Secret Santa Recap [in photos]

I'm looking forward to...

CHRISTMAS EVE.

this is the day that we celebrate with my entire family. we start the day off at my dad's house, cooking a big meal all day... it's complete chaos with everyone in the kitchen and kids running around, and I love it. we eat our big dinner there, and then play our steal-a-gift-game. it's always fun because we all have a good sense of humor, and the gifts are usually hilarious. 

from there, we head to my aunt's house on my mom's side and spend time with family there. the crowd is a little older, so it's nice to have some more adult interaction for a few hours. we play another round of the gift game at this location, and there are WAY more people that participate (my mom has 5 siblings, and each aunt/uncle has at least two children) so it's a riot. 

 Christmas Eve 2009

I love being able to catch up and socialize with close family on my mom's side. we always have funny stories to tell about her, and it allows me to remember her during the holidays from a different perspective. 

Christmas Eve is also when Sean & I open our gifts to each other. we are horrible when it comes to waiting... we can never stand to wait until the appropriate day to give gifts, so we cheat and open them a day early. this is what happens when you become an adult... you can do whatever the hell you want to do. :)

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CHRISTMAS DAY. 

another day of running around, but a good one, none the less. we drive over to my dad's again in the morning to open gifts and give our gifts to family (which includes a dad, three brothers, a dad's girlfriend and her two kids). we usually eat breakfast over there and hang out for a little bit while the kids play with their new toys. now that my little brother is old enough to enjoy the holidays, it's fun to witness him opening gifts and getting excited. 

 Christmas 2009

this year, we're spending Christmas evening with Sean's family. we'll head over there in afternoon and exchange gifts and have dinner with his family. his aunt, uncle, and cousins are coming in from out of town, so it'll be great to see them. we haven't seen some of them since the wedding! 

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CANDY CANE BARK. 

I grocery shopped last night and bought all the ingredients to make some peppermint bark... but instead of little mints, I'm going to use candy canes! I'm really excited, since I don't normally make anything special for the holidays... or any other occasion for that matter. the good thing is that it's a no-bake treat, so it should be easy peasy. I bought ingredients to make it with milk chocolate AND white chocolate, so we'll see how it goes!

if you'd like to make some yourself, check out the recipe right here.  

 NOM.

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NEW YEAR. 

we don't have plans for New Year's Eve yet, but I know that we'll have fun either way. I'm excited that we'll actually be spending NYE together this year, because Sean was working the night shift last year. I'm looking forward to a new year and setting new goals for myself and for us. 

 New Year's Eve 2007

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SECRET SANTA/UGLY SWEATER PARTY. 

it's our fourth annual Secret Santa party, and this year, we're adding the ugly sweater twist to it as well. all of our friends gather together for one whole day. the ladies usually spend the afternoon cooking a big holiday meal while the guys sit around and bullshit all day. we make a HUGE meal, consisting of turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc - basically, your typical Thanksgiving meal.

source

after we eat, we participate in a gift exchange and then spend the evening drinking and enjoying each others' company. the gift exchange usually includes several bottles of alcohol, so it's interesting to see what'll be passed around through people. it's always a LOT of fun to get everyone together, and I think the ugly Christmas sweaters will be a huge hit this year.

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NESTIE GTGS. 

super duper excited for this one. I've been a frequent poster on my wedding month message board on The Knot/The Nest since August of 2008. needless to say, I've become friends with quite a few of the ladies on our board. we've shared a lot of good (and bad) times together and we've become family. unfortunately, I've never had the opportunity to meet any of them... until now. 

two of my faves, Krystyna and Tara, are coming to the DC area to visit with family and friends during the month of January (not at the same time, boo). I'm really looking forward to meeting up with them (and some other local ladies from DC/NoVA) and getting to know them in person, as opposed to over a message board. I'll get to meet Krystyna on the 1st, and Tara on the 15th. I'm SO excited! SQUEE!

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BLOGIVERSARY. 

can you believe it? on January 19th, I will have been a blogger for exactly ONE YEAR. amazing. I've loved being involved in the blogging community and I'm proud to say that I've met some wonderful people in doing so. it's such a joy to be part of such an elite group of people, and I look forward to meeting many more in the future. I'm thinking of hosting another giveaway, so make sure you check in around the middle of next month! 

 source

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I'm looking forward to...

