Weekend Things

Time for an installment of Weekend Things:

1. We’re moving in the next couple weeks. We’ve lived in this small urban condo (the photo makes it look spacious – it’s not) for over two years and while it’s been fine, we’ve outgrown it and are ready for a change.

There’s a ton of street noise and sirens because we’re near a hospital, there’s thin walls and noisy neighbors, and a gym moved into the building and I’m sick of feeling my walls shake every time someone slams a stack of weights.

I developed all the recipes for my blog since May 2011 in this kitchen, and all the recipes in my cookbook.

I’ve washed thousands of dishes in that sink and I will not miss it one bit!

My new kitchen is lighter, brighter, and airier. Although it’s not more spacious, and has less storage space if that’s even possible. Yikes.

However, it’s much more open and I think I will like the layout better. If nothing else, I can look out the window while I’m in it. In my current kitchen, I’ve had a view of 3 walls.

Our new place is still urban, it’s still small, it’s still near my daughter’s school, it’s still a rental, but it’s new to us, and we are really excited.

It’s the lightest, brightest, most open and airy place I’ve lived in in ages, and the fabulous lighting for photography is a huge score.

2. But moving means packing, endless bags of trash and clutter being pitched, donations and trips to Goodwill, and the overall exhausting, seemingly never-ending task that is packing.

I keep telling myself it will be worth it when I’m unpacked. That’s the fun part. Getting my stuff in it’s new spot. But the boxing it all up part. Not so fun.

3. Embrace Your Dirty Hair – Five reasons why we all need to embrace our dirty hair (It’s a slide-show and you have to click on the red arrow on the right).

I’m personally a big fan of not washing more than every third day or so, and wash mine twice a week, give or take. In high school and college I would have died at the thought, but there are so many reasons why washing less, is more. It saves so much time first and foremost, it’s healthier for your hair, and I’m not blowing through expensive bottles of shampoo and conditioner nearly as quickly.

4. This walk-in pantry, and how organized it is. I’d kill for a pantry of that size. I have cupboards and shelves, and not a pantry but I’d love one.

And one I can walk into with 20 pastel-colored cake stands and glass jars to keep my dry goods? No words.

5. DIY Cro-Nots. What’s a cro-not? A pastry with the flakiness of a croissant, but the fluffiness of a doughnut. I’ll take two dozen.

6. These plates from Anthro, $24 each. I want them all.

7. A Day in the Life of a Food Blogger – A list of 20 things that no one tells you about food blogging and I have read lots of similar type lists over the years, but Russel’s list takes the cake as the most accurate, most hilarious, and most spot-on of any. A must read.

8. Beehive Cake Pan, $39 at World Market

9. I want to make this Peanut Butter Honey Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Streusel as beehive and play up the honey theme.

10. Do yourself a favor and make a Malibu Sunset. It’s the perfect summery drink for a warm weekend afternoon. They go down ridiculously easy. You’ll thank me later.

What are your Weekend Things? Fan of dirty hair? (I am!)

If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous recently, feel free to link it up in the comments.

When was the last time you moved? Plans to move soon? When you’re looking at places to live, what’s most important to you – floorplan, square footage, neighborhood, noise level, proximity to your work/school, how close it is to the stores and places you go, etc.?

I’d rather live in a smaller urban place than live in a larger place in the burbs, and I’d rather compromise slightly on the neighborhood and am willing to deal with some noise or parking challenges if it means I get a kitchen that’s light and bright. So many pros/cons to think of. I’ll take that Malibu Sunset now.