Good afternoon Wichita!
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving - I sure did! It was an unusual one, though, so I thought I'd tell the story here for anyone who's interested.
Every year, my family gets together in Philadelphia, PA, at my aunt's house to celebrate Thanksgiving. It's a huge affair - 27 people this year - and I'm sure you've all got a fairly good idea of what a family Thanksgiving looks like. Well, this year was different, because Bryan and I didn't go. That's right, we stayed here in the 'ta! ("The 'ta, by the way, is hands-down my favorite nickname for Wichita, with "the dub-K" coming in as a close second.)
Anyway, we decided the flight back east this year was just too much for us to handle. Frankly, we've both been so busy since the beginning of fall that we've barely spent a day together. Thanksgiving seemed like the perfect excuse to take time off, be lazy, and just spend time together in our apartment with our ridiculous cats. Luckily for us, my family wasn't upset about losing us this year. They were happy for us! It's that kind of support that makes my family something I'm incredibly grateful for :-)
So on Thanksgiving morning, Bryan and I slept late. It was glorious. When we finally got out of bed, we ate cookies for breakfast. And by "cookies," what I mean is "cookie dough." Salmonella be damned, dough is just plain better before it gets baked! We stayed home all morning and watched movies, sitting on the couch with the cats. At around 3, I baked some potatoes and fried some ham for our dinner. So much for "turkey day"!
After we ate, we went to the Wichita Ice Center for open skating from 4:00-6:00. It was my first time there, and we got 2 hours of skating plus rental skates for $5 a piece! I was pretty happy with that. Bryan used to play ice hockey, so he was his element zipping around the ice like a pro. I tried not to fall on my backside or run in to any of the children ;-) It was actually a really fun way to spend our Thanksgiving afternoon, and I think we should make it a tradition! "Thanksgiving on Ice," I like the sound of it.
After skating, we had sundaes at Braum's and came home for the night. It was the perfect day off, and the perfect opportunity to reflect on all I'm thankful for.
Whether you spent your Thanksgiving with a big crowd or just close friends, I hope you found something to be grateful for this year. Until next time. . .
-Chelsea
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Hu Hot
When I started Chelsea's Wichita, I promised recommendations for restaurants. I would be remiss if I left out Hu Hot Mongolian Grill, which is located at 21st and Rock. It's CONVENIENTLY close to my office at 22nd and Rock, which probably has something to do with my undying love for the place.
At Hu Hot, you can order appetizers like Crab Rangoon, or soup or salad, but there are no entrees on the menu. That's because you choose ALL of your own ingredients from Hu Hot's massive buffet. The buffet includes meats, different types of pasta, fruits, vegetables, and a vast array of sauces. You pick whatever you like, and the cooks at Hu Hot will stir-fry your ingredients on a massive cook top. If you're not a culinary master, don't worry; there are recipe cards and guidelines provided by the restaurant.
Personally, I like to go for chicken, pad thai noodles, pea pods, a ton of water chestnuts, min-corn, plenty of pineapple, and some mandarin oranges. I mix 1 spoonful of peanut sauce with 4 spoonfuls of teriyaki, a spoonful of ginger sauce, and sometimes a spoonful of lemon juice. After it's cooked I top it with Hu Hot's crushed peanuts and shredded coconut. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Click here for a menu. See you out there, Wichita!
-Chelsea
At Hu Hot, you can order appetizers like Crab Rangoon, or soup or salad, but there are no entrees on the menu. That's because you choose ALL of your own ingredients from Hu Hot's massive buffet. The buffet includes meats, different types of pasta, fruits, vegetables, and a vast array of sauces. You pick whatever you like, and the cooks at Hu Hot will stir-fry your ingredients on a massive cook top. If you're not a culinary master, don't worry; there are recipe cards and guidelines provided by the restaurant.
Personally, I like to go for chicken, pad thai noodles, pea pods, a ton of water chestnuts, min-corn, plenty of pineapple, and some mandarin oranges. I mix 1 spoonful of peanut sauce with 4 spoonfuls of teriyaki, a spoonful of ginger sauce, and sometimes a spoonful of lemon juice. After it's cooked I top it with Hu Hot's crushed peanuts and shredded coconut. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Click here for a menu. See you out there, Wichita!
-Chelsea
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tax Credits in a Nutshell
Hello Wichita!
There has been a flurry of legal activity over the past couple of weeks dealing with tax credits for home owners and home buyers. The complete laws are complex, and reading them makes an excellent treatment for insomnia (trust me, I've tried). So to save you some time, here is some bottom-line information about the current tax credits:
* First Time Home Buyers (that means you haven't owned a principle residence in 3 years or more) are eligible for up to $8,000 in tax credit when they buy a home. For details, visit my tax credit page.
* Five-Year Home Owners (that means you've lived in the same principle residence for the past 5 years or more) are eligible for up to $6,500 in tax credit when they buy a new home. For details, visit my tax credit page.
* Home Owners who are NOT buying new homes may STILL earn tax credits if they make improvements which make their homes more energy-effecient. Home owners may earn up to 30% of the cost of improvements ($1,500 maximum) for improving certain home features and up to 30% of the cost (with no upper limit) for other improvements. For details, click here.
This sort of policy is the silver lining to our economic struggles, so I highly recommend taking advantage of them if you can! If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in a comment on this blog entry.
Cheers!
-Chelsea
There has been a flurry of legal activity over the past couple of weeks dealing with tax credits for home owners and home buyers. The complete laws are complex, and reading them makes an excellent treatment for insomnia (trust me, I've tried). So to save you some time, here is some bottom-line information about the current tax credits:
* First Time Home Buyers (that means you haven't owned a principle residence in 3 years or more) are eligible for up to $8,000 in tax credit when they buy a home. For details, visit my tax credit page.
* Five-Year Home Owners (that means you've lived in the same principle residence for the past 5 years or more) are eligible for up to $6,500 in tax credit when they buy a new home. For details, visit my tax credit page.
* Home Owners who are NOT buying new homes may STILL earn tax credits if they make improvements which make their homes more energy-effecient. Home owners may earn up to 30% of the cost of improvements ($1,500 maximum) for improving certain home features and up to 30% of the cost (with no upper limit) for other improvements. For details, click here.
This sort of policy is the silver lining to our economic struggles, so I highly recommend taking advantage of them if you can! If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in a comment on this blog entry.
Cheers!
-Chelsea
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Welcome to Chelsea's Wichita!
Since this is a brand new blog, I thought I'd start by telling you what you can expect to find here! Chelsea's Wichita is where I plan to write about the local news and events that make me love this town so much. Check back for updates and recommendations from me about places to go, restaurants to try, movies to see, and OF COURSE real estate tips, tricks, and news.
I call this blog "Chelsea's Wichita" because there is going to be a pretty strong Chelsea-filter on what gets posted here. I'm sure there are many people living in this city who love it just as much as I do, but I plan to selfishly, shamelessly post about the things that make ME love it. So, be prepared to get to know me at the same time as you get to know Wichita!
-Chelsea
I call this blog "Chelsea's Wichita" because there is going to be a pretty strong Chelsea-filter on what gets posted here. I'm sure there are many people living in this city who love it just as much as I do, but I plan to selfishly, shamelessly post about the things that make ME love it. So, be prepared to get to know me at the same time as you get to know Wichita!
-Chelsea
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