Multiply by Ten

Life is really great at a few things - one of which is pulling me in a million directions, all at the same time.  It's completely reasonable that I be in three different places at the same time, wearing four different hats.  Right?  Wrong.  I can't do it all.  I try most days, but then on some days, I want to give up and just focus on a few of my responsibilities.  I need to have ten of myself. 

Mom Me needs to play with my children all day, teach them new skills, and mold them in to great people.  Real Me is able to get them dressed and fed, and is able to read a book or two throughout the day.

Career Me needs to work 40+ hours a week, make outstanding goals for myself (and meet them), and make everyone happy here.  Real Me gets my work done, but doesn't have much time for new projects.

Chef Me should cook great, nutritious breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks for my girls and husband.  Real Me is lucky to get the girls to eat fruit once a day (veggies do not go well), and we end up eating out 1-2 times a week, mostly because of showings and laziness.

Homemaker Me is getting the most attention these days.  Have you ever been in a house with a 5 and 2 year old?  Chaos.  It's up to me to keep it clean, picked up and tidy, because you never know when you'll get a showing request.  We have a cleaning lady once a month, but recently needed to step it up to every other week because I couldn't keep up.

Wife Me should take more care of my husband.  He's lucky if I ask how his day was, and this makes me sad.  He works hard for us and deserves more attention!  He also gets the brunt of my stress, and that's not fair.

Friend Me should be texting, emailing, visiting my girlfriends, just keeping in touch better.  I definitely feel like I haven't seen them as much, and that's partly on me.  They are the best friends, and understand my craziness lately, but I miss them!

Daughter Me needs to go home and visit my parents.  I haven't been there since Christmas!  That is unacceptable.  Thankfully, I have a wonderful family who understands everything that is going on right now.

Dog Mom Me (of course I couldn't leave out my buddy Charlie!).  He needs me too!  He gets so anxious in the car, and he has been having to leave a lot due to showings.  He needs me to cuddle more, walk him and play fetch more.  Real Me feeds him, lets him out and only cuddles while I sleep.

And, of course, let's not forget about Me.  I would love to take a bath, relax, read, craft, maybe go shopping.  Right now, all of these things feel selfish to me - it's hard to tell myself that "me time" is important.

I know I am not the first person to be busy, or stressed out by the million directions I feel I'm being pulled in.  How do you handle all of the hats you wear? Are there any really good tips for getting the most out of the few 24 hours we have each day?  I'm all ears - all 20 of them!

The Vacation of All Vacations

How, exactly, do I begin to tell you all about my vacation?  Quite simply, I can't.  It was exactly what Tim and I needed.  I could probably spend an entire week telling you about what we did, sharing pictures, and reminiscing about how I wish we were still there.  But instead, I'll put it in to one long, picture-filled post because I have some other exciting things going on this week that I can't wait to share.  Bear with me while I picture and memory dump below!

Our flight Saturday was delayed, but after a limo ride to O'Hare and knowing that we would be on the beach in half a day, there wasn't much that could bring us down.  We had a direct flight and watched a few movies on the way down.  Upon arriving at the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas, this was our view - we were off to a great start:

Sunday was spent at the spa, where I had a fabulous massage, and then on the beach.  Monday, we chartered a boat and skipped over to the British Virgin Islands - mostly Jost van Dyke, including Sandy Spit - which is where the Corona commercials are filmed.  To say that this little spot was my happy place is a huge understatement.  I just laid on the sand for at least an hour, soaking it all in.  We also stopped for a quick hike to the "Bubbly Bath", which is a spot where waves come through walls of rock and make a fun little wave pool.  Unfortunately, I didn't have my phone = none of my own pictures.

Sandy Spit.  source

Tuesday we went in to Red Hook, where after a few cocktails, I decided to try one of those fish pedicures.  The fish are pretty small, and they rub all along your feet to loosen dead skin and then suck it off.  I had seen it on tv before (The housewives did it in Thailand!) but never in person.  It felt like little bubbles - and only really freaked me out when they tried to go through my toes.  But here's the kicker - my feet are still soft.  After a week of the beach and sandals.  I am a believer!

