One of my coworkers announced that they hate Hocus Pocus.
Clearly they are mistaken and while there’s a full 96 minutes of reasons why, there’s at least ten specific iconic moments that prove any Hocus Pocus hater incorrect.
Anyone can relate to Winifred’s mood about mornings.
We all want to go to this 17th century costume party. Or just visit that house and wander around a bit.
In the 90’s this was a sick burn.
This is the only appropriate response to road rage
This was the moment every 90’s kid learned what virginity was.
An entire town of people failed to notice no one knew who these women were yet allowed them to take over and perform a dance number.
We all have that one friend… if you don’t have that friend, you are that friend.
The only way to refer to schools.
The sign-off we’ve all wanted to give that one ex.
Last but not least… squad goals.
Gif’s from Giphy
Interested in other Halloween Tips and Tricks? Check out these posts!
When Drew and I got married five years ago it was never a question of if we would have kids, more it was a question of when would be the right time. Despite all of the well-meaning questions, we still don’t know when that will happen.
This wasn’t a post I ever wanted to write or one that I even thought would be a part of my life. We spent the better part of the last year, beyond selling a house and moving, learning the extreme specifics of why after two years we had not successfully gotten pregnant on our own. Several months of regular doctors appointments and a handful of very friendly procedures and the answer is no one knows. The official diagnosis is ‘unexplained infertility’.
That mean’s we’ve tested everything we can test and we still don’t know why. When we started down this journey I was hopeful that we’d come out the other side with a logical, medical answer. Unfortunately, several months and a few thousand dollars later there is literally not one single logical answer. Medically speaking nothing is ‘wrong’ with either of us. This is almost more frustrating than just not knowing in the first place.
And it’s not just us. It’s 10% of all couples.
For those who have advice…. allow me to explain all the things that we have done:
- basal charting
- ovulation strips
- Ava fertility charting
- acupuncture
- Whole 30
- exercise
- relaxation
- essential oils
- Betty White’s Dance from the proposal
Fast forward to present and this month we’re starting what is our 5th treatment cycle.
I’m sharing this now because I can’t stand fertility forums and the more people I talk with, the more I realize how insanely common this experience is.
Shockingly after spending years trying to not get pregnant, it seems that more likely then not, an unwanted pregnancy wasn’t in the cards for me. “Take that” judgmental Walmart cashier who called for a price check the first time my period came a day late in my early 20’s.
So I don’t have an answer. If you are in that group of women I’m happy to talk through every test before you have to get it. I can event point you to the cheapest place to buy a years supply of ovulation test strips [its amazon and you will completely screw up your husbands prime recommendations]. Hell I’ll tell the next person who questions the glass of wine you are having or not having that it’s none of their business.
Back to the IUI thing. IUI means Intrauterine Insemination and is the “least invasive” treatment. Typically this is where most people with unexplained infertility start. With an IUI you go into the doctor throughout your cycle, take medication to ensure ovulation, and then go in for the actual procedure on the date of your ovulation. Rather than going about things the old fashioned way they use a syringe help the process along. Romantic right.
We did our first cycle approximately a year ago and when I went in for my final check-up before the procedure they discovered that I had 5 eggs ready. Since we aren’t planning for a TLC show that round was skipped entirely and then I had to wait another 3 months to get back to a good baseline.
After that, we did 3 IUIs at our original doctors’ office without any success. At that stage, the recommendation was to move onto IVF. Since we aren’t ready to decide if we do or don’t want to even consider that option I wanted to get a second opinion.
Now we’re in the early stages of what will be the 4th IUI following a completely new treatment plan – this time with the combination of both oral medication and injectables.
While I don’t think anyone assumes treatment for infertility is glamorous I missed the memo that I also now get to play pharmacist and mix my own medications. It’s literally one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done, trying to hold a bottle of saline upside down with a giant needle and not shoot saline across the room when it’s supposed to go into yet another bottle to combine. Whoever’s idea this was is a jerk.
So I don’t know what will happen. I don’t know if this cycle will go as scheduled or if we’ll have to cancel again. It’s a whole lot of unknowns.
What I do know is that I am strong enough to get through this and if you have to share this experience, so are you.
It’s hard to believe that Drew and I have been married for five years. Some day’s it feels like we’ve been married so much longer and other’s it feels like our wedding was just yesterday. When we started brainstorming how we wanted to celebrate our anniversary I knew no matter what we did, I wanted to take anniversary photos.
After tossing around a few different trip ideas we decided to celebrate our anniversary by heading back to London and then traveling up north to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
I am still working on putting together a few posts about the actual trip itinerary but I couldn’t wait any longer to show off the amazing photos we took with Siobhan Stewart. It was a gloriously rainy Scottish afternoon and we were a bit worried we might end up rained out of our photo session. Luckily just as soon as we made it to our meeting location the clouds decided to finally part providing the perfect lighting for the evening’s activities
Edinburgh is really an amazing city. Everyone we talked to said it was a must visit location and they were not joking. The Edinburgh Castle over looks the town no matter where you are making it easy to capture from nearly any place in town.
We started off the photo session on the Edinburgh Royal Mile. Our trip was during both the Festival Fringe and Military Tattoo so for the most part the Mile was packed. Luckily Siobhan knew of some quiet locations where we could enjoy the amazing architecture without all of the crowds.
In the square near the Edinburgh Writers Museum.
Behind St. Giles Cathedral
From the Royal Mile we walked down the hill to an area known as Grassmarket. The Grassmarket is famously known as the part of town where hangings used to take place but is now popular for bars and tourists. It also have a picture perfect view of the castle!
