It was my first Christmas as a Chaney!



I'm a big fan of the Christmas season - I don't think I go overboard but I love just about all of it. It starts with the radio station that switches to all Christmas songs right before Thanksgiving. You just can't be in a bad mood while listening to a Mariah Carey chart topper. Perfect for listening during my commute to and from work. Then, it's the decorations, upstairs, downstairs, and outside. Nothing over the top but I would feel remiss if I didn't have holiday decorations up. After that, wrapping gifts, looking at lights, and general merriment round out my December.

Somehow I married a man that's more Grinch than Buddy the Elf.  It just isn't his thing. Nor is celebrating his birthday. Such opposites I tell you!

But being that it's our first Christmas as a married couple, we wanted to try and make it feel more special. So we decided to host our families for our first ever Christmas dinner.

I was a little nervous. While I love to plan and prepare for events, the stress is inevitable. Have you seen the YouTube video called, "Company is Coming"?


While I'm not quite on that level, we kept joking through our preparations so we (I) didn't lose my cool.

We even had time to take advantage of the amazing December weather (before the rain and floods) and walk Candy Cane Lane.

Candy Cane Lane is just a couple of blocks from our house. It's a pretty big deal in St. Louis - the houses on a couple of blocks of one street all work together to create a light display for people to visit. The Mr. Potato Head was in our friend's yard.

Christmas eve was spent at my parent's house. My mom always plans an appetizer bar that never disappoints. We also do a secret santa gift exchange. My cousin got a selfie stick as a joke but it turned out to be pretty useful.




Christmas morning was pretty low key. We slept in and I made Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls. I halved the recipe and made the dough the day before, otherwise there wouldn't have been enough time for them to rise before hanger set in. My first baking project from scratch. NBD.

Side note: We got a new oven! It was one of the first wedding gifts we purchased for ourselves and we love it. It is great being able to cook again!



We opened presents in front of the tree. I got Chris a new winter coat - not really a useful present yet considering that most of December has been around the 50-60 degree mark. Hoping that winter shows up sometime soon. Chris got me a new sweater and a new Blues hat. I've already worn both and love them!



The rest of the day was spent preparing for dinner. It is a Christmas tradition from Chris's side of the family to feast on lasagna on Christmas day. So I learned to make lasagna from Chris's stepdad, Gary. While lasagna can easily be thrown together, Gary makes his own sauce and came over to show me the way. I'm always amazed by people who can cook without following a recipe (I'm getting better at it the more I cook). We would add spices to the sauce, let it simmer, and then taste every couple of minutes or so until we we're happy with it.


It was heavenly. The cheese was so gooey and the sauce had just the right amount of basil and oregano. I'm going to make more this week for my friend who just had a baby. Hopefully her family will love it just as much as we did.

We ate, we drank, and opened more presents.


We were pretty exhausted after everyone left. It was definitely tiring hosting a gathering but I'm so glad that we did it.

How was your Christmas? Did you host your own celebration or did you travel over the river and through the woods? What traditions does your family have? Would love to hear about them in the comments!

Well it's been awhile...

But I've been away for a good reason and I'm back to share all the good news.

We're getting married!



That's right. After 8.5 years, Chris completely surprised me with a proposal on a rainy Monday evening before I went to 6th grade camp. While it sounds totally random, we we're supposed to have pictures taken in Forest Park but they got cancelled due to the unbelievable amount of rain we had (seriously, it hadn't rained like that in weeks!) He had even secretly talked with the photographer about the whole thing but he had to scrap it all.

He ended up coming up with something on his way home from work. I had literally been on the couch since about 2pm, napping, when he came home. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He said he was going to go try on some clothes downstairs and that he'd be back up in a little bit. About 15 minutes later he called upstairs asking me to come help him. I begrudgingly got up to trudge down the stairs, I think I was muttering, "Seriously?" as I walked through the kitchen. As I turned the corner to head downstairs, I was startled by Chris at the bottom of the stairs, on one knee, with something real sparkly in his hands.