Wednesday, we took the ferry to St. John and rented a Jeep.  We hit three different beaches, then had the best dinner I've ever eaten at a place called Fatty Crab.  If you are ever in the vicinity of St. John, go here.  It is a "funky southeast Asian restaurant" and only has locations in New York, Hong Kong and St. John.  It was so, so good.  St. John is quickly becoming my favorite of the Caribbean islands I've been to.

Thursday was another boat day - this time we went to Tortola, another British Island.  We first snorkeled, where we saw two different sea turtles and hundreds of fish.  We spent the afternoon here - eating, drinking cocktails and just enjoying the views.

The second picture is one of my favorites from the trip, complete with the British phone booth.  It's a framer!

Friday, I woke up with a migraine.  I did my routine that always seems to help - drink a regular Coke, slather Peppermint essential oil on my forehead and sit in a warm bath.  Just over an hour later, it was gone - so out to the pool I went.  We spent the day reading and soaking up the sun.  I finished two books in one week - that is definitely a record for me!

Saturday was our travel day home.  By that point I was ready to see my babies again, but so so sad to be leaving paradise.  I can't wait to go back again - maybe next time to stay on St. John.  Has anyone done that?

All in all, it was a fabulous trip.  We loved our time together, the girls loved their time with the grandparents, and I wouldn't have traded it for anything.  I was able to cross five things off of my 101 in 1001 list!  Also, a special note to my Midwestern readers - we brought the warm weather home with us.  You are welcome. :)

The Meal that Decided Our Future

I realize that the title of this post is a little dramatic, but our future really was decided over one meal.  But before I get to that, let's back up a bit to last weekend when my husband and I went to Austin, Texas.  If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you saw that we went for the weekend, just the two of us.  But the trip wasn't just to get away.

source

My husband's work recently opened another office in Austin.  Everyone has the option of moving there, but it is not mandatory.  We knew that we needed to move somewhere this Spring, as we are just outgrowing our current home.  Neither of us had ever been to Austin, and we just didn't feel comfortable house hunting in our current location without even seeing what that part of Texas was like.  I can't lie - the thought of warm weather year round, a pool in the backyard and a new adventure sounded really appealing.  Not to mention we know a few people already living there.

Saturday we decided to drive around neighborhoods that were recommended to us and explore.  After seeing what the real estate market had to offer, we drove to Salt Lick - which is a local (somewhat famous) barbeque joint.  The pit was intense, just look at all of that meat and fire!

Needless to say, Tim was excited.  It smelled so good, I was excited.  While we waited for our food, we discussed how we felt so far.  Neither of us have either lived somewhere other than in the Midwest, so the terrain was different.  The styles of homes was completely different.  I had a hard time getting over the fact that all the houses we saw online had tile floors, no carpet.  And no basements?  Completely different for us.  Not to mention the fact that we were a plane ride away from any of our family - whereas in Chicago, the farthest anyone is away is a four hour drive.  Would we fit in in Texas?  Were we "Texas people?"  How could we take E away from her little friends?  Then there were our friends - all in Chicago.  Then our food arrived.

It was just ok.  All of the anticipation leading up to what we thought would be amazing, and it was just ok.  We looked at each other, and in that moment, we both knew.  We'd be staying in Chicago.

To say that a meal changed our future might be over the top - but for us, it was the defining moment.  It's a meal that I will always remember - I'll remember the smell, the taste of the food, the people sitting next to us.  I feel very relieved that we know which direction (quite literally) we will be taking this Spring.

Have you ever had a moment that defined the next step in your life?  I'd love to hear about it!

Today I'm linking up with Emily for Grateful Heart Monday.  I'm grateful that we have the option to stay in Chicago, and Tim can keep his current job that he loves so much.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to explore Austin, but even more grateful to come home. 

This Guy...

As I sit hear listening to Pitch Perfect, I am reminded of just how lucky I am.  You see, it's Tim's birthday - and birthdays around here get a lot of attention.  I like to celebrate for an entire week, so tonight when he said he wanted to watch a movie I was all about it.  Then the magic happened - he picked Pitch Perfect, simply because he knows how it makes me laugh.

So, to you on your birthday, I have to tell you a few things...

-You are an amazing father.  Our girls are incredibly lucky to have you as their Daddy.  The attention you give them, playing, singing, playing Taylor Swift for dance parties, is inspirational.

-I love how you make me laugh.  You say silly things at the most inappropriate times that get me every time.