Next up we hopped in the car with Siobhan to drive up to Arthur’s Seat. The long dormant volcano is accessible from the opposite end of the Royal Mile but driving saved time and allowed us to find this beautiful Lock.
From Arthur’s Seat you can look back towards Old Town and enjoy a panoramic view of the city. I definitely want to do the hike to the summit next time we visit Edinburgh.
We wrapped up the photo session by jumping back in the car and heading over to Calton Hill on the opposite end of town. Calton Hill overlooks the New Town section of Edinburgh.
This was a part of town we had never heard of and likely would not have visited with Siobhan’s help. The hill has breathtaking views and was the perfect place to enjoy the sunset as a wrap to our anniversary photos.
Looking back on these photo’s I’m already looking forward to the next time we get to head over to Edinburgh and explore the city some more! Keep an eye out for more posts about our Scotland and London adventures over the next few weeks!
Interested in other travel posts? Check out my tips for visiting London as a couple!
How much I love good food is no secret. When I heard that a new restaurant would be opening in the location formerly occupied by Southern Hospitality in Denver I was looking forward to learning more about the new concept. Sorry to JT [Who was a part owner in SH] but Rose & Thorn is literally 1000x better.
Described as latin style street food the upper level of the property houses an upscale dining experience perfect for date night or getting together with family. Ironworks and draperies combine with an amazing lighting design to create the perfect intimate environment right in the heart of the city..
Downstairs the Double Barrel Club showcases a classic speakeasy vibe with Cuban inspiration. With the goal of becoming the home to the largest selection of rum in Denver, the Double Barrel Club is perfect for happy hours, bachelorette parties, or just a low-key place to grab a drink with friends. The full menu is available on both levels but the ambiance is entirely unique.
In addition to the public bar, rum aficionados can join the private rum room with a membership fee of $5,000 annually. The cost includes a bottle of rum and access to the room whenever it is available, providing the perfect solution to business meetings, football parties and beyond.
Back upstairs for dinner I couldn’t wait to try out the Ice Lab. Designed as a feature in the entrance of the restaurant the lab itself is a patented process for high end mixology. Each drink is paired with an option of savory or sweet ice that has been infused to change the flavor profile of the drink as the night continues. Instead of watering down a drink, the Ice Lab creations enhance them.
My pick for the evening was the Aqua Vitae with Rosemary Lemon while Drew tested out the Aqua De Rosa with Raspberry Rose. You can not beat the presentation of these drinks and the flavor was amazing. I am typically a slow drinker so being able to experience the changes in the Aqua Vitae as the ice melted made it feel like each sip was a new drink entirely.
We started off the evening with three sharing plates, Pork Belle Carne Frita, Crab & Piquillo Cheese Dip and Tostone Al Ajillo. With generous portion sizes these three dishes could have easily been a stand alone meal.
Fried and roasted the Pork Belly was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. Big thick pieces made this a rich and flavorful start to the evening. Eating each bite required starting out by cutting from top to bottom with a steak knife, that’s how thick this pork was! The crispiness alongside the full flavor of the pork makes for dish I would order again.
We previously had a neighbor who invited me over for fried plantains so when I saw the Tostone Al Ajillo on the menu I had to give it a try. Double fried each plantain chip was rich in seasoning with a satisfying crisp.
After eating through the first two starters I wasn’t sure if I ‘needed’ the Crab & Piquillo Cheese Dip but it looked so good I had to forge onward. Creamy an served on French Bread crostini’s the dip was much lighter then I expected and I was able to easily eat several without feeling overfull before dinner.
For our mains we chose the Carribean Curry Chicken and Pabellon Arepa to share. Let’s start off with the Carribean Curry Chicken because I could literally talk about it all night.
It’s hard to cook chicken in a way that turns it into fork tender meat but this award winning dish does that and more. The recipe is direct from Chef Jose’s grandmother’s kitchen and he literally doesn’t allow anyone else to prepare it. This dish is a labor of love and it shows. Each batch is marinated, frozen and marinated a second time before it goes into the kitchen for final preparation. What comes out to the table is a holy grail of curry. Every bite was the perfect combination of coconut, spice and smoke.
After having this dish I know I definitely could get along with Chef Jose’s grandmother.
If you’ve never had an Arepa before it’s a bit of a unique experience. Traditional Arepas similar to a pita, using a corn meal wrap to convey the filling into your belly. That said I’ve never had an Arepa like the Pabellon before. The wrap was the perfect thickness and didn’t overpower the rich full bodied taste of the shredded beef inside. Rose & Thorn’s beef recipe is seasoned with 23 herbs and spices making it unlike any meal you’ve ever experienced before. Each Arepa is served with a fresh and bright side salad that includes the resturants signature Sofrito Dressing. With the consistency of ranch, Sofrito is so-so much more. It’s hard to say you really love a salad dressing but in this case, they’ve completely earned that title.
For dessert we wrapped up the meal with Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream served alongside lemon cookies filled with Carmel. While the ice cream itself is not made on location it is made with the chef’s recipe. That recipe is one for chocolate magic. A hint of chili brings a unique taste that is the perfect compliment to the rich smooth chocolate.
I’m excited to see such an innovative menu and creative take entering the Denver restaurant scene. I can’t wait to come back to try out brunch and want to put together a big group to check out their ‘Whole Suckling Pig’ experience. With the ability to serve 12-15 guests the Suckling Pig requires a 2 day notice but if the curry is any indication of why that time is worth it, I can’t wait to check it out myself!
Rose & Thorn is located on 17th & Blake Street. You can visit them online at their website, Facebook or Instagram.
Disclaimer: I was hosted at Rose & Thorn to facilitate this review. All photos, thoughts and opinions are my own.
Welcome to My Bliss
