A Birthday Escape

I had one of my best birthdays to date this year.

By the time the 24th actually rolled around I had already celebrated with family and a few friends.  There were lots of yummy cupcakes in Indianapolis and on the beach in Florida so maybe I was just extra prepared to get the birthday fun started.  As I mentioned on Thursday, I began my day with some Baked by Melissa minis courtesy of my co-worker and boss.  Those tasty treats totally set the mood for the day.  Especially since I had been in the habit of taking the day off from work for my birthday the past few years.

Later that day, I received two special deliveries!  My parents sent me a box of random goodies :)

And Christopher sent me some awesome birthday flowers. They were very pretty!  I loved the cute vase - how clever!

The birthday fun kicked into high gear as I met up with some friends to Escape the Room!  We were set to play a six person game - The Home. 

This was SOOOOO much fun!  Essentially, we were given brief instruction before being locked into a room full of clues.  We had one hour to escape.  It was certainly challenging and the time ticked away super fast, but we managed to escape with less than two minutes left on the clock!!

They informed us after we escaped that only 20% of players are able to make it out in the allotted time frame.  They also said that most people escape with less than 5 minutes left on the clock.  We were SO happy we made it out!!  Definitely going to be playing more of their games soon!!

We made a quick stop at Pinkberry before heading home to call it a night!

After all, I needed to get my rest for the birthday fun to come on the following night.  Check back to hear all about my Ninja filled birthday dinner with Christopher on Friday...

Andrea :)

Happy Birthday to Me!!

I can't believe it has already been a full year since I celebrated turning the big 3-0!  But somehow my birthday has rolled around once again.  Not that I'm complaining or anything because everyone knows I love a good birthday celebration! 

In fact, I've been celebrating for a solid week so far with lots more to go tonight, tomorrow, and next weekend when Christopher takes me to see Rascal Flatts - so excited! 

I started the celebration off in Indianapolis last week with a family birthday celebration.  And cupcakes.

It was fun to celebrate with everyone there.  Brinley especially liked helping me eat the cupcakes.

The birthday fun continued in Fort Myers when the lovely bride surprised me with some yummy cupcakes at the rehearsal dinner!  The strawberry cupcake was delicious!

Anyone noticing a theme yet??  This morning when I arrived at work there was a nice little display at my desk waiting for me.  My colleague and boss had brought me Baked by Melissa cupcakes!  I definitely ate two of those little minis for breakfast :)

Here's to even more cupcake fun on this delightful birthday of mine :)

Andrea :)

Whirlwind July

July has been a complete whirlwind for me!  Lots of exciting and fun things have been occupying my time these past couple of weeks though!  You'll see lots of race recaps, a few broadway show reviews, and general fun summer happenings in the coming weeks, but for now I'll just give you a snapshot of the fun that has ensued...

Chris and I celebrated having merely 100 days left until our wedding by going out to dinner at one of our favorite Italian spots in Hell's Kitchen.  We also managed to book our honeymoon, secure nearly all the vendors (still sorting out the make up artist), and get our invites sent out!  YAY!!

With 99 days left until the wedding, I left Chris for a week as I headed off to Indianapolis for a business trip.  It wasn't just any business trip though.  It was our National 7-on-7 Tournament and National Lineman Challenge.  It was a very long and busy week, but it was full of excitement this year as my whole family was in town for the week as well. 

My brothers love working the tournament every year!

We had a great time celebrating Landon's birthday on the 14th and then mine toward the end of the week before we all headed back to our respective cities.  Brinley even gave me an official name - I am now Aunt Otter.  They are both adorable and I loved spending so much time with them!

After the tournament I dashed back to NYC in order to pick up Chris and my bridesmaid dress before we ventured down to Florida for Ashley Gail and Parker's nuptials on the beach. 

I'll be posting all about their wedding and the bridesmaid fun soon, but before we left the Sunshine State Chris and I managed a couple rounds of mini-golf.  I won both times :)

So...you should now consider yourself updated.  And informed...it's my birthday eve for all those interested in showering me with wishes and gifts and possibly cupcakes tomorrow :)

Has July been a whirlwind for you??

 

Andrea :)

Happy Birthday, America!

Hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!

You know I'm celebrating with some tasty treats from Baked by Melissa!

Andrea :)

Mini of the Month: June

This month Baked by Melissa totally surprised me.  I am not a chocolate cake fan so naturally I expected I would not be a fan of the June Mini of the Month.  I could not have been more wrong!

Ingredients: Chocolate Cake, Graham Cracker Cream Stuffing, Caramel Icing, & Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Topping

The chocolate pretzel cupcake was delicious!  It had just the right amount of both sweet and salty.  So yummy!!  Chris and I were both pleasantly surprised by how much we liked this little treat.  I think the crunchiness of the pretzel really added something to the overall experience as well.  We liked this one so much we went back for a second one later in the month!
 

When it comes to cupcakes, do you prefer salty, sweet, or both?

Andrea :)

Runners Tell All: My Favorite Running Moment

Excited to be linking up with Amanda and Beka again this month for Runners Tell All. 

I've had many great running memories over the past few years.  I'm not sure anything I've done or accomplished so far can top running my first half marathon with my brothers.

At this point in life, we were all living in different cities, but it was fun to call one another and talk about training strategies.  We only had one opportunity to go on a training run together.  It proved to be a memorable one on the top deck of our Alaskan cruise ship.  It definitely prepared us for our big run in the Windy City about a month later.

Even though we didn't run the race together as I had imagined that we would, we all ended up at the same finish line.  And we were all equally exhausted and proud...of ourselves and of one another!

These two are not only my brothers, but also my best friends.  It meant the world to me that they branched out of their comfort zone to run this race with me!  I'll never forget this hot and sticky September day when the three best siblings that anyone could have conquered the Chicago Half!

What is your favorite running moment?

Andrea :)

USA! USA! USA!

 

It begins today!  Our US team won't be in action until Monday evening, but the 2014 World Cup begins now... 

 

Back on June 1, Chris and I were able to attend the US-Turkey send off series game at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.  It was a lot of fun to watch the US team in action with all the craziness and excitement of the crowd in full force!

 

 

I must admit I was a bit angry that Klinsmann pulled my absolute favorite US player from goal after the half.  Especially since the goal closest to our section was set to be the one the US defended in the second half, but I tried to move on and enjoy the friendly even though I was NOT happy with the decision.

Timmy Howard has been my favorite since Day One.  Well, since Day One of Chris getting me interested in soccer the last time this incredible World Cup event took over our lives in 2010.  I even selected Everton as my English Premier League team because of my preference for Mr. US Goalkeeper.

I have a couple of others I enjoy watching, but I will definitely shed a tear when Timmy is no longer in goal for the US.  My second fave on the US team is Michael Bradley.  He is a beast out there!  Hustles like none other.  I love watching him play!  I'm convinced he will have a great tournament this year.  I certainly have high hopes for him...and this team!

 

 

I know there has been a lot of negative talk surrounding the US team's chances given their group draw, but I am choosing to remain hopeful.  Chris and I have been watching the ESPN series "Inside: US Soccer's March to Brazil" the past few weeks.  It has painted an interesting picture of the team for me.  I have very much enjoyed watching and seeing this team behind the scenes.  I am looking forward to watching them play over the next few weeks.

And as the American Outlaws claim, "I believe that we will win!"  I hope that you do, too!!

USA!!!  USA!!! USA!!!

Andrea :)