we were excited to have olivia and aaron over for a simple saturday night dinner. we try to take turns to come into the city and they try to come out to the ‘burbs…since we are now suburbanites. {insert monkey emoji covering his eyes} so they wanted to come out to us this time!
we kept it very low key. we didn’t have olive this weekend because hc’s parents wanted her for a sleep over. so, we decided to throw some items onto the grill and buy some deli items to compliment it. voila! a simple, easy meal.
as usual, olivia and i secluded ourselves and just chitchatted the night away while aaron and hc hung out. as i have said in the past, olivia and i can talk, talk, talk the hours away. we always have endless amounts of topics to talk about. it’s seriously never ending! i love the comfort of our friendship and love that about us.
it was also the first time i really wanted to have a glass of wine. yup. hc poured us each a glass and i happily sipped on it. it was delicious! although, i only had maybe eight sips in total, it was perfect and yummy! for dinner, we decided to sit outside. it was a fantastic evening. not too cold or warm and very tranquil. we talked, ate, and then realized as we sat there, that the mosquitos were in full force! ugh! we gathered our dishes and headed inside.
we all hung out a bit longer and then olivia and aaron realized it was almost 10. omg. it’s like we are so old! we get tired so easily. what?!! yes, it’s true. so, they headed on out, back to the city and we retired onto the couch for the rest of the night! hahaha! such party animals!
it was a fantastic evening and we are so happy they were able to come out to visit with us! we always have such a great time with these two beautiful people!
two of my besties went and got 9-5 jobs m-f and because of that, i never really get to see them as often as i would like. it was always easy to see them on the weekdays because there was less chaos and it was much easier but our weekends are so tied up, which makes it a bit more difficult to make plans.
anyhoo, we finally made plans for brunch on a lovely Saturday afternoon. we hemmed and hawed over which place to try. we contemplated new places we haven’t tried, old places that we love, and we finally decided to go to an old favorite of ours! when olivia mentioned mhenry’s…i was sold. i haven’t been in months and i love eating there. it’s alway delicious, great service, and a fun environment. i love their bakery section in the front. it’s always so tempting to walk away with something to take home!
the wait wasn’t that long. thank goodness! it was only 15 minutes or less. we were seated in the back, i have never been seated in the back of the restaurant! i was a bit bummed because the lighting was soooooo bad for pics and it didn’t help that there was a ginormous red painting on the wall reflecting red hues everywhere! plus olivia’s red shirt and the red doors all around us. ugh!
anyhoo, we had such a fab time. really, it was. the food was so yummy and the company and conversations were even better! we were there for hours! it was perfect. we just relaxed, enjoy our tasty meals, and talked our afternoon away. it was great to catch up but what i love most about this group of ladies is that conversations flow so easily. we can gab and gab and gab non stop over everything. no matter how much time falls in-between, we are able to catch up causally on all of life’s happenings.
cheers to great friends!
[love, love these two so much!]
[i made dana smile for me so i could test my camera…got ya!]
we invited olivia and aaron over for some football chili. we debated on the idea of going to their place in the city but decided to invite them over to our abode.
the morning started out slow, haha, well at least for me! hc was already busting his hump getting the meal ready for lunch. we bustled around cleaning, getting ready, and just tying up loose ends before our guests arrived. noon rolled around and we were set. the food was almost done, the house was clean, the odds and ends were competed, we were dressed and ready to go!
arron and olivia arrived only fifteen minutes late! not bad…especially when olivia is involved. this lady is infamously late, always. hahaha! once they settled, hc and aaron went on a beer run while olivia and i chitchatted until they came back and i made sure the cornbread was done. once drinks were in hand, hc and i prepared the final touches to the meal and we were set!
hc whipped together a chili and cornbread meal for our lunch. it was sooooo flippin’ delicious! sooooo yummy! i could have eaten the cornbread in dozens. we had avocado, green peppers, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and oyster crackers as our toppings. mmmmmmm. everybody had seconds and the food was almost gone! a good sign of a great meal!
olivia and i sat in the kitchen while the boys sat in the living room to eat and watch football. no matter. i love my time with olivia. we talked about all sorts of good stuff. life, friends, family, kids, and everything in-between. i love this sweet girl, she is such a dear friend. we always have a blast whenever we are together. it’s so funny when the four of us do get together…hc and aaron get all guy and bromantic and olivia and i get all girly and gossipy. and not the bad, wicked, mean gossipy…we just love talking and talking and talking. it’s more about life’s happenings versus demeaning, catty talk. ya know what i mean? i hope y’all do.
