We want to be regulars at Frank’s.

So Tom took the day off today so we could go to lunch with Katie. This meant we got to spend the whole day together…so that means we started at Marshall’s and planned to go out for lunch… We decided to head to Kenosha to hit up Frank’s Diner, which we’d seen on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives.

Our experience started with a literal bang when I went to slide open the train car door and it was much easier than I anticipated so I literally slammed it open. Everyone looked up at me and one of the waitresses made some smart ass hilarious comment and I opened my arms wide and said something to the effect of “I’m here! The party can start now!” She came back with something about knowing how to party and tequila and right away we knew these were our people. 🙂

So we ordered drinks (I got a bloody Mary and Tom got an Irish coffee) and shortly after they deliver them she came back with two shots of tequila for us. Okay, we’re in. So Tom and I cheered each other and drank them and then the waitress came back in a few minutes and chastised us for not waiting to drink with them. Apparently they all drink shots when they have first-time guests. So…she gave us each another shot so we could all drink together…and we did. 🙂 (By the way, the bloody Mary was really very delicious.)

So we were sitting at the counter directly across from the cooktop so we watched everything. I saw the cook pulling bacon out of a…greenish liquid…so of course I asked. Jalapeño juice. So…jalapeño bacon. 🌶🥓 Let that sink in. She said they used to buy it but making their own was better. So as I’m thinking about that, she hands us this:

OUR VERY OWN SAMPLE! I made some comment about it being in the shape of a heart and she laughed and said it was totally accidental. So we tried it and OMFG IT WAS AMAZING. I said it would be awesome in the bloody Mary…so when we ordered another—SURPRISE!!—they gave us more bacon. 🥓🥓😳🤤 (Don’t expect it if you go, though. They said it was a lot of work to offer it. But if you ask, tell them Jennifer Hudson sent you. 🙌🏻)

This was our view while we ate. We were actually there when they closed after lunch which is why there’s nothing on the stove.

The whole time we were there they all just had the most amazing fun happy attitudes amongst themselves and the customers. You could tell that most of the people in there were regulars. We would be regulars too if we lived closer.

I didn’t get too close to this (so it’s a bad picture). Of course now I want to go back and watch the episode again.

And a photo taken on the way out (since it was pouring on our way in).

It’s one of my favorite times of the year!

My husband knows that lilac season is one of my favorite times of the year, so look what was waiting for me when I got home last night… 💕

I’m honestly not sure where my intense love of lilacs came from—we had a large bush in our front yard growing up, my grandparents had them at their house, and they seemed to grow on every block—and I liked them well enough but didn’t obsessively LOVE them like I do now.

Fast forward many years and I had smelled every lilac-scented thing I could ever find:

  • lotions
  • soaps
  • room sprays
  • candles
  • incense
  • air fresheners
  • sachets

Some were passable (and those came home with me) but nothing EVER matched the scent of real lilacs, which was limited to a few short weeks between May and July depending on the Michigan weather. I guess maybe I started loving them when I realized how scarce they were—that seems like how my mind would work! I even tried to plan to have my wedding during the Lilac Festival on Mackinac Island but you just never knew when they were actually going to be in bloom so that didn’t happen.

Now, our entire neighborhood seems to be filled with them…except our yard. So if you can’t find me over the next few weeks, just look for huge lilac bushes and I shouldn’t be too far away.

Do you like the smell of lilacs?

My first corporate training!

My friend Morgan was/is the Minnesota state leader so once she moved here she jumped right in with the Illinois state leaders and scheduled a state training. Since it was pretty much right in my backyard, there was no reason not to go.

Friday night was a meet and greet with the two ladies from corporate who would be doing the training, plus I got to meet the other state leaders (they were staying with Morgan).

I really spent some extra time on my makeup since I’d be with a whole room is SeneGence ladies… And I must say I looked pretty damn good. The best thing is that it really still only took like 15 minutes!! When I first started, the same face took me 30!

And in some amazing natural light at Morgan’s house!

And of course wearing my stripes!

With Pam (Midwest Regional Sales Manager) and Adrienne (the Vice President of Global Sales).

Trying on a Crown Princess crown… I won’t get one of my own until I amass a HUGE million dollar team (which honestly means it’s not going to happen). But it looks good, right?

The training was great (yet also completely overwhelming) and I was very glad to get home…and relax. 😀 And then prep for friends coming over for dinner!!

There is no toilet paper fairy.

I’m not stupid—I knew raising kids would not be easy. I guessed sleepless nights would be exhausting. I didn’t look forward to potty training. I’m not looking forward to dating and curfews. But no one ever warned me about these little things that make. me. want. to. scream.

What I will tell you is that this will be waiting for my son when he gets home from school lest he continues to think the toilet paper fairy magically appears during the day.

What do your kids do that annoy the crap out of you that no one warned you about?

Basking in the post-winter sun

I absolutely love the feeling of sun on my face after a long and cold winter…and today was that day, y’all. It feels like I have no cares in the world as I bask in the warmth and listen to the birds chirping and the kids screaming with delight as they jump on the neighbor’s trampoline. Summer is almost here and I’ll be out here enjoying every last minute of it before it gets too hot and buggy.

Do you enjoy basking in the first days of post-winter sun, too?

Sous vide lobster prep!

We were trying two different types of lobster in the sous vide—fresh and fresh frozen. You had to parboil them all first so you could get the meat out of the shells.

It was a lot of work but I think it was better to have it done ahead of time instead of at the table.

It was unanimous that the fresh lobster was better, though we ate every last piece of both…plus the steak and green beans.

Which, speaking of the green beans, we had a helper:

Escape artists!

So we originally were going to have the lobster for dinner Saturday night, so I just threw the bag in the garage fridge and didn’t think about it. Fast forward to a change of plans and we weren’t going to eat them Saturday night but we still needed to get in that fridge. Imagine Tom’s surprise when he opened the door and the lobsters were trying to escape! They had made it out of the (untied) bag and were in the door compartment!