(shamelessly stealing this idea from Jessi over at Caterpillar Family Blog)

- finally getting my tattoo colored and filled this weekend. it's been a long journey to get this much work done, and I'm ready for it to be complete. I love this tattoo, and it means SO much to me. it's the place I grew up, it's my home, it will always be my home. I'm proud to represent Maryland.

- going out of town next weekend (October 8-10) to visit some extended family on my mom's side. twice a year, everyone gets together and makes apple butter - and I mean the whole nine yards... picking, peeling, cooking, churning, and canning.

I haven't been there for this event since I was a kid. I'm so, so, so excited to see my second cousin and her babies. we spent every single summer together growing up... running a muck and causing riots and just getting into all kinds of trouble in general.

she was a bridesmaid in my wedding, and I haven't seen her since that day, which was over a year ago! she has since given birth to her second child (little girl, Ella) and I cannot wait to meet her. her son, Peyton is so big now, and I can only imagine how he smart he is with a grade-A mama like her! I really just can't wait to spend some quality time with those that I don't get to see often.

- going to see the Washington Capitals take on the Boston Bruins on October 19th with my lova lova. football season is number one in this house, but hockey season comes in at a close second. I can't wait to watch the Caps play their hearts out this season! I'm hoping they continue the dominance they showed last season!

- seeing Louis CK perform live stand up comedy on October 22nd. we've seen him twice before, and he is HILARIOUS. all caps necessary. he has a show on FX (I think?) called Louie, and it's pretty witty and amusing, but nothing compares to the raw talent that is his stand up. he is, hands down, one of my favorite comedians.

VIDEO = NSFW

- my best friend, Kaley, is turning 26 years old in a few weeks! her birthday celebration, which is also being combined with Kath's birthday, takes place on October 23rd. they're starting with dinner at the Melting Pot (NOM!), followed by a little low key shindig at Kaley's house. I'm really excited to have a night with some of my favorite ladies, where nothing but good times is had. AND I'm thrilled to give Kaley her birthday present! :D

- H-A-double L-O-W-double E-N! Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love getting dressed up and hanging out with friends. obviously, we don't have kids yet, so we don't do the whole trick or treating thing, but we make sure to hit a few parties every year and celebrate appropriately! Sean and I have already purchased our costumes for this year, and while we're not matching like we usually do, they're still pretty great. I'll reveal what they are in a future post!

here are our costumes from last year: we were a shotgun wedding. :)

- seeing Daniel Tosh's stand up on November 6th. I've seen bits and pieces of his show, Tosh.0, which is pretty funny, so I'm sure his stand up will be good as well. seeing comedians live is one of my favorite things to do, so I'm sure I won't be disappointed. :)

what are YOU looking forward to?

it's the year of the cicadas!

Last Friday evening, we had a little girls night, and it was one of the best nights I've had in a while. We all met at Kaley's house and started cooking. I made my homemade macaroni & cheese (I'll post the recipe at the end of this post), Aubrey made her famous nuggets (which are amazingly similar to Chick Fil A nuggets), and Jen brought brownies. We all brought our own wine (except Steph... slacker!), and our party pants. ;)

We started off the night cooking and drinking wine, and catching up as more girls arrived. It was a ruckus in the Poag house - all talking over each other and having our own conversations in equally loud voices. Drinking wine and smoking about a billion cigarettes in the mosquito infested heat outside. Laughing about things babies do, and breaking Kullen's water table. Spraying enough bug spray to coat an elephant. Celebrating the year of the cicadas. Venting about life, and raving about life. 

After we all ate, (and refilled our wine glasses for the 3rd time), we decided to break out Kaley's Secret Santa gift - Partini. I'm still a little confused as to how this is meant to be a drinking game, but we made it work. We molded things out of clay, bounced balls, hummed songs we didn't even know, and did a little charades. The game was a hell of a time, and we were laughing SO hard at the different games we had to play, and how bad we all sucked at it. Well, I guess I should say how bad mine and Kaley's team sucked, haha. 

