a special Christmas gift

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we are headed out to spend the holidays in Africa and Europe. I'm sure Africa conjured up all kinds of visions of safaris, but Africa is a unique continent with so much diversity from place to place.

ho ho hold onto your {santa} hats!

Hold onto your santa hats ladies and gentlemen becuase it's going to be a bumpy sleigh ride. I don't know about ya'll, but on top of being the most wonderful time of the year, December is always always always the busiest month of the year around here. As if the holiday festivities and ending yet another year (and another semester) weren't enough to contend with, I go and do crazy things to our schedule. Case in point, later this month, we are headed to AfRICA! Oh, and also visiting Europe along the way because why not? 

what we gave for Christmas 2017

This is the third year in the row that I've decided to share what we gave for Christmas. I much prefer this version to sharing what I got because quite frankly I don't really care what people give me or don't give me for Christmas. 

I get the most joy from what I give to others. And I usually put a lot of time and effort into our Christmas gifts so it's always nice to show off all that hard work.

christmas in iceland…by the numbers

I have lots to share from our trip to Iceland that we took over Thanksgiving. But per usual, December is proving to be the busiest month of year for me. Realistically, I won't have a chance to sit down and edit photos plus write blogs posts until this hectic semester of dental school is over once and for all. 

But I'm bursting with excitement over this experience and have to share even if it's just a little for now. So here's a glimpse of our Christmas trip to Iceland…by the numbers. 

Mexico Road Trip: The Yucatan Peninsula

We're putting the finishing touches on this year's Christmas trip, which got me thinking about last year's trip to Mexico. And while I did share tons from that experience, I never quite got around to linking it all together, so here it is..."the great big everything you need to know to take a road trip around mexico" post. 

Well...maybe not everything you need to know. But at the very least, it includes our itinerary, tips, and budget. 

wonder of the world: chichen itza

With traveling to Mexico, there was absolutely no way that we were going to miss out on visiting Chichen Itza. NONE. It's a modern wonder of the world for goodness sake. It's also a UNESCO world heritage site. So if that's not a clue to how spectacular this place is, then maybe you're just not paying enough attention. But, with this being such a popular site to visit, I thought I'd share a few of our tips for managing everything, especially since we visited on our own. 

why we skipped the resort stay in Mexico?

When we started telling friends and family that we were headed to Mexico, so many people asked us what resort are you staying at. Everyone seems to fly into Cancun and stay at a resort, so people naturally assumed that we were doing the same. And then I would promptly inform them that no we aren’t staying in a resort, we’re road tripping around Mexico and figuring it out from there. And while we got lots of crazy eyebrow raises, I know that this was the best way for us to travel through Mexico. 

We travel to step outside our comfort zones, to challenge ourselves, and to see a world beyond our own.

And a resort would have been the death of all that. It was definitely nerve-racking and scary to take this on, but it was perfect and wonderful and I don’t regret a thing. So I felt like I had to share our reasoning for why we chose to skip the resort stay in Mexico.

Vibrant Valladolid

While visiting the Yucatan in Mexico, we spent the majority of our time along the coast soaking in those crystal blue waters. But we also took the time to go more inland in order to visit some of the larger Maya Ruins. And while we were there, we made the cute city of Valladolid our home base.

This city surprised us and turned out to be a total show stopper. We had initially planned it just to be a place to rest our heads at night, but each day we found ourselves making excuses to spend as much time as possible exploring this city.

Climbing Coba

Yep, we climbed this! 
Still can't believe we followed in the path of thousands before us by climbing the tallest Maya pyramid in the Yucatan of Mexico. 

Figured that it was a good time to warm things up around this little space by sharing more on our time in Mexico. It was the quickest trip, but we managed to explore several sets of Maya Ruins. While Coba is the least popular of all the ruins we visitied, it was also a favorite of ours, so I thought I'd start the recaps here. 

Coba truly was a city and the paths we walk there today are the original scabe (white roads) that the Maya people followed. Most of the complex has yet to be excavated, which adds to the wonder of this gorgeous place. Because what you can see there just scratches the surface of the world that was once here. 

merry in mexico

I will forever be in love with our holiday tradition of gifting each other an adventure for Christmas. We started doing this years ago right after we got married. While I love giving and receiving all the things at Christmastime, nothing beats creating memories and once in a lifetime experiences that we will have forever. 

Thanksgiving in Tulum

I'm pretty sure that Thanksgiving 2016 is one for the record books! Our Christmas gift to each other this year is a road trip through Mexico. But with December already being so booked up, the timing just worked out better to go over Thanksgiving.

