First came love...

Two years ago today I married the love of my life. At the time I thought there would be no day greater. Turns out I was wrong. It was only the beginning, and since that incredible day there have been so many moments when I had that similar "on top of the world" feeling!

Last year we celebrated our first anniversary knowing that our sweet little girl would be arriving very soon! Basically, I felt like I was walking on a cloud the entire time. 

Obviously the day she was born was another high point (THAT was the best day). It's an indescribable feeling that I'm so happy I got to experience with such a wonderful husband by my side! We have experienced so many changes in the past year, I look at that couple holding the balloons and I can't believe we are those same people! Life has changed, and changed for the better!Not a day goes by that I don't realize how lucky I am to have him in my life. It won't be long before Ella realizes the same (actually I'm sure she already knows)! Stephen is such a loving husband and father, there isn't anything he wouldn't do for us girls. He is perfect for us in every way. 

First came love, then came marriage, then came Ella Rose.....next.....HOUSE!!! Year number three is already shaping up to be another good one! Happy Anniversary to US! 

Check out my lovely 'Savory' Sponsor:

The Boys Behind The Blog {Link Up #5}

It's the FIFTH round of the Boys Behind The Blog, and it's a good one! I feel like this round came up really fast! I seriously enjoy reading all of your posts! It will be a great way to pass the time today (and tonight) through all of Little Miss Ella's feedings!  Now let's hear from my Hubs!

1. Describe yourself in 5 words.
Thoughtful, diligent, hard-working, insightful, passionate.

2. What is your biggest fear?
My new biggest fear is not being able to support my family for whatever reason. It’s the stuff of real nightmares.

3. What is your favorite candy?
There’s something to be said about the simplicity of a frozen 3 Musketeers bar. ::In my best Homer Simpson impression:: Mmmmmm…….

4. What was the best Halloween costume you've ever worn? (include pictures if you have them)
Pac-Man Ghost for a Halloween 5k last year, hands down. The group shot completes the look.

 5. Who is your favorite football team?

Let’s just say I’m currently looking for a new favorite as my previous favorite has severely let their fans down this season. If you think I’d be a good fit for your team, please provide supporting cause for your team’s case in the comments section.

Now grab a button, and link up with us!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.neverthesamespicetwice.com/p/boys-behind-blog.html" title="Never The Same Spice Twice"><img src="http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac236/sascoma/BoysBB_zps9c35357c.jpg" alt="Never The Same Spice Twice" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up

Check out my lovely 'Savory' Sponsor:

The Boys Behind The Blog {Link up #4}

It's the FOURTH round of the Boys Behind The Blog already! Man time sure does fly!  I've been looking forward to this round, can't wait to see how your guys answered these questions (especially the first one)! Thanks to all of you and your boys for linking up with Mal and I!  

Let's hear from my cutie husband and incredible new Dad - Stephen!!! 

1. If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

I dunno… maybe an ass? I think back to Couples Retreat.

"The ass. You are the ass. Stubborn and immovable, the mighty ass tirelessly bears the heavy burden of others. But when the ass is on the move, nothing can stop the ass. Be an ass for your marriage, be an ass for your children, be an ass for love."

2. What is your favorite meal?
If you read the blog, you know my wife is nothing short of amazing with all her meal planning and experimentation. It’s always delicious. There would be no way for me to pick just one thing as a favorite and still do justice to everything she does in the kitchen.

3. Do you use any forms of Social Media? What is your favorite?
I’m only on Facebook. It’s already difficult enough to keep up with just the one and now I have even less time for it and much more important things to keep up with at home. It’s not necessarily a favorite, but I do use it as a way to keep in touch with family and friends since we moved away.

4. Beer, wine, liquor, other, or none of the above?
I’m a connoisseur of none of the above, but enjoy a cold brew from time to time. Accordingly, it’s my favorite time of year now since Pumpkin Ales and Oktoberfest beverages are back on the shelves.

