The daily craic

Unexpected flowers – a do, or a don’t?

thedailycraic — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:11:07 +0000

Valentine’s Day has come and gone. Flowers that women have received at the office are wilting away on their desks, and all the chocolates have been devoured (at least in our home they have!). This brings me to an interesting question…would you rather receive flowers from your significant other for a special occasion (Valentine’s Day, birthday, anniversary)? Or would you rather be surprised with flowers on a random day of the week? (I guess another option could be ‘Or would you rather receive them both for special occasions, and on random days of the week’, but come on people — let’s be realistic!).

Beautiful!

I think flowers are sweet any which way you look at it, so they are a DO in my book. I’ve gotten them from Colin on special occasions, and on random days — and I’ve enjoyed them both equally. No matter what it is I receive — flowers, a card, a gift — I must say, I mostly appreciate Colin’s thoughtfulness. It’s nice to know someone’s thinking about you whether it’s a holiday or not!

The folks over at Frugal Dad put together a great infographic all about giving someone flowers and I thought it would be fun to share! Even though Valentine’s Day is over, I’m thinking this might remind the guys out there that flowers are nice 365 days a year (or 366 days in this year’s case — don’t forget about Leap Day!).

Oh, and just as a side note — Colin, if I ever get black or yellow flowers from you (according to this infographic) — you are in trouble.

Source: http://frugaldad.com

Steak sandwiches

thedailycraic — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:43:01 +0000

Steak sandwiches are one of our favorite meals to make and eat! They are super easy, not too expensive, and 100% delicious. All you have to do is sauté the peppers and onions in a little bit of olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Then cook the meat, add the cheese so it melts (we used Cabot sharp cheddar, but any cheese you want should work fine) and scoop it all into a bun.

Colin and I recently made steak sandwiches and I think they were the best batch yet. I literally feel like I could eat steak sandwiches, filet mignon and cheeseburgers in rotation every night for dinner. For now, I don’t think my body (or my wallet) would like that, but hey, a girl can dream…

Check out our dinner:

Cooking up the steak

Next up -- onions and peppers

YUM!

And some vino of course

Hey, It’s OK…

thedailycraic — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:27:29 +0000

Photo courtesy of the lovely blog, Design is Mine

…to immediately put on a pair of sweats when you get home from a long day of work
…to be mad when you see someone with two free hands, talking on a headset (come onnn)
…to love a movie you swore you were going to hate
…to be disappointed when your lunch order gets messed up
…to be ridiculously excited for Amanda Knox’s memoir
…to be a nerd
…to have a love/hate relationship with money
…to practice your Academy Award acceptance speech (even if you don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of ever coming close to winning one)
…to play rock, paper, scissors with your significant other in order to choose what you’re going to watch on TV
…to wanna dance with somebody

Colin and I are off to Vermont after work today (wish us luck in the ski / school vacation / President’s Day weekend traffic, please!). We have lots of wedding stuff to do tomorrow at Stratton which I am very excited for! Will have to do a wedding update type post soon…

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

11 Things

thedailycraic — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:44:27 +0000

I met Elizabeth from On Tap for Today through blogging — but we also had a mutual friend — her brother! The Boston blogging scene is a small world, people. Elizabeth’s brother Chris is Colin’s sister Liz’s good friend who we went to Merrimack with. Anyway, Elizabeth is fabulous and she recently tagged me in her ’11 Things’ post – so here I go…(it’s a really fun idea!)

Yay!

Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions the person who tagged you set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

Ok, so here are 11 very random things about me:

1. I had to get stitches in my chin when I was little because I fell while using my jeans as a jump rope (I was smart)
2. I won Student of the Year three times in grammar school (despite the jeans incident…)
3. I played Varsity Basketball for four years in high school
4. I also played on the Varsity Badminton team one year (I was so bad! But the skirts were cute…)
5. I went to Catholic school all my life — Pre-K through college
6. My middle name is Mary
7. On 9/15/12 (our wedding day), my initials will be CMT — Country Music Television, baby
8. When I lived in Hawaii I hitchhiked multiple times. When I think about it now I’m nervous for my former self (why would we do that?!)
9. I was recruited to play basketball at Cornell, West Point and a few other schools. Didn’t have it in me though!
10. I spent the year after college volunteering in Chicago
11. I’ve been in the audience of the Maury Povich show, the John Edwards show, the Carson Daly show, Oprah, and the Nate Berkus show (yes, if you haven’t figured it out yet, I am strange)

The Nate B Show!