-You are my biggest cheerleader, even if sometimes I have to remind you what I need cheerleading for.

-We have our moments.  The not so lovey-dovey ones.  Everyone does, and we are no exception, but you always try to see my point of view and are the first to let things go.  Thank you for that.

-Even in my lowest moments you lift me up.  I'm not always the best listener, I don't always try to see where you are coming from, but you don't hold that against me.  It means more to me than you'll ever know.

Happy Birthday to the greatest husband, daddy and friend I ever could have imagined.  Thank you for putting us first and making me happy, day after day.

Today I am co-hosting Wednesday Wishes with Anne.  Today I'm wishing for Tim to know just how special he is to us.  I wish that he feels so incredibly special on his birthday, and every day.

Link up with Anne and tell us what you are wishing for!

An InLinkz Link-up

PS - December 16 is actually his birthday, but we are still celebrating :)

The Great (Household) Debate

Tim and I are were both born and raised in the Midwest.  We've lived in Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois only.  The other night, I was telling him how much I have grown to love country music (yes, you read that correctly), and how I have always felt like I should have lived in the South.  He looked at me, sort of dumbfounded and asked, "Then why aren't we moving to Austin??"  (Quick backstory - his company is moving to Austin - we can move if we'd like, but it's not necessary and he can keep his job in Chicago).

At that point, I returned the dumbfounded look to him.  I have always believed that Texas is not in "the south", but rather, that it was all on it's own - with it's own culture and norms, but very different from the traditional south.  We debated for awhile, and then I turned to social media.

I asked, "Name one state that you consider to be in the south" on both Facebook and Twitter.  Out of 100 responses, the results were:

42% Georgia
28% North Carolina
12% Alabama
11% Texas
7% combo of Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina and Florida

For the record, I told him that I thought the number one response would be Georgia.  At least I definitely won that debate.

Because neither of us have ever lived in any of the above places, it's hard for us to really debate this issue.  His territory for work is Dallas and every inch of Texas north of that, but besides that, neither of us have spent more than a vacation in any of the above places.

So help us out, do you consider Texas to be part of "the south"?  And not just by location, but by culture and way of life?  Bonus points if you are Texan - tell me your true feelings!  Is this accurate?

source

TV Shows I've Given Up On

By now, it shouldn't be a secret that I love tv.  I always have.  My DVR is often my favorite way to relax - and it is quite busy recording all of my shows.  One of the biggest differences between Tim and I is that he likes to watch mostly sports - whereas I like anything but sports.  Very rarely, we'll find one we both like (Dexter, Friday Night Lights, to name a few.  PS I will always love Tim Riggins.)

Over the years, there have been a number of shows that I have been committed to.  (Uh, Grey's Anatomy?  When will you end?)  There have also been shows that I've given up on.

Source

// Vampire Diaries.  Even my extreme love for Damon can't keep me interested.  I really, really enjoyed this series before Elaina's transition - since then, it's been a little "meh" in my opinion.  I even deleted four unseen episodes because they've just been sitting there on my DVR.

// Red Band Society.  Truth be told here, I didn't watch more than two episodes.  I'm a sucker for teenage dramas, so I thought I would be all over this.  I found it a bit depressing and over the top as far as devastating things that can happen.  Not to mention the fact that it is completely unrealistic.

// Revenge.  This one barely made this list.  I started watching it recently on Netflix, and I don't know why it lost my interest.  I liked the idea of it, but always found myself choosing something else over it.  Those of you who still watch it - should I go back?

// The Taste.  I'm not much of a foodie, but I liked the premise behind this one.  Sort of Top Chef meets The Voice.  Recently, I've seen some commercials for the beginning of this season - and all they did was remind me that I didn't miss it.

// Stalker.  I was so excited for this one - and even Tim watched with me!  But again, it become too predictable and almost boring to us.  If we'd both rather do laundry than watch this, it's a problem.

// Always Sunny.  The early years of Always Sunny were amazing.  I can't pinpoint when it stopped being funny to us, but it did.  Maybe it felt a little forced?  Is it even still on?

// Almost Scandal.  My sister got me to start watching this in the Tampa airport when our flight was delayed five hours.  I wasn't in to it.  It could have been the fact that we were sitting there for that long, or that we were sharing earphones - either way, I didn't get past the second episode.  Last year, after hearing all of the hype, I gave it another try.  And I'm so glad I did!

