December 2023

A brief picture summary of some of the things I did this past month

-Polar Express train ride at the Union Depot in St Paul. My youngest loves loves loves loves trains and even though the cost was ridiculous to ride this train it was in retrospect worth it. Him and my middle son absolutely loved it and the memories me and Dan made with them will last forever

Here is my middle son super excited while waiting to board

-My oldest had a volunteer event he didn’t want to miss so sadly he missed out being with us but he also said he felt too old to go anyway 😦

-I always bring paper, crayons, and stickers and happy we did, the ride itself is only 45 min but for my 3 year old especially it felt like hours

-Finally Santa came to hello

-Enjoying hot cocoa

-Love how much my kids love face painting and both my middle son and youngest got this snowflake

-The Grinch is always lurking and happy my middle son wanted a picture with him, my youngest was terrified

-We then went to the European Market that is right there and rode another train ride that was free.

-So cute

-A cookies with Santa event. We had to take the boys at separate times since my middle son had a birthday party to go to

-My little Scottie being in awe of Santa lol

-My middle son didn’t get a chance to decorate cookies but he did at home later. Scottie and Dan had a great time decorating though and ate all the cookies while there

-Dan has a tradition he takes our middle son to watch the Polar Express at the local theatre that hosts a party for it every year. Hopefully, our youngest will be able to sit still so he can join in on the tradition next year

-Shopping and drinking at the mall with friends

-I always love Nordstrom Grille for lunch, it feels like a nice secluded and intimate spot to eat

-They opened up this donut shop at Mall of America but it was very blah. They were hard and cold and didn’t taste anything like the ones I tried before at a different location. Needless to say I won’t be going there again

-Cotton Candy winter skies

-Fun snail mail from a fellow Swiftie, obsessed with the charms she included and such cute stickers!

-Breakfast with Santa with the bestie. These two have known each other since 1 years old and even though they go to different schools, their friendship has only blossomed with age

-I die at this Santa’s face, like he really hates life right now lolol

-Cute picture with our besties

-Another Santa event at my favorite place in St Paul, the Landmark.

-I always love this Santa

-We took family pictures and love this one with me and my boys

-A friend sent me this Sailor Moon charm bracelet, LOVE IT so much!

-Tried a new Pho place by my house, it was ok

-My little baby had his first Christmas show

-I was the mystery reader for a day at my youngest’s school and I read my favorite Christmas book for the littles

-Went out for our friends’ annual Bad Moms Christmas fun

-Found this cute dress online and it was so much fun to wear it around

-With the fellow “Bad Moms” lolol

-I really liked our drink cups at this place

-Love the matches we got personalized from Jax Cafe restaurant

-We then went to the Holiday Lair and were sad to find out they got told they couldn’t call it the Grinch’s Lair anymore and no Grinch appearance. I don’t remember if the drinks were good but it was decorated cute

-The mirror in the bathroom was perfect for a selfie

-On a sleigh

-The green lightning was interesting in the elevator

-We then went to a local bowling alley that has a restaurant that was also decorated for the holidays. It was ok and we went in the afternoon to not have to pay the reservation fee.

-Love the glasses

-Another Santa event for the kids, again we see so much Santa because they are almost all free and include a picture! How anyone can say no is beyond me

-This Santa was really nice to the boys

-They also had a free balloon making station and of course they wanted one

-Dan took me to the European Market again LOLOLOLOL. He knows I love going multiple times to really enjoy an experience. I always think about people who complain about something and never go back because most of the time your opinion can change. I go to the same place whether I thought it was bad, ok, or amazing multiple times to really form a solid opinion

-Love raclette!

-This Egg Nog was so good

-Apple Streusel was so tasty and Dan’s favorite

-I always love buying these cinnamon sugar nuts

-Ok, I was at Mall of America with Dan and he wanted Dunkin’ Donuts, the DD by our house has the worst frosting on their donuts and I hate the lack of it. Anyways, I walk into the Mall of America’s Dunkin and was amazed at the beautiful frosting this one had on their donuts. I ate 2 of my favorite strawberry frosted and think often of their perfect frosting they do on their donuts.

-Of course, Dan knew to take me to Hooters at Mall of America for a quick lunch before we got the boys from friends’ houses. I swear I love this place, sports everywhere, waitresses that smell like candy, and their delicious crispy yummy battered wings, like it is almost heaven

-A night out with friends

-I liked this cute photo op

-Dan always the ham

-Group picture

-We went to a restaurant and for the life of me I can’t remember if I liked the food or not. The ambiance was good though

-This knife was interesting with the restaurant’s name on it

-One of my church kids gave me this cute ornament their mom made and I love it! These kids are really so special and I love how unique they all are

-Met up with Cam to try a Pho place by her place, love our matching TS sweaters

-It was delicious!

