"Lifey as a Wifey" Wednesdays!!

As a wife, and as a patient of therapy, I am always trying my best to react to situations in a loving and compassionate way, even though my instincts want to lead me down a more selfish path at times. In the past few weeks, I have found myself wavering around a few silly, but very pertinent, questions that have presented themselves in which I have re-directed my responses to those of a caring, selfless, affectionate wifey. :)

WWGWD? What Would a Good Wifey Do?
(…and what did I do)

What do you do when you travel thousands of miles to watch your Husband’s football team lose?
WWGWD: Buy him a beer and volunteer to be the DD.
Mrs. P: He bought he beer, but I still drive him home :)

What do you do, when you book a king size, but the hotel gives you two queens and your husband is 6’3 and sleeps like the Vitruvian man?
WWGWD: Bear through it and risk losing a good night’s sleep or injury being pushed off the bed.
Mrs. P: Heck no! I made it 1 hour and moved to the other bed for a peaceful night with my own covers! Sorry.
How are you supposed to react when your husband’s fantasy team goes “down the drain” in one game and he’s furious?
WWGWD: Say nothing and steer clear
Mrs. P: Ditto!
What do you do when he picks mint chip ice cream and you want cookies n cream?
WWGWD: You eat it anyway and are happy to see he was honest about his choice.
Mrs. P: I figured, at least it was a skinny cow and wasn’t a total waste of Calories!

What would happen if I picked out and washed only MY clothes in the hamper for a week?
WWGWD: a good wifey wouldn’t do such a selfish thing.
Mrs. P: YUP, my clothes are clean, and his aren’t! ha!

As you can see, I still have a little fine tuning to do, but in all fairness, marriage can be a fun game of tug-a-war as long as you always try to give more than you take!  I find it entertaining to chronicle the daily triumphs and tribulations of stretching your mindset from an “I” to a “We”. What are some funny questions you find yourself asking?

She Popped the Question and I said YES!

Last night I came home to an exciting, fun, and yummy package from my beautiful friend Rhiannon! It was scrumcious on so many levels, as she asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding next year with a fabulous handmade card and adorable COOKIES!!! I'm happy to say the cookies were so delicious they were missing in action (in my mouth) from the picture.  I was totally surprised by this thoughtful gesture, as I have been dying to be a bridesmaid since having been a Bride this past Spring.  Especially for Rhiannon as she was so wonderfully supportive for me as a bridesmaid herself. Rhiannon and I "met" at a wedding, so naturally our friendship flourished over our obsession for ALL things "Wedding!" Wedding Watch 2010 is what we call our 2nd day jobs scouring the world wide web for the Do's and Don'ts, and the Must-Haves for each Wedding Season. Rhiannon, I am thrilled to be a helping hand while you plan your commencement of "Forever Together" with Matt.  

Wedding Watch 2011: Destination Hawaii! YIPPEEE!!!

Rhiannon at work. :)  She is the best! haha

YOU'RE NEXT! So exciting! :)

"Lifey as a Wifey" Wednesdays!

While the Cat’s away, the Mice will play!  This past weekend, I found myself sitting at home, alone, two days in a row while my husband was out gallivanting around town doing guy things. Saturday, I stayed in, and did what I never do; Sit on the couch and veg out with the computer in hand. It was nice to do absolutely nothing, but surely wasn’t as fulfilling as so many people make it out to be. I actually went slightly bizerk and vowed to never do that again! Sunday after church I found myself alone once again, as Tim was sitting VIP style at the Charger game.  After a flash of Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone when he realized he “made his family disappear,” I decided to channel my inner Kevin McCallister and take this as an opportunity to do whatever I want!!!  It’s very rare that Tim and I are not together on the weekends, especially Sunday, so I went ahead and did all the things I WANTED to do, without the pressures of getting back home to my husband, fearing that I am boring him to death or rushing because I’m taking to long making decision in the cereal aisle at Ralphs! This day was mine for the taking, and no one could stop me! First stop, one of my favorite places, Bed Bath and Beyond, where I got a total steal of a deal on a wedding gift for my brother and his fiancé Veronica.  Luckily, UTLA, a mega beauty supply store is steps away from BBB, so I hit that up next where I scored again on a few great beauty buys, like their self tanning system that was on sale for $4 each! 

