Weekend

So, vacation created a slight problem with the scale, so I have been back to strictly counting calories since our return.  and let me tell you, it sucks.  it's so hard getting back into it again, and I have not actually counted calories in a long time, as I have just been trying to eat healthy.  I *thought* we did well on vacay, but I think I just eat a lot more calories on vacay, and it's a problem.  So, from Wed until today, I have been perfect with recording everything and staying under 1200 calories a day.  Ugh.  After about a week of this though, I get used to it and it will not suck as much, LOL.

Had to take Bugsy and Gretel to the vet today.  Bugsy was due for like all his shots and a physical exam, and Gretel was due for one shot and her physical exam.  Gretel's *pugs not drugs* sweater was a huge hit with the vet's staff.  They both did really well, although Bugsy did NOT like the car ride.  He meowed the entire way there in the carrier, so on the way home, we let him just sit in the backseat and he was much happier.

Weather is total crap here.  Woke up to snow on the ground, again, and it has been lightly snowing all day long.  I wanted to go to Ann Arbor today and run some errands, but the plowing and salting of the roads has been really poor around here, and I did not want to risk getting into an accident.  So, I stayed in and relaxed, worked out, finished a book, started another.

so, on vacay, I had a beach mishap with my iPhone 4 and my point and shoot camera.  We were on a remote beach, and I had my purse with me, WAY back from the water and where the water never seemed to come up to.  While putting my coverup back on to leave, this HUGE wave came up and covered my purse in water, drenching my phone and camera and everything else in my purse.  Both died.  I was really due for an upgrade with the phone anyway, but was kinda annoyed about the camera (but thankful it was not my DSLR).  So, I got the new iPhone 5 when we got back (in white) and I just ordered a camera on eBay.  I got a Sony, that seemed to get really good reviews online.  Fingers crossed I love it.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Winter and baths

My body is having a super hard time adjusting to the temp change between St Maarten and Michigan (from the 80s to the 20s, ugh).

Some things I like about winter are winter coats, scarves, boots.........

Two things that came in the mail while I was gone.  I have been looking for the perfect grey coat forever, and finally got one on Gilt made by love Moschino.  Also got a winter hat by Betsey Johnson that is insanely adorable and comfy off Ideeli.com.

To try and warm up, I used the jacuzzi tub tonight and used two new products that I loved.  One was a bath oil that was really moisturizing and made my skin smell amazing, and the other was a bath salt that was very aromatic.  And 20 minutes later, I am still warmed up!  Yay!  Highly suggest both products, which I received as samples in the mail.

Work has been OK since I got back, phones have been ringing off the hook, but no court until next year, so I have been getting a lot of odds and ends done.  which is nice.  yesterday, because of the huge snowstorm we got, we closed early to avoid the horrible roads.

Hope everyone had a nice Thursday!

Back from Holiday

Hope everyone had an amazing holiday.  I know I did......I think my brain is still on holiday.  :).

So, as you all know, Kurt and I left for a 10 night jaunt in St Maarten for Christmas 2012.  We flew back on Christmas, which is an awesome day to fly (minus the fact that I almost died on a plane 3 years ago on Christmas day, LOL) as the airports are deserted.  The day before and after Christmas are always crazy busy, but the actual holiday is fairly silent.  There was almost nobody on our flights from St Maarten to Charlotte.

So, we rented a condo at a place called AquaMarina, which is in the Maho Bay area.  Good location for us, fairly central to all the things and beaches we like to visit in St Maarten.  We stayed in Tower X in condo 51.  Found it on VRBO.com.  We arrived in later afternoon in St Maarten, got our rental call via Thrifty, and headed to the condo with the use of the GPS.  I highly recommend renting a GPS while in St Maarten as the roads are very poorly marked.  Anyway, got there, got stopped at a grocery store on the way for some essentials, and got all temporarily moved in. Had dinner that night out and went to sleep early.

The rest of the trip, most days were spent on the beach, napping, reading, relaxing, swimming.  We also took a day trip to St Barths, which has aMAZing beaches.  Even prettier than St Maarten, but the island itself has less things to do and everything is insanely expensive.  Rooms over the holidays were in excess of $1000 a night, which is crazy to me!  Also, took a day trip to Anguilla, where I got to swim with the dolphins.

We ate out at lots of amazing places in Simpson Bay, Orient Beach, Marigot, Grand Case and Maho Bay. Most either on the beach or overlooking water.  My fav way to have a meal.  lots of salads and seafood and drinks........One night, we bought and drank an entire bottle of champagne in the room, which was glorious and relaxing.

Also read a ton of books on this trip, which was nice.  I almost never have time to read, so reading on vacay is always a welcome treat.

