Sometimes the Weather Just Doesn't Cooperate...

at least when you live in Michigan it doesn't! I was supposed to have my baby shower yesterday. My sisters and best friend worked so hard planning, decorating, buying food, arranging everything. But you guessed, it the weather interfered. The shower was supposed to be in East Lansing and most people were driving in from the West side of the state. Unfortunately, they got slammed with a winter storm the night before and roads were not safe.

I debated back and forth whether or not we should just try to do the shower with whoever could make it since my due date is so soon. But people were dropping like flies and in the end, I decided it just wasn't worth risking the trip on potentially snowy/icy roads myself.

So we ended up canceling, but unfortunately, my Aunt Beth and Hilary did not get the message and they ended up going to the party. Long story short, Rachael, Sarah, Erin, Beth, and Hilary got to enjoy some shower food and cake. I'm pretty bummed that I wasn't at my own shower!!

Beth & Hilary

Me on the left, Gil on the right, baby in the middle!

Erin & Sar enjoying some shower treats

Beth and Hilary were so nice. On their way home, they dropped off some shower gifts that had been shipped ahead of time, so I got to open some gifts after all.

Gil felt really bad that the shower got canceled, so he came home from work with some gelato (what a great husb!) and took me out to dinner. Afterwards, we opened the gifts together. In the end, it ended up being a fun day...even though I would've much preferred to have spent it with all my friends and family if the weather had allowed!!

They made me an adorable scrapbook for future pictures

The adorable diaper cake Sarah made

On the flip side, we have now had four days total off from school because of weather. So, you win some you lose some. Snow days are definitely a win, in my book!

This mama to be has enjoyed those extra days off for resting! We're already at week 35! Not much longer to go!

This polar vortex is supposed to continue this week...wonder if we'll have anymore days off??!!?!

Crazy Michigan and Some Nursery Updates

We have been having some crazy weather here in Michigan the past week or so. We were due to come back from Winter break on  Monday, but we ended up with three snow days in a row! It was amazing! So today was my first day back to school...quite strange to start the week on a Thursday.

Over break, Gil was a champ, working on the nursery SOO much {after battling strep and a bad fever-poor guy!}.

When we first saw this house, we loved the spaciousness of the rooms but knew we had a lot of decor-updating ahead of us. This is how the nursery room looked when the previous owners were living here:

Not cute, right!? I will be honest, I haven't helped one ounce to actually prepare this room for our little guy. Gil gets all the credit. So far, he has taken down the lovely heart border, done some wall repair, painted the ceiling, primed and painted the trim, painted the walls, installed new outlet and light switch covers, and changed out the old registers for new ones. He also put together the crib, changing table, and dresser! I'm exhausted just writing all of that. He's one hard worker.

We still have a lot to do in the nursery, but it's definitely coming along.

 It's hard to tell the color of the walls from my iPhone pictures, but they are a light aqua. We are using aqua, gray, and yellow for the colors in the nursery. Kinda like this:

{source}

I bought this wall art from Etsy, which I'm waiting on any day now:

YassisPlace on Etsy

I also think I want to get this rug (although I haven't seen it in person yet) from IKEA. It was out of stock when we went last time...thumbs down. It looks a little brighter than it's showing up in the picture below. Even if we don't get this particular rug, we will get some kind of yellow rug for a pop of color on the floor.

Ikea Stockholm Rug

It will be fun to see how it all comes together. On a related note, we joined Amazon Mom  and have started to stock up on a few things. We got a shipment of newborn diapers the other day and they are ADORABLE. So teensy tiny.

Last but not least, I started working out again over break and am keeping track of my workouts (however minor) on a calendar on the fridge. Here's the bump & I on the treadmill. Getting big!

Pleasant Surprise!

It's another snow day! I did not think this was going to happen. Yesterday during dismissal at school, it was pouring rain. By the time I left, it had turned to a slippery sleet. I headed to the library and by the time I got home, the snow was starting to come down hard. I woke up around 3 am to let Laila outside and the snow had stopped. I was pretty bummed and got mentally prepared to be at school today.

But alas, school was called off and I am one happy girl! Yesterday when I prayed for a snow day (haha true story), I promised that I would work on school things all day if we got a snow day. So now I feel I should keep that promise and get some school things done from home. Mostly my math block has been driving me crazy, so I'm going to try to think of some ways to improve it. I also agreed to teach morning school 3 mornings a week, starting next week, which I should probably get prepared for.