You know how I looovveee self tanners (Tim hates them!), and the real sun is so harsh on your skin, so I’m always in the market for a new products. After reading Larinna's post on I Heart Spandex, I was also scouring the shelves at ULTA for this Garnier Fructose conditioner. No such luck, so naturally, I defaulted to the best place on earth, TARGET. In my previous lifetime, I was a devout Nordstrom shopper, but times have a changed people, and so have my ways! Time and time again, I find it almost impossible to not go to Targe’ and walk out without spending more than expected, hence the reason Tim steers me clear of that place. I haven’t stepped foot in that Mecca of Bargains in over 2 months! With total spending destruction in mind, I had a blast looking at everything from home goods, beauty supplies, clothes, hair products (they didn’t have what I was looking for either), and lastly shoes. Is it weird that I’m obsessed with Target shoes!?   

Season after season they prove to have the cutest shoes for the best prices, and when paired with the right outfit, no one believes me that they aren’t from a high end retailer.   Insert Obsession. I splurged on a pair of boots for $35 and settled on a few boyfriend tees after I was overwhelmed with the rest of the selection of cute clothes. Glad to hear my anxiety is saving me money nowadays, vs spending it! I topped off MY day with a great gym sesh, only to come home to a lovable husband that missed me dearly. I had the perfect day with Yours Truly, but in the end, I missed my best friend while we were apart. For my sanity, and our budget, I hope he doesn’t leave me alone again anytime soon!

PS. The boots are buy one get one 50% off online! Also, I saw very similar boots in the Nordstrom catalog for $205!

    

Onward to Notre Dame

Five years ago Tim took his love for the Fighting Irish to the next level, by trekking out to South Bend, Indiana to watch the gold helmets run through the tunnel for the ultimate college football experience. Every year since he has made it a tradition to head East in hopes of a real time victory! Last season, I was the lucky winner who got to attend with him.  I was a bit nervous that my football fanfare, specifically Notre Dame, wasn't up to par to be the "chosen one," but obviously I was stoked! 

Chicago is the gateway city of choice to South Bend from the West Coast, and I must say, I fell in love.  Deep dish pizza that tastes like buttery cheese pie crust, hand crafted beer that will blow your socks off, and the shopping on Michigan Avenue that even the blistering wind and rain couldn't hold me back from.

What's not to love!? Top that off with the traditions and hospitality of UND, and you have yourself a perfect trip.  We cheered through rain (thank goodness they sold ponchos!) and basked in the victory over the University of Washington Huskies.  Having gone to San Diego State, we were robbed of college football tailgating, due to the fact our stadium was off campus, and our team wasn't exactly Mount West's finest. Needless to say, it was an awesome adventure starting with Rudy playing on the bus as we pulled into campus, to the student organizations selling cheap BBQ before the game,  and the high fives and pushups taking over the crowd each time they scored! (check out that video!) A Notre Dame football game is unlike anything else I have experienced!

I'm ecstatic to say we are headed back to Notre Dame this weekend for the matchup against Stanford! This time around we are only spending one day in Chicago before heading straight to South Bend, Indiana so we can explore this small town and soak in all things Notre Dame. Game day, we have high hopes of visiting the College Football Hall of Fame in the am then heading over to campus for a more in depth tour of the historical University and of course, some serious tailgating.  Years past Tim has always traveled with the Luck of the Irish, as every game he's attended has been a victory.  Not to jinx our pot of gold of course, but I hope we win!  GOOOOO IRISH!!!! 

America's Next Top Brodel

When Tim and I were asked by the lovely Jessica Hannon, a San Diego photographer, to be the subject of a stylized shoot, I was more than thrilled to be a part of the fun! Tim and I got married in East North County San Diego, so it wasn't feasible for us to ditch the party and head to the beach for a few epic photos. So when the theme and location were up for discussion, we did just that! Not only did we get to shoot at the beautiful Del Mar beach, but we wrestled around with fun creative themes until we decided on a peacock feather pallet, which was the exact opposite of my ivory and gold wedding.
Jessica even pooled talent for hair and makeup to crank it up a notch.  Dinah Brown, my amazing florist for our wedding took our Peacock theme and ran with it. Her creations were phenomenal and blew us all away. To read more about our photo shoot, check out Jessica's Website here.
One last side note before we get on to Jessica's talented portraits.

