Maui Bucket List

With only six days until our trip to Maui, my mind is quickly slipping into vacation mode. My work productivity has all but gone out the window and I've started dreaming of mid-day naps and fruity cocktails.

I did a little Googling this afternoon to see what type of activities we should put on our Maui bucket list for next week. Here's what I've come up with so far:

• Lay in the sun and read a good book. Come on y'all, give me some recommendations! 
• Get a nice dark tan
• Pack a picnic lunch and drive the road to Hana. We've heard mixed reviews about this one. It's a all-day trip along a mountainside with lots of waterfalls and cute little towns along the way. The reviews are mixed - some people say it's not to be missed and others say it's not worth the time. We shall see, we shall see.
• See whales swimming off the coast
• Rent snorkel gear and swim around looking at the ocean life. Hopefully there's no jellyfish like in Thailand!
• Go star seeing at the Four Seasons. Hillary Duff just got engaged there
• Drink Kona coffee on the patio of a local cafe
• Scope out some hidden beaches
• Take in the sunset with my honey
• Hike through Haleakala National Park
• Check out a farmer's market
• See a black sand and red sand beaches

Anyone ever been to Maui and have some MUST DO's for us?

Any good book suggestions???

We leave for Hawaii a week from tomorrow - which is unbelievable considering I haven't put one thought into what I'm wearing, what I'm bringing or what we'll do when we get there. I suppose we'll figure it out as we go ... which is usually what we do. Andi did purchase a book called Maui Revealed a few months ago - which we've barely flipped through - but recommends 'real gems' on the island. I'm laughing to myself because a few years ago Andi's parents went to Kauai and referenced all the 'real gems' they found along the way. We thought they were co coo until we flipped though this book ... and the actual 'real gem' references. Guess the book doesn't lie. :)

But I do need some help from all of you ...
Anyone have any good books you'd recommend for the trip? Think beach side reading and books that both Andi and I would enjoy reading. No baby books, or books that talk about babies, or books that have pictures of babies- I'm practically having a full-on breakdown at the very thought of that topic as of late.

Leave your suggestions in the comments. I need to order quick so they'll arrive this week. Thanks Friends!

Lazy Saturday

It's been incredibly warm here the last 10 or so days. If, you know, you call 43 degrees and sun warm. But by Minnesota standards I do. We've been taking Chloe for walks every evening after work and she's absolutely loving being outside. I cringe every time she tramples through a puddle because I know it'll be more work later to give her a bath, blow-dry and brush her ... but it's all worth it. She's so happy outside and we are too.

Yesterday Andi snapped a few photos of our journey with his new Canon camera.

 

 

 

 

The Law of 3's

I'm feeling lazy today so I'm stealing this idea from my SIL Lindsay and rolling with this post today ...

Three Names I go by:
1. Heather
2. Chrissy
3. Wife

Three Jobs I have had in my life:
1. Marketing Manager
2. Red Bull girl
3. Household manager

Three Places I have lived:
1. St. Paul, Minnesota
2. Kearney, Nebraska
3. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Three TV Shows that I watch:
1. Celebrity Rehab w/ Dr. Drew
2. How I Met Your Mother
3. Mad Men

Three places I have been:
1. Thailand
2. Panama
3. Mexico

People that e-mail me regularly:
1. My mom
2. My coworkers
3. Mother-in-law

Three of my favorite foods:
1. Chips (any flavor, I don't discriminate)
2. Runza
3. Amigos Fast Food

Three things I would like to do:
1. Be a mom
2. Live on a lake
3. Travel the world

Things I am looking forward to:
1. Having a cabin this summer in Northern Minnesota
2. My parents visiting Minnesota in August
3. Hawaii in 9 days!

Foods I won't eat:
1. Fish (except sushi)
2. Meat ... unless it's sustainably grown and humanely processed
3. Thai food (way burnt out after our honeymoon trip)

Things I notice first about people:
1. Clothes
2. The way they carry themselves
3. Smile

Things I love to do in the summer:
1. Take Chloe for walks
2. Grill out in the backyard
3. Spend time at the lake

Things I hate to do in the summer:
1. Drag the lawn mower up the stairs every week to mow
2. Work indoors
3. Listen to the window a/c on all night in our bedroom

Things I wish I did better:
1. Ability to see the big picture
2. Send hand-written cards to friends
3. Not pass judgement

Things that make you go hmmmm

Does anyone else find Velveeta to be absolutely mystifying? I was just cleaning out the fridge, trying to put together a grocery list for next week, and found a block of Velveeta way in the back. I opened it, took a big whif and it still looks (and smells) just fine. How can that be???

It's times like this I remember why fresh fruits and vegetables are so important. There's no way foods like this can be good for the body with a shelf life that long!

