Let’s go ahead and start with the headliner: Easter! I love Easter. It’s one of my favorite holidays. That said, I think all holidays are my favorite because I love any excuse to celebrate. But Spring in particular is an exciting time at our household with birthday celebrations for both kids, plus Easter and (usually) the energy is extra high with the rising temps outdoors.
This year we hosted my family for brunch after church complete with quiche, mimosas and the traditional ham - because nothing says, “He is risen!” more than a honey baked ham! Church was packed to the gills which was both awesome and overwhelming. Back at the house the kids opened Easter baskets and hunted Easter eggs in the yard - I think us adults have more fun than they do. Later that afternoon we headed out to the lake for a second round of egg hunting and some pizza with the Kladder crew.
And while I joke about ham and loving any excuse to celebrate, really, my joy is real. These days full of all the good things are what life is all about.
We also celebrated Natalie’s birthday on Easter Sunday and we were intentional about making time to focus on her. She opened presents and blew out candles on her very pink cake. Earlier in the week she also celebrated with her classmates at school with Krispie treats, then with a special ‘orange cake’ at daycare and just this past weekend Jeff and I kept our tradition going with our ‘Natalie Birthday’ date by getting a babysitter for Thomas while we took her to the movies. She chose How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and between the three of us we polished off a bag of popcorn and chocolate covered pretzels. I also slipped in a baggie of leftover jelly beans. Needless to say, she had a great time.
The Saturday before Easter we had a great time at the Brunch with Bunnies event hosted by Posh Petals. I had taken Natalie to the event two years back and loved it and this year knew both her and Thomas would have a good time. And while Thomas was way more interested in the bunny snack mix than the actual bunnies, both kids were pretty adorable taking turns holding and petting the little guys. The event also had a station where kids could make their own glitzed up bunny ears as well as a professional photographer to capture kids in their Easter best. And I gotta say, this price and experience sure beats the one at the mall. If you missed it this year I would highly recommend keeping an eye out for the event next spring! We’ll see you there.
Earlier in the week we colored eggs which is a dead giveaway at the office during lunchtime that I am in fact, a Mom. Natalie is super into anything crafts right now so she really enjoyed dying the eggs this year.
Two weeks ago I was in New York for work launching our newest Steelcase products. I was happy and proud to join the team producing the event live from our NYC WorkLife Center and to represent teams from nearly every department in our company who’ve worked on these projects thus far. The event was a success and also highlighted our partnership with Microsoft. Both our CEO Jim Keane and the VP of the Surface Brand at Microsoft, Panos Panay, lead the announcements on stage and that was pretty great to be a part of. While the trip was all work and no play, I did take some time during the lunch hours to walk Central Park which is conveniently located across the street from our office there. The tulips were in bloom and it was beautiful!
Two weeks ago Jeff and I joined friends at the St. Cecilia Music Center for their annual Wine Tasting fundraiser run by Martha’s Vineyard - a local favorite of ours. We are BIG fans of this event and have gone for the last three years because it’s so great. Not only is it for a good cause (the proceeds go to the music center) but it’s a really great time. Each year we find new wines that we love which continues to fuel our desire to become more knowledgable about wine.
And despite what Mother Nature is tossing at us outdoors in Michigan this week we are determined to maintain that Spring lifestyle. Last week both mens and women’s golf leagues began at Watermark and Jeff and I have already golfed twice together this season. It’s this time of year we become super aware of how lively our neighborhood really is. We’ve already done our fair share of walks around the neighborhood and we even took a bike ride with the kids in the trailer out to Reeds Lake last week. We’re gearing up for porch season and looking forward to hosting Rosewood Happy Hour soon.
ON DECK - A couple things we are looking forward to in the next few weeks include:
Waitress the Musical in playing at DeVos Performance Hall this week and I’m looking forward to a GNO to enjoy the show. Tickets are still available last I checked!
Boutiques of West Michigan is this Saturday night at DeVos Place. I’ve never been but I’m super excited about the fashion show and to check out the newest looks. Oh, and cocktails!
Mark your calendars for Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan beginning May 4th and running through the 12th. We take the kids each year to the carnival and love walking through the blooming rows of flowers. It’s a great excuse to get out to the lakeshore.
POSTSCRIPTS - Two things worth mentioning…
Marcona on Lyon is on fire! This is our newest favorite in town for dining, cocktails, service and atmosphere. It’s a smaller dining room with extreme attention to the food and fantastic drinks. Don’t walk, run to Marcona for your next date night. Check out this calamari skewer we had two weekends ago for an appetizer. Stellar!
Glo Pals are the newest craze at our house during tubby time. Both kids got them in their Easter baskets this year and they are super neat! We turn the lights off and rage! Kidding. But they kids love them.
