Fall 2011: Double Holiday Fun

Who wants to read about events that are no longer relevant or interesting because they happened a really long time ago? You do? Good.

The holidays were a little crazy this year. They started with double the fun at TWO Halloweens and TWO Thanksgivings. I know, we're pretty special.

As you may remember, Matt and I have hosted a Halloween party at our place for the last couple of years. Usually, we kick out the little ones in our family as it gets late (trying to be responsible and all that junk), which is always a little sad because kids LOVE Halloween. This year, my family decided that the kids deserved a party that was more designed for them. Cue my mother and her insane enthusiasm (which is awesome).

She decided a MURDER MYSTERY was just the ticket. Except it was really a ROBBERY MYSTERY, because murder is a little dark for kids. Anyway, we got to planning. I was responsible for side games (we did a Halloween song identification and a competitive dance party - fun!) and a couple of snacks.

Snack table.

My favorite of my treats. I contributed with a mummy cheese spread, eye of newt eggs, and sugar cookies.

The robbery mystery required each of us (except for the lame-os, who refused) to play a part; I was Ms. Pheasant. We were given clues about our character, and we tried to learn more about our castmates as the theft unfolded - while eating snacks and taking mini-game breaks.

Who stole the diamond-encrusted dragon egg???? (It was Hannah - I mean, Ms. Crimson)

At the end, we all gave away our final secrets until the thief was revealed. The whole night was a little silly, but also really fun. And the kids got a kick out of it, which was the whole idea.

The following weekend, we continued the Halloween fun with our annual party. This year's theme was video game characters. We had lots of family and friends gather in silly costumes, and it was a really good time.

My first focus in hosting these parties is always the food. I have to say, I'm pretty proud of my spread. I had pumpkin puke (guacamole), tapeworms (hot dogs and ketchup), vertebrae (tortilla rolls), dirty bath water (punch), test tube goo (blue curacao and sprite), chex mix (chex mix), and store-bought cookies (store-bought cookies).

Food.

Fun, yes?

My second focus when hosting these parties is finding an awesome costume. This year, I pretty much chose the theme to fit the costumes I wanted for me and Matt, which was: Link and Princess Zelda! I, of course, was Link! Matt was really only half a Princess Zelda because I didn't want to make/find a full gown that he wouldn't wear for more than a half an hour. But he wore a wig with pointy ears!

Some of the fun video game costumes.

Of course, we covered our house in fun decorations, and the mood lighting created a creepy atmosphere.

Hanging out in my mood lighting.

It was definitely a good time. I always get stressed when having parties, and I think that I don't want to do it again. Then a couple of months go by and I start to forget the not-fun parts. So, there's a possibility that we could be having our 4th Annual Halloween Party next year.

Thanksgiving, which is my favorite holiday, was double-the-fun, too! We had a nice meal with my family at my parents' house, and we had a meal with one of my good friends a couple of days later. That meant lots of food and, for me, lots of cooking.

Some of my supplies.

For my family Thanksgiving, I made macaroni and cheese (of course), apple cranberry sauce, salted caramel butter bars, pumpkin chocolate swirl cheesecake, and mud slide pie. Other members of my family made a ton of stuff too, so we had lots of food. We even fried some sweet potato chips for fun!

Just the appetizers.

The big meal.

Thanksgiving was on the little one's birthday this year, so we had to give her a moment to be the center of attention (as if she isn't usually).

Happy Birthday!

Then we devoured desserts.

My pumpkin chocolate swirl cheesecake and mudslide pie.

For Rachel's Thanksgiving a couple of days later, I made a cheesy squash casserole and another pretty cheesecake. We gathered at her newly purchased home with some of her family and friends. It was a very neat experience because a couple of the guests had never been to an American Thanksgiving before (they're here from the Middle East). It was great to share part of our culture and learn about others' traditions. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures, but we had a lovely dinner, pleasant conversation, and a little Apples to Apples thrown in at the end.

Double holidays are tons of fun, but I'm not sure I can handle it every year. At least not if I plan on making as much food.

Fall 2011: A Romantic Weekend for Two

Back in October, my buddy Rachel and I were a little stressed. And by "a little," I mean "a lot." I was still trying to figure out the whole two-school thing, and Rachel was completing her comps for grad school. It was an exhausting time for both of us, so we decided some rest and relaxation was desperately needed. We made our way into the mountains for a girls' weekend at the Indian Hot Springs in Idaho Springs. To save a little money, we booked their monthly special, which was definitely marketed towards couples. The package included a room, entrance to the geothermal caves, a certificate towards dinner in town, and a discount on massages and a private bath. Because we are comfortable in our friendship, we decided we could handle the awkwardness of people thinking we were a lesbian couple, and we booked the trip (electing NOT to have the couples massage, of course).

The quaint (if a little rundown) facilities.

We began our weekend with massages, which helped release a little of the stress. Then we went to check out the geothermal caves. It was a very cool environment, as we were literally inside a cave. Unfortunately (or not?), I don't have any pictures. Clothing was optional, and everything was very wet, so cameras weren't very appropriate.

Women's caves. No peeking.

If you must know (nosy, much?), we remained in our swim suits the entire time. Anyway, the place was like a sauna with tons of hot tubs in the ground. The temperatures were so high that the experience was very intense. We had to take a couple of breaks to rehydrate and cool off, but we felt cleansed and refreshed after the whole thing.

We took a walk downtown to have dinner at the Buffalo Restaurant & Bar. We sat and talked for a couple hours, which is always fun.

Walking through Idaho Springs. Pretty fall colors.

The following morning, we had an appointment for a private bath. If you've never taken a private bath, let me tell you that it's weird. We went to a room of questionable cleanliness and sat in a large tub.

It's a bathtub.

It was warm, but not as hot as a hot tub, and without any jets. While we had the tub for an hour, we couldn't help thinking of the creepy things that may have happened in that room... Even if I was with Matt, I'm pretty sure that would have still been creepy - not romantic. Plus, it was really boring, so we left after 15 minutes and went to the hot springs pool instead.

Like the rest of the place, the pool area was a little old and run-down, but there were lots of tropical plants that made it prettier.

And then, too quickly, it was time to head back down. It didn't take long for us to settle back into the stress of life, but the trip was rejuvenating and much-needed for our sanity. And oh-so-romantic, of course.