We spent the rest of the evening talking and gossiping (only a little ;)), drinking more wine, comparing cameras, and laughing at each others' funny stories.  It was just so nice to be in the company of amazing women and have both deep and shallow conversations all night long. To forget our troubles for only a couple hours to enjoy either others' company and laughter. To indulge in good food and drink and not count calories or worry about getting too much sodium.

And of course, there are pictures to prove our good time.

And as promised, the recipe for MandeeFoFandee's homemade macaroni & cheese:

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter

1 large block of Velveeta cheese

1lb of elbow pasta

Bread crumbs (I used Italian bread crumbs)

Milk

Steps:

1. get a pot of water on the stove, since it takes a while to start boiling. unless you have one of those fancy pants stoves that boils water in 90 seconds. if that's the case, I hate you.

2. preheat oven to 350.

3. once you have your water on the stove, melt the stick of butter in a medium sized pot on low/medium heat. when the butter is melted, add 3/4 of the Velveeta cheese. 

hint: I usually chop it in 4 equal sized pieces, and then take 3 of those pieces and cube them so that they melt faster. make sure you put the rest of the 1/4 back in the fridge so it doesn't get soft... you'll thank me later.

4. add a few dashes of milk when it starts melting to get a creamy consistency... if it's too thick, it won't cover all the pasta. 

5. make sure you keep stirring so it doesn't get all thick on the top. do this until it's all completely melted.

6. cook pasta al dente. pour the pasta in a strainer and cool it with cold water. 

hint: I run the cold water over the pasta and stick my hands in there and move it around so that ALL the pasta cools off.

7. when the cheese is melted, pour 1/2 of it into a non stick or glass pan (usually 9x13 pan works fine). 

8. add the pasta. pour the rest of the cheese in and mix it with a spatula until it's all covered. 

9. then take the rest (1/4) of your Velveeta and slice it thin, placing slices on top of the pasta. 

10. sprinkle with bread crumbs and stick it in the oven (uncovered) for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown on top. 

PS - if you are trying to watch what you eat and keep healthy, I would not recommend making this dish. It is extremely delicious, and you will want to eat the entire pan in one sitting. You've been warned. 

Happy Tuesday! 

self portraits

... are self explanatory. 

most of these are from a Luau cocktail party I helped put together with one of my best friends... which is why I'm wearing a lei. :)

once again, click on the pictures to see them larger.

I also wanted to repost something that Kaley blogged earlier today. it's something we did way back in the MySpace days of blogging, and I loved the meaning behind it. basically, while I'm aware I have flaws and that I'm not perfect, but I refuse to apologize for being me. I love being MandeeFoFandee, and I even love all the things about me that might not be ideal for someone else. 

I just copied and pasted this from my MySpace blog, and I didn't change a thing. it's amazing to see how independent and brash I was back then (this was January 7th, 2007... I hadn't even met Sean yet). obviously, some things have changed... mainly the parts about staying single and not wanting children and not being able to pay my bills (haha). but one thing is for sure - I knew who I was and I loved every bit of it... same as I do now. :)

I'm sorry that I'm not perfect.

I'm sorry that I'm too independent.

I'm sorry that I'm stubborn.

I'm sorry that I'm too lazy to clean my house.

I'm sorry that I'm mean sometimes.

I'm sorry that I don't give a fuck about your feelings.

I'm sorry that I'm too comfortable being single.

I'm sorry that I'm so selfish.

I'm sorry that I spend money I don't have.

I'm sorry that I'd rather lie on the couch than DO something.

I'm sorry that I eat really unhealthy.

I'm sorry you can't convince me to quit smoking.

I'm sorry that I don't see my family as much as I should.

I'm sorry for being a bad influence.

I'm sorry that I can't afford all my bills.

I'm sorry that I'm completely unorganized.

I'm sorry that I stand up for myself.

I'm sorry that I put up walls.

I'm sorry that I don't want the "American dream."

I'm sorry that I have no interest in having children.

I'm sorry that I don't cook as much as I should.

I'm sorry I'm not motivated enough.

I'm sorry that I don't want to work on the weekends.

I'm sorry for being different.

I'm sorry that I like fucked up things.

I'm sorry that I'm not into your band & I won't add them on MySpace.

I'm sorry that I can't afford to go out on the weekends.

I'm sorry that I don't believe in god.

I'm sorry that I'm a picky eater.

