Tasty Tuesday: The Top 15 Divulge and Indulge Favorites From 2015

I should probably start this post by clarifying that these are my personal favorite recipes. And, to be perfectly honest, it was difficult to narrow it down to just fifteen. (I have no idea how I managed to make a very simple "Top Five" recipe list last year!)

I made things a little easier on myself by only including recipes I tried for the first time in 2015. Although I'd love to put something like Arni Giouvetsi or Tortellini Soup on the list, these are things I've been making for a long time ... So I felt they didn't accurately represent the "Best of 2015."

I also tried to only include recipes that I've made over and over (or that I plan to make over and over in the future!). For me, these were the true winners of 2015.



1. Sausage, Onion, Pepper, and Tomato Frittata

This, along with potatoes and mimosas, has become our "official" New Year's Day brunch meal. It may not be the healthiest way to start the new year, but it's worth every calorie.

2. One Pot Turkey Kielbasa Dirty Rice

I love one pot meals (trust me, there will be several of these on this list!), and this is no exception. Slightly spicy, slightly smoky, slightly healthy, and very easy, this is one of my favorite quick weeknight dinners.

3. Zesty One Pot Lemon Chicken Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Artichokes

This recipe really surprised me. I honestly didn't have very high hopes for it, but it wound up becoming one of my favorite new pasta dishes.

4. Grilled Steaks with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce and Red Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This is a completely decadent meal that's perfect for a special occasion. I'd love to have it all the time, but I'd probably gain about 500 pounds.

5. Chorizo Potato Enchiladas with Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce

I'm proud to say that this something I came up with on my own. I used a sauce I already knew how to make, but I didn't use a recipe for the overall meal. The result was even better than I initially hoped!

6. Lemon Herb Roasted Potatoes

This is the only side dish to make this list. I was so excited when I first made these because they were almost identical to the potatoes Eric and I get at our favorite Greek restaurant (and man, do I love those potatoes!).

7. One Pot Tortellini with Italian Sausage in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Sometimes the simplest ingredients can combine to make the best meals, and this is a perfect example. Cheesy, creamy, and super easy, this was, without question, one of my favorite one pot dinners in 2015.

8. Tex-Mex Mini Meatloaves

I combined two recipes to make these mini meatloaves, and the result was fantastic. They're spicy and smoky and will melt in your mouth. What else could you possibly ask for?

9. Crockpot BBQ Chicken Chili Mac

This meal quickly became a favorite in our house. It's a crockpot meal, so it's obviously pretty simple, and the combination of Tex-Mex and BBQ flavors is awesome.

10. Chicken Veggie Avocado Rice Bowl

This is another meal I created without the help of a recipe. It's probably one of the simplest recipes I've ever posted, but it has become a staple in our house. There's no way I was leaving it off this list!

11. Caesar Crusted Salmon

We try to have salmon fairly often, and this is by far our favorite way to make it. If you don't typically cook fish at home but think you might want to try it, don't feel intimidated ... This recipe is super simple!

12. One Pot Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice

I thought I'd probably enjoy this meal, but I had no idea I'd love it. This has become one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken and rice!

13. Steak Penne with Caramelized Onions

This is one of the most unique meals I made all year, and it was amazing. It took a bit of time and effort, but it was totally worth it.

14. Red Curry Lentils with Coconut Jasmine Rice

Eric and I are both huge fans of curry, and this recipe was a big hit. I'd never cooked with lentils before, so this took me a little out of my comfort zone. I'm so glad I tried it, though ... It's delicious and definitely one of the best vegetarian meals I've ever made!

15. Crockpot Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta

This is another indulgent recipe that I can't make all the time (I wish!). If you're willing to splurge on some extra calories, though, you should definitely give this dish a try.

I tried a lot of really amazing recipes in 2015, and I'm looking forward to trying many more this year!

My Favorite Books of 2015 (a.k.a. The Year I Finally Hit My 50 Book Goal!)

I wanted to link up the day this bonus edition of Show Us Your Books! with Steph and Jana went live, but, as some of you know by now, getting stuck in Chicago for two days derailed any plans I had for writing blog posts (or doing anything productive, really).

When it comes to reading, 2015 was a huge year for me. I'd been saying I would read 50 books in a year for at least 10 years, but I never managed to hit my goal. But last year? 59 books! I still can't believe I not only met my goal, but exceeded it. (It even inspired me to set my goal a little higher this year at 60 books!)

