Laundry

After a year of marriage I suppose it's time to grow up from throwing stuff in the dryer to get the wrinkles out...spending a good chunk of today with the ironing board :(

Travel Monday - Packing 101

Just stopped and got a few essentials for the upcoming Europe trip!

1) Learned very quickly on my last trip to Europe that a small (travel-size) umbrella is a necessity.  You won't even notice you packed it if it never rains...and if it does, boy will you be happy you've got it handy!

2) Comfortable earphones.  The ones that come with the ipod/iphone are fine for an hour workout or listening to a little music here or there...as far as a 5+ hour flight goes...they can get pretty miserable.  On my last long flight by day 2 of traveling from country to country I felt like I had little bruises on my ear lobes from where they were rubbing me raw.  This is a new pair that actually goes in your ear instead of sitting on the outside (if that makes sense?).

3) A thin scarf.  It's going to be VERY hot in some of these cities, but I don't want the fact that I'm wearing a tank top to keep me out of some of the most beautiful historic churches...a thin scarf is a must-have to throw over your shoulders real quick so you don't have too much skin showing!

4) This back-up battery is a cheap purchase mainly for piece-of-mind!  It has 2 hours of battery time in case my phone dies and for some reason I'm not able to charge it.  A little lifeline home to let the family know that we're safe and to keep them updated on where we are!

5) A small pouch to keep my phone/ipod/camera all together!  It's nice to have your electronics in the same place (especially for traveling/security purposes).

6) Tiny money pouch.
        Necessary qualities I was looking for
                -plastic id place (so I can always quickly make sure it's there)
                -zipper pouch (for change and cash)
                -slots (for credit/debit cards)
                -small enough to put in my around-the-neck pouch but big enough it won't get lost in a purse

7 & 8) Cosmetic pouch that folds up - best part of this find is that inside (#8) you'll see there are two bags that actually velcro and come off.  One is mesh so it will be perfect to put my shampoo and conditioner in so if it's wet, it won't stay inside and get gross/smelly!  This pouch has a lot of different zipper pockets to put in bandaids and everything I may need!

Weekend

We usually make the trip to Richmond about every other weekend...at the end of April/beginning of May we were home two weekends in a row...you forget what a miserable trip it is until you have to do it so frequently! Not very exciting to feel like you are living out of your suitcase and car because let's face it...although we're going 'home' it really is no longer our home. Home is the apartment and life we've started in Charleston, WV and we are both really starting to realize that. The boat got some much needed tlc in the form of a good cleaning...it's tough realizing it's no longer new and it definitely doesn't take care of itself! Here are some pictures from this weekend!

Have you heard of Yasso?

It's so good!  I get a need for sweets after dinner and these have been the perfect warm-weather treat!  At only 70 calories a bar and gluten free, I'm yet to feel bad about having one for dessert!  If you like greek yogurt, these things are pretty awesome!  I found them at Sams and they were $8 for 10 of them!

Yasso Website

Our Past Week

Here's a little look at what has been going on...

I spent last week working and cleaning to get ready for company.

Of course this included finding some really pretty fresh flowers!

(Milk Glass vases from various antique shops around Charleston)

I finally got to break out the new Spring Toms!  I love them, I'm pretending that they go with anything!

I got to do a little cooking (more on that in a later post).

These crazy lovebirds came to visit...

And I'm pretty sure they had fun tubing together!

Then we talked the Matts into doing a little wrestling at the baseball game...

My summer reading is slowly starting to pile up...so far I've started on Redeeming Love...

And this post can't go without saying how proud I was when my littlest sister (14 years old) sent me this on Draw Something...My parents did something right!

Highlights from the weekend!

Our weekend included....

A quick drink with friends at Baja!

Seeing my youngest sister, Cassidy (14) off to her 8th grade dance!

Seeing my other sister, Madison (16) off to her prom!

Seeing baby Davis turn 1 and celebrate with friends, family, cake and presents!

Pre-Mother's day dinner with Matt's mom and brunch with my mom!

A little shopping (got a new pair of TOMS for Europe).

And meeting the newest little member of the Ziolkowski family!

Here are some of the highlights as told by the photos I took on my phone over the weekend! We had so much fun and are now on our way to back to WV!

New addition

Decided to channel my home sickness into something productive...bringing a little VA to WV! Also love having picture frames laying around that work perfect for new art! The true colors are beige and light pink! Love it!

