The Late Honeymoon/One Year Anniversary Recap Part 4: Paris

It's now time for the final installment of my 4 part late honeymoon/one year anniversary trip recap, which is all about our experiences in Paris.



Before we left for our trip, I tried to keep my expectations low when it came to Paris.  This was a place I'd always wanted to visit, and I was really worried that I'd be completely disappointed when I actually got there.

I'm happy to say that I had absolutely no reason to worry.  The city was just as beautiful and interesting as I'd hoped it would be, and I had the best meal of the entire trip there.  The only thing I felt disappointed about was the fact that we weren't staying there longer!  (And, if I'm being honest here, I was also a little disappointed about the fact that I'm not rich and couldn't afford a shopping spree in stores like Hermès and Chanel.  But, since I already knew that before we left, it didn't completely crush my spirit or anything.)

Here are some examples of the gorgeous scenery:

The Arc de Triomphe was pretty close to our hotel, so this was one of the first major landmarks we visited.

And here are some pictures of the Arc de Triomphe that we actually make an appearance in.

I honestly had a really hard time narrowing down pictures for this collage because there were so many beautiful images to choose from.

And, of course, no trip to Paris is complete without a ton of pictures of the Eiffel Tower:

We took a ridiculous amount of pictures of the Eiffel Tower from different locations and angles.  These were a couple of my favorite daytime images.

This was my favorite nighttime picture.  You can kind of see just how crowded and crazy it is in that area.

On the left you can see the obligatory "kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower" picture.  On the right you can see just how excited I was about visiting the Eiffel Tower.  (Okay, I wasn't just excited ... I was really drunk.  Like a bottle and a half of wine drunk.)

Earlier I mentioned that I had the best meal of the entire trip while in Paris.  That meal was at A La Petite Chaise, which is the oldest restaurant in the city.  The three course dinner included unlimited wine (which probably explains the picture on the right above).  I may have been drunk by the end of the meal, but I could still appreciate it ... And it's definitely one of my favorite memories from the trip!

Because the meal was so special, I'm sharing individual photos of the food (as opposed to a collage):

We started off with an apéritif called "Kir" which is a mixture of blackcurrant liqueur and white wine.  This alone was delicious!

I went with the very classic French onion soup for my starter.  It was perfect!

Eric's appetizer consisted of asparagus and puff pastry with a delicious saffron sauce.

My main course was duck a l'orange.  The sauce was rich and flavorful, and the duck was perfectly tender.  So amazing!

Eric had the salmon in a beurre blanc sauce, which was some of the best I've ever tasted.  It literally melted in your mouth!

I had a dark chocolate cake for dessert.  I think the creamy custard sauce made it even better!

Eric had a panna cotta topped with caramel cream sauce.  It was thick and creamy ... Really good!

They served coffee with the desserts.  If you know me in real life, you'll understand just how crazy this next statement is: This is the only coffee I drank the entire time we were in Europe.  I honestly still can't believe that!

In addition to taking a bunch of pictures of the food, we also got a few of ourselves:

We took this in our hotel room before leaving for dinner.

That picture on the bottom right shows the beginning of the end.  That bottle was gone in no time (as was a good portion of another)!

Eric also got a few really good shots of the exterior of the restaurant while he was waiting for me to get out of the bathroom.  Here's the thing about really old restaurants (or this one, at least): the bathrooms are tiny and only made for one person.  And if you're part of a tour group that just finished a large meal which included unlimited wine, chances are you'll be waiting in line for a very long time.

At least Eric was able to make good use of his time waiting for me by taking these pictures!

After dinner and some sightseeing, I really wanted some champagne.  Eric and I were initially just going to go to the top floor bar in our hotel for drinks, but after looking at the prices on the menu, we decided we should go elsewhere.  (I'm not exaggerating when I say it would have been at least 85 US dollars for two drinks ... And that was if we ordered two of the cheapest options!)

We wound up across the street at a random restaurant/bar, which actually turned out well since we managed to get a few decent pictures of the exterior of our hotel:

The original pictures of us in front of the hotel show the full name: Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile.  It got cut off when I made a collage, though.

And, of course, we got pictures of our drinks (plus an oh-so-classy shot of me drinking my champagne):

I love how awkwardly I'm sitting.  It's almost as though I'm afraid I'll fall over if I let go of the table.

The next morning we woke up (hangover free, I might add!) and continued exploring the city.  We took a bunch of touristy photos, but, since I figured I shouldn't add 300 pictures to this post, only some of my favorites are shown:

This is another postcard worthy image, if I do say so myself.