Because I read so much last year, I came across my share of amazing books (and a few duds). It took some time for me to narrow down my favorites, and I put a lot of thought into it.

The books I chose for this list aren't necessarily the books I rated 5 stars on Goodreads. While several of these would definitely fall under that category, I tried to pick books I'd recommend to others with little to no hesitation. (I say little hesitation because, let's face it, I read some pretty fucked up books sometimes, and I realize that some things just aren't for everyone).

I also tried to pick the books that stuck with me long after I turned the last page, whether it was because they made me see things in a new way, brought a lot of emotions to the surface, or were just that good.

These books are listed in the order in which they were read. If you click the link in the title, you'll be taken to my original review.



1. The End of Everything by Megan Abbott

This was the first book I read in 2015, and, after feeling stuck in a reading rut for several years, I credit The End of Everything for reigniting my passion for reading. This is one of those "not for everyone" books: a 13-year-old girl is abducted by a much older man, and her best friend is left to try to piece together exactly what happened and why. But, while it could be disturbing at times, it was a beautifully written story.

2. The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger

I occasionally reread books I really enjoyed, but I'm often disappointed the second time around. It says a lot, then, that I loved The Contortionist's Handbook just as much last year as I did when I read it about 8 years prior. The main character is a master of forgery who constantly needs to reinvent himself in order to escape mental institutions and legal authorities, and the story completely sucks you in from page one.

3. The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld

If you're looking for a lighthearted, feel good kind of book, The Enchanted is not it. This book was heartbreaking and beautiful and tragic and horrifying. Set in a prison (more specifically, death row), the story is told from the point of view of a nameless, mute death row inmate who seems to see and know everything that goes on within the walls of the prison. I've never read anything quite like it.

4. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

When I dread going into work because I don't want to put a book down for 8 hours, I'm clearly really into it. It definitely lived up to the hype for me, and I loved that I wasn't able to completely figure everything out before it was revealed. (I love when an author can surprise me with his/her plot twists!) I think most people have probably read this book already, but if you haven't, you should.

5. White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

This book had been on my "To Read" list for years, and I'm so glad I finally took the time to read it. The unconventional writing style may not be for everyone, but I thought it was almost poetic. Haunting, heartbreaking, and, at times, unsettling, White is for Witching tackles themes of family relationships, fear, alienation, and race (among others). It's not an "easy" read, but it's fantastic.

6. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

I haven't gotten around to reading everyone else's "Best Of" lists for 2015 yet, but I'm about 99.99% sure this book has popped up on a ton of them. It's just such a great story about first love and second chances featuring damaged yet realistic characters that you really fall in love with. I didn't expect to be hit so hard emotionally with this book, but I was a sobbing mess by the time I reached the end. I've been recommending this book to tons of people in real life, and, if you haven't read it already, I'd recommend it to you as well.

7. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

This powerful, beautifully written story of a family living in small town Ohio in the 1970s was yet another book that reduced me to tears. The characters were all dealing with some major issues, but it never felt over-the-top. Instead, Everything I Never Told You felt very real ... And it was brilliant. I loved everything about this book.

I tried to be very selective with my choices, so I left off quite a few books that I really enjoyed but wouldn't necessarily list as my absolute favorites of the year. I decided to make a quick list of the books I thought were really awesome, but not quite good enough to make the final cut.

Again, these are listed in the order in which I read them, and the link in the title will take you to my original review.



1. Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon

2. The Poison Tree by Erin Kelly

3. The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

4. A Pleasure and a Calling by Phil Hogan

5. Summer House With Swimming Pool by Herman Koch

6. You by Caroline Kepnes

7. The Kingdom of Childhood by Rebecca Coleman

8. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

9. Girl Defective by Simmone Howell

10. The Man From Primrose Lane by James Renner

11. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (review coming soon)

Book Challenge By Erin 4.0 Picks

When Erin announced her Book Challenge by Erin 4.0 categories at the beginning of December, I immediately started thinking about which books from my ever growing "To Read" list I could use.

And then, like many other things blog related, it took a backseat. Between busy days at work, Christmas shopping, in-law family holiday events, and traveling to spend Christmas with my family in West Virginia, I stopped devoting a lot of time to my blog. As a result, my list for this book challenge was never quite finished.