Here are the questions Elizabeth asked, and my answers:

1. If you could pick your theme song, what would it be?

‘One Love’ — Bob Marley

2. What is your favorite local restaurant?
Ooh there are so many good ones, but I will have to go with…Russell House Tavern

Delicious!

3. What day of the week were you born?
Tuesday — which is my least favorite day of the week now — wonder what that means?

4. Tea or coffee?
COFFEE.

5. Pants or skirts?

Tricky. But going to have to go with pants

6. Where would you go on your ideal vacation?
Tuscany

7. What’s your favorite day of the week?
Friday — you have the whole weekend to look forward to!

8. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
I was born a night owl. Although, I’ll always strive to be an early bird (I’m convinced I can be!)

9. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Basketball, hands down.

Celts!

10. Do you have a secret talent?
Memorizing words to songs comes very easily to me. Too bad I don’t have a good voice — could have been a super star!

11. What is your go-to workout song?
‘Fantasy’ — Mariah Carey, or ‘Love on Top’ — Beyoncé. I love my divas.

Now, tag, you’re it!

Kelly from The Daily Snip, Michelle from the Economical Eater, Bethany from The Young Profashional, Karen from Twenty Fit, Chelsee and Susie from We are not Martha, Annelise from Quarterlife Lifestyle, Kate from A Little Yoga, Katie from Oscartini, Renee from Eat. Live. Blog, Megan from Delicious Dishings, and Kristen from Indulge Inspire Imbibe.

And here are the 11 questions I have for those I’ve tagged:

1. First thing that comes to mind when you read the word: work…
2. Fill in the blank: Today is __________.
3. Beer, wine, or a cocktail?
4. Favorite holiday?
5. Guilty pleasure?
6. Celebrity crush growing up?
7. Food or meal you couldn’t live without?
8. Have you ever had a dream with a famous guest star? Who was it?
9. What did you want to be when you grew up?
10. Favorite song to belt out in the car?
11. First concert?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

thedailycraic — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:37:53 +0000

I hope you all have a fabulous day.

PS: I made this image on Wordle. It’s a great site! Very fun!

Valentine’s Day is around the corner…

thedailycraic — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:04:53 +0000

For the most part, when the topic of Valentine’s Day comes up, very strong opinions are voiced; you either love it, or you hate it. Maybe you’re in a new, exciting relationship and can’t wait for it, or maybe you’ve just ended a relationship or have been single for a while and you’re dreading it. Either way, whether you’re happily celebrating over candlelight or cursing all of those ‘lovey-dovey’ fools in relationships — I hope you have fun!

Area Four in Kendall Square (500 Technology Square, Cambridge) is celebrating Valentine’s Day with “Bloody” Heart Pizzas, Breakup Banana Splits, and more. Here’s what they have going on:

“Bloody” Heart Pizza
Beef hearts, tomato sauce, caramelized onions, house made mozzarella, pecorino gremolata — Small $15; Large $23.50

Breakup Banana Split
Caramelized bananas, homemade vanilla and chocolate soft serve, brandied cherries and homemade chocolate, marshmallow and salted caramel sauces — $10/person; up to 10 people

Beer Goggles
A beer and two shots (choice of Four Roses Bourbon or French Martini shots) — $16

Cocktails by the Pitcher — $35/each

Aphrodi-tea
Citrus Vodka, Sour, Vermouth, St. Germain, Mint Simple Syrup, Black Tea

Petal Punch
Silver Tequila, Peach Liqueur, Pomegranate liqueur, Chamomile Tea

Last Resort
Vodka, Vanilla Liqueur, Campari, Cucumber/Lemon/Lime Juice, Moscato D’Asti, Prosecco

Potion #9
Sparkling Rosé, Strawberry Syrup, Kiwi Purée, Lime Juice

Check out Area Four on Facebook and Twitter.

