Month in Review: January, 2018

February 6, 2018

January began under the palm trees in Florida and ended being surrounded by snowflakes in Wisconsin. After thawing poolside for a week, I needed an adjustment period to cope with the cold. Bundled under layers of thermals, I ventured back into the thick of winter and tried to build up my tolerance. By the end of the month Ian and I were enjoying long walks in the park and attended an outdoor festival. Needless to say, we got back into our winter routine without too much moaning about the cold.

Soon after we returned from Florida, Ian needed to travel to Eau Claire for work. Neither of us have spent much time exploring Eau Claire, so I jumped at the chance to tag along on this mini road trip. We stayed at a quirky boutique hotel, The Oxbow, and took an evening trip to Leinenkugels. Our drive home took longer than expected due to a snow storm, but I was grateful for the time we were able to spend together.

The rest of the month was spent with Mother nature playing games with us. One day all the snow would melt under a heat wave, then the next day we would be under a winter weather advisory. In years past, my heart would sink when I woke up to snow. This year I’ve made a conscious effort to embrace the cold and get outside. Having this mindset has led to magical walks in the woods, snowball fights, and enjoying the first outdoor festival of the year – Mittenfest!

January was definitely a busy month, but I’m glad we were able to kick off 2018 with so many wonderful memories!

https://youtu.be/nWTtQ1J8tZ8

Month in Review: December, 2017

January 10, 2018

Happy new year, everyone! The month of December was a whirlwind as we celebrated the holidays both in Wisconsin and Florida. As we catch our breath, I’m flooded with gratitude. December was filled to the brim with holiday traditions and friends/family gatherings. As we enter the new year, I can’t wipe the smile off my face and here are a few reasons why.

First, Ian and I discovered a wooded trail a few steps from our apartment. Our weekends are now filled with early morning nature walks. I’ve fallen in love with this new tradition and have invested in thermal leggings and face masks to keep us warm as the temperature begins to drop!

Another highlight was attending a weeknight Buck’s game. After watching the Buck’s win against the Cavalers, Ian and I sat back and appreciated the opportunity to hang out with friends – on a Tuesday! After four years in the Green Bay area, we became accustomed to driving to Milwaukee on sporadic weekends to visit friends. Therefore, a casual weeknight gathering is something that still feels surreal to us!

Then there was a Christmas miracle! December has a few flurries here and there, but nothing stuck. Then Christmas Eve morning we woke up to a blanket of snow outside. Ian and I quickly got bundled up and walked around the village before piling in the car and driving to my parent’s house for the weekend.

We wrapped up December down in Florida with Ian’s family. During our stay we cheered on the Badgers at the Orange Bowl, dipped our feet in the ocean, and watched fireworks on New Years Eve. I couldn’t think of a better way to say farewell to December and the holiday season than to be surrounded by family.

Here is a short video composed of one second from each day in December. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/UpNVTXp3PKs

Month in Review: November 2017

December 11, 2017December 6, 2017

November officially kicked off the holiday season and I packed our calendar full of Thanksgiving festivities, tree lighting ceremonies and listening to carolers. Clearly, I got swept up in all of the holiday cheer and failed to pull out my phone and snap photos of our adventures. Therefore, you will have to bare with me this month as our November photos are sparse.

This year Ian and I are thankful that our drive to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family was cut down by one hour! Just another perk of moving to Milwaukee! This year we filled our holiday with a competitive round of Jenga, delicious food and an afternoon walk to enjoy the sunshine.

After some quality family time Ian and I drove home for a week packed with festive activities. We attended two tree lighting ceremonies, a German Christmas market and listened to carolers at the mall. Luckily, November was quite warm this year, so we didn’t have to battle the cold to enjoy these events.

We ended November by decorating our Christmas tree. It’s been a family tradition to have the nativity be the first ornament on the tree. Last year my sister gifted Ian and I this ornament so we could keep the tradition alive in our home. What holiday traditions do you have? Leave them in the comments below!

Click the video below to see a second from each day in Novemeber. Enjoy!