Bed Bands

 These are more benign than they sound. But they have changed my life! I am a secure sleeper. Meaning I need to have two to three layers of covers, I need them securely and tightly tucked in, and, ideally, when I wake up in the morning the bed should look as if it was made around me.  My husband is the opposite. He pulls and bunches and untucks

everything so as not to feel "confined." And so his covers end up untucked, bunched up and pushed to my side. And since we're both tossers and turners not only does the top sheet get rumpled, but the bottom sheet corners are constantly popping off. That is until I broke down and bought these little babies. They were hard to put on and I have to admit I kinda half assed it. I didn't feel like breaking my back lifting the king sized mattress. But even in my poor effort these have kept the bottom sheet securely on for two full months without needing any adjustments, other than reclipping with sheet changes. We could barely keep it the sheet in place for two hours before. These guys have made my bed a happy place again. And my mornings are a lot less frustrating when I don't have to completely remake the bed from scratch. Now that my bottom sheet is anchored down, I have to figure out how to win the top sheet battle.

Resolutions

My January resolution (notice I say January, and not New Year's) is to floss everyday.  And so I had to buy more floss. My gums are thanking me. 

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone enjoyed ringing in 2015! I hope you are cozy and warm and recovering nicely from your overindulgences last night. I hope your heads feel right. And your hearts feel light. And your New Year's are looking happy and bright!

I, myself, am spending this holiday pulling a 12 hour shift at the hospital. My first in over two weeks! Vacation is over, the holiday season has passed and I've jumped right into 2015! Twenty fifteen! How did that happen!?! It seems like only yesterday we were partying "like it's 1999!" (I know you all sang along with that in your heads and for that I thank you. If you didn't sing along you're making me feel old).

Despite the fact that I have to ring in the new year at work, I wanted to make sure I posted for everyone (or mostly for myself). I wanted to prove I would come back after my blogging vacation. I wanted to prove that 2015 is going to be a year of achieving goals and following through on plans. And I wanted to share with you my New Year's resolutions. I'm so excited for them this year that I wrote a whole article about them! But what I'm really excited about is the project I wrote the article for...the launch of BE. Magazine! Please peruse. Add your email to follow us. And share with your friends! And many thanks to all our friends and family who helped make this launch happen (and happen on time--we're such procrastinators)!

Happy Holidays!

Today was my first day of a FIFTEEN day vacation!!! I am so excited! Fifteen days with no commute. No 5:30am alarm. And no working holidays! (Although my first day back is New Years Day, so I'll be working a holiday, just not my favorite holiday.) I got so much accomplished on my first day off. Unfortunately, I have so much more to check off my to do list. Plus parties and travels and celebrations abound! 

My "Santa on the shelf"

My blogging creative juices have been flowing lately. Which is awesome! Unfortunately, that has prevented my creative juices from flowing in other areas. Namely, in the writing department of another project I've got in the queue.  Thus, it is with a sad heart that I must bid you adieu. And take a vacation from the blogging world as well. Fear not. I shall return. And this time I truly mean that. Not that I haven't truly meant it in the past. So maybe it's better stated that this time I truly believe that. So as I sign off, I'll leave you with this.

 Merry Christmas!

Happy Hanukkah!

Peaceful Kwanzaa!

Feliz Navidad! 

Happy New Year! Catch ya'll on the flip side. 

PJs

On a particularly shlubby day, a few weeks ago when the cold weather set in, I broke out the winter pajamas. When the hubby got home from work I was decked out in my favorite, blue, flannel pj pants. He told me I looked cute. Which is major points for him, because my favorite, blue, flannel pj pants are about 3 sizes too big. They are incredibly baggy. The elastic has stretched out so much I have to roll the waist band down (and they still want to slide off my hips) and I could probably fit my entire body in just one leg. But I've had my favorite, blue, flannel pj pants since the eighth grade. Which is way more years than I'm willing to admit. Incredibly they haven't shrunk, faded or ripped in all the years I've had them and slipping them on is like slipping into a warm hug. 

The Prime Rib: A Super Fancy Restaurant

The Prime Rib, or the PR as it is affectionately known, is an upscale, white linen tablecloth restaurant that resides inside Maryland Live! (Maryland's very own casino and entertainment venue). Casinos are usually not my thing. Gambling makes me nervous and, in general, they are just way too overstimulating. My father-in-law, however, is a poker player and he had accumulated "player points" that could be used at the fine dining establishment. And so he generously treated the hubby and I to dinner. Which is how I came across this. This is a $46 filet.

That's a high-end cow

Piano Guys

The Meyerhoff "pods"

The other night we saw The Piano Guys at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore. First off, the Meyerhoff is about the coolest venue I've been to. For the most part the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra plays there, but on occasion other groups pop in. I've been twice now and both times have been awesome both acoustically and visually. The venue is super cool with the upper tiers shaped like little space pods. And the seats aren't the usual auditorium style flip down chair. They are individual plush red velvet on wheels! I've had the pleasure of sitting in a "pod" both times and I have to say the experience is delightful. The chairs are comfy and spacious and the view is awesome. 
The Piano Guys are a super cool group that has become popular in the last three years. Made up of a piano player, a cellist, a videographer and a producer you only see two of them on the stage for most of the night, but when they all come out THIS is what happens.



I mean, who even thinks of this stuff?!? While they do write original music, what has made "the guys" popular has been their mashups of popular songs that they put their own unique instrumental twist on. They manage to make a piano and a cello super cool. What I found really awesome was these guys are Morman and they aren't afraid to make fun of it. But they also aren't afraid to share it. It's refreshing to find a contemporary artist that talks unashamedly about faith and spirituality. It is REALLY refreshing to find a group that keeps the music classy and clean. I am not one to really censor the music I listen to. Language and content don't usually bother me...if I like the song. What has been bothering me recently, however, are "artists" that can't put out music without the language and explicit content. It gets a little old when it's so repetitive. And so I've banished certain artists from my playlists and I'm more than happy that I now have room for these guys. All they're songs have to pass their "Sesame Street test" meaning, the song lyrics and video have to be appropriate for their kids to watch. While I don't have such strict rules with my music it is nice to know the guys aren't going to be jumping over to my do not play list.
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PS-I've never thought cellists to be cool, but if I had any musical talent I'd totally be learning to play an electric one