Two Thousand Thirteen!

Goodbye, 2012. I don't normally make New Year's resolutions, but this year I have a few "goals" in mind:
1. Try to get to bed earlier. I normally fall asleep after 11:30 p.m., then try waking up early to get to the gym and then work. I generally don't need much sleep, and feel groggy whenever I get 8+ hours. But my goal is to start getting more than 5.5 hours a night. I think reading before bed, instead of watching TV, will help.
2. Cut back on sugar. I have a serious sweet tooth. I can (and often) eat junk for breakfast! So yeah, it might be time to start limiting my intake.
3. Try not to sweat the small stuff. This is a tough one for me. I'm a worrier, a planner, and think-aheader. If something falls apart or doesn't go as planned, I struggle.
4. Redecorate the apartment. Over the years, I've accumulated quite an eclectic number of home furnishings. I would like things to look a little more consistent. More importantly, I need to eliminate clutter and keep up with the cleaning I've recently been tackling.

For #4, I've started by adding some greenery to my apartment and bought new bedding (West Elm is having a fabulous sale).

This little guy came from The Sill, an awesome shop that has low maintenance houseplants that can survive even the blackest thumb (me). Free delivery for those in New York -- what more can you ask for!

Snowed In

It snowed again today.  A lot.  For several hours.  Tyler and I are planning on leaving for NYC early tomorrow morning, so hopefully the snow will be gone by then.  Growing up in Southern Oregon, we had "snow" twice.  Less than a quarter inch and the entire town would shut down.  So while I think snow is beautiful in the city (where I can totally rely on public transportation), I'm not thrilled about driving in it.

White Christmas

It snowed Christmas Eve so we had snow Christmas morning.  It was gone by the afternoon, but beautiful to wake up to.  Perfect day to wear an oversized sweater and wool socks.

Spent the day playing trains with the twins.  Everyone involved was exhausted after dinner!

Christmas Vacation

In Pennsylvania for Christmas.  We brought the cat, which was an interesting experience.  He generally did fine with the car ride, but every so often had to complain (loudly) to let us know that he did not approve of being in his carrier for longer than five minutes.  But it's great having him here.

Around The Apartment: Fall Images

I just love the way film captured these shots -- so cozy and warm.  Its perfect for fall!

I think I'm going to have to retire that red coat for the rest of the year.  We've had mild weather so far, but its  starting to feel a little chilly in the morning (especially if its even slightly windy).

In other news, Tyler and I have been considering moving into a larger apartment in our building.  So, naturally, I decided to spend several hours last night deep cleaning the kitchen (we're talking scrubbing down the stove, which included the use of q-tips, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers and a hand-vac, cleaning all the cabinets, tiles and walls, and organizing all the drawers and cabinets).  I guess this is how I de-stress.  While I was studying for the bar exam, I was always finding "urgent projects" which needed to be done around the apartment.  In fact, just four days before the first day of testing, I decided that I absolutely had to spend nine hours cleaning, decluttering and organizing one of my closets.  So, yeah...