Loving Lately

• Coconut Oil
• Mike makes fun of all of the uses I find for coconut oil and the fact that I bought some in an almost-gallon-sized tub for costco, but I just ran out of eye makeup remover and started using coconut oil (because Pinterest says it can do that too) and it works just as well! I also stirfry veggies in coconut oil with parmesan cheese and pepper to give them a sweeter flavor and it's really good to use instead of non-stick spray for pancakes!
• Molasses
• Another thing Mike makes fun of me for. I like to mix some molasses in with my conditioner because it makes my hair super soft. And I also love it in baking! I once sent Mike to a store to pick up some molasses for me and he was trying to explain what it was to the attendant helping him. He said "it can be used as a conditioner for your hair..." and so was sent to the shampoo aisle haha.
• Cinnamon
• I put it in coffee, on oatmeal, in hot chocolate, and in my tea. I can't get enough of it this time of year.
• Scandal
• I'd heard a good amount about this show from coworkers and in blogs and have been meaning to give it a try ever since it appeared on Netflix. Mike and I started it this past weekend and are already 6 shows away from being done with Season 2! SO addictive! I (obviously) am obsessed with Olivia Pope's (Kerry Washington) wardrobe, the DC setting, and the blend of emotional vulnerability and terrifying strength that Kerry Washington is able to portray in her character. The women in this show are really good! The male characters have a lot of flaws, but you still like them. A lot of complicated, addictive characters.
• Google Maps for iPhone
• I feel like every other day I learn something incredible that I can do with technology that makes my life so much easier. I've recently learned how to get my Google Maps GPS on my iphone to talk to me and also to choose the easiest route for me to get somewhere. This seems simple, but up until recently, my iMaps software was the default on my iPhone. After Google Maps saved us hours of sitting on 66 on the way home for Thanksgiving, I've been using it ever since and I'm never going back!
• Wunderlist
• After Teuxdeux (my old to-do list app) tried to start charging me for services because my 'free trial' was over, I switched to Wunderlist. I like it so much more! I can't function without my lists, but this helps me to keep things organized, at least a little.
• WalMart
• There is a lot of controversy in the city over DC's two new WalMarts, specifically concerning minimum wage for its workers. One is a few blocks from Mike's law school and I didn't know what a WalMart would be like in the city (how it would function with traffic, etc.) so I decided to go exploring one day when I needed to buy a few items quickly. When I went, it was the first day of their Grand Opening and everyone was super nice. I almost could not actually believe the prices I was seeing. (They are comparable to my WalMart at home and that is the cheapest place to buy things at home.) I felt the sudden urge to buy everything, but then felt silly. I know there is a lot of debate about the store and whether it is in the best interest of the city and people who work there, but in a city where it's so expensive to live, it was nice to see affordable prices on food, clothes, etc.

Wal-Mart

You can kind of see the sign here. It looks so odd on a city block.

• Kittens
• "Alley" is Sara and Jeff's cat and a new addition to the house. I had forgotten how high maintenance kittens are, but she is delightful and keeps you on your toes. Today, she found a stash of toilet paper in the closet. When I found her, there were only shreds of paper left as evidence. That paper roll never stood a chance.

Alley and Mike bonding.

• Snow!
• Today was my first official snow day! I got to stay home from work, clean, bake, and catch up on some emails. (Recipe for insanely good cookies I baked are below.)

DC's first snow!

• Baking (where I act out my obsession with molasses and cinnamon)
• I haven't actually eaten these cookies yet because they are for our office potluck tomorrow, but I had some of the batter and I did consider keeping them for a second and telling people at work something had gone horribly wrong. But these cookies are actually so terribly right: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/10/brown-butter-chewy-ginger-oatmeal-cookies/
• This cake is another staple for me during the holidays. I brought it home for Thanksgiving this year: http://ohsheglows.com/2010/10/02/pumpkin-gingerbread-with-spiced-buttercream/
• And this is what I ate for breakfast this morning: http://nakedveglunch.blogspot.com/2012/10/holy-pie-pumpkin-pie-oatmeal.html

Mike and I get to go to our second Shakespeare Theatre Company show tomorrow night. Then it's Williamsburg this weekend, seeing my family once more the following weekend, and then down to North Carolina for Christmas with Mike's family! So excited!