House 2.0

We started the building process of House 2.0 back in early November. We got to pick out a house, the elevation, the plot of land it sits on and then all the finishing! Its an exciting process but at the same time overwhelming because its hard to visualize the conception of everything coming together.

We had lots of meetings over flooring and lighting. We have gone back and forth on color and design. Seriously its harder than it sounds.

We broke ground on January 25th and the process has been in top gear. We visit the house every Saturday morning and it blows my mind each time at how fast they are moving.

Week 1. 

Week 2.

Week 4.

Every time we pull up the street I gasp and my heart grows 10 sizes. Its still very surreal and I count my blessings each day because its only by the grace of God that we have been able to get to this point in life. I am thankful and so grateful for being able to accomplish this at this point in my life.

House Part 2.

We went back and forth so many times on houses and neighborhoods and different cities near by that we could not really find something we loved. Then the issue of buying older again or maybe building was still on our minds.

We then found a house that had a lot of things we loved. I will call this house Cashmere. Cashmere was the perfect size, it had the cutest backyard and the neighborhood was adorable. BUT........the interior wall color was ugly, the kitchen was not our taste at all and the schools were not that great. Also it was in a part of town that was unfamiliar to both of us and still far from his family. We went back and forth on this house so many times. We even saw it a second time with a realtor. After seeing it we would be like "that's it, its the one stop overthinking it" and then we would sleep on it and change our minds in the morning. We really liked this house but we did not love it. So our search continued.

A few weeks later we found a new development in the area where my husband grew up in and super close to his family. Its a brand new neighborhood and it was in our price range. We decided to check it out. We stalked the area, the houses and went through the pamphlets to the point they were falling apart and then the weekend of Thanksgiving on black Friday we drove over and dropped off our deposit for a lot. Thus House 2.0 was born.

Oh wait....we haven't even listed or gotten our house ready to sell.  So between that Friday and December 3rd we hustled and hauled and our beloved first home went on the market, and between December 3rd and January 26th we had 7 offers, 2 of which fell through ruining Christmas eve and Christmas. All of this also happened while we were on vacation in Rome keep in mind. This whole process aged us like nothing else. We ultimately were able to get a solid offer for asking price and we closed on January 30th and we moved out.

While all of this is happening, House 2.0 was going on in the background. So we were really maxed out at stressing. Do we miss our hold house? Yes and no. The process of selling was a lot of work and it was costly. The ups and downs really took a toll on use emotionally. By the time we sold and moved, which moving was another horrible process we were done. We wanted out and done and over. I have a picture of us from when we bought it and then a picture of us one last time after we closed.

We were finally able to breath on January 30th at 12pm. We can finally get excited about House 2.0

House Part 1.

Columbia was our first house together. It was our first HUGE purchase together. It was the next move on the chessboard to grow our relationship. We were young spring chickens when we bought it and we were so excited to not only own a house but own something historic and really really cool.

The house is a 4 sided white brick colonial with original windows and hardwood floors. Its charm and character is what won us over. We also loved the neighborhood it was in. Aged trees shaded every inch of the street and it was walking distance to coffee and restaurants.

The house was also 100 years old and with age comes issues. We didn't run into too many major issues while living in it but with age there is always issues on the horizon. We paid our fair share in expenses and over time we knew that this might not be our forever home.

After living in it for 6 years and having discussions about our future and growing our family I think we realized that we needed to decided if we were going to invest in the house and rehab it and make it truly our own or if we needed to move. We made a pros and cons list and went back and forth on what we hated and loved. What we really wanted and what would be nice. Here were some examples of things we discussed

Pros List

• Beautiful Neighborhood
• Walking distance is 10/10
• Historic and has lots of character
• Short commute to work
• Fenced in yard for dogs
• Gorgeous wood burning fireplace
• Lots of natural light

Cons List

• Detached Garage that is also a tight squeeze
• Cannot open windows during nice weather
• Outdated kitchen
• Layout was not ideal 

I could really go on and on. Chris's number one item was not having a finished basement. Our basement was fine but very compartmentalized. So even though we had decent height and space  it was not open enough to finish it.  My number one item...well more like 3 items was the kitchen was outdated and closed off, and I hated walking outside to our garage. I hated when it was -6 outside and snowing or raining or humid and sticky and walking to the garage. Ugh thinking about it makes me still cringe.

ultimately we realized that if we invested a ton of money into the house we would still have major cons on our list and for that reason we decided it might be best to start looking for something different all together.

So what did we start doing? We started going to open houses on the weekends and then we toyed around with the idea of building new construction so we started going to new communities.

This process was a lot more overwhelming than we thought because now this "idea" of maybe moving opened up path to so many decisions. What area do we want to live in? What are we sacrificing? Can we afford it? Would we really be happy? Can we picture ourselves here? It was like a true maze of if yes turn left if no go back type of path.

