Tag Archives: abattylife

Lots To Do, Lots To Do

Posted in Daily Musings, Liz's Life, Moving by

Thank you everyone for your kind words of support regarding our decision to move to Lake Tahoe! It means a lot to us.

Ever since deciding to move we’ve been scrambling to get things ready. Man, there is a TON to think about when moving across the country.

We’ve had to

– Sublease our current apartment

– Find a new place to live

– Buy a car, get car insurance

– Find a job for Luke

– Resign our current jobs

– Change banks

– Forward our mail

– Pack; move

– Handle about 50 million other things

Just typing this is making me break out into a nervous sweat. Ahhhhh! SO. MUCH. TO. DO!

Luckily I have a good partner-in-crime and incredible families who are bending over backwards to help us out.

I just keep telling myself:

“In a few weeks you’ll be living in one of the most beautiful places in the US and will be able to ski every week.”

Deep breaths….

Any tips on dealing with the stress a MAJOR to-do list can bring?

Moving…The Back Story

Posted in Daily Musings, Liz's Life, Moving by

So now that the cat’s out of the bag on where we’re moving (Lake Tahoe for those just joining us), I wanted to share the details on how we got to this point.

For awhile Luke and I have been discussing our desire to try a different lifestyle from the city hustle & bustle. We wanted to make a change for a few reasons…

– Luke is from a really small town and was starting to feel claustrophobic living in a big city

– Living in Chicago without cars, we both had to sacrifice our hobbies like playing sports, being outdoors etc

– We wanted a slower pace of life where we feel part of a community

– Life in Chicago is slowly changing. Many of our friends are moving away and the fun going-out dynamic isn’t as appealing to us anymore

In a nutshell, we were ready for something new. Not that we were desperate to get out of Chicago, but we had an itch to explore.

We agreed that we’d keep our eyes open for amazing career opportunities for either of us in locations we’d like to live.

A few months ago, I was looking online and came across Vail Resorts – the owners of six major ski resorts like Breckenridge, Vail and Beavercreek. They happened to have a job open for an “Online Marketing Manager,” which was a perfect mix of my PR and digital experience, at their Heavenly resort in Lake Tahoe.

Luke and I have been to ski at Heavenly twice before and fell in love with all the natural beauty and small-town feel.

Things happened really fast. Three weeks after applying, Luke and I were flying to Lake Tahoe so I could meet my future colleagues and check out the city. After spending a day with the crew there, I knew it was a great fit. Everyone is incredibly friendly, welcoming and smart!

We had a big decision to make…and it had to be done fast with ski season quickly approaching.

The biggest issue weighing on our minds was what Luke would do for a job? He has a great job here in Chicago, and unfortunately is not able to keep doing it remotely. We hemmed and hawed for about a week, going back and forth about what was the smartest move.

On one hand it was really risky to move somewhere new without jobs lined up for us BOTH. We also were scared about living somewhere we know no one- leaving all our friends and family behind. It was one thing to dream about doing it, it was another to actually do it!

On the other hand, this is a tremendous opportunity for me, and it would take us to a location where we could have the outdoorsy lifestyle we both want. My sister and a few good friends live in San Francisco, which is four hours away too, so we wouldn’t be completely alone.

This was NOT an easy decision. We actually decided at one point to stay in Chicago. There were just so many unknowns and we were scared.

About 30 minutes after deciding to stay, we both realized it wasn’t the right choice for us. We were both totally gutted about the thought of passing this opportunity up. We felt in our hearts that we had to try it or else we’d always wonder.

Plus, we felt like if we ever wanted to leave Chicago for a new city, it was now or never. We don’t have kids, we don’t have a mortgage – we’re in a position to make a major move and not have it be a huge hassle. Waiting another year or two, might be too late.

So we decided to jump in with both feet and not let our lives be ruled by the fear of all those “what ifs?” There’s been a lot of worry and anxiety, but overall we’re really excited to tackle this next stage of our lives.

Things have started to fall into place too. Luke already has several potential job opportunities he is pursuing, we found a great deal on a car to buy and we secured this gorgeous townhouse in the lovely Incline Village to rent for a steal.

Our friends, family and colleagues have all been very supportive and helpful – putting us in touch with people they know from the area, showing excitement about our news and promising to keep in touch – which we appreciate immensely.

We’re going to miss everyone in Chicago a lot, but are hopeful we’ll have many visitors (ski discounts!).

So that’s the story folks! I’ll be blogging along the way as we tackle this challenge….thanks for sticking with me!

Choosing a Great Wedding Gift

Posted in Gift Ideas, Wedding Planning by

When you get married, one of the perks is all the awesome presents you receive. Almost all of your household items get an upgrade, from your trash can (thanks mom!) to your bathroom towels. And of course, you get a lot of cash to help pay off the wedding and start your new life together.

When you’re a guest at a wedding, it can be hard to figure out what a good gift is. I was reflecting the other day on what my favorite presents were and noticed they all tended to fit a few criteria: unique, special, practical and thoughtful.

Here are a few of our favorite gifts:

Wedding Memories

My sister and her husband were a huge help during my last few weeks of wedding planning because they offered to handle our guest book as part of their wedding gift. You have no idea how much these little details can be a thorn in a bride’s side!

They came to Chicago with this gorgeous frame, printed photo from our engagement session and everything we needed to create a “guest book” that we can show off in our home forever. We have it hanging in our living room now and I love looking at all the notes we got from guests.

Unique Registry Items

I am all about buying someone something off their registry- they really need those things to build a new home together. Instead of buying the typical items listed though, I like to purchase one of the few odd items – like a neck massager or a set of bathrobes – you can find on a couple’s list.

These less common items are often times the gifts that the bride and groom are secretly most excited about. For us, it was our ice cream maker. This is the one kitchen item I am absolutely in love with. I use it literally once a week to make delicious, homemade ice cream like this:

Personalized Home Decor

My best friend Julia gave us this gorgeous, hand-painted vase that features the Chicago skyline.

It was made by a popular artist in our hometown and I know Julia put a lot of thought into matching the blue with our new dishes. I love this gift because every time I look at it, I think of my beloved Chicago and where we fell in love and eventually married.

Another personalized present I loved came from my friend Jaime. She had a bottle of wine branded with a picture from our wedding dance, and paired it with some gorgeous Tiffany’s wine glasses.

Trust me- anything that comes in that blue box will be adored by the bride!

Group Purchases

We had a few items on our registry that were significantly higher in price than others- like our bathroom towel set and pots and pans. We really needed them, but weren’t expecting to get them since they cost a lot for one person to buy.

So we were happily surprised when my parent’s friends coordinated together to get us some of these more expensive items. Buying gifts with other people definitely takes more time and effort, but the extra level of thoughtfulness doesn’t go unnoticed by the bride and groom.

A Honeymoon Surprise

Luke and I spent our honeymoon in Maui, HI and when we checked into the hotel, were greeted with a wonderful surprise: our friends Gary and Serena had arranged for us to have breakfast “in bed” on any morning we chose.

Enjoying a gourmet breakfast on the balcony of our room ended up being one of our favorite moments from our honeymoon and definitely a memorable gift.

$$$

Of course, you can never go wrong with money. Checks, gift cards, cash- these are ALWAYS appreciated by a newly married couple. Luke and I used some of the money we received to splurge on some big ticket items like a new bed, camera and computer.

We were lucky enough to receive many thoughtful, special presents for our wedding.

What do you typically give the bride and groom at weddings you attend? If you’re married, what is your favorite wedding gift?