My healthy happier life

ashleyd / December 27, 2013

A Savannah Christmas: Part 1

I hope you all has a wonderful holiday if you celebrate Christmas.

Our Christmas was filled with lots of family and a little bit of chaos. This morning my dad and I both looked at each other and laughed because the house was so quiet. For the first time in years, his siblings all came to Savannah for Christmas celebrations. It was such a treat to have them all in one place as they live all over the country: Arizona, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia. In addition extended family joined from St. Louis. It was a delight and time filled with memories we will cherish forever!

Our festivities started with dinner at Elizabeth’s on 37th. Each year Bo’s family joins us for this dinner and it has become a way that we kick off the holidays together and is always a night filled with delicious Southern food, good wine and laughter. This year they finally were smart and put us in a side room so our gregarious laughter didn’t disrupt the rest of the guests. This year the scallops topped with tuna were one of they highlights!

No holiday meal at Elizabeth’s is complete without their Gregarious Eggnog which we each enjoyed after dinner! One sip is all I can handle of this dangerously delicious concoction!

The next morning Bo and I headed to the gym with some of the family members for an hour long workout which included Barry’s Bootcamp inspired treadmill intervals and some heavy lifting.

By 10am I was in the kitchen of my parent’s cottage cooking alongside my mom and aunt. We spent the next six hours having far too much fun in the kitchen together while working our way through the Christmas Eve menu. Two ovens and 6 helping hands made the task of cooking Christmas Eve dinner for 13 far less daunting! In between cooking we finished decorating the cottage and set the table.

By 4pm we were able to leave the house to enjoy a long walk together. The Savannah weather cooled down just in time to make it feel like Christmas! Blue sky and 40 degrees was the perfect weather for a walk along the golf course.

The walk, while lovely, seemed to be the last straw in my immune system. For the first few days of our trip I was battling off what I thought was a cold by getting sleep, eating healthy, taking vitamins and DayQuil, and drinking water. By 6pm on Christmas Eve I was a hot mess – coughing, chills, headache, and no appetite. Like a good hostess I tried to limit my coughing and sneezing to the hallways or bathroom but it definitely put an unfortunate damper on the evening. Luckily the food and desserts were all delicious- especially the fried turkey and the stuffing! Unlike some families, our Christmas Eve dinner is very similar to Thanksgiving – turkey, cranberry, sweet potatoes, and stuffing.

I’ll be back later with highlights from Christmas Day and the 26th. Unfortunately it’s time for another nebulizer treatment and medicine!

How about your family? What do you eat Christmas Eve?

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ashleyd / December 23, 2013

Savannah Sunshine

Good morning from Savannah!

Bo and I arrived in Savannah Friday around 7pm after a smooth but long day of travel. Within an hour we were sitting over the water at AJ’s Dockside enjoying fresh seafood and cold beer with both families.

After a good night’s rest and an hour morning workout with my brother, Saturday was a day dedicated to rest and relaxation with my mom. Each year my mom and I enjoy some type of spa treatment together to decompress before the holiday celebrations begin. This year we decided on a full day package at Savannah Day Spa. The package included a facial, scrub, massage, manicure, pedicure and lunch. While the treatments were wonderful, especially the facial, I had a hard time relaxing for that long. I found my mind wandering during the treatments, thinking about all the errands that need to be done for the holidays.
010 After spending almost all day inside on Saturday yesterday we were able to enjoy the gorgeous Savannah sunshine and 70 degree temperatures. The “kids” went out on my brother’s boat for an afternoon of cruising on the water.

Bo and I are so thankful the weather has worked in our favor thus far to allow for boating, outdoor runs, long walks, and driving with the windows down! While I love winter and skiing this sunshine and warmth is a nice break!