Used vs Ikea?

"Like everyone else, I had become a slave to the IKEA nesting instinct. If I saw something like clever coffee table sin the shape of a yin and yang, I had to have it. I would flip through catalogs and wonder, "What kind of dining set defines me as a person?" We used to read pornography. Now it was the Horchow Collection. I had it all. Even the glass dishes with tiny bubbles and imperfections, proof they were crafted by the honest, simple, hard-working indigenous peoples of wherever."- Fight Club

Us 20 somethings are definitely the Ikea generation. Cheap, functional, clean cut.... just don't fall into it as it will completely collapse under the weight of a toddler. So what is a young person to do when they need to outfit a house from scratch on the cheap... but they don't want to do the same in another year?

Well the one alternative are websites like craigslist.org or its UK version gumtree.com. If you are patient and have a good eye you can slowly collect the perfect housewares and furniture at less than half the price of even Ikea. Also an advantage is gained if you have your own transport and manpower to haul things away. A fabulous real wood dining set for £50... sure! Leather sofa and chair for £150... Score!

But somethings are just need to be bought new. Example one- a bed- mainly due to the cootie effect. Appliances also are worth the investment as repairs can be very costly. But everything else... gumtree here we come.... (except the 365 dish set, we will hit up Ikea for that... if you can find it in the maze)

I could beat a mugger with this purse!

Well those of you who know my style know I enjoy my large bags and wallets. My shoulder muscles have spent the last few years over-developing to comfortably carry large bags with all my ridiculousness in them. Mock me if you wish but when you need tissues, chapstick, pain killers, antacids, change or an epi-pen I am so your girl. However recently I have been experiencing a weight issue and its not due to my collection of sundries but the damn change I have been collecting.

I am slowly coming round to saying the word pounds instead of dollars but when it comes to pulling the money out of my wallet my thoughts have not changed. I pull out bills.. bills have meaning... bills actually pay for something. Unless you are paying a toll or buying a pack of gum or need to pay parking (save your quarters!!)....change is pretty much useless. So the change just collects. Well I currently have about 10 pounds or gbp in change in my wallet, this also happens to weigh about 10lbs so beware muggers because I will swing and take you down to chinatown. (Translation I have over $16 change in my wallet and it is almost considered a concealed weapon)

In order to save my poor shoulders I will start dumping all change into the "honeymoon" fund. Lets see where that leaves us in September!

Travel tools of the faithful.....

I will preface by saying I may be biased. I am a fan of two websites to plan most of my travel (although I will stray for discount airlines). These are www.kayak.com and www.hotels.com. Kayak does a great job of fare comparisons of the majors and makes it easy to link and buy. Hotels.com is typically the same price or better than conference rates and you earn a free stay for every 10 (when you travel for work this adds up fast... like two free nights in Dublin :) )

Now I know there are cheaper options when it comes to hotels however I have been burned by both hotwire.com and priceline.com. If you know the city you are traveling to well than these can be great options. However they are businesses out to make money and often their "zones" include sketchy areas outside of what the zone is named. Example- the banned hotel in DC on NY ave that is considered close to the conference center (2 miles close with no transport and amongst strip clubs). So if you are brave go for it... but if you are going on the blind better to be safe.

So this brings me to my next business trip to Germany. There are two conferences back to back in Bonn and Karsruhe. Both of these are local to Frankfurt which is a nice direct cheap flight from the Brum. So the plan is: Thurs- Friday Bonn, Friday- Sunday Frankfurt, Sunday- Tuesday Karlsruhe. Planes, Trains and conferences don't scare me... but where to stay and what to do in Frankfurt (I will be bringing the boy out to join me) I am left clueless.

Over the last couple of years all my travel has been for work or family leaving me no time to think of what I would do if I actually was to take a vacation somewhere. (OK yes we are going to Dublin but I have been there before, they speak some odd form of English and we intend on watching six nations and going to St. James Gate). Master of the web to coordinate travel I am, but I have no clue where to go to get suggestions on sites to see. Over the next week I will be investigating good travel advice sites and report back. Until then... kayak away!

(Doesn't this look like part of a Christmas Village?)

What does this picture make you think.....

