Weekending it: Easter

This past Saturday our church hosted an Easter Egg hunt for the community.  Dan is the Children's Ministry Director at our church and he worked with a group of ladies at church for the last month and a half planning this event.  I opted to help at the event but not in the planning process.

They got a bunch of eggs and prizes donated from supporters in other states and planned a ton of games.  My friend Emily was the game mastermind and she handmade so many of the activities and made the banner and all the signs.  She is a superwoman.  I didn't get any photos of any of it which super bums me out (you'll see why in a second).  They made a Facebook event and handed out flyers and got an Easter bunny costume and all kinds of activities for kids.

Now, we are a very small church (average less than 100 on Sunday) so they anticipated the event would be small.  They planned for around 100 kids but last week they got concerned by the response of people on Facebook so they scurried around to accommodate 200 kids.  There was another hunt happening in the neighborhood at the EXACT same time so I wasn't too concerned about the number.  One, because of the other event and two, because we never have huge turnout for anything and I assumed it would be the same.  It's a good thing I was so naive. 

Anyways, we got to the park in the morning and started setting things up and before the event even started at 2 pm we had people lining-up for registration.  You guys, we planned for 200 kids and Dan estimates there were at least 500.  And that is an estimate, it was likely more.  The line extended to the end of the park.  It was WILD!!!!!

The line ended-up being four times longer than what you see above ^^

I snapped the pictures above just before 2 pm and you can see a line forming.  I was on face paint duty for the event and I painted the first little cheek just after 2 pm and I did not look up from that table for the next two and a half hours.  Endless face painting.  Truly, I did not stop painting until 4:30 pm and it was the last activity to close.  I didn't even hear when the hunt started since my face paint line remained packed for the duration of the event.  There were four other face painters at my table and I estimate that we painted at minimum 50 kids each.  So that's 200 and a bunch of kids didn't stand in the line for that activity.

We live and learn and already have lots of ideas for how to do things differently next year.   One of the ladies suggested next year that we do an Easter carnival instead with twice as many games and the kids get an egg with each activity.  This way everyone gets to go home with eggs.  I like that idea.  But I'm still really proud of our little church pulling off the event with only 20-25 volunteers running an event with that many people.  Totally a fishes and loaves moment.  God helped us out for sure. 

After all that we were exhausted and collapsed on the couch for the night  We didn't end up going to bed early however since we HAD to stay up and watch the Kansas basketball game.  They lost, and with that our brackets are toast since we had them winning the whole thing.    

Sunday was Easter!!  We had a lot of visitors at the church service in the morning and my pre-k/kinder class had 13 kids which is the biggest class I have EVER had.  Fortunately I had some helpers with me so we were able to pull-off a fun class for the kids.  I really wanted to get a picture of Dan and me in our Easter attire but we were running around all day we never got the chance.

After church I whipped together some deviled eggs and Easter cupcakes for an Easter dinner with friends.

It was a truly exhausting weekend especially for Dan and me.  We are introverts and can only handle so much of being "ON" in social settings but we managed to power through.  Dan has the day off today which is really nice for him and the rest of the week we have our nights free for recuperation.

We're tired but it was a weekend worth it.  

Weekending it: Friday

Phew!  Where is the weekend for this weekend?  We had a full and fun, absolutely packed to the brim Easter weekend.  I am going to break it up over a couple of posts because it was so stuffed and I want to remember every aspect.  Up first: The Blue Man Group!

Friday was a beautiful nearly summer day.  We didn't even need light coats outside!  After an afternoon of chores we headed into the city to get dinner at a supppppeerrrrr popular authentic ramen noodle restaurant in the Village.  I had been there once before and it was SO good.  Every other time we've tried to go the wait was too long.  Luckily this time we got there before 6 pm (since we took the day off) and only had a 30 minute wait. 

It was as delicious as I remembered and Dan liked it too.  The broth was like liquid gold.   

After dinner we wandered around the area and spent some time in Washington Square Park before going to the show.

Back in January we had "schedule to see a show" on our winter bucket list.  We ended up getting tickets to see Blue Man Group.  We paid $50 a ticket for seats in the very last row.  The theater was small so we were still able to see nearly everything.  That's one tip for seeing shows on the cheap - generally the back row still has a good view. 

The Blue Man Group is a very interactive show so in several of the numbers the Blue Men would walk into the audience and pick people to participate in something or they would just engage with them for a bit.  The Blue Men don't talk and have a sort of alien curiosity and are very intrigued and amused by things.  We were not allowed to take photos but I pulled one from Google.

During one of the numbers a Blue Man climbed up to the upper level of the theater, where we were, and he started walking around.   A woman in the audience handed him a box of Toblerone chocolate and the guy took the chocolate out of the box and broke the pieces apart and then walked over to Dan (he was sitting on the end of the row by the aisle) and handed him the chocolate.  There was a camera on stage that was projecting the interaction to the whole audience.   The Blue Man walked like 30 feet away from Dan and then motioned for him to throw the chocolate into his mouth.  Dan threw the first piece and it missed big time!  Everyone laughed.  Then he threw the other two and the guy caught them in his mouth.  Then he walked back over to Dan and spit the chocolate back into Dan's hand and then walked away.  It was really funny.  The whole thing was on the big screen on stage.  After the interaction a guy from the crew gave Dan a wet wipe.  So we aren't sure if it was a totally improvised moment in the show or if the chocolate was planned.  Either way we had no clue and it was entirely spontaneous for us.  Dan's 5 seconds of fame! Side note: it was white chocolate so not so terrible of an experience for Dan since you know he hates chocolate.

The best part of the show was the finale when it was like a rave dance party.  The band was playing, there were black lights making everything look neon, giant tubes hanging from the ceiling were spinning around and twisting in on each other.   Then the Blue Man came back up to the top level and started walking on the backs of the seats and pulling rolls of toilet paper that were attached to the ceiling.  Then the strobe lights started.  It is so hard to explain but it was a totally awesome experience.  There was toilet paper everywhere, flying around and this crazy music playing, everyone was dancing in their seats, and the strobe lights were totally trippy.  I've never seen strobe lights like that before it was as if everything was moving in slow motion.  So wild and fun.  On stage the Blue Men were directing all these seated dance moves and there was toilet paper everywhere!!!

It was such an exciting and unique show.  At the end I was thinking about how amazing it is that God made man to be creative and how someone could come up with such a fun and interesting show for the sole purpose of entertainment.  This world is full of such terrible darkness, sadness, and pain all caused by the sinfulness of our hearts but at the same time we are capable of creating beauty and love and we can have fun together!  A whole theater filled with complete strangers all connecting and enjoying a tiny piece of life together.  It restored a bit of my hope in humanity.  We left totally elated.

When we got out of the theater Dan told me that when the Blue Man was standing on the back of the seat in front of him pulling down the toilet paper he stepped on his knee and left a mark.

Dan was touched by a Blue Man!!! Well, stepped on really but still!  We decided even if the pants are stained for good it was worth it.

I am so grateful for the spare time we have in our life right now and the city that we live in which offers so much culture and entertainment and experience.  It's super easy to get stuck in a rut and just stay at home and eat Top Ramen and watch movies and convince yourself that everything costs too much.  But every once in awhile it's okay to splurge and go out and eat fancy food and buy tickets for a show and create a new memory.  Do it!  You won't regret it.

Come back tomorrow for our Easter recap. 

Peeks from the Week

Happy Friday!  It's Good Friday, a day with sad meaning but so much hope!  I was talking with Dan about how I don't understand how Sunday counts as the "third day" when Jesus resurrected.  I guess in Jewish culture Good Friday starts on sundown on Thursday so the math checks out.  So, now you know.