Have any of you given up on the same shows?  Any others that didn't make my list?  And while we are at it, share your favorites so I can add them to Netflix.  Bonus points if the men in your life like it too.  I wish there were more shows that Tim and I liked to watch together.  Right now we only have Homeland and Shameless (PS we're behind on both, so don't spoil anything!)

Linking up with Anne for Wednesday Wishes.

PS - Take 25% of any ad space with code THANKFUL!

Halloween, According to My Husband

Tim and I had so much fun with our last Blogger Men Tell All, we had to join for this month's link up too.  (Ok, I had fun interviewing him, he just played along!)

This month is all about Halloween.  I really hope he shares with you his costume from junior year of college...

Ok, are you ready?
Um, sure. 

Is Halloween your favorite holiday? If not, what is?
No.  Christmas.  Time with family and holiday cocktails.

What do you plan on dressing up as for Halloween this year?
Nothing.  Is that ok to say?

What is your go-to drink (alcoholic, non-alcoholic)?
At home? White Russian.

4. What’s your favorite scary movie?
Ooooh.  Hmmm.  That's kind of a hard one.  (mumbles to himself).  Yea, Halloween I guess.

What is your best Halloween memory?
Dressing up as "Towelie" in college.  It was the best costume ever.  And, we had a ton of fun at Halloween parties and won a few contests too.  (Yes, from South Park):

source

So there you have it.  The inner thoughts of my other half.  Apparently, Towelie was a big hit in Iowa City that year.  We weren't dating then.... but I'm sure I would have been proud.

Linking up with Becca, Samantha and Melissa.

My Husband Is Iowa-Famous

When I first started dating Tim, ten years ago, I knew three things about him almost instantly - He almost never went to class, but had a better GPA than I did, he was a people person, and he could make friends with anyone around him.  Seriously, we can be out to dinner, sitting at an isolated table in the corner, and by the end of the meal we are making plans with strangers about where to go next.  This guy has the gift of gab - which I normally really adore.

In Iowa, we don't have any pro teams, for any sports.  People like Chicago, Minnesota or St. Louis teams (generally), but almost everyone loves the Iowa Hawkeyes.  Every Saturday, people all over the state sit down to watch them play football.

Tim's personality traits all meshed together when one day in 2004 I started getting a lot of calls about "the boy I was dating" and if he was the one in the Iowa commercial.

My Mom was calling.  My friends from high school were calling.  Friends at college were calling.  Tim had landed a spot on the newest University of Iowa commercial and it was making it's debut.

This all happened because of a random conversation he was having with someone while at work.  They were looking for people to fill spots and he asked Tim to be in it.  It was also the only time that semester that he went on campus, and definitely the only time he wore a backpack. 

The commercial ran for at least four years.  We'd see it during every football game even after we graduated.  After they made a new one, his was lost for awhile.  Until last weekend when it was discovered that his mom had recorded it while it was still on tv!  And, here it is for your viewing pleasure.  (He is at the very end)

His line, "I found my personal best at the University of Iowa" is one I like to quote often, because let's be honest, I am his personal best. :)

He Blogs! Round 2.

My husband is a story teller.  He loves to talk, meet new people, find common interests - he's a people person through and through.  One of my very first posts was He Blogs!, where I asked Tim some random questions and shared his very random answers.

Last week, Becca shared her new link-up - "Blogger Men Tell All", and I knew this was the perfect time to interview Tim again.  It just so happens that Amanda has a link-up, "Conversations" that this fits perfectly with as well.  So, let's get to it!

Ok, are you ready?
Sure.

If you had a blog, what would you call it, and what would it be about?
(long, long pause).  Hmmmm.  Probably "Being Married with Kids and Still Being Able to Go Golfing".  So, "Golfing".  And it would be about golfing.

If you could live inside any video game, which would it be?
(strange look).  NHL 2014. 

Who is your best player on your fantasy football team this season?
Team #1: Probably Antonio Brown
Team #2: Antonio Brown
Team #3: Kelvin Benjamin
(I should note that this means nothing to me!)

Two more questions, ok?
That's it?!

If you could play for any professional sports team, which one would it be?
Probably the Dallas Mavericks because Mark Cuban takes good care of his team.

What do you typically do with an hour of free time?
With just an hour?  I guess housework.  Is that what wives like to hear?

