Happy Autumn!

Today is the first day of Autumn! Here's to cool nights, apple picking, hikes, cider donuts, pumpkin patches, and jumping in giant piles of leaves. Enjoy!

A New Coffee Routine

After 3+ years of starting my work day with a cup of free office coffee I finally reached a point where I just couldn't take it any longer. Our office coffee isn't brewed in a traditional coffee pot, but dispensed through a large machine that takes the contents of small packets of "coffee" and combines them with hot water for a truly awful coffee beverage.

I treated myself to a small French press this past weekend and it makes delicious, hot coffee in just a few minutes. Now, I find myself wondering why I waited so long to make the switch.



I love small rituals that make the day a bit brighter. Now, I count my 10:00 cup of coffee as a small pleasure that I look forward to each morning.

Happy May Day!

Meghan's Bachelorette Party

Last weekend, I made a quick trip into New York City to celebrate Meghan and her upcoming marriage. Her sister hosted a bachelorette party for her on Saturday night and since I wasn't able to stay late (I had an early flight the next morning - more on that later) I caught an early train into the city. I made my way to Brooklyn to catch up with these two ladies over tea. Later, we met up with the rest of Meghan's friends for dinner at B Bar. It was a chilly night, but we were still able to eat outside in the restaurant's charming garden.

One of Meghan's former college roommates gifted her with a decadent box of chocolates...

Meghan's sister gave her the prettiest tiara to wear since she isn't into sashes and shot glass necklaces...

And we toasted to lovely bride, of course...

I hope these ladies had an enjoyable evening! I hailed a cab (my first time!) back to Penn Station and just made my train out of the city. I secretly love taking taxis in NYC at night - it always seems so exciting to watch the city whirl by. This time was no exception. :)

Meghan is getting married next weekend and I can't wait for that first glimpse of her in her wedding gown!

Friday Night Shake Run

Last week was a bit rough for me, so Dave and I decided that a late night shake run was just the thing to get the weekend off to a good start. We headed to our local Micky D's for some delicious, minty Shamrock Shakes. The shakes are quite good this year (sometimes they taste like toothpaste - yuck!). 

Have a great week!

March Resolution: Relaxing Before Bedtime

I've never been a good sleeper - I have trouble falling asleep (sometimes hours pass before I drift off) and I wake up often during the night. So, for my March resolution I've decided to add a little quiet time before bed to see if I can improve my sleep habits a bit. During the weeknights, I'm aiming for a half hour of quiet time before bed (no TV, internet, folding laundry, or running around doing this and that). Here's what I'm going to focus on instead: reading, drinking hot cups of tea, listening to music, taking steamy baths, or talking quietly with Dave about our day.

It's getting harder to come up with my monthly resolutions, although I have a ton of good ones that are perfect for warmer weather. I'm curious, do you set small goals for yourself? Do you think you would like to have a monthly goal to work on?

P.S. I don't really care for March, but this year I'm really going to try to enjoy it. Happy March!

Christmas Activities

Has the following scenario ever happened to you? About a week before Christmas you realize that December 25th is quickly approaching and you are completely unprepared for it and (ahhhhh) it doesn't even feel like Christmas yet.

Well, this has happened to me and I can't stand it! I think the best way to keep Christmas from sneaking up on you is to start celebrating early. This year, Dave and I tried to buy all of our gifts in November so that we could focus on Christmas activities in December. We almost finished crossing everyone off our list and I only have a few more gifts to buy. We also came up with a list of fun things we want to do this year to keep that Christmas feeling going strong all month long (inspired by this).  Here is what we came up with:

Christmas in Doylestown House Tour

Write and mail Christmas cards

Drink a peppermint latte from Starbucks
Visit Longwood Gardens with Dave's family

Trim the tree
Enjoy cocktails at the William Penn Inn
Bake cookies
Visit the Christkindlmarkt in Bethlehem
Drink eggnog
NYC daytrip
Attend cookie exchange
Watch as many Christmas movies as possible
Drive around town to look at lights
Drink hot cocoa

I'm Sick. Boo!

I caught Dave's cold last night and woke up with a sore throat this morning. I don't have any pressing work projects, so I took the day off in hopes of beating this cold before it really kicks in. I have too many fun weekend plans to be sick!

Dave gave me this lovely bath tea that I'm so excited to try.

Today I'm taking it easy - I'll be watching old T.V. shows on my DVR, taking a hot bath, and drinking epic amounts of tea with honey.

Happy Friday to you!