-Helped at Scott’s Christmas party for his school. I am so lucky to be able to help and be a part of his special events like this

-Logan with his bestie again introducing him to his new favorite batting cage spot. They had a lot of fun practicing hitting.

-My friend Gloria, hosts a fun girls night in every holiday season and it never disappoints.

-She sets up a fun craft and this year we painted a penguin

-Enjoying the hot tub in these really mild temperatures we are having in Minnesota

-All of our pictures, so cute! Mine was letter A

-A part of my Taylor Swift order finally came and it is super cute!

-Love all the confetti I got with my order to send with my friendship bracelets trading packages

-My friend gave me tickets to see Mrs. Doubtfire and it was really funny

-Checked out a Ramen place in Minneapolis and it was AMAZING, omg I am definitely going back and bringing my family

-Just look at this pork belly slice, AHHHH, so good

-Loved their menu

-Went for bubble tea afterwards and loved their plastic covers, so festive!

-Kids decorating cookies for Santa

-Night before Christmas with the kids’ gifts

-I felt like Dan enjoyed Logan’s baseball cards he got more than him lololol

-Packing for Chicago, my makeup bag

-Drive to Chicago always has us getting gas at the Dells and lunch at McDonalds

-At my brother’s place and omg my mom made my favorite soup for me, pozole.

-The best soup in the world

-Then she made me champurrado aka atole my favorite hot chocolate in the world

-I am so spoiled by her sometimes, I almost cried when I saw what she was making

-Then she had my favorite buñuelo, it is like a fired battered dough made flat and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar aka love. I love making these but they never taste quite like my mom’s so omg when I saw them I screamed and knew I was the favorite lolololol

-The kids enjoyed them a lot too especially Scott who ate almost as much as me

-Met up with friends for of course Korean BBQ

-We went for lunch and it was only $22 for all you can eat!!!! We started with Hawaiian Beef Bulgogi and Brisket

-Heaven

-Afterwards Dan suggested we get bubble tea at my favorite place and I got super excited. If you have been following for awhile there is never a time I don’t go to Chicago and get Joy Yee Bubble Tea, it is my very favorite

-My mother made tamales

-Making more buñuelos since me and Scott ate all the ones she premade lolol

-Frying it up

-once sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar we lay them like this

-With my best friend since 2nd Grade

-We also met up with one of our high school friends. How he agreed to meet up with just me and Laney is beyond me, we can be super loud and crazy together lolol. He has been a constant in our friend group though and stood up in both our weddings!

-Laney always giving me the smallest most thoughtful gifts. She knows I love BTS and their cute characters so when she saw this she had to get it for me, RJ is just so cute!

-This is my favorite Mexican breakfast, huevos rancheros, and I just love the way my mom makes it. I can never quite get the eggs right like her so when I visit I always want this breakfast. I love how she fries the tortilla for me and makes extra for me too.

-Dan went with me to the Art Institute of Chicago to check out the Picasso exhibit and it did not disappoint!

-Hello

-So many works I have never seen before

-I have been a member since my teenage years and have always loved their Member’s Lounge. They recently moved it to the Modern Wing area and it is much bigger and they even added bathrooms! This was our first time checking out the lounge.

-They always offer free coffee, water, and tea. I spent many hours at their lounge during college doing homework when the school library would become too crowded and this was a great escape

-Love the variety

-We also got a little charcuterie board for a snack and drinks

-Love the colors

-The walk to the train

-Logan loves his new stuffed animal aka the famous lions that guard the art institute have been turned into adorable plushies

-My mom brought the little tape and CD collection she left me lolol

-I have always had an eclectic taste in music

-AHHH I thought she gave away all of my signed CDs when she went mad but apparently 2 survived! I remember cutting school to get these signed with my friend Shell

-How we even afforded CDs was beyond me

-Another favorite meal, Bistec Empanizado, super easy to make and taste amazing

-My crazy brother has always been obsessed with penmanship, he used to make me practice cursive religiously and ingrained in my brain to make sure my writing was always neat, legible, and unique. This is a reel he sent me for letter J signatures. To this day, he is constantly criticizing everyone’s writing, his is pretty nice but ugh sometimes he can’t just let something be, it has to be amazing so I still practice my signature and send him pictures to get his approval

-Morning cuddles and giggles

-Back home and at the New Year’s Eve matinee celebration our city hosts every year

-So many inflatables, bingo, and a craft

-Love getting all 3 together

-Family picture

-At bingo but clearly me and Scott enjoyed watching the kids practice hockey over playing bingo lolol

-Scott making the glasses craft

-Super proud of himself

-Once we exhausted the kids and fed them dinner we went to Gloria’s house to celebrate New Year’s Eve at her amazing party she hosts every year

-Friend picture

-Dan always giving me kisses and love lolol

-Gloria made these cute shot drinks

-New Year’s Day had all the kids have hangouts with friends so me and Dan enjoyed a nice brunch at one of our favorite places, Hope Breakfast Bar in St Paul