Winter 2023 Bucket List Results

Well, this didn't go as planned... not one bit; but, that's life.  I'm going to make this Bucket List recap short and painless.  Usually, I like to write something about each goal.  This time around, I'm not going to waste my time with that.

Winter of 2023 kind of sucked.  When I wrote out my bucket list, I was still filled with the hope and promise of a new year and beginning.  Eliot and I started the year off on the right foot at Walt Disney World, and then Nana died.  Then, I basically lost all of my motivation at that point, and I spent most of winter trying to dig myself out of grief.

I didn't even think about most of these goals.  They just weren't important anymore, but I'll recap the ones that I was able to accomplish.  Here's how Winter 2023 turned out:

Melissa's Winter 2023 Bucket List

FOOD

1.) Make Waffles

2.) Drink a Special Winter Hot Cocoa

3.) Make Heart Shaped Pizza (February 9th is National Pizza Day)

4.) Bake Something

5.) Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries

6.) Make Hot Cocoa Bombs

7.) Make S’Mores

8.) Learn How to Make a Charcuterie Board

9.) Make Snow Cones with Real Snow

10.) Make Cotton Candy

TV & MOVIES

1.) Watch New Winter Hallmark Movies

2.) Watch New Valentine’s Day Hallmark Movies

3.) Watch Favorite Winter Hallmark Movies

4.) Watch Favorite Valentine’s Day Hallmark Movies

5.) Watch Irish Hallmark Movies for St. Patrick’s Day

CRAFTS

1.) Make a Winter Craft

2.) Paint on my Easel

3.) Make a Valentine's Day Craft

4.) Make a Seasonal Wreath

5.) Make a St. Patrick’s Day Craft

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

1.) Do A Puzzle

2.) Go Sledding

3.) Send Valentine's Day Cards

I didn't send physical cards like I originally wanted to, but I was still able to post a few things online and send friends and family gifs through text messages.

4.) Read a Winter Book

5.) Take a Bubble Bath

6.) Have a Game Night with Eliot

7.) Build a Snowman

8.) Go to a Sharks Hockey Game

Eliot and I were able to attend a San Jose Sharks game out in San Jose on February 25th for Patrick Marleau's jersey retirement ceremony.

9.) Celebrate Happily Ever Hatter's 9th Birthday

I was able to take a little bit of time to celebrate nine years of my business!

10.) Watch the Super Bowl

Eliot and I tuned in to watch his Philadelphia Eagles lose to the Kansas City Chiefs.

11.) Go Ice Skating 

12.) Do Something Special for Valentine’s Day

Eliot and I didn't go out to do anything special, but he did bring me home some Russell Stover chocolates, Nerds Ropes and Cadbury Eggs... all some of my favorites.

13.) Have a Winter Carnival with Our Neighborhood

14.) Have a Snowball Fight

We had a very impromptu snow fight (started by Eliot) outside of our dentist office after we had our teeth cleaning in February.  

15.) Make Snow Angels

16.) Go to Ice Castles in New Hampshire

17.) Celebrate Our Dating Anniversary on February 28th

We didn't do anything special, but Eliot did stay home from work since it was the day we got home from our trip to California.  It was nice just to have him home with me.

18.) Go to a Mariners Hockey Game

We went to tons of Mariners hockey games this year and had a blast!

19.) Blow Bubbles (Will they turn into ice?)

20.) Go Somewhere with a Warmer Climate

We went to FL for the first half of January and CA for a few days in February.

21.) Do a Winter Nature Walk

22.) Have a Spa Day

23.) Start Using a Planner

24.) Do Something Fun on St. Patrick’s Day

We went to a Maine Mariners game on St. Patrick's Day!

25.) Clean the House During our Quiet Months

I didn't get as much done as I wanted to, but I was able to make a little bit of progress!

And there you have it... Winter of 2023.  I'm ready to move past this and bring on the spring, flowers, warm weather and new beginnings!  Until next year winter!  °o°

Winter 2023 Bucket List

Hi friends!  Eliot and I are still enjoying a few more days in the Florida sunshine... but reality has set in.  It's still winter... even here in Florida.  For the most part, our trip has been nice- in the 70°s and 80°s, but it's going to drop to 54° on Saturday.  Ok so to us Mainers, that doesn't sound cold... but in Florida, that's like 0° with how cold the dew point makes it.  Eliot and I are ready to get our out "warm" clothes if needed!

The locals are certainly having a tough time with the cooler evenings.  We've broken out our Spirit Jerseys a few times.  It hasn't been completely unbearable... yet.  But the cool evenings have me thinking about what we're going back to in a few days.

The weather hasn't been too bad back home, and we've barely had any snow.  Mostly rain thankfully- so at least we won't have to unearth the Jeep when we go to pick it up at the airport.  And we'll be able to get into our driveway!

I've gotta be honest... I'm not exactly looking forward to the cold or the snow.  But there is something magical about winter.  Once I get reacclimated to the low temperatures, I'm sure that I'll find the beauty in it.  There's nothing quite like the glimmer of fresh fallen snow.  I've also made this fun bucket list so Eliot and I can enjoy what the season has to offer.  Let's check out what our January and February might look like! 

Melissa’s Winter 2023 Bucket List

FOOD

1. Make Waffles
2. Drink a Special Winter Hot Cocoa
3. Make Heart Shaped Pizza (February 9th is National Pizza Day)
4. Bake Something
5. Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries
6. Make Hot Cocoa Bombs
7. Make S’Mores
8. Learn How to Make a Charcuterie Board
9. Make Snow Cones with Real Snow
10. Make Cotton Candy

TV & MOVIES

1. Watch New Winter Hallmark Movies
2. Watch New Valentine’s Day Hallmark Movies
3. Watch Favorite Winter Hallmark Movies
4. Watch Favorite Valentine’s Day Hallmark Movies
5. Watch Irish Hallmark Movies for St. Patrick’s Day

CRAFTS

1. Make a Winter Craft
2. Paint on my Easel
3. Make a Valentine's Day Craft
4. Make a Seasonal Wreath
5. Make a St. Patrick’s Day Craft

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

1. Do A Puzzle
2. Go Sledding
3. Send Valentine's Day Cards
4. Read a Winter Book
5. Take a Bubble Bath
6. Have a Game Night with Eliot
7. Build a Snowman
