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Backwards. That’s how life seems to go for us. I don’t necessarily mean it as a bad thing, just an odd order for life to flow in. Our move to Michigan last year was no different. Michigan wasn’t really where either one of us wanted to go. We both dream of moving somewhere warmer, with better weather even than what we had in North Carolina…yet here we are. Ranked based on how miserable the Winters are, we moved from #38 on the list of 50 to #2. Look at us go.
I feel like I see the sun once a week (maybe a few times more in the last week or two) and there is no chance you’re going to find us doing anything outside. It’s been incredibly windy, so we can’t even enjoy the weather being above 32 degrees because it still feels like upper teens / low 20s. We have found plenty to keep us busy inside though.
I have wanted a KitchenAid Mixer for what seems like forever. Well, I finally got one for Christmas and I have been using it every chance I get. Hubby loves chocolate. And cake. Valentine’s Day seemed like a good excuse to bake, so here we are. Now I have a huge cake sitting on my counter, staring at me, begging me to eat it. French Macarons will be my next experiment. I love, love, love them. I hear they are hard to make, and between that and what I just spent on ingredients, I now understand why you will pay $2 or $3 each for good ones.
As much as I may want to stay in the house and never venture out into the cold (believe me, it has been cold), we try to get out of the house and do something every weekend. There was one weekend we didn’t leave at all. It was the weekend I did our taxes. That process sucked all the wind out of our sails. I really just wanted to hide when I was done, but there is no hiding from the IRS.
Among the least fun activities we’ve taken on, I would have to say that mattress and furniture shopping would have to rank at the top. We want a new mattress, we need a new mattress, my husband and I can’t agree on a new mattress. The truth is, we both want the complete opposite, so we continue to sleep on what we’ve got (which isn’t all that terrible, but it’s definitely near the end of it’s life cycle.) In addition to mattress torture, we’re also in the market for a new couch for the living room. We really want a sectional, and we’ve found one we like, we’re just having a hard time pulling the trigger. And sectionals are expensive, you guys.
That’s not my living room, or even my house, in the picture above. It is one of the displays at the Sloan Museum in Flint. We originally headed over because the traveling Titanic exhibit is here right now, but ended up checking out the rest of the museum too. I previously visited the Titanic exhibit when it was at the NC Museum of History in Raleigh, NC several year ago. Nothing has changed, but it was really neat to go through it all again. One of the cool parts of the exhibit is that you are assigned a boarding pass when you enter the exhibit. You get some basic info on the passenger you represent (where they are from, where they are traveling to, etc) and you can find out if your person lived or died at the end of the exhibit. When I went through years ago, my assigned passenger did not survive. This time though, my passenger was one of the lucky ones. I wish I could share pictures with you, but unfortunately photography of any kind is not permitted within the exhibit.
We’ve also made a few trips to the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi for various events. The picture of Pikachu and me was taken at the Novi Home Show. There were tons of vendors there and I left lusting so badly for a hot tub for our patio. If you follow me on Instagram, you may remember seeing me post a video of the water dogs at the Michigan Winter Classic dog show. It was the weekend just before the home show and honestly, I felt like the home show would’ve been better if the pups had still been hanging around. I love my animals. My husband is totally prepared to come home to either a) another cat, b) a hedgehog or c) something I’ve rescued from the backyard. I’d be swimming in a sea of puppies if either of us worked less, but our days are just too long for a puppy right now.
Last, but not least, we’ve hit up a few hockey games. I’ve never really been a huge fan, but when you live in the north, being a hockey fan is expected. I’m trying to embrace the differences in the North and the South and hockey is definitely one of them. We haven’t been to an NHL game, but have been going to the league below and watching the Flint Firebirds. It’s fun, inexpensive and can be planned on the fly. I love that we can just walk in and get tickets. It is cold in there though. Very cold. I never take off my coat, even wear gloves sometimes, and will pay $2 for a cup of instant hot chocolate without thinking twice!
Our weather is supposed to be a bit warmer this weekend (signs of Spring?) and I am very much looking forward to getting outside. You know it’s been a long Winter when 45 starts to feel balmy. Next week, I’ll be working on a review of the Mitsubishi Outlander (courtesy of Mitsubishi), so please keep a look out for pictures on Facebook and Instagram. I will also hopefully be tackling those French Macarons in the next week or so and will have my success (or failure) story to share on those as well. Last but not least, we’ll be heading off to Traverse City later this month, so be sure to check back for a recap of our adventures there.
Have a great weekend!
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