A Weekend to Me

It's Sunday (boo!!)

This weekend was so simple but so needed.  I need my alone time. I am not one that needs to have a full schedule to feel content and last month was just too much for me.

Friday was spent walking the trails of our neighborhood dog park. I am trying to move more whether its fitting in neighborhood walks with my aunt, walking during lunch with friends or taking Baci for way more walks than usual. 

I woke up Saturday and had decided that I would do as I please this weekend. No pressure. No time constraints. I wanted to see where the day took me.  

It started off with my husband and I foraging through our poorly maintained garden and picking oodles of tomatoes. Needless to say sauce will be made this week. I also quickly meal planned and planned my week ahead. I absolutely adore my Happy Planner. 

Happy Planner

I wound up stopping off at Naperville's Farmers Market prior to my 9 am appointments. It was my first time, and I loved it.  It was full of flowers, veggies and fruits rather than miscellaneous stands with a few fruit/veggie stands strewn in between.  I will definitely be returning.

My chiropractor and acupuncture appointments were divine - per the usual. I always feel ridiculously relaxed after acupuncture on Saturday mornings.  Even more relaxed than my weekday appointments.  

I decided to do some grocery shopping at Whole Foods and a neighborhood produce store because I am officially obsessed with Lemon Drop Melon. I took my time and didn't rush. I perused the aisles picking up much more than I needed, but this my friends is enjoyment for me.  Judge away. 

I stopped back at home to retrieve my IVF meds from our doorstep because (HOLY ANXIETY that is a lot of money on our doorstep) and take Baci for a long walk around the neighborhood.  

I then felt the need for some retail therapy and visited the Promenade where I picked up a couple of items from Macy's and a few of the book recommendations I had received on Instagram (Divergent, Still Missing, The Husband's Secret and Crazy Rich Asians). I was bummed none of the memoirs that were recommended were available, but its probably best I get through these first. 

I went back home just in time to make dinner (tacos, of course!) and my first try at homemade pickles. 

I slept in on Sunday morning, well later than usual (7:30 am). Thank you acupuncture! We decided a morning trip to Target was in order where we filled our cart with nonsense and sipped on Starbucks (my weekly tall iced coffee with coconut milk).

Followed up Target with a trip to Downtown Naperville.  It was the perfect time and day - early and not so perfect weather.  The crowds were minimal.  We stopped by Snap Kitchen.  The place is ridiculously awesome, but a bit pricey.  I absolutely love the concept (fresh, healthy takeaway) and hope to try more of their goodness out soon.  This time I picked up two soups.  The soups were priced reasonably when compared to a can of Amy's and look much more appetizing. 

Butternut Squash Soup & Spicy Coconut Chicken Soup 

Sunday has been spent doing laundry and tending to a broken freezer (yes, again!)  I am currently waiting for G to come home, as we have dinner plans at a local tried and true restaurant. 

Relaxed and revived for Monday which happens to be my first day of stims. 

Goodbye July

July can be summed up as BUSY, but then again what summer month is not busy? I can hardly believe its over, it really feels like it just began. 

We started the month with a very laid back 4th of July. We went out for a nice al fresco dinner and caught some fireworks on an evening bike ride. The mosquitoes were out of control and it was much more difficult for them to munch on us if we were on the move. 
 

The theme of July was weddings - we attended three including my younger brothers. I must say they were all delightful and full of love; wonderful food, company and venues. However, I am welcoming a break from the high heels and full face of makeup. 
  

Cafe Brauer

I also witnessed this little ladies adoption.

Barbara Mae AKA Babs

I have never rescued a dog and the experience left my eyes welled up with tears. I had been following Babs through Tiffany since she was rescued from a puppy mill.  Babs has had a rough life, and she is only believed to be about 2 1/2.  You can read more about Babs here. Babs will always have a special place in my heart. Love you Babs!

Our garden is in full swing. Although, I must say its a bit less kept than last year. We have already received a bounty of peppers (green and yellow), yellow squash, green zucchini and a couple of tomato varieties. The ridiculous start-up cost from last year is paying off. As always, zucchini recipes needed! Look at this perfect little eggplant! It was delicious grilled up and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

We ended July with a trip to Michigan.  It was just what our busy July needed, a relaxing ending.  We stayed at my husband's Aunt and Uncle's cottage on the lake with my sister-in-law, brother-in-law and nephew. The weekend was full of catching up, fishing (for the guys), a day trip to Saugatuck and relaxing "off the grid." I will post more about how much I appreciated this "off the grid" getaway in a separate blog post. It was just what both of us needed.

South Haven, Michigan

 

A Free Weekend

This is the first weekend in quite some time where there were no plans, and I had a Saturday evening to myself (Yay! Guys Night Out!) It's been crazy over here with the holidays. I am still finding Christmas miscellaneous that I forgot to pack away and still have gifts that need to be put away. It happens. 

Friday night we decided to see American Sniper, because isn't that what everyone is doing? We never go to the movies. It was the 3rd movie G and I have seen together in the almost six years that we have been together. It was hilarious to see how many other people never go to the movies but made the trek out for this particular movie.  "Wow that popcorn is huge -- who could get a refill on that?" "Assigned seating by picking your seats on an i-pad!" "RECLINERS"  The movie was fantastic in case you still had doubts. 

Saturday morning was spent deep cleaning the kitchen and attempting to organize all of the things and in the end not organizing much of anything. Ultimately, I need to make a list and slowly take the time to organize one room at a time. It would also help to enlist someone to come over and direct me with a whip. I wish I could be the type to just throw things in boxes, stick in the attic and forget about them.  I am not that person. I feel everything has a spot.  A tad OCD? Perhaps. G replaced all of the lighting in our house over the last week, so its been even more chaos than the usual.  The lighting is beautiful. I absolutely adore how he is always willing to learn something that he has never done before.  He makes it happen.  So my house is full of beautiful lighting fixtures, but in a bit more disarray than usual.  Gotta learn to roll with the punches. 

Saturday afternoon was spent with my Aunt gathering fruits and vegetables for green smoothies throughout the week. It's not a secret. I despise vegetables and as of lately I am attempting to hide them in anything and everything, so smoothies are a perfect addition to my mission of "HIDING ALL OF THE VEGETABLES". Luckily my nephew is a super picky eater and my sister-in-law has taught me lots of tips with my favorite being egg cups stuffed with cheese, peas, spinach or any other hard to stomach vegetables.  Whatever works!

G had plans with his friends, and I decided to just do nothing Saturday evening. I grabbed a sandwich and watched bad TV cuddled up with Baci. G then woke me up at about 1 am with a Sprinkles Cupcake from the Cupcake ATM machine.  What a guy!

I ate the cupcake early this morning, and quickly remembered a Sprinkles Red Velvet cupcake doesn't necessarily follow the clean eating mission that I am back on. The end of 2014 included a cruise, lots of amazing holiday food and tons of cookies.  The scale doesn't lie.  So, I ate the cupcake and dusted myself off in preparation for all of the green smoothies I will be consuming this week.  

I made a delicious smoothie for lunch which consisted of:

1 cup fresh organic spinach

2 kiwis 

1 organic gala apple

1/2 cup coconut water

Ice

Not bad, not bad at all.  I followed that up with some online Yoga.  

It's been a good weekend, and a "feel good" Sunday in time for a full week ahead.