It Goes a Little Something Like This...

**This is a lot of information and I apologize if you're not ready for it.


1. I've been feeling under the weather lately. I'm not going to go into all of my ailments (of which there are plenty) but I will let you know that I've had a killer runny nose for three days now. So, for the TMI: Last night I woke up in the middle of the night with something running down my cheek. I swiped at it. Looked at my hand, saw that it was dark, and figured I woke up with a bloody nose. This should alarm you. It did me. Who wakes up in the middle of the night with a bloody nose? Isn't that what happens to really, really sick people? Actually it was just my runny nose and somewhere in waking myself up for my runny nose I busted my lip open. Yup, I'm pretty cool.

2. As part of my 30 before 30 I decided I wanted to become a certified yoga teacher. I have applied to a studio near my home and classes begin (if I'm accepted) on April 14. This is actually pretty cool. I'll be able to cross something off my list. I'll be able to do yoga and make some money doing it! I get free classes all summer long at this studio (if I'm accepted)! Sweet, right? Then why am I a little nervous to do it?

3. I have been applying for Summer jobs for back home once the season is over and I've also been applying for "real" jobs. Just in case. When I apply for a "real" job I only choose the ones in places that I would like to live. Maybe this is bad, and I should apply to everything just to broaden my capability of finding something, but what is the point of applying for a "real" job in a dump place when one day Matt and I could have to make a decision between my work and his work? But yes, I totally want to work from home and teach yoga at the same time. Is that too much to ask?

4. The hockey season could be over soon. There. I said it. I'll have more details on Monday...depending on what happens.

5. I absolutely think it's brutal that Picnik is going bye-bye in April. Who's shutting it down? Why are you shutting it down? I need to edit my pictures. I am just not that adept with Photoshop and Picnik is way easier and quicker anyway.

6. I'm pretty good at making cheeseburgers. I better be if it's my fav food. Usually we stuff them with a few things, put some spices in the meat, sometimes mix some onions and cheese right in there with it too. My favorite, probably goat cheese mixed in. Last summer I even made a homemade mango barbecue sauce and soaked the beef in that for a bit before grilling them up. Omelets and burgers are my forte. Why am I telling you this? Because we're having burgers for dinner tonight ... and I totally put maple syrup in them.

7. My husband is seeing my friends husband behind my back. They had a cappuccino date tonight before practice. No wonder he left early... {I know this because I just turned on the iPad and it beeped that there was a Skype message. It showed up at the top of the screen exactly what was said. I wasn't snooping I swear!!}


8. Right now on eBay I'm watching three Burberry wallets, one Louis Vuitton wallet, a burberry bag, and then this random coat that I can't remember where it came from. There's also a burnt orange shirt with a fox in a fedora on there. Then after typing those two sentences I spent about five more minutes browsing eBay before coming back to type this one.

9. There is a girl I'm following on Pinterest who only pins pictures of hot girls. With unreal bodies. I mean this in a strictly fitness, workout, healthy type of way. They're in unbelievable shape. These usually link to a workout of some sort, or a blog that can usually be categorized as "fitspo", but I'm not sure what to think of all these pictures of girls. Maybe she's a very visual person and needs constant affirmation that what she's doing will get her the body she's working towards. Maybe she likes girls.

10. Matt and I were talking the other day about how awesome this Summer will be because we're not planning a wedding. It sucked and I'm never doing it again. Yay for being married already. There's no one here to high five.

{via}

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It's Friday!

Yes, I may be doing a whole lot of piggy-backing lately (i.e. using other blogger's link-ups for my content as of late) but I just don't have a whole lot to say. At least not a whole lot that the rest of you would like to listen to. Let's just leave it at that. So as is tradition around here, I'm linking up with Leslie again for a Friday Confessional.

1. If you haven't noticed I have created a new tab. It's called February Photo a Day, and is again stolen from someone way more creative than I have been these past few weeks. I really like this idea and thought it deserved it's own tab because it's a daily photo of some really random, but quite possibly awesome things. As long as Fat Mum Slim is holding this challenge I'm going to be posting pictures on that tab daily for months. Or until I decide I actually have something interesting for you guys and nix it completely.

2. I haven't done a full yoga routine in about two weeks. Even though I have been meaning to do it almost everyday. Somehow I find myself doing other things. I miss yoga. I'm doing it tonight...or so help me God.

