halloweekend!

Hello and goodbye to Halloween, 2010! Halloween should fall on a Sunday every year...it's such sweet anticipation for that trick-or-treating climax and it should last all weekend long. This is the first year that Logan really "got" Halloween, so it was lots of fun for us this year. We had 3 parties to attend so it was the perfect excuse for Logan to rotate his 3 costumes: a Star Wars Clonetrooper, Spiderman and Superman. He is going through quite the superhero phase, as you can probably tell. Dressing up for Logan is fun, but it's nothing compared to the treats. Logan is an absolute candy kid and was hopped up on sugar all week and weekend too. Some fun memories of our family this weekend:

* Matt's super-sized strawberry margarita when we went out for Mexican with friends. $20 worth of frozen fruity goodness!

* A sweet brother photo shoot to commemorate Logan's 4th birthday and Meyer's 18 month birthday. Some highlights:

* We sold our bedroom furniture!! Now to finalize plans for our new, cozy haven. Ideas coming soon!

* Logan the Clonetrooper's 2 rounds of trick-or-treating, complete with a costume change to Spidey in the middle. I think he could have gone all night, if we let him!

* Meyer the Pirate couldn't get enough treats himself. Every time someone came to the door with a candy basket, Meyer reached out as if to grab it all for himself!

Happy Halloweekend, from our family to yours!

updating my makeup bag.

I love makeup. Although you would never guess it from how rarely I wear it, I truly adore the way I can transform my look with a swipe of mascara, a sweep of shadow and a dab of gloss. However, being a makeup minimalist comes with it's own set of difficulties. Like how to create a mid-drama look for going out...I am SO not the high-drama type. I do like shimmer...on my lids and on my lips, but not at the same time of course. But wearing shimmer the right way (you know, with my age and all) is a mystery that I have to work on unraveling. In the meantime, I picked up a couple of things this week to help.

Stila It-Girl Shadow Palette...only $10 at Ulta!As far as nail polish goes...I've always been a fan of the pale pink/nude shades- in any season. Until I saw how awesome dark polish looked on my sister's toes. So I decided to take the plunge. She was sporting OPI's William Tell Me About It- which was a great color, but a little too matte for my shimmer loving taste. I opted for Black Cherry Chutney. My toes will be rocking this fall!

surprisingly delicious!

Boneless pork chops marinated in jerk paste and then grilled to perfection have been a staple in our house this summer. This amazing side dish that I just discovered is a great accompaniment. Add some basmati or brown rice and you have a meal that will tantalize your tastebuds!

Chickpea Simmer

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
a pinch of crushed red pepper
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
4 cups of fresh spinach, packed

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Fry onion, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper till softened, about 3 minutes. Add chickpeas and tomatoes, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer till liquid is mostly evaporated. Add spinach. Serve over brown or basmati rice. Enjoy!

not just wasted space.

I just adore my blog title photo. In addition to bringing back memories of one of the best days this summer, it just amazes me that I took such a great picture of the lake and Chicago skyline. It doesn't even look like Chicago to me! A few weeks ago, I was reading an issue of Chicago Parent and it listed the 6 best parks in the city. And guess which park made the cut? Berger Park in Edgewater, where this photo was taken! Must be fate.

You are probably thinking of course she loves the photo...that's why it's so huge!! Seriously. It's massive- you have to scroll halfway down the page just to pass it. But I can't figure out how to make it smaller. All you you blog experts out there...any ideas?

Another great weekend is almost on the books. One thing is didn't include enough of was time with my husband. He was a rockstar the past couple days hanging out with the kidlets while I was able to have some me time. Today it's his turn for some me time!

I have been on the hunt for some skinny jeans for a few weeks now. Keeping up with the trends at my age is such a fine line. Skinny...but not too skinny. Fitted...but not too fitted. You get the idea. I really wish I were more fashion inclined, like my friend Meghan. She's truly talented and I seriously drool over her fashion recommendations on her blog, Wit & Whimsy. Living vicariously through her blog posts is so much fun, and she's a sweetheart too. :) Maybe she should start a blog for fashion for the over-30 crowd! Maybe in a few years when she's in my shoes.

Anyway, I found my skinny jeans. I really wanted to indulge in a gorgeous pair of Skylines from Paige Premium Denim...but my budget-conscious self settled for a nifty pair of skinny Diva jeans from Old Navy. They fit like a glove and I feel cool and carefree while wearing them. Huge thumbs up!

