I don’t know about you, but I am SUPER excited about it being Friday.
…and because tomorrow is New Years Eve,
…and because today is exactly one month until my birthday,
…AND because there is a VERY special day coming up right around the corner!
So much excitement & celebrating coming up!
****
Dinner
Last night, Jay and I were invited over to my in-laws house for dinner and, as always, we had lots of delicious food. They prepared a Top Round Beef Roast, which was actually cooked with cloves of garlic inserted right inside of it. The meat had so much flavor going in, it was crazy. (Not sure exactly which recipe they used, but it sounds like it might be similar to this one.) So, so good!
We also had some side salads which had some of the tastiest tomatoes I’ve had in months. I love me some tomatoes. 
After dinner, we all somehow got talking about how they thought that they had an old meat slicer somewhere in the house. After only a few minutes of searching, the slicer was found so, of course, they had to try it out on the leftovers…
You would have thought it was Christmas morning by the excitement on Jay’s face the entire time.
But you know, I’m not gonna lie. I kinda want one of my own now. I know it’s totally not conventional or necessary, but the way that thing worked really impressed me!
And hey, if I got one, maybe I’d finally be able to cut my homemade bread in even slices? 
After dinner, I enjoyed a nice hot cup of chamomile tea and a little dessert.
Would you believe that last night was my first time ever having sponge cake? I’ve definitely had my fair share of angel food cake, but sponge cake was a new experience. It’s pretty tasty!
Especially when it’s served with strawberries and homemade whipped cream.
YUM.
*****
Workout
I am definitely feeling yesterday’s workout this morning. I was actually planning on doing some yoga, but my couple practice downdogs were not pretty, nor comfortable in any way whatsoever. So I nixed the yoga and decided on some cardio instead…maybe I’ll give the yoga a go later this afternoon?
Today’s Cardio of Choice: My 30 Minute Cardio Blast (with speeds upped to 6.5mph & 8.0mph). It covered just a little over 3 miles- and 3 sweaty ones at that. Whew!
Breakfast…
Really hit the spot today!
Coffeeeeee
Toasted English muffin with almond butter, banana slices, and chia seeds.
Exactly what I needed this morning.
I can’t lie…I’m already daydreaming about coming home tonight, getting into my cozies, making some homemade pizza and watching a Redbox movie. A quiet Friday night in is definitely in order this evening…especially since we’ll be out partying it up tomorrow night for New Years Eve! (We have dinner plans and a party after with awesome friends.) Can’t wait!!
Question for the Morning:
WOULD YOU RATHER…(New Years Eve Edition!)
- Celebrate New Years Eve out on the town –OR- stay in and have a quiet New Years Eve?
- Given the opportunity, watch the ball drop from the middle of Times Square –OR- pass and watch from the comfort of your living room?
- Celebrate with champagne at midnight –OR- a different beverage?
Wait I am in shock that you only just tried sponge cake– clearly you better eat your fair share to make up for lost time! Last year was a super chilled new years eve for me but tomorrow involves an overnight house party which we need to first take a boat ride to…I am pumped!
Celebrate out on the town definitely! I think it would be awesome to see the ball drop and NYC but I can only imagine the crowds of people! Maybe a little too much..and definitely a champagne toast!
So jealous you have fun plans! I always want to do something fun on New Year’s but every single one of our friends have kids and can’t do anything. Lame!
So we’re going to end up at someone’s house doing the low key thing for the 5th year in a row…
Oh, and there’s no amount of money you could pay me to spend New Year’s eve in Times Square. Those people are NUTS!
So many great things coming your way! :)
Definitely out on the town, but I think I’m staying in this year after I go out to dinner. I move a day or two after New Years, and I need to pack.
Times square no doubt about it!!!
Champagne ;D
Last year we stayed in so this year I think the plan is to go out. I would rather watch the ball drop from my own living room. NYC is a little too crazy. I do like a glass of champagne at midnight.
An electric knife works well for slicing homemade bread; it takes up less room then a meat slicer and quicker to pull out, use and clean. But I do love our meat slicer.
I would rather celebrate out on the town and then stay in all new year’s day with my honey! I would like to see the ball drop on television for the most part, but would love to see it while in times square at least one time. I prefer to toast with champagne because it’s bubbly, sweet and it means I’m celebrating something great!
Oh man – I’d rather be home than in Times Square! I hate, hate, hate being cold and let’s be honest – if I’m going to get “silly” I’d rather be at home, warm and with a few friends :) I hope you guys have fun tomorrow!!
I love to dress up and to celebrate with friends and family. I live in NYC and I’m pretty sure I would never want to go to Times Square for the ball drop. In front of the TV is good enough for me! And I definitely have to have champagne – especially my favorite Fragolino which is a strawberry flavored sparkling wine.
Have a great New Year’s Eve!
I want to be in my bedroom because Time Square is packed and horrible with no view and freezing. Do it once for the experience but then enjoy your cozies and a nice drink. I prefer a good HUGE cup of tea and some biscuits watching ball drop.
We stay in every year. The night is so crazy so we like to have people over, grill and do some fireworks. One year I would like to have a glam NYE, but right now I am fine with hanging out!