Update

This week has been flying by! I've worked everyday (wasn't the case the last two weeks as my hours had been cut) and although Matt's away in Detroit we got to at least enjoy the beautiful weather together on Monday night! I swear the Spring and Summer are so nice here that in just a weeks' time it makes you forget how miserable the past 6 months have been. I guess it's safe to say that we are quickly snapping out of our seasonal depression! (Spending time outside during recess while I sub is also helping - every job should require 30 minutes of mid-day sunshine...definitely a needed boost!)

I have figured it out...

Almost daily (for about 2 weeks now) Matt has made some snide remark comment about my blogging (or lack-there-of).  I couldn't understand my new-found lack of motivation to blog.  What has kept me going the past 9 months was an innate need to write down every memory because I knew this first year of marriage would fly by and I'd be sitting at the table May 28th, 2012 wondering where it all went?

Then it hit me...

I recently joined the new generation of smart phones and got rid of my trusty "dumb" phone in February.  Around that time I started using Instagram and now had Facebook, Pinterest, and Email and my beckon call.  Before, if I left the house I was cut off from technology and in the evenings I would catch up on social networking, mail, blogging and make a serious effort to record the happenings of the day.  Since having a smart phone, the tables have turned.  Coming home means ignoring being "connected" and focusing on spending time with Matt.  It's hard to say which world is better.  Pre or Post smart phones...

When trying to think of how in the world I would catch up on the happenings of the last 2 weeks, I realized that looking at my phone would be the way to go.  My phone has almost become my personal blogger.  You see, the reason I no longer feel the "need" to write everything down is because I'm constantly logging the happenings of the day on my phone...as evidenced by the 300+ photos and 10+ videos that have accumulated over a mere 2 1/2 months.

So here are some highlights from the past 2 weeks...

Playing a lot of "Draw Something" (Susie - why are you so good at this game?)

Riikka came to Richmond for a few days as a pit stop before she left to go home to Finland.  Her puppy, Lily (a Miniature Pinscher) has a very big personality and we found out that Riley (our Great Dane) has a not-so-big personality!

Riley did make herself comfortable on Riikka's lap at one point...

By the end of the weekend Riley and Lily were starting to be "friends"

The same weekend we got to see the cutest little boy you've ever seen...he's adorable!

And we also got to find out that two of our best friends are going to be welcoming a baby girl in August!

At the end of that weekend we had to say goodbye to Riikka...She's become such a great friend to me over the past few months.  It was a sad goodbye, not because we aren't going to see each other (because Matt and I are going to Finland in less than 3 months to be in her and Kelly's wedding) but it was sad because literally we've done everything together since about last September.  Our first conversation when we met at David's Bridal in WV went a little something like this...

Me - (so lame, I always ask where people's accents are from) "Where is your accent from?"
Riikka - (probably annoyed) "Finland"
Me - "That's so cool, I love to travel, never been to Finland but I've been to other countries in Europe."      
             (Again so lame)
Riikka - "No way, no one around here talks about traveling"
Me - "Well I'm not from here...I'm here for my husband's job"
Riikka - "I'm here for my husband too, he's in school"
Me - "My husband doesn't really like it here"
Riikka - "My husband either"
Me - "We don't know really anyone here"  (LOSER - a.k.a WE HAVE NO FRIENDS)
Riikka - "We don't either...lets all get together sometime"

Literally from the first time the four of us went out on the boat, I realized just how similar not only Riikka and I are, but Kelly (her husband) and Matt are eerily similar too.  Long story short, our friendships all grew and Riikka and Kelly became our temporary roommates...and we wouldn't have it any other way!  It was a tearful "see-ya-later" for Riikka (and Lily too)!!!

Random...on the way back to WV we passed through places where there were forest fires burning...so weird to see...

We've had some beautiful sunsets here in WV...

Oh, and a major highlight in our lives recently was the new addition of a Sweet Frog about 1 minute from our apartment!

Then there was an impromptu trip to the circus where Matt kept exclaiming "I think I should join the circus"

I was pretty excited to get my April Birchbox!

Matt and I had a little date night

And finally today I started working on the next big thing I have coming up.  Susie and I are working on throwing a great baby shower for our friend Shannon, and here's a sneak peek of what we're working on!

The past two weeks in pictures!

From cooking to a bridal shower, suit shopping, Easter and everything in between! We have roommates which is crazy because even though we live with them we haven't seen them since last Thursday morning! Maybe that gives you a glimpse into just how 'on-the-go' we are!