a few midweek links

Walloon Lake, Michigan

My dear friend Melissa created an super awesome meal planning app called 5 Plates! The app delivers 5 dinner recipes every week with a grocery list. How easy is that? It debuted on iTunes today so go get it.

We went to Michigan at the end of August. My sister-in-law Mary wrote about the trip and posted some pictures on her lovely blog. I also posted some photos from our trip on Instagram.

I only read one book while in Michigan. But I've just started this based on a rave review from Jordan. Also on my nightstand: Wild, The Happiest Toddler on the Block (yep), and The Cuckoos Calling.

Shakespeare with its original pronunciation. Fascinating!

Doesn't this Tangled Thai salad with peanut cilantro coconut dressing look tasty?

A few months ago I started using this light foundation on my face. It's a bit on the pricey side, but totally worth it.

I've enjoyed reading these guest posts about parenting around the world.

We finally finished watching the first season of this show. Loved it! I'm going through serious withdrawals... Thank goodness there are three new episodes of Foyle's War airing soon.

walloon lake

We're back from 11 relaxing days in Michigan. We spent some quality times with Jordan's Mom, and Mary and Ben came for a quick visit over the weekend. We sat on the dock, we got coffee in Petoskey, we browsed the shelves at McLean & Eakin, bought sandwiches and other sundries at Symons General Store, we brunched with Jordan's Mom at Stafford's Bay View Inn (a Sunday tradition), we stocked up on wine and beer and Jeni's ice cream (my favorite flavor was in fact the lemon blueberry frozen yogurt) at Boyne Country Provisions, we went for ice cream runs to Kilwin's, we grilled (Ben brought up some amazing meats from his local butcher), we hunted for produce at the Boyne City farmer's market, Stella dug in the sand and floated in her floatie, Jordan swam, we went for walks, and we took a few boat rides. One of my favorite things about visiting Walloon is going for boat rides in the evening when the sky and the air and the water are just magical.

We made sure to stop by McLean & Eakin our second day in Michigan to stock up on books. I went on a book bender and finished 5 books on the trip: Steve Martin's An Object of Beauty, Jo Nesbo's Nemesis, Kevin Wilson's The Family Fang, Charles Cumming's A Foreign Country, and Stephen Dau's The Book of Jonas (which I actually brought in my suitcase).

A lovely, lovely trip...

michigan

Off to Michigan. Be back soon!

montana and michigan and home again

We're back! We spent last weekend in Bozeman, Montana for a wedding. Montana is gorgeous. We loved it. The wedding was out on this ranch with hay bales and rolling hills, and a big, open sky, and two teepees.

We discovered a favorite breakfast spot in Bozeman called the Stockyard Cafe. If you're ever in Bozeman go there. And get the banana bread french toast. It is to die for.





After Montana we flew to Michigan for a little vacation at Walloon Lake. It's easy to just sit out on the dock and gaze at the water and the amazing beauty of it all so we did a lot of that. We enjoyed visiting with J's mom and sister, and taking turns dancing Stella around the living room to J's mom's old records. We also ate a LOT of pie (cherry pie, peach pie, peach + blueberry + cherry pie, strawberry + rhubarb pie...you get the picture). It was pretty fantastic.