We would bring home pamphlets and packets and handouts to the point that the pile turned into a mountain of papers..........to be continued

Roman Holiday

We did it! We scratched off another item off our bucket list of things to do and places to see. Let me rewind to beginning of the 2017 Chris and I entertained around with the idea of going on another European trip. What places were we considering? well...we though Iceland would be amazing, Ireland, Italy, London.....the list went on. Well this was just an idea until we started talking about it some more. We some how narrowed it down to Italy. We kept talking about Italy and Rome and all the history and the food oh the food. This idea died as quickly as it became an idea until fast forward to July. I get a phone call from Chris while I was at work. "Honey he chimes I booked us a trip to Italy" I didn't believe him. This is not in his nature to do. Chris does not spring up surprises let alone a trip like that on me. He never has and I still didn't believe it. "You did what???" I yelled back "Yep December. Rome. Be there! uh I think I died and went to heaven.

So December 2017 we went on our Roman Holiday!! We stayed at the Relais Maddalena Hotel in the heart of Rome. We were a stones throw away from the Pantheon and right next door Lindt Chocolate. I had a coffee shop and Gelato shop on every corner. The cobble stones and narrow streets were something out of a movie. Everything was draped in Christmas lights and twinkled in the rain, since it did rain while we were there. We walked everywhere and ate everything! in the words of Joey Tribbiani "The Pizza? Good!" The Pasta? Good!

I might have also done a bit of damage down Via Dei Condotti (oops)

It was so magical and memorizing and better than you could imagine. I loved every inch of it and it now has a special place in our hearts. I can't wait to see where our next adventure will be in 2018.

xoxo
Simone

Chris' Birthday Apple Pie

CHRIS' BIRTHDAY APPLE PIE

Every year my husband has one request for his birthday, and that is Apple Pie. He doesn't want cake or gifts or elaborate affairs. He just wants pie. After many years of pie making and experimenting I have perfected this pie. Hope you enjoy. 

Chris' Birthday Apple Pie

1. Box of Pillsbury refigerated pie crusts
2. 8 apples peeled and thinly sliced *
3. 3/4 Cup sugar
4. 1/4 Cup brown sugar
5. 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
6. 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
7. 1/4 teaspoon salt
8. 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
9. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Egg Wash

1. Egg

Heat oven to 425F

Place 1 Pie crust in ungreased 9-inch  glass pie plate and press firmly against side and bottom

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and gently mix. spoon into crust lined pie plate. I like to sprinkle a little extra cinnamon to the top before topping with the second crust.

Top pie with second crust and press edges to create a seal. Cut slits in the top of pie to release steam

Take your egg and gently beat it in a small bow. Wash the top of the pie with the Egg mixture. This will give it a very nice golden crispy shell.

Bake for 40-45min or until the crust is golden brown.*

Cool on a cooling rack at least 2 hours before serving or until your husbands patience runs out and he wants a slice.

Notes*
* I use a cast iron apple slicer/corer. Its the quickest and easiest way to peel and slice and core your apples. You can find them on Amazon and they are inexpensive.

* Depending on your oven you might have to cover your edges of the crust with 2-3 inch of foil to prevent  them from burning. I have never had this issue, everything browns evenly but I know others have had this issue. Just keep an eye on the pie if this starts to happen. 

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you know me well enough you know that I have a huge sweet tooth and that I am a cookie monster. I love cookies!

I never discriminate against cookies, I love them all. I doesn't matter what shape they come in. I love them during every holiday and if they are homemade or from a box. I love them warm and cold. I love them during all times of the day. I love all cookies.

Now this is a very big problem for me because cookies are not the healthiest to have all the time. I mean at least not after every meal.....right??? Anyways because of my love affair with cookies and have tried and tested so many "healthy" versions of the classic Chocolate Chip cookie. All trials ended in disgust. They either tasted like cardboard or looked like cardboard while tasting like a bland fake cookie. My fear was that I would never find a healthy alternative to my dear cookie.

After much trial and error and more trial and error I was able to Frankenstein the perfect cookie recipe that has almost the same (95%) consistency as the classic cookie and the taste is actually quite delicious. I am a cookie snob and I genuinely really enjoyed this alternative. It even got my husbands approval so I know its winner for sure.

These cookies are paleo, gluten free and have no sugar in them. Yep I said it..no sugar! I do not feel as bad eating these cookies. I mean in the end they are still cookies but a healthy alternative to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Tip: do not use the almond flour (meal) that Trader Joe's sells. Yes I know that the meal is cheap in comparison to almond flour but the constancy was horrible. It did not absorb the liquid and the cookies did not hold. They fell apart in your fingers. I mean they still tasted really good but it was not a cookie it was more like mush that tasted like cookie.

Tip: If you want the cookie to taste like a S'more then I suggest using regular coconut oil. I have used regular and refined. Regular makes the cookies taste like a S'more which is really good but if you want a more chocolate chip cookie taste then I would use refined coconut oil. Refined coconut oil does not have the smell and taste of coconut. Either way the cookie will taste good in my humble opinion but its up to you what kind of cookie mood you are in.

