Let the good times roll

I love lobster rolls.  My sister, mom, and I took a girls trip to Boston two years ago and I fell in love with these delicious little creations.  The best one we had on the trip was at Neptune's Oyster.  It is a super tiny restaurant in the North End with a bar and a couple tables.  The lobster roll was served with  french fries and dripping with butter.  How can that not be good?

I pretty much always want a lobster roll but this has been amplified since being pregnant.  I recently discovered that one of the sale websites that I get emails from offers food, including lobster rolls.  I debated whether or not I thought they would be worth the money, but I decided to give it a shot.

My rolls arrived fresh from Maine about a week after I ordered them.  The meat was almost all claw meat, which is amazing.  I made Daniel go with me to McDonalds to get french fries because I didn't have the patience to make any myself.  I even got an extra order of large fries for free.  Best day ever?  I think so.

The lobster rolls were worth every penny.  Seriously delish.  I told some friends that it was the best thing I have eaten in a very long time.  All I added was seasoned salt and I was in business.  My craving was definitely satisfied but I am sure it won't be long before I have to order more.

Heaven on a plate

The newest member of the family

I've been talking about my love of list making a lot recently.  This obsession also extends to wish lists.  I have a home wish list, a gift wish list, a list of ideas of gifts for different people, and so on.  One item that has been on my home wish list since we got married is a Dyson vacuum.

There are certain home items that people feel like they have to have but often wonder does the price justify the value.  The perfect example is a Kitchenaid mixer.  What girl doesn't dream of owning one of these bad boys?  They are super fancy and their price reflects it, so you have to wonder are if they worth it.  The answer to the Kitchenaid debate is a resounding yes.  I love mine.  It makes cooking and baking a hundred times easier.  You can walk away from your mixing and carry out other tasks.  They are a dream.

The Dyson vacuum cleaner also falls into this category.  They are totally the Rolls Royce of the vacuum world and I have always wanted one, but I didn't know if I could justify the price.  It's crazy that I can spend four figures on a handbag without even blinking an eye but mid-three figures on a vacuum is a serious moral dilemma.  Priorities.

My husband racks up a lot of points on his credit card at work which comes in quite handy.  We had been talking a lot of about finally getting a new vacuum because ours was a piece.  He traded in some points for two Target gift cards, but I still couldn't commit.  Then I decided to just take a gander and figure out what we wanted.  Lo and behold, Target had all their Dysons for 20% off.  Talk about signs from above.  We had enough in gift cards to get the DC41 Animal so I bought it and the waiting game began.

My new vacuum arrived today and I am a believer.  Everything you hear and read about them is true!  We decided to vacuum a sisal rug first, which I thought was a poor decision because how much can a sisal rug seriously hold onto.  The answer?  A canister full of dirt and pet hair.  I was so ashamed.  I thought I was living in a palace of clean, but dirt has been hiding everywhere.

Brown family MVP 2012

I have vacuumed everything I can get my hands on.  I would have vacuumed our dogs, but we didn't get the pet attachment.  I am in shock (and still very embarrassed) by how much this modern miracle sucks up.

The moral of this story is if you are debating whether or not to splurge on a Dyson, do it.  They are worth saving for.  I see the light and will never go back.  Who knew getting a new vacuum could be so exciting?

Things we're loving: March

The Hunger Games



I read these books last summer and I still cannot stop talking about them. If you are one of the four people left who has not read them, you must. They are such good books and I am SO excited for the movie. Did I buy my tickets for the midnight showing the day they went on sale? Yes I did. Is this the first movie I will ever be going to see at midnight? Yes it is. The books are not anything I thought I would like but if you are open-minded you will not be disappointed. My husband refuses to read the books because he says he doesn't want to ruin the movie. Don't be like him.

Downton Abbey



Why I am just now learning about the greatness that is Downton Abbey? I have heard people talking about this show for almost a year, but I just recently decided to buy the DVDs and decide for myself. I even bought the British version because I read that PBS edited the show for us simple Americans. I LOVE this show. I cannot get enough and am so sad that I am done with the second season. How am I going to wait until September to find out what happens to Lady Mary and Michael and Anna and Bates? The Dowager Countess is obviously my favorite. The scene with her in the swivel chair was amazing. You can watch the first season on Netflix and I am pretty sure you can watch the second season online at either PBS or ITV if you want to see the unedited version. This show makes me wish that we still dressed for dinner. Instead I wear pajamas. What would the DC say?

