Weekend in Krakow

A few months ago I saw a Groupon that included flights and hotels in Krakow, Poland. The price was too good to pass up, so we convinced our friends to join us for a quick city break. What a great decision! Krakow is amazing!

Wawel Castle

I was initially worried about going to Poland in December when average highs are only in the 30s. It was definitely freezing, but totally worth it. The lack of tourists more than made up for the extra layers I had to throw on.

Winter is actually a great time to visit Krakow--especially early December. The Christmas Market in the town square was a huge highlight. I loved seeing and tasting traditional Polish foods, like oscypek, a fried smoked cheese served with a sweet cranberry sauce. Dan and Felicity loved the glühwein that was served out of a giant keg.

Fried smoked cheese

Felicity and Dan enjoying mulled wine

Christmas market at night

I was so impressed with all the food we had in Poland--not just at the market. Pierogi--Polish stuffed dumplings--were plentiful. At only a few cents each, I ate my weight in them! My favorites were the sweet cheese ones; the fruit filled ones; and the pierogi ruskie, which were filled with potatoes and onions.

We went to a really fun beer hall one night. With live traditional Polish music, shots of slivovitz (plum brandy) and liters of beer for only $2.25 (!!), it was a great night. Of course, I abstained from the drinks, but I was more than happy with my free pickles and cabbage.

Wait until you see the food. This was for one person! It should have come with a warning. Although, technically I guess it did. This sign was in the men's room.

A meal for one?!

Though most of our time was spent eating, we did see other parts of the city too :) We took a day trip to Auschwitz and the Salt Mines. I'll tell you more about that tomorrow.

We took a free Jewish walking tour of the city one afternoon. I was a little disappointed in our guide. I didn't appreciate the way she represented a lot of aspects of my religion. We didn't even go in to the synagogues or cemetery. It was sad to see how small the Jewish community is now compared to before WWII. Krakow's Jewry never recovered.

The city is gorgeous.

Notice the creepy eyes

I love the city walls.

It was such a nice, relaxing and delicious trip!

My Friends Are Awesome

Remember a few days ago when I proclaimed my jealousy over Dani and Katie meeting the Petersiks?

Turns out, they are awesome friends and scored me a signed copy of the Young House Love book! It came just in time for Chanukah too. How amazing are they?

Thanks so much Katie and Dani. I miss you guys!

Math Is Fun

Calli+Dan=3

That's right! Dan and I are expecting! We are thrilled with the news. We're 13 weeks along and are due June 20th. My first trimester went really, really well. I didn't have any major symptoms, unlike my good friend Kate. I'm generally just feeling great.

I'll be back with more about how the British health care system is working, how I'm feeling and lots more. But don't worry, I don't plan on turning this blog into a "mommy blog." There are too many good ones out there already, and frankly that's just not my thing. I will, however, include updates on my pregnancy and the baby because that's part of my life. It will just be another aspect of my time in Yorkshire (albeit a HUGE one). I already have a bunch of travel planned between now and my third trimester, plus I have a bunch of house updates still on the agenda (MUST finish kitchen chairs!!).

As excited as I am to be able to share this news, it's nothing compared to the angst my mom has been experiencing in keeping this a secret. So here you go mom--cat's out of the bag. Take a deep breath and enjoy :)

How to Beat the Winter Blues

Sorry for the silence on the blog this week. I just got back from a couple of amazing vacations that I can't wait to share with you. While I was gone, winter definitely crept up on me. My koi pond is icy and there is frost on the ground. No snow yet, but it's pretty darn cold.

The best way to deal with the winter is with a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a roaring fire.

Dan builds great fires

My friend Felicity told me about a log delivery service here in Harrogate that will drop off half a ton of firewood to your front door. It is pretty reasonably priced too. If you're having a hard time picturing what half a ton of wood looks like, let me help you.

This should keep us warm all winter.

The wood is stacked in our mudroom. I love this room for its practicality, but I have done absolutely nothing to decorate it. I'd love to spruce it up a bit. Does anyone have suggestions of how to warm this concrete and brick room up? I'm renting, so I can't paint the walls. But I'm thinking some art work or an outdoor rug would help bring in some life.

Thanksgiving Party Recap

As you may know, Thanksgiving is one of my all-time favorite holidays (see here and here). I love everything about it--especially the food! Last year, for our first Thanksgiving overseas, my family came to England and we had a very traditional evening. This year Dan and I were lucky enough to co-host a party with Katie and Jon for 25 of our friends.

Our menu included all of my favorites:

• Deep fried turkey
• Mashed potatoes
• Sweet potato casserole
• Stuffing
• Gravy
• Cranberry sauces (whole and jellied)
• Cornbread
• Green bean casserole
• Brussels sprouts
• Sweet potato quinoa (made by Rachel)
• Apple pie
• Pumpkin pie
• Pecan pie
• Chocolate trifle
• Pumpkin cake
  

Katie, Katie's mother-in-law, Dan and I spent most of the morning cooking away. I was impressed at how smoothly it went. It was really fun!

For the first time ever we had a deep-fried turkey. I can't believe I waited this long. It was so tasty! Jon and the boys did a great job with it.

The house looked so festive. I loved how it all turned out.

My favorite thing we did was the "Thankful Jar." I cut up strips of decorative paper and asked everyone to write what they were thankful for. Throughout the night I would read a few responses at a time. There were some really great ones. Some were thoughtful, some were romantic, and some were just plain silly. These were some of my favorites:

"Whiskey and topless women; family and friends;
I am thankful for the chance to live in the UK, the chance to travel,
and to have friends to spend Thanksgiving with."

It was such a fun night! Everyone left full and sleepy--just the way Thanksgiving should be!

So Jealous

If you know me at all, you know I am totally obsessed with bloggers extraordinaire John and Sherry Petersik of Young House Love. I have been reading their blog for years and am constantly inspired by their creativity, enthusiasm and wit. (See here, here and here for some of the projects I tackled because of them.)

They recently wrote a book that became an instant New York Times best seller, thanks to thousands of people like me who ordered it months before it was even published.

[source]

The Petersiks are on a whirlwind book tour and recently made a stop in D.C. My good friends Katie and Dani were lucky enough to meet Sherry and John. I can't wait to hear more details of the event. All I know so far is that they snagged a pretty great souvenir:

Katie, Dani, Sherry and John [source]

Non-Compensated Product Endorsement

My best friend Katie and I used to play a game in college where we would ask each other which product we love enough to endorse for free. I have a pretty long list, but at the top is Vaseline. This humble little product is my favorite thing ever. I can't go more than a few hours without it.

I use it mostly for chapped lips, but it's also great for dry skin. I carry a small tub in my purse; I have one in my nightstand and one in the bathroom. I honestly would be thrilled to lend my face, name or voice to any and all Vaseline advertisements. Is that weird? Tell me I'm not alone.

What product do you love enough to endorse it for free?