That one guy who looks like the guy from "That Thing You Do" and the other guy from "Psych"

I have 17 followers on this blog. I know there are more readers than 17, but that is the number of people who intentionally clicked "follow." 

Of all 17 followers and however many additional readers, my most consistent and supportive audience member is the one who married me. Obv. 

He's so good at everything. Particularly these things:

• disposing of the dry, shriveled, see-through Christmas tree
• coming home at a mostly consistent time every day
• saving us money [even though I often complain about this one]
• being so enthusiastic about our future
• telling me i look so cute in my baggiest sweatpants and two-days-worn shirt
• making me feel proud and accomplished every time one of my measly paychecks comes
• convincing me that my bad recipes are good and my good recipes are amazing
• giggling and tickling and playing until one of us gets hurt and literally cries (me. every time. me)
• singing Disney songs jumbled with Bob Dylan lyrics, Neil Young harmonica solos, and at least three "Shmess is the love of my life" references (Shmess is me, FYI)

No, it's not our anniversary. Nor is it his birthday. Its just Thursday. And I love him.

Wick Up and Smell the Candle

I love candles. Growing up, my mom always had a candle burning that would smell up the house (in a good way) with cookies, cinnamon, cake batter, roses, or any other yummy scent. So naturally, when I got a home of my own, I continued with the candle burning.

One thing I never realized was how easy it is to spend a lot of money on candles. They can get expensive, especially if you go through them as fast as I do! Once you've burned it all the way down, the wick is no longer usable, but there is usually a good amount of wax still in the candle.





Here's how to not waste any candle wax:

Fill a small pot of water about 1 inch high. Place the [almost] finished candle in the water. You want the candle to touch the bottom of the pot, so if there is too much water, it will float. Likewise, if there is too little water, it will evaporate quicker than you can melt the wax. This is fine, as long as you never let the water completely dry up. Always keep some water in the pan. If the glass candle is in the pot alone, with no water, the glass will get too hot and shatter, which is obviously dangerous.

Set the pot on the stove, heat on low for however long it takes for the wax to use up, and enjoy the extra 2-3 hours of scent!

If you heat the stove too high, the water will boil, which will cause the candle to burn way faster, plus the water will evaporate faster, meaning you have to keep a more watchful eye on it.

Disney at Christmastime

My best girlfriend had an extra one-day pass to Disneyland, and invited me to join her for a pre-holiday vacation! We got there on Thursday morning and left on Friday night. It was easily one of the funnest outings I've ever been on with a non-husband. 

On the tram heading into Disneyland. Freezing, tornado-esque winds all day.

We watched World of Color, a water/light show.

We agreed to make all the ride-pictures as hilarious or awkward as possible, so here we are, flashing on Splash Mountain...

 ...making claws on Tower of Terror...

...giving the girls in front of us a good stranglin'...

...being particularly affected by momentum on Space Mountain...

...Becky vomiting and me freaking out on California Screamin'.

Turkey leg, which was rather disgusting to me.

In line for the Teacups.

Windblown after a roller coaster.

 In the sliding cage on the ferris wheel.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party - During

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party - Before

I'm having an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party tonight, and still haven't found my perfect, hideous sweater. I think we're going to turn in into a contest, so mine's gotta be good! The problem is that these parties have become so popular, that the only way to find one of these sweaters is to go to a high-end boutique and pay $30 for one. The whole point is to mock the amazing trends of the '80's and '90's, all while staying within a budget of 50 cents.

The party is also a white elephant gift exchange, and thank goodness my grandma gave me lots of her kitschy stuff. Most of it is pretty perfect for a white elephant party. (Don't think I'm carelessly giving away precious things my beloved Nana gave me. I only consider the things that I know she just went out and bought on a whim. If it meant something to her, I'd never give it away)

This party has a lot of themes. It is ALSO a salty-sweet potluck. Everyone brings something salty, something sweet, or something salty and sweet. I'm going to do some meatballs in the crockpot, and make some chocolate-dipped shortbread with sea salt sprinkled on top. You can just buy plain cookies, and dress them up however you want. It looks like you did a lot of work, but buying the cookies cuts out the longest step. Easy! I bought the triangle-shaped ones, so they're kind of tree-shaped.