1 1/4  Cup of almond flour (I used Blue Diamond brand)
1/4 Teaspoon baking soda
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Cup raw agave nectar
1/8 Cup coconut oil (refined or regular coconut oil)
1    Teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 Cup dark or milk chocolate chips

• Heat oven to 325
• Mix flour, salt and baking soda well.
• Mix agave nectar, coconut oil, and vanilla in a small bowl.
• Combine wet ingredients to the dry ingredients
• Add chocolate chips. Batter should be thick enough that you can roll a small ball between your palms.
• Evenly space cookie dough on a lined baking sheet with parchment paper. Press cookie down flat with either your palm or the back of a spoon. If you do not press the cookie down flat they will not flatten when they bake and will remain in a ball like shape.
• Bake for 5-7 min. Keep an eye on them. When the edges start to brown they are done.

Pilates and Smoothies

Saturday Morning Recap

Pilates 

I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed and went to Pilates. It felt amazing and I am already starting  to feel sore, especially in my arms. It was a nice change from just sleeping in even though it was so tempting to do this morning. 

Protein Shake.

When I got home I made myself my favorite go to protein smoothie. Isopure is the current protein powder I am using and I really like it. Its supposed to very pure and filled with less fillers compared to like Muscle Milk which is what I used to use. 

I blend the following in a blender. 

1 cup Almond Milk

1 tbsp Peanut Butter

1 scoop Protein Powder

1 Banana

1/2 cup of Ice

 I always fall back on chocolate peanut butter. Fruity flavors tend to make me feel sick after a while so I stay away from strawberry and other berry flavors. 

Is this going to give me my dream body? I don't know but its better than having having french toast...mmmmm french toast sounds so good. 

Happy Saturday

Honeymoon in Paris

I don't know why I didn't blog about our honeymoon. It just occurred to me that I have nothing documented about our honeymoon. For those of you that do not know we honeymooned in Paris, France the city of love. We immersed ourselves in all the city had to offer. The beauty, the pastries, the architecture, it was absolutely amazing and really recommend visiting if its possible. It will not disappoint.

My husband and I went back and forth as to where to honeymoon. He really wanted to go to Iceland, I really wanting something in Europe. We are not beach bums whatsoever. I get so bored at the beach after day 3. There is nothing else to do and I am not a big fan of getting burned. Do not get me wrong we have had beach vacations and they have been wonderful but I would much rather explore and do something I might be able to do ever again. I grew up going to the beach every year. Maybe thats why I don't get super excited about the beach.

Anyways went back and forth and ultimetly decided that Paris would be a once in a lifetime trip and we should do it. Also who doesn't want to see the city of love and art and croissants???? Hello the croissants and coffee alone sound amazing.

We had the opportunity of spending 8 days in Paris. It was really the trip of a life time. we walked everywhere and I mean everywhere. I think we walked anywhere from 30 to 40 miles a day. Our feet would ache when we would get back to the hotel. We stayed in Bouogne-Billancourt at the Marriott Hotel. The hotel was very accommodating and it was in a quaint little suburb outside the city. It was much more affordable to stay outside of the city vs staying in the city.

A typical day would start off waking up really early and either having breakfast at the hotel or grabbing coffee and a pastry from a coffee shop down the street. Then we would take the bus or train to where we wanted to go. We purchased a train/bus pass for the whole week. It was 100% worth it because we used it everyday. Everyday we would hit one main attraction and then go exploring and then go shopping!! The Eiffel Tower one day, The Louvre another day, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, The Paris Locks Bridge and The Palace of Versailles on the last day.
Everything in between consisted of Paris shopping and a million Zara's

The people in Paris were not overly friendly and very much kept to themselves. The fashion was on point. Lots of black and grey and navy. You never saw anyone wearing hoodies, or name brand clothing like Nike and Adidas or sporty where unless it looked vogue. You never saw bright colors or anything eclectic. The girls were very polished and the guys looked straight out of a runway. Even the little kids looked stylish  #kidgoals sigh. I loved the fashion though and I felt like a fit right in. My whole wardrobe is 3 colors of neutrals.

The food was just okay. I was not crazy about the meals Paris had to offer except for baked goods. I ate everything that was covered in chocolate or baked. The desserts and baked goods are to die for. The french bread is better and the espresso is better and the chocolate is better. I think the amount of walking made up for the amount of sweets I ate.

My tips if you travel to Paris
1. Bring and wear comfortable shoes but make sure they are stylish otherwise you might get a look
2. Wear a bag that is small like a cross body. Trust me you do not want to carry a big bag
3. Get a week pass for public transportation
4. Bring Granola bars with you. Trust me the food is not always that great.
5. Use Yelp. Yelp was my best friend and was so helpful to figuring out what places to visit.
6. Do your research ahead of time. Know what times places are open and how much it is to get in.
7. Pee before leaving the hotel. You have to pay for a public restroom.
8. Use public transportation because its amazing.

We decided to make Paris our 5 year anniversary trip. I would do it all over again and again. The city truly has a special place in my heart and I would never get tired of visiting. I can't wait for 2019!