Weekend Recap

Ok - this is big. It's Sunday night, I'm level 11 tired, (it is only 7:30pm, but I'm weak), I'm already in bed, and I just had Joel bring up my computer so that I could actually get a weekend recap post up before 8am tomorrow morning! Making progress over here!!

I had a fantastic weekend - and I hope you did too. 

Friday night, we had book club at my neighbors house. Luckily, I was able to walk, because that night we got like 7 inches of snow. It was the perfect night to sit inside with a bunch of girlfriends, snacks, and red wine. 

I totally goofed up on taking any pictures of our night - I was too busy chatting and bringing my wine glass to my lips - but it was a really fun time. We had read When Life Gives You Lululemons which was a fun book to discuss with a bunch of suburban moms. 

Saturday morning, my mom and I took the train into the city to meet my sisters for a belated birthday celebration for my mom. 

We started the day off at Nordstrom, and shockingly, I found an amazing bathing suit, and we couldn't help but splurge on suits for the kids too for our upcoming trip.

After a little shopping, we headed to the Peninsula for High Tea. 

The Peninsula hotel in Chicago is one of my all time favorites - and their high tea is truly delightful.

We enjoyed our tea, snacks, champagne, talked, watched the snow fall....It was lovely.

 

 

We took our buzz over to Zara for a little more shopping and then found ourselves at Mastro's for a martini in their bar (which I love). 

After a drink, we went back to my sisters for a few minutes and then headed to Coast Sushi in Bucktown for dinner. 

We had a perfect light dinner, and my mom and I headed to my cousins house before we crawled into bed at 10! It was perfect! 

Sunday morning, my sister Hannah, cousin Amanda, and my girlfriend Mary (Hiiiiii!!!), met up for a sculpt class at CorePower. We got our butts handed to us, but it's one of my all time favorite workouts and I always try to fit it in when I'm in the city.

After quick showers, we prepped for brunch at Amanda's. Joel and the kids drove into the city and my girlfriend Sara and her fam came over too.

It was perfect. The kids played, ate, hung out, and then we loaded up the car by 1:30 and were home by 2:30.

My parents took Leo to their house for a few hours so that we could get our fussy little Drew home for a nap - and then we met over there for Sunday night dinner. We had a great, healthy dinner and got everyone home, cozy in bed, early - just the way I like it! 

Spring in our Step

 

For the last four or so months, we have had a darling babysitter come over on Thursday's to babysit Leo. In the beginning the time had been for someone else to run and play with Leo - especially in the winter months - and it's a great chance for me to run errands without both kids. With Drew getting older, I want the sitter to be able to handle both kids so we are easing her into that. This Thursday, she spent the afternoon with just Drew, so Leo, Joel and I went out for a special date.

 

We started the afternoon with a strawberry ice cream that no joke took Leo about 40 minutes to finish. He savored every last bite.

Then we walked down to watch all of the commuter trains come into the station, and then finally decided to order dinner at Duke's and grab a beer while we waited. 

It was such a treat - for all of us really. 

The whole weekend was pretty low key - because we had one major goal: stain the deck.

Friday night, I cooked my favorite CrockPot Cashew Chicken, and we ended up watching 27 Dresses.

Saturday, we all went for a long run (I'm up to about 3.5 miles), and then spent the rest of the day staining the deck. Thankfully we had Joel's dad to help us out, because it was such tedious work. Between the three of us, it took 6 hours on Saturday and 5 on Sunday, but we're done and it looks GREAT! 

 I've got a new couch and table ready, am on the prowl for a new rug, and we can't wait to start using it! 

After our work on Sunday, we met up with my parents at the country club, had a glass of wine outside, and then had a great dinner together. Now that Drew is getting a little older, it's actually pretty fun to have her up and about and joining us at dinner. 

 

 

 

Monday was my sister Hannah's birthday, so my mom and I took the kids downtown to take Hannah out to lunch.

We stopped at the hotel where she is the events director - The Robey - and spent an hour visiting with her co-workers and taking pictures.

 

We had a perfect lunch outside at Big Star - the perfect spot to celebrate a birthday and an 80 degree Monday! 

 

After lunch we burned some energy at the park, took a walk and then headed home. 

It's been lovely around these parts with the arrival of spring and we are just LOVING it.

Weekend Report

 I think this might be my first weekend report on a Monday in like 3 months!! I'm blaming SnapChat for my lack of picture taking lately, but I'm really trying to get better so we'll see if I can keep this up.

