The Saturday Six

One.

Ryan and I always like to stay one vacation plan ahead of our present moment. LOL! It's fun to have a vacation looming (even distantly) that you can begin to prepare for! We haven't decided our next destination yet, but as I hunted for options, I stumbled upon this great post with ideas of FREE things to do in Chicago. We went to Chicago for our second anniversary, but I would love to go back someday when it's warmer and see some of the options we couldn't try on our first trip because of the (ahem) frigid temps. So if you're ever hunting for frugal Chicago fun, check out this list!

Two.

One of Ryan's grandfathers passed away this week, and as I hunted online for sympathy gifts, I came across this idea, which I thought was creative and thoughtful. (It wasn't a fit for what I needed, but I'm mentally filing it away for another time.) A gift basket filled with paper products so a grieving person who may be facing a houseful of guests can have necessities to care for them. (While I love roses with all my heart, I also love a good, practical gift idea.)

Three.

We are excited about the upcoming winter Olympic games! We enjoy watching them, and I'm actually considering moving my office space into the living room for the duration so I can sit and watch athletes go for the gold all day and all night! If you're having a little pre-Olympic party at home, here are some simple game and prize ideas! (I think it would be fun to actually do this one day: an Olympic party.)

Four.

I grew up wearing dresses every day, and let me tell you, the winter got really cold. Of course I grew up before the age of capsule wardrobes and lessons on layering, so on those cold days, my bare not-so-little legs just stuck out the bottom of my skirt until my scrunch socks took over around my ankles. (Oh bless the 80's and 90's, right?) Anyway. I am so glad there are now options for keeping people warm in sub-zero temps, and Audrey at Putting Me Together has a whole post with tips for staying warm in a dress!

Five.

As a girl who finds incredible value in preserving story, I wanted to share this short video by author and speaker Robyn Dykstra. Robyn led one of the sessions I attended at the Speak Up conference last summer, so I knew part of her story from hearing it then. But don't just listen to the story itself. Listen to the truth of why it's important to share even the hardest parts of what you've lived.

Six.

The book I read this week isn't published yet, so I can't tell you all about it, but ohhhhhhhhhhhh are you ever going to want to read it when it finally is ready to hit the shelves! I was serving as a beta reader for one of my friends, and she did a great job with this one!

So meanwhile, I'll leave you with this, which has nothing to do with a book. :)

Kelly asked me a couple of days ago if I could share the breakfast casserole I made on our monthiversary this week. It's actually a Dashing Dish recipe, but it's not a member-only recipe, so anyone can see it! Here's a link for you. Hint: Ryan mentioned multiple times that this was a keeper for him!