3. My husband really is funny. Today he said, "A rock for a rock. You know, it's like an eye for an eye except ..." Except he couldn't think of an eye for an eye at the time he started talking and came up with that. Then he gracefully put on his shoes, coat, hat, gloves and went to practice. Don't worry, honey. I won't tell anyone.

4. We are supposed to get a break starting on Sunday. It is so necessary, much needed, perfectly timed, and if for some reason the boys do not get it you might find my face on TV in the top corner of CNN, Fox News, your local news station, whatever you watch, as the "American girl imprisoned for going 'b-a-n-a-n-a-s on their asses.'"

5. I saw this picture on Pinterest and thought of Texagermanadian.

6. I don't think the government realizes how imperative it is for European hockey players and their families to stream free TV. What tech-savvy individual out there wants to create a site, solely for athletes overseas, with a username/password type deal, that costs $50/year where we can watch ANY and ALL shows we could possibly dream of, whenever we wanted, that won't be shut down, or slowed down by anti-piracy acts? Ready, go!

7. I need to stop sitting here and finding reasons why I shouldn't work out. Commence working out...

Ciao!

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While The Cat's Away...

PLL Ladies

This may be the scenario in every guy's dream when they think of the girls having a weekend, or night, home by themselves. Unfortunately in the life of a European hockey wife, it's not exactly this attractive. Yes, we have pajama parties where we all get together and laugh, joke, and have tons of fun. But to be honest they look a little more like this ...

Okay, maybe not so old school but we're definitely clothed and there's a lot more food...less guitars and record players. We're the queens of potluck. Each girl will bring a dish or two and we'll eat like we've never been fed before. Possibly have a few drinks. Depends who's pregnant or not. We might hit up the local watering hole and eat out if we're really feeling into it. However, and I'm going to be brutally honest here, what we really do while the guys are away ...

We lay on the couch, or possibly in bed all day long since we're all not fortunate enough to have couches. There's an 84% chance we do not shower. Our work outs are neglected till another day, food is whatever is easiest to make that night, the dishes don't get done, we can't even remember where the keys are if we did want to go somewhere, and we watch every TV show or movie imaginable that our dear husbands refuse to watch with us the rest of the time. We're an active bunch and it suits us just fine. Heck, we just might even catch up on our Skype dates and reading.

Matt's gone for a tournament and last night I finished the 9th book I've started reading since coming to Italy. I haven't even been here a solid four months and have finished 9 books. I'm proud of myself. I'll easily hit my 100 before I turn 30. Maybe I should up that number? Or not. I'll just wait until I hit 100 and go from there. See! The whole mentality of being alone when the boys are gone. "I'll just do it another time."


What hasn't taken a back seat is my quest towards a meatless week. Tomorrow I will update you on today's and Thursday's meals. Possibly even tomorrow's meals. Depends when I get around to it. Tomorrow I will be more productive though. I promise. What are your plans this weekend?

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Winter Essentials

It's finally happening. This place is beginning to look a lot like winter! It's bitterly cold at night and dropping just above freezing during the day. We have been wondering for awhile, will Asiago ever become the place we envisioned?

Snow is on the forecast for next week but I'm hoping for a white Christmas. Doesn't everyone wish for that?

With the temperatures dropping and the wind picking up, your skin, hair, lips, and mind take a beating. Winter can be this amazingly beautiful time with so many fun things going on, but it can also make you feel like junk. I've put together a list of some essentials for the winter months. Things to get you through everyday, and things to give you a little pep once in awhile.

Take my advice ladies. My life revolves around the winter months because of hockey. You have to look great and feel great (or at least know how to fake it) no matter how much you want to curl up on the couch and enjoy winter from your window.

The List

1. A great chap stick. Not lip gloss, lip stick, or lip stain. Chap stick. There's nothing like a moisturizing coat of chap sticky goodness. I'll use myself as an example. Here are Matt and me at the slide park our first year in Italy. I'm pre-chap stick.

Now, after some light application ...

Don't we look so much happier? That's chap stick for you, ladies. It does wonders. I'm a big fan of the classic ChapStick brand as well. It's my go-to. Just make sure you still have SPF even in the winter months. The sun doesn't rest even if you think it's not giving you a tan.