5. Complete the sentence: "Never have I ever..."
…answered a “never have I ever” question prior to today.

Now grab a button, and link up with us!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.neverthesamespicetwice.com/p/boys-behind-blog.html" title="Never The Same Spice Twice"><img src="http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac236/sascoma/BoysBB_zps9c35357c.jpg" alt="Never The Same Spice Twice" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Check out my lovely 'Savory' Sponsor:

The Boys Behind The Blog {Link up #3)

Welcome to the 3rd round! I remember saying, "OMG, the 3rd round of The Boys Behind The Blog will be the last round before Baby Girl gets here".  Of course Mallory and I will continue this link-up afterwards, but I just can't believe that by the next round the little peanut will be here!  How fun and exciting is that?!?!  
Anyway, can't wait to read what your boys have to say this month!!! First, let's hear from Stephen! I still love him even though I am not too psyched about his response to the first question!!!

1. What would you do with $1,000,000?
Tax-free, right? Not that it’s even considered a significant amount of money anymore, but I’d do the following:
-Invest; a million compounds well.

...Since I’m certain that’s not the object of the question, with the first interest payments, I would:
-Buy Stephanie a new car; something sensible for our new and growing family. Something in the small CUV class (she likes the RAV4; I could live with that)

-Pay off remaining college loans.

2. What is your dream job?
I love what I do (I’m a Student Advisor at a private local college). I would love ideally to be able to go larger-scale and leverage my skills for a state or private university and bring success for a whole new population of local and international students.

3. Who is your celebrity crush?
Olivia Wilde.

4. What is your favorite sports team?
I feel obliged to continue to be a NY sports fan, despite being a Florida resident for 4 years now. While never really into any one sport or another from a fan standpoint, I would need to say that recent baseball controversy is making me more a football fan. So, let’s go Big Blue. (For anyone who is not aware, NY Giants)

Now my wife thinks we need these...

5. What was your AOL/AIM screen name back in the day?
Oh, for flashback stories. My very first AIM handle was LeftyL721. Why?
Well, let’s start with the fact that it was thought up and created by my first girlfriend. As such, it would follow that:
-I’m left-handed; and her cutesy name for me (as it would logically follow) was lefty-loser. Endearing, right?
-The numbers are her birthdate.
It’s okay; we’re Facebook friends now, so no hard feelings. Needless to say, this handle was short-lived.

Now grab a button, and link up with us!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.neverthesamespicetwice.com/p/boys-behind-blog.html" title="Never The Same Spice Twice"><img src="http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac236/sascoma/BoysBB_zps9c35357c.jpg" alt="Never The Same Spice Twice" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Check out my lovely 'Savory' Sponsor:

The Boys Behind The Blog {Link up #2}

It's the third Thursday of the month again already!
Welcome to the 2nd round of The Boys Behind The Blog link-up featuring your husbands, fiances, and boyfriends!  Mallory and I know that many of you have incredibly supportive men behind you and your blog and we want to give them a chance to have their voice heard too.  

Before I let my man take over...just wanted to share some news!  Since Mallory and I are super psyched about todays link up AND the fact that we both added a new In-Post Ad option to our blogs...we are having a very special promo!!!

Check it out! :)

And now it's time to hear from my stud muffin Stephen...

1. What celebrity would play you in a movie about your life?
This is hard to say. I’ve been told I look like a lot of different people; Joel McHale, Ewan MacGregor, Cillian Murphy, Jude Law, Leonardo DiCaprio (back in the day). Few of these I seriously buy into. If people will take that route, I’ll go just one further. I may look nothing like him, but I would prefer Benedict Cumberbatch to play me in a movie about my life. That would be awesome.

(*Who?  I had NO idea who this guy was...so i decided you all needed a visual!  We both just agreed that he does resemble him a little bit in this pic!)

2. What is your dream car?
In my teens and early twenties I had plenty of answers for this kind of question. Expensive exotic cars, zippy little imports a la the Fast and the Furious, big mean off-road vehicles, etc. These days, I’d settle for any one that’s paid off. I guess that’s not the question though.
If money were no object I think I’d like to see myself in something a little older and classy. Something to cruise around in. Not necessarily flashy, but clean and tasteful. Something like a 1964 Aston Martin DB5. Yes; that would do nicely. ::hums James Bond theme song::

3. Do you have any tattoos? What, where, why?
I do not. It’s not that I’m against them or anything; I just haven’t found a good reason for one personally.