And are you still thinking of something to get your significant other? Col and I usually just do something small for one another, but if you’re looking to go all-out, here are a couple of ideas!

Guys — honestly, you can never go wrong with jewels. Gemvara has a ton of amazing stuff. I love the Naked Pave Petit Pendant from Naked Gems. It’s beautiful and can be customized with your choice of one or two different gemstones (17 total gemstones available) and your favorite metal (prices vary depending on the combo of gem/metal).

Daily Grommet has good ideas too:

The Objects with Purpose Dahlia Candle — a large three wick candle scented with organic rose and lychee. But this is not ordinary candle, it has magical powers — while it’s burning it melts into a perfume and body butter. Very cool!

This is a clever little gift (also found on Daily Grommet) — Moultonology Garden Bon Bons. These are little seed balls which are presented as chocolate truffles. All you have to do is place the Garden Bon Bons on top of soil, water, and watch them grow! Just make sure your significant other doesn’t eat them before you get a chance to explain.

One more fun Daily Grommet idea — Zipbuds Tangle-Resistant Earbuds which are headphones that have zipper integrated cabling. The zipper is substantial enough to resist knots so they won’t get tangled! Plus they are noise isolating which is such a key factor with headphones if you ask me.

Need a creative date idea? Passes to SkyZone would be fun and different. SkyZone is New England’s only indoor trampoline park with locations in Boston (91B Sprague Street, Boston) and Everett (69 Norman Street Suite 1B, Everett).

A refreshing hike

thedailycraic — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:56:29 +0000

Have you ever felt like you just needed to take a ‘time-out’ from life? I certainly have, especially recently. I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately for reasons I won’t bore you with. However, I finally feel like the funk is coming to an end (hopefully anyway!) and this weekend really helped me with that. It’s all about the way you see things — it’s easy to suck yourself into the negativity that’s out there, and to forget about all the positive things going on in your life. Moving forward, I’ve decided to work on having a more positive outlook. Negativity is draining. I’m sick of it!

Anyway, back to the thought of taking a ‘time-out’ — this weekend Colin and I got up real early on Sunday, packed a nice lunch and headed to NH. We went to the same spot Colin had spent time fishing this past summer. It was a gorgeous day and the woods were quiet and peaceful. It was nice to spend time just walking and enjoying being with one another. It’s funny, I’ve never really considered myself an ‘outdoorsy’ person yet that’s exactly what Colin is. Over the years I’ve experienced more and more ‘outdoorsy’ type stuff because of him. I’ve remained open-minded and in turn, have allowed myself to enjoy these activities we do together. Now I like to hike, fish, snowshoe, go camping, etc. (Although, we haven’t gone hunting together yet…don’t think I’ll ever get that far, seeing as the only time I shot a gun I cried — oops!).

When you grow up and you find that person who fits you like a glove, who makes you happier than you could have ever imagined, and who overall compliments you and your personality — you don’t worry about the fact that you’re both different in some ways. I am finding out that you sort of embrace those differences — you learn from them, you continue to grow closer to one another through them, and most importantly (I think) they keep things interesting and exciting.

Alpine Spring, you are delicious

thedailycraic — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:17:35 +0000

This past weekend was wonderful. It consisted of a relaxing Friday night of Chipotle, wine and How I Met Your Mother. Then, a productive Saturday picking out a bridesmaid dress (so pretty!). Followed by a fun Sunday split between hiking (more on that later in the week) and eating delicious food / watching the Super Bowl at Meg and Matt’s house. Congrats to the NY Giants!

