Spreading Holiday Cheer

Upon stepping into the hotel lobby you are hit with the smell of fresh baked gingerbread.  As if someone had just pulled gingerbread cookies straight from the oven.  However it is not the smell of fresh baked cookies frosted and shaped like little men you are smelling.  No you are actually smelling the thousands of brick size gingerbread cookies that make up a life sized gingerbread house!

Constructed of 4,000 Pounds of Edible Gingerbread.  Measuring 16 feet tall and 12 feet long and made of 3,600 gingerbread bricks, 400 cookie roof shingles and 800 pounds of flour, which sit smack dab in the middle of the hotel lobby!  This projected went underway in July and was competed and ready for a ribbon ceremony on December 1st!

The reason behind this massive project of holiday cheer?  Simple,  you see Rochester is home to the Mayo Clinic.

And thousands upon thousands of people/families travel to Rochester year round to receive top of the line medical care.  The Kahler thought it would be nice to provide out of town guests (many who are here to go through the clinic) with a spirit lifter this holiday season while they stay at the hotel.  I have to say stepping into the sugar filled lobby, entranced with the smell of gingerbread brought a smile to my face.  I felt like a child again, enjoying the simple marvel of a house made entirely of candy and cookies.  Not only was the house a marvel to look at, but the meaning behind this gesture speaks volumes to the staff of the hotel.   A gesture that shows thoughtfulness, caring, and compassion for other peoples feelings!

This simple act of holiday cheer, and thought for others is what I am loving this Wednesday!

So I have one simple question for you today! 

How are you spreading Holiday cheer to others this holiday season?

Happy Holidays everyone!

35

I have another fun little get to know me post for you all today!  Q&A with yours truly!  I saw this previously on Dayna and Amanda's blog and just had to do it!  I hope you enjoy learning a bit more about me!

1. What time did you get up this morning?

5 AM!  I leave my house around 6:20 and I hate feeling rushed!

2. How do you like your steak?

I am not a steak person, red meat is just not my thing!  GIve me a nice piece of fish and I am one happy girl!

3. What was the last movie you saw at the theater?

 I want to say it was Sarah's Key, and despite being very sad and thought provoking I loved it!

4. What is your favorite TV show?

Hmmm I really like Food Network cooking shows, Man VS Food...HGTV anyone?  I am not a person that watches a ton of TV, but from time to time I do tune into the shows we all love like the Real Housewives and such!

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

I would love to live somewhere that has lots of my favorite things.  Such as the arts, good local restaurants interesting entertainment and the people I love and care about the most!

Italy would be pretty neat, or Chicago!  I will just have to wait and see where my path takes me!

6. What did you have for breakfast?

Oatmeal, is my breakfast staple my morning doesn't feel complete without it!  I change up the toppings daily, but usually you will find a big scoop of peanut butter on there!

7. Do you wear glasses or contacts?  

I wear glasses when I read or work on the computer.

8. What food do you despise?

Hmmm off the top of my head the only thing I can think of is red meat!  I am sure if I sat and thought about it for longer I could come up with some more!

9. Favorite Place to Eat?

. It depends on where I am at and what food I feel like eating! I love local restaurants.  When Mark and I travel we like to find the little dives (this is something he has gotten me into)!  One of my all time favorite places to eat was Zest! in Indianapolis!  

They had by far the best brunch!  In Rochester I love the Red Wood Room!

10. Favorite dressing?

Balsamic for sure, I am also a huge fan of salsa on salads!

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive?

2005 Jeep Liberty

12. What are your favorite clothes?

I am a total dress girl, always have been!  I didn't buy a pair of jeans till the 5th grade!

And heels I love heels, I will pick heels over any other shoe to wear!

13. Where would you visit, this weekend, if you had the chance?

Columbus Ohio to see Mark!  Good news though he booked his flight to Minnesota for New Years!  But if Mark could go with me, I would for sure go to Napa Valley (I have been dying to go there)!

14. How many tattoos do you have? 

Nope, none! My dad said if I ever got one he would disown me!  Harsh but motivation not to get one!

15. Where would you want to retire?

 Somewhere on the lake.  With a boat, and a beautiful house with big windows over looking the lake!  That would be ideal!

16. What is your desktop photo?

A picture of Mark and I!  It is from a bike ride this summer with my parents. 

17. Where were you born?

Fairfield Illinois, same hospital as my dad

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?

Hockey!  The only sport I semi understand!  I usually root for the Chicago Blackhawks while Mark is a Pittsburgh Penguins fan!