Jammin' Jammies

I recently bought a flannel pajama set after wanting one for a long time. This set from Victoria's Secret, to be exact:

I love it. It's so loungy and comfy, but you never feel frumpy in it. Here are some other one's I really like. Someday, when I'm rich, I'll have a bunch of colors and patterns.

You could go for black satin.

Or you could go for an "oh, these? they're just some of my husband's old things" look with blue or white.

    

I love mine. They're warmer than any of my other jams, and they are charming at the breakfast table. They're also a safe bet when you're spending the weekend at your in-laws and have to run to the bathroom in the middle of the night, or when you have to evacuate your house because of wildfires (where I live, it's an actual risk). However, sometimes the flannel gets a little warm, and I could imagine that the satin is really slippery, so if you don't live in a really cold climate, I'd opt for a cotton option. 

And I promise, for many men, they are as sexy as that itchy lace thing in the back of your closet that pinches you a little bit every time you wear it. 

One-night Vacation

Here I am, at 9 in the morning, sitting on a rather rough corduroy chair, in our hotel room near Disneyland. We checked in last night, and will be checking out in a couple hours.

Last night, Conrad's company had their Christmas party at Naples Ristorante in Downtown Disney. As an incentive for the employees who had to drive longer than fifty miles, they offered to pay for a hotel room for one night! We got a couple gift cards at the party, plus dinner, plus a room.

Last year for Valentine's Day, we spent 24 hours at a hotel in Laguna Beach, then walked around town, tried a couple restaurants, and came home. I guess single-night getaways are kind of our thing. They cost approximately one seventh of a typical vacation, and you don't really spend much on travel. Just drive a few cities away, eat out a few times, spend one evening away from life, then go back refreshed! Nothing says romantic like two double beds. Today, when Conrad wakes up (that's why it's so dark. I'm trying not to wake him up), we'll explore our hotel's courtyard and lobby (last night, while checking in, I noticed some amazing grand-scale furniture; y'all know how I love me some 15-foot couches!), then checkout, and go get breakfast at whatever cafe we find.

EASY BEEF STROGANOFF

I don't grill. It's just how it is. I don't know how to tell when steak is done. Generally, I don't ever cook beef unless its ground. I often substitute ground beef for strips or cubes of steak. I find it easier and way less stressful. If you slightly overcook ground beef, it's not nearly the travesty of when you overcook a steak.

So I thought I'd share one of my recipe variations: Beef Stroganoff. It's one of my favorite meals, and its easy to make. It's a good choice if you're feeding a lot of people, too. The recipe I'm giving you is for entertaining a larger croud. Half it if you are just cooking for 2 or 3.

Start boiling water before you start everything else. When ready, add 1 package of wide egg noodles. Some people like Stroganoff on rice, too.

Heat 2 Tbsp oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Saute one chopped onion (red, yellow, or white are all good. use what you have).
If you are going to add mushrooms, saute them as well.
Throw 2 lbs ground beef in with the onions, and brown.
Drain and leave in the colander while you make the sauce. Don't scrape the extra oil off the pan, just pour out the excess. You want a greased pan so your sauce doesn't scald.

In the same skillet, still over medium, add 1 cup of sour cream (light or nonfat will work, too), 1 stick of cream cheese (do not use reduced fat or fat free - the texture will be grainy, and you want a smooth sauce) and 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup. The heat will sort of "melt" them and make it easy to mix together. Add your beef, onions, and mushrooms to the sauce. Season well with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Thin the sauce with milk, if needed.

Allow to cook for a few more minutes, then serve hot over pasta or rice.

The original Russian variation is QUITE different. Beef strips are used, there are no mushrooms or onions, and the sauce is made of mustard, bouillon, and sour cream.

I think you'll like mine better.

 

Infamy

As the Christmas season is upon us, let us remember December 7th, 1941. The devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.