Family Photos: The Weekend Blizzard of 2015…

This weekend was spent in a blurry haze of Web surfing, TV binge-watching and eating one too many fun-size Snickers (why must those little things pack such big flavor???), and, well, I couldn’t have been happier! We finally got the elusive snow I’ve been wishing for all winter long — all 16 glorious inches of it…

Look, our little Snowman decoration is almost buried and our patio? Oh, it’s just overrun with snow mountains, as I call them. And outside the bedroom winter? Just a massive snow drift. You know, #NBD…

The view from my desk…

My mom was as happy as a kid over her snow day…

…and of course, Harry slept through the whole adventure!

Did you get hit with this round of winter weather, friends? Here’s hoping you’re able to enjoy it. Just make sure you don’t forget your snow shoes! xoxo

Family Photos: Fun times in the winter

On this most relaxed of holiday afternoons, I thought it would be fun to share some recent “life snaps,” as I’ve come to call them. Observation: If you live in the Midwest, those “life snaps” most likely take place indoors. Need proof? Check out the temperature from a couple weeks ago and the morning shot my mom took one recent morning…

Two best friends warming up together on a cold night…

Harry stepped on my phone and opened Instagram. I think he was trying to tell me that he wanted his picture taken. This is his guilty face, apparently. 🙂

We’ve been playing lots of games as usual, and — SHOCKING!! — I’ve actually won Bananagrams once or twice!

We also went old-school this weekend and played Candy Land one last time before donating it…. let’s goooooo!!! #ChildhoodMemories

What have you been up to lately, friends? Take any “life snaps” that you love? xoxo

Tip: 10 ways to enjoy a snow day as an adult

Remember when you were a kid and you’d sit around the radio or TV during a blizzard? You’d cross fingers and wish with all your might for a snow day. And then the big announcement would finally come.

No school for you! You’ve got the day off — a lovely unexpected treat — and you’ve got absolutely nothing planned. The whole day stretches before you with visions of wild abandon coming clearer into focus.

The real world (read: adulthood), though, rarely offers those sorts of surprises. We’re so used to having every single minute of our day planned out, plotted and strategized that we’re sometimes rendered helpless when an unplanned day off does present itself. We may even be left speechless. What are we to do? How shall we pass the time? We have to be productive, don’t we? We have to be responsible, right? That would certainly be the most logical thing to do.

Well, if you ask me, snow days aren’t meant to be logical. And I suppose I should know. My mom’s been home for the last two days, on account of the winter weather barreling through the Midwest, and truth be told, it’s been sort of fun living vicariously through her. It’s taken me back to my elementary school days of fun times at home watching the snow fall outside my window and listening to the fierce wind howling at night. Plus, I realized something: You can have fun on a snow day. At. Any. Age. Based on my own scientific research (wink..wink) over the last few days, here are 10 ways to enjoy the day off as an adult…

1. Bake something warm and winter-appropriate, like cookies or chili — and then cozy up by the fire in the evening to enjoy it!


2. Binge-watch TONS of shows on your Netflix queue — we’ve been binge-watching The Big Bang Theory and catching up on Downton Abbey.


3. Rock out to some ’70s rock on Pandora and smile right back if you spot the neighbors giving you a strange look.


4. Play a competitive game of Yahtzee — remember, take NO prisoners!


5. Slum it in your favorite oversized sweater and comfy socks — in desperate times, warmth trumps style, remember?


6. Take picture of the Arctic Tundra outside — we did this last year, and it’s fun to have photographic proof of your adventures!


7. Do some retail damage — online, obviously, since you’re practically trapped by Mother Nature!


8. Take a cat nap — Harry and Stella have mastered it, so I’m taking my cue from them.


9. Read that stack of magazines on the coffee table — that counts as cleaning, doesn’t it?


10. Spend the afternoon chatting with an old friend, just like you did in high school.

What would you add to the list, friends? When was the last time you had a “snow day”? Go ahead and take one the next time the weather gets bad. I dare you — after all, you certainly deserve it! xoxo

P.S. 5 essentials of the perfect staycation and 10 upsides of the common cold. 🙂

[Photos via We Heart It]

What’s your “keyword” for 2015…?

Truth time: I’ve never had a very good track record when it comes to making — and keeping! — New Year’s resolutions. Over the last couple decades or so, my resolutions have looked something like this…

* In 1996, my 15-year-old self vowed to get more exercise. I was bright-eyed and determined. I was set to tool around in my house every morning on my walker.


*In 1997, I vowed to become Ms. Social. I thought that with a little bit of work, I could morph into the outgoing person I wanted to be. With a little smile and a friendly hello to everyone I passed in those hallowed high school halls, I stood by and waited for the magic wand of change to swoop down and grant my wish.


*In 2000 and 2001, I resolved to tell Crush Boy how I felt about him. And it wasn’t just to say, “Hey, I like your shirt,” although he did have this one shirt that made his cute blue eyes sparkle. Yes, this was the real thing. True Love. I was sure of it, apparently, and I couldn’t live another day without telling him. He had no idea how I felt, but things would be different by the end of the school year. The year rolled by, and I continued to turn into a blubbering idiot every time he came my way. So I didn’t say anything. And I didn’t say anything. And I didn’t say anything, still, until 2009, when So About What I Said sort of, well, did all the talking for me.

These resolutions aren’t exactly the stuff self-help books are made of, are they? And then, maybe by some sort of divine magic, I began seeing a trend on Facebook last week. Instead of making resolutions that you’ll forget as soon as the last of the Christmas ornaments are packed away for the year, people were choosing a “special keyword” for the year. It could be “organization,” like the word my mom chose. It could be “simplify,” if you’re looking to pare down your life and get back to basics. Or, it could be “calm,” if you want to add more quiet moments to your day and eliminate unnecessary stress.

The key here (no pun intended…) is to choose a word that will give you inspiration all year long — one that will guide you in how you make changes and how you live your life for the next 365 days. There has to be something that will truly benefit your life. Think outside the box and work hard to find what it is. Giving a voice to your keyword is the first step of the journey. The journey is magical, and maybe your life isn’t in need of the vast makeover you’ve artfully devised. I once thought that New Year’s resolutions are our feeble attempts to rewrite the past. In 2015, I see them as simply a good way to write your future and have a say in how your life turns out. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past. This can be your year. I challenge you to look at this year as a blank book. The fresh, crisp pages are white as snow, not yet littered with ink. They’re just waiting for you to begin the story and the journey. You’re in charge of writing the book of your life. Don’t you want it to have a happy ending?

So, friends, what’s your keyword for the year? Is it similar to last year’s? How will you work on the keyword throughout the year? Let’s get inspired, shall we? xoxo


P.S. See my keyword in the comments! 🙂

[Photos via We Heart It]