Other than that, I will be running...the Riverbank Run training schedule has officially begun! I'm going to run the 10k in May.

Here are a few instagram pictures from the weekend and Monday:

Laila got groomed 

Veggie enchiladas for dinner this week

New chair pockets from Donors Choose!

Have a great week everyone!

From 80 to 20...

I am currently enjoying the last day of my week long mid-winter break from school right now. I went to Florida with a couple of friends for a few days and let's just say the adjustment back to Michigan weather has not been easy.

We did not have great weather for the first couple of days in Fort Myers. As Gil likes to point out, it was 50 there and it was 50 here at the same time. But here's the difference between Michigan and Florida, after a couple of 50 degree days there, it then became 82. Florida win.

The weather turned nice just in time to make it very hard to want to return home. We got a perfect beach day and half a pool day in before flying back to the arctic tundra.

If it was not mid-winter break, I think we would've had a snow day today. I was planning to drop Laila off to get groomed and then go into school for a couple of hours to get some things done. But the roads were not great, so I ended up coming back home. I just shoveled the sidewalk and it was almost covered again by the time I was done. On Michigan's behalf, I do have to say it would be hard to live somewhere like Florida without the possibility of snow days. They really are the best unexpected surprises.

Since I'm snowed in today, I guess I will tackle my suitcase, which has been sitting untouched since I got home on Wednesday. I will think fondly of palm trees and sunshine while I get some major laundry and house cleaning done.

Put a White Crayon on Your Windowsill...

That was the announcement that was made over the speakers on Thursday as the kids went home from school. Teachers are very superstitious about their snow days haha. I have also heard of people wearing their pajamas inside out, flushing ice cubes down the toilet and doing the snow dance. I'm the opposite, I do NOTHING because I feel like it will jinx our chances. But anyways, we got our snow day yesterday and it was magnificent!

The snow kept falling for a couple of hours after I got up on Friday and it was so pretty. Laila had a great time getting snow covered outside.

 I wasn't super productive yesterday, to be honest, but that's the nice thing about snow days, there's no expectation of productivity! I did force myself onto the treadmill for a quick 20 minute run. Now I just have to keep that going!

Now I'm off to enjoy my weekend...love extra long weekends! Thank you, snow!!!

Sidenote: On Thursday, one of my first graders told me she thinks I'm really young for my age...it just kinda cracked me up & I didn't want to forget. :)

Ups & Downs

I feel like the minute I post about being enthusiastic about working out, the next minute I hit a bad streak! I have only done physical activity once in February so far and it was a one mile walk with the dog. Lame! I have just not felt into it though. I think the fact that it is dark when I leave work is starting get to me. I left today and it was so sunny outside and my mood lifted right away! Anyways, I need to get back on the workout wagon!

On another note, my friend Tina and I went downtown to MGM casino this weekend for a girl's night out. It ended up being a bit of a flop, but we had fun anyway, in a this-night-was-a-bit-of-a-disaster-but-we're-going-to-try-to-have-fun-anyways kind of way! Haha. On the upside, it was fun to get dressed up for a night out. I got this new shirt from Express and it was on clearance for $19. Score!

Tonight I was watching a movie and heard some bumps and thuds coming from somewhere in the house. I went exploring and found Laila in the bathtub. She does this from time to time. Kinda cracks me up.

Also, I guess there is a snow storm coming Thursday night? I will not get my hopes up. But it would be welcomed by me. Just sayin'!

Quick Traverse City Trip!

 Last weekend, Gil and I headed up north to Traverse City with our friends, Jon & Tina. We got up there super late on Friday and headed to a cute little place called Brew for some martinis. On Saturday, we headed to the Leelanau Peninsula for some wine tasting.

We made a quick, impromptu stop by Sleeping Bear Dunes. It was windy and cold and rained on and off all day. But still so beautiful, of course!

We were gonna stop by the Cheese Shanty in Leland for lunch, but didn't really think about where we'd eat our sandwiches. Way too cold and rainy to eat outside! We ended up eating in Glen Arbor instead.

Leland

Raining across the lake

Tina making the trek in heels...haha trooper!

 Sunday we watched the Lions lose in overtime at the Jolly pumpkin on Old Mission Peninsula. We also hit two of the wineries beforehand, 2 Lads and Chateau Chantal. Love 2 Lads, one of my favorite views! We drove back home after the game was done.

And when we got home, there was some produce waiting to be picked in the garden! Fun, quick weekend! Oh, how I love Northern Michigan!!