I immediately started crying. I'm a bit of a crier.

After that, I really don't know what he said or what I did. I do know I made it to the bottom of the stairs, agreed to whatever he said, and now have a very pretty ring on my finger.

We celebrated by calling our parents and an indulgent dinner out to Maggiano's - fried mozzarella, pasta, cheesecake, champagne...the works. We said to hell with gluten free for the night (well worth it!)



So now it's been almost a month and after exhaustively searching for a venue available on 10/10/2015 - the only date in October my church had available in October (and wasn't available again til May 2016!) we finally have a venue.

I swear if I hear, "October is the new June" or "October is our busiest month!" one more freaking time, I'm going to lose it. I just picked October because it (most likely) won't be a million degrees in St. Louis and it was one year away..a manageable amount of time. I've waited long enough!

We're getting married at the parish I grew up in and partying the night away at Windows on Washington. I'm honestly stunned that we got Windows - it's pretty fancy, but it ended up being the perfect place out of the choices we had. We are definitely pumped up!

I can say that my head is already spinning trying to think about all that comes with planning a wedding - I can definitely say I have been less than productive in the evenings once I get home from work. My Pin-It button has been workin' ovah-time!

Most importantly I need to stay focused on the fact that I'm getting married to Chris - something I've known I would do pretty much a week after we met...there was just something about him. I can't get caught up in all the silly details. My goal for this next year is to just roll with the punches and not sweat the small stuff (something I am notoriously horrible at!) It is going to be tough but I want to enjoy every minute of this next year.

My plan is to try and write a little more frequently - it will be cathartic to get it all out on the blog, instead of constantly talking Chris' or mom's ear off. Or my coworkers. Or just about anyone who will listen.

So what say you? Give me your best wedding/getting married advice. What must I absolutely do? What shouldn't I waste my time on? Give it up people!

Well I'm off to order some napkins that are on super sale on a party website - and so it begins!

After yesterday's Debbie Downer post, I felt like I had to come back and focus on the positive.

Not gonna lie though - that intruder training was some heavy duty stuff. I spent some time in the classroom today thinking about my options if something should happen and practicing locking my door with a chair - it really works!

But back to the positive. Things that are just making me happy right now:

- Snapchat. I'm new to Snapchat and only have a couple of friends I snapchat with (read my sisters and one other gal) but I really look forward to the silly snaps that come through each day.

- Gluten free living. I'm at about 21 days gluten free and so far feeling pretty good. I've haven't experienced any swelling in my joints but I have had two days of joint pain in my wrists. Which is far better than joint pain everywhere, all the time. Also, I haven't had any stomach issues for three weeks - which in itself is freaking amazing. Not to overshare but I am one of those people that has to go to the bathroom within minutes of eating most meals. Since I've focused on gluten free foods, my stomach has just chilled out and I don't find myself scrambling for a bathroom after meals.


- I also shopped at the "expensive" grocery store this week because I was trying to find a certain brand of gluten free bread and was just amazed at how they labeled almost every product that was gluten free. It was amazing! (Although after the gluten free regulations that were enacted this week, it'll be interesting to see how many labels remain.)  I'll have to take on a second job to continue shopping there but it made grocery shopping so much easier.

- My birthday is in a week! I'm turning 29 which really I don't care about, I just want to go out to dinner and go shopping. Things on my wishlist include new tennis shoes, clothes for school, and some makeup.

- Plans! Lately Chris and I have been really trying to schedule more "events" in our lives - seeking out concerts, free events, and just being with friends. Last week we went to Forest Park and rented paddle boats - something I had never done. It was so neat! We also went to the zoo.







This weekend we are celebrating a friend's 30th and Chris is participating in a midnight bike ride through STL.

Have a great weekend!

So Chris and I have decided to try a little experiment for the next two weeks (at least)...we're going gluten-free.

Cue scary, ominous tones.

