My Week In Review (otherwise known as WIR) posts are just that: a review of my past week. I post an update here every Tuesday sharing some tidbits of my previous week as well as an accompanying photo recap with selections from my Instagram. Here’s the buzz from my week:
It may be hard to believe, but last week I didn’t have to prep for another trip! Yes, we’ve been traveling up a storm lately, but I’m home for a few weeks before another whirlwind weekend away in mid-July. Don, however, did have a quick turnaround for another business trip so it was just me and Winnie for a few days. We sure do miss him when he’s gone! There was lots of cuddling, belly rubs, and sunset walks to fill the evening time we usually spend as three. Fortunately, Don was only gone for two nights and then was able to spend the entire afternoon and evening with me on Thursday for a very special event (more on this in a moment).
Summer is definitely here and making itself known with typical midwest muggy weather! We’ve also been getting our fair share of summer storms lately with a few strangely cooler days mixed in here and there. It’s sure been an interesting year weather-wise in the Chicagoland area! How’s summer (or winter, if you live in Australia), treating you?
I spent most of my week doing what I do: filming, editing videos, taking photos, editing photos, and writing blog posts. I like how my weekdays have a nice rhythm to them in this way. I never feel bored, because there’s always something to do! And of course, I am a big believer in the “enjoy the little things” philosophy of life. I definitely get genuinely excited about the small stuff, like watching an awesome summer sunset, catching a whiff of summer flowers as I walk by a garden, the satisfaction of a freshly cleaned kitchen counter, and the joys of opening fun mail. Speaking of fun mail, my new Erin Condren 2014-15 Life Planner arrived last week. Talk about exciting! I share a close up look and my first impressions of this beauty here if you’re interested. It’s so beautiful I can’t help but smile every time I look at it. Little happy moments like these all add up to one happy me.
While I do enjoy the reassuring repetitiveness of my daily weekday routine, every now and then there is a special happening in the middle of the week that spices things up. I was honored to be invited to The Container Store‘s blogger preview and preview party last Thursday in honor of the Oakbrook store‘s grand opening over the weekend. The new space is absolutely gorgeous and I most thoroughly enjoyed the special tour and talk we were given during the preview. The most exciting part of this for me, however, was being allowed to film and take photographs inside the store. I’ve been wanting to do something like this ever since I started making YouTube videos four years ago! I will have a post and coordinating video up on Friday sharing a bit of a store tour as well as vlog-style footage from my experience. Don was super sweet in offering to come with me to assist in filming and hold my hand. We made a dayate (Day Date) out of it by enjoying a big lunch out and catching Maleficent at a local movie theater between events. We had an awesome day together.
We enjoyed a more relaxed weekend, spending most of the days around the house. Don played golf in the mornings and I worked on organizing our closet and doing a more concentrated cleaning of the garage and my car. I really enjoy cleaning up and organizing, so it was a very relaxing weekend for me.
We went to Sixteen, which is located in downtown Chicago at Trump International Hotel & Tower, for a full out fancy dinner date on Saturday night. This is my favorite Chicago restaurant at the moment. It’s definitely a splurge, but fun to do every few months since they change the menu seasonally. It’s always a treat!
On Sunday, we invited both sets of our parents over for a casual family dinner. Both of our families love sharing snacks, drinking wine, and chatting before dinner when we get together. Don grilled up his delicious target=”_blank”>shrimp fajitas and we finished the meal with gelato. I love how well our families get along and are so comfortable together!
If you’d like to see more from my weekend, check out my vlog:
As much as I love and appreciate being able to travel, I am so enjoying being home for a little bit. I always feel a deeper appreciation for my home (both the actual house and location) whenever we’ve been away and it’s comforting to me to fall back into my usual routine. There’s no place like home, right? One of the things I miss most whenever we’re away is our bed, which is unsurpassed in comfort even at the finest hotels I’ve stayed at. What do you miss most about your house when you are traveling? Let me know if you care to share! Home is where the heart is. 🙂
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