Photography



I am officially loving photography! I understand my camera so much better after my one-on-one class and I cannot stop taking pictures. I even bought my first prime non-kit lens! For those of you who are wondering (or care), I got a 50mm f/1.8 because it had amazing reviews. I feel like such a grown-up. I am planning on borrowing my nephew so I can practice my non-canine photography and may even have two jobs coming up. I am so happy to have found something that I love SO much. I can't wait to take tons of pictures in Spain and share them with all of you.

The Wanted



I loved *N Sync. I mean I loved them. I consider myself a legit Justin Timberlake fan because I was there for the cornrows. If you can love a man through cornrows, you deserve some sort of award. Anyway, after my long love affair with *N Sync, I thought I would never have room in my heart for another boy band. I am in my late 20s and you have to grow up at some time, right? Wrong. These sneaky Brits have weaseled their way into my heart. This is my favorite song of the moment and if you see me dancing in my car, I am mostly likely listening to this song. Listen and try not to dance. Impossible. And all I have to say is viva la boy band!

Things we're loving: February

We are loving a lot this month which is fitting since it is the month of love. Here are just a few of the things that are making this February so great. (Side note: I will have lots to blog this month. Two date nights, a trip to Houston, cooking class, museum visits and more. Get ready.)

Accessory Auctions



So I have recently discovered the world of Facebook auctions. That's where a Facebook pages posts pictures of stuff for sale and you have to comment to buy it. My little competitive self could not be more in heaven. My absolute favorite is definitely Accessory Auctions. The prices are reasonable and they have some pretty cute stuff. I have bought earrings and a watch and am always looking for new stuff. The auction is at 8 every Monday night, plus they're from Texas which means you get your stuff really fast. The husband is definitely not loving this as much as I am.

Sinless Cocktails



I don't know about the rest of your but the one thing I really hate about diets is that you are essentially penalized for having a drink. A friend and I did Weight Watchers in college and we would save all our flex points so we could get our drink on during the weekend. I don't think that's what the Weight Watchers people had in mind when they created flex points. Cut to today and I no longer feel guilty for having a cocktail! Sinless Cocktails have 5, you read that right FIVE, calories in a 3 oz serving. They make margarita, strawberry margarita, and sweet and sour mixes. I bought all three, obviously, but I have only tried strawberry and it was fabulous. I made it with rum and I felt absolute no shame. And for all my pregnant friends, of which there are hundreds, I think you could even drink them without liquor.


Suri's Burn Book



I have a soft spot for Suri Cruise. First of all, I kind of picture her as some sort of Scientology-prisoner. Second, she looks a lot like I did when I was little and that is to say incredibly cute. Even better than Suri is her burn book. Spoiler alert: it's not really Suri writing this blog, but I have to imagine that it is pretty close. She makes fun of celebrities and their dirty little children and I think it is amazing and I don't think it makes me a bad person at all. Try not to laugh. Seriously.

Things we're loving: October

I love finding new things to try, and buy, and then telling everyone I know all about them. I thought that my blog would be the perfect place to share some of the things that the Browns are loving for the month of October. Maybe I'll even do it every month. I'll do anything if it gives me a reason to shop.

Texas Tech Red Raider spirit!



We love our Red Raiders and I always enjoy finding new things to buy to show our school spirit. Through a friend, I found this woman in Arkansas that makes wire screen door hangers in millions of different designs. She obviously does school related screen, but she also does holiday screens and just about anything else you can think of. I am absolutely in love with the one she did for me and I think we love being greeted by it when we get home.

Ultra Thin Hangers



How do you know you are old? You get excited about organizing your closet and even more excited about your new hangers. I love clothes and spend a lot of money on them. They make me happy and when you live almost 500 miles from the nearest large city, you need to find things that make you happy. This hangers are super thin, which means I can fit even more clothes in my closet! Yay for getting organized and stimulating the economy!

Our new nephew



Last but not least, on October 22nd a new little Brown entered the world. Harrison Miles is our newest nephew and he is perfect. He looks just like his big brother and Daniel and I are already his favorite aunt and uncle, obviously. We are so glad that Daniel's brother and his family moved even closer to where we live and can't wait to see Harrison grow!

So this is what we are loving this month. We can't wait to see what November brings!