[my girl…don’t mind the under remodel kitchen]
[toppings]
[these peeps…]
[oh my goodness. so yummy]
[love this babe]
anyhoo, after a few hours together, olivia and aaron decided to hit the road. it was fun, as usual. we love hanging out with these two. such good people, they always say to surround yourself with the great people and keep the good ones close, right?!
matt’s mom, sheri, was in town and really wanted to see baby olive. of course we had to oblige! we always seize an opportunity to see matt and johann and bonus points that his mom is visiting!
it was a busy day ahead of us. we or rather, i tend to squeeze too much out of a day sometimes. i overbook or think we are super humans where we can be or do multiple things in a small period of time…forgetting that we have a child. hahaha! no, not really but still dragging olive everywhere is sometimes a drag. not in a annoying bad way but when it comes to scheduled naps and time in a car, those things can get wonky when you are always on the go!
anyhoo, we arrived at matt and johann’s in no time flat. they live in north center of chicago. it’s such a cute little neighborhoody area. as we were ringing their doorbell, johann flies by in his car! we waited for him to park and come let us in. he had run out to grab some last minute ingredients for our late lunch.
once inside, olive started exploring and slowly become comfortable in the new environment. she was curious about peanut. she knew there was a dog around but she wasn’t sure where he was! little peanut was in another room because johann was nervous that she would jump all over olive and knock her around. so we had to wait until matt came home to see if peanut would be nice with olive.
[the table setting]
[my babe…she loved throwing the dog’s ball around]
[our engagement gift to matt and johann]
[my energetic toddler]
johann was a cooking fool. everything smelled delicious and we couldn’t wait to eat! matt was still at work and his mom was downtown exploring, so we waited for the two of them to get home and eat.
while we hung out, we were served wine, cheese, and crackers to munch on. olive loved the crackers…she kept calling them chips! haha! we conversed with johann and enjoyed our time with him while he prepped the food. i love johann {and matt, of course!}. he is such a great guy, a fantastic husband to matt, and so, so sweet. truly a wonderful person inside and out. we are so blessed to have this fabulous couple in our lives. ya know how they say you should always surround yourself with good people? well we lucked out with these guys.
[the hubs]
[grilled zucchini]
well sheri and matt finally arrived home and it was time to eat! matt and johann finalized a few items of our meal and it was lunch time! we sat down to a lovely table setting and passed the dishes around and noshed away. it was a delicious meal! johann did such a fab job on every dish. i was stuffed and happy!
after dinner, matt and johann suggested that we go get ice cream. hells yes! i love margie’s ice cream! we decided to drive over there instead of walk {we didn’t want to walk with olive because we didn’t bring the stroller and it was a looooooong walk for a 22 month old}. it was such a beautiful, beautiful evening.
[sheri, johann, matt, and moi]
[pot roast, risotto, and grilled zucchini]
[in awe over her sparkle ring]
[curious over peanut…she was so sweet to him and gently pet him]
[yum!]
[my baby girl…so sweet]
[ice cream galore!]
while at margie’s, we definitely ate waaaayyyyyyy toooooo much ice cream. like too much. i was so stuffed i felt sick. yes. i ate so much ice cream, toffee bits, chocolate, whipped cream, and such while we were there. it was shameful.
after hanging out for a bit at margie’s, we decided it was time to go. it was a wonderful afternoon with matt, johann, and sheri! we were so thankful for the hospitality and squeezing in a chance to see them! it was a fabulous afternoon hanging out with them!
a quiet, calm get together. it was a cloudy, semi-warm day and we were getting ready to host the fam over for dinner. when football season starts, the hubs loves to pull out the slow cooker and whip together some super delicious meals for sunday afternoon football games.
