I’ve Moved

My blog is now self-hosted. Please add www.perfectionisnthappy.com to your readers. See you there!

I’m Moving (Update Your Readers!)

For the past three hours, I have been freaking out.

You see, I transferred my blog to a new host on my own, and for a brief moment, I thought I had lost everything that I’ve put into this blog over the past two years. Thankfully, I did not! (But I’m still learning how to transfer everything over…technology is confusing at times!)

The exciting news is, I am moving. In a few days, or several, you will be able to find me at the new and updated Perfection Isn’t Happy, right here: www.perfectionisnthappy.com.

Update your readers, because this current link will no longer work (and get excited for a fresh, new look)!

 

Over the Weekend

I….

…made Jenna’s boyfriend’s famous spaghetti for Jordan and I (yum).

…sipped on some red wine (that was also used in said spaghetti).

…went to the racetrack for some quality time with my dad.

…went downtown with Jordan and our friends for my very first NFL game.

It was a busy weekend, but a good one :).

Today, I am finally going to go change my name (!), and then I’m starting off the first day of my half marathon training plan with a long walk with friends — today is a rest/cross training day (my choice). Just to give you a heads up, I am going to be making some changes to my blog over the next week or so, so if anything looks funny, or I’m suddenly missing for a few days, you know why!

Have a great Monday!

Friday Things

1. I am so intrigued by the new TLC show, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.” And by intrigued, I mean, I don’t know whether to cover my eyes and cry, or stare at the screen in shock. I just don’t know…

2. I made a mistake in last week’s post. I didn’t start my half marathon plan this week, because I actually start it next Monday, the 13th. On Wednesday, I went to Athletic Annex to get properly fitted for new running shoes. After walking around barefoot and running in front of guy who has 8 marathons under his belt (very helpful, but a little intimidating, I must say), I now have my first pair of Brooks, and I’m ready to start training!

3. First, it was Gabby Douglas’ hair (too messy?), then it was Lolo Jone’s physique (too sexy?), and now it is McKayla Maroney’s body language.

Source

Yes, in that split second, she looks ungrateful, but should we be so hard on her? She’s 16-years-old. She’s tired. She worked her butt off for her entire life only to be that close to the gold medal, and then she didn’t get it. Give her a break. It seems like everyone has something to say about female Olympians. What about the boys?

4. Yesterday, my mom, sisters and I went back to paint pottery for the second time this summer. I can’t believe that the last time we were there was at my bachelorette party — 7 weeks ago! This summer flew right by.

5. Yesterday, I baked this. Feel free to drool over the recipe, or make it yourself this weekend.

6. I have a self-cleaning oven. Yesterday, when making the above recipe, butter spilled all over the bottom of my oven, and it needed to be cleaned. So, my apartment is currently filled with smoke, my eyes are burning, and I’m just waiting for the two hour cleaning process to be over. I don’t know how smokers live in apartments. They must constantly live in a fog.

7. Today is my grocery shopping day, and I’m really looking forward to it. Does that make me weird?

8. I’ve been making dinner for Jordan nearly every night since we’ve been home. He hasn’t complained about any of the meals yet, but he did say that he was very impressed by my baked barbecue chicken. If only he knew how easy it was (Weber Grill barbecue sauce + Emeril’s Essence)! I guess I’ll be making that again :).

8. I checked out this book from the library on Wednesday, and I have yet to open it. I think I’ll make that change while I sit and make sure that my kitchen doesn’t set on fire.

Have a good weekend!

Honeymoon Recap, Part 7: The Final Days

So, it’s here. My final honeymoon recap. Thank you for sticking with me through all 7 of them ;). When I left off, I had just celebrated my 24th birthday. After my birthday, we had two days left of vacation, and our days were wide open. On Monday, we hit the beach for the very last time.

I apologize for my picture of picture – this is from a water camera 🙂

Jordan jumped off of this cliff — Black Rock — while I watched, eyes half open, from the sand. Thankfully, the jump was a success :).

We shopped and ate frozen treats.

Frozen yogurt for me.

Haagen-Daz for Jordan.

And we ate at our favorite restaurant one last time.

Tuesday was our last day in Maui. We had to check out of our hotel room by noon, but our flight didn’t leave until 10:30 pm. We decided to hit the gym one last time before we grabbed breakfast and packed up our stuff. By 11:45 am, we were on the road, with a whole day to explore. 