So there you have it.  I should mention that this took entirely too long, as I mistakenly asked him to participate during Monday Night Football.  With the three teams mentioned above, I don't hear much from him Sundays-Mondays.  I won't complain as long as he wins!

Thank you to everyone who entered my 100th Post Giveaway!  The winner chose an Amazon giftcard.  Happy Tuesday friends!

The Pick-up Line that Changed my Life

"When did you get so hot?!" -Tim, April, 2004.

Let me back up. When I was a Freshman in college, I met a boy that I had a class with.  He was funny - witty, always had a good comeback, and I noticed I was always smiling around him.  I had a crush, but he was still dating his girlfriend from high school, so I let it go and didn't think much about him, although every now and then I'd see him around campus.  I dated someone else for a few years after that, so I didn't ever think much about it.

Until Senior year.  One of my best friends and I decided to study abroad in London over winter semester.  When we went to the orientation, we recognized Tim's best friend, who was also going on the trip.  Tim's friend flew with us and hung out with us in London, and when we got back we met up for F.A.C. (Friday After Class, for you non-Hawkeyes - happy hour, starting after your last class on Friday).  And guess what?  Tim was there.

He remembered me, and his first words to me really were "When did you get so hot?!" He proceeded to make me laugh all day and throughout the night, and I was smitten.  We have been together since.

Today we celebrate seven years of marriage.  SEVEN!  That seems like so many to me, but honestly, they have flown by.  He still makes me laugh daily and always tries to find something good in each situation.  Most of the time I'm pretty sure that if it weren't for him, I don't think I'd make it.  He's the best father I know (besides my own, of course!)

This weekend he had planned a surprise weekend for us.  We dropped the girls off with their nanny for the night and made our way downtown.  After checking in to the The Peninsula (highly recommended if you are visiting Chicago!) we went north to Wrigley with the intent of seeing the game.  Instead we watched Iowa actually win then got ready for dinner.  We went to Del Frisco's (one of my favorite places) and ate way too much.  Of course, being the bad blogger I am, I didn't get one picture!  The last surprise was tickets to Second City, which was hilarious and also highly recommended.  It was awesome to see the exact stage that some of my favorites, like Tina Fey, Steve Carrell and Chris Farley performed on.  I can't wait to go back.

To celebrate today, I want to share some of my favorites pictures from our wedding day, and some since then.

 

 

To say that I am grateful to have him in my life would not do my emotions justice.  I am grateful for the patience he has taught me, the love he has shown me, and the fun he has brought in to my life.  To many, many more years (and one-liners!) together. 

This Week's Faves

It's Friday - and you know what that means, it's #bloggerlove day!  But before we get to that, I'm extremely excited for this weekend. Our seventh wedding anniversary is coming up, and apparently Tim has planned a whole weekend for me. I think, anyway, he said I was busy Saturday and Sunday. He won't tell me a thing, and I'm sort of nervous because I don't know how to dress! I will have to judge my outfits solely on what he is wearing, so this should be interesting!

Now on to a few of my favorite posts from this week:

"The Black Hole of IKEA" by The Daily Tay.  I mean, really, who hasn't felt this while in an IKEA?  There are two in the Chicagoland area, and thankfully the one closest to me is a lot smaller (and less crowded), but it's still overwhelming.  Taylor hysterically and accurately describes the pain otherwise known as IKEA.  I even have a friend that tries to avoid IKEA because bad things always happen in her life while she's there - not kidding.

"How to Tease Your Hair" by The Grits Blog.  My hair is so straight and kind of boring, and always pretty flat.  I've always wanted volume but wasn't sure how to go about it.  Ashley gives a quick and easy tutorial and I can't wait to try it - maybe this weekend!

"10 Ways to Be Happy" by Love the Here and Now.  We've all woken up in a funk at one time or another.  Anne gives a great list of ways to get out of said funk - if even just for a few moments. 

What were your favorites of the week?  Link up and tell us!  Please be sure to include at least one link to another blogger's post from the week that inspired you, made you laugh, or that you just plain loved.  Grab the button if you'd like, and be sure to check out some of the other links.

An InLinkz Link-up

Hope you all have a fab weekend!