I'm nervous, REAL nervous. I love food. More specifically, I love only certain foods. What can I say...I'm a creature of habit. I can eat the same thing without getting tired of it for months, even years. I've been eating oatmeal and toast every morning for breakfast for about a year and half now - I eat so many oats, I buy 10 pound bags from Sam's every two months or so. 60 pounds of oats per years, friends. And I'm changing it up!

You might be wondering why?

Frankly, we're tired of feeling like crap. We have zero energy to do anything and we pretty much feel sick all the time. Not a day goes by that one of us isn't complaining about a migraine, our joints, or something. I also stumbled across this article, 10 Signs You're Gluten Intolerant, and between Chris and I, we display 8 out of 10 signs. I've got rheumatoid arthritis/psoriasis and he's got fibromyalgia.

So we figured, why not?

If we don't feel any better, oh well. We will have at least not eaten fast food for two weeks and we definitely need to kick that habit.

But if we do feel better (and I'm really hoping we do) - this could mean a lot of good things for us -like maybe not having to take so much medication and being able to enjoy our daily lives. That would definitely be a plus.

So for the next two weeks - no bread, doughnuts, oatmeal, cinnamon rolls, waffles, buns, Pop-Tarts, ice cream cones, fast food, or fun  gluten.

Wish me luck!

Oh, and if you're gluten free, tips and tricks would be appreciated. I didn't go crazy at the store this week buying gluten free this and that, just mostly sticking to proteins, vegetables, and fruits, But I'd love to hear any recommendations you might have. Thanks!

Christmas has come and gone and in it's wake a trail of ugly sweaters and fabulous presents to play with on winter break.

Chris and I spent Christmas eve at my parent's house donning our finest Christmas apparel sourced from Goodwill only hours before. Chris won the title of "Most Authentic". What can I say? The man loves a good theme party. Just wait for new year's eve....it's 90s themed.


We look good.

Santa was very good to me this year.  Either my family knows me incredibly well  or I'm really good at dropping hints. I'm thinking it's the latter.
It was the year of scarves for me - even though only one is pictured I received 5 - I will be quite stylish when I return to school this week. I was most surprised by the Silhouette Cameo. I usually have a pretty good idea of what to expect for Christmas and it wasn't even on my radar. It is amazing!

So far I have used my Clarisonic Mia everyday since Christmas and I'm in love! My skin feels so smooth and I swear it looks better. It probably helps that I haven't worn makeup in a few days too.

Chris outfitted me with a beautiful new purse and an Under Armour hoodie. It is unbelievably warm.

I have firm no makeup policy on Christmas day.

Christmas day was spent eating our way from house to house - breakfast and mimosas at my parents and lasagna for dinner at Chris's parents. We were exhausted and stuffed by the time we got home.

Unfortunately, Chris came down with an awful flu that kept him on the couch from Thursday to Sunday. Such a rotten way to spend a vacation...sick on the couch. Hopefully we will be able to get out of the house and have some fun before I head back to work on Thursday.

Eww...work.

I hope your weekend/Christmas was swell! I'm off to get my house back to normal. There's just something about the week after Christmas that makes me want to hyper organize everything. You can find me shopping for some storage bins and rocking out with my label maker the rest of the week!

Well, well, well, it has been awhile! Some great things are happening 'round here, let me share the awesomeness.

1. Cardinals continue their postseason! We are 2 - 0 in the NLCS as we head out to LA to hopefully sweep the Dodgers. Chris and I went to Game 2 on Saturday with my mom and dad.

Something you should know about my parents and sporting events - they only like good seats or seats that come with extras. So we sat in the outfield with a primo view of everything with an all-you-can-eat buffet and free beer through the 8th inning. All inclusive + a Cardinal victory = AWESOME!






Of course I had to get my nails in the Cardinal's spirit.



My youngest sister turned 21. And we had the a seriously amazing Sunday funday birthday party complete with a party bus, a trip to Fast Eddie's, and topped off with Taco Bell.



While school has been keeping me busy, I have found some time to whip up some wreaths for mi familia...