Love, Love, Love JM!

Last night Andi and I went to the John Mayer concert in St. Paul. It was the 4th time I've seen John Mayer in concert .... and last night was just as good as every other time I've seen him play. Love, love, love JM!

At one point during the concert, as I was nearly falling off my chair with excitement, Andi made a comment about my obsession and I told him - I've really loved John far longer than I've loved him. I knew John before I even knew Andi. My husband laughed, but it's true! I've been the biggest John Mayer fan since my freshman year in college. Over 10 years ago! That's a long time to love one artist so much.

And now for your viewing pleasure ... a picture of John similar to what he looked like last night. He wore a black tank similar to this one. Absolute delight.

Ode to Nebraska, among other things

Girls just aren't meant to wait. But alas, here I sit waiting for my husband to get home from work so we can go see John Mayer in concert tonight!!! I had hoped we could do dinner and drinks beforehand, but since the concert starts in an hour ... .I'm guess there will be no time. Guess he'll owe me a cocktail or two at the concert. Anyway ...

I mentioned on Friday that my friend Laura nominated me for the Beautiful Blogger award. Not sure what this mean exactly ... never won one of these before! ... but I think the rules suggest I write 7 interesting facts about myself and then nominate 7 other bloggers.

Since I LOOOVE this kind of thing, I must abide. Here I go:

ONE: I was born on Friday the 13th of February. Sounds creepy but I'm not at all dark or demented. So I think I turned out OK despite being born on a day so full of superstition. A fun fact about the day I was born - I was born in Nebraska and my mom says it was 80 degrees that day. 80 degrees? In February? It's safe to say that has got to be some sort of record or something and she swears it's true. I bet people thought the sky was falling that day. Friday the 13th/80 degrees in February/in Nebraska...whaaat?
 
TWO: I still sleep with my childhood blankie. Stop laughing. I need it in my life. My sister has one too and we both 'soakie' the corners of our blankets as a comfort mechanism. Andi doesn't love it, but he tolerates it. It's pretty much a make-or-break requirement for me. Funny thing, (that's actually kind of creepy now that I type this) I had an old boyfriend who would soakie it too. Bet he was pretty sad to see my blankie go when I moved out. Sorry!
 
THREE: I've been 99% vegetarian for the last 4 months. I say 99% because I've fallen off the wagon to have an occasional cheeseburger from The Nook but mostly, I've been committed to eliminating meat from my diet or only eating meat that has been grown sustainably and processed humanely. I feel better about myself for this fact.
 
FOUR: My mom calls me Chrissy. It's short for my middle name Christine.
 
FIVE: My most elaborate scheme as a kid happened when I was about 11 years old. My sister and I stayed home by ourselves in the summertime, while my little brother (who was a baby) went to daycare. We weren't allowed to play outside until my dad got home so we'd watch out the window as all the other kids played in the neighborhood. It was torture, I tell ya. My mom would call home everyday from work to check on us and relay chores that need to be done. One day I decided I'd had enough. I set my brother's baby monitor next to the phone and took the other receiver outside to play. When the phone rang, I'd run inside to answer my mom's call (note: this was before cordless phones. Either that, or we didn't have one). This plan worked for about a week until one day I brought a loaf of bread over to my neighbor's house to make sandwiches for lunch. When she brought the bread back later than evening, my dad answered the door and was a little confused why she was delivering us bread. I was busted and got the worst punishment I can ever remember -- I was grounded to my room for the rest of the summer for lying to my parents.

I hold this memory as A) the most brainiac scheme I ever devised. I'm secretly proud of myself and B) still angry at myself, 18 years later, for getting caught and wasting the rest of my summer. Dang.
 
SIX: I secretly love the smell of burnt skin from tanning. Oh, stop. It's not that gross! I started working at a tanning salon when I was 15 and managed one all through college. Some of the best memories EVER. I'm not disgustingly tan or anything .. but it's truly my happy place when I'm laying in a tanning bed. Ahhh...
 
SEVEN: I love Nebraska and I'm convinced you have to be from there to appreciate it. On a monthly basis, maybe more, I recite a memory or event that takes place back home and Andi stares at me like I'm from Planet Mars. Just this weekend I was telling him about Nebraska folks' love for forced meats. Seriously do you know anyone from Nebraska that doesn't love a good deer jerkey or salami? I thought not. (You can't tell, but I'm chest-pounding myself right now. Nebraska-bred and proud of it)!
 
OK, now to nominate .... Not sure I can come up with 7 other bloggers but here's a few of my favorites. I nominate the following as Beautiful Bloggers:
 

Just a Titch

 

Minnesota A la Mode

 

She Likes Purple

 

Enjoy!