1. No, I'm not marrying my own personal chef.

One of the very first things anyone says to me when I mention my fianc is a chef is some variation of "Wow! You're so lucky, you must eat so well every night." Now, let me ask you a question. How would I be the one eating well every night when it's literally my chef's job to make sure other people are eating well every night? People are usually surprised to find out that I do about 95 percent of the cooking at home usually for myself with leftovers in the fridge for cheffy when he gets home late. On his nights off, either I cook or we order takeout; he's not exactly in the mood to cook after cooking for 12 to 15 hours a day, five or six days a week. It's ok. My food doesn't completely suck.

2. But when he does cook. OH MY GOD.

Let me tell you, when he DOES decide to whip out the fancy pots and pans and turn our tiny, New York City kitchen into a mess, it's TOTALLY WORTH IT. (I'm only half kidding about the mess he's improved in recent years.) His food. I'm not sure I have words enough to describe the wonderful flavors of his creations. And they are creations no home cook could come up with the dishes he makes in our kitchen. It's such a treat, albeit a treat that might only happen every few weeks, but it's worth the wait every time.

3. Date night? How's Tuesday sound?

A date night on a Friday or Saturday is very, very, very rare he's busy cooking for you at his restaurant for your date night! That being said, my chef's days off usually land in the middle of the week so that's when we spend time together. I have a lot of time to myself on nights and weekends, which is both a blessing and a curse. I get total control over the TV at night and I don't feel bad going out for drinks with coworkers or friends in the middle of the week. On the flip side, it can get lonely and sometimes all the Sunday brunches in the world with your friends don't always make up for the fact that they're not with your other half.

4. My cooking skills have actually improved.

I'm going to tell you a little story that both my mother and my fianc won't let me live down, so I might as well spill the beans. When I was in college, I screwed up Easy Mac. Yes, microwaveable, packetofmacaroniwithasplashofwater Easy Mac. It's supposed to be so foolproof that children can't mess it up. I won't go into details but needless to say, it wasn't the highlight of my culinary skills. You really can only go up from there. Anyway, the point of sharing this story is that now my mom says things like "You know how to braise chicken legs in stock? How do you season xyz? Wow, your black beans and rice is better than mine." I attribute all of this to watching my chef in the kitchen, as well as actively having him teach things to me which can be intimidating! I mean, he's a professional! But he's the best teacher to have he knows what's up. And he's not afraid to help me.

5. Patience is key. And so is passion. Jimmy Butler Jersey

Being the other half of a chef can be hard and yet so rewarding. Yes, he comes home near midnight or after most evenings. Yes, he's not around on weekends and can't come to family functions. Yes, he usually has to work the holidays. Yes, I eat dinner alone most nights of the week. It takes a certain amount of patience to be ok with this type of lifestyle something that I'm still actively working on. But guess what? The hours and days that I do get with my chef, the short spans in time where he's not working, are the most meaningful moments of my life. His passion, creativity, ambition and drive are all traits I admire about him and he brings all of these things to the table outside of the kitchen. We both have to be equally passionate about making our relationship work or else it just wouldn't. We're not physically together enough to take each other for granted, and the time we spend together, even if it's just an evening of Chinese takeout on the couch with wine and Modern Family, is the glue that holds us together. Taj Gibson Jersey

1 You Can Never Have Enough Candles

The quickest and easiest renovation you can make to your home entering the colder months is installing candleholders. These can be wallmounted in hallways, on tables and desks in rooms, or on shelves and counters in the bathroom and kitchen. Even your porch and patio should be equipped with a few candles.

In colder states, access to candles becomes imperative in the event of a winter storm, blackout, or other such events, providing light, heat, and a cooking source in the event of an emergency. People living in areas with warmer winters (California, Arizona, Florida, etc), candles can still be used to conserve electricity or infuse a scent into specific rooms of the house, regardless of what power plan you're on.

Summer is traditionally known for landscaping weather, but this is only because live plants need to be firmly rooted before the harsh winter cold arrives. If you've been considering switching to artificial turf, however, fall can be a slow season in that industry, so it's a great time to find a deal on synthetic grass. Pau Gasol Jersey

Even though synthetic grass is known to be environmentally friendly, I used to be against the stuff back in the days when it felt like plastic carpet, but the synthetic grass we have out back looks and feels real, which helps perk up my mood during the grayer months of the year.