19. How many siblings?

I have one younger sister!  And yes she is much taller then me!

20. Favorite pastime/hobby?

Spending time with family and friends, cooking/baking/looking up recipes, working out/running, entertaining, and reading (though I don’t do it enough)

21. Coffee Drinker? 

Yes, my morning isn’t complete without it (addicted to my keurig)!

22. Are you a morning person or a night person?

I am a total morning person now a days!  I don’t remember how to sleep in!  Sleeping into me is now 7 or 8!

23. Do you have any pets?

At my parents house we have 2 puppies!  Baxter our Golden Retriever, and a little guy prince!

24. What did you want to be when you were little?

A Ballerina.  I danced ballet for 23 years of my life, and got a minor in dance from Butler.

25.  What is your favorite color?

Pink and Orange.  I am also starting to really love red!

26. Are you a cat or dog person?

Dogs all the way!  I want a chocolate lab so bad!

27. Are you married?

Not yet!  But I do have a pretty wonderful boyfriend who I love very much!  

28. Always wear your seat belt?

Always.  My dad is an ER doctor seat belts are a must, they save lives!  And my car does that annoying beeping noise if I don't put it on!

29. Been in a car accident?

Yes just one.  However it did total my little car!

30. Any pet peeves?

When people are really really late, or they cancel plans at the last minute!

31. Favorite Pizza Toppings?

Hmm that would have to be tomato, fresh basil and mozzarella.  With an garlic olive oil sauce!

32. Favorite Flower?

Red Tulips, and lilys. 

33. Favorite ice cream?

Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt!  Hands down I would choose frozen yogurt with all the fixings over ice cream!  

But if I am in Ohio and there is a graters near by I am all about the ice cream, hello buckeye blitz!

34. Favorite fast food restaurant?

Hmmm, I never really eat fast food, and honestly cannot remember the last time I ate it!  But I do love Chipotle Chips and Guacamole, and Jimmy Johns too!

35. From whom did you get your last email?

Mark!

5 From the Weekend

Here we are the start of a new week once again, and Christmas is only 14 days away!  Now that my friends is hard to believe!  December is flying by that is for sure.  I feel like this weekend went by in a flash.  One minute I was relaxing on the couch watching a movie and in the blink of an eye it was Sunday night, and I was prepping for another work day.  I wish the work week could fly by like weekends do!

Anyways here are 5 highlights from my lightening fast weekend!

1- I know I am a little behind on the times, but this past Friday I finally saw The Help!

I loved the movie.  While the movie didn't follow the book exactly I thought the producers did a wonderful job of captivating the message behind the book.  There were times I felt tears welling up behind my eyes, and other times I laughed so hard my stomach hurt (seeing Hilly's face after eating the pie)! 

2- Another thing I am also late to the game on this one folks... Skinny Jeans!  I finally broke down and bought my first pair of skinny jeans on Saturday.  I was just so sick of having baggy knees when I would tuck normal straight leg jeans into boots!

I bought a pair of the Dark Wash Always Skinny jeans from Gap!

3- Partying for this lovely ladies birthday!

4- Fresh baked Zucchini Muffins enjoyed warm out of the oven, these muffins reminded me so much of my childhood!  Love them!

Recipe found here!

5- And lastly a big bowl of soup to take off the winter chill!

Recipe found Here (next time I am adding quinoa)!

How was your weekend?  

Cold Weather Essentials, Because Baby It's Cold Outside

It was a rude awakening leaving the house this morning for work,and facing a negative temperature!  Winter has finally set in, so much for hoping for a mild winter right?  Cold dreary Minnesota winter days make me long to stay inside, preferably curled up in warm blanket, a cup of hot chocolate (with lots of marshmallows, but not the itty bitty kind that come in the hot chocolate mix) and of course with the fire place going.  Since I left the house this morning looking slightly like an Eskimo... yes I had multiple layers on, I thought it would only be suiting that I share some of my must have cold weather essentials!  Oh and a link to the most glorious chocolate chip cookies!

Nothing helps beat the harsh winter weather like these fabulous finds!

Cold Weather essentials by hwolfe44 featuring wrap scarves

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

And now as promised, that glorious chocolate chip cookie recipe! Because tis the season for delicious baked goods!

PS sub in coconut for the walnuts you won't be sorry!

Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Friday Everyone!

What I am Loving-Christmas Movies

Do you have a list of Christmas Movies that you just have to watch year after year?  I know I do, and once Thanksgiving hits I am all about the Christmas movies!  I would love if  I could stay home curled up in a blanket by the fire watching one of these Christmas movies instead of going to work!

