Renovation Realties

During the month of renovation, I developed an addiction to the DIY Network and HGTV. From The Vanilla Ice Project to Flip or Flop, I slowly became obsessed with home improvement shows. One of my personal favorites is Renovation Realities where ordinary people take on a DIY project in their home. Most of the times it's the kitchen, sometimes it's a bathroom, almost always, it's a major fail. Most people underestimate the time and money involved in tackling a renovation problem. I know that I definitely did when it came to my home. It's also annoying when the wife is whiny and annoying and doesn't want to do any heavy lifting. How can you construct your dream kitchen or bath without being fully hands on? Those are the couples that usually fail at completing their project on time and within budget.

Through some streak of luck and a little letting go, we stayed on schedule (because we decided not to tackle the guest bathroom until later) and only went 98 cents over budget. It was pretty impressive, but that's not to say there wasn't trying times. We later went a little over budget with our round 2, but that's okay because we allowed for a cushion...so we weren't really 'over' in my eyes.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Kunal and I finished our guest bath. It was fun working together and the accomplishment from doing it ourselves was great. We were able to make time to see friends and hang out, all while staying on task of what needed to be completed. The only thing we left for later was the shower rod.

Last weekend, we put all the finishing touches on the renovated parts of our house. We hung out mirrors for in the bathrooms, bought new towels, etc. Now that renovations are over, I'm looking forward to getting back to my first love..DECORATING!

Renovations Galore

It's hard to believe that it's the middle of April already! Life has been extremely busy since Puetro Vallarta. Our first weekend home was spent catching up with friends. Kunal being home during the week is a welcome treat and it was nice to have him be social with me during the week.

Our current major project is renovating certain aspects of our home. I am super excited and cannot wait for the finished product. First up is the powder room and kitchen. Eventually the bathrooms upstairs will be redone as well. We have some random things here and there that we want to have done so our house will look so different once it's all done!

I'm looking forward to having a more up to date place to call home. Once projects start coming to a completion, I will post before and after pictures.

Puetro Vallarta

To celebrate our wedding anniversary and as an excuse to get out of NJ, we decided to go to Mexico. We picked Puetro Vallarta and stayed at the Hilton Resort there. It was such a fun vacation and while we did relax and get plenty of sun, we also did a lot of activities. It was a great trip and though it flew though, definitely was the perfect length. Lucky for us we were upgraded on our direct flight to Puetro Vallarta so we were able to relax comfortably. We picked up our cute little Fiat 500 from the airport and headed to our hotel. Driving in a different country really makes you appreciate America's roads and signs and the wonderful GPS most of us probably take for granted. As we waited for our room to be ready, we grabbed lunch and drinks by the pool. Our room was amazing! Not only was it super spacious, with a balcony, we had a rooftop terrace with a jacuzzi! The private jacuzzi was the icing on the cake as we were were a floor below one of the bars. More often than not, we'd go get drinks from the bar and head down to our room to hang out. Since the Hilton is a more family oriented resort, the pool had lots of kids so it was nice to have our own little space to be.

A view of the pool and beach from our room

These rock faces greeted us when we pulled into the resort.

After dinner on our anniversary! Kunal got more of a tan than I did, so jealous.

I went para sailing for the first time which was such a fun experience. Unfortunately, they couldn't let both of us go up together so Kunal said he'd sit out since he has gone before in Hawaii. Then we went jet skiing which was fun. The only other time I did that was on a lake. Being on on the ocean is a lot difference because of the waves. We also did this thing called "Vallarta Adventures" which was one of the best parts of the trip. We went zip lining, did some obstacle courses, and drove UTVs through mud and all that jazz. 

This was such a great vacation and a good start to the hopefully warmer temperatures that should be coming to NJ shortly. We don't have many other trips planned for the rest of the year, just trips to celebrate the important moments in the lives of our friends and family. April is dedicated to home improvements and then my sister and brother in law come in May for a wedding. June will have Kunal's family coming to town for a wedding. In July, we'll head to Dallas for my sister's baby shower. 