This is the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte.

This fountain was in the city center.  I thought it was gorgeous, so we had to get pictures in front of it!

This was my absolute favorite touristy picture of us:

I love that it actually looks like we're jumping pretty high.  We've still got it, even in our old age!

We spent several hours in the Louvre that day as well.  I knew it would be huge, but holy shit!  (This made me think about the part in The Dreamers when the three main characters race through the Louvre, and I kept thinking, "They were nuts!  This place is way too big to run through!")  It was like a giant maze filled with the most beautiful, amazing things in the world.  Every time we'd enter a new room, I found myself saying, "Oh my God!  Look at this!  Wow!"

We both felt like we could have spent a week going to the Louvre every day and we'd probably still miss something.  I wish there had been more time to explore, but we still managed to see a lot of really awesome things.

This picture cracks me up because it looks like it was Photoshopped.  It's not.  I did edit it a bit, but I promise I'm really standing in front of the entrance.  There was a pedestal there that I was standing on (you can kind of see it under my feet) which explains why I'm so high off the ground.

The picture on the right is from Napoleon III's apartments.  Can you imagine living in a place like that, having a dinner party at that table?  I can't!

And, of course, the top priority for us once inside the Louvre was to locate the Mona Lisa (and, of course, take a silly selfie in front of it):

I still think it's really awesome that we saw such a famous and important work of art in person!

We took a ridiculous amount of pictures inside the Louvre, but I didn't want to post all (or even most) of them since I've already shared so many from our time in Paris.  I'm still going to share one of the pictures we took on our way out, though:

I was clearly really excited about the time we spent in the museum.  Eric clearly thought I was crazy and was probably sick of selfies by that point.

After our time in the Louvre, we spent the rest of the evening shopping and making our way back to the hotel.  Since it was a decent walk, we decided to just have dinner at a random restaurant we passed on the way back.  While it definitely wasn't as good as our meal the night before, it was still pretty good.  And that view!

I hate how chubby my face looks in this picture.  Please overlook that in favor of the Arc de Triomphe in the background (and the food to the right).

Eric had a leg of duck, which was served on a bed of potatoes (bottom right).  I had a small steak in gorgonzola sauce (which was delicious!) and a side of fries (middle right).  And, of course, no French meal is complete without some bread and wine!

After dinner, we picked up a few snacks and went back to our hotel.  And, since I haven't posted the pictures of our Paris hotel room yet, I'll throw those in here as well.  (And yes, that is a bidet in the bathroom.  I wasn't brave enough to try it, but Eric said he tried it once.  When I asked him how it was he said, "I think it requires some practice to do it right.  I'd do it again."  Maybe I shouldn't have asked.)

The biggest image is the view from our room.  I wish we'd been on the other side of the hotel because those rooms had views of the Eiffel Tower, but oh well.

Our delicious after dinner snacks: a pistachio and white chocolate chip cookie, macarons, and hot chocolate.  Everything was so good!

Before I end my recap, I just have to share one last picture.  I took this from our hotel room window to remember why I will never attempt to drive in Paris:

Crazy!

In case you can't see it that well, there are no designated lanes on the road in that clusterfuck of a circle.  (There are also no designated lanes in the circular area surrounding the Arc de Triomphe.)  I find that terrifying!

Everyone has asked me what my favorite part of the trip was, and I honestly never know what to tell them.  I enjoyed every city we visited, and would love to spend more time in each of them.  After writing these recaps and looking through my pictures again, though, I think I'd have to say that Paris was probably my favorite city.  (It was Eric's favorite too, in case anyone was wondering.)

I'm so glad that Eric and I were able to take this trip.  It was so much fun, and I know we'd both go back in a heartbeat!  I'm really hoping we'll be able to take some sort of anniversary trip next year as well (though I know that realistically it won't be another extended vacation like this one).  A girl can dream, though!

December: Challenging Myself to Simplify Things (At Least a Little!)

Image provided by Unsplash (unsplash.com) and edited by me.

I didn't think it would be that difficult to come up with at least one goal to simplify my life this month, but it was.  There are some obligations that I just can't say no to, gym classes I actually want to attend, and slightly more complex recipes I want to try.  Additionally, some of the things a normal person might be able to do to simplify his/her life during the holidays (like cutting back on some of the decorations) don't really apply.  I know we're going to sound like complete Scrooges, but Eric and I don't decorate our place for Christmas.  At all.

