My Latest Obsessions

GMC = COOKIE MONSTER

YUMMY cookies!

Happy Friday and Happy New Year! Well, the girls go back to school on Monday. It has been a nice 2 week break but it will be nice to get back to our normal routine/schedule. C + M and I are heading downtown soon for a lunch at American Girl. The girls are super EXCITED! That place is a GOLD MINE. Seriously.

Yesterday I was able to catch up w/ a dear friend of mine. She brought over her adorable little guy who is the same age as GMC. C + M kept the two boys busy which gave us some time to catch up. And then we headed to The Junction Diner for some lunch. Perfect place for little ones (especially those obsessed w/ trains!).

We have a dinner party Saturday evening and are then hoping to swing by a friend's 40th birthday party on the way home. We are hoping to catch up w/ my sister this weekend as she was in AZ visiting our Mom over Christmas. And I'm looking forward to quietly celebrating my birthday this upcoming Tuesday w/ PFC over dinner at La Sirena Clandestina. The restaurant has been on my list for awhile. It has been getting great reviews. PFC went to college w/ the chef/owner so we are hoping to say hello to him!

Here's to a FABULOUS 2013!

Some of my latest faves:

• Last year around this time I vowed to keep up w/ my One Line a Day memory book. It didn't happen. I really want to make an effort to do so this year. I'm putting it by my bedside in the hopes that I'll do it right before I go to bed. Great post on The Secret to Keeping Track of Life. 
• 12 Step Program for an awesome 2013. I LOVE all of these steps. FAB. And here are 12 things that Lena Dunham learned in 2012. Here's 2012 Pop Culture Highlights. 
• Game Night of Tacos + Bingo = FUN! And what a fun idea to get some vintage bingo cards (from ebay). Love it. 
• I'm reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs. I found this article, A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs, very interesting. 
• PFC/I always head to Milwaukee for a night in February. We started this tradition 4 years ago. I just booked the Iron Horse Hotel for 2 nights - very excited. Perfect get away. Close enough yet far enough away to feel just that = AWAY. I really love the design and interior of this particular hotel. Cozy for sure. We ALWAYS have dinner at Coerper's Five O'Clock Steakhouse. Love this place. SUPER old school. Even Rachel Ray agrees. We are debating on where to go to dinner our 2nd evening. Maybe Odd Duck. Any recommendations? 
• I picked up these multi-colored crocheted flower hand warmers w/ fleece from Anthropologie the other day. VERY thrilled w/ my purchase. My hands are free yet very warm. Love the fleece. 
• I would like to add more grapefruit to my life for 2013. I have forgotten how much I like grapefruit in the morning. 
• C + M LOVE Taylor Swift. Okay, so do I! I saw her talking about the music video she did in Paris for her single "Begin Again." Love the hottie stranger that falls in love w/ her. That just seems so French, right (= falling in love w/ a hottie in a small adorable cafe)?! She sang the song for the CMA awards. 
• PFC pulled up the Best Movies of 2012 list. We watched The Central Park Five about the 1989 case of five Black and Latino teenagers who were convicted of raping a woman in Central Park. Last night we watched Arbitrage. It was AWESOME! Honestly LOVED it. Richard Gere was amazing. It is up for a Golden Globe. Definitely one to see. 
• Cute Valentine's Day cookie cutters. I made some Oreo Cookie Balls the other day. OMG. They were AMAZING! The girls and I are going to make some for Valentine's Day and use these fun edible glitter hearts to decorate them. 
• I LOVE this list of 45 Life Lessons (from Regina Brett of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland).