Weekend Recap

In the spirit of feeling like I just need to write and get back into the groove of things, I'm giving myself approximately 42 minutes to write a blog post for you - just enough time to catch the new Jane the Virgin episode. I did promise I may write about whatever comes to mind on any given day, and today's it's a reflection on the long Thanksgiving weekend. So here you go!First of all, I feel very fortunate to have had the day before, day of, and day after Thanksgiving off. I've never had the day before Thanksgiving off since I've worked full-time, and I did work a Black Friday one year (yep, one year was good enough), so the fact that I had all three days felt like a mini vacation.On Wednesday, I met up with a couple of my old coworkers for lunch at Bona Fide Thai (AMAZING thai food if you're in the Bloomington-Normal area!). I hadn't seen them since one of them moved to North Carolina recently, so it was really nice to catch up. Since leaving my last job, I've really reflected on how strange it is to go from seeing people and sharing life stories every. single. day., to only catching up once in awhile. People move onto new jobs and new places, so it's completely understandable, but I hope people know how much they continue to mean to me. Even if I haven't talked to an old friend in many months, I still think about them and care so much about what's going on their lives. I definitely need to make more of a conscious effort to show this more than just think this.On Thursday, I spent the morning making some Apple Pie Stuffed Cupcakes with good ole trusted Betty Crocker. I will say, there were more authentic, intricate, *better* recipes I could've used, but the box mix worked out just fine. I did make the whipped cream frosting from scratch though! My family said they liked them, so that's all that matters to me. After I finished making the cupcakes, I went to my mom's to hangout and provide just a little cooking help before heading to our cousins' house. Like I mentioned in this post, we don't have a very big family, but that's why it's extra special when we do get together. One of my favorite parts of our family gatherings is playing games after dinner, usually with just the other women in the family. I think it's special because they all have such fond memories of playing cards and other games with their moms, aunts, cousins, etc., so the tradition continues.On Friday, my mom and I went to yoga in the morning, which was so relaxing after indulging in entirely too much ham and scalloped corn the day before. It was a donation-based class at Palms Together Yoga, and they said it was one of the biggest turnouts they've seen for their donation classes, so that was great. It was so nice to just rest and stretch and focus on gratitude. In my workouts, I've been more focused on cycling, bootcamp, weight lifting, running, etc., and haven't really made time to incorporate yoga, so I'm hoping to do more of that. After yoga, my mom and I went shopping for a bit; sometimes it's fun to join the crazies even if you don't really need anything. The stores actually weren't terrible, but that probably had something to do with the fact that we went around noon and they open at like 3pm Thanksgiving Day now (like really? can we stop this already??).This year, my boyfriend went back to his hometown for Thanksgiving, so we spent time together Friday night and got to hang out the rest of the weekend. Most years we try to go to each other's family's Thanksgiving or some combination, but we also try to be flexible and understanding from year to year. On Saturday, we went shopping with my mom for Small Business Saturday, which is so much better than Black Friday to me. Yes, the deals can be pretty unbeatable on Black Friday, but I think it's so much more fun to go to local businesses, find unique gifts for people, and support our community. Some of my favorite ones in Bloomington-Normal are Refine 309, Retrofit Culture, and Uptown Gifts! (among many others - those are just a few we visited on Saturday!)On Sunday, my boyfriend and I pretty much vegged out on the couch all day. Wait, I take that back; there was some productivity. We got on a mini cleaning spree in the kitchen because we started talking about pulling out the stove for the first time in over two years (I know, gross). Once we had that out, I started cleaning the outside and he started working on the inside, then the microwave, then the dishes, then the sheets... it sounds longer than it lasted really, but just had to mention the minimal productivity that took place before 4pm. Oh and I went on a run, that counts. Then, we decided to go get ramen at Kobe Hibachi Steak House, and it was pretty freakin delicious. Although, I do feel like we make our own, spicier version just as good if not better (even if it's not authentic and full of fake ingredients from those little ramen spice packets). Sunday night I spent a little time with my mom and watched the first episode of the Gilmore Girls revival. Interested to see where it goes from here!Well, I probably forgot a few things, but I'm t-minus 2 minutes from my post deadline. There's definitely something to say for just writing and getting things off your mind. I also love the idea of documenting some of the random daily things that go on in my life, because this blog will always be something I can come back to.Hope you found at least a little morsel of happy after reading this! You deserve a milkshake if you made it this far.Time for Jane the Virgin! (Really, get with this show if you're not already!)Sara