We passed this cemetery every time we drove to our hotel, so we decided to check it out. The original immigrants of Maui are buried here. Many of them worked in the pineapple and sugarcane fields to try to make better lives for their families. The layout of the cemetery is much different than what you’d see in the Midwest, so we thought it was interesting.

Tuesday happened to be a particularly hot day, so we decided to go back to Old Lahaina Town, where our luau was, to shop. We shopped until we could shop no more, and then we walked to the movie theater and saw “Ice Age” so we could be in the air conditioning for a couple of hours :). By the time the movie ended, it was after 3:00 pm, and we decided to grab a late lunch/early dinner. We went to Cheeseburger in Paradise (different than the Jimmy Buffet chain that we have here), which I’d highly recommend.

Our table was right on the water, my Hawaiian chicken sandwich was delicious, and the prices were reasonable.

After we ate, we walked down the street to get shave ice. We had it earlier in the week, and wanted to experience it one more time before we left.

That sign is right. I am not a fan of snow cones, so I was a little nervous to try it, but it does not taste like a snow cone at all! It’s more like sherbet or ice cream. Jordan and I split a “Pretty Mama” with cream soda, root beer, and tiger’s blood flavors.

After we’d had our fill of shave ice, we got back in the car to start making our way towards the airport. At that point, we still had over 5 hours to kill. We found another mall and walked around it, we visited Whole Foods because I was intrigued to see what it’d look like in Maui (it looked the same, but smaller), and we went to Kmart to get snacks for our flight home. Eventually, we decided to return our rental car and wait out the rest of the time at the airport. We were already feeling exhausted.

At 10:30 pm Hawaii time, our flight took off, and we were on our way home. After making one connection in Phoenix, we arrived in Indianapolis around 4:00 pm. By that point, we’d been up for over 24 hours, and I was happy to home!

Of course, reality eventually sets in and you start to miss vacation. “Live with Kelly” is shooting from Hawaii this week, and watching those shows, combined with writing these posts,  is already making me want to go back :). Despite the little bumps that we had along the way, it was the perfect honeymoon!

Before I go, I’ll leave you with this.
 

We got this photo yesterday as a preview, and the rest should be ready within the next couple of weeks! I can’t wait to recap our wedding :).

Have a great Thursday!

Honeymoon Recap, Part 6: My 24th Birthday

On Sunday, July 22, I turned 24-years-old…and I just happened to be in Hawaii (which I did not take for granted — I’m sure that was a once in a lifetime thing!). I woke up to a birthday card on the comforter, courtesy of my new husband. I heard him rustling around before I got up, and sure enough, he was filling out my card :). He told me that I could choose what we did that day, so the first thing that we did was go to breakfast. We upgraded to the all you can eat breakfast buffet, and I ate plenty. I’m not normally a juice drinker, but that guava juice (the pink stuff) was so good!

After breakfast, we went to the gym for a run. He doesn’t enjoy working out as much as I do, but he enjoyed the treadmill TVs and didn’t complain at all :)! After a good run, we hung out by the pool for a while, before going to the spa! Jordan booked a couples’ massage, a new experience for both of us.

Before the massage, we each hung out in separate locker rooms. I sat in the hot tub and steam room for a little while, and then we were off to another room for our massages. Honestly, I wasn’t too thrilled with my masseuse. I was sore from my run and I wish that she would’ve used more pressure, but I’m guessing she was gentle since I told her that it was my first massage. That hour just flew by, and after filling up on some chocolate covered macadamia nuts and fruit-infused water (lunch of champions), we were back to hanging out at the pool before dinner.

That night, we went out for a sushi dinner and Haagen-Daz ice cream.

It was the perfect ending to my birthday! And it’s okay that I didn’t have a cake, I celebrated with my family the weekend after we got back from vacation, and got to make a wish then :).

I only have one honeymoon recap left, so if you’re getting sick of them, the end is near :). Have a great Tuesday!

How did you/will celebrate your birthday this year?

Honeymoon Recap, Part 5: High in the Sky

How was everyone’s weekend? Good, I hope! When I left you last time, I had just finished a sweaty run in the hotel gym before leaving for our next adventure. On that Friday afternoon, Jordan and I drove back to where we first arrived, the Kahului airport, for a helicopter tour! I was a little nervous about the helicopter tour because I’ve heard that they can be dangerous, but it was something that Jordan really wanted to do while we were in Hawaii, and I’m so glad that we did!

That big yellow pouch? That’s a life jacket, just in case we were to land in the water (scary to think about, but safety first!). We flew with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, who I highly recommend, if you’re ever in Hawaii. I was worried that’d I’d feel motion sick, but I didn’t at all! Our pilot was very knowledgeable of the area, and it was so interesting to learn more about the island.