I'm sorry that I hide my emotions.

I'm sorry that I love gossip.

I'm sorry that I'm really nosy.

I'm sorry that I don't put up with people's bullshit.

I'm sorry that I don't have enough energy to hate.

I'm sorry that I deserve the best.

I'm sorry that I have high standards.

I'm sorry that I don't fall in love easily.

I'm sorry that I don't beg for anything.

I'm sorry that I'm a bitch.

I'm sorry that I'm NOT sorry.

 

Kaley also posted a list of things she's lucky to have in her life. I'm going to hop along that train too, but that's for another day when I don't have a million pictures to upload.  

stay tuned!

random thoughts Friday? okay!

you know what I really hate? when you feel the rumblings of a good BM, and it turns out just to be a fart. biggest disappointment EVER. I feel like this situation definitely makes my top 10 list of things that piss me off.

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I ordered my previously mentioned Bentley last night. it retails on Amazon for $51.55, but since I had a $25 gift card, it only cost me $26.55 (I qualified for free shipping). I cannot wait to get it. I will be stalking the mailbox religiously and awaiting it's arrival. my first project will be adding some length to our curtains - we originally bought them at a shorter length, due to our baseboard heating... we didn't want it covering the baseboards. but now that spring time is here and I'm really starting to HATE how short they are, it's time to spruce them up a little bit. thanks to some helpful tips from my girl, Melodie (inspired by her curatin revamp post here), I should be able to pull it off without any problems (fingers crossed). for a little reminder, here's the beaut that will be ALL MINE in a few short days:

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tomorrow night, I will be graced in the company of my friend Renee and we will be enjoying the comedic stylings of a Ms. Chelsea Handler in DC. I'm super excited - 1, because I get to spend some one on one girl time with Renee, which doesn't happen very often, and 2, it's Chelsea fucking Handler, and that bitch is hilarious.

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Remember that Spring Cleaning list I made a couple weeks ago? I haven't even started one thing on that list. it's so hard for me to get motivated, and it sucks. there are so many on-going projects I have in my head regarding our house, and I can't seem to find the time to organize them (in my head) and get started. it's completely overwhelming and it leads to me just shutting down and leaving the house as-is. SO frustrating. I've been doing really well at keeping the house decent looking and continuing to do little things every night to keep up with daily mess, but the actual hardcore cleaning just keeps getting pushed back farther on the calendar.

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We should be getting our federal tax refund aaaaany day now, and I'm itching to go shopping. I have a few things on my Amazon wish list, including this L shaped workstation. it got a couple good reviews, and I love the way it looks - it would fit perfectly in our "office" and I love the modern look of it - the sleek lines and metal mesh panels are so attractive! I know I could probably find something cheaper at Ikea, but this one really just calls to me, and for only $200, I don't think it would be a bad investment.

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I recently switched to Nuva Ring. I'd been on the Depo Provera birth control shot for almost 6 years, and since we plan on having kids in the next couple years, I decided it was time to switch to something a little less... harsh, I guess. I love the Ring so far, except for one tiny side effect. my fucking boobs hurt ALL THE TIME. doesn't matter if I am or am not wearing a bra, doesn't matter if I slept on my stomach, doesn't matter if it's close to the time to change the Ring... doesn't matter. they are constantly sore. a friend of mine told me she had this problem as well, and it never went away. I'm a little discouraged knowing that I could possibly have sore tits until I decide to get off birth control... but I really don't want to switch to something else. boo.

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I play Scramble on Facebook. am I a nerd? yes. Mr. MandeeFoFandee is extemely competitive - he saw that I was playing this game a while back and decided he wanted to give a try as well... if only to beat the shit out of my high score. since then, we've gone back and forth beating each others' scores and having bragging rights in the FoFandee household. his last high score was 220 (which only beat my previous score by 6 points, I might add). well the other day, I wiped the floor with his ass, scoring 252. two hundred fifty-two points... beating his top score by... oh... let's say 32 points!

I promise, I'm not as competitive as it seems. ;)

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I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend, and I hope the weather is nice wherever you are! it's only supposed to be in the 50s this week here in DC, so I gotta make sure to bundle up! if you're in the DC area and happen to see our gorgeous cherry blossoms, be sure to take some pictures and share them!