I Have a Grateful Heart

I hope everyone had a great long weekend!  I sure did - golfing on Friday, Hawkeye win on Saturday, boating on Sunday and family time today. Let's rewind a bit with some details.

Golfing.  If you read my post last Monday, you'll remember that I agreed to go golfing with my husband and another couple Friday.  First time golfer here = stress about what to wear, let alone how to hit the ball.  It was night golf, which basically means that the tees are lit up with glowsticks, the balls are lit up, and the golfer wears glowsticks.  Let's just say that I probably won't ever be golfing again.  I might try it sometime during the day, but it's safe to assume that my favorite part was the drink cart.  It also allowed for me to cross something off of my 101 in 1001  list.  (For those of you who helped with what I should wear - I ended up with black shorts, a collared shirt and a Nike pullover.)

Hawkeyes!  My besties, kids and husbands gathered for the first Iowa game.  We had lots of food, (some of us) had good beverages, and relived our glory days.  Seriously, tailgating takes on a different meaning when you are in your thirties with small children around.  But, the Hawks won and it was the perfect day. 

Boating.  My husband's grandparents own a lake house just over an hour from here, so we gathered up another couple and went up there for the day on Sunday.  E and A love riding on the boat, so we spent a lot of time on the water.  It was another perfect day for weather and a fun way to say goodbye to summer.  Because it's a family home, a lot of my husband's family was there too.  We got to spend time with friends and family - and it doesn't hurt that they all wanted to play with the girls, so we got to take a solo boat ride too! 

Today was spent with my fam, mostly outside soaking up some of the rays of the year.  I loved having the long weekend with everyone but am ready to get back to work tomorrow.  Today I am so grateful for time.  When I look back at the weekend, I'm grateful that my time was spent the best way possible - with family and friends.  I hope you all had a great weekend too - what was your highlight?

What DId I Sign Up For?

If you've been reading for any amount of time, you would know by now that my husband loves golf.  I sometimes refer to myself as a "golf widow" - but thankfully, we live in a climate that only really allows him to golf 4-5 months out of the year.  (Except when we go on vacation, but I'll save that for a whole other post!)

Last week, he casually emailed me while at work and asked if we had plans this Friday.  I got excited thinking he was planning a super fun date for us or something!  No.  He had signed us up for a couples golf night - a foursome, in the dark, with light up balls or something.  (Can you feel my excitement?)  Only problem = aside from mini golf, I've never golfed before. 

Luckily, the couple we are going with is super fun and I won't be incredibly embarrassed when I can't hit the ball.  But, the one thing I'm nervous about?  What to wear!

So, I turn to you blogland.  My husband can't be trusted with answering fashion related questions, and Pinterest is only halfway helpful as I have no idea what women golfers actually wear.  Do they wear skirts like these:

source

Or shorts like these?:

source I wish I looked this good in shorts!

Or pants, like these?:

 

source Not loving the shirt and hat, but pants?

And furthermore, do I have to wear a collar?  Get golf shoes?  Let's not even talk about the fact that I don't know how to swing a club! 

On this Grateful Heart Monday, I'm grateful for my husband - even with his lack of fashion help and less than stellar romantic date planning skills.  Any time with him that is spent doing something other than "home" or "kid" things is rare, so I'm excited to have the night with him.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll be really good at golfing. (Ha!)  I'm grateful for our babysitter, whom we love and trust completely with our girls.  I'm grateful for patient friends - whose patience will really be tested Friday night.  And, I'm grateful for you - and your help on what I should wear! 

Currently... Round One

Some of my favorite posts to read are the "Currently" posts, that basically give a quick update without too much detail, most recently on Seriously Sarah? and a hundred tiny wishes.  I feel like my life has been a little scattered lately - with the wedding, work stuff, planning trips and working on house things so I thought I'd stop for a moment and embrace what is currently happening in my life.

Currently I'm...

Reading: Bossypants by Tina Fey.  I'm trying to read more, and have 18 books to go on my 101 in 1001 list.  This is an easy read and I'm enjoying it so far!

Writing: Besides this post, I have a whole list of post ideas I am working through - including a series that I am pretty excited about.

Listening: Nothing at the moment.  Complete silence - which is really ok with me, considering I'm used to screaming, whining, and word for word reinactments of Frozen.

Thinking: About my sister and new brother in law, and how they are relaxing on the beach right now.  They deserve it!

