My Five Friday Favorites that begin with the letter “F”

Hey everyone TGIF! I hope you all had a great week. I am celebrating Friday by sharing with you my top 5 Friday favorites that begin with the letter “F”.

FAMILY: I love my family. I have the best parents in the world! They have always been so supportive and loving to my brothers and me. My Dad was a Mechanical Engineer and worked on designing tanks for the military. My Mom is a part time waitress at a delicious Chinese Restaurant and amazing cook! I I have two older brothers name Jeff and Carl. They both work in the education field. If I ever need honest opinions I know I can count on the both of them. I have a wonderful Sister in Law Lindsey who is super creative. She did my whole Bridal Shower which I will share on a future post. I also have the sweetest and cutest niece and nephew. My niece is 5 years old and her name is Mallory. My nephew is 2 and half and his name is Kai. They are the funniest and sweetest kids. Seriously, if I ever have kids I need a clone of them because they are the most well behaved kids. I love being their Aunt Kathy!

 

My Family and I when my Brother Jeff got his PH.D

My Sister in Law Lindsey and I on my Wedding Day

 

I am with Mallory and Kai on my Birthday!

Here they are again as my Flower Girl and Ring Bearer

My Family: My little family includes my wonderful husband Nick and our cat Luigi. Luigi is kind of like a dog and he definitely has a funny personality.

 

Our baby Luigi

Here is Luigi again sun bathing.

FRIENDS: I love my friends! I have a great group of girlfriends that I went to high school and college with. I still see my friends which I think is awesome considering how busy life can get.  I also have some great girlfriends that I have become close with throughout the years that I have met through Nick or from work.

My Friends and I at my Bridal Shower last year.

FOOD: I love to EAT! Right now I am really into Thai food and Mediterranean food. I love spicy food and I love eating meat. Please bring on the steak, pork, chicken, and beef. I enjoy trying new foods and learning about different cultures food. I really enjoy eat carbs too! Bagels and pasta are my favorite. The only thing when it comes to food is I would like to actually cook more meals and expand my cooking skills.  The picture below is some BBQ I had with Nick a few weeks ago. It was so good!

FRUGAL SHOPPING: If you have been following along my blog or just started to read I love buying things on sale. I also love thrift store shopping. One of my favorite things to do is shop the clearance racks at Target and Meijer. I can spend a lot time browsing the clearance racks. When  I shop I always go straight towards the back where the stuff is on sale.

 

You know what I am doing this weekend… Thrifting!!!

FASHION: Lately, I have been really into fashion blogs and looking up different outfits on Pinterest. I am trying to find some new inspiration with my clothes. I really like the whole minimalist wardrobe idea and I also love buying things I can wear multiple ways. I did just buy some really cute Tom Flats. I can’t wait to wear them once it warms up.

These are my Friday Favorites and now you know a little more about me. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and stay warm.

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday Everyone. I hope you had a great weekend! Here is my weekend recap.

Friday: I went to work and after work I headed over to Adrianne’s house for our girls wine and paint night. This was such a fun night and I had such a great experience with Artist Uncorked. The company comes to your house and they guide you on painting a picture. There was plenty of food and wine to go around. Thank you Adrianne for hosting such a fun event!

If you are looking for something reasonably price to do with your friends I highly recommend Artist Uncorked. Anthony is a very talented artist and showed us ladies how to paint a heart tree with flowers. He walks you through step by step on how to paint the picture with using different paint brushes. I loved how detailed he was. If you are not an artist that is okay, Anthony goes at a slow pace and was really helpful if you needed assistance.

This was my 3rd time doing a wine and paint event and I would do it again. I really enjoy crafty things. If you are looking for a fun event with your friends or something to do for a Bachelorette party you can always do one of these paint nights and of course drink some wine!

A preview of my painting

My finished product

Saturday: This day was dedicated to thrifting. My brother Jeff, Nick, and I went to Buddy’s Pizza for lunch and explored some thrift stores.  I ended up buying a stripe t-shirt for 50 cents, a brand new H and M scarf for $3.40, and a really nice handbag.

The purse was originally $8.80 and I had a 50% percent off coupon so I only paid $4.40. I am so excited about this purse because I looked online for this brand and for the same exact same purse it is on sale for $164.00. The Exact Same purse I got thrifting I only paid $4.40! This was by far one of the best things I ever found. The purse was in perfect condition and pretty much brand new. It was clean inside. I love the color of this bag and its shape! I already received so many compliments.

Sunday: My brother Jeff and I went out to lunch. We then hung out with our friends Michelle and her fiancé Nick. We went to some more thrift stores and did some shopping.

I ended my Sunday by getting carry out with my Nick and eating some delicious Mediterranean food. We started watching This Is US. We got through 3 episodes and it is so good. I ended the night watching the Grammy’s. I just have to say Bruno Mars is my favorite performer. He is so talented and totally killed it with his performances.

Well that was my weekend. I hope everyone has a great week! It is only Monday and I already thinking about what to get at my next thrift store run LOL.

Have a good night!

What’s Up Wednesday

Hello Everyone, today I bring to you What’s Up Wednesday!  I saw this on one of the blogs I was following so I thought it would be fun if I tried it.

