It is 2012, woo hoo!!  I am so incredibly excited about this year!  This year I am…

  • Graduating from graduate school
  • Getting married!!
  • Honeymooning in Europe
  • Moving into our first place with Neal
  • Celebrating my one year blogging anniversary
  • And doing lots of other awesome things
To ring in the New Year, Neal and I bought my wedding ring yesterday!!!!  I LOVE IT!  We hadn’t planned on buying it yesterday, but after seeing it and trying it on, I knew it was the one.  Now we both have our wedding rings!
Last night, Neal and I headed into Old Town Alexandria for a celebratory dinner at Rustico.
Rustico is a really charming restaurant with low lighting, a seasonal menu, and LOTS and LOTS of beer.  I was so excited to try out a bunch of beers last night, though I didn’t drink as much as I had planned.  Instead of ordering a few pints, I decided to order 4 tastings.
  • Lagunitas Pilsner
  • Founders Breakfast Stout
  • Harpoon Winter Warmer
  • Mad Scientist #7 : Cran-Porter

My favorites were the Harpoon Winter Warmer and the Mad Scientist #7.  The breakfast stout was WAY too strong for me.  It was really tasty, but aside from sipping it, I had a hard time just drinking it.  To go with our drinks, Neal and I ordered the bacon and blue mussels.

They were AWESOME!! The broth was so tasty.  You could taste the woodchuck cider, blue cheese, and bacon… fantastic!  Neal absolutely loved them.

For dinner I ordered the Grilled Dry Aged Cheddar Burger and Neal ordered the Grilled Pizza, topped with san marzano sauce, mortadella, capicola, salami & smoked gouda.

For dessert, Neal ordered the Caramel Apple Sundae and I had a big old cup of decaf coffee.

Although we planning on staying at Rustico until midnight, we decided to head home and to watching the ball drop.  A slow dance after midnight was the perfect way to ring in the new year!

Today is the last day of my winter break and the day before I start my January detox, so I want to take advantage of every second!  Neal and I had planned to start off the new year at church, but sadly, I totally overslept.  Although the day didn’t start off as planned, I’m excited to relax today, watch lots of football, enjoy the 60 degree weather, and to make yummy paninis for dinner tonight!

New Years Goals/Plans

  1. Continue to accomplish my 28 by 28 goals!
  2. Save money: eat out less, spend less at Target, and think more about Neal’s and my future goals.
  3. Continue my weight loss journey.  I’d like to say “lose 30 pounds and fall below 200 pounds”, but I want to be realistic!  I’d love to lose more weight, but it’s not a race, it’s a journey.
  4. Eat less processed foods.
  5. Poshbird said it best, so I’m going to quote her, “Spend more time with loved ones and friends……BUT NO TIME with the people I don’t like or who annoy me , bore me or take advantage of me ! Life is too short and I’m not going to waste a moment of it with people who don’t deserve my time and effort !”  hahaha! I love it!
  6. Treasure my maiden name for the next 6 months and then celebrate my new name for the last 6 months.
  7. Become an awesome wife: keeping an open mind, a patient attitude, and a loving heart!
  8. Enjoy every moment of this exciting year!!

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope 2012 is amazing for you.  Enjoy every moment and every day.

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Filed under: Eating Out • Holidays • Lists • Monthly Goals

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