Wishing: Summer would hold on just a bit longer.  Yesterday was in the 50's and I was cold.  There are parts of Fall that I like, but Summer is by far my favorite.

Hoping: For a smooth transition when E starts pre-k next month. 

Wearing: This adorable necklace I got as my bridesmaid gift.  Absolutely in love with it!

Loving: The fact that my husband will watch Big Brother with me.  We don't agree on most shows, but I know that he secretly really likes this one.

Wanting: Big scale = A new house.  Small scale = a nice camera.  #firstworldproblems.  Both big purchases, so if I were to get something right now that I wanted, it would be a diet coke.

Needing: A good night's sleep.  I'm still tired from last weekend, and A has been waking up way too early these days.

Feeling: Content.  Sure, there are always things that could be improved, but overall I am happy.  I am healthy, my loved ones are healthy, and we have everything we could possible need, and then some. 

Missing: Quality one on one time with my husband.  Even when we get time alone, we always feel rushed to get back to the girls.  I'm itching for an adult-only vacation!

Today is Wednesday, which means I am linking up with Anne for Wednesday Wishes.  What are you currently wishing for?

It's My Party

Today is my actual birthday, but I celebrated over the weekend.  Friday night I had dinner and drinks with some of my best girlfriends - all of the girls I wrote about here.  We ate way too much, discussed our celeb crushes (mine is Ian Somerhalder, anyone else?!) and began planning our next girls trip.  Win win win in my book!

Saturday was hard to beat.  For Christmas, "the girls" had gotten me a gift certificate to a hotel and spa in Geneva, IL - The Herrington Inn.  I've been craving some one on one time with my husband for awhile now.  This was the perfect opportunity!  I left early and headed to the spa.  I started with a Swedish massage and it was probably one of the best I've ever had.  The therapish focused exactly in the areas I told her about, and I definitely fell asleep at least twice.  After waking up, it was time for my first facial.  I still can't decide if I'm a fan or not - but there was one moment when my face was wrapped in hot towels as a treatment set.  She left the room and I absolutely fell asleep again.  Either I was extremely tired (yes) or very relaxed (also true). 

The Herrington Inn, via Google

After my three (or more) naps courtesy of the spa, I got ready and went off for a solo shopping trip.  This alone would have made my entire month!  I had time to browse, go in to any store I wanted, and try things on in silence.  Perfection!

As if all of this wasn't enough, I have to share my dinner experience.  If you live in the Chicago area, or are ever in the Western suburbs - you have to go to Bien Trucha in Geneva.  I ate so much delicious food that I could barely walk out, and I'm not kidding.  But let's back up a bit.

We knew that they didn't take reservations and had been told that in order to eat there at all on a Saturday, we should get in line by 4:45 to put our name on a list when they open at 5.  So we did - and still had about 20 people in front of us!  (I also need to go ahead and apologize for the iPhone pics... didn't plan that out very well.)

 

Luckily, once they opened we were in the first wave of tables to be seated.  We ordered some delicious drinks - cucumber margarita to be exact - and the "Guacamole of the Day".  It's always traditional guac with fresh fruit - Saturday was watermelon.  Delish!

 

 

We ate so much food, but I only thought to take a few pictures.  Bacon wrapped shrimp, pork tacos, roasted corn, shrimp tacos, mexican rice.  All menu items are in small plate form, and so so delicious.

 

 

While walking back to the hotel, we passed a bar that advertised "200 Craft Beers".  As if we weren't full enough already, we thought that sounded like a good idea.  We ended up staying a few hours because they had a live band.  It was so fun and amazing knowing that we didn't need to get home for a babysitter.  (The girls stayed with my in-laws).

 

We got to sleep in yesterday morning!  And just lay in bed.  We were laughing because we honestly don't know the last time that happened.  Normally, when we wake up its because one of the girls is awake so we have to hit the floor running.

 

It was a perfect weekend and I'm so thankful to have been able to spend that time with my husband.  We really, really needed it.  And - I was able to cross off "get a facial" and "have a staycation" from my 101 in 1001 list.

 

It's Monday - which means I link up with Emily from Ember Grey for Grateful Heart Mondays.  Today I am grateful for time to laugh with my friends.  For time with my husband without any distractions.  This birthday will definitely be remembered as one of the best yet - and the actual day has just begun!