Hey squad goals!  Hope you’re rockin’ this Monday like the all-stars you are, because YOU are amazing and deserve to live every day in fantastic bliss.

Now that we’re all happy and smiling, I love reading how my favorite bloggers spend their holidays, so I figured that I should share a bit about mine, as well.  Florida update will be coming later in the week, but I’ll be focusing on our time in CHICAGO today since it was the early part of our trip.

Ray flew in from a work trip on Thursday and I changed my flight super late to get in town to celebrate a great friend’s engagement.  Ashley and Dave are two of our closest friends, even coming out to Colorado for our engagement back in June.  When we found out he was going to propose, we knew we had to be there every step of the way!

Dave proposed to Ashley in their home before bringing her to meet up with Ray and I and another couple (Kevin and Amanda) at Soho House downtown.  Yes, we got in trouble for taking pictures there, but when a friend has new bling, we have to document it!  We ate dinner, got a tour of the space, and enjoyed some catching up time in the beautiful setting for a few hours before heading to a more casual spot across the street to watch the Bulls and Blackhawks game.

I didn’t know until looking at the pictures the following day that Ray and Dave had creepily joined hands.  But I think it speaks to the fun mood of the evening.

The proposal was absolutely perfect for them.  Casual, sweet, and filled with laughter and love.  The celebration continued the following day with brunch and champagne cocktails, which I’ll outline later.  Those beverages deserve a post all for themselves!  Saturday evening, we had a fantastic dinner with Ray’s family at Big Bowl.  While it was a quick visit, it was great to see everyone before the Thanksgiving holiday!

The original reason Ray and I decided to go to Chicago before our holiday in Florida was for the Broncos/Bears game.  We’re both big Bears fans, so when we found out the two teams were playing in Chicago, we did everything we could to be a part of it!

The day was stunning.  Warm in the sunshine, which we got to enjoy for three quarters, needing only a light jacket.  But once the sun went down in that fourth quarter, my entire perspective was shifted.  It was FREEZING outside.  All in all, a great day and game, but my goodness.  Let’s just say I was considering finding a plug for the old-school, likely flammable blanket I wrapped myself in for the game.

After the game, we headed out to the suburbs to hang out at the house where I grew up and to see my mother before leaving town.  My mom lives in a beautiful condo that’s so filled with light and has an amazing view of a couple of ponds nearby (pictured below.)  She is one of those people that has only creative bones in her body and was actually kind enough to help me out with a photo shoot that you’ll be seeing tomorrow!

Her boyfriend of ~7 years works for Granite City, opening several restaurant across the year.  Once he heard that Ray and I had not been to Granite City, we had to go to dinner there!  It’s a casual restaurant with an actual brewery in each facility.  The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was enjoyable, and the company was unmatched.  If you have a Granite City near you, I highly recommend stopping by for a sampler, but be warned… the food portions are huge!

The next day, Ray and I flew down to Florida, so be looking for those updates coming later this week!

 

Weekly Workouts

As you might already notice, my week was not one of pure healthy body, instead leaning almost completely towards healthy spirit.  Because of this, I’ve decided that I have to start somewhere and am taking a cue from Ashley by listing off my weekly workouts to hopefully see improvement in the coming weeks.

Monday: Nada

Tuesday: Zero (I wasn’t kidding)

Wednesday: 45 minute run/walk

Thursday: 30 minute walk

Friday: 30 minute run/walk

Saturday: Happy Thanksgiving Workout

Sunday: Nothin

As you can see, while I was committed to at least getting my blood flowing most days, my weekly workouts definitely left a lot to be desired.  So CHEERS to a new week and staying strong!  Go team!

 

Scheduling Note

One post tomorrow AM, because we have an awesome giveaway and discount calling your name!  If you’re following me on Instagram then you’ve already gotten a couple of hints. 😉

 

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What was the best part of your workouts this week?

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Create a great life!