After our helicopter ride, we decided to attempt ‘The Road to Hana,’ a huge tourist attraction in Maui. It is basically a very narrow and windy road that eventually leads you to the city of Hana. At times, the road goes down to one lane, and you have to yield for cars coming from the other direction. Not exactly the perfect attraction for my nervous personality :). We made it to one of the scenic areas on the road to Hana, Twin Falls, hiked to the waterfall to check it out, and then we decided to turn around and go back to our hotel. By that time it was close to 6:00, and scenic drives are not my thing when I’m hungry! We ended the night with dinner at the hotel restaurant, and then went to bed early because we had exciting plans on Saturday morning!

At 8:30am, Jordan and I drove to another part of Lahaina for our adventure of the day — ziplining! This was my favorite activity of the entire trip. We ziplined in the West Maui Mountains with Eco Skyline Adventure, and our tour guides were hilarious, making the trip even more entertaining.

We did a total of 8 lines, each one a little longer and more difficult.

The view was beautiful, and we happened to be in group with two other honeymooning couples, one from Ohio and the other from Norway (so cool, I thought), so it was fun to get to know them. I was sad when we had to leave; it was such a fun morning!

After ziplining, we went back to the hotel for our usual routine of swimming and relaxing by the pool, before getting ready for dinner at Mama’s Fish House in Paia, on the north side of Maui. Mama’s Fish House was recommended to us by family friends, and although the food was delicious, we were less than thrilled by our slow service — and I found a bone in my salmon :(.

The lobster guacamole with homemade beet and sweet potato chips was so good!

And since it was a special occasion, we just had to get dessert :).

After all of our adventures, the rest of our vacation was a little more relaxed and unplanned. The next day was especially relaxed, because it was my birthday! I’ll tell you how I spent my 24th birthday in Hawaii…tomorrow :). Have a great Monday!

 

Honeymoon Recap, Part 4: Under the Sea

At the end of my last honeymoon post, I left you with a picture of a sea turtle. If you guessed that our next adventure was snorkeling, then you guessed right — well, sort of! On Thursday morning, Jordan and I got up bright and early to drive to Makena for a 7:15 am kayaking and snorkeling trip. I have a fear of sharks, and was nervous about the trip, but I knew that I needed to overcome my fear and do it for Jordan (funny enough, I’m the one who booked the trip :)).

Unlike a typical snorkel trip on a big boat, this kayak and snorkel trip was just us, a family of four and two tour guides, in the middle of the ocean in kayaks.

Jordan and I shared a kayak, and paddled out to our first location with the rest of our group. Once at our first location, we put on our snorkel gear while sitting in our kayaks, then got in the water to explore.

This particular area is known for sea turtles, and several swam right underneath us while we were in the water! Jordan also held a sea urchin.

 I passed on that one :).

After swimming around our first location, we got back in our kayaks, paddled across the ocean some more, and went to another snorkeling spot. This continued for about 2 hours. Though it was fun, I felt seasick every time we anchored our kayaks and were floating on the waves. I know for next time, take Dramamine when kayaking in the ocean! Our trip was actually cut short because one of our guides was feeling sick, but it ended up being the perfect amount of time for me, since I was feeling nauseous. After our tour, our group ate lunch on the beach, and then we were on our way. 

We explored another beach in Makena, after hearing it had some of the bluest water in Maui.

Once we got back to where we were staying, we spent the afternoon lounging by the poolside bar and soaking up the sun.

Not for too long, though, because we had to get ready for our next big event of the day — a luau!

We went to ‘The Feast at Lele’ luau, right on the water in Lahaina. Jordan and I had a table for two with our own waiter (rather than buffet-style), which made for a romantic setting. We were served a five-course meal representing all of the Hawaiian cultures, and while we ate, we watched the show.

Just one of the five courses!

They also had an open bar, and they came to take our drink order with every course that was served. Neither of us are big drinkers, so we had to pace ourselves!

By the end of the night, I thought Jordan was going to have to roll me out of there because we’d eaten so much food! It was a very cool experience though; everything took place right on the beach, and we had a perfect view.

To avoid feeling bloated from the night before, I began the next morning with a 3 mile run (while watching ‘Boy Meets World’ — I loved those treadmills!),

and then we were off on our next adventure — this time, high in the sky.

Do you know what we were up to next :)? I’ll be back with the next recap on Monday. Have a great weekend!

Have you ever snorkeled?