So I have today off from work - to use my last rollover vacation day.  Dan took the day off too and we are going to see Blue Man Group tonight in the city.  But before that we need to do a lot of chores because this weekend will be off the wall crazy busy and we won't have time to do laundry or shopping.  Tomorrow our church is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt in a local park.  Dan's done a lot of the planning with a group of ladies at church and they are expecting upwards of 150 people.  I'm on face painting duty which I'm pretty excited about.

Sunday is Easter! 





Wishing...we could send our laundry out but that's not an option on our budget.  Sigh.

Hoping...we get all our chores done quick so we can still have fun today

Praying...the Easter Egg hunt is successful and not too stressful

Planning...our to-do list for the day

Dreaming...about the sun-filled days of summertime

On Thursday I came home to find a bouquet of my favorite flowers!  I always tell Dan not to buy me flowers because they are so expensive and die so quickly.  But sometimes he doesn't listen to me and I don't mind.

These are my favorite flowers - they're called Stock.  It's a lame name for such a pretty flower.  They press really well too.

Ok gotta go - lots to do!  Have a great weekend!

Spring Bucket List

Well, Spring started on Sunday!  The weather has been pretty waffle-y lately but soon the sunnies will be here to stay so I'm rolling out our Spring Bucket list.

Easy read version:
- Bike rides (at least two).  Self explanatory.
- Make homemade bread.  I've always wanted to try making bread and Aunt Judy posted a recipe on Facebook a couple of weeks ago so I want to try that.
- Mini trip to Washington DC.  Last year we took a spring trip to Philadelphia and had the best time.  Dan has never been to DC and I haven't been in a long time so we'll be planning a quick trip.
- Go on a picnic.  Maybe we'll pair this with the bike rides.
- Try two new restaurants.  This is a standard bucket list item.
- Visit the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.  We did this way back when we were first dating.  Time for a return.  Throwback:

- Rollerskating!  Guys, I have had a craving to go old school rollerskating but those neat roller rinks of the 80s and 90s just don't exist in the city.  But I'm on a mission.
- Sign-up for a class.  I am taking a two hour French Macaroon class with a friend in April.  Depending on how it goes, I want to find a one-time class of some kind for Dan and me to attend.

Dan is on Sabbatical from church from May through June so we will have a lot of extra free time and hopefully make some use of it for adventuring.  

Weekending it

Since I had Friday off, I was able to get a lot of chores done during the day which left the weekend feeling like a real weekend.  It was ideal to go to the laundromat on Friday afternoon!  Wish I could do it like that every week.  The place was clean and empty and I was in and out quick with all 8 loads going at the same time.  I was also able to do actual meal planning and list making on Friday and on Saturday Dan and I tag-teamed a grocery trip and for once we left with everything on the list.  Both laundry and grocery shopping were a little crazy without a trusty granny cart to lug things back and forth but we made do with two IKEA bags.  It made for a good arm workout.

Also on Saturday we walked to 86th street to get some Easter gifts and a couple of needs on our list.  We spent the afternoon hanging out and watching basketball.  Dan had me fill out a bracket for March Madness and I was doing really well until Xavier lost last night in an epic final shot by Wisconsin.  We didn't get to see that game but now everything is messed-up since I had Xavier going to the final against Kansas.  But, I really don't care too much about basketball - I care about the pedicure I get if my bracket beats Dan's.

This weekend Dan and I had a great time cooking together.  He is getting the hang of his sous chef role and is gaining so much confidence in the kitchen!  Now I can just tell him what I need and he'll do it without a lot of direction.  On Saturday we whipped out 125 meatballs from the Pioneer Woman cookbook.  It's her freezer meatball recipe. 

We froze four batches of 25 and used the rest to make Sweet and Sour Meatballs over rice for dinner (Dan cut the fresh pineapple, made the sauce, and made the rice without any help from me!).  It was a lot of work but now we have four meals already prepped.

Later that night I made three batches of Rice Krispie treats for church the next day.  Moral of that story:  don't put foil on the bottom of the pans.  We had to peel the treats off the foil. 