Leo and I spent Friday with family in Park Ridge, and by the time we got back we were both pretty zonked from the day. We ended up pulling out a freezer dinner that I had made a few months ago (Natalie's Meatballs which freeze really well), popped Leo in a bath, I read a magazine, we watched the cubs game and called it a night. 

We started Saturday morning with haircuts for Joel and Leo. Leo's hair is literally the cutest thing ever, but was starting to get a touch out of control, so he was due for a little trim. 

Giving his hair stylist "knuckles" after a job well done

Thankfully the hair cut seemed to increase the amount of curls, so I'm still a happy camper!  

While Joel  got busy on house stuff, Leo and I took a walk with my mom. Joel and his dad hung a flag pole in the front of the house and a really cool wooden star on the back of our house on the brick fire place.

I found that wooden star years before we even lived in Crystal Lake. A house on the lake had two of them and had them sitting out by their garbage cans when I was out for a run, and called my mom to bring her car to come help me snag them. I had been saving them in my mom's garage since then, and finally have it hanging up in the perfect spot.

Joel also managed to switch out our dining room light fixture.

I bought this chandelier on Prime Day, and really like the simplictity of it. For whatever reason, one of the drum shades is not sitting straight, so I need to fix that (and put in light bulbs) but overall I'm really happy with the switch. 

We walked to our neighbors house around happy hour to meet their precious new baby girl, and then I left Joel and Leo to have sushi with my parents at Kyoto (which was SO good). 

Sunday morning I drove into the city to have brunch with my girlfriend Sara to celebrate her birthday.

We had breakfast at Trench in Bucktown and while our breakfast was good....I don't think I would go back anytime soon. My dish was so rich, over sauced, and the menu didn't really excited me at all. Plus, they don't make latte's which immediately annoyed me (if I'm being honest). 

When I got home, Joel and I snuck away for an hour to take the paddle boards out on the water.

It was a little windy, so we got in a half decent workout, but I'm really enjoying paddling. I love being on the water and feel so relaxed when we are out there. It's been a really fun activity for Joel and I to go do on Sunday afternoons. 

Afterwards, we went back to my parents for a really good Sunday night dinner, and then got home and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

It was a really perfect at home, summer weekend (even though I've started to get excited about fall!) 

A Perfect Summer Weekend

Friday morning Joel had a meeting a little later in the morning, so he got to hang around with us a bit later than usual in the morning. We decided to take our coffee outside and let Leo play, but Leo and Roscoe decided they would prefer to get a few extra cuddles with dad instead.

 

This whole weekend we had just the perfect summer weather. We decided to take Leo over to the pool for lunch and then a little dip in the water. 

He is an absolute wild man in the water. Thankfully he'll hang out in his little floatie for a good 20ish minutes, but then he just wants to swim....which he doesn't know how to. 

I did get the puddle jumper later that afternoon, so we're going to see if he likes a little more independence with that thing on later this week.

Friday night, Joel got home from his meeting a little late, we ended up having breakfast for dinner, watched the cubs game and went to bed pretty early.

Saturday morning I drove into the city to celebrate my cousin Amanda's birthday. I stopped off at my girlfriend Sara's for an hour to visit, and then we went to Parlor in Wicker Park for an awesome brunch. 

 

That afternoon, Amanda drove back to CL with me to spend the night. We took happy hour out to the boat with my parents and Leo which was our first time getting out onto the water this season and it was perfect. 

If you can see right past those boats in the dock, that is my parents house that is in the process of being built. 

 

While Amanda and I were gone at brunch, Joel was busy prepping an absolutely perfect dinner for all of us. A seafood pasta (Thanks Annie!), a perfect salad, bread and a great bottle of Melville Pinot Noir.  

We timed dinner for about 8pm so that Leo was already asleep and so that Joel and I could actually enjoy some adult time - and it was such a fun dinner. 

We had a bon fire afterwards, drank by the fire and roasted smores and then Amanda and I left the boy to their own devices a little before midnight. 

Sunday morning we were all feeling a little sluggish, but eventually rallied. Mainly thanks to another glorious hot day and a Leo that doesn't tire.

Amanda and Andrew left by 10:30, and then I headed over to a girlfriends sprinkle at 11am. 

 

After her really cute shower filled with bows, tutus, and all things girl.....we relaxed in the afternoon and ended the night with dinner at my parents house. 

 

And I'm including this picture because I just think it's the cutest thing ever. Hope you're having a good week!