Tulip Time Weekend

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First things first. The beauty of snapchat is that I can do things like this and not be completely hated by everyone I know:

I made my way to the deck on Thursday and spent some time working out there with the dog. It has turned into a habit. Basically, any time it looks reasonable out there, I drag my computer out and throw on my visor (lame looking but saves my eyes from wrinkles when I work in the sun). And it. Is. Glorious.

This past week has been Tulip Time in my husband's hometown of Holland, Michigan. It's a week long celebration of all things Dutch, and the schedule is packed full with dancing, crafts, and history.

Oh, and lots of parades, rides, and carnival food.

On Saturday, I begged my husband to take me to the parade. I guess the regulars around here are over it, but I was not going to miss going to Tulip Time the one year I am actually living here. So, sir.

The parade was awesome, and we decided to walk against the grain so we could see it all in less time (typical). There were tons of marching bands, which my husband is fascinated by and even knows a lot of the music to. There were also a lot of people in Dutch costumes (see the people in the parade above).

After about an hour of parade watching, we were ready for a cocktail (this parade is in the afternoon, not morning). We went into a restaurant off of the main strip that has delicious cocktails. Like, they have a whole menu just for martinis. I had this peach drink which consisted of peach vodka, whipped cream vodka, and mango puree. It was naturally sweet and delicious!

After cocktail time, we stopped in a nearby store because my husband suddenly wanted to buy a skateboard. We spent almost an hour in that shop, and then headed outside to the carnival food. My husband and his brother both bought "Elephant Ears," which are apparently kind of like a huge, fried pastry the size of a personal pizza. It was covered in sugar and cinnamon.

My thoughts? It was tasty enough for one bite, but I wasn't in love with it. There must be a major nostalgia component to everyone who loves them. 

That night, after walking around all afternoon, we hung out back at the house... and we were even more active. Remember how I mentioned my husband wanted a skateboard? Yeah, well I tried it, and let's just say I'm not gonna quit my day job.

On Sunday, we started the day with church. Afterward, it was still beautiful outside, so my husband and I sat out on the deck for a bit with the dog. 

Once we'd had enough sun and heat, we went on a walk in the nearby forest preserve and got some steps in. 

While we were on our walk, we came up with a plan for the night. We drove up Lake Shore Drive to Grand Haven and went to a seafood restaurant called Grand. It is built inside of an old theater, and they did a great job renovating it so that it still has the same old school charm.

I had a delicious martini that was extremely strong (whoops) and my husband drank beer. He got fish and chips, while I got a huge chopped salad.

Once we got home, I was ready to hit the hay. A combination of an active weekend, in the sun, and a boozy cocktail or two was enough to put me into sleep mode.

Next weekend, we will be packing to get ready to move into a new house. So, cheers to a fun weekend in the sun with a dark weekend in boxes on the horizon!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

• Are you taking advantage of the nice spring weather?
• What's your favorite go-to cocktail?

Beach Time Trumps Blogging

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Sorry I went missing for a while there... a full week to be exact! Not sure how long it's been since I took an entire week off from blogging. Let's just say... I procrastinated and I'm sorry.

That said, I was pretty freaking busy. Between work events, Bulls (I mean Pistons) games, and a trip to Florida, I've been a little bit all over the place and I'm a lot okay with it.

On Friday, my husband and I headed down to Florida. I took a half day for our late afternoon flight, and things went pretty smoothly.

We flew Chicago > Atlanta > Tampa. My MIL/FIL picked us up at the airport and drove us to Clearwater Beach, where their place is. It was pretty late, so we ended up chatting and then hitting the hay. In the morning, I awoke to a pretty stellar view.

Not a bad way to wake up, eh?

We headed over to the Hyatt for breakfast. I went with an asparagus and goat cheese omelet that left me STUFFED to the brim. Afterward, we went back to my in-laws' place to regroup and get sun ready.

Did I mention I am blessed to have married into a family with great taste? My mother in law and father in law gutted this place and decorated on their own, and it turned out to be a wonderfully modern take on beach living.

Sun and gratitude exercises

We went outside, where there is a large patio with a pool, lots of deck chairs and umbrellas, and a nice view of the Gulf of Mexico. For the next few hours, we sunned ourselves. 

When early afternoon rolled around, we were hungry for a little snack and bar action. We got some fish spread and crackers. Everyone got a Strawberry Daiquiri, but I am a weirdo who is skeptical of blended drinks at bars, so I opted for a Corona.

Post-snack, my husband and I took a walk down the pier to get a view of the beach from out on the water. 

We walked along the beach on our way back, and then spent a bit more time in the sun before going back inside to get ready for dinner.

My husband's grandmother had made us reservations at Carlouel Yacht Club, so I went ahead and busted out the black dress on our first night in town.

We headed over to Carlouel, which was a short drive away, at the end of the island. 

Once we got back from Carlouel, we weren't fully ready to hit the hay yet, so we ordered Stuck In Love On Demand. I had mixed feelings about it at first, but ultimately the movie just made me want to publish a book. And be nice to people more. Two good things to want to do!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

• Do you spend time in the sun on vacations?
• Have you seen any good movies lately?