The First Casualty

Casualty of moving, that is. I was very sad this weekend when I realized I must have either misplaced or lost my loaf pans during our move in November. And since all the boxes have been unpacked for ages and it seemed very unlikely that I could have misplaced them, my conclusion was that they must have been left at the apartment-you know, in that awful drawer under the stove where you store bakeware?

I was terribly disappointed as I had set my mind on baking our favorite banana bread this weekend. And then it occurred to me to try The Perfect Brownie pan I just received for Christmas! After all, it does claim to be useful for more than just brownies {remember this post?}.

And my oh my, it certainly did the trick! My banana bread came out perfectly portioned and didn't stick at all! It also turned out super moist since the cook time was reduced by almost a third. I was so excited about the results that I almost completely forgot about losing my trusty loaf pans.

So excited in fact, I even I took some pictures to show you how awesome the Perfect Brownie pan really is:

Here they are, my perfectly portioned little banana bread bites:)

Once they are cooled you just pop the included stand underneath the pan and the bottom lifts from the pan like so. Now they are perfect for serving!

Ooo, ahh:

And then, lo and behold, as I opened my cupboard to get a container to store my bread, I discovered this:

That's right, my loaf pans! Ha, I laughed for a good minute after seeing this. Especially since I open this particular cupboard every single day and could not remember they were being stored there! I guess sometimes it's hard to see something that's staring you right in the face. At least I got to use my brownie pan and am now hooked on trying it with other baked goods!

Tackling The List...One Weekend at a Time

Hello weekend! How very nice to see you...

You know, for being the first week back from the holidays, it was surprisingly pleasant. Well, besides the whole not being able to go to sleep at a decent hour all week and feeling crazy tired, it really wasn't too bad! And now that the weekend has arrived, my hubby and I have a list of house to-dos.

As his birthday is next Saturday and I am throwing him a poker party, we've yet again a weekend full of projects to tackle! {Fun!}

Here's what I hope to cross off of our list:

• Clean and organize the garage, where the boys will be playing poker.
• Install the two pendant lights in our kitchen. Both of which we've had for a few weeks but needed a specific piece before we could install them.
• Go to Ikea for large frames to house two prints I received for Christmas that will hang in our breakfast nook.
• Organize the spare room that is currently holding all of the things we have yet to find a place for in our new abode.
• Make a place for our fire pit so people can hang outside and keep warm.
• Steam and hem our living room window coverings.
  

It might not sound too lofty, but I can assure you that garage is a beast and it's driving my husband crazy! Wish us luck and enjoy this cozy, winterish weekend!

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All In The Label

Gah-I'm in love! What a perfectly charming way to include a return address on hand-written thank you's and such! I spotted this over on Young House Love and am now wishing I had one for myself. After all, it would be worth the investment seeing as our address is now permanent:)

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Planners Never Sleep

My oh my, this has been a busy week. But not to worry, I'm still sane-especially considering what I have on my mind lately. You know I'm a planner, right? And planners never sleep...well, figuratively, that is! So naturally, I've already got a head start on planning our anniversary trip/summer vacation of 2011!

Can we just take a second to indulge in the beauty of this lovely city...

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I've already got my sights set on the delightful food at Delancey, Top Pots doughnuts, visiting the original Starbucks, a romantic few days in the San Juan Islands, visiting my dear friend Lael in her hometown of Bellingham and so much more!! Cannot wait!

Small Things

Much thanks to my husband for expanding my ever-revolving list of magazine subscriptions! To my great delight, he gave me a new one for Real Simple and House Beautiful this Christmas! And wouldn't you know, upon opening up my first issue of RS, I was inspired by this simple little question:

What is one small thing that makes you happy?

The answers readers sent were so sweet and it got me thinking about the small things that make me feel happy. Of course these are so many, but here's what instantly came to mind...

1. Waking up on a rainy Saturday morning and having abolutely nothing to do!

2. That feeling right after I've gone grocery shopping and my fridge and pantry are fully stocked and perfectly organized.

3. Having fresh flowers in my house!

How about you? I would love to know what small things make you happy!

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Regularly Scheduled Programming

All the Christmas decor is packed up, my meal planner boasts clean, healthy fare and, let's be real, the traffic is crazy! I guess that means life is back to normal, 5-day work weeks and all. But it's not all that bad as there's plenty to look forward to this month, like regular blogs!

So grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and perk up, because it's a fresh new year!

And speaking of new year, anyone have any good resolutions or goals for 2011?

A big one of mine is to relax more-sounds crazy right? I want to enjoy more of the little things; long relaxing baths, out-of-the-blue 'I love you's' and spontaneous walks with our dogs. This year I will strive to appreciate the goodness in every day.

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Happy Twenty Eleven!

Happy New Year!! While I am gleefully looking forward to what this new year has in store, it is with a huge smile that I recall this past year. In so many ways we are abundantly grateful for the many good things the year brought us.

In 2010 we:

Bought our first house, which has been a desire of ours for a long time! It certainly took patience, but was worth every moment!

Bought a new car! A big one for us as we desperately needed a more reliable and family-friendly car.

Got a new puppy! Max has been a wonderful, even if a little chaotic, addition to our family! We just love the little guy!

I became a certified yoga instructor!

I completed my first half marathon!

Welcomed a new brother!

We witnessed our sweet friends get married!

The Giants won the World Series!!!!!

We took some really fun trips!

And overall prepared ourselves for a great 2011!! Can't wait to see what's in store! Wishing you heaps and heaps of blessings for the new year!