Wrap up and Resolutions

We definitely had a December to remember.

We started off the month with our annual trip to Silver Dollar City to see the lights.

I have said it before, and I will say it again...if you ever have the opportunity to go to Silver Dollar City in December do it!!  It truly is spectatular and it will just make you happy, I promise!!


We decorated gingerbread houses

and checked out our competition around the city

not bad, but I still think ours was better.



We went to the Wild Lights at the Zoo

had a Christmas tea with our American Girl Doll

baked some cookies

went ice skating

saw Santa at the symphony, and heard beautiful music

and had a great holiday.

Now that the decorations are down, the kids are back in school, and the new year has started it's time to work on some resolutions

*Read, read, read-this is on my list every year but the benefits from reading; knowledge, vocabulary, intellectual curiosity, improved concentration, I mean its almost like free therapy.  I get my best recommendations from friends, here is what I hope to read in 2016

any other recommendations??

*travel every change I get

Don't you love a resolution that is pretty damn fabulous.  I have been working very hard on this one and have a few trips already lined up

*Try one new restaurant a month- I feel like I already do this, but now that it is official I really have to dine out a lot.  It is a win win for everyone, I get a great meal and the chefs/owners are getting business, just doing what I can to support my city.

Looks like I am good through April

*Have one on one dates with my children and my hubby

family is everything, right!!

and one last one for good measure

*go to the gym- does it count if I already do this??  Is it still a resolution??  

I am not going to lie, I am in it for the cute clothes

Happy 2016

Life Lately

These past 2 weeks have hands down been pretty awesome!!

I spent 5 days in Miami on a girls tennis trip, but we managed to eat and drink like queens as well.

There were 40 girls from across the US and Canada (8 from my team in STL) to play some tennis, and yes did we play some tennis, 7-8 hours every day!!

my doubles partner in STL



The 40 of us were split into 4 teams and in addition to lessons we had a championship match,  my team snagged the title

it was not all work

I like to consider myself a foodie, I am constantly on the hunt for the latest and greatest wherever I am in term of restaurants.  Well, if you are ever in South Beach you MUST go to Tom Colicchio's (remember him from top chef) restaurant Beachcraft.  This will go down in my book as one of my best meals of all time!!

We also had to check out the scene at Fountainebleau

Everyone there was either a Miami Heat player, a Kardashian wannabe or a tennis player from STL


It was such a fabulous extra long weekend,  I spent most of the time laughing which is exactly why we go on girls weekends!!

2 days after I got back my oldest child turned 16, yikes!!

have to admit I kind of am loving having a driver



then we had Halloween

and now we are just enjoying the beautiful fall weather

This weekend we have an auction

I love waking up the morning after and realizing I paid 2 times the value of something I never wanted in the first place.



I blame the champagne towers

Have a beautiful weekend!!

Girl Friday

I have not done a post in months talking about my weekend.  I am finally posting about my weekend, and it really will not be that exciting.

Tonight it is ladies night, I am meeting a friend for a girls only, let's catch up meal

plus I get to cross off a restaurant that has been on my "must try" list

The rest of my weekend will be all about my kids.  

Saturday, I am taking my 6 year old downtown for the Pumpkin Express

it's like the Polar Express but for Halloween

Then it is all about my oldest son.  He is a sophomore in high school and it's homecoming weekend, and he is not old enough to drive and the hubs is out of town (wow the stars aligned on that one)

First I will be running all over town getting him ready

then we are hosting the pre dance dinner

then it's off to the dance

and then there is the after party.

He is a little bit of wisdom I have learned....Always host the pre dance events.  As an adult I don't want to be involved in the after party shenanigans and be responsible for a pack of teenagers late night.


I will be picking him and his date up at the end of the night.  He is too young to drive, to young to uber it home (and that would be weird with the whole date thing)  so it will be me.

I feel like Morgan Freeman

and Sunday the weekend of my son continues as we go to a college fair. (eek)  Here is what I am discovering....
Being a sophomore is NOT to early to start looking, actually it is time to get on the ball

You have to have so much more then grades on your side, you need sports, you need clubs, you need to volunteer, you need a job, you need lots and lots of extra curricular activities

Getting into a college is MUCH MUCH more difficult then when I went.  Again, in addition to a high GPA you basically need to find a cure for cancer, plus wipe out world hunger.

oy vey!!