It's the little things in life, MIMM #2

   Sometimes I think about all the things I want in life that I don't have and it can make me feel down because I don't have those things, but other days I remember to look at what I do have and enjoy the little things. I have been getting better at staying positive. I believe staying positive really makes a difference. So this weekend, even if things didn't go the way I had planned in my head, I did take some time to enjoy the little things in life. Anyway, time for my second MIMM to help keep up my positive thinking.
    Marvelous is.... going to the movie theater for the first time since July. I went to see Saving Mr. Banks and I have to say it was quite an interesting and good movie. It's based on how Walt Disney got the rights to Mary Poppins. I enjoy Mary Poppins, maybe because my mom enjoys musicals, but since I enjoy that movie, I was interested in Mr. Banks.

    Marvelous is...receiving a Christmas card in the mail when you weren't expecting one.

    To follow that, Marvelous is....writing a letter to that person to thank them for the Christmas card. I know no one really writes letters anymore, but I enjoy it when there is an opportunity to.

    Marvelous is...buying peppermint tea and drinking it, even if it has warmed up to 40 degrees outside this weekend, but the temperatures will only drop to 0 today...

   Marvelous is...finally going ice skating at Millennium Park this season. I went with my sister and her friend. Although it was a bit rainy/snowy and cold, we had fun and went shopping on Michigan Ave afterwards.

Lastly, Marvelous is working only a day and a half then getting a day and a half off for New Years.
I hope everyone enjoys New Years and as always thank you Katie for hosting.

Merry Christmas!!

Just popping in to say

source

Merry Christmas Everyone!! Hope everyone has a fabulous day!!

Merry Christmas Eve!!

Merry Christmas Eve!! Still can't believe Christmas day is tomorrow!!

Last night I was able to stay up late and bake!! It was so much fun (and I may have been on a sugar high). I finally got my gingerbread cookies baked and they came out delicious. My sister frosted my sugar cookies I made the night before and helped out with my gingerbread.

gingerbread cookies frosted

me and my bf :)

frosting gingerbread takes concentration

beautifully sprinkled sugar cookies and gingerbread

   For breakfast, my dad decided to make corn muffins (though I had already eaten so it was my second breakfast).

We don't really do anything for Christmas Eve. We were going to go ice skating downtown today, but waking up and discovering it's 0 degrees outside, I think we are going to stay in for most of the day and hopefully go ice skating on Saturday when it's a warmer 30 degrees. Instead we'll clean up the house a bit for our guests tomorrow and make some peppermint bark and other food. At least it will be a white Christmas as we woke up to some more snow this morning.

Hope everyone has a fabulous day!! Stay warm!!

Fun and Relaxing weekending, MIMM #1

Well I've been reading this posts for a while and I thought why not join in on the fun, because this weekend was pretty great and I thought I'd share. This is my first attempt at a link up, so I hope it works. Thank you Katie for hosting.


Marvelous is... my Friday night as I enjoyed some dinner out before heading to my regular Friday night yoga class at 5:30 and then participating in a special winter solstice event 108 sun salutations right after. 2.5 hours of yoga is a pretty great workout.

Marvelous is free yoga on Saturday morning... a new yoga studio One2one just opened on December 11th. I heard about this place through a friend and it is such a one on one teaching style, so I feel like I get a better workout from it compared to the crowded classes of 40 or more people at my gym. Though, being a new studio, not many people know about it yet so classes will eventually get more crowded, but for now I will enjoy the small classes.

Marvelous is finding time for 8 hours of yoga in one week!! That's quite a bit, especially since I usually only do 2 hours at most, but I definitely enjoyed it!

Marvelous is seeing my friend dance Saturday night... I took the train to downtown Chicago to head to the Winter Dance Bash that my friend was performing in with Alliance Dance Company. There were also some other dance groups performing as well. One of my favorites is the amazing talented tap dancers of M.A.D.D. Rhythms. I am truly amazed at how well they improvise to the music. I took tap dance from age 8 to 18 and then continued during the second semester of college until graduation. I really miss tap dance classes. Maybe I can take them again someday.

Marvelous is my massage....Sunday morning, I ate breakfast and then got ready to head downtown once again. This time for a massage which I actually won in a raffle about a month ago from Alliance Dance Company's fundraiser.

Marvelous is enjoying a chocolate chip scone before my massage....I arrived in downtown a little early and found a little sweet shop and cafe that was on my way, called Bittersweet, so I stopped there and had a chocolate chip scone and read for a bit before walking down the street to my massage.

chocolate chip scone

massage sitting area

   Marvelous is coming home to this furball, my cat Tom..

    

Marvelous is making cookies....Sunday night I made a sugar cookie recipe from here. Then I worked on making a gingerbread cookie dough. The sugar cookies still need to be frosted but they look good. The gingerbread dough is still sitting in the fridge and I plan to make them after work today. 

cutting out sugar cookies

gingerbread dough

sugar cookies

    Finally, Marvelous is having Tuesday and Wednesday off for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!! 

Happy Holidays everyone!!