So today I've finally taken the time to finish and post my list.



1. A Book, Any Book, That Is At Least 200 Pages Long - 5 pts

This was obviously the easiest category (which is probably why it's only worth 5 points), but, as any book lover knows, these "easy" categories can be deceiving. I mean, how could I possibly choose just one book to fulfill this requirement? In the end, I let the library choose for me: a book I'd literally been waiting for for months finally became available! I may be late to the game, but I'm finally going to read it (and, at 369 pages, it more than satisfies the 200 page requirement)!

My pick: The Martian by Andy Weir

2. A Book That Begins With The Letter "D" - 10 pts

There were several books on my "To Read" list that would be perfect for this category, so I chose one that both Erin and Jana highly recommended.

My pick: Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg

3. A Book With A Four Word Title - 10 pts

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you've probably already figured out that I'm a little weird and quirky about certain things. A perfect example of this would be my choice for this category. I knew I could probably use a book with "a," "and," or "the" in the title, but I really wanted to pick a title that didn't use any of those words and still fulfilled the four word requirement.

My pick: What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman

4. A Book With "Mother," "Father," "Son," "Daughter," Or "Child" In The Title (Or The Plural Of These Words) - 15 pts

I've enjoyed some historical fiction in the past, but it's not a genre I usually go out of my way to pick up (especially if the story takes place hundreds of years ago, as is the case with the book I chose for this category). However, if a book sounds intriguing, I'll read it regardless of genre. Several months ago, I found this book on Goodreads, and, despite the mixed reviews, I added it to my "To Read" list. I may regret choosing it since it's a little over 500 pages long, but I guess that will just add to the "challenge" aspect.

My pick: The Bloodletter's Daughter by Linda Lafferty

5. A Book From Amazon's "Most Popular Authors" List (And The Author Must Be New To Me) - 20 pts

I searched through the entire list, and there were a ton of authors I'd never even heard of. However, I decided to go with an author I've heard of but never read in an effort to cross off another book from my "To Read" list. (And I couldn't resist adding this one since everyone has been raving about it!) As I'm writing this, Kristin Hannah is number 33 on the list.

My pick: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

6. A Book Set In Any Country In Asia - 20 pts

After reading Out earlier this year (the review can be found here, if you're interested), I was eager to read more of Natsuo Kirino's work. And, since her novels take place in Japan, this category gave me the perfect excuse to pick up another of her books.

My pick: Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino

7. A Book With A Season ("Winter," "Spring," "Summer," Or "Autumn"/"Fall") In The Title - 25 pts

Since I'm starting this challenge in the winter, I thought it fitting to choose a book with "winter" in the title. There were a few books on my "To Read" list that would work, but I chose a book that has been on my list for a long time and was readily available at my library.

My pick: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

8. A Book That Will Make Me Laugh From This Buzzfeed List - 30 pts

I've already read a few of the books that made this list, but I was happy to find a book from my "To Read" list on there as well. Hey, the more books I can knock off my 'To Read" list, the better! (Though it's not like it won't constantly be adding to it throughout the year!)

My pick: This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

9. A Book That Is A Friend Or Family Member's Favorite (Or The Favorite Book Of Another Challenge Participant) - 30 pts

I asked a few people in my life which books they'd consider to be "favorites," but I had to ultimately choose a book I actually thought I might enjoy. (Otherwise I knew I'd never finish this challenge!) The book I chose is one of Allison's (a close friend of mine since the first grade) favorites.

My pick: The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

10. A Book Published The Year I Was Born - 35 pts

1984 was a surprisingly dismal year for literature. (At least in my opinion.) When I was searching Goodreads for a book for this category, I realized I've already read most (if not all) of the books published that year that I think I would actually enjoy. I wound up choosing a book I'd never heard of (though it's apparently very famous). I have no idea if I'll like it, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

My pick: Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney

Hopefully I can manage to complete this challenge and the Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge. Wish me luck ... I seriously need to finish 8 books by the end of the month in order to complete the Semi-Charmed challenge, and, for me, that's a lot!

Final Results: New Year's Resolutions 2015

Last night I finally got my blogging shit together enough to share my New Year's resolutions for 2016. However, I neglected to share my final results for my 2015 resolutions. I had some time to work on my post today, though, and, since this is probably a boring post for most people, I decided it was totally fine to post it on a Saturday.