While trompsing around Vegas wearing white and a veil at my bachelorette, I was asked if I was a Bride or a Model (why? I have NO CLUE.), and naturally I replied, BOTH! Stemmed one of my favorite words, Brodel. ;) All joking aside, my short lived modeling career was no walk in the park  as I prepared for my brodeling debut!  It was more like a Bride's WORST nightmare.  It had only been three months since our nuptials in April, and as I mentioned in my previous post, no dessert has gone left unturned, and no Italian cuisine went foreign on these lips during our travels in Europe. My concern for fitting into my dress was the cause of many restless nights, extra miles on the treadmill, and tears of fear as we headed into the final week before the shoot. As the days drew closer, and the details were coming together, one thing that wasn't inching in, was my wedding dress. Point blank, it out right DID NOT FIT ME. Not only did it not zip, but it ripped after I forced my beloved husband to yank it up and make it clasp. HA! A bride that doesn't fit into her dress, doesn't get worse than that, oh but it did.  Wednesday before our Sunday photo shoot, I had to get an emergency surgery on my right gum for an ongoing infection I just couldn't shake.  It was more invasive than intended and I had a swollen chipmunk cheek going into the weekend.  I would be lying if I didn't disclose that I had a complete mental and physical breakdown on saturday night. Is it possible to be BRIDEZILLA even if your already married?! Ummm…yes! Thanks to the calming words of sweet Jessica and my loving husband, I upped my own ante and made the best of the situation. I did what this Bride does best, DIY. Ribbon, tweezers, a careful eye and an icepack on my cheek remedied the situation and my button down dress was a beautiful corsette back, but most importantly, a dress that fit! Our pictures turned out beautiful despite my swollen cheeky, and we had a blast spending the day with Jess and Jay. We even got a few yummy cupcakes when all was said and done!

A BIG thank you to Jessica Hannon for asking us to be a part of such a fun day, and to my wonderful husband for his love and support in something he knew was important to me. 

Now on to the photos!  Here are a few of my faves, but check out the rest here! 

Friends with Family on Friday!

Everyone has their vices to get them through their work week, and this week mine was looking forward to a visit with one of my bestest friends, Jessica! I was lucky enough to not only get face time with J-Diddy herself, but the whole Walke clan, Maliya and baby Easton too!  It's been two months since I've seen Jess and the kids, and this time we were on my turf, so it was fun to play hostess and show them around our new diggs.  We started our afternoon together with a nice stroll on the beach with the kids.

It was a beautiful day out with dozens of surfers in the water, and families and dogs all over the place, so we fit right in.  Jessica even let me strap on the Baby Bjorn and walk with little Easton.  I couldn't get enough of him!  At two months old, he is the cutest, sweetest, cuddliest little baby I have ever met.  I didn't want to put him down and snuggled with my new man every chance I got! I've come down with some serious baby fever, and I was trying to get Tim to catch on, but I could tell he was slightly taken back by it all. After Tim went running for the hills, the four of us went for a family dinner at BJ's Brewery in Carlsbad. We splurged on their spinach artichoke dip and Mediterranean Pizza, but opted out of their infamous Pazooki.  Only because we had better dessert plans in mind! On our way home we stopped for Dreyer's Slow Churned Peanut Butter Cup ice cream and topped it off with Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie dough for baking! Once we put the babes to bed, we ate ourselves into an oblivion over some much needed catching up.

Even though I keep up with the Walke Files on Jessica's blog, it was so great to see her and the kids. There's nothing like time with friends, and now in this stage in life, friends with families.It was hard to say goodbye to my snugglebug Easton and his sassy sista Maliya, and of course Jess, but I'm already looking forward to her next visit later next month.  

LOVE YOU J-DiDDy :)

"Lifey as a Wifey" Wednesdays!

With our five month anniversary days away, and yes, I have gleefully celebrated each month, (notice I said I, not we ;) ) Tim and I have finally fallen into a lovely pattern of co-habitating cordially in our new home. Those of you that know me, know that I am extremely particular, and then tremendously meticulous on top of that. Perhaps I have my parents to blame, (aahhheem, Debbie) for my OCD tendencies, but I am getting better each day, all the while grooming my resistant husband to become as finicky as I am ;) Muaaahahhaha (Evil Laugh) I use the word grooming lightly in that it’s more of a force, a nag, an outburst, a battle, a mental breakdown, and a slight temper tantrum all by my doing, but in the end, my house is clean, everything is where it should be, and we live happily ever after in our perfect home. *insert sarcasm here* ha!

