Grand Rapids Children's Museum Grown Up Play Date 2016

On Saturday, Brian and I attended the Grand Rapids Children's Museum Grown Up Play Date with our friends George and Deb.  The event was a fundraiser for the Children's Museum and although it was only their second annual event it was well organized and a lot of fun. 

When we arrived we each received three drink tickets (the food and pop were free) and wandered around sampling the food and drinks including lasagna, pizza, ice cream, candy(!) and craft beer and wine.

There were activities available like laser tag, super market sweep, painting and a scavenger hunt to complete throughout the night. 

We created art:

Did some building:

Made some bubbles:

Played super market sweep (which Deb and I won and received the grand prize!!):

And did a few more activities before the night was over:

All in all it was a really fun night and I'm glad we got our tickets before they sold out!

I think we would all be happy to attend this event again in the future only next time we would get in line for laser tag early and I would definitely hit up the gummy bears before they ran out. :)

Happiness Diary #4

Welcome to a new week!

Every day I share:

 

1) A random photo of the day
2) Something I ate that was delicious

3) An event that happened or task I accomplished 

4) Something I was grateful for or that made me happy

Saturday (2/6/16)

1) Photo: It was a great day at the dog park, Zuzu had lots of friends to play with although she got so dirty she needed to be rolled up in a towel for the ride home and then rinsed off in the shower.
2) My favorite things to eat today were chips and guacamole from Qdoba. By far. :)

3) Brian and I went out to breakfast after I got home from work. We had a jolly time and had a lot of important things to talk about.
4) I'm grateful for having the next eight days off work!

Sunday

 

1) Photo: Brian. :) We were waiting to have breakfast with Jamie (bro-in-law) and the kids (at the same place we had breakfast yesterday). Gretchen was doing a long workout at the YMCA while we all stuffed our faces.
2) The Super Bowl is always a good excuse for an hors d'oeuvre night. My favorite was the small spinach and garlic pizza from Digiorno. Brian's cheese dip was pretty delectable as well. 

3) Brian and I went to Lowes to get some paint samples for his office. I'm excited to get a home project started!
4) I am grateful for 40 degree winter days. They make running errands so much more pleasant.

Monday

 

1) Photo: Zuzu got groomed today! Brian doesn't love it (edit: It's since grown on him) but I think the shorter fur will be so much nicer because: no matts! 
2) We had garlic noodles and veggies for dinner, delish!
3) I downloaded Sketchup which is a program where you can create 3D plans of your home to help you decorate/ renovate etc. We will see how useful the free version is. (Edit: not so useful)
4) I am grateful for naps. They are such a luxury. :)

Tuesday

 

1) Photo: Dessert! Mine was Green Tea Tiramisu and Brian's was Korean Coffee Cheesecake. Mine was good, Brian's was kind of dry and odd.
2) I reeallly wanted to get sushi this week and tonight we decided to try out a sushi restaurant we have never been to before. We loved it and will definitely be going back!
3) Thanks to Brené Brown I'm trying to remind myself that people are generally doing the best they can in life.  It gets me out of negative thinking patterns and helps me to not be so easily annoyed.
4) I am grateful for books that help me grow as a person.

Wednesday

 

1) Photo: Chilling at the library. We are such thrill seekers. 
2) I had a veggie pizza from Subway. One of my favorite pizzas ever TBH.

3) I did my laundry (and folded it) today.  Hey it's something.
4) I am grateful for a soft puppy who always wants to sleep in my lap.

Thursday

 

1) Photo: Office progress. We chose the color Foothills by Sherwin Williams but unfortunately the sample was much lighter than the actual paint we are using. (Probably because I wanted wo go with an Olympic no VOC cheaper paint. My bad.) Hopefully it still looks acceptable when we are finished painting.
2) Brian and I had breakfast at his parents house this morning and we had apple fritters, a quiche with hash brown crust and fruit. It was so nice!
3) Zuzu woke me up at 5 am but I tried to make the most of it and did some painting while waiting for Brian to wake up.  It's always nice to get something accomplished early in the morning.
4) I am grateful for people who inspire me. I loved the post Liz Gilbert wrote on her Facebook this morning. Especially the part where she writes "And I believe there no is gentler or safer place to stand on this earth than in a place where you can say to yourself, "I love every bit of you, you beautiful freak."

Friday

 

1) Photo: The current scene behind me. It was practically a blizzard half an hour ago but now it's calmed down a bit and looks quite peaceful out there.
2) My favorite thing to eat today was the pizza that was served when:
3) Brian and I went to an "adult play date" at the Grand Rapids Children's Museum with our friends George and Deb tonight.
4) I am so grateful my horrendous headache went away (with a little Tylenol and lots of water) so I could fully enjoy the evening. More about the event later!
 