So I'm not exaggerating when I say it was really tough to come up with a way to simplify things this month.  (But I guess that's why it's a "challenge.")  After some thought, I've settled on a goal for December that's definitely doable.

My December 2014 "Making Things Easier on Myself" Goal:

We don't send Christmas cards out every year, but we have in the past.  I initially thought about doing it this year, but now that Christmas is quickly approaching, I'm not really into it.  If I take the time to send out a card, I like to also take the time to write a heartfelt message.  This year I just don't feel like I have the time or the energy to write the type of message I'd want, and I refuse to send out a bunch of generic "Happy Holidays" cards.  (No offense to those who do that ... It's just not the way I like to do things.)  So this year there will be no Christmas cards sent out.  Maybe next year!

My goal this month is probably kind of a cop out, but whatever.  It's something I can happily stick with that will reduce at least some of the stress that goes along with the holidays!

Monthly Personal Challenge Link-up: November Results

It's the first Thursday of the month, so it's time to share the results of my November organization challenge.  If you've been reading my blog lately you probably already know that I spent a good portion of November traveling.  Because of the extended time away from home, I kept my goals for November simple.

To recap, my original goals were as follows:

1.  Create (and stick to!) a posting schedule for this blog.

2.  Claim my blog on Bloglovin.

Pretty simple, right?  Well, here's how I did:

1.  I started adding post ideas to a schedule in a note on my iPhone.  I like keeping the schedule on my phone because I rarely go anywhere without it.  This obviously makes it easy for me to add new post ideas as I think of them regardless of where I am.  So far I've been able to come up with quite a few ideas for future posts and have been doing well with sticking to the posting schedule.  I actually have a schedule made up that will take me through mid-January, which is really nice.  No more sitting in front of the computer staring at a blank screen in hopes that maybe some inspiration will strike.  (I mean, I guess that could still happen, but it hasn't lately!)

2.  I haven't claimed my blog yet.  I kept thinking about it, but for some reason I just never did.  That changes today!  I'm adding the required link in this post, so if you're a Bloglovin user, please follow me so I don't look like a sad, pathetic blogger with 0 followers!

As I said, I kept my goals short and simple for November.  And, since the month of December can get pretty hectic with all of the holiday get-togethers, I'm going to try to keep my goals for the upcoming month simple as well (which is funny, since the theme for December's personal challenge is all about simplifying).  This might be a tough one for me, though.  Stay tuned for my post on those goals tomorrow!

Tasty Tuesday: Spicy Thai Beef Rice Bowl

I hate to admit this because it makes me sound so shallow (and maybe also a little crazy since I'm using the word "obsessing" and I'm not even exaggerating), but lately I've been obsessing over losing weight.  I know this isn't exactly the best time of year to decide I need to drop considerable weight (hello, holiday meals!), but I'm still trying.

That being said, I've been trying to find some healthier options for dinner that actually still taste good.  Healthy food isn't all bad, of course, but sometimes cutting calories can mean cutting taste (and that's just not an option in this house!).  Thankfully, there are great blogs out there like Skinnytaste that make finding flavorful healthy recipes much easier.

Today's recipe is a slightly adapted version of something I found on Skinnytaste, and I'm happy to say that it did not disappoint!

This is so nerdy, but I love the way colorful meals like this photograph!

Spicy Thai Beef Rice Bowl

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Skinnytaste.


Ingredient List:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 cups Jasmine rice
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup white onion, diced
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 1 lime
• 1 package frozen broccoli florets (They don't have to be completely thawed, but I wouldn't toss them straight into the skillet from the freezer)
• 3 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic (or, if you're lazy like me, the equivalent of jarred, pre-minced garlic)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp chili garlic paste
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, divided
• 1 tbsp Sriracha
• 1 tsp fish sauce

A bowl of healthy deliciousness (and that's actually a word, I promise!).

Instructions:

1.  Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, breaking it up as it cooks.

2.  Add the white onion to the meat and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.

3.  Add the garlic, green onions, red bell pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, ginger, chili garlic paste, curry powder, Sriracha, and 1 tbsp of the soy sauce to the meat and onions.  Stir the mixture and cook for approximately 5 minutes.

4.  Add the broccoli, Jasmine rice, water, fish sauce, and remaining 1 tbsp of the soy sauce.  Stir to combine, then squeeze in the juice from the lime and stir again.