The first Wednesday of the month I’ll go through and answer these following questions to let you know up whats been going on.Feel free to take this and do it yourself .

 

What I’m Eating: I am eating lots of leftovers this week. I had left over Buffalo Wild Wings and pizza. I am trying to eat more protein.

What I’m Reminiscing About: My wedding. I can’t believe a year ago at this time I was  getting things ready for my Bridal Shower.

What I’m Loving: My essential oils. I have really been experimenting with this oil set Nick got me for Valentine’s Day. There is so much you can do with oils.

What I’ve Been Up To: I go to work M-F. I have been going back to the gym as well.

What I’m Dreading: This cold weather.

What I’ve Been Working On: This blog. I have been trying to get our house in order. I need to fix up my office area.

What I’m Excited About: Going to Destin, FL for our 1 year wedding anniversary.

What I’m Watching/Reading: Lately I have been watching a lot of news. I have no idea why, because my blood pressure rises, but I watch CNN and Fox News. I also watch Fixer Upper and whatever else is on HGTV.

I’m currently reading the Life-Changing Magic: A Journal Spark Joy Every Day

What I’m Wearing: A dress, with black leggings, and boots. This exact outfit I wore to work today. Although, I wasn’t allowed to bring the champagne bottles to work LOL.

What I’m Doing This Weekend: Going to the Thrift store and having lunch with my Brother and Michelle. I also plan on eating lots of food and watching the Super Bowl.

What I’m Looking Forward To This Month: I have a lot to be excited about this month. As I mentioned in my last post I am excited about…

-Nick’s Birthday. We are planning on going out to eat. I know Nick loves seafood so I am sure crab legs will be involved.

-Amanda’s Birthday

-50 Shades Darker

-Wine and Paint night with my friends

What Else Is New: We are going to Chicago in June for a wedding. We are also going to the Smokey Mountains for Labor Day weekend. Let me know if you have any good recommendations for things do in the Smokey Mountain area.

Weekend Recap

I can’t believe it is already the end of January. Here is a quick recap of my last January 2017 weekend.

FRIDAY: I went to work. The day wasn’t bad, but the afternoon did drag a little. After work I came home and freshen up. We headed over to St. Anne’s Catholic School for their Casino Night. If you are you not familiar with casino night it is such a great event. You get to gamble, drink, and eat, all while supporting the school. All the proceeds go towards the school and it was so much fun. I went with some of my girlfriends and their significant others.

SATURDAY: Saturday was Chinese New Year. Happy New Year everyone!! It is the year of the rooster. Nick and I actually cleaned and relaxed in the morning time. Then our friends Amanda and Leo came over with their little girl Adelina. I can’t believe I am saying this, but I got a LITTLE baby fever holding this girl. She is literally the cutest and sweetest baby. I mean she smiled when I said “purses” LOL. We ate pizza and caught up. It is always so good to see your friends and their little ones.

Adelina and I. I love this little girl. She is so cute and sweet!

Later that evening we meet up with our friends and had dinner and drinks at Buffalo Wild Wings to celebrate our friend Michelle’s Birthday. After that we went to do The Great Escape. If you are not familiar with this, it is where you are locked in a room and you try to escape using analytical skills. I always heard positive reviews about The Great Escape so I was so excited to try it. I thought it was so cool because the rooms are all themed. We had a library room and you have to search the whole room and solve random puzzles. If it doesn’t sound fun to you, I still highly recommend you try it because it is a lot of fun! I was a little hesitate to try it before, but it is a different kind of fun. Plus it is something different to do.  See below for the different Great Escapes you can try in the Metro Detroit Area.

http://www.thegreatescaperoom.com/michigan/royal-oak/

http://www.escaperoomnovi.com/

http://www.roombreakout.com/

http://www.a2clue.com/

http://escapetheroom.com/detroit/

http://www.escapeplansmichigan.com/

We celebrated Michelle’s Birthday at The Great Escape in Royal Oak, MI. We didn’t escape, but I would like to think we were close.

SUNDAY: I went to church with my family. Then I went to the thrift store. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything. I celebrated Chinese New Year with my family. We ate a lot of good food and received our lucky money. I really want to go to China one year to celebrate Chinese New Year. This is something on my bucket list.

My Mom and I on Chinese New Year

Chinese Lucky Money. I love these pretty envelopes. It is tradition to give out lucky money on Chinese New Year. The red color of the envelope symbolizes Good Luck.

After lunch I hung out at my Brother Jeff’s for a little bit. I then went to Buffalo Wild Wings again to celebrate my friend John. I can’t believe it has been 6 years since he has passed. He is missed dearly. I also saw my friend Alicia and David and it was so nice to catch up with them.

I ending the weekend by watching the Miss Universe pageant and Boyz II Men performed. Ever since watching their performance I downloaded every Boyz II Men song. I swear the 90’s was the best decade and had the best music!!

This sums up my weekend and I am looking forward to February.

