Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

HEY, IT'S OKAY....

......to be seeing the finale of Stranger Things in the theater with my kids. We're hoping it's a good finale--the episodes that released on Christmas were just okay. Sometimes just seemed off, so we're hoping it all comes together in the finale. 

......to need to find the strength to take down all the holiday decor. I'll probably do it this weekend.

.....to be celebrating New Years with friends. The neighborhood always lights up since we're outside city limits and it is allowed.

.....to wonder how long it'll take Natalie to spend all her Christmas money. She says she's going to save it, but she always says that, and then it's gone. 

......to have picked up hot chocolate, Peppermint tea, and Hazelnut coffee while at the Gilmore Girls Holidays Made Here event. They're sold by Scott Patterson, who played Luke on the show. Everything is delicious and you can buy them here. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Waking Up Late On Christmas

I won't even lie, it's pretty blissful to have older kids.

I don't have to wake up at the crack of dawn on Christmas. In fact, I usually have to wake THEM up now. 

They stumbled down around 9 AM, and we saw Santa had arrived. 

And what do you think was Natalie's most exciting gift?

If you said Stretch Armstrong, you'd be correct.

She's always loved him. She had a smaller version as a kid. I think he broke. Or we lost him. I'm not sure. He was just gone. 

Over the years she was like, "I need another Stretch Armstrong," and I'd be like, "Uh, okay dear." I figured she'd drop the issue.

But she never did. So I decided to get him this Christmas. And she was thrilled. 

He is satisfying to stretch, I will say that. Stressed? Tug on Stretch Armstrong! 

Tommy was amused by this sign. He says he's putting it on his dorm door:

And Natalie was jubilant to find Billie Eilish items as well. I think the level of receiving them was the same as Stretch Armstrong, if I'm being honest. 

After gifts, we had brunch with my Mom, and Natalie discovered she did NOT like lamb. I don't like lamb either. It has an off taste. It was a buffet, so there were other proteins at least. 

We had a fantastic Christmas! 

And Ruby loved her gift she got from my parents! She has a special spot to judge us all now.

Old Hollywood is Present At The Smoke House In Burbank

Whenever we visit Burbank, California, we always have to eat at the Smoke House. The original location was built in 1946 and then moved to the current spot in 1948. Since it's right across from Warner Brothers Studios, actors and behind-the-scenes crew would stop in often. I'm talking Errol Flynn, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney....to the Gilmore Girls cast. (In Kelly Bishop's book The Third Gilmore Girl, she mentions eating at the Smoke House!)

We love history, so being in the restaurant is thrilling. Be sure to check out the photos on the wall. There's one of Walt Disney! 

Oh, and yes, movies and TV shows were filmed inside. La La Land. The Office. The Studio. There's a list on their website. 

At the moment, the restaurant is decorated for the holidays, so everything looks festive:

Is the food any good though? Yes! They are famous for their garlic bread sticks, so get them! 

I've had their pasta, their meat, their salad...it's all scrumptious. My son Tommy has autism and can be quite picky, and the Smoke House is one of his all time favorite restaurants. He is graduating with his Bachelor's in Film & Media and his goal is to get a job in Burbank, so he can eat the the Smoke House frequently. (He wants to order the Tomahawk Steak when he makes it big.)

Here's my son after he ate. He was happy. And full. 

But he wasn't too full for dessert. They have a TON of sweet options. They bring you out a tray and are like, "Can we tempt you?" YES YOU CAN! I want one of each! PLEASE.

We settled on the mini chocolate bundt cake, ice cream, and fresh fruit. It was blissful. Gone in minutes, even though we were all stuffed.

Keep your eyes peeled when you dine as well. Since it's close to the studios, you might see a celeb. We didn't, but we heard executives nearby boasting that they just "closed a deal with ABC." Good for them. 

And yes, you can make reservations on their website. You can walk in as well, but the wait could be long. I didn't make a reservation and we waited an hour and a half. But it was worth it. Truly.

Until next time, we will be dreaming of the garlic cheese sticks.

The next time you're in Burbank, stop in at the Smoke House!

Smoke House Hours

Monday-Thursday: 1130 AM-1030 PM

Friday-Saturday: 1130 AM-11:00 PM

SUNDAY BRUNCH (we need to do this!)

10:30 AM-2:00 PM

DINNER

3:30 PM-9:00 PM