Happy Birthday Sister!

Saturday was my sister's birthday. We had not seen each other in several weeks because she had been out of town for work.

We got the birthday celebration started the day before with a Friday evening just catching up at my house. I surprised her with flowers so she would have something pretty to wake up to on her birthday.

We started her birthday off with some Magic Muffins. She rode her bike there and JP and I met her there. We then headed to our separate houses to get ready for the day. A little before noon my parents arrived to take Sarah out for her birthday lunch. After opening gifts (I got her the bowls pictured below), we headed to Dodiyos and enjoyed a yummy lunch with plenty of food. You get your moneys worth there for sure!

After a few shopping stops with our parents, they got on the road back to their home. We took a few minutes to rest before heading out on the next birthday activity. With this girl as the birthday girl you better believe physical activity was part of the day. We went on 2 hour walk around Mountain Brook exploring streets we had never experienced.

Physical activity is a must on this girls birthday, but so is dessert! After our walk we picked up JP and headed to Whole Foods. After looking at some of the small desserts, we decided the best idea was to get this Black & White cake. Once we got it home, I put it on a Happy Birthday plate. It fit perfectly!

The cake was SO good, and the perfect dessert for the birthday girl.

It was such a fun day with my sister! Happy Birthday!

Blanket Twins- (In look, NOT price!)

This winter I was on the look out for another winter throw. I immediately was attracted to this throw at Pottery Barn.

However, I was not attracted to the $129 price tag. Even the Christmas sale price of $99 was much more than I wanted to spend.

So when I was walking through Sam's Club, I was quite excited to find this throw and the $19.99 price tag.

 I would not say they are identical twins but they are definitely fraternal twins. The main difference is the Pottery Barn cables are slightly bigger than the Sam's throw. But really, is that worth a $100 difference? They are both 50"x60". They are made of the exact same materials- knit = acrylic; faux sherpa = polyester. Although the Pottery Barn throw comes in a few more colors, I can't imagine not being able to work with one of the Sam's throw colors.

So, for $100 less I definitely chose the Sam's throw. Even if I had not been a Sam's member, I could have purchased the membership for $40 in order  to be able to buy the throw, and I would still have spent less than the Pottery Barn throw. Plus, the membership allows me to buy 10lbs of oatmeal anytime I want :)

The Accountant's Way to Stay Warm

JP and I recently got in a debate regarding the temperature our thermostat is set during the winter. JP prefers it to set it at 62 because he would rather spend his money elsewhere. I wouldn't say I like to keep it hot, but I was very cold and wanted it higher than 62! JP encouraged me to put on another layer of clothes and see what I felt. I put on a CuddlDuds shirt underneath what I was wearing and to be honest it helped, and I did not pitch a fit about the temperature. CuddlDuds aren't too bad b/c they do not make you feel like you are wearing extra layers since they are thin.

I tell you all of this because of what JP saw when he got to work the next day.

On the PWC Homepage they were asking just what we were debating the night before. Are we shocked at the result of asking a bunch of accountants this question? Although I did point out to JP that layering clothes was not high on the list. If I were to vote I would vote blankets. Fires are nice too, and I love that, although we have gas logs, JP has taken the initiative to chop down wood so we can have a real wood fire.

Note: Please do not be scared to be a guest at our house. We make sure to turn the heat up when we have guests!

Snow in Birmingham

Last week Alabama got snow! If you aren't from the South, then you do not know how excited we Southerners get. It isn't every day that we see snow. It is also isn't everyday that we drive in snow. Therefore, it is complete pandemonium. A normal 5 minute shuttle ride between the two hospitals where I work became a twenty five minute trip. Downtown was completely gridlocked.

JP and I live on a hill. When you look out our front window you can definitely see that the road is at a slant. Because of this, it makes it more difficult to drive on our part of the road. As a result, there were many cars that could not get up or down the hill and had to jump ship! There were several cars in our a couple of our neighbors yards, and it seemed that most of our neighbors- us included- had a car left in their driveway.

By the time I got home, the sun had come out, and I was able to get home with no issues. Don't think I was not a little nervous about it though! As the picture above shows, the sand truck came out to sand down the hill to help things in the morning after a night of below freezing temperatures.

Now,  back to the lady who left her car in our driveway.  Our neighbor gave her JP's phone number so she could contact one of us since we were both at work. Of course, we did not mind her leaving her car in our driveway.

When she came back to get her car, she left us a thank you note and some pastries from Edgar's bakery. I was blown away by her kindness. I certainly was not expecting that! It really encouraged me to show others my appreciation for them even when it is not expected. I frequently have ideas of doing that but do not always act on my thoughts. I have no idea who the lady in the white Mercedes is, but I wish that I could tell  her what I just typed above!

The Late Adopter

As you read earlier, JP and I updated our tv from one made in 1994 to one made in 2012. I decided this past November that I needed to make an update with my phone.  I was still using what I like to call a dumbphone. I had had it for four years and knew that the next phone I got would be a smartphone. I put it off as long as I could because I knew once I got one I would never go back. JP and my sister both have smartphones through their work. Once they got one, it made it harder for me not to get one. So, when we made our 2012 budget I worked in saving up for a smartphone.

I had the money to get one well before I did, I just could not decide which one to get. I waited until the iphone 5 came out to make my decision. After some research the decision was between the Iphone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S3. I went to the AT&T store twice. The first time I walked out empty handed. The second time I told myself I would overcome my indecisiveness. After walking back and forth between the two phones probably 20+ times, the salesguy came over to talk with me. I told him my dilemma. After much conversation- and laughter- I finally determined that I would get the Galaxy S3.  I know that for my age group I am definitely a late adopter!

I've really enjoyed having a smartphone and am pleased with my decision of the Galaxy S3. Note: After I purchased the phone it was then onto more decisions about which case to get. I wanted one that would give good protection but not make it too big- I mean part of the reason of getting the phone was it was so slim. After a little bit of research, I'm pleased with the one I got!

You Are My Fire...

One of my favorite nights of the year is the 12th Night Party hosted by one of our good couple friends. This was the fourth annual event which is highlighted by Christmas tree burning.

Every year it really amazes me how these trees burn! It makes you realize what could happen if this happened in your house. We wet one down with water and it was way more smoke than flames. Makes you realize how important it is to water your tree at home!

This year the finale included tying three trees together and burning them. It was the biggest flames I've ever seen. Truly amazing.

You Ate What?

One of our friends has been talking about a great Chinese restaurant that he said is the most authentic Chinese restaurant he has ever been too. JP was all ears and wanted to go. So one night a group of us went to Red Pearl. It is a restaurant attached to an Oriental Market. This is the place the Chinese come to grocery shop. We definitely were in the minority! Our friend was correct... it is the most authentic Chinese restaurant I've ever been.

JP branched out a little and ordered Sizzling Pork Instestine Szechuan Style. He apparently had had Menudo before (the Mexican preparation of intestines). He said he wasn't really that good but he said he wanted to get something he could not get anywhere else so intestine it was.

I asked our waiter, "Do a lot of people order this?" He responded,  "Oh yes but usually only Chinese people."

JP knew that the dish included tofu. There were some large dark red/black pieces which JP assumed was tofu.
JP: I've never seen black tofu.
Waiter: That is not tofu. It's blood.

JP did not finish his dish but I suppose it was an adventure.

Note: Everyone else got less adventure dishes, and it was really good!