List

I am SOOO looking forward to this long weekend.  I fully intend to relax and enjoy the absolutely perfect weather we have in Chicago right now.  But, as always, I'm already creating a list in my mind of things I'd like to accomplish as well.  

The first item on my list is....well, as list.  I am inspired by the ever-creative Meg at Whatever.  She recently posted their summer list and I am motivated to do the same this year.  I think it will be fun to try and come up with some creative ideas and tackle them this summer.  We live in Chicago and have seriously underutilized some of the things available to us in the beautiful city.  So, this weekend I'm going to start putting my "list" together.

Other things on the long-weekend list:

• Finish putting my plants / flowers in the yard.
• Walk to the farmer's market for fresh donuts (and maybe some fresh veggies, too).  Done!
• Work on a play area for the boys in the backyard (that is really on my hubby's list).
• Clean my room and put ALL the clothes away.
• Some self-pampering, perhaps?  Hair color, bangs trimmed and mani/pedi (all DIY, of course).
• Maybe switch out the boys clothes and find some shorts (poor children...Gabe went to school in jeans on this beautiful day).
• Get through a giant pile of mail.
• Work on thank-you's from my 5-year-old's birthday party (that was TWO months ago...I WILL get them done!).
• Dinner / cookout with friend(s).
• Work on an embroidery project my grandma started me on, oh.....7 years ago? MUST finish for her birthday in two weeks (been trying for every Christmas and birthday since she started me on it....shameful!).
• RELAX.
• Last, but definitely not least, fill the house with some fresh flowers...particularly a bunch of these:

Hope you all have a perfect long weekend, and good luck with your lists, if you have one.  :-)

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

We had a spur of the moment Cinco de Mayo celebration tonight.  I stopped by the store on my way home and picked up all the essentials for our little fiesta, including the "margaritas" pictured above (non-alcoholic, as the children were drinking as well :-)).  These were sooooo good.  We haven't made them in a while, but it's just limeade concentrate, a can of water and lots of ice.  Wet the rims of the glasses with a lime (or water) and dip them in bowl of kosher salt before you fill them.

Gotta have chips and guac (avocados were on sale in honor of the day!):

All the fixin's for some chicken tacos....onions, tomatoes, cilantro, cheese:

I caught this guy licking the leftover salt from this glass.  He is his mama's boy.  I love me some salt!  :-)

Happy Cinco de Mayo!