4. Boxers or briefs?
This is an awfully personal question. However, since you asked; boxer-briefs.

5. List 3 random facts about yourself...
-I would love to drive cross-country again at some point. Last time, we saw much of the southwest and it was incredible. I think that if I were able to make it happen again, I would love to aim for the northwest; see some of the great national parks and such.
-I am a self-professed geek, and my current favorite (not-so-secret) geeky shows are Doctor Who and
Sherlock on BBC. 

-I am super psyched about being a soon-to-be dad. Stephanie is concerned because I generally do not show it outwardly, but inside, I can’t wait to meet our little girl.

(*What a sweetie...I do ask him AT LEAST once a day if he is excited.  I know he is, it just melts my heart to hear him say it!)

Thanks so much for reading! Don't forget about the special 30% off promo with the code "BOYS" here at Never The Same Spice Twice and also at Mal Smiles!!!

Now grab a button, and link up with us!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.neverthesamespicetwice.com/p/boys-behind-blog.html" title="Never The Same Spice Twice"><img src="http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac236/sascoma/BoysBB_zps9c35357c.jpg" alt="Never The Same Spice Twice" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

The Boys Behind The Blog {Link Up #1}

The Boys Behind the Blog is a new link-up featuring your husbands, fiances, and boyfriends!  Mallory and I know that many of you have incredibly supportive men behind you and your blog and we want to give them a chance to have their voice heard too.  Ask your man five easy questions and link up with us on the third Thursday of the month!

I'm obviously happy to have my sweet hubby Stephen taking over NTSST today....

1. Does your wife/girlfriend/fiance use your real name or a nickname on her blog?

More often than not, I would say she refers to me as hubby or husband, but I’m sure I’ve been slipped in there on a number of occasions with my real name.  I’m not against either way.  If or when she starts referring to me as “that man” or something to that effect, I’d appreciate if someone could drop me a quick line. Thanks!

2. If you had a blog, what would the title be?

Adventures in Real Life.  That’s a terrible title, and I’ll tell you why.  Let’s rewind a bit.  On Stephanie’s encouragement, I started a blog a few years ago.  It was not long-lived; I got bored.  I think the problem lied in the fact that the title was too generic.  I did not have a focused subject to write about, therefore I wrote nothing because I did not know what to write about.  It became a chore, which this should never be if you’d like to maintain a half interested audience.  If there were a next time, I’d have a more focused title and subject. If.

3. Do you ever feel ignored by her because of the blog?

Sometimes I feel like Stewie from “Family Guy” trying to get her attention away from the laptop screen. Mom. Mom. Mommy. Mommy. MA! MA!

I know she loves doing it, and I’m behind her 110%, especially because of all the delicious meals I get out of it.  So while she’s 

sometimes engrossed, I know it’s for good cause.  Now I just need a man-cave so I can have a place to do my thing while she does her blog things.  Even a garage would do. ;-)

4. How has her blog changed or evolved throughout your relationship?

The blog actually started out as a way for her to document a cross-country trip we took together 4 years ago, before we moved to Florida.  She wanted to be able to show our parents all the things we were doing without having to be in constant contact (since we weren’t sure we were going to be able to out in the Wild West).  After we moved, it evolved into a means for sharing our new life together, since we were so far from our families and everything we knew.  As we built our life together, it changed names and subject again, focusing this time on her (delicious) kitchen exploits.  With all the new changes coming for us later this summer, I sort of expect another evolution, but that has yet to be seen.

5. What is your favorite post on her blog?

I can’t say that there is just one.  I can see how much she loves sharing when we have big news, so I get a kick out of when she shares it with all her readers.  In that way, it’s been a fun time as she posts her bumpdates and we shared the gender reveal.  It will be fun to see what comes of the blog when our little lady finally arrives.

Thanks for reading; I hope you get as much of a kick out of this little project as I do!

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.neverthesamespicetwice.com/p/boys-behind-blog.html" title="Never The Same Spice Twice"><img src="http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac236/sascoma/BoysBB_zps9c35357c.jpg" alt="Never The Same Spice Twice" style="border:none;" /></a></div>