on the menu: roasted garlic pulled pot roast sandwiches on brioche, buttery mashed potatoes, seasoned roasted brussels sprouts, quinoa salad, and homemade apple pie! yum, right? hc prepped the ingredients and threw what he needed into the slow cooker. we did random errands throughout the day and near game time, we started finishing up the food and we started the pie.
my family came on over and we just hung out, the kids played, we conversed in the kitchen while hc and i were prepping dinner. it was a low key, relaxing affair. of course, the bears were losing {boo!} but we had a win win situation at our abode withe delicious meal and plenty of libations to go around.
olive and her cousins were having a great time. reagan is such a sweetheart with his little cousin. he dotes on her, takes care of her, watches over her, and entertains her. he is such a great ‘big brother’. i love watching them interact. olive is getting bigger where she can really interact with them and play along. it’s so darling to see them in action.
[brown sugar slow cooked pulled pot roast for sandwiches]
[getting game ready]
[best thing everrrrrr…we love roasted garlic]
[we also had buttery mashed potatoes…so good!]
the food was a hit. my mom gave hc the thumbs up! that’s a great thing since my mom is such an amazing cook herself! hc was quite pleased with himself that he received a stamp of approval. it was fantastic having my family over for a low key relaxing sunday night dinner.
we were excited to have matt and johann over for dinner!
lately, it’s just been me, olive, and matt {brunching}. no husbands included. so, we finally agreed on a time where we all could get together and have some fun.
matt and johann traveled through the thick of traffic one evening and our little party began once they arrived. johann came in with two large jugs of beer and matt was double fisting wine bottles. hahaha! we were practicing for vegas {in a few weeks}. woot woot!
we had prepped apps and the meal for the evening, so we popped open the beer and toasted to our evening. we nibbled on snacks and yapped non-stop. we are quite the talkers when we are together, yes, even hc! mr. shy guy!
[holy jug o beer]
[hawaiian flower print was the print du jour for dinner]
[remnants of appetizers]
[love these two]
we love matt and johann. they are just the best. such great friends and travel buddies. we love hanging out with these two. they are perfect for each other…just like me and hc. seriously. matt is crazy, temperamental, loud {just like me} and johann is calm, sensible, and patient {like hc}, so together, we totally balance each other out! when we hang out, it’s a riot and we love it.
after we imbibed a few libations, hc fired up the grill to start cooking the food and we went outside to hang out for a bit {the evening had cooled off…it was quite warm outside!}. olive, obvs, wanted to swing on the play set and johann joined in on the activities and hit up the slide! hilarious!
once the food was ready, we headed back indoors to eat. it was yummy, fun, and comical. seriously love these two {did i mention that?}. we laughed, gasped, chuckled, discussed, argued, and had the best time. we ate, drank, and reveled in the wonderful evening together. ya know that feeling. when hanging out is just comfy and cool, as it should be.
[olive swinging and johann sliding]
[i love her…and her funny faces]
[chicken kabobs and seasoned rice]
once dinner was consumed and dishes were cleaned up, i served coconut cake and more wine! several hours {and laugh wrinkles} later, it was time to say goodnight {the husbands were tired}. we said our goodbyes and wished them both safe travels home. we were a bit excited with our goodbyes because we knew the next time we would see them would be in vegas! woo hoooooo!
we set up a lovely brunch date with our dear friend matt. he’s been on a roll lately with suggestions on where we go. typically it’s me coming up with different places to go to but we’ve been exploring the area close to where he lives lately. which is totally fine with me!
this time around, we went to a place called over easy. a simple, small brunch place near lincoln square. it was a beautiful day out and we were actually ‘on time’. which means a leeway of 10 minutes. haha! we met matt outside and we were seated right away {they told matt a few minutes but by the time i walked up, the table was ready}.
matt was catching me up on some major life changes for him! life’s twists and turns sometimes throw you sharp curves and loops along the way but no matter what, we persevere and march on. i do love that about my friends. no matter what challenges they face, they charge on with positivity and solutions. even when it does seem like it’s not the most positive moment, we can see the bigger picture.
olive was being quite shy when we first got there…the usual. after a half hour or so, she started to warm up. she’s been a bit rebellious about the highchair of late. she’s not a fan of sitting in one, she prefers to sit in a big girl chair like her mom; only when i can peel her off my lap to sit in her own chair!
