The Weekend

This past weekend was my birthday! We had planned to go to the beach, but the weather forecast was looking a little iffy, so we just stayed home. Caleb made me feel so special all weekend: he made me breakfast, went shopping with me, took me to dinner, let me relax at the pool all Sunday afternoon. It was such a fun weekend, even though we had to change our plans at the last second. I'm so thankful that I get to spend my life with Caleb who loves me so well!

A Weekend with my Family

This past weekend my family gathered at my parents' house to celebrate my sister Lauren's birthday.  It was a quick trip for us, but it was so fun to be all together!  If there's one thing you need to know about my family, it's that we love to eat. Lauren chose an amazing menu for her birthday dinner Saturday night, and I think I gained a few pounds from all the food I consumed throughout the weekend.  On Sunday it started snowing!  It was really fun to see a little snow for the first time this winter, but it made for a long (and tense) drive home.  Here are some pictures from our weekend!

What did you do this past weekend?

{festive table}

{hanging out with Uncle Caleb}

{cutest little smile}

{grilling the kebabs}

{the birthday girl}

{bruschetta while waiting for dinner}

{dinner: beef, shrimp, & chicken kebabs; twice baked potatoes; caesar salad}

{family around the table}

{every two minutes she would say "Mommy it's your birfday!"}

{pretty presents}

{so excited for Mommy to open her presents}

{white chocolate raspberry cheesecake for dessert}

{Sunday snow fall}

Happy Birthday Caleb!

Happy Birthday Caleb!  We celebrated Valentine's Day yesterday so that today can be all about Caleb's birthday! (side note: I am super opposed to combining birthdays and holidays.)  

I was looking through pictures of us from the last year and I just felt overwhelmingly blessed to be doing life with Caleb by my side.  Around Caleb's birthday last year, he was applying to go back to school to get his MBA and we were planning on staying in the same town for a few more years....fast forward a year and we've moved across a couple of states and we're looking for a house to settle down here instead.  Life is full of so many unexpected changes--both good and bad--and I can't imagine navigating my way through life with anyone but Caleb.  I am just so thankful that Caleb is all mine!  And I'm so excited to see what this next year of Caleb's life will bring!

February 2011

April 2011

May 2011

July 2011

September 2011

December 2011

February 2012

P.S. Caleb's birthday last year!

Birthday!

best way to start my day

It's my birthday!  It's been a good day so far, indulging on donuts for breakfast and receiving birthday wishes from friends and family.  I'm going to spend the day doing things I love:  baking, reading, going to the pool with a friend, and finally spending the evening with my sweet husband!  I hope you have a wonderful day as well!

Birthday Week

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Today is the second day of my Birthday Week (yes, that was capitalized).  I absolutely love my birthday and I love anticipating it by mini-celebrating in the days leading up to it.  This week instead of just making my favorite food for my birthday dinner on Thursday, I decided to make several of my favorite dinners throughout the week.  I might post recipes later, so stay tuned.  Most years I pick a random dessert in lieu of the traditional birthday cake, so I'm also thinking about making a couple different desserts too.  I mean, your birthday only comes once a year, right?!

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The other thing I'm doing this week is taking advantage of all of the free birthday things that are offered by restaurants and stores.  I know there's like 38459 restaurants that give you a free dessert or free food if you come in on your birthday, but I don't like going out to eat on my birthday and having a bunch of strangers sing to me, so those don't appeal to me.  I read an article back in January that featured some restaurants that email you a coupon to get something free in the weeks around your birthday. Apparently I signed up for a bunch of them! Here are the ones I've received and how you can sign up for them too:

Ruby Tuesday: a coupon to get any handcrafted burger for free, have 2 weeks to use it (here)

Moe's: a coupon to get any entree for free (excluding fajitas), have 1 week to use it (here)

Coldstone Creamery: a coupon for BOGO any creation, have 2 weeks to use it (here)

Baskin Robbins: a coupon for a a free 2.5 oz scoop of ice cream, have 10 days to use it (here)

Rita's: a coupon for a free regular Italian ice, have 1 week to use it (here)

Starbuck's: register a giftcard and then join the rewards program, you'll get mailed a coupon for any drink any size, have 2-3 weeks to use it (here)

Panera: get a MyPanera rewards card and register it, they'll put a free treat on it (usually a sweet or pastry), have 60 days to use it (here)

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Also, I've been doing a little shopping with my birthday rewards.  With a Loft credit card, you'll get a $15 off one purchase during your birthday month (here for credit card information).  And with a Victoria's Secret credit card, you'll get $10 off one purchase during your birthday month (here for credit card information).  And if you sign up to be a rewards member at DSW, you'll get $5 off one purchase during your birthday month (here to sign up).

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So I guess it looks like Caleb and I will be spending a lot of my birthday week eating!  What did you expect from me, the one who posts a new recipe like every two days?  But then there's also the shopping.  And I'm hoping to spend some time laying out by the pool, and then hanging out with Caleb a bunch.  And we're still waiting for my nephew to be born (any day now!), so hopefully there will be a trip to meet him and see my family.

How do you like to celebrate your birthday?