2. An amazing exfoliant. Store-bought or home-made, whatever you prefer. Make sure it's not too abrasive but just enough to wipe away all the dry, dead skin. It's necessary to keep a little glow in the winter. Dead skin reflects light in a crazy way so you end up looking dull and pastier than your grandma's old china dolls. Get something you can use 3-4 times a week, depending on your needs, and use it everywhere!

3. At least one (but totally get more) oversized, knit sweater. Cardigan, pull-over, wrap, poncho, super stylish, old grandpa-ish, festive or not. Take your pick.

4. Amazing socks. Enough said.

5. A cozy blanket and your couch. They're essential to have together. It's what you do when you're sipping your morning coffee, reading the books you put off all year because you would have rather been swimming, and watching the movies that get you through those long winter nights.

6. A moisturizing shampoo is a must. Unless you want to look like you stuck your finger in a socket. Or maybe that's your thing? Probably not. I'm not a huge fan of fancy, pricey products for just about anything. Go to your local drugstore or grocery store and find amazing products at a fraction of the cost of a salon. My favorite that I found this summer, Renpure Organics. I used their volumizing 'poo and it was awesome. I highly recommend their moisturizing one as well.

7. Perk up and invite some friends over. Or invite yourself to their place. No one wants to be alone when it's cold, dreary, and statistically the most lonely time of year. Get together with friends and warm yourself up from the inside out!

8. Get an animal. They make you so happy and they're the best for cuddling. I recommend a kitten. Dogs are nice too.

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a Good Day

Happy Wednesday! Your work week is almost over - if you work like a normal person. I don't fit this category. Moving on.

After another tough loss last night I'm sure the boys of HC Asiago are not exactly in the best moods. Not getting home until four in the morning doesn't exactly help with their energy levels today either. Even with the loss, Matt got his first goal of the year and I thought that deserved a nice breakfast.

I made him a turkey, onion, and parmesan cheese frittata along with peanut butter toast, coffee with milk and some vitamin juice. It was actually timed perfectly because I was stirring the coffee as he came down the stairs. He seemed to enjoy this nice little treat ... until he tried to clean the egg out of the little cup I baked it in.

The cup was for presentation, not functionality. My bad.

Yesterday I went around town in the pouring rain searching for elements for a birthday present for one of the girls here. I found everything I needed and Matt was nice enough to help me put it together just a few minutes ago. It wasn't tough, and it's nothing super special, but I thought it was a cute idea - on Saturday, her birthday, I'll reveal what I did! She reads this. {STOP SNOOPING MINDI!}

I also got myself a yoga mat yesterday. I feel like the clouds should part and trumpets should sound right now. Only 8 euro! Woop! I've made the executive decision not to get a gym membership until it's absolutely too cold for me to run outside and do fun little mini-workouts elsewhere. This mat extends the time before I need a membership as well. Now I can do sit ups, push ups, stretching, and, well, yoga in the comfort of my own home all year long. Thank you Asiago Euro Store!

This is my goal by the end of the year: a hand stand. Not just getting up there, but a controlled, extended time period, hand stand. Head stand? no problem. Crow? no big deal. Hand stand? Let's do this.

My dailymile goal this week was to get 15 miles by the end of Sunday. I'm at just over four and a half which means I'm heading out again today. It was raining all morning but there's a little calm in the storm so I need to take advantage. 3.17 miles on the agenda today! If it starts raining while I'm out it will just push me faster to get home. It's definitely not a bad thing to take time off your mile!

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Let's Get It Started

Today marks the first regular season game for Asiago! Let's go ... SUPERMERCATI!! Actually I don't have a clue what our team mascot or name is. I know that we're HC Asiago and we're yellow. Well, sometimes we're yellow. I'm not sure what other color we are yet. But I'll find out soon! I won't be in the dark for much longer. I apologize.

Based on this logo I bet we're the lions. HC Asiago Lions. Rawr.
Oh, and we're red. But I found this logo after I wrote that first paragraph.

I've been here for just under a week now and I'm finally starting to get my bearings. I'm finding my way around town without a guide, our internet is (obviously) working, Lucy has gone right back to her playful self (yes, Cincinnati was way too hot for her this summer), and after kicking most of this cold I woke up decently early and went for my first run in a week.

Last year I got sick and did everything I could to push through the pain and still workout. I found this to be a very bad idea. For me. Or at least for that specific sickness. If you're not quite sick yet, a good sweat could get all of that bad bacteria out of you, if you're already sick you will probably just wear yourself down even more. That's what I did. So from that point I have tried to let my body, and immune system, rest while I'm sick and not push myself too hard. Today was the perfect day to get back into it.