Happiness Diary #3

Welcome to another week!
Every day I share:

1) A random photo of the day
2) Something I ate that was delicious

3) An event that happened or task I accomplished 

4) Something I was grateful for or that made me happy
 

 Saturday (1/30/16)

1) Photo: The things I have to watch on Saturday nights. :) MMA is not my thing, luckily I have my phone to distract me.
2) The batch of apples I bought recently (photo in previous diary) have been delicious! Gala apples are sometimes a hit or miss and I'm glad this time they are crispy, flavorful and sweet. 

3) I finished working an entire 40 hour week today without using any PTO. It can be hard not to leave early some days so I'm always happy to have an entire work week under my belt. I need to save PTO for fun things!
4) I am grateful for alone time.  Brian works from home which is great and I love having him around but I do relish having the house to myself sometimes.
 

Sunday

1) Photo: Terrible lighting but this is the painting I am currently working on. I love being creative but I am not very talented so I usually stick with abstract art.
2) I loved eating my crockpot cashew chicken with veggies tonight, not really because it tasted the greatest but because:

3) Making a new recipe always feels like an accomplishment.

4) I am grateful for working my last weekend at the hospital. My weekends from now on will be at an office closer to where I live and I will be working alone. I'm looking forward to being on my own though I'm sure there will be a few disadvantages!

Monday

1) Photo: I am currently reading Daring Greatly by Brené Brown and I love this page. 

2) I ate a ton of candy today which was super delicious but also made me feel tired and achy. Never again!  (Yeah, right.)

3) I organized our pantry and went on a walk with Brian and Zuzu and that was pretty much the extent of my productivity today.
4) I am grateful for lazy days and try not to take them for granted or feel guilty about them.  

Tuesday

1) Photo: Getting ready for the day! I can't remember the last time I woke up and it was somewhat light outside. I woke up at 525 so it was super dark. 

2) My green tea (with loads of honey) was the best. 

3) I trained a student today. I don't love training but the more experience the better and I'm always happy and feel accomplished when the day is over.
4) I am grateful for sunny winter days. They are so beautiful and welcome. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday

 

1) Photo: Brian was under the weather today and had to take half the day off work. :( Luckily he was still able to entertain Z. 
2) I had a cookie at work today, I just couldn't resist and I loved every bite.  :)

3) I got home from work early and got in a workout, folded laundry and tidied up the house. It's always a nice feeling to have everything in order.
4) I am grateful for having lots of energy for my workout today. Sometimes I start working out but call it quits after a few minutes because I'm just not feeling it, but today was not one of those days! 

 

 

Thursday

 

1) Photo: The bean soup I made for dinner.  It was very good except for the pieces of ham which I've been trying to remove because they turned dark brown and taste kind of nasty.
2) A pathologist at work bought everyone pizza today and it seriously hit the spot. Could have eaten four slices instead of my two but wanted to save enough for everyone else. :)
3) I feel like I haven't accomplished much today but at least I hit 10,000 steps on my Fitbit which doesn't happen as much as it should!
4) I am grateful for sleep. One of my true loves. 

Friday

 

1) Here are some of the temptations available at work every so often. I'd say I partake in a treat about 50% of the time.  

2) Chobani Chocolate Haze Craze yogurt is so good it's like a dessert. I ate one at break today, yumm.
3) Brian and I haven't been grocery shopping in quite a while and since he was feeling better we decided to hit up Costco tonight. I love having food in our house!
4) I'm so happy it's Friday!!! I do have to work tomorrow but only for a few hours in the morning and then vacation can start! 

 

 

Mail goodies: Sephora

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I was pretty excited to receive my package from Sephora about a week ago. It's been quite a while since I have bought anything from Sephora. I used to be obsessed with makeup and would frequently buy new products but lately I've been trying to cut back on my purchases and use and keep only the things I love. This Sephora spree (well, I only bought two items) was a Christmas gift from Brian. I usually get some kind of shopping experience for holidays or birthdays which I love because it's a great excuse to buy something I've really been wanting for a while.

It's always nice to shop in store at Sephora and try out products before buying them, but shopping on their website is also fun because you get free samples and can usually find codes for extra goodies. I received a load of samples with my Sephora order:

 

I also received a deluxe sample of bareMinerals Skinlongevity serum (which I bought with 100 of my Sephora reward points) along with my main purchases:

 

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade

I used it before I took pics! I'm so not a beauty blogger.