Sunday was a chaotic day but after some rest time we went back to the kitchen and made stuffed shells, also from the Pioneer Woman cookbook.  That cookbook is great!  It is bright and colorful and everything is very easy to follow.  We haven't made something we didn't like yet!  The stuffed shells recipe made a whole box of shells so we froze half the batch and devoured the other half for dinner that night.  It's extra special because it has a red sauce AND a creamy white sauce.  Mmmm - but they didn't photograph well. 

We were really proud of our great team work this weekend.  I'm so grateful that Dan likes helping out in the kitchen and that our communication is improving and making for great bonding time

More Napkin Notes

I've been raking in the napkin notes lately so much so that I've decided I can't keep all of them forever.  So I decided to photo document all of them and then keep the ones that are extra super special (they are all so special so it's really hard to choose).   But I can document them here and always look back at them. 

This batch was from the fall.  I took the pictures and then I forgot to post them.  I cleared off my photos from my phone yesterday and stumbled upon these sweet treats. 

I love all the little drawings.  Especially the hedgehogs and camels.   So romantical.

Peeks from the Week

Happy Friday!!!  Today I have the day off!  I may not make more than a dime at work but I do earn a lot of paid vacation time.  We're only allowed to roll over 20 vacation days from the previous year and you have until the end of March to use any excess over 20.  I had two days to use or lose so I am taking this Friday and next!  Its a day off but I have a billion chores to do, starting with 8 loads of laundry.  Oh Joy!

Wishing... I could find a heavy duty granny cart that will hold up for more than a few weeks.  We walk everywhere and it needs to have strong wheels to hold over 50 lbs.

Hoping... I can get a lot accomplished today.  Ha!

Thinking... How will I get 8 loads of laundry down the block to the laundromat without a granny cart?

Praying... for a change of heart

Planning... on a spring wardrobe change

Dreaming... about a new apartment...still

This week was pretty full.   It seemed like every night we had something to do.  Last night after counseling we got shamrock shakes to celebrate St. Patty's day and it hit the spot!  I won't lie - I like McDonald's.  Haters gonna hate.

We don't have much in the way of plans this weekend and if I am able to get all the chores done today it should make for a nice relaxing Saturday.  

Weekending it

It's a beast of a Monday.  I slept through my alarms (I have three).  Thank you Daylight Savings Time.  Fortunately I still got out the door on time.  But I was greeted at the Subway stop with this:

That's at least two trains worth of people on the platform which means a train hadn't arrived in at least a half hour.  Another man on the platform confirmed that.  I decided rather than waiting on a packed platform with mad people, I would walk nine blocks in the heavy rain to the express subway.  When I got above ground a bus pulled up that was taking people to the express subway (fortunately he didn't require everyone to swipe since there were about 40 people trying to get on).  At the express stop the local train was stalled.  So that was the issue.  Sometimes you never know what the problem or delay is about because a lot of times they don't announce anything at the stations.   It just gets people more mad.  A local train (my usual train) arrived a short time later and I got to work only 5 minutes late.  Could have been way worse, but no thank you Monday.

I am usually understanding about subway delays.  There are SO many variables that could throw schedules off but I'll admit it is super hard to accept when fares increase without any improvements.  And no, I do not consider wi-fi on trains an improvement. 

Well let's remember better days.  The weekend!

Saturday was bliss.  My friend invited me to go on a mini road trip with her to a Hobby Lobby in New Jersey!  We got Starbucks (treat #1) on the way out of Brooklyn and arrived in heaven on earth a little over an hour later.

We spent three hours at the store causally browsing and taking our time (treat #2).  I stuck to my $100 budget and got some good inspiration for future apartment decorating.  Then we went to Chick-fil-a (treat #3)!  We saw one on the way to Hobby Lobby but the GPS took us to a mall food court so that was interesting.  It took us awhile to find it but it was worth the journey.   It was a great day.  I loved it.  Hobby Lobby is my happy place and having a friend that understands and agrees and will drive you there is even better.

