Gilded Living

Take my money! Give me all the red velvet cupcakes! Pretty please with sugar on top!

Guess who's planning her next vacation? 🙋! ✔️ Schedule dog sitter ✔️ OK son's school calendar ✔️ Plan roadtrip activities ✔️ Map out Waffle Houses 🔲 Pack warm weather clothes (soon!) Less than 3 weeks until the family crams in the minivan* and hits the road! I can't wait! My very favorite family activity is traveling. We learn so much about each other, about the different people we meet and places we see, we create memories to last a lifetime and plan future adventures, and we all feed our curiosity and wanderlust side-by-side. For me, there is nothing better! * - I always said I'd never drive a red car or a minivan. Wanna guess what color my minivan is... 🤦 #neversaynever.

Those of us who live on the Great Lakes know how very great they really are. We have learned to respect their incredible power. We know how just a glimpse of the lake can relax muscles, clear a mind, make one breathe deeper. We have experienced hours of free fun and made countless memories on their shores and we: beach combing (my daughter Martha and I just spent a couple of hours searching for sea glass this weekend!), body surfing, sailing, playing bags, paddle boarding, kayaking, drinking beer while catching a tan with friends. We set our directions by the lake. (East has always been Lake Michigan for me.) And we know they are so large that you can't see across* them, no matter how hard you squint. Just like Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, or Mammoth Cave, unless you've visited the Great Lakes region, you can't fully grasp how great they truly are. I'm so blessed to call the gorgeous HOMES** region of the Midwest home! * - I travel across La...

It's more than a Waffle House . It's a Waffle home. Always living my best life when roadtripping! Must have items include a satisfied belly full of waffles and hashbrowns, a to-go cup of Cherry Coke  in my hand, and a smile on my face!

The snow and ice are all steadily melting and for the first time all year, our forecast has zero below-freezing temperatures in it. It is finally Spring! Seeing as Winter is in the rear view, it is now acceptable to reminisce about the beauty of winter...like this magical spot I discovered with my kids in January! I felt a little like Eric Larsen , the polar explorer (the first person to visit the North Pole, South Pole, and top of Everest in 1 year), standing up there! Fun fact, he's from my little town of Cedarburg, Wisconsin ! Happy 1st day of Spring, everyone! Let's make the most of this new beginning!

It's Tuesday, which is usually the toughest day of the week for me. It's not Monday, the beginning of something new, and it's not hump day or later...just Tuesday. So let's do a little daydreaming and travel planning, shall we? I took this photo a couple of weeks ago just before touching down in Mexico City . Doesn't the city look gorgeous? Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend much time there; I logged more time drilling my seatmates on their vacations and lives there than I did on the ground. It is definitely a place I want to return to, to check out the incredible history and culture, meet many more friendly people, and taste the food I've dreamed of ever since watching the first episode of Rick Bayless 's show One Plate at a Time many years ago! So, on this Tuesday, tell me: where would you ✈️ off to tomorrow if given the chance? Why? Each comment will be awarded a participation trophy!

Happy St Patrick's Day! ☘️ When Irish eyes are smiling, they're usually up to something...but not in this case! I was just happy to be in Chicago with my family to watch the dying of the river yesterday! Fun fact: The plant-based powdered dye used to color the river green is actually orange! And since it's a 60+ year family secret, only a handful of people know how it works!

Jumping for joy for the weekend...one with big plans! My family and I are in Chicago for all things St. Patrick's Day, once again eating and drinking our way through the city! I love that we're here so often the kids know their way around, have favorite neighborhoods, must-eat treats, and silly traditions...and yet always have a reason to look forward to coming back next time, next month! Make no little plans, friends! Go big or go home! (Unless you need a break, then make big Netflix plans at home!) PS, the full Daniel Burnham quote , which I LOVE, goes like this: "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men`s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever- growing insistency. Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us....

I don't usually wear pink, but when I do, I go ALL IN! (How cute is this coverall from Madewell ?!) PS, I wish I could remember what my cousin Samantha and I were talking about when she snapped this photo because I'd love to know what in the world I'm doing with my hands here... * Photo take in Playa Del Carmen , Mexico. Take me back!

Meandering into Monday like... It's gonna be a busy week full of client work (and a lunch! I love lunches!), kid activities, homeschooling, and school makeup stuff for my oldest who was out with the flu last week...but it'll soon be over and then this girl can celebrate St. Patrick's Day! And in my Irish eyes, there aren't many days in the year that are better than that one! * - Photo taken at Mahekal Beach Resort in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. It truly is "magical" there!