With that, it was suggested to me to journal, aka Blog, about all the little things that “Drive me crazy” but at the end of the day ARE NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL. I already look back and laugh at some of the “hurtles” we have overcome since our joint occupancy, and although frustrating at the time, I wouldn’t change them for the world. This is by no means is a bash on my husband, but more so funny reflections, that I have learned over the course of sharing them, that the male species in general doesn’t vary much in these tendencies across the board. From putting on pillow cases inside out (seriously!?), Vacuuming but leaving the vacuum cleaner in the hallway with the cord unwound, emptying the trash but never replacing the bag, leaving a pair of shoes in every room every day (I swear he has more than I do!), thinking groceries magically appear in the fridge, and being determined an elf is stealing his socks from the dryer, Tim has exposed me to a whole new side of roommateship. My recent favorite was his concern that three pairs of his jeans disappeared without explanation, only for me to point out that I was washing them for him! Ha! Oddly enough house cleaning, laundry and cooking are three of my favorite hobbies, and I say that with the upmost sincerity. I enjoy being a housewife, and most of the time don’t mind pulling a double day, as they call it when you work your 8, only to come home and work some more! I am fortunate to have a relatively clean and tidy husband that truly appreciates all that I do to keep the house up to MY par. Unfortunately for him, I’m the one with issues, not him! I’m convinced he leaves a small mess here and there just to fuel my restless syndromes and get me fired up. Luckily, my perfectionist tendencies, and my obsessions about our home are just as much of a joking matter as his misunderstanding of what it means to really make the bed. We are still learning SO much about one another and what makes us tick and tock. In the end we are a great two man team that takes turns being Coach and Player in this interesting game call Married Life!

“Lifey as a Wifey” Wednesdays!

Last night we had a 4 month newly-wed check up with our pastor, Matt Tague. It’s astonishing how quickly time flies and that we have been married for almost 5 months! Secretly, I’m already researching where to go for our One year anniversary! Heehee. Tim and I agreed that it’s been a wild ride these past four months, specifically the first two winding down from a busy wedding and honeymoon. I’m happy to say our reflections of our marriage have come full circle and we are happier and more in love than the day we tied the knot. Enough about the gushy stuff and on to a more serious note. Although we did a more intense version of pre-marital counseling at another church, a few of the most touching elements have been with our current pastor, Matt. He asks the deeper questions regarding our relationship and commitment to each other, as well as with God. I wanted to share an exercise we did last night regarding our Life Maps. Every one of us has a Life Map, some more detailed than others, but it illustrates where we have been and where we want to go, which in turn is a fundamental component of WHO we are TODAY. Matt challenged us to desire to know and understand each other’s Life Map so we can encourage and better identify with why we act a certain way. Having been together for almost five years, you could assume we know just about everything about our counterparts, but that’s not always the case, and as life evolves, things change. He broke it down into five elements: FEARS, HOPES, ACHIEVEMENTS, FAMILY ORIENTATION (how you were raised and/or want to raise your kids the same/differently) , and DESIRES. He separated us into two rooms and we had 5-10 minutes to fill in our spouse’s life map in regards to these five items. Then we came together and shared what we wrote. To my amazement we were both accurate with our reflections! (Ever since failing the “How well do you know Tim” game at my bridal shower, I always shutter at these games!) More importantly, it put these items in writing for us to keep, and we added to each of ours as we spoke about them. As a supporting wife, it’s important for me to acknowledge my husband’s fears, as well as his hopes and desires as we grow our life together. Surprisingly, one of Tim’s reflections was my desire to be a mother someday. Obviously we talk about it, but it was interesting to hear how he has picked up on my nesting and nurturing habits now that we have a home together.

With all relationships, having a clear understanding of where your partner came from, and where they want to go, helps with the “WHY” we do things the way we do! It was a great exercise for us, and will definitely be the topic of date nights to come. I have a desire to know more about my husband and what makes him tick. Matt warned us that far too often couples and families get dragged down by a daily routine and we lose sight of the big picture that indeed shapes us more than we think! I would encourage any and all couples to do this, as like I said, even after 5 years, you learn something!

Tis' the Season

Having both grown up in Southern California our whole lives, seasons come and go with little to no change, except a rain drop here and there, and a gust of wind that sets everyone awry. However, there is one season that doesn’t come without sincere anticipation from the Parlier household, and that is none other than FOOTBALL Season.

Thanks to college football, Saturdays are no longer about hittin’ the beach and enjoying the outdoors, but waking up and putting your game face on with eagerness to enjoy America’s favorite game. Specifically, Notre Dame Football. Tim’s family, originally from the Midwest, have been Irish fans for generations, so it’s no question where Tim gets his Notre Dame fanfare.

This will be my 5th football season with Tim, each of which I have learned more about not only the sport, but my appreciation for the game, and for a die hard fan. This year however, marks the first football season as Mrs. Parlier, to which I have taken great concern and have been gearing up for quite some time now as I am determined to be a football spectator, not just bandwagon fan. With that, I’m thrilled to say the Irish took the season opener 23-12 over Perdue this past Saturday! It was a fun game to watch, and I am really looking forward to a great season ahead.