Hope everyone had an awesome holiday as well!  If you ever have questions about St Maarten, ask away!   We are now pros after 2 trips there!  :)

Holiday Parties

We had two holiday parties to attend this year on the same night, of course.  The first was the Downriver Holiday Party, which is hosted each year by a local attorney who is a good friend of ours.  It is had held at The Grand in Trenton.  The place closes for our event.  Anyway, we go every year and have an awesome time as we know most of the people there.  This year was awesome as well.  Got there around 4 and stayed until 630.  Left for the Monroe event then (which started at 600).  This event was at the Monroe Country Club.  Got there around 700 and stayed there until around 1030 PM.  This was our first year at the event.  It was a lot of fun.  They had a wine and cheese tasting, as well as dinner, apps, desserts and a PHOTO BOOTH.  the photo booth was an awesome addition.  We all had a blast making the Judges pose with us in there, and just being silly in general.  There were props, so of course those made their way into all our pics, LOL.  I have like 20 printouts from the event.  Apparently, they will be online as some point, so I will post some then.  So much fun.  Wore my new silver dress with black tights and black heels, and brought a black sweater in case I got cold.  LOVE dressing up for parties.   :)

Had dinner this weeks with a franchise of my KHFASS group that my friend Katie started in Western Wayne County.  We ate at Bahama Breeze.  Had amazing lobster and shrimp quesadillas.  It was a lot of fun, looking forward to the next outing, and to the original KFASS dinner next week!  

I have so many things I need to get done before we leave for vacay.  I have a hair appointment on Monday, but I would also love to get a pedicure and a new Shellac mani before I leave as well.  Also need to pack, buy more sunscreen, clean the house..........Instead I worked part of the day and am sitting on the couch.  Oh well, LOL.

Fun Time

Had a fun weekend.

Saturday night, we went to my friend, Nicole's fundraiser at a local bowling alley to raise money for the 3 day breast cancer walk she does each year with her Mom.  We bowled two games, had pizza, there was a raffle and a 50/50 drawing.  Had a blast bowling, and hanging with Kurt, Nicole, Harry and Chris.  Chris somehow took over the sound system at the bowling alley with his iPad, so we had great music all night as well.

The rest of the weekend was spent at home, working and grocery shopping.  I worked the bulk of the day today, and have crazy busy schedule with court and mediation this week.  So, I really should get to bed!  Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Vegas for Thanksgiving

Kurt and I took a trip to Vegas for Thanksgiving.  Had an awesome time, as usual.

We stayed at the MGM Signature.  Pros: the room was HUGE, we had a balcony overlooking the Strip, two bathrooms, including a huge master suite, quiet, great fitness room for working out.  Cons: only valet parking.  That annoys us, as we hate waiting for our car and would rather walk to a parking spot.  another pro was the room was free with airline miles.  A con for some would be it was slightly off strip, but since we rent a car, this is actually a pro for us since the Strip is so traffic filled.  I would not stay here again because the parking annoyed us, but would recommend it to others who don't care about that.

Our fav part of this trip by far was the helicopter tour we took to the Grand Canyon.  Neither of us have been the grand canyon or in a helicopter and this experience was amazing.  I loved the helicopter and Kurt was not one bit nervous, which is saying a lot considering he is such a nervous flyer.  The tour started with a limo picking us up from our hotel.  4 other people were in there with us and on our tour as well, another couple and a mother/daughter duo.  Got to the airport checkin, and had to be weighed and briefed on the safety stuff.  Got in the helicopter and Kurt and I were placed in the front.  SCORE.  Best seats and view.  Not sure how that happened, but it is by weight and the pilot places you.  WE flew over Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam, and then the canyon.  We landed and had a champagne lunch picnic in the Canyon, which was pretty kewl.  Highly recommend doing this.

We also saw a show called Shades of Temptation at NY NY hotel.  It was a good show.  Not the best I have seen, not the worst.  It was entertaining.

We also played a lot of poker at the Flamingo, and I don't think I lost one time.  Kurt played a lot of sports gambling stuff as well, and a little bit of Blackjack.

I went shopping two times, once at an outlet mall I like outside the Strip and once at Fashion Square Mall, which is on the Strip, kinda across from Venetian.  It is a huge mall with like 6 anchor stores.  I ended up getting a cute dress for the holiday parties i have this year at the Kasper outlet, and a blazer and two sweaters at The Limited.  Oh, and a great necklace from The Limited.

We worked out daily and had a lot of great meals too.  Thanksgiving, I made reservations at McCormick and Schmidt's off the strip.  Awesome seafood place.  I had clam chowder and a crab cake ceasar salad for Thanksgiving dinner, which is my kinda holiday meal.  Screw turkey and the fixings, since I can't eat most of it anyway!  :).  Perfecto for Kurty and I..........

Anyway, another Vegas Thanksgiving in the books!  Loved it and can't wait to go back.