Babies? Bad hair cuts we give out children? Did anyone think rugby? (or did you just think its a funny looking ball)

I am that rare american female that does play rugby and loves it. In fact as the wedding is 150 days away (according to our website http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/pwp2/view/MemberPage.aspx?coupleid=7559035717474831) I need to be active roughly 13 hours a day to achieve my goal. I have been intending since before I had that ring on my finger to get back into the same shape... honestly I have been intending it for the last 6 years but things keep getting in the way. Like school, work.. work.. work... travel for work

One thing that has been constant for me over the last few years has been rugby. For the majority of the year three times a week I beat my body into shape and accidentally get a few bruises along the way. (Due the the latter fact a one month rugby embargo has been placed for the month before the wedding... however I have a plan).

I am someone who either needs a very strict routine like I did for track in HS and college or I need to be entertained... like I was in grad school with great classes at the gym and joining a dance team. Basically I lack discipline unless I am being told what to do or distracted and don't realize I am working my butt off. I also HATE treadmills, stairmasters, bikes etc... and the weather in my former home of Boston has not been very nice the last few months (despite the constant drizzle in Brum I cant complain about the 40s and 50s we have had already in February). And in the end lets face it... its so much easier to be lazy and so much more comfy to watch a movie with a bottle of wine.

Tonight I attended my first practice with my new team Moseley (MWRFC). They are not as competitive as my old team BWRFC but the girls were warm, welcoming and I cant wait to go back on Thursday and hopefully play this weekend.

Why would I play this ridiculous sport you ask? Well because after we drink adult beverages and have fun (possibly negating health benefits but meh)... but the real reason is despite how shit I feel after a hard practice or a game... the smile that the little girl has on her face is how I feel every time I get on the pitch.

So good, so cheap, faster than take out....

Its a bird, its a plane... its the actually healthy for you pita pizza?

Perfect for that quick snack when its just you or its too hot outside this baby doesn't even require and oven as a small toaster oven will suffice. Also it can be customized to your liking or whatever happens to be in your fridge at the moment. As soon as I get back to the market this is sure to be a staple of my wedding dress diet in the UK.

Ingredients (substitutions)

Pita round (whole wheat, soy etc any kind of pita)

Tomato sauce ( or pesto/olive oil)

Cheese (FF shredded motz, fresh motz, feta, blue anything if you want to get crazy)

Toppings (veggies, meats anything your hearts content)

1) Leave the pita as is with the pocket in tack and place on a tinfoil wrapped sheet (for easy clean up). If you want to make more than one then just use a larger pan and your oven. Heat oven or toaster to 350F

2) Sauce it up

3) Cheese it up

4) Top it up

5) Pop it in the oven for 10-15 min or until cheese looks nicely melted and browned. Easily eaten if cut up with kitchen scissors

6) Enjoy

Personally I enjoy a traditional tomato sauce pizza, fresh motz, feta and spinach topping...

Post your favorite flavor combos as a comment!(or favourite flavour for my UK readers)

Don't unpack your bags yet....

So I have been making a pile of DIY projects for my England wedding (along side the pile of home decorating mags I have changed over to)... However my current living situation in a 4 bedroom 1 bathroom house includes the following occupants: 4 boys, me, cobalt and 2 local girlfriends.... needless to say space to DIY is low.

However we did receive good news on our house (the one I still have not seen the inside of). When we had the full survey done it turned up a few issues that needed to resolved, including the roof. While trying to get builder recommendations to come look at it, coordinating visits etc... the current owners just decided to fix it themselves. Paperwork goes in tomorrow and Tony and I are back on track to move in mid March. Phew!

The longer the wait the longer my piles and lists and the higher my expectations get. Even planning out our veggie garden in the backyard. Keep your fingers crossed!

The Melting Pot

And no I don't mean the overpriced fondue restaurant.....

One of the common things that the US and UK share is that we are both melting pots of culture. The US because we are a country almost entirely made up of immigrants and the UK because once upon a time they conquered the world. Each country has its own traditional foods that they consider theirs. Example:

US- Fish and chips

UK- Apple Pie (wait Chaucer cites an apple pie recipe... ) I mean buffalo wings

Well as seen above both cultures love to claim other cultures foods as their own. The most popular dish in the UK is Chicken Tikka Masala- an Indian dish so anglo-ized it is hardly recognizable. So one would think a trip to the grocery store would be a journey through 1000 lands.

Well going to cook a tasty meal of antipasto and eggplant parm I was regulated to the "international" isle for ingredients. Where 1/2 of what I wanted was not even there... and I had to make random substitutions. Luckily I was cooking for boys in their 20s and they will eat just about anything... and it did turn out alright.

I have already given up my diet coke for "squash" and just about all snack foods that I eat. I guess the US melting pot has a few different flavors than the UKs.