For the love of all things football, we did a quick wardrobe change after the game and trekked out to SDSU for their season opener against, Nichol’s State. (It took us til’ the 2nd quarter to figure out where that school even is!) Freshman were flooding the stadium by the bus load, and it was so fun to watch and hear them as they experience their first football game as an Aztec. It brought be back 9 years ago when I did the same thing! I am EXTREMELY honored to report that not only did the Aztecs Win, but they shut them out 47-0! Double whammy!

Although I was a bit “footballed out" come bed time, Saturday was a really exciting day of fun, friends, family and football. If that’s what the season ahead holds, bring it on!

Summers Not Over Yet Boogie

The kids might be back in school and Labor Day is upon us, but Summer ain't over yet!

Here is the latest mix from Dj Parliyay featuring Kanye, David Crowder, Katy Perry & Snoop D.O.G.G, and many more electro hot beats. 

BOOM!

 DJ Parliyay - Summer's Not Over Yet Boogie (LIVE) by DJ Parliyay 

A Cargo Engagement

This past weekend we voyaged up to the LA area, for my brother Sean and his fiancé’s engagement party at none other than Casa de Cargo. Sean and Veronica started dating a few months prior to Tim and me, so it’s been a joy watching our relationships blossom into true love and finally matrimony 4 ½ years later!

The Bride and Groom to be, along with my parents, hosted 50 guests in honor of their engagement and to jump start the festivities of the Foss2Cargo Wedding which is less than 2 months away! Having just gone through this whole process less than a year ago, it was enjoyable to see it from a guest’s perspective and fully indulge in the celebration. Sticking with Cargo wedding tradition, it was catered with tasty Rubio’s Tacos & Burritos and scrumptious cupcakes from none other than the Cheesecake Factory. Seeing that I don’t have to fit into a wedding dress this time around, I ate two!  It was nice to see our family and friends, many of which we haven’t seen since our own wedding, as well as meet Veronica’s family and their friends as a couple.

As most parties go at Casa de Cargo, it was a flawless event filled with love and happiness as we toasted to the future Mr. and Mrs. Cargo. Every detail looked amazing from the stacked champagne glasses and cupcake trays to their adorable engagement photos streaming across the television in the living room. I am so happy for Sean and V as they embark on this adventure of being Husband and Wife! Cheers!

5 Houses + 1 Dinner = YUM!

It was such a blessing when a couple we met from our premarital class at church, Katy & Preston, were not only super cool, but gave us a heads up when a vacancy arose in their highly sought after community! We now live in a five unit complex, consisting of two duplex beach cottages and a main house, also known as, THE COLONY. All of us are twenty-somethings, and 4 out of the 5 units are young married couples, which makes it that much more fun! To further the fun and unity, two weeks ago we decided to do a Progressive Dinner. A progressive dinner is when you split up the courses of a meal and each location hosts a different one. In the end, you “progressively” dine your way through a full spread! Which in our case, was a delicious five courses with a California fresh cuisine spin!

Since all the houses are in a line, we kept it simple and started in the front and made our way to the back. Now on to the yummy eats, which by the way, were a surprise at each place! I took a few pics, but I havent been able to upload them yet, so sorry for the fabricated illustrations!
Carrie & Collin-Appetizers and Drinks!
Cream cheese stuffed figs, Pears wrapped in bruschetta and cheese, and homemade guac & chips accompanied by beer, wine, and strawberry lemonade! A delicious start to our evening!
Tim & Allison-Salad!
Gorgonzola, Pecan and Pear Salad with homemade mustard vinaigrette dressing. ( I even roasted and caramelized the pecans!) Served with sparkling lemonade (in fancy little glasses of course!).
Alyssa and Rachel- Side Dish!
Bowtie Pasta with green beans, tomatoes, and avocado. They also set out a cocktail bar with fun mixers and such.

Katie and Preston-Main Dish!
BBQ’d Ribs, homemade Ice Tea and Lemonade…and Napkins! (Which were actually homemade too!) I usually don’t eat ribs, but these were delish! It was such a nice night, we sat on their patio on these awesome benches they made for their wedding and ate under these fabulous party lights. Their side yard is so great! Then us ladies demanded we go into their house and watch their wedding video. Surprisingly, all 10 of us crowded around and laughed, cried, and almost watched it a 2nd time! K+P=Love. So Cute!
And for the Grand Finale…….

Haley and Steven-DESSERTT!!!!
Homemade Pear and Cinnamon Pie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream! We also sat on their side yard around the fire pit and ate while sipping on coffee and telling funny stories. DELISH x 10!
As you can imagine, we were all stuffed to the brim as we waddled back to our houses and rolled into bed. We had such a blast, that we want to do it again as soon as possible!

Cooking for 10-Slightly overwhelming

Cleaning dishes for 10-Never exciting

Eating one meal at five places: AWESOME!