) and in true Res game fashion, the Cubs suffered a humiliating loss.  That minor detail, however, did not put a damper on our fun:

All in all, we had an abfab afternoon.  Upon returning home I immediately took a face nap, only to awake at 9:30pm, fully clothed and with nothing done for the next day.  Awesome.  After loading the dish washer and making lunch for today, I got undressed and crawled back into bed, only to get one of the best night's sleep in, like, for-ev-er.  Score!  I should day drink more often!

Since it's another gorge day in the Chi, I'm meeting another gf after work and we're going to walk over to the Taste.  Summer's in my beloved town are the.best.ever and I plan to soak it all in!  After all, Chicago is one town that won't let you down.  It's my kind of town ;)

Feel The Love

best.family.ever.

xoxo

It May Be Cloudy & It May Be Rainy...

...but it's Friday & I got a promotion! After accepting my current position (just about a year ago), I've worked super hard & it's paid off :) While this weekend already has us committed to a birthday party & baby shower, certainly we'll manage to squeeze some celebrating in...I mean, after all...

Now we're up in the big leagues,
Gettin' our turn at bat,
As long as we live, it's you & me baby,
There ain't nothin' wrong with that.

Well we're movin' on up...

Well of Strength

What a cah-ray-zee couple of days!  By far, yesterday was one of the most stressful days of my existence.  For realz...I know oftentimes I overexaggerate (okay, maybe all the time), but this is no joke. 

So, Tuesday night we lose power.  A pretty major storm (by Chi standards) ripped through the North/Northwest side, and in it's wake, left thousands of people without power.  On the up side, there were no fatalities, only a bunch of grumpy peeps without any electricity - us included.  Yesterday morning I woke up at the crack ass to be at the doctor by 6:30am.  Fun!  The appt in and of itself was stressful enough to give an elephant heart palpitations, but then to return home to start working (I worked from home yesterday), to find out that it was unlikely power would be restored anytime soon.  As such, yours truly managed to get a generator hooked up (thanks Rena & Danny), whilst working and running around like a complete a-hole in the dark.  As of noon yesterday, we had minimal light and power to the fridge.  Success.  By the time 5 pm rolled around and I signed off for the day, I was ready to have a nervous breakdown.  Not only was I absolutes beat as a result of my day-from-hell, I was not feeling all warm and fuzzy to the not-so-loving husband as a result of a teensy tinesy argument we had the night before.  So, I called one of my true blue besties, Kiki, to vent.

I was overwhelmed and while I can honestly say I did not feel "sorry" for myself, I was sad because I was scared.  I am scared.  There is so much requiring my strength and only so much of it to go around.  What if I can't deal?  What if I can't cope?  What if, what if?

Then I thought of so many people I have the privilege of knowing and calling friends.  People who I vow to think about and draw strength from when I'm fearful that I won't be able to face the unknown.  I will think of my dear friend Amber who I honestly think is the strongest person I know, or my newest pal Billie who seems to be a kindred spirit.  My pal JJ who knows me sometimes better than I know myself, and understands what "unfairness" is all about.  Or Kiki who is my encouragement when I seem to have lost it for myself.  My bestie Rena is the strongest single mother I know with the hugest heart and a fearless attitude, and mostly, my sister, whose strength is limitless and who reminds me, when things are at it's bleakest, to look to a higher power and live one day at a time.  I will look to tomorrow and meet it with all I've got; all of the amazing women I look to for strength who have done it in their own life, whatever their story, and I draw strength and inspiration from them.

So, I will prevail.  Things are already looking up - the power was restored last night during dinner and after we celebrated electricity, I went to bed early to catch some much needed z's.  I scheduled myself for a massage after work tonight and will be calling the salon to get in for a touch up this weekend.  Like Kiki says, what good is it to get through the challenges in life if we don't learn from them?  So, learn I will, and along the way, I'll remind myself of all you who have set the standard.

Let That Igloo Cooler Mark Your Piece of Paradise...

It's the first day of summer cuties, show your spirit!