Vacay!

I used to think of vacation as an escape from the routine of the fast-paced life we lead.  Instead of work, we would lie perfectly still on a beach for hours, nap whenever we felt like it, and casually stroll to dinner at whatever time we felt like waking up and going. 

Now that I have a child, vacation is no more than just a transfer of activities and routines of our busy life to another location, with very little down time, after packing and lugging five suitcases full of "kid stuff".  There is no suntanning on the beach; we dig sand, build sand castles, and splash in the water.  There is no afternoon nap before dinner; we shower and get ready for the rest of our day.  And there is no casual stroll to dinner at any time of the night; we hit the family-friendly restaurants around early bird time to avoid the crowds and feed our hungry child before he turns into the boogie man. 

Our A/C broke yesterday.  I have had the pleasure of staying at my in-laws' house while our house cooked itself at a balmy 85 degrees.  They were ready to babysit at any moment, played with Reese while I got things done, prepared a filet mignon and shrimp dinner, insisted on doing the dishes themselves, offered up their guest room in which I watched cable (which I don't have at home) and ate chocolate ice cream bon bons.  Literally, bon bons!  I have to say this was a mini-vacation of the mostly pre-baby kind.  I got to lay around a bit (just like I would on a beach), I had some relaxation time during Reese's nap, and dinner was served at a more adult hour. 

So although vacations with a toddler are quite different than those from just two-and-a-half short years ago, I can say that I've just had a refreshing mini-vacation just ten minutes from home.  A/C, you may feel free to break at any time. 

(Special thanks to my fabulous in-laws, Diana and Fran!)

Oh, Sweet Starbucks!

Hi, my name is Rachel, and I am a Starbucks addict.

We have been unemployed now for four weeks and we've learned to do with less in many ways.  We cancelled cable immediately, started turning off lights we weren’t using, raised the temperature in our house (it now resembles that of a sauna), and cut all unnecessary spending.  We now ask the question, "Do we NEED this?" The answer, most of the time, is no.  But what about things we WANT?  

I don't miss cable (very surprisingly, as I am a lover of the tube), I don't care about turning off the lights when we are not using them (it actually makes more sense to do this), and although I like to sleep in Antarctic-like temperatures, I can live with 75 degrees during the day and 72 degrees at night.  What I DO miss though is my sweet Starbucks.  

I admit to a pretty regular Starbucks habit before we became unemployed.  I am not proud of this.  It's expensive at $4+ per cup...Grande, Non-fat, No-whip Iced Mocha, please.  It's frivolous...this is probably more than you want to hear, but you really just drink it and pee it and it offers no nutritional value. And I'm pretty sure that Starbucks puts a little crack in their cups of coffee to keep you coming back.  (Disclaimer to Starbucks...I don't really mean this, but for joking purposes, I do.)

So why do I love my sacred cup of chocolate coffee?  Because I get together with my girlfriends to catch up...while drinking coffee. Because, when I get the rare chance, I sit and read a magazine by myself...while drinking coffee.  Because during the winter when I am freezing cold, I warm up...while drinking coffee.  And because, for some reason, I feel like an adult...while drinking coffee.  I can't explain this last one well, but in a life now that revolves around a two-and-a-half-year-old, drinking coffee might be one of the only times in my day that doesn't revolve around sippy cups, diapers, or Thomas the Train.  I get to feel like a grown-up.  

I absolutely love my girlfriends.  Many have sent me gift cards to Starbucks to "get me through” or treated me to a cup.  I am so grateful to these fabulous friends who have enabled my delicious habit.  And I hope that as soon as we are gainfully employed, I can resume my contribution to the Starbucks Empire.