Are you more of a beach person or a pool person — or both?

 

 

 

Thursday Thoughts

I’m going to take a break from my honeymoon series to give you some insight into my life, post-wedding. I’ll be back tomorrow with another recap!

1. I think I may be suffering from the post-wedding blues. I’m pretty sure this is a real thing, just ask a few recent brides. It’s not that I’m unhappy being married, or that I’m sad because I’m back home from Hawaii (okay, I’m a little sad about that), but I’m just kind of bummed that one of the biggest events in my life is over. No more texts, no more emails, no more being the center of attention. It goes by so fast.

2. I am currently unemployed. Ugh, I hate that word. While Jordan goes to work every morning, easing his way back into a routine, I have a much simpler days, which usually consist of making the bed, doing laundry, hitting the gym if I feel like it, and washing some dishes by hand — just because I have the extra time. I’m guessing that this is why my post-wedding blues are more magnified — I don’t have anything to distract myself from them.

3. Being unemployed means having plenty of time to watch the Olympics. Yesterday morning, I watched the girls’ gymnastics team win the gold, and I was so happy for them, I almost cried. I seriously don’t know how those girls do it. I took gymnastics when I was in elementary school, and I could barely manage a cartwheel. A career in gymnastics was definitely not God’s intention for me, though every time the Olympics is on, I so wish it was ;).

Source

5. Speaking of careers, at this point in my life, I thought I would have one. I had dinner with two of my friends last night, both who just accepted teaching positions and start their full-time careers next week. While I’m so happy for them, I’m also frustrated that I’m still sitting here, wondering what it is that I want to do. I have multiple passions, that’s the problem…

Can I be a professional fro-yo eater…? No…?

6. I begin my half marathon training plan on Monday! I decided to go with a plan I found in Runner’s World, which consists of three days of running per week, plus cross training. It might not always be easy, but it’s definitely doable, and I’m excited to get started!

7. My sister is coming over today to eat lunch and go swimming. I can see these dates becoming a common occurrence as long as it stays as hot as it’s been — in the 90s for 40+ days straight. I’m excited to get some fresh air and spend some time with my sis!

Have a great Thursday!

Have you always known what type of career is the best fit for you?

How long after college did it take for you to find a career that you love?

Honeymoon Recap, Part 3: Rest and Relaxation

When I ended part 2 of this honeymoon series, Jordan and I were just going to bed after a very long day of traveling. Though our jet lag seemed to come in waves throughout the trip, we were still able to muster up enough energy to get us through our relaxing and adventure-filled days.

We had to rearrange some of our activities when we arrived in Maui because of the flight changes, but we were able to have a complete day of relaxation on our first day there, which is exactly what we needed. We started the day with an ocean view breakfast, included in our honeymoon package (it saved us from buying breakfast from expensive restaurants every morning – definitely a plus).

the view

Breakfast was one of my favorite parts of the day, because the resort area wasn’t too crowded yet, and we were able to relax and enjoy each other’s company. On some days, we had to leave the resort right after breakfast for one of our scheduled activities, but on the first day, we had the whole day to ourselves. Soon after breakfast, we took a walk along the boardwalk, and then we hit the beach.

This view never got old.

As you might be able to tell from the way Jordan has his hat covering his entire face ;), the sun would eventually get too hot to handle. We split our time between the water and the sand, before taking a break for lunch.

We ate at Leilani’s, a bar and grill right on the beach, where the food was amazing. I wish we would’ve had the chance to go back one more time before leaving, but when we tried to go back for dinner, the wait was a little too long.

We also did a little shopping at Whaler’s Village, an outdoor mall within walking distance of our resort.

This was one of my favorite places to walk around when we couldn’t stand the sun at the beach or pool anymore. Jordan was a good sport; he may or may not have been rewarded with Haagen-Daz on multiple occasions ;).

We learned that the pools are much less crowded in the evening, so we usually spent some time there before heading to dinner — and that is exactly what we did on our first full day there.

Jordan could stand the cool pool water longer than I could :).

Dinner that night was at Lahaina Grill in Old Lahaina Town, recommended to us by another couple on our flight to Maui. It was a little bit more fancy than what we were expecting, but the food was excellent.

Especially the dessert (ice cream pie made with Kona coffee ice cream)! You may notice that splitting dessert became a habit of ours. It’s okay, though; we were on our honeymoon ;).

That first day was over in the blink of an eye. We had an early wake-up call the following morning, because we were going on an adventure, the first of several.

Can you guess what we did :)?