Sunday after church I took a solo trip to the grocery store...and broke our second granny cart in less than a month.  Sigh.   We spent the afternoon watching Saved By the Bell (the early years - Good Morning Ms. Bliss) and then I made roasted chicken drummies and from scratch rice pilaf for dinner.

It's been a gloomy rainy day in the 40s which is a shock to the system after the nice weather we were spoiled with last week. Guess it's good to at work then.  Looking forward to a 4-day work week. 

Peeks from the Week

You know that song "Wishin' and Hopin' " by Dusty Springfield?  It's an oldie but goodie.  Listen here.  I decided to take the lyric phrases to use as writing prompts for our Peeks from the Week posts. 

Wishing... this super nice weather would stick around for more than a week

Hoping... winter weather is officially over

Thinking... it's probably not

Praying... my motivation will improve with the weather

Planning... on making homemade bread some time soon

Dreaming... about a new apartment

This week was pretty typical.  Nothing new.  Nothing old.  Here's a funny story: On Wednesday night I walked into the apartment building lobby after work and there was a huge stain of splattered laundry detergent on the carpet.  I instinctively suspected that Dan was responsible for it.  1) it smelled like our detergent 2) I knew Dan planned on doing laundry and 3) it had been nicely wiped-up.  Many people in our building let their dogs poop in the stairwells, Dan is a gem courteous enough to clean up his mess.  I was right.  Dan dropped the bottle and the lid split open and detergent spilled everywhere.  Oops.  At least the lobby smells nice now instead of a rotting corpse. 

Happy Weekend!

Decorating Details: Easter

My brain is very confused right now.  It's in the 70s today and Easter is in a couple of weeks.

But it's March.

For some reason it reminds me of the caution sticker on the side mirror of cars:
Warning!  Objects in mirror are closer than they appear

Anyways, it's a fake Spring and an early Easter.  So let's decorate!

No one ever asks but for my own reference:

Easter sign and porcelain bunnies: Hobby Lobby Online (last year)
Bunny table runner and Easter eggs sign: TJMaxx (last year)
Pink and white table cloth: IKEA (really!)
Felt wreath and felt flowers: Hopscotch & Honey
Fabric garland: handmade
Candles and candle holders: Bath and Body Works (last year)
Cake stand: H&M (yes! - but 2 years old)

Weekending it

We had a great balance this week of relaxation and productivity.  We slept-in on Saturday and started  watching Fuller House on Netflix.  We watched the first episode last weekend and I feel like I covered my face for half of it because it was so corny.  But then I kept hearing everyone say it was really good so we gave it another try.  And it is.  It's definitely corny and ridiculous at times but I'm sure the original is way more corny than I remember.  Kimmy is a really great addition with a more leading role and the kids are cute.

One thing that super irritated me right from the first episode, though, is that most of the set is the exact same.  Am I really supposed to believe they have the same couch after 30 years?  Fortunately they addressed the couch issue in one episode so there's that.  I also have a hard time in general when the interior layout of the house is completely not possible if the exterior is to be believed.  I know, it's crazy.  It's just a TV show and of course it's not really that house but it's the details people! Here is the real Full House.

Jessy took Mandy and me to see it a few years back when we went to visit her in Cali.  It's a fully residential street, someone actually lives there and I bet they can agree the inside of that house is nothing like the set.

In a similar kerfuffle.  It's impossible for the below apartment building to accommodate Monica and Rachel's apartment from Friends.  Where is the giant window and balcony?

You can actually see this building in Greenwich Village.  I saw it a few years back on a walking tour.

Anyways, the rest of Saturday Dan and I made heart shaped scones and sandwiches.  I had a friend over for afternoon tea and chat and Dan graciously helped me prepare the spread and then vacated the premises for nearly four hours of girl time.  