[just terrible lighting, terrible…or just let me think that please]
[eggs over easy! hahaha!]
[stuffing her face, as usual]
[warming up to matt]
after brunch, we headed on over to our favorite stomping ground: starbucks! there, we ordered drinks and just chilled. i loved this part. olive roamed around and matt and i continued to chit chat. it’s nice when olive can entertain herself or feel good that she won’t wander away from me. ’cause all you mamas know that being out and trying to focus on something else besides your kids can be a great task!
[starbucks always]
after several hours of hanging out together, we needed to go. i know olive needed a nap and it was just about the right time for her to knock out. it was a fabulous time with matt, as usual. we greatly enjoyed our brunch date and can’t wait until we meet up again…hopefully next time with our husbands!
so, my first visit at bang bang pie was alright. take away the girl at the counter, it was a passable visit but could it have been a better visit if that girl was more invested in her customer’s experience? absolutely. bang bang left me with a mediocre feeling and the chances of me to ever return were very slim and would i recommend this place to others? most likely not.
shortly after i blogged about my visit to this restaurant, i received a dm, on instagram, from the owner of bang bang. honestly, i was surprised. one, i wasn’t expecting it and two, i thought…shit, what did i write about my experience there again?! haha. i read his gracious message and was touched that he took the time to react. we dm’d and emailed each other back and forth about the experience and he invited me, olive, and a guest to come back for a proper bang bang experience.
i was impressed just by that gesture itself. i told michael that the fact that he had reached out to me completely changed my opinion about the restaurant and because he cared that much about his customer’s experience, i was sold and smitten. his ownership and passion is what i admire! i greatly appreciated his efforts and needed to find a moment within our crazy schedules to head out that way again for brunch.
weeks rolled by and i kept on stalling on when we could head out there to eat brunch and meet michael. i wanted to go with hc but he only has weekends available and all of june had been crazy and booked up for us. so, finally i scheduled a time to visit the restaurant with my darling friend dana. yay!
it was an absolutely gorgeous day. seriously perfect. the temps were in the mid seventies and it was sunshiny. a wonderful combo for us to sit outside. when we got there, we perused the menu before we ordered. the guy at the counter was crazy friendly. he was attentive and kind. as i was placing my order, dana walked outside to find a sweet spot for us to sit at.
i asked the gentleman if michael was in and he pointed to a man engrossed in a conversation with another man. i didn’t want to bother him, so i placed our order. per usual, i asked for a side fruit but there was none. just checking. hehe. anyhoo, i ordered drinks for us and the man behind the counter said he would bring them out to our table! nice!
dana found a perfect sitting spot and soon our food was brought out to us. everyone was super friendly and observant. we enjoyed the delicious food {i ordered the gravy and a side of candied bacon for me and olive} and the wonderful outdoor space that they have there. we sat there for over two hours! how can you not? it was perfect out.
near the end of our visit, olive was wandering around chasing the pigeons and sparrows pecking around. she found it quite humorous to do so! as i was walking towards olive to have her come over to where we were sitting, michael came up to me and asked if i was thu…why yes i am! we said our hellos and gave hugs…we finally met in person! he is kind, charismatic, and friendly. an easy guy to talk to! we walked back over to dana and chit chatted for a bit more.
after several minutes, we parted ways. dana and i continued to chill for just a bit longer, when michael came back out and presented us with complimentary meals, on him, for both me and dana. so unexpected and absolutely exalted over his actions. he did not need to do that nor did he have to but we were so impressed by his will and care that we both were thoroughly sold inside and out.
dana made mention about how he talked highly of his employees and she loved hearing that he cared. he also talked about the importance of giving his customers what they want and that it mattered a lot to him to not disappoint. through all of this, it was very apparent by his actions.
michael is a man who greatly cares about his business, his employees, his customers, and loves to uphold what his restaurant is all about. he is ostensibly professional and caring. every aspect of it matters to him and he takes such pride in it. he took my impinged experience and turned it into one that will positively resonate with me. i will forward that karma to my friends and family and strangers who are looking for a wonderful place to eat.
