Christmas in July

Oh, the weather outside is frightful!  But instead of harping on how hot it’s been outside, I wanted to take you on a trip down memory lane.  I’ve been wanting to share these pictures with you for a while, and I thought Christmas in July would be the best time to do it! 

Have you ever seen snow on the beach?  That had always been on my bucket list, and this past Christmas, I finally got to see it.  It came at a price… we got snowed in for a few days after Christmas, but when we finally dug out, we were rewarded with some sparkling snow! 

Grab your favorite mug of Christmas Tea (I prefer Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Green Tea), and transport yourself into a land of snow and sand!

This is what we saw when we walked out the front door…

People couldn’t make it back to their houses, so they just ditched their cars on the median!

We finally made it to the beach, and it was so worth it.  Isn’t this breathtaking?!

The snow froze the sand, and where you thought you could stand… you just sank! 

So beautiful…

This guy decided to brave the snow too

One of my favorite shots. 

I super heart Rockaway!

And this is what we would have had to drive home in!  So… we waited an extra day.  There was no way this was happening.

Upon returning home, we were greeting by the best fur-niece on the planet.  What better way to warm back up from visiting the frozen tundra than cuddling with the sweetest bulldog ever?!  And what better way to reward ourselves for shoveling out our cars the next day than the best  New York pizza ever?! 

We might have been snowed in, but it was a fantastic trip.  We played lots of board games and card games, and generally had some sibling bonding time.  I love my newly extended family, and it was nice to spend some time snowed in with them… but I have to say the beach walk was the highlight of that visit.  The beach was so peaceful and serene, and it was a wonderful way to cure the cabin fever!

Did you get snowed in this year?  Do you wish you were still snowed in instead of sweating buckets in July?  Personally, I prefer the warmth, so I’m trying not to complain too much!  Snow is pretty in pictures… but I can wait a while longer to see it again in person!!

If all the snowflakes were candy bars and milkshakes…

…maybe I wouldn’t hate the snow so much.

Guys.  It’s snowing.  Again.

I used to love living in Pennsylvania (and before that, I loved living right across the river in New Jersey).  While it gets humid in the summer, it’s never completely unbearable like humidity in Florida.  And while it would get cold in the winter, it was never like living in Syracuse.

In fact, while I fell in love with Chicago when we visited in 2009, I refused to move there because it was just too darn cold.

(Chicago isn’t cold in September though.  I miss it!  I also miss my short hair.  *sigh*)

I thought we were in the perfect Mid-Atlantic Climate.  Until last winter.  And then this happened:

It started snowing.  And it snowed all winter.  And then this winter it started snowing again.  And it hasn’t really stopped since.

(and that’s just what accumulated on my walk home!)

So I wanted to share with you what’s helped me get through it, in case any of you are in the same boat [errr... snowstorm].

1) Dreaming of warmth: Robert and I recently booked our honeymoon for Antigua!  (I’m trying to get him to write a Wedding Wednesday post about how we booked it!  Encourage him!) Looking at pictures like this make me feel warmer inside.

2)  Drinking in warmth: you guys know that I love a good cup of tea.  This week I’ve been feeling under the weather and all I want to do is drink warm things.  To avoid overdosing on tea, I’ve also been drinking hot water with a lemon slice soaked in it.  It’s been so warm and comforting!  I have to give Mama Pea credit for inspiring this idea.

3) Speaking of Lemons: Robert and I have been OBSESSED with 30 Rock lately.  We’ve worked our way through the whole series once, and we’re now going back through it.  It seemed dumb at first (I mean really dumb!) but now you see that it’s just goofy fun.  And the show is actually fairly nuanced, in that we’re picking up on hilarious things now that we totally missed the first time through.  Plus the inside jokes they weave throughout all the episodes and seasons give the show great continuity.  30 Rock is best enjoyed while under a warm blanket with a cup of tea.

(source)

4) Getting lost in a book: I can’t remember if I mentioned that I got the Nook for Christmas?  Well, I did.  Thanks, Santa!  This baby is amazing.  We got snowed in while visiting Robert’s family after Christmas, and it was so nice to have books at my fingertips, since I hadn’t brought any other form of entertainment.  There’s nothing like getting lost in a book to take your mind off of the reality of the Arctic Tundra forming outside!  So far I’ve read The Book Thief, Heaven is for Real, a few popcorn/chick-lit books, and now I’m mid-way through Shanghai Girls.  I strongly suggest reading The Book Thief (I’m serious, this is my new favorite book), and Shanghai Girls seems to be really good so far!  Clearly I have a thing for historical fiction.

And I know (I know!) people have issues with e-Readers.  I was one of those people for a while.  But being able to have all of these books at my fingertips has been clutch while I’ve been either snowed in, or just too darn cold to go to the book store!   Plus, look how pretty it is

What do you do to stay warm in the winter?  Any suggestions are appreciated!

Snow-ga

Oy vey! 

I have been neglecting you bloggies again, and I really apologize!  We got hit AGAIN with snowmaggedon v 2.0, and my life has been a whirlwind of snow!  But first let’s back up…

Remember this…?

Yesterday morning I brought my car to the body shop to get the repair process started.  Showing how much of a novice I am at this whole car-accident thing, I totally thought the repairs wouldn’t be more than a few hundred dollars.  I couldn’t believe it when I saw the estimate!  We’ll put it this way… I’ll need a rental car for TWO WEEKS.  Whoa!  Thankfully the insurance company will be taking care of it. 

Since I had my estimate appointment before work in the morning, I opted against the gym to save time.  I chose to do the “Yoga for Runners” podcast from yogadownload.com.  I was floored by the routine - it wasn’t overly hard, but felt kinda tough at 6am   I was even a little sore when I woke up today… I guess I need to pump up that lower body strength!

Work was rush rush rush so that we could get home before the snow.  We left “early” at 7ish, and I high-tailed it to the SJU basketball game.  Who cares about a little snow?!  Plus I got to park right on campus, and I had flashbacks to night classes on campus.  I grabbed this shot of my favorite building in the snow…

This morning I woke up to a whole new fresh blanket of snow, and the decision was made to work from home.  Gotta love having work-issued laptops, right?  Ugh.  Robert was home too, and we worked together in our pj’s.  It was a fun day as far as work days could go – but I wouldn’t have minded being able to go play in the snow again!  We had big plans to walk to the gym at lunchtime, but they were closed   I couldn’t sit still anymore, and busted out another yoga podcast to shake out my limbs.  I settled on the Gentle Hatha Flow #2 from yogadownload.com, as I didn’t really want a full blown workout, I just needed to open up and relax.  You guys - I love yoga.  I feel silly doing it sometimes, but once I actually get down to it, it’s always worth it.  I love how loose and calm I feel afterwards, and I think I’ll sleep well tonight as a result! 

Anyway, thats really all that’s gone on for the past few days.  yoga + snow, snow + yoga… hopefully the snow is still a nuisance in the morning so we can crash in our pj’s again!  Even if I have to work from home, it’s still better than working from the office!

Gratitude Journal 2.10.10

1)  I am so thankful that I made it home from the game safely last night.  There were a few hairy encounters with a hill and the curb, but somehow I made it.

2) I am eternally grateful for my fiance for digging my car out (as I type!) just in case we have to go into work tomorrow.

3) I am thankful for the homemade strawberry pancakes Robert made this morning!  Perfect work-from-home breakfast