Spring Break!!!

Today is the last day of school before spring break at my university. I am thrilled that we will have this time off, since for the past couple of months I've been working through the weekends, grading papers and checking homework. I found this great reminder about how to make the most of time off, and it seemed only appropriate to post it, you know, to ring in spring break.

Five Gratitudes

Well, the week is pretty much done. So much has happened, been accomplished, and flown by at lightning speed, it's time to pause. Time to reflect a little bit on what I am grateful for. Time to breathe deep breaths. (I've sucked at breathing all week...)

And, since I usually assign a list of five gratitudes to my students, I have compiled a list of five as well. :)

1. As exciting and great as this week has been--first classes! meeting students! new campus!--I am so, so grateful for the weekend.

1. I'm grateful for my lovely new (to me, anyway) campus.

1. I'm grateful for my friendships with my mom and sister, and I'm grateful that they both came over for a wine-down (winding down with wine, of course) the other night!

1. I'm grateful for my incredibly generous mother-in-law, who is gifting us with a beautiful new bed (and for my equally generous father-in-law, who is delivering it tonight!). 

1. I'm grateful for a cozy, Friday-night-in with my hubs. 

What are you grateful for today?

back in the mitten

Sorry if the posting has been sparse, these past few days. We were running around, getting ready for a long weekend up north. Not just the top of the Mitten, but (as my friend said) "in the squished-up-skinny-rabbit part of the state." Or, the Upper Peninsula.  Now, we are back in the Mitten proper. It was a great trip, but it is always good to be home:)

While up in Marquette, we hiked a small mountain...the payoff was fantastic views!

Lake Superior is just stunning. 

We also did a bit of wading, a bit of bouldering, to get to "Hidden Beach."

It is completely surrounded by these red, rocky cliffs... a private isle experience!

We wandered around downtown Marquette, checking out the art scene. I loved this fence made up entirely of skis!

True. Very true. 

This "tree" is fabricated. It "blooms" petunias!!

Taking shelter from a sudden rainstorm. 

We picked wild raspberries and explored behind our friend's Grandma's house.

On the way home, we stopped off at a beach to stretch our legs. Lake Michigan looked, felt, even smelled different than Superior had!

But both lakes were equally chilly! 

So, that was our trip. We had a great time, but now it's back to the routine. I'll hopefully get a Meatless Monday post up later today. Until then, hope you're having a great day, friends.

Weekend Adventures

It is Wednesday, but I am still feeling the ripples of refreshment and the tinge of adventure from our holiday weekend. 

The hotel we stayed at was really cool, a legitimate eco-conscious place with a cool, minimalist vibe

We went for a couple of walks around town...stopping to smell the flowers...

...and eat ice cream! This is the "sand dune" from Captain Sundae. Uh, yum. 

We found a couple of lovely trails that were new to us, so we meandered through the trees.

And we got a great view of this working windmill!

Downtown Holland is full of quirky little details, like intricate stonework or vintage signs. 

Sunset over Lake Macatawa

We found this lovely, dune-shielded beach in Laketown.

And we climbed this dune to get to it! Oy, my calves!!

Ah, but it was so, so worth it. Lake Michigan was refreshing, and we were serenaded by the soft crash of waves all afternoon! 

On the way home, the hubs spontaneously pulled into the parking lot of this antiques store.

I fell in love with this punch-stiching piece. 

It used to be a tool-shop! 

All-in-all, a wonderfully refreshing little adventure. What did you do over the long-weekend? 

happy holiday weekend!!

Friends, I hope you are heading for a fun and fabulous weekend. The hubs and I are heading off for a bit of an early-anniversary mini-break to Holland, MI. I am beyond excited! I am going to hurry off to finish packing...see you next week!

Meal Plan Monday

A few posts ago, I casually let it slip that we are going up north in...well let's see...less than 2 weeks now!!!

Ahem.

Not that I'm excited or anything. 

I'm currently so *not* excited, that I've already begun compiling a meal-plan for our weekend. Here are some excerpts:

Ciabatta French Toast and Berry Smoothies

Hollumi and Tomato Stacks and Lemon-Oregano Chicken

Steak Hash with Eggs (mine will likely not be poached!)

Mmmh. I am getting SO hungry(...and excited)!

 But tell me, friends, what sorts of foods do you like to prepare on vacation? Any easy-to-pack, easy-to-make suggestions? 

p.s. loved this article about packing healthy food for a weekend getaway...

Two weeks to go...

...until we head here! Jake and I are gonna escape for a "mini-break," as the Brits call it, with our friends and their two adorable boys. I am so, so excited to get outta dodge for a long weekend. And to my beloved Lake Michigan, no less.

 

*sigh*

Do you have any mini-breaks planned this summer? Any regular-sized breaks? Where to?