I would even bake these,

Source: eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com via Janelle on Pinterest

to enjoy while sipping on this! 

Source: foodgawker.com via Chryz on Pinterest

a perfect treat to accompany any Christmas movie!

So here is a list of my all time favorite Christmas movies in no particular order!

Miracle on 34th Street, I don't care if I am watching the old version or the new one I love them both!  

I once made my sister watch this movie 14 times in one day, she now cannot stand that movie!  She always tries to hide the DVD before we can watch it!  

White Christmas, 

It's a wonderful Life, another classic and family favorite!

Elf, cannot forget about this one!

The Grinch!

How cute is this Bulldog, the called him The Grinch!

And lastly I just have to throw a chick flick into the mix!

The Holiday, great cast, and fabulous plot!

I am one of those people that will watch The Holiday year round, I just love it!

What are your must watch Christmas Movies?  Any classics that I missed?

A Tree Full of Memories

We have made it to the middle of the week my friends!  Friday is insight!  I have a special treat for you today.  Hannah From Culture Connoisseur is here to share some holiday spirit, by sharing  a few her favorite ornaments with you, and the wonderful stories and memories behind them!  I think the stories/memories that a single ornament can conjure up is just one of the many things I love about this Holiday Season.  If you have not checked out Hannah's blog I encourage you to do so after reading her lovely post.  You will love her down to Earth personality, stories of traveling the globe, and yummy recipes!  So at this time I am going to hand the floor er blog over to Hannah!

Hello Happily Ever Healthy readers! I'm tickled pink (red and green?) to be guest posting here today. Thank you, Hilliary, for having me! My name is Hannah and I blog over at Culture Connoisseur. If you've ever read my blog you know I love an object with a story behind it. I collect things throughout my travels and from my friends around the world and there's nothing that I love more than sharing those stories with my readers. 

Today I'm here to share some stories from our Christmas tree. This is our second Christmas together as man and wife and John and I always have a great time re-telling our ornament stories to one another on the night we deck the halls. I'll introduce you to some of my favorites...the ones nearest and dearest to my heart.

This little beauty may not look like much, but they are antiques from my mother. They are blown glass with little angels on them. We used to have a set of 9 or 10, but over the years they have gone broken or missing and I cherish the few I have left in my possession. I love the way they come together at the top like a little tear drop. 

This is the very first ornament I bought on my own. Every year my mom would buy me a new ornament growing up. The idea was, I would get a new one each year, so that by the time I moved out I had enough collected to decorate a small Christmas tree of my own. One year, when I was 16, I took my very first trip overseas...to Europe! I bought this ornament when I visited the Neuschwanstein castle in Germany. Every time I hang it I think back to the person I was then and the way that trip opened my eyes to the world.

This little sheep has to be one of my favorites. He's such a loner, poor thing. When I was an infant an old lady at my church growing up sewed together an entire nativity scene for my first birthday. This little sheep is all that remains of the set. Sometimes, when I put him back in his box come New Year's, I imagine he "baa's" for his other friends that were no doubt torn to shreds by the family cat or ingested by a greedy dog. 

This little cherub is actually my mother's. She gave it to me when I moved away. It has a lot of sentimental value as it's an ornament my grandpa bought for my mom when we all visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina when I was just a little thing. It's the only thing I have from my dear grandpa, who passed away on my ninth birthday. 

While all these other ornaments do hold a special, specific memory for me, none remind me of my past Christmases growing up like this ballerina. When I was young I could think of nothing I would rather be than a prima ballerina (original, I know...) I remember sitting by the tree long after everyone else had gone twirling her around and winding up the string and letting her whip around in pirouettes. Sitting there, caught in the twinkle lights gave me the tingles and chills of Christmas, the joy of the peace and quiet of winter, and the simple solitude of a little kid and their dreams. 

Now that you've seen all my favorites, tell me all about your favorite ornament! What memories come back when you hang it? 

Thank you for having me here! Please stop by and say hello at my blog (Culture Connoisseur) and from my blog to yours, Merry Christmas!!

BRRR-It is soup weather!

It is officially winter here in Minnesota.  Days are getting colder and colder and filled with a lot more snow!  These cold days leave me longing for warm bowls of soup, a hot cup of coffe and a nice big fire in the fire place!

I made this soup last week for my mom and I!

I have been dying to make this Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa ever since I pinned it!  It is different, but oh so tasty (not a one pot soup, but worth the dirty dishes)!

Head on over to the Cookin' Canuck for the recipe!

Enjoy, and if your in a cold state like Minnesota stay warm!