The Birthday

My birthday is right around the corner. Every year, I get very excited for my birthday and then a little sad. This up and down roller coaster happens without fail. I get excited because I enjoy the attention and the celebrating. I get a little sad when I think of how much my life has changed from my last birthday to my current one. If my life hasn't changed very much, it brings me down. I get a lot sad because the weather is usually still cold and I just want to feel the sun on my skin.

I have to be very in the moment to feel excited about my birthday. I had a great time celebrating on Saturday with friends in the city. I'm looking forward to my actual birthday dinner on Wednesday as well since the restaurant should be amazing. I'll end my 'week of celebrating' this weekend with a trip to Chicago. It will be fun to experience St. Patrick's Day in the windy city, even if it will be really cold...because I will be in the moment celebrating.

Last year, I knew I wanted to go back to school and find a new job. I'm very happy to say that I accomplished both of the goals. I needed some push in the right direction but it all worked out in the end. I enjoy my Master's program immensely even if the classes I'm taking this quarter are not as fulfilling. I think that is due to my professors, they aren't as approachable and responsive as I would have liked. My new job is great, I feel like I'm making a difference and that I'm a necessary part of the current project I'm working on.

I think the only time I got sad was when the weather was really awful. Having survived the ridiculous winter and still have snow in March is not fun. Being home alone or having a minimal social calendar due to the weather is also not fun. Living alone when it's cold outside is no fun.

I'm not sure what goals I want to set for myself this coming year. I think working out regularly tops the list. I work out very sporadically because I have no will power. It helps if I have to be held accountable for meeting a friend up to work out or something of the sort. It takes a lot of incentive for me to gather up my motivation, especially in this cold, cold weather. Once I am working out, it usually isn't a problem and I can get through it.

Work Remotely

One of the things I most coveted in finding a job was the ability to work from home. As most northerners know, this snow is no joke and I remember the frustration I felt when I experienced my first winter. I would try fruitlessly to dig my car out of the snow. Living in an apartment building, the plows lovingly piled the snow up against the cars making it impossible to move if you didn't have a shovel. When I was finally able to move my car, the first thing I did was buy a shovel and keep it in my trunk.

On those morning when my car was snowed in and had no idea of moving, I would spent the rest of the day pouting as I couldn't get to work and 'earn money' while Kunal was busy working away. Major downside of having a lab job, let me tell you. After that winter, I made every effort possible to get to work, even if the weather was absolute crap. I hated letting the weather affect my job.

With my new job, I get a handy dandy laptop to carry around which lets me work from anywhere I want. This has been SO awesome since this winter is particularly nasty. I don't think I've gone to the office for a full week since my first week here! It snows weekly and when it's still snowing in the morning and throughout the day, getting to work is tough. I"m so thankful that I can log on from home and still get things completed on time.

I planned a trip to Chicago for a week since I thought I was going to be unemployed after the holidays. My manager was extremely flexible and let me work remotely so I didn't have to take a week off unnecessarily. As much as I can't stand the snow, I will miss working from home. It felt so productive because I can do so much while I work. Working 8 hours straight is difficult and breaks are necessary so you stay alert. Instead of getting tea or water, I can go put in a load of laundry or vacuum when I need a quick break from work. And since I don't have to worry about traffic, I can work later than usual since I'm already home. And I mean, when you're snowed in alone, what else is there to do other than work? It's a win-win all around in my book!

Hawaii is for Honeymooners

I wanted to backtrack and talk about our trip to Hawaii. We went in November and it was amazing. We were extra spontaneous and decided to change our tickets and fly out a day early! We literally jumped out of bed, threw clothes in our suitcase and drove to the airport. Thanks to the many, many miles Kunal has flown, we booked our first-class tickets (is there any other way for honeymooners to travel) on miles and we were able to enjoy the perks of traveling in style.

