Finding a great gift for your partner

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Shopping for a loved one over the holidays is a tough task. So shopping for a spouse just weeks after can be darn near impossible. My lovely hubby has a birthday about 4 weeks after Christmas and although giving gifts is something I thoroughly enjoy, finding something awesome so quickly after Christmas can be a daunting task. So here are a few tips

1. Listen!

Seriously! It may sound simple but often your spouse will directly state things they want. If you hear your sweetie mention something small like a new kitchen gadget or cute sweatshirt try to snag it! It shows you’re being considerate but also that you listen and many people value that.

2. Check their pintrest

So obviously this only works if they have a pintrest but often you can gain some insight by looking into what your partner is frequently posting or liking in social media.

3. Just ask

If you bring up gift ideas in random unrelated conversations your partner may not even catch on. If you know they like video games, randomly ask what new game is popular. Log it in your phone and shop later.

4. Think of their interests

I know my hubby likes good drinks and nice watches. He also loves wood jewelry since his wedding band is wood and rose gold. So when I found a watch made out of wood from a whiskey barrel I knew it would be perfect. It wasn’t a gift he mentioned but he loved it because it combined things he was already a fan of.

Hopefully these tips can help the next time you need to shop for your loved one!

IPA’s and Side Projects

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Recently I was on the hunt for a IPA that reminded me of the first one I fell in love with Mosaic (a high citrus IPA that reminded me of tangerines) by Terrapin Brewing company in Athens, GA. The taste of this “side project” was inspiring a “side project” of my own, but more on that below…

What better way to investigate than a 12 pack set of 4 different beers from the same company: Hi-5 IPA, Hopsecutioner, Recreation Pale Ale, and Krunkles Down Under. I have had the Hi – 5, and the Recreation Pale Ale. The other two were new to me. )

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Starting with the Hopsecutioner this was a full flavored IPA golden in color with the smell of hops and some citrus. When drinking I tasted hints of orange peel and the bitter hoppyness that is the IPA. This was good but not what I was looking for.

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Next was the Krunkles Down Under. This dark golden American style IPA smelled of tropical citrus fruits like papayas, pineapples, and hops. This is what I was looking for in a IPA the whole time the balance of sweet and bitter fresh fruit and fermented hops. This beer was the real deal for what I wanted at the time.

So what was I working on besides a more advanced beer palate? A new sauce in the kitchen. This Krunkles beer added the right amount of citrus and bitterness to a BBQ Hoisin sauce which so far has been delicious on some wings. I will be trying on a few other things as I tweak the recipe. Stay tuned…

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How’s married life?

The second most common question we’ve received since the Big Day has definitely been…

“How’s married life?”

The first most common has been “Where are the babies?” phrased in various formats but we’ll tackle that subject a little later on.

So how is married life you ask?
Hate to break it to you but it’s pretty much the same, and honestly that’s really awesome. We decided to live together before we were married and I really think that helped our relationship and made the transition into married life kind of seamless.
Now lets be clear, living together for about 4 years before getting married was not at all seamless, but it did work out for us and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think we really kind of grew together.

So what has changed?
–We get to wear these awesome rings daily. Took some getting used to, especially if you don’t wear rings, but totally worth it.
– We get to call each other husband and wife ALL the time. Seriously any opportunity is seized 🙂
– We are legally bound and share a last name, woohoo!

* I was tempted to add “We know we are down for each other for better or worse until 3005” BUT we’ve been knowing that, ever since we decided to become serious.
**Plus marriage does not guarantee that someone will be committed. That all has to do with who you picked to spend forever with.

What’s the same?
-We have pizza Fridays at least 2x a month
– We still pay bills
– I still fuss when he plays video games
– He still puts “man-ears” on sometimes when I’m talking incessantly about Pintrest
-We still wear our Adventure Time robes around the house on weekends
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So in summary, married life is practically the same. And we are perfectly okay with that.

Chattanooga Brunch – 1885

 

The following is not a sponsored post. We are just sharing our eating experiences. We encourage you to have your own and share them with us.

So 1885 is an awesome restaurant in the St. Elmo area. Hubs and I usually sit at the bar or the patio when it’s a bit warmer.

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I’m a huge fan of their chicken and waffles. I can say they’re the best in town and I’ve had quite a few. It’s one of my favorite brunch choices, especially now that we are giving up pork.🙁 Hubby ordered the Belgian Waffle Bananas Foster (and added chicken because he can eat ALL day).

We have really only been for their brunch on weekends but the regular menu looks delicious as well. We can vouch for the wings for sure 😊 and they have the trophies to prove it. They have some great drinks as well. Hubs likes “Derailed” and “Southern Gentleman”.

We definitely plan on visiting during dinner hours sometime soon!

Enjoy 1885 and let us know what you think!

#ThrowbackThursday

I feel that some background information about us is in order, so here goes. We met in college during my senior year (he’s 2 years older than me). We started officially dating after I graduated and found a job in Chattanooga. Can you believe I almost moved back home?

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We were together for 4 years until we got engaged. More on that story another time 🙂

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We got married July 16, 2016
#BESTDAYEVER

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And now we enjoy the married life with our puppy-son Sarge

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That’s our little family!