Last night was an interesting combo of dinner and drinks. My dad, his girlfriend and my little sister Lindsay joined Matt, the boys and I for dinner at a Joliet institution. Merichka's has been around for a long time. Even the sign outside has a definite throwback quality...and if you set foot in the place, you definitely feel the vibe too. There aren't many places these days that have a relish tray on the menu, a la an episode of Mad Men. But relish trays and cracker baskets have a unique mainstay on Merichka's menu, much to the delight of my boys. Saltines and butter kept them both occupied for quite awhile! And Lindsay and I were delighted by our drink choice...Absolut Pear combined with Lemonade and soda. Mmmm. Will have to remember this one next summer!

But the main reason to go to Merichka's...the poor boy (pictured above). Hands down, it's the best poor boy ever. Another Joliet institution, a poor boy is an oblong patty of well done chopped cube steak set upon a 12 inch loaf of french bread that has been drenched in a delicious, sinful, odorous garlic butterine sauce. American cheese makes the sandwich for me, but you could also choose swiss cheese or none at all. Grilled onions or dill pickles can flank your sandwich also, but this is the one sandwich I've eaten that the meat and cheese (and garlic butter, of course) is completely perfect all on it's own. Heaven. Add onion rings or fried mushrooms and you have a meal that should only be indulged in annually. I don't even want to think about the calories I ingested last night. But it was all worth it, even the garlic perfume I am wearing today as a result. :)

Matt and I went home, tucked the kids in bed and I headed back out to hang out with some friends and catch the fabulous lead vocal stylings of my super talented sister and her band, Wasted Space. We rocked out to some fun tunes, most of which were from back in the day and my sister performed them to perfection. So it seemed fitting that the company consisted of old friends, a few of which I hadn't seen in years. Between sets were drinks, shots and catching up. Such a fun night...the only thing missing was the company of my husband. Next time for sure!

parties, pumpkins, perfection.

Hello out there! I'm sure you missed me, those precious few of you who have been following me and my family this past summer. We're a few weeks into fall now, though you'd never know it from the weather. Instead of bundling up in cozy sweaters and warming up with pumpkin spice lattes as I mentioned a few posts ago, we're trying to stay cool in this indian summer that has enveloped the Chicago area this past week. I have mixed feelings regarding the warm up...but I mostly wish that Mother Nature would let fall arrive already instead of teasing us with a season past. Picking pumpkins and going on hayrides just isn't the same in 85 degree weather!

We had such fun celebrating Logan's birthday for an entire week! What a special time for our family. His actual birthday was on a Tuesday, and he woke up to balloons and a special present from Mommy & Daddy. The celebration continued with meeting Daddy for lunch and a trip to the candy store...one of Logan's favorite places. I've never met a kid with a sweeter tooth! Thursday was Logan's birthday celebration at school. He got to wear a crown all day and he and his friends indulged in a special birthday pudding treat! All of Logan's other friends came over for a kidlet birthday party on Friday, where they gorged on sweet treats and cupcakes, played games and made a craft. The week was topped off by yet another celebration on Saturday with our closest friends and family. Whew! It was a supremely busy week, but so worth it to see the joy and happiness on Logan's face all week.

Just 6 days after Logan turned 4, I had a birthday. I turned 35 last week. Smack dab in the middle of my thirties. Incredible. I don't feel 35, I feel much younger, even though I've been seeing subtle differences in my looks the past couple years. This aging thing really plays with your head, that's for sure. Anyway, my husband spoiled me, as usual. Why is it that he goes above and beyond for my birthday, yet he won't let me reciprocate for his? My mom took me out for a special birthday lunch...sushi! I finally got the Chicago Fire Roll I'd been craving forever. Thanks, Mom...and happy birthday to me!

The pumpkin farm is a yearly excursion for our family. We've been to several, both near and far. This year, we made the 10 minute drive to Konow's Corn Maze. As I mentioned above, the weather was hot but we made the best of it. So many fun things to do. The boys rode ponies (Logan got Lady, Meyer chose Scout), jumped on the massive bouncy pillow (the size of a basketball court, no joke!), and Logan sank into a vat of corn kernels. We topped off our visit with a ride on the cow train...which is pulled by a tractor and is very bumpy. The boys and I had a ball! Till next year!

And last but not least...we took the train to the city to spectate at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. So much fun walking the streets of the city and feeling the energy of the amazing runners taking on the challenge of 26.2. We indulged in a delicious brunch at Eleven City Diner, enjoyed the best Chicago Mix popcorn ever, and just took in all sights and sounds of the energy that day. Oh, and Matt and I also decided to run Chicago 2011. Yes...we are both going to run our first (and last) marathons!!!!!