Being on East Coast time, we woke up way too early the next morning. We decided to go on a early morning hike up Diamond Head. It was a bit tiring but the views were absolutely amazing and worth the trek. Below is a view of Waikiki Beach from the top of Diamond Head. We also went to the zoo, it was just a typical zoo. I feel that I've been to better ones before.

We went out for a fancy dinner where the food was AMAZING. Top of Waikiki is similar to some the Marriott hotel restaurants that revolve ever so slightly so you get 360 views of the city.

We also took a booze cruise which was super fun but slightly exhausting. Being in the hot sun and drinking on a boat was the perfect recipe for called it an early night that evening.

One of the coolest things we did was underwater scuba scoots. We went out to Hanauma Bay and we rode this scooters with a scuba helmet on top in the water. We saw turtle and so many fish. For those who know my fear of putting my head under water; it was a bit of a ordeal but once I was calm, it was a very cool experience. 

We wanted to experience a Luau so after much research, we picked Germaine's Luau to attend. It was lots of fun but a bit tiring. Dinner was amazing and definitely induced a food coma which made watching the show a bit tiring and long. 

We always wanted to ride around Hawaii in a red mustang and I'm happy to say that it can be crossed off our bucket list! We drove literally all over the island and had a blast with the top down. 

We always enjoy local breweries and wineries so we decided to check out Kona Brewing Company. The actually brewery isn't on Oahu but one of their amazing restaurants is there and both the beer and the food were great. If you ever make it out that way, get the roasted garlic and bread. One of my favorite dishes.

Who doesn't love pineapples and we knew we had to go to the Dole Plantation. While I wouldn't recommend  the gardens, the train ride and the pineapple maze were educational and entertaining. I clearly do not have a good sense of direction so Kunal was in charge of leading us through a giant maze in the shape of a pineapple. It was really fun even though it was super hot. Below is a picture of the Dole Whip that is very very tasty.

Our last stop was Pearl Harbor. I really regret not doing this earlier in the week because we got there too late to actually make it to see the Arizona. It was very peaceful serene memorial and I'm glad we went even though it was late in the late. 

I'm Back!

For doing so well the first year I had this blog, I have severely slacked this past year. I am going to try to make at least one entry a month to get back on track. I'll try to back post so I can talk about my travels. To sum up the rest of my 2013, it was fun and flew by rather quickly. We had many weddings and trips to keep ourselves busy. We celebrated many engagements and weddings of our nearest and dearest and were so thrilled that we could be a part of such a special moment in their lives.

Our summer was relatively low key with just a few weekend trips here and there as Kunal was working from home. He started traveling again late summer but unfortunately, I couldn't make any trips out to California. His new project takes him to Chicago and started around Labor Day. I've visited twice so far and hoping to make it out once more before his project ends.

I started a Master's program for Regulatory Affairs for Drugs, Biologics, and Medical Devices in the fall. It is an online program through Northeastern University in Boston. It takes up a good chunk of my free time but I am really enjoying it and hope it will open up the right doors for me career wise.

Speaking of career, I no longer 'playing with makeup' as of January. It was a bittersweet three years at L'Oreal but I am glad for the change. I currently work at Johnson & Johnson and I'm very excited for my new role. It gives me insight on the RA world and challenges me daily which I love. I'm glad to say that I am one step closer to having a "grown up" job since I get a company laptop and I'm able to work from home every now and then. This has been a lifesaver with this awful weather we've been having. Snow, sleet, freezing rain, you name it, it's hit us.

Juggling my busy work schedule, online classes, the house, and trying to make time for friends is proving to be a little difficult. I'm start combining socializing with another aspect, such as now I get to see one of my friends on a regular basis because we work out together. It's nice to have someone to huff and puff with and to be held accountable since it will prevent us from succumbing to our willpower and not working out.