Health/Fitness Goals Final Results:

1. Continue going to yoga classes at least 2-3 times per week. 

PASS. While my attendance was spotty at times, I at least tried to supplement with videos at home if I couldn't make it to the gym. I also skipped a few weeks due to travel, sickness, and/or just being too busy. But, for the most part, I stuck with it.

2. Work out at least 3-4 times per week.

FAIL. By the end of the year, it was more like twice a week (if that), so I can't really give myself a pass. I spent several months working out 3-4 times each week, though, and I felt so good. I'm hoping I can be more consistent with this goal in 2016.

3. Lose weight.

PASS/FAIL. I spent the year going up and down in weight. (Probably because I wasn't incredibly diligent with my workouts.) I ended 2015 a little heavier than I would like to be, so I'm hoping that (along with my more specific weight loss goal for 2016) will inspire me to make healthier choices.

4. Continue utilizing MyFitnessPal to track my exercise and caloric intake each day.

FAIL. I think MyFitnessPal is a great tool, but I find it really hard to commit to updating it every day. I don't know why, but sometimes it feels like it just takes too damn long to enter everything. (I'm clearly not the most patient person.) I almost made this a goal again this year, but I knew I'd never stick with it.

Reading/Creative Writing Goals Final Results:

1. Read 50 books.

PASS. I actually exceeded this goal with a total of 59 books for the year! I'm still in shock that I managed to read so much in 2015.

2. Write creatively at least once a week.

FAIL. This is one goal that I really regret failing. I've always loved writing, but I just don't make time for creative writing anymore. While I'm often writing posts for this blog, it's not the same as true creative writing. I considered making this one of my New Year's resolutions for this year as well, but I was worried I wouldn't be able to find enough time for it. I also didn't want to force myself to write ... I really just want to write because I want to, not because I feel like I should.

Financial Goals Final Results:

1. Continue putting money in savings every month.

PASS. I didn't save as aggressively as I initially wanted due to some unexpected expenses throughout the year, but I put back as much as I could each month.

2. Become (mostly) debt free.

PASS. I'm giving myself a pass just because I got most of my cards paid off. Those damn unexpected expenses set me back a bit, but I'm confident I'll get the last card paid off early this year. (I really don't owe much more.) I'm also pretty sure I'll be able to pay off my car this year as well, and that would be awesome!

3. Use Swagbucks more often.

PASS. I've been able to pretty consistently earn Swagbucks, and I was even able to use some of my earnings toward a plane ticket to spend Christmas with my family! I'm planning to continue using it as much as possible in 2016.

Food Goals Final Results:

1. Create at least 3 original recipes.

PASS. I'm really proud of myself for sticking with (and exceeding) this goal! Creating my own recipes still doesn't come easily, but it's starting to get a little easier. I'm planning to post my favorite recipes of 2015 next week and I'm sure some of these will make it onto the list, but in the meantime, here are the recipes I came up with this year:

Chorizo Potato Enchiladas with Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce
Herb Butter Rice
Sweet and Spicy Salmon
Chicken Veggie Avocado Rice Bowl
Chorizo Breakfast Enchilada Stack
Simple Vegetarian Pasta with Garlic Butter Sauce
Turkey BBQ Ranch Rice Bowls

These recipes aren't fancy or difficult, but they were all delicious.

2. Bake a little more often.

FAIL. I didn't have high hopes for this one, and I was right to feel that way. I didn't make this one of my 2016 New Year's resolutions, but I do eventually want to start baking a little more since I'd actually like to get better at it.

3. Try at least 12 new (to us) restaurants.

PASS. I haven't finished writing all of my reviews (like I said yesterday, I've been really behind on all things blog), but Eric and I definitely hit this goal.

Blogging Goals Final Results:

1. Work on a blog schedule and really try to stick with it.

FAIL. I really wanted to stick with this goal, but I didn't. I think it's important to have a blog schedule, though, so this made it onto my list of resolutions for 2016.

2. Participate in more link-ups.

PASS. I really love interacting with other bloggers, and link-ups are perfect for that. They're also a great way to find new and interesting blogs (and, of course, attract new readers to my blog!). I plan to continue participating in link-ups, but I didn't make it one of my "official" 2016 goals.