I really can't believe it is mid-October. I worked on swapping out my summer and fall wardrobe today but I fear I won't be wrapped up in any cozy sweaters for a couple more weeks. It was still in the 80s this past week.

Well I'm off to get ready for the work week. Here's hoping it's a quick one!

The first day of fall already? I've had some fall decor up since the beginning of September but finally the temperatures have cooled off and it really has gotten me in the mood for a bonfires and comfy hoodies. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm kind of excited for 6th grade camp - we are going at the end of October, I'm hoping for perfect, crisp autumn weather.

It's been awhile since I've had a chance to write - it has been pretty busy around here, weekends packed with activities like celebrating birthdays, Cardinal's games, and concerts.

My dad turned 50 two weeks ago. There's nothing my dad loves more than a good fish fry so we cooked up fish and home made potato chips (also, on of my favorite meals).


It has become tradition to post old pictures on FB on a family member's birthday. Doesn't my dad look kinda like Hyde from That 70s Show?

I've always loved that I've got young parents, they were married at 21 and had their 3 girls before 30 - which I can't even begin to fathom these days!  I can remember in elementary school some of my friend's parents turning 50 and I was just dumbfounded because that's was how old my grandma was!

My adorable 2nd cousin, Callie, turned 2 this past week and her mom and dad threw her the most adorable little ice cream party.


What a cutie! I just love being able to hang out and play with her, she is just so sweet and adorable.

This last Friday was the Jason Aldean concert. I was pretty excited to go after hearing how awesome his show was last summer with Luke Bryan. We originally bought lawn tickets but thanks to my awesome mother, we were actually able to seat the 3RD EFFING ROW! It was unbelievable.

It was a hell of a show, one that left my ears ringing and ridiculously amped up after it was over. I really can't believe how close we were...I mean I was so close, Jason Aldean made direct eye contact with me, waved hello in quite possibly the cutest manner ever, and compared our denim shirts! And before you think, "Yeah right, Sara, he wasn't waving at just you." my sister, who was in the pit next to the stage, saw it all happen!

I've been pretty lowkey after such an exciting Friday night. My arthritis has flared up pretty severely so I've just been trying to keep comfortable and rest quite a bit.

How was your weekend? Have you gotten to enjoy any fall-like weather? I see everyone with these pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks and makes me wish I liked coffee but it's just not going to happen.

We had a blast this weekend!

Chris had the weekend off so we made the most of it. Friday night we took a walk around the neighborhood and ended up at Target.

Of all the things to buy at Target, we came home with a fruit basket. Seriously.

But it is one of those purchases you make not knowing how much you needed it until you have it. Our fruit just sat on the counter, all willy nilly, taking up too much space. Now, it's contained. And it rocks my world.

Saturday - we got up bright and early to snag a spot at the largest pool I've ever seen.

And it was just a pool, not an aquatic center, with slides and kiddie pools. It was literally a one acre plain ol' swimming pool with a diving board.

It didn't even have lounge chairs. It reminded me of the pool in Sandlot, very 1960s....I was just waiting for a chubby kid to do a cannon ball and splash everyone!





After the pool, we came home and barbequed.


Pork steaks, brats, and burgers were on the menu. The good thing about cooking almost 10 lbs of meat at once...dinner is made for the rest of week!

We finished off the weekend with an awesome neighborhood fireworks show.


Sunday was spent on the couch watching silly countdown shows on the History channel and True Blood - I still love that show after all its craziness!

This upcoming week is filled with workshops and grad school classwork, easing myself back into school mode one day at a time.

How was your weekend? Were you go, go, go or did you have a lazy weekend?

The lazy days of summer are here. I can finally catch up on the blog posts I've missed, start and hopefully finish some Pinterest projects, go to my favorite, non-crowded fitness classes at the gym, and definitely SLEEP!