5.  Bring the mixture to a boil, allowing some of the liquid to cook off.

6.  Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes (or until the rice is fully cooked and the liquid has completely evaporated).  Make sure you stir the mixture occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the skillet!

Not only was this dish delicious, it was also simple to put together.  In addition, it's a complete meal in one bowl so you don't even have to make any sides (unless you want to, of course).  And, if you're looking for a great new way to utilize ground beef in your cooking, this is perfect.  (Eric and I recently bought around 100 lbs of beef from his cousins who own a farm in western Nebraska, and about half of that is ground beef ... So trust me when I say that I need to find some new and interesting ways to use ground beef in my cooking!)

The Late Honeymoon/One Year Anniversary Recap Part 3: Brussels and Bruges

I can't believe I'm already on the third part of my late honeymoon/one year anniversary trip recap!  While these posts take a while to write (mostly because I'm not that efficient when it comes to editing pictures), I've enjoyed sharing my pictures and experiences on this blog.  Hopefully those of you reading this have enjoyed these posts as well.

Today I'll be covering our time in Belgium.



Our time in Belgium began with a trip to Brussels.  First on the agenda: the Atomium.

Not the most attractive picture of either of us, but it's better than the other ones we took in front of the Atomium!

We then checked out The Grand Place, or the main square in Brussels.  We took tons of pictures of the buildings because they were gorgeous, but I won't post all of them.  (I mean, I doubt anyone really wants to see that many pictures of the same few buildings!)

I know the pictures of Eric and me are really tiny, but I wanted to show off the buildings in the background.

The first two pictures were taken on the drive in to The Grand Place.

Awwww.  (I know some people hate pictures of people kissing, but whatever.  I don't!)

We also checked out the infamous Manneken Pis.  I would have liked a picture of us in front of it, but there were just too many people around it.  Oh well.

We took a few pictures and this one was the best (a.k.a. there weren't a bunch of random people in the shot).

We weren't in Brussels for very long (just the afternoon), but thankfully we were there long enough to grab a delicious (and oh-so-healthy!) lunch of waffines filled with dark Belgian chocolate.

I'm not kidding when I say that the streets smelled like delicious waffles, chocolate, and fries.  It was amazing!

After our afternoon in Brussels, we traveled to Bruges.  We spent a lot of time walking around the city.  Once again, we took a ton of pictures of the beautiful buildings and scenery, but I'm only posting a few of my favorites.

I don't want to sound conceited (and, to be fair, Eric and I both took some of these pictures), but I think this looks like it could be a postcard.

Up the nose shots are always sexy.

Seriously ... This city was beyond gorgeous!

I also had to include a few shots of the area at night (and, of course, another one of us).

Here's a great picture of Eric:

Hopefully you can see the Marilyn Monroe mannequin in the window (otherwise this picture wouldn't really make much sense).

Here's my pathetic attempt at a fashion blogger pose:

If you ever wanted proof that I could never be a fashion blogger, here it is.  I mean, where is my hand?  You'd think I would have pushed my jacket sleeve back for the picture, but no ... I didn't even realize it turned out this way until I was editing.  Major fail.

As with all of the other parts of our trip, I took pictures of our hotel room:

Eric and I were really surprised by how modern our hotel was (considering what the rest of the city looked like).

And, of course, pictures of us in front of the hotel:

My jacket sleeve seemed to cover my hand a lot during this trip.  Oh well.

We also had to get some goofy pictures in this funky chair in the reception area because, well, why not?

Yes, we're actually this silly in real life.

We also had a delicious meal of more traditional Belgian fare:

The meal came with a large bowl of fries to share with your table.  We also had an appetizer of mussels in cream sauce, beer braised beef stew, a hazelnut/chocolate/ice cream dessert, and (of course!) some Belgian beer.  It was a delicious meal!

This is a picture of the dining room we ate in.  It was really nice and intimate.

Oh, and then we had more beer because you can't go to Belgium without drinking tons of beer!

The stores there are crazy ... That's just one wall of beer!  The bottom picture was taken in our hotel room after we drank a few beers.

And finally, the many faces of Eric in Bruges:

Cute, right?

Belgium is such a stunning country (which is why this post is mostly filled with pictures and very little writing).  And any place that loves waffles, chocolate, beer, and fries that much is awesome in my book!

We only spent about a day and a half in Belgium (which is why we're wearing the same clothes in most of these pictures), but we managed to get quite a few great pictures and see a lot of cool shit.