Nothing makes a house feel brand new again like a quick cleaning and furniture rearrangement. If you've been meaning to get unnecessary items stored away to open up space in your house, now is the time to do it. Family and friends may soon be coming to visit, and you're going to need to think about space in all common areas (including the kitchen, dining room, and bathrooms). Rearranging the furniture now gives you time to live in it a little before adding more people to the mix, and getting your house in order may be exactly what you need to combat holiday stress.

Just because the sun is going down earlier doesn't mean you can't still grow a garden. Technological advances have created hydroponic and aeroponic indoor garden setups that make growing any type of plant possible yearround. Installing such fixtures in walls will allow easy flower growth, whereas you can fill counters and tables with living tomatoes, spices, and assorted foods. If you hurry, you can grow a living Christmas centerpiece in time.

The store put it up for auction the same day.

Graffiti by British street artist Banksy is seen on a rolldown security gate covering the main entrance to Larry Flint's Hustler Club on October 24, 2013 in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. The British street artist Banksy has been creating new street art for the month of October in New York. This is a collaboration with Brazilian street art duo Os Gemeos. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

A man takes a photograph while another poses in front of Banksy's latest work depicting the New York City skyline with the former World Trade Center Twin Towers October 15, 2013 in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City. Beginning October 1st the British street artist Banksy announced he would be creating new street art for a month in New York. (Photo by Daniel Pierce Wright/Getty Images) LaRon Landry Jersey

Work by British graffiti artist Banksy is displayed on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The building owner has hired security guards and installed a metal gate to protect a work by Banksy. Cara Tabachnick, whose family owns the building, said the goal is to preserve the artwork "so it can be viewed and enjoyed." Most of the Banksy works that have gone up have been tagged over by others, and some have been completely erased. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said last week that graffiti ruins property and is "a sign of decay." (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)

Work By British Street Artist Banksy Continues To Appear On NYC StreetsNEW YORK, NY OCTOBER 07: A woman poses with a piece of street art, which depicts a heartshaped balloon covered in bandages and was allegedly done by the street artist Banksy, on October 7, 2013 in the Red Hook neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The piece was defaced with red spray paint shortly after being completed. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) Dan Herron Jersey

British Street Artist Banksy Announces A Month Of New Works On NYC StreetsNEW YORK, NY OCTOBER 03: A new Bansky work is viewed on a side of a wall stating 'This is My New York Accent' on October 3, 2013 in New York City. New work by the mysterious British street artist Banksy has appeared in New York after he announed a a monthlong residency in the city. Three works in total have appeared in recent days with two of them quickly being vandalized by other graffiti. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

British Street Artist Banksy Announces A Month Of New Works On NYC StreetsNEW YORK, NY OCTOBER 04: A pedestrian looks toward street art reading, 'Playground Mob, The Musical,' allegedly done by the British street artist Banksy, in the Lower East Side on October 4, 2013 in New York City. Earlier this week Banksy announced he would be creating new street art for a month in New York. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Graffiti painted in white by the secretive British artist Banksy, already "tagged" over by another artist, is on display on Friday, Oct. 4, 2013 in New York. Banksy graffiti is turning up on the streets of the city and all over social media. Banksy announced on his website that he is undertaking "an artists residency on the streets of New York" this month. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Graffiti by the secretive British artist Banksy, featuring a dog and a fire plug, draws attention on 24th Street, near Sixth Avenue in New York, on Friday, Oct. 4, 2013. Banksy graffiti is turning up on the streets of the city and all over social media. Banksy announced on his website that he is undertaking "an artists residency on the streets of New York" this month. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Work By British Street Artist Banksy Continues To Appear On NYC StreetsNEW YORK, NY OCTOBER 09: The latest work from street artist Banksy is seen through a chain link fence on October 9, 2013 in the Lower East Side neighborhood of New York City. Banksy is in the midst of creating a month long series of pieces of street art. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)