The boyfriend and I have always been night owls - something about late night TV and the surfing the interwebs keeps us going into the wee hours most nights. But during the school year staying up late plus early mornings average me only about 5 hours of sleep a night. Plus, my arthritis and my boyfriend's recently diagnosed Fibromyalgia, makes it difficult for us to get comfortable and stay asleep the whole night. Did I mention that we share a FULL size bed? It was a hand-me-down from my parents and though we were grateful to not have to purchase a new mattress when we moved out of our parents' homes, it had definitely seen better days...when I would lie down, I rolled to the center.

So when Sleep Number contacted me about reviewing one of their beds it didn't take long for us to decide that we needed to give a new bed a chance. It was hard not to throw out the old mattress right then and there in a fit of celebration, but we calmed down and started talking which Sleep Number bed would be the perfect fit for us.

Like most couples, the boyfriend and I have differing sleep styles. I prefer to sleep on my side in the plushest environment possible, while Chris is a stomach sleeper that enjoys a firmer mattress. It was surprising to learn how great the Sleep Number bed is for couples because of the DualAir technology. Each side of the bed has its own air chamber that can be adjusted  by wireless remote to fit our comfort level. After doing a bit of research on the Sleep Number website we were torn between a plush top mattress or memory foam. Luckily, Sleep Number has more than 400 retail locations nation-wide so we were able to schedule an appointment to determine our Sleep Number and test out our potential new mattress options.

We were a little nervous to actually try out the Sleep Number bed at the store because lying on a bed in a middle of a retail environment isn't something we normally do on the daily. But once we arrived, our sales associate, Denny, quickly put us at ease, helping us find our Sleep Number and explaining the differences between the types of Sleep Number beds. It was also an easy going experience, we didn't feel pressured to make a decision on the spot.

"Really, Sara?"

We discovered that both of our Sleep Numbers are relatively low, initially we both found comfort at the same setting of 35 (more on what our Sleep Number is after actually sleeping on the bed later). And while I had to do a little bit of persuasive talking to the boyfriend, we decided on memory foam, the Sleep Number m7 bed. He was apprehensive about choosing memory foam because he had heard from friends that memory foam mattresses are hot to sleep on and can break down over time. His qualms were eased when we learned that the m7 has a layer of CoolFit foam that offers a cooler sleeping surface than other memory foam products and a 25-Year Limited Warranty.

After we ordered our bed, it was about two weeks before delivery. Sleep Number customer service was fantastic about keeping us in the loop concerning the delivery of our new bed, calling us twice to confirm details.

Finally, delivery day came!



I couldn't believe that the bed actually came in boxes and was carried in piece by piece. The bed frame is light weight but heavy-duty molded plastic. I like that I will still be able to move the bed on my own if I need to.



The delivery team had everything setup in about 30 minutes and then gave me a brief tutorial.


I've never been so excited to go to sleep in my entire life!


Something I was a little worried about was whether or not our brand new bedding set would still fit the bed. They do, however, it did take some tugging and pulling to get the fitted sheet in place and I kind of wish I had a king size comforter now just so it had more coverage but overall I was happy that I didn't have to spend any money to replace our bedding or buy special bedding from Sleep Number.

So what was the first night like?

It. Was. Awesome.

I awoke with minimal back and joint pain and felt so refreshed. And the great thing is that I have woke up the past three weeks feeling just as great.

Both Chris and I have adjusted our Sleep Number (using the wireless remote seen below) over the last three weeks, both starting around 30 which is pretty soft, then I went lower and he went higher. It is recommended that you sleep at each setting for about 3 nights so your body can fully adjust to each setting. As of today, my Sleep Number is 35 (just like in the store) and Chris's is 45 - which the average Sleep Number for most users.

I've also noticed that I fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer than before. More sleep is always a good thing in my book!

I really can't say enough great things about this bed and it has been great to get some restful and rejuvenating sleep this summer.

If you are looking to improve your sleep experience, definitely give Sleep Number a try. You can shop online or at Sleep Number store near you. Also, if you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them as best I can, just leave a comment below or e-mail me.


Disclaimer: I received a Sleep Number  m7 bed for my review. All opinions expressed are my own honest personal feedback..