Friday Favorites #3

Owen’s birthday weekend is here! I cannot believe we are at the end of February and that my youngest is turning four. How do I not have any babies or toddlers anymore?! Owen really wants to go sledding on his birthday and I think we have plenty of snow to do so!

Here is a roundup of some things I’ve been loving this week. Have a great weekend!

DIY Ice Rink on the Lake

One winter activity I absolutely love is ice skating! For whatever reason, I rarely ice skated while living in Ohio. I think the last time was in 2011. Ryan and I took our nieces who were 7 and 4 at the time (now 19 and 16!).

Here’s some throwback photos from February 2011. Sorry about the quality, I didn’t have an iPhone at the time ha-ha!

Now here we are twelve years later, my own boys are the same ages, and we are back at it! Last Saturday, our neighbor asked Ryan if he wanted to help build an ice rink on the lake and they did it in no time. I was pretty impressed! It was the perfect night–no wind and a glimpse of a sunset. This is what living in northern Michigan is all about. Appreciating the beauty of winter and embracing it.

While I was grateful for the warm sun on Sunday, it made the rink too slushy for skating. That afternoon, we made a run to the Play it Again Sports store and scored some skates for the whole fam. On Monday, Owen and I had the opportunity to go out for a bit and try them out. Sunshine in the winter combined with new skates made me extra giddy.

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

I’ve jumped back on the Colleen Hoover bandwagon. So far, I have read November 9, Verity, Regretting You, and Maybe Someday. I don’t know if I am a huge fanatic like others seem to be, but I enjoy her books for what they are. I am about halfway through It Ends with Us and it’s actually really good! It may just be my favorite of hers so far (a close call with Regretting You). It’s more than just melodramatic romance. The characters have depth and experience real life hardships like abuse and homelessness. I am completely invested in the plotline and really cannot predict how this book will end which I love. I’m flying through it!

Beauty by Earth Self Tanning Lotion

This is usually the time of year I really start to miss my summer tan. It’s going to be a few months before it returns, so I’ve been looking for something to bring me a little color during these winter days. Since I am not showing a lot of skin right now, I didn’t want to deal with the mitt and foaming mess that other sunless tanners involve. I really like how this product applies like lotion and gives a beautiful tan color without being too obvious. It also has all natural ingredients and lasts 3-4 days. I want to try the face tanner now!

Yeti Fest with Family

You can read my blog post here about Yeti Fest. It was definitely a highlight this past week, and what made it extra special was enjoying the day with my sister and brother-in-law and baby niece Hazel. I was worried we weren’t going to have enough to do during the long winters up here, but boy was I wrong. More about that next!

SNOW!

Right now, I should be getting the boys ready to head out the door for school, but it’s a SNOW DAY! A winter storm hit our area Wednesday night and I still see snow falling as I type this Thursday morning.

Moving to northern Michigan has completely shifted my perspective about winter. I’m still gaining confidence driving in the snow, and not sure how many more winters the minivan will suffice, but other than that I am digging winter a lot more than I thought I would. I love the balance of hibernating and adventuring in the wintertime. Some days are spent reading by the crackling fire, while other days we’re speeding downhill on a snow tube. I know come March I’ll probably be longing for spring as winter does drag its feet up here. That’s why you just got to embrace it!