3. Comment more often.

PASS. I'll admit that I've been terrible lately and haven't been reading/commenting on blogs, but, for the most part, I've been commenting more frequently. I'm going to try to work the reading/commenting part into my blogging schedule for 2016 because it's something I really enjoy but often find myself neglecting due to lack of time (or perhaps just my poor blogging time management skills).

4. Invest in Divulge and Indulge.

PASS. I didn't do a lot, but I purchased a premade template and took the time to move my blog from Wordpress.com to Blogger. I would like to continue working on making this blog better, but, since one of my goals this year is to be a little more frugal, I'm not planning to spend a lot of money on it any time soon. I may use my Swagbucks earnings toward a new design at some point later this year, but I need to think about what I'd like to do a little more before making any major changes.

5. Make a new "About Me" page.

PASS. I should probably update it again this year, but I do like the way my current "About Me" page looks. (Not to mention the fact that it took me a while to come up with what I wanted to say!)

6. Work on my social media presence.

PASS/FAIL. I've been using Instagram and Goodreads a lot more recently (if you're not already following me and would like to, you can find the links under my picture at the top right). I may never use Twitter (though I guess I should never say never!), and I highly doubt I'll join any additional social media sites because I know I won't be able to keep up with them. I would like to work on my Pinterest account, though. I didn't make this one of my New Year's resolutions this year, but I think I've been neglecting it long enough.

Overall, I think I did a pretty decent job with my 2015 resolutions. I didn't stick with all of them (though I knew I probably wouldn't), but I exceeded a few of them ... So it probably evens out.

New Year's Resolutions for 2016

I'm officially very behind on all things blog. I'm going to periodically be working on getting at least somewhat caught up this weekend, but I have a lot of other things I need/want to do as well ... So we'll see how much I actually accomplish.

I originally wanted to post my 2016 New Year's resolutions yesterday before Eric and I headed out to dinner, but I ran out of time. I think that actually worked out well for me, though, since it gave me a little extra time to think about the things I'd like to work on and achieve this year.

I know that a lot of people think it's silly or stupid to make New Year's resolutions. And I get it ... It's just a new year. Nothing really changes between 11:59 p.m. December 31st and 12:00 a.m. January 1st.

But I like making goals, and I like achieving them. For me, New Year's resolutions are simply goals I plan to spend the next 365 days working toward. Even though I probably won't achieve all of them (I never do), I like taking the time to reflect on things I'd like to change, skills I'd like to work on, and personal challenges I'd like to take on.


1. Continue practicing yoga regularly (at least 2-3 times each week).

I admittedly fell off the wagon a bit by the end of 2015, but it's one of my favorite ways to exercise. I even wrote a post last year detailing why you should stick with your "practice yoga" New Year's resolution (if that is, in fact, one of your goals for the new year). Clearly I think yoga is pretty awesome.

2. Organize and stick with a workout schedule.

Ideally I'll be working out 3-4 times each week, but I need to figure out what's going to work best for me (and that might change from month to month). I feel best when I'm working out regularly, so I need to take the time to create a schedule that's easy to stick with.

3. Lose 15-20 pounds.

I'll be honest and say that "lose weight" is on my list of resolutions every year. (I know, I know ... So original.) Last year I just made a more generic "lose weight" goal. And while that was fine and I did lose weight (though I've unfortunately managed to pack it back on over the last couple of months), I wanted to make a more concrete goal this year. I know this probably sounds like a lot of weight (and, for a very short person like myself, it is), but it's still a realistic amount. If I lost 16 pounds, I'd weigh what I did at my wedding in 2013.

4. Read 60 books.

After making a 50 book goal for myself for 10 years, I finally accomplished it in 2015! Not only did I accomplish my goal, I crushed it with 59 books! This year I've decided to increase my goal to 60. I'm going to be incredibly impressed with myself if I can exceed this one!

5.  Create and stick with a weekly meal plan.

This is something I say I'm going to do all the time, but I never do. In an effort to eat healthier, waste less, and save some money, I'm going to do my best to stick with this goal.

6.  Hit at least my first daily goal on Swagbucks every day.

I will make an exception for this goal and say that I don't expect to hit my daily goal every day if I'm traveling, but otherwise I should be able to easily accomplish this. I've been using Swagbucks a lot lately, and I think it will be nice to continue making some easy extra cash to contribute to our savings and/or to use as "fun" money.