Dan also made dinner in the crock-pot!  I am continually grateful for how helpful Dan is and his willingness to serve me in so many ways.

We did our taxes that night and this was the first year we filed together.  Holy tax benefit!!!  We filed separately last year because of my student loan but now that that is gone we were able to file together and are getting a good refund.  Woot!  So we went shopping after church on Sunday but only walked away with a few things for Dan.

This week we are looking forward to temperatures in the 70s!!!!  YAY fake Spring is here!!!!!! And I am also looking forward to Saturday when I get to make a trip to heaven on earth in New Jersey.  Terri Mom will know what this means.  Squee.

Winter Bucket List recap

Well it's supposed to snow tonight but temperatures will be in the 60s next week so bits of spring are on the horizon.  Today I'm recapping our Winter Bucket List.  I shared the list back here and we gave ourselves until March 1st to complete our winter themed adventures.

1) Painted Pot.  We visited the paint your own pottery studio over New Years weekend.  I'm not sure I ever showed the final products (I'll post it tomorrow).  Dan painted the bud vase and I painted the mug

2) Dyker Christmas Lights. Check!  See that here.

3) 1,000 piece puzzle.  This was strategic, I put this on the list because I knew Dan was getting a puzzle for Christmas.  We spent an entire day over New Years weekend puzzling.

4) Go ice skating at least twice.  We went on New Years Day and just a couple of weekends ago with the youth group back here.

5) Try two new restaurants.  I checked this off but it took me awhile to remember where we went.  We had Italian for our "office" Christmas party and then tried a great Mexican plan on New Years day.

6) Visit a museum (new to us). Fail.  We didn't get this box checked. Boo.

7) Overnight get away.  We checked that one off last weekend.

8) Movie Theater Date.  We hit a bunch of items off our list on New Year's Day, including seeing Star Wars in the theater.  See that epic weekend here.

9) Decorate Christmas Cookies.  We enjoyed doing this (back here) with my sissys in Chicago over Christmas

10)  Go to OR host a New Year's Eve party.  We attended my friend's party at her parent's house.

11) Cook three brand new recipes.  Thanks to the Pioneer Woman cookbook my mom got me for Christmas I checked this box off super quick.  New recipes we've made and loved include her Mediterranean orzo salad, baked ziti, and tomato soup.  Plus more!

12) Schedule to attend an event.  This one flew in under the radar last minute.  We bought tickets to see Blue Man Group later this month.

Check-up: 18 months

Yesterday was March 1st which is technically February 30th and our 18th month wedding anniversary!  Wow, only 18 months?? Anyways, it's time for another 6 month check-up.

See our previous check-ups here:
6 months
1 year 

This time we answered these questions separately so any commonality is either coincidence or compatibility - you decide.

1) What is your favorite memory of the last six months?

Dan: Our New Year's Day adventure to see Star Wars, ice skating, and dinner.
Steph: Our New Year's weekend when we went to the movies, ice skating, and dinner.  Lots of quality time.

2) What is your favorite part of married life so far?

Dan: A friend is always there to listen and support
Steph: Feeling mutual love and support

3) Something you weren't expecting about married life

Dan: All the fun adventures we go on
Steph: TMI, but intimacy is hard!

4) Something you are pleasantly surprised by about married life

Dan: How much we enjoy being creative together and playing games
Steph:  How easy it is to live with a boy!  Admittedly, I was mildly terrified of what that might be like before we got married. 

5) Something you didn't know about your partner before marriage

Dan: She loves to sleep in
Steph: He isn't stubborn.  He is genuinely open to hearing ideas and opinions and willing to grow and change

6) Something to work on

Dan: Exercise routine and communication
Steph: Getting to the point where we are ready to start trying for a baby

7) Something to look forward to

Dan: My sabbatical
Steph: SUMMER!!!!!  And a two month church sabbatical for Dan

8) Favorite thing about your partner right now

Dan: Her silliness and snuggles
Steph:  He makes me laugh