Saturday Colin whipped up some delicious pizzas, and we decided to pair it with – what else? (other than wine!) – a variety of Sam Adams beer. We taste-tested Alpine Spring, Mighty Oak, Irish Red, Black Lager, Whitewater IPA and the classic Boston Lager. Sometimes the stronger lagers and IPAs are a bit much for me so Colin tends to drink those (he loves them!). I usually enjoy the lighter, more citrusy beers – the Alpine Spring was my favorite! So refreshing and flavorful.

More about my favorite, Alpine Spring (courtesy of Samuel Adams):

“Brewed especially for the season, this bright citrusy unfiltered lager is both satisfying and refreshing. It’s the perfect transition from winter’s heavier brews to the lighter beers of summer. Borne of our brewers’ many trips to Germany, Alpine Spring features a unique blend of lager attributes: the balanced maltiness and hoppiness of a Helles, the smoothness and slightly higher alcohol of a traditional spring bock, and the unfiltered appearance of a Kellerbier. The beer is brewed with Tettnang Noble hops to add a unique, bright orange-citrusy aroma and flavor.”

To find out more about all of the beers mentioned in this post, please visit the Samuel Adams beer guide – cheers!

Alpine Spring

Mighty Oak

Classic Boston Lager

Irish Red

Black Lager

Whitewater IPA

Hey, It’s OK…

thedailycraic — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:00:20 +0000

…to believe in signs (I’m pretty sure I got one from my Nana last night)

…to get your hopes up (hey, it’s hard not to do sometimes)

…to only pay attention to the Super Bowl because either A: you’re very interested in winning your office’s pool, B: you love the snacks or C: the commercials, duh

…to truly love and appreciate the fact that the Improper Bostonian is free

…to count down the hours…minutes…seconds…to the start of the weekend

…to melt at the sound of a southern accent

…to treat yourself to lunch on a Friday afternoon (I’m talking to you, delicious turkey sandwich with lettuce tomato and pickles on toasted bread)

…to hope Madonna sings her old classics and not all new shizz we don’t know the words to yet

…to be sad for Demi Moore

…to to be scared of the word ‘change’. But…to also be excited, happy, nervous, ready, etc. That word can conjure up a million different things for all different people

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you have a wonderful Super Bowl weekend. Eat lots of great food and enjoy lots of great company.

Side note, if you’re not a member of Eversave yet and are interested in signing up, let me know. I have some special Friends and Family codes to give out worth $5 each ($5 off? Not too shabby!). Email me at dailycraic@gmail.com if you’re interested!

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day!

Samuel Adams Crowd Craft Project

thedailycraic — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:26:13 +0000

Ok I have two questions for you:

1 – Do you need a break from work for a minute?

2 – Do you want to give Sam Adams your input on what their next beer should look / taste like?

Well then, you’re in luck! Samuel Adams has paired up with social media guru, Guy Kawasaki, for the first ever Samuel Adams Crowd Craft Project. The point of this contest is to take valuable feedback and suggestions from Sam Adams beer enthusiasts from Facebook, Twitter and Google+ in order to create a crowd-sourced beer of fan-approved perfection.

With Guy’s passion for social media and innovation combined with Samuel Adams passion for high quality craft beer, this social collaboration brew is sure to be a standout.

So hurry people, because there are only TWO DAYS left to vote!

What you’ll vote on:

Color

Clarity

Body (mouth feel)

Malt (sweetness)

Hops (bitterness)

Yeast (finish)

When the voting period ends on February 5th, brewers will take the top choice from each category (above) and use them for the collaborative ale recipe, which will be brewed throughout the month of February. The beer will be revealed at Guy Kawasaki’s Girl + Guy party in Austin, Texas on March 10th during an annual interactive festival.

Here’s my beer that I voted on

What my beer creation looked like

And just as a reminder…if you have two seconds, please head over to my Facebook profile and click on the photo I shared of my fab friend Kate striking a yoga pose. Then click “like” in order to vote for Kate. She could win tickets to the Wanderlust Festival at Stratton Mountain in Vermont on the weekend of June 21-24. Thank you SO MUCH!