7.  Get more organized.

I used to be an incredibly organized person, but I've noticed a steady decline over the last few years. Most of the time this isn't a huge deal, but lately I've been more and more annoyed with my lack of organization. I've thankfully been able to stay pretty organized at work, but at home? Not so much.

8.  Work on a blogging schedule and stick with it.

This is another one of those things I always say I'm going to do, but never actually do. While blogging is just a hobby for me (as opposed to a source of income), I enjoy it most when I'm consistently participating in all aspects: writing posts, reading other blogs, commenting on posts, responding to comments, participating in link-ups, etc. Creating and sticking with a schedule should (hopefully!) help me stay on top of things and get more out of it.

9.  Work with Eric on smaller monthly goals.

I typically make monthly goals (though I didn't post my November results because I didn't stick with my goals at all and I didn't even bother making any for December), but Eric has never done this. We both have a lot of things we'd like to do throughout the year, but we also both know we'll need to break some of these goals into smaller segments in order to effectively complete them. We talked about this a lot while we were stranded in Chicago (it's not like we had anything better to do!), and we agreed that we would work together at the beginning of each month to come up with smaller goals for the month and then post them on the fridge so we have to look at them every day. We're both hoping this will keep us on track.

10. Be more frugal.

I don't think I spend freely all the time, but I'm definitely the type of person who will stop by a coffee shop for a $5 latte while running errands or spend $50 more when I'm ordering stuff online just so I qualify for free shipping. While I don't think it's gotten completely out of hand, I do have several more personal financial goals that I won't be posting here ... And the only way to achieve those goals is to save more and spend less. I'm not saying I can never stop for a coffee or buy something fun for myself because that's too restrictive and I could never stick with that. What I am saying is that I need to be a little more aware of my spending and saving habits.

On January 1, the new year stretches before me like a blank book, ready to be filled with new stories and adventures, triumphs and failures. Yes, nothing has really changed between 11:59 p.m. December 31st and 12:00 a.m. January 1st ... But that doesn't mean I can't try to make positive changes, learn some new things, and challenge myself to be better and do more during the next 365 days.

Wish me luck!

Two Nights Stuck in Chicago, a Bunch of Cancelled Flights, and a Rental Car: A True Story of Travel Hell

As several of you may have seen via Instagram, Eric and I had a pretty hellish trip home.

We actually had some trouble on the way to West Virginia as well, but, even though we lost an entire day, it still wasn't as bad as our trip home. (We found out we wouldn't be able to get a flight in due to multiple delays and cancellations while we were still in Omaha. We were able to get placed on another flight out the next afternoon, and then we just went home. Not an ideal start to the trip, but not the end of the world.)

The way back, though? Oh my God. Awful doesn't even begin to describe it!

Our first flight was delayed, and we knew there was absolutely no way we'd make our connection. We worked with someone at the ticket counter, and we somehow managed to get the last two available seats on the last flight from Chicago to Omaha that night.

We thought we were so lucky ... Until our flight to Chicago kept getting delayed. After about 5 hours of waiting for an aircraft, we finally boarded and set off for Chicago. Unfortunately, we would no longer be able to make our later flight to Omaha, so we had to get placed on yet another flight early the next afternoon.

We were obviously not too happy with the situation, but there wasn't anything we could do. We just decided to suck it up and sleep in the airport that night. (I can now say I've slept in an airport 3 times in my life, and it's just as horrible as it sounds.) We didn't get much sleep that night, but we were kind of like "Whatever!" at that point ... We just wanted to get home.

Our first flight out was delayed several times and then cancelled, but we managed to get seats on another flight a little later that afternoon. At that point we weren't too optimistic.

It's a good thing we weren't really expecting to get out of Chicago because they cancelled every single flight going out on Monday due to weather.

We obviously weren't going to rough it in the airport for yet another night, so we managed to get a pretty inexpensive (yet nice!) hotel in the immediate area with a free shuttle to and from the airport. (I also obviously had to take a picture of the sink in our bathroom because I thought it was really cool. I know, I know ... I'm a dork.)