Things I am looking forward to in February…

-Nick’s Birthday

-Amanda’s Birthday

-Valentine’s Day

-50 Shades Darker

-Wine and Paint night with my friends

-Thrift Store shopping. I have my 50 % percent off coupons ready.

 

What are you looking forward to in February?

 

 

 

 

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

This past weekend was a kick off to the holiday festivities for me.

Friday evening I had my work Christmas party at a real nice hall. The food was delicious and I won a $25.00 gift card to a nice seafood restaurant. I can’t wait to try it out.

Saturday night my family and I started a new holiday tradition. We went to an event called Holiday nights at Greenfield Village. If you are not from the Michigan area Greenfield village is a large indoor and outdoor history museum complex. The museum collection contains a lot of historical exhibits such as the Rosa Parks bus, Thomas Edison’s laboratory, and Abraham Lincoln’s chair from Ford’s Theatre. Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford Museum is visited by 1.6 million people each year and is the largest indoor-outdoor museum complex in the United States. Check out their website.  https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/greenfield-village/

https://www.thehenryford.org/current-events/calendar/holiday-nights-in-greenfield-village#pricing

Holiday nights at Greenfield Village is a holiday event I highly recommend, especially if you have little ones. It was quite chilly, but the events were really worth seeing. Some of the activities included writing a letter to Santa, seeing Santa and live reindeer, riding on a horse drawn wagon, listening to carolers, and seeing Model T Cars. Even if you don’t have children Holiday nights is very cool!  I loved seeing what Christmas was like in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. It was neat seeing how people dressed and people carrying lanterns for light. Life seemed so simple back then. The houses were small and stressed so minimal.

My highlight of the night was seeing how happy and excited my niece and nephew were. There was a live Santa announcing all of the kid’s names. I also loved learning how school was back in the day. The schools were in a small room instead of a large building. There was one teacher teaching multiple grades and the kids would rotate in the classroom when it was their time to learn. Another highlight was this new delicious drink I had. Have you ever tried hot chocolate and marshmallow vodka together? Well if not, you should try it. It is AMAZING!!! Lastly, I love the grand finale with fireworks in the sky and carolers singing. I seriously love Christmas music and I love people singing Christmas carols with a wonderful voice. The wagon ride was also another hit. There was a man on the wagon singing and it was really exciting to ride on the back of the wagon listening to the horses feet click on the ground and go faster as you sang Christmas carols. It was a really fun and neat experience.

Are there any fun Christmas events where you live? If so I would love to hear about it.

Happy Holidays everyone and thanks again for taking to time to read my blog. There are only 13 more days till Christmas.  Check out the pictures below from Holidays nights.

My husband Nick standing in front of a Model T car. It was cold!!!

My niece Mallory writing a letter to Santa.

Nick and I standing in front of a Model T car.

Carolers singing a very nice Christmas tune.

My nephew Kai bundled up in his stroller.

Mallory making snow angels.

This was the live Santa. They had people collecting the kids names. The Santa would announce the names of the children. This was a really neat experience.

This is us with our hot chocolate and marshmallow flavored vodka. So delicious please try!

There were trains set up inside. Very neat!

 

My nephew Kai loves trains!!! This was the highlight of his night.

Mallory on the carousel.

The grand finale. This included fireworks, Santa, and live carolers.

My family and I warming up by the fire. They had multiple fires around the village. From left to right- My brother Jeff, my nephew Kai, my brother Carl, Sister in law Lindsey, my husband Nick, me, and my niece Mallory.

Holiday Traditions

Hello Everyone,

Some weeks have gone by since my last post. I apologize, but I have been getting ready for the holidays. As we all know the holidays can be lots of fun, but also stressful. I wanted to share you some of the happy memories I have throughout Thanksgiving to the New Year.

This year the day before Thanksgiving I got really sick. I wasn’t productive at all, but thankfully Nick and I were not hosting Thanksgiving. However, on Thanksgiving morning we were ready to shop till we drop. I know people laugh and think my husband and I are crazy about Black Friday shopping, but there are really good deals and most importantly it is FUN!!! We started at 5:45AM at Meijer. Picked up some TV’s and other little things for the house. Then we headed over to my Brother and Sister in Law’s for Thanksgiving dinner. I love Thanksgiving!!! There is so much to be thankful for. I also love Thanksgiving food. Turkey, mash potatoes, green bean casserole, and stuffing are my favorite!!! After dinner we gather around relax, talk, and gear up for our night time shopping trip. This year we went to Target, Big Lots, Toys R Us, and Wal Mart. We got a lot of things for the kids. It was a long day, but this time of the year only happens once. Plus these deals are unbeatable!!

Friday morning Nick and I went to Menards. This is by far our favorite Black Friday store. We bought so many things for my niece and nephew. We also got a lot of things for the house. If you need toys, dog things, house items, anything Menards have it.

Later on in the weekend we went and saw Nick’s family. We also watched the Michigan and OSU game. Unfortunately, Michigan lost, but it was a really good game. Nick and I finished the weekend decorating the house for the holidays. It is a lot of work, but I love the way our house feels and looks with all the Christmas decorations.

What are some of your holiday traditions?

Check out the pictures below from my Thanksgiving holiday.