Posted in Uncategorized

My new goal = Monthly day dates!

Ok so maybe this isn’t something that needs to be a goal. But after the good day that we had yesterday, I definitely think that I need more. I have had issues lately with my work schedule and my weekly commitments. Its been tough to find rest time and get everything done. And with boyfriend off on weekends and me working on weekends we don’t get much time.

Boyfriend has perks with his credit card and that includes a perk for show tickets. We wanted to check out the Wizard of Oz at the Sphere (we live in Vegas). It just so happened that he was off for MLK day and there was a showing we could book. Things came together. And since we had the day, we got to take advantage of it.

Morning was started with pickup up my nephew so Grandma and Grandpa could watch him for the day. But breakfast first. We all got to meet and try a new breakfast spot. Asher got a pancake the size of grandpa’s head and we ordered Holey Donuts for the table. The food was good but it was also the first time that boyfriend and I spent some just us time with my parents. Not going to lie, I was a little nervous but it did make me all warm and fuzzy.

We had a little time between breakfast and heading out so we hit a few stores and did a few projects around his house. I love feeling needed and truly do not mind lending a hand. He is super cute with his to do list and just watching his brain run through things some times just makes me smile 🙂

Getting down to the show was a bit of a hassle, the strip always is. The main walkway to the Sphere was closed off due to the convention that was in town. So we had to take a bit of a back road scenic route around the convention center and under the train and skywalk. Not exactly the best planning for a main event center, to funnel that many people thru essentially a side street.

I wont go too much into the wonderful world of Oz but I will say this. The Sphere definitely plays tricks with your mind and perception, I can clearly see how many people have issues with vertigo in there. You are up so high, it is steep and the screen feels like it is moving around you. The show is well done to be complete with out being as long as the movie. The effects from wind to “falling snow” and apples gives you an immersive experience. The colors were fantastic and the music is true to the original. But the merch?? extremely overpriced.

We wrapped up the show and once we got our land legs back we took a stroll through the Venetian casino. It is supposed to give Venice vibes with the Grand Canal Shoppes and the gondolas. I think its a bit cheesy but it was just nice to have no where to be and just enjoy sightseeing and time together.

The rest of the night was relatively boring. We grabbed some burgers and hit a few other stores in the neighborhood. Then we had to get the meal prep for the week going, weekends are over so fast. I also had to go relieve the grandparents. Its good for all of us that Asher gets to spend time with them and right now everyone really enjoys being together.

Overall, the day just moved at an enjoyable pace. We had a few plans for the day and we had some free time to just chill. Looking from the outside, most would probably say “that’s it?” Nothing crazy romantic, nothing crazy exciting. But for me it was a break from work and from all the business stuff that I am trying to do. Balancing work and half time parenting with fun and rest and couple time, its hard most days. So I really cherish the good days in the middle. We have one more date day coming up for my birthday. I cant wait for next week.

What are your dates like? Do you go out for dinner or do you make it a whole day? Where are you going or what new thing are you trying together? Share with me and others something that made you feel the fun or close with your partner 🙂

Posted in Uncategorized

From Las Vegas to New Jersey

Daily writing prompt
Think back on your most memorable road trip.

This one is an easy one for me. Almost 15 years ago, my sister and I took a 2 week road trip across country and I could definitely do it again. I was moving back east for college and I wanted to do something fun. We planned a route on a paper map (yes paper) and planned and found some interesting stops along the way.

We are very random when it comes to what keeps our interest. There are famous places along the way and just nonsense. Ill break these down.

Salt Palace in Salt Lake Utah.

Old Faithful in Yellowstone

Crazy Horse Memorial Sioux Falls in South Dakota -we saw Rushmore too.

Pizza Doctors in La Crosse WI- we did see the worlds largest six pack but I cant find the image 🙂

Palace #2 Corn place made somewhere in the midwest

And Lambeau Field

We have taken other road trips since but this one sticks in my head. We had a plan and a timeline but we hit random places as they came up. We got rained out of a camping site on one of the days, but mom had stuffed a visa in the glove box that covered the hotel.

We also camped over night in a teepee, found the most random store with a million teddy bears for a collection, hit mall of America, went to the Rock n Roll hall of fame and picked up my cousin in Michigan.

I really hope that sooner or later we will plan and take another one. There are many road still to take and places in the US that I want to visit. If you have some worlds largest, or killer places to stop to eat, or great views, Drop them here. I will add to the possibilities list!!

Posted in Lifestyle

Cruising to Alaska….

So lately I have been cruising thru the motions. Work, weekends, nephew time, boyfriend time, sleep repeat. I dont know about you but I have no idea how we went from Christmas to Summer vacation in the blink of an eye. -points if anyone gets the blink of an eye Mission Impossible reference. Anyways it just seems to have been going at lightning speed.

I am T-minus 17 days til we catch a flight to Seattle and board a ship to Alaska. And guys I can not wait. We have been lucky enough to go on many a cruise but this one isnt to the Mexican Rivera or to the colorful waters of the Bahamas. This time the bathing suits are being traded out for rain jackets and hiking boots. This time we get to see green and trees and ice.

Sometimes living in the desert, I forget that there are trees out there, beautiful lakes and rivers where you feel small in comparison to the growth around you. We will be taking a train through the hills and doing turns in Glacier Bay. We will hopefully see pods of orcas, bald eagles, elk or bears even. Wildlife from a different corner of the globe.

I think that I have got the basics and am prepared for the trip. The average temperature should be in the 60s, but at night it will get down to the 40s. I am not bringing out a parka but I have layers and most importantly a rain jacket, and water resistant hoodies. Got some new hiking boots also water resistant and im debating on gloves. Cant go without an umbrella and binoculars. Goal is to stay dry and warm.

Have any of you been to see the glacier? Or gone hiking up to the glacier? What about taken an Alaska cruise? I would love to hear what excursions you did or what stops you made. Unfortunately it isnt the time of year for the Northern Lights so at some point I will have to go back just for those. Tell me what you did or what other things you brought that would be good to have. Its getting so close!!

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Reliving Christmas Fun

In this case it is on the list but the necessities have been bought and we are ready to go. We are going to decorate a Ginger Bread Train. I was thinking about a Christmas date night and walking thru Walmart and I saw options for gingerbread building. I wasn’t sure if my boyfriend would be down for a whole house so I went with a train instead.

My boyfriend loves anything nostalgic but we seem to vary on what that is. He loves his games, cartoons and of course Pokemon. I on the other hand love carving pumpkins, decorating cookies and skating. Its like we are opposites in the way we grew up and he missed out on the normal, or what I consider normal, holiday things.

We had so much fun carving pumpkins this year, which he also hadn’t done since age 10, that I want to give him that fun and wonder with decorating a ginger bread train and having Christmas snacks til we burst, with White Christmas in the back ground. Its a Christmas date and a winter thing. I hope that we can squeeze a snow day in there before winter is over. I bet he hasn’t thrown a snowball in forever. 🙂

Spread some love and cheer this year and try out those fun holiday things that you say you grew out of. You can never grow out of fun. Merry Christmas!

Daily writing prompt
What was the last thing you did for play or fun?