I went for about 25 minutes. I'm not sure how far but I kept it at a decent pace and just wound my way through the streets of town. I figured if I got lost it would just add a bit of distance. I found the closest recycling bins to our place, I now know at least three different ways to get to our street and a quicker way to get to our friends' apartment. I can find all four Euro Stores on my own now (it's their dollar store!) and can get to the arena all by myself. I feel accomplished.

Add some abs and lunges into the end of that little run and I'm definitely doing something good on this Saturday morning. I even got a relaxing bath afterward. Considering that's all you're able to take in this place.

Yep. This is our tub and slanted ceiling!

It's pre-game though right now and Matty is settling in. Most hockey players have their rituals. Some are ridiculous about the order in which things must be done on game day: what exactly they eat, whether they nap at 1 p.m. or 2 p.m., and if that nap lasts only 32 minutes or one hour and 30 minutes.

I'm lucky. Matty isn't quite like that. Of course he likes pasta and meat to get his carbs and protein in for the day. You can't work as hard, and sweat as much, as they do without prepping your body with the right food. But it can be whatever he feels like, or what we happen to have in the house. Yes, he does like to nap, but I'm totally allowed to nap with him (which I've come to find is a rare occasion). He even lets Lucy join. He doesn't mind. His day isn't down to the minute with rituals. It's just supposed to be relaxing so he's not tired when game time rolls around.

I feel bad for the women who have to deal with an overzealous pre-game player. I applaud you on your patience. It's something that, I'm sure, you've dealt with forever and think of as just another day. Maybe it's good I came around the hockey world when I did. If Matt made me creep around the house all day so as not to disturb him, or leave the house entirely, I would have told him to beat it! But maybe that's what he gets for being with an American.

Yep. I'll pull that card.

I don't think Carrie got to nap with Mike on this day.

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The Beggining of the End

If only my luggage were this vintage and fantastic.

Today began our first day of packing in what will turn into a two week long adventure of sorting through ... well ... everything! We are heading to Canada. That's right. We'll spend a two week long stint in the Great White North before Matt has to head to Italy for a solid eight months. Summer has almost come to an end. {I will be coming home when he leaves, spending a few weeks doing God-knows-what, then heading over myself after my high school best friend gets married!!}

So what does this mean? Packing. If you're a regular of a "Hockey Wife" blog, I'm sure you're reading so much about the challenges and pitfalls of stuffing your life into about four bags right about now. It's madness. Pure chaos.

What do you take with you for eight months? What can be left behind? Should you try to pack toiletries and take up that extra space because they're so much less expensive in North America? Can all my shit really stay under 50 pounds?

I am finding myself to be in a very great position though. Less stressful I venture to say. We're only packing for one right now. Throw a few extra essentials in the bags and you're good to go. The boys are easy. Skates, some blades, t-shirts, gym shoes ("runners" for you Canadians), hair gel, and - where we're going - big ol' winter boots. He'll be good to go in 20 minutes. These next two weeks he'll live out of a suitcase. But what does he care? He's a guy.

At the end of September my packing may take a bit longer but I don't have to organize any of his stuff along with mine. Let's be honest, we women are the ones who have it all in order. So being down to one person at a time? Heaven sent. Three weeks away from my new husband? Not cool. But that's a totally different story. In the three weeks we're apart maybe you'll get a sob story from me. {If that happens, please feel free to remind me of this post and tell me to get over it.} It's three weeks. We spent the first 6 months of our relationship apart. We know married couples that spend the whole year apart. I can suck it up.

It's almost midnight and I think I'll sleep just fine tonight. The last two seasons spent in Europe have prepared me thoroughly for this day these next two weeks.

We're like a well oiled machine now. 

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Oops!

Today began play-offs for the SønderjyskE -- well they don't really have a mascot.

We finished regular season in first place. Never once have they lost to the Rødovre Mighty Bulls.

But tonight that all changed. 6 - 1 was the final score. Can't wait to hear about all the gay inspirational quotes the coach made them find. Matt ran a few by me tonight. His favorite went a little something like this ...

"Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery."

Seriously? He forgets that I can take "happiness" right out of that. I'll determine how he spends that miserable 90% of his time.

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