[with michael, the owner]
[this is totally safe, right?]
it was a fabulous experience overall. i am thankful michael had reached out to me and changed my opinion about his restaurant. his ownership is empowering in itself! i can’t wait to visit again, for the full bang bang experience, and this time with the hubby in tow!
my day started off kind of crappy. yes, yes it did. olive had regressed a bit in her sleeping patterns. i totally blame the molars. i greatly dislike you molars, with a passion. she’s been getting up at night (usually just once) and having terrible, terrible cries. or she’s waking up much earlier than she typically would.
so, this past morning, it was an early wake up call of 5:45am. now this is quite early compared to her usual 8am wake up. we did our usual lay around in bed after she nursed and slowly got ourselves ready for the day.
on the agenda? eating breakfast somewhere yummy. it was a gloomy day but we were going to make it a great day! we packed up and went to egg harbor cafe in downtown downers. we had a nice corner table and ordered up some good stuff to eat.
olive was completely entertained with the crayons and her coloring sheet. she’s such a funny, neat gal {like her mama!}, after she was done using the crayons, she actually put them all back into the jar from where she grabbed them. haha! i wonder who she learned that from?!
after we ate and snapped a few fun photos, we decided to head home and chillax on this rainy day of ours. it was definitely low key and needed. sometimes our days can be such a whirlwind and it’s nice to just do nothing. well, {hehehe} grace and rich do nothing, i’m usually running around doing something! ha!
[a very cold and rainy day]
[she loved that the crayons were inside this mini mason jar]
[ready to get her draw-on]
[she loves juice…i actually limit her juice intake, i’d rather her have fresh fruit!]
[hc and grace]
[she was sooooo neat. after she used the crayons, she would place them back into the jar]
[i ordered the lobster omelet…it could have used less cheese.]
i was excited to meet up with olivia for lunch because it was her birthday week! i was glad we were able to get together and do a little celebrating with just us gals.
of course, i met up with her during the week…it’s the only way, lately, for us to get together. i was waiting for her to get back to me on a time and we didn’t settle on one until late morning, which caused me to run a bit behind. i needed to pack up olive’s things, get her changed and ready, get myself ready, drop her off at my parent’s house and get myself on the road {with all the interruptions i have along the way with miss olive’s shenanigans!}.
i arrived much later than what i wanted to {olivia had a meeting planned at 1:30pm, so we only had a little over an hour to gab} but nevertheless, we were able to get in some good ol’ catching up! we talked about her birthday plans, we talked about our little ones {well, olivia’s darling niece fiona is a month older than olive}, and we talked about how life was treating us.
[the card was all colorful balloons, a perfect match!]
we really want to get together soon with our boys and just hang out. of course, aaron and rich have a lot in common and totally have a bromance going on {they loooove geeking out over cars and such} and us gals just want to chitchat…it’s what we do best! haha! we just love our girl time!
after eating our delicious salads, i had olivia open up her gift! i loved her little bag and card i gave her. i’m so bad when it comes to parting with the cards and packaging that i buy. i always have such a hard time letting go. i love all the cards, bags, tissue paper, wrapping paper, etc. that i buy that i actually dislike giving it away! i know, crazy right? but i’m sure there are folks out there that can relate! it’s so pretty and most of the time one of a kind, that my heart gets a little sad giving it away, especially my cards. i’m obsessed with buying cards. i love christimas cards, thank you cards, baby cards, birthday cards, wedding cards, any kind of cards and my most favorite kind are letterpress cards.
[i rarely eat salads but nordstrom has some pretty darn good ones]
[opening up her gift]
[i love packaging & finding coordinating cards]
anyhoo, there’s my tangent for the day! i love cards & pretty packaging! well, after lunch, i dropped off miss olivia and headed back home to see my baby girl! i always miss her so!
