Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Merry Christmas, from the Ericksons

Our nice, long Christmas weekend this year was warmed with a very fun family visit. We spent most of the day on Christmas Eve in the kitchen, nursing a delicious bolognese sauce for dinner. Homemade focaccia bread and my famous sour cream cookies rounded out the rest of the evening's food and the hubs made his now-famous egg nog drinks! 


Christmas Morning saw us up at 5:00am to start the fire on our Big Green Egg and we had our pork shoulder on the grates within the hour. Chicken wings followed soon after for lunch, and everything turned out better than ever. The hubby is seriously getting GOOD at cooking on that smoker!


We opened a few gifts Christmas Morning while sipping pumpkin spice lattes that the hubs also made for us. Movie marathons and festive drinks kept us cozy on the couch, waiting for delicious sandwiches and home made french fries.

After several days away from our work computers, enjoying the company of family at our home, we are getting back to emails, postings and chores today. With a container of cookies still half full and some egg nog still  left-over in the fridge, it looks like we'll extend our celebrations for one more week while it's slow and many of our co-workers take time off. I am very much looking forward to turning over an entirely new leaf for 2022 though and getting back into a groove.

Until then, Happy New Year and GO BEARCATS!!

Monday, December 20, 2021

Road Tripping

This past weekend, we took the opportunity to get out in the hubby's car for a long, gorgeous California drive. Heading up through San Jose for a couple of errands, then out to Half Moon Bay through Los Altos, we found ourselves at the San Benito Cantina for lunch. Fish Tacos and Chicken Chili Nachos ensued, along with a solid Mango Margarita (I wasn't driving!) ha!



Driving home along PCH with the sun shining and an amazing, clear sky allowed us to see all the way down to Monterey. The Ocean was beautiful with some big surf stirring below us. Every time we do this, we look at each other and wonder why we don't do it more often!! Here's to more road tripping and more ocean time and more fish tacos in 2022!

Monday, December 13, 2021

2021 Coming to an End

With only three weeks left in 2021, it feels like a good time to talk about what this year has meant to me. The next two Monday posts will be filled with Holiday Celebrations and happy photos with family, but this week is finding me quietly grateful for a momentous year passing. The support and love that I've received from my family, friends and colleagues to start my own company has been overwhelming. I feel a huge sense of responsibility to prove to you all that you put your faith in the right woman. Every day has given me something new to learn or try, and each mistake has helped me to understand how to be better the next time around.

In the Spring, I joined an amazing group of women entrepreneurs who have helped to guide me and teach me to follow in their successful footsteps. Without them, I don't know that I could have even guessed where to start on my own company. Even this morning, in our latest meeting, I continue to gain knowledge and confidence from their support. Thank you to all of you.

My heart swells every time I think about the time and effort that my gracious sister and brother-in-law put into my company's branding and marketing this year. I never would have anticipated having such talented and loyal people take my idea so seriously and put my success on their hearts and minds just as much as I have. I owe you a debt I'm not sure I can ever repay, but please know that I will try.

There are numerous people who sent contracts and potential clients my way these last several months, and some of them I'd never even met in person. It is the generosity and kindness of others that has helped me to feel successful so quickly, and I am beyond lucky to have that in my life.

More than all of that though, I have to thank and give immense credit to my amazing husband. He endures my insecurity and stress every day, while encouraging me to keep going. He reads and edits all of my blog posts and helps me to understand social media and cyber security. He has given me space and time to figure out how to make this work for us, monetarily, while cheering me on to be our family bread winner someday soon! After years of following me around this country for my career, he has once again been the beacon of light that I can see on the darkest of days, guiding me toward my goals and our goals as a couple. Love is not a word strong enough to describe what he means to me, what he has done for me throughout our entire marriage or what he has been open to supporting me with this year. I'm not always great about showing it, but my life would be so much worse without him in it and my adoration for him is never ending.

Thank you, thank you to all of you. If you are reading this, please know that you've also been a huge part of my journey that finally came to life this year. It means more than you could possibly know.

x

Monday, December 6, 2021

Holiday Decorations and Cookies

This year's Holiday decorations are similar to the last, including the cluster of "The Grinch" ornaments that my husband finds hilarious to  bunch together every year.


I tell people all the time that we chose not to have kiddos because I already had a big kid to keep me on my toes... I didn't need any more!  LOL  This is just proof of that theory.

What is different this year though is his sprinkles game for our Christmas cookies! What is usually an adventure with color turned into some pretty detailed designs this year. I'm seriously impressed.


As we wind down the year and get ready for another Holiday Season in California, we're excited to be spending the time with family and look forward to sending out letters and presents soon.