 

I have used Anastasia brow powders for a long time and liked them but I wanted to try something new and more long lasting. It took me a long time to decide which shade to buy because I wasn't sure if I should get the Ebony shade which is slightly more brown or Granite, which is a true black. I know the rule is if your eyebrows are dark you should go a couple of shades lighter, so I chose Ebony but with reservations! 

 

First impressions after a few days of use: While the Ebony is definitely warmer toned and lighter than my eyebrows, it looks okay if I blend it through my entire brow because it somewhat matches my hair which has some brown tones. If I wanted to draw individual hairs I think I would want the jet black Granite but I really don't have time for that precision every morning so I'm sticking with the Ebony.

Laura Mercier loose setting powder:

I have heard so many great things about this powder and it's been on my wish list for quite a while. I love using a powder to set my foundation (and mattify my bare skin) and help create a smooth canvas for application of my blush or bronzer. I heard this one is also good with controlling oily skin, something I need especially for my t-zone area.

First impressions after a few days of use: I like! The powder is super smooth and doesn't seem to cake in my fine lines. I love using it with a small soft brush for my undereye area but I really need to find a better powder brush for my face, maybe in the next haul!

 

 

 

Happiness Dairy #2

It's week two of my Happiness Diary! Every day I share:

 

1) A random photo of the day
2) Something I ate that was delicious

3) An event that happened or task I accomplished 

4) Something I was grateful for or that made me happy

 

 Saturday (1-23-16)

 

1) Photo: Loving me some FireBalls!
2) Brian and I went to a new restaurant with his parents and I had a salad burger which was basically a salad with a burger on top (no bun). It was interesting and I might have to add it to the dinner rotation. 

3) I am starting a new workout program called 'Ripped with HIIT'. I did the first workout today and it was great, my bum will totally be feeling it tomorrow!
4) I am grateful for the library and I take advantage of my membership on a regular basis (including borrowing the 'Ripped with HIIT' DVDs!).

 

 

Sunday

 



1) Photo: On the way to the park for a winter walk.
2) Brian gave me his baguette from Panera and it was white carby deliciousness.
3) I did some much needed organization on my blog and am feeling a little lot better about it (though it can always be improved!)
4) Today I am grateful for my electric blanket. It's been working overtime today. 

 

Monday

 

1) Photo: I didn't have a great photo in mind and these apples were in front of me so...

2)  I found leftover turkey from Thanksgiving in the freezer and while it didn't taste the best I'm happy I didn't completely forget spit it and let it go to waste. 
3) I completed a new arm workout and just know my arms will be screaming tomorrow. I love sore muscles!
4) I am grateful another Monday is in the books and I'm one day closer to retirement. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday

1) Photo: It was super icy at the dog park today but we still made it out!
2) Brian and I had taco salads for dinner today with lots of lettuce, turkey meat, black beans and avocado. So yum. 

3) I trained a coworker today and it went really well. This made me happy because I always slightly dread training people but afterwards it usually wasn't as bad also was expecting and sometimes is actually fun.
4) I am grateful for yoga and how it makes me feel so relaxed and limber. 

 

 

 

Wednesday

 

1) Photo: It's the birthday girl. :) Zuzu is one year old today! Don't worry she is scheduled to be groomed soon.
2) I've been making cold seeped green tea and sprinkling in some Crystal Light for some sweetness each night so it is ready to drink in the morning. It's an interesting concoction but it tastes good and I'm glad to get some use out of the Crystal Light packets which have been sitting in the cupboards forever. 

3) I went grocery shopping after work to pick up some items for dinner. I realize I need to take charge of food plans and prep because if it were up to Brian we would eat Panera and Qdoba for every meal.
4) I am (reminding myself to be) grateful that Brian is so easy going and "go-with-the-flow" because it means I can pretty much do anything and he doesn't complain. That's good right? 

 

 

 Thursday

 

1) Photo: I taped up some posters in my studio so I'd have something to look at other than a brown wall. Too bad they keep falling down...
2) I've been eating Yoplait Plenti yogurts for breakfast recently and I think I'm beginning to like my yogurt a little lumpy and chewy. (There are oats and seeds and etc. mixed in the yogurt.)
3) I accidentally did the wrong workout in my workout program yesterday but no big deal. (Even though ahh my arms!) I did the right one today so we're back on track.
4) I am grateful today is my Friday and I am very much looking forward to my day off tomorrow!

 
 

Friday

 

1) Photo: It was a beautiful, sunny day today and I walked Zuzu at a nice and forested park and then went to the dog park a few miles away for a double whammy of exercise. Needless to say she's exhausted!
2) I ate Airhead bites today and they are quickly becoming my favorite candy.
3) Brian and I went to the movies to see Star Wars. It was entertaining and I'd watch it at least one more time before I die.
4) I am grateful for sunny winter days. 

 

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