Before leaving the airport, we secured seats on the first available flight the next day. That flight didn't leave until 8:00 p.m. and it was a flight to Lincoln ... So obviously not ideal at all. (If you're not familiar with my area, the Lincoln airport is about an hour from the Omaha airport. Our checked luggage had supposedly made it to Omaha, so we needed to go to that airport to pick it up and to get Eric's car.)

We rented a car, and thankfully Hertz worked with us and got us the best possible deal. (Apparently getting a rental car for a one way trip can cost up to $150 from some rental companies. Seriously ... We were quoted $150 from one place at the Lincoln airport and we were like, "Are you serious?" They were.)

We drove to the Omaha airport, returned the car, (thankfully!) found and claimed our luggage (I guess it had been sitting there for a couple of days), and went to Eric's car. After he scraped off the snow and ice that had accumulated while we were away, we paid our parking fee and finally set off for home.

Words can't even begin to describe how ecstatic we both were to get home. I've never been so happy to take a shower in my own bathroom and sleep in my own bed.

I didn't go to bed until 1:30 a.m. (and I had to work at 7:00 a.m. this morning), but at least neither of us had to miss yet another day of work.

We've had issues with travel before, but never like this. I wish I'd gotten a better picture, but here is a shot of part of the line for United customer service in O'Hare:

The line extended well beyond that point in both directions. I couldn't even see the end or the beginning. We managed to avoid that line entirely by dealing with gate agents and booking our own hotel, but man ... It was insane.

The one bright point in all of this (besides getting to spend time with my family and friends, of course!) was our experience in the United Club lounge. One of my friends had a couple of passes that were going to expire at the end of this year, and since she wasn't going to take any trips to use them, she mailed them to me to use.

We kept putting it off because our flights kept changing so often that we felt like we needed to be near the gates at all times in order to get booked on something else as quickly as possible. (I have no idea how we managed to avoid going on standby!)

By the end of the trip, we were in full on "fuck it" mode, so we spent our last few hours in O'Hare hanging out, eating complimentary snacks and drinking complimentary beer and wine.

While it didn't change our shitty travel experience, it made things a little better.

I'll probably write a little more about our time in West Virginia at some point (that part of the trip was great!), but I just had to share this story now. When we were leaving the Omaha airport last night I turned to Eric and said, "Well, at least I have something to post on my blog!" (Not that I didn't have a few other end of the year posts in mind. Those will have to come a little later, I guess!)

Mind Dump Monday: Christmas Travels and Other Random Stuff

I can't believe that in just a few short hours, I'll be on my way to West Virginia to spend Christmas with my family. This is the first time I've been back for Christmas since 2008!

Things I'm looking forward to about this trip include: seeing my family and friends (obviously), meeting my friend's new baby for the first time, seeing the Christmas decorations I grew up with (though I'm sure there are some new additions), slightly warmer weather (and no crazy Nebraska winds!), and my mom's potato casserole at Christmas dinner.

Since I'll be away, I probably won't be quite as quick to respond to comments or other emails this week. (Not that I'm really that quick with responses most of the time anyway.)

I've been an incredibly lazy blogger lately. I wanted to have plenty of posts scheduled for this upcoming week (including another New Mexico recap), and I don't. I'm taking my computer with me, but I don't know how much time I'll have for blogging (or if I'll even feel like posting anything while I'm away). I took my computer to New Mexico and didn't open it once, so we'll see if this trip is any different.

I didn't even share my November goal results because I didn't complete any of them, and I didn't bother making December goals because I knew I couldn't make myself stick to any specific goals this month. I usually like making and completing goals, but I just haven't been feeling it the last couple of months.

I've not only been lazy with my own blog, I've also been falling behind on reading other blogs I follow. I've tried several times to get caught up, but then I get busy with/distracted by other shit and fall behind again. I know it's not a huge deal, but I like reading blogs and I like commenting.

I'm actually really looking forward to the start of the new year. I get that I don't have to wait until January 1 to get my shit together, but let's be honest here ... I'm clearly not going to get into a healthy eating/exercise routine while I'm traveling. I'm also not going to be keeping any sort of schedule. It's just too hard to do that while I'm away from home.

I thought about making this post more interesting with pictures and/or GIFs, but I decided that was too much work. (Again, lazy blogger here.) I mostly just needed to take a minute to type some of my random thoughts out before I hop on a plane and head halfway across the country to visit my family.

Happy Holidays!