In case you're wondering where Tulum is, it's along the Yucatan Peninsula, an hour and a half South of Cancun. It has the same gorgeous beaches and year round perfect weather that you'll find in places like Cancun or Playa del Carmen. But there are a whole lot less tourists and big resorts. It's definitely got more of a local feel, which is why we fell in love.

the 12 dates of Christmas

Blogmas Day 21

Our Christmas Present 

This weekend Husband and I finished up our Christmas gift to each other and I'm so excited to share what is was. But it wasn't a physical gift at all. In fact, we don't give each other traditional Christmas presents. If you are a regular around here, you already know the reasons we aren't giving each other Christmas gifts. Since we married, it's become our tradition. Instead we gift each other experiences and time together. This will be our 3rd Christmas as a married couple, but it's the first Christmas that we have had the opportunity to spend this much time together. Our school situations have always kept us apart for most of the holiday season, but this year granted us the opportunity to spend the whole of December together. We took complete advantage of this by gifting each other the 12 dates of Christmas…12 holiday-themed dates during the month of December.

For the first date of Christmas, we cut down our own Christmas tree...

This was the first time that I cut down my own tree. And I love that my first experience with this was with Husband for our first date of Christmas!

For the second date of Christmas, we decked the halls 

We decided to keep things simple this year, but by the time we hung the wreath, decorated our tree, and finished our DIY Card Display…it felt like Christmas. When Christmas is over, I'm really going to miss the twinkling lights and the amazing scent of fresh pine every time you walk through the door 

For the third date of Christmas, we had a Paint Nite Date Night

Husband gets 100% of the credit for planning this date all on his own. I love that he knew this is something I would like. Even though he is not the best at crafts, he did it for me. And now we have a set of winter wonderland birch tree wine glasses to show for it. 

For the fourth date of Christmas, we ate Chocolates and drank Cocoa 

We went to one of Boston's best chocolate shops to drink hot cocoa and pick out a few morsels to enjoy. We loved choosing a Christmas box and filling it with treats! Between the gourmet chocolates and the old fashioned candy, this place made quite an impression on us. We have been back twice since our first trip! It's quite addictive. 

For the fifth date of Christmas

we went to the Nutcracker Ballet to Cherish the Moment 

For the sixth date of Christmas, we had a Holiday Dinner at Home 

 I made a special dinner that I had been planning for Husband. We had dijon rosemary pork roast with a vegetable medley. For dessert was this upside down pineapple cranberry cake...another tradition of ours. 

For the seventh date of Christmas, we took Family Photos with Santa 

We loved seeing all the pups in their holiday sweaters. And PJ loves every dog {and human} he encounters. Taking photos has never been so fun!   

For the eighth date of Christmas, we baked cookies together…

For this date, I had planned to keep things simple by baking the cookies myself, then having us decorate them together. But Husband surprised me by saying that he wanted to bake with me. He has a general understanding of what the stand mixer does, but he has never actually used it before. I put him in charge of making this recipe and he did great, plus he had me laughing the whole time! 

For the ninth date of Christmas, we had a dinner date and watched the light show

It's been a warm winter in Boston so far, but we somehow managed to pick the coldest night for this. Totally worth it to walk around Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market right in the center of Boston. We loved seeing the lightshow! And even better, we ended up with the restaurant balcony all to ourselves at dinner. 

There's nothing like an 85ft tree to put you in the Christmas spirit! 

For the tenth date of Christmas, we created a Keepsake Ornament

We have wanted to preserve PJ's paw print for years and we decided to spend a date night doing just that. We were most excited about this kit because it was a "no mess, no mixing, no baking" kit. There was no mixing or baking involved, but there was definitely a mess. I was convinced this would be an epic fail, but the final product turned out pretty great! 

For the eleventh date of Christmas, we took a walk through the park 

Boston Common is our favorite place in the city, but we have never seen it at Christmastime. A secluded midnight walk through the park to see all of the twinkling lights was the perfect impromptu date..it doesn't get any more romantic than this

For the twelfth date of Christmas, we spent the morning ice skating and eating our favorite brunch 

Once again, we headed to our favorite Boston Common. This time we did some outdoor iceskating on Frog Pond. Husband has rollerbladed for years so he is annoyingly good at iceskating while I'm a total klutz, but we still had a blast together. I think we need to go back before the season ends! 

During our relationship, we have spent more time long distance (7 out of 8 years) than we have together. Nothing could be a better gift than spending so much time together. I adore this holiday tradition of ours of not exchanging Christmas presents, but exchanging experiences. This year, the 12 dates of Christmas has been the best thing for us. It got us up and out of the house, exploring our city, and fully enjoying everything that comes with this time of the year. 

Our Christmas Present 2014 
Our Christmas Present 2013

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5 Reasons we aren't Giving each other Christmas Gifts

Blogmas Day 10 

Tis the Season for Gift-Giving! 
Thinking up and giving thoughtful gifts is one of my favorite parts of the holidays, which is why it may come as a surprise that Tom and I don't exchange Christmas gifts with each other. No we aren't pulling a Grinch, we have lots of good reasons for doing this. And they have nothing to do with our hearts being two sizes too small. It's a tradition that we started our first year of marriage and it's one that I know we will continue in the future...

It Takes the Pressure Off 

Every year, Husband timidly approaches me to ask if we are giving each other presents. And every year my response is always the same "No, not unless you want to". His reaction is always overwhelming relief. With the holidays, we already have so many friends and family members that we are in search of the perfect present for. Removing ourselves from that equation lightens things a bit and helps to create a stress-free holiday season.   

Saves Money 

We didn't institute this tradition purely to save money, but it has been a nice benefit. The last time Husband and I exchanged Christmas gifts with each other was a few years ago. I spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Plus, he spent the same on me. That's over a thousand dollars. Spent on what? Because I can't for the life of me remember what the heck I gave him. And when I asked Husband what he gave me for Christmas all those years ago, his response was a blank stare. I think it's safe to say that he doesn't remember either. It was mostly just us buying crap for the sake of it being Christmas. I wanted him to have lots of gifts to open so I bought lots of things. Things that didn't matter. Things that have been forgotten. Things that were a waste of money! 

We Don't Need Anything 

While I can think of plenty of things that I might want, there is nothing that I actually need. If we need anything throughout the year, we simply buy it. Otherwise, I seem to be functioning just fine with the things I already own. If anything, I could probably let a few items go. Thus, any gift that Husband could give me right now would be an extra. We have big financial goals/plans that we don't want to deviate from. So I 1000% do not want any Christmas gifts from my Husband! Is that weird? 

The Replacement Gift 

Now please don't think that we are total Scrooges when it comes to handing out Christmas gifts. We love gifting! We are still exchanging gifts with family and friends. But when it comes to each other, it didn't make sense for us to take money out of our joint account to spend on each other. It felt very much like we were just shuffling our own money around. Instead of adorning each other with expensive clothes and gadgets we don't need, we put that money towards unique date experiences and trips together. Believe it or not, these trips often cost less then buying each other more STUFF would. Plus they are much more memorable. 

It has made us more Purposeful 
In general, Husband and I are moving away from giving gifts in our relationship. Everyone's situation is different. This is just what works for us. We no longer give each other traditional gifts, but focus on spending time together. We find that it has been much more impactful for our relationship and has really improved the holiday season for us. I will be sharing "Our Christmas Present" soon, but for now here are some past Christmas presents we have given to each other 

Our Christmas Present 2014 
Our Christmas Present 2013

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>>>The Wicked Weed!

Blogmas Day 30 

"Hops are a wicked and pernicious weed"

                                                -Henry VIII

While in Asheville for Our Christmas Present, Tom and I decided to check out a local craft brewery that everyone in town seemed to recommend. Go where the locals go right? We definitely consider ourselves "beer snobs", (yes that's a thing) so it takes a bit to impress us, but we loved everything about The Wicked Weed Brewing Company. 


 It's concept is based on Henry VIII's declaration that hops would ruin beer. Regardless of this stance, some brewmasters still sought out to use hops with a "rebel integrity" in order to create a beer for the "untamed palate", something that The Wicked Weed Brewing Company still does today.

Husband and I actually ended up here twice during our short time in Asheville (yes twice), once on a Sunday night and again on a Tuesday afternoon. Not exactly what you would consider peak bar hours but both times, the two story building was packed with a crowd; young and old sharing stories and swigging beers. The vibe of this place just cannot be beat! 

Loved the wall art of Henry VIII and the green and metallic ornaments hanging from the ceiling...

We came for the beer, but while we were 

there we figured we would eat. Not your typical

 bar food people, it was actually much tastier than some 

of the food we had at Asheville's fancier restaurants. It was 

simply unparalleled. 

And if you ever happen to go I recommend the truffled cauliflower soup.

Cute Edison Bulb Lights! 
And loving that their taps are attached to beer barrels.

Tom loved their IPA's which is no surprise, but if you give him the chance he will rave on and on about the "Falconer's Flight" IPA. 

And I finally found a milk stout that I liked thanks to The Wicked Weed. I don't know if it counts though since this one was called "Milk & Cookies". It had cinnamon and oatmeal as some of it's ingredients so who wouldn't love that? 

We enjoyed it so much that we even picked up some growlers and other goodies to give as gifts and share.  

National Gingerbread Competition

Blogmas Day 29

When I requested that this year's Christmas present trip be filled with over the top Christmas magic, I had no idea that I would get everything I asked for and more. While in Asheville North Carolina, we discovered that it was the home of the National Gingerbread Competition so we of course had to go. Candy and artistry rolled into one, um count me in! And this guy below was one of my absolute favorites....I love all of the scrambling elves. 

Christmas at the Biltmore!

Blogmas Day 25

Merry Christmas Everyone! And thank you for stopping by and celebrating with hubby and I. Part of this year's Christmas gift to each other was to spend a day touring the historic Biltmore, home to the Vanderbilt railroad barons. Christmas at the Biltmore is quite the spectacle with thousands of poinsettias and wreaths, miles of garland, and enough Christmas decor to appease even me. Can't get anymore Christmas-sy than this.