I prefer to do like a house party type thing on NYE rather then go out, but this year since we dont know anyone here yet we will be going out on the town. sometimes i like to stay in on our own as well!
It really depends on my mood, but next year I kind of want to be out of town and experience something different (and warm…like Miami). I would like to be in NYC once for the experience, but probably not ever again because it’s just too much haha. Champagne for sure.
Haha, I have a feeling Jay and Shane would get along well :) That’s totally something Shane would get excited for.
I’ve never tried sponge cake either!
We have always kept our NYE low key at home or at friend’s houses but this year we bough tickets to a New Year’s Gala and I am excited for the change and of course to dress up all pretty :)
Watch the ball drop live of course!
Champagne :)
Hope you have a great New Years!
MY BIRTHDAY IS JANUARY 30TH!!
Birthday TWINS!!! :-D
I always prefer to have a low-key NYE celebration, but I’d definitely take the opportunity to celebrate in Times Square at least once & I always enjoy some champagne as well!
Haha that mug is so cute! What happens with the girls, stays with the girls ;)
A low-key NYE might be in order this year, since the year I did go out on the town ended up rather badly. BUT I would totally go to Times Square, given the opportunity!
p.s. My half-birthday is January 30th! Opposite birthday tuh-winnzz!
New Years this year is going to be really low-key for me. I had surgery on Sunday so I’ve been in a lot of pain. I would like to at least have one sip of champagne! I hope you have a great time celebrating! Sounds like fun! I’m jealous! ;)
My brother works with the youth at our church and he usually does something with them, so I will find my way there and try and act all “adult” ;), but end up cutting up with them. Nothing planned so far for NYE, but I still have today and all day tomorrow to find someone to hang out with! :)
If given the opportunity?? YES I would be at Time Square..
Breakfast looks great this morning! Have a great day!
I love how I always know I’m going to be able to spot your coffee cup in the post! LOVE IT! It’s super cute :) Plus I know it also has sentimental value which makes it even better!
Oh, and the meat slicer… best item that never gets used :s
And I love Champagne so I’d rather have it instead of any beverage! (Except water… alcohol makes me thirsty!) But it’d have to be dry, like Brut. Can’t stand sweet :)
1. Because I have celebrated New Years Eve doing pretty much nothing for the past many years, I’d love to celebrate out on the town!
2. I’d pass watching the ball drop in person (too many people) and watch from the comfort of my living room.
3. Definitely celebrate with champagne at midnight! There’s no other way.
Can’t wait to hear about your New Years!!!
Night on the town! And I don’t think I’d ever be brave enough to face Times Square on NYE…hours in the cold shoulder to shoulder in a sea of people with no nearby bathroom? No thanks :) And yes def love me some champagne on New Years!
Can’t wait to hear about your fun plans :)
Wedding Anniversaries are always exciting. Congrats!!
My husband and I don’t really celebrate NYE. We usually just stay home.
I’ve never tried sponge cake either! Gotta get on that haha. I usually like to have a quiet New Years with a few friends, nothing huge. I think it would be so cool to see the ball drop in person at least one year! And I’m only 19, no drinking allowed (;
if you asked me a few years ago, i would’ve said out on the town! but now i like quiet nights at home….but i’d love to watch the ball drop at times square!!!
That dinner sure looks delicious, and the sponge cake with HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM and strawberries?!? Yummy. :) I do love a dose of homemade whipped cream every once and a while.
I’d rather…
Stay in and have a quiet New Year’s Eve
Watch the ball drop in the comfort of my living room; in Times Square, they have all these gates and squish one hundred people in a gate for 10 hours. That doesn’t sound like fun to me- at all.
Celebrate with a different beverage- the prime reason is that I haven’t reached the age to drink yet.
Hi! I did spend one New Year’s in Times Square and it was awesome! However it was a long time ago when they had less security, so you could bring in alcohol to keep you warm, and you could beg the nearby restaurants to let you use the bathroom, if your friends would keep your spot in the crowd! I would recommend that everyone should go there for New Year’s at least once!
Now I like to stay home and hang out with family, and have just a little champagne!
You know I’ll be most definitely celebrating New Year’s with a (or 2!) nice big glasses of champagne ;) We were gonna stay home but my parents invited us over and now my sis and her boyfriend are coming so it’ll be a fun lil party – family style :) And I would most definitely go to Times Square to see the ball drop, it’d be pretty crazy, but definitely something I want to do once in this lifetime!
You know I should plan more celebrations in January b/c I find it to be depressing after all the fun of Xmas and NYE…you planned those events well my friend…well your mom had more to do with your birthday ;) Hmmm perhaps we can plan on our wee one to be born in Janurary, lol!
Have a very happy New Year’s Courtney!! xo
I’ve never had sponge cake either. It looks good!! My fav way to elebrate New Yrs is with my family, in comfy clothes, with lots of appetizers (we made like 30), hot fudge cake for dessert and my beverage of choice is a big Diet Mtn Dew. We all help fix the appetizers, play some board games, watch movies, and just spend time together. It’s rare that all 3 (I have 2brothers) are all together. I love playing with my 3yr old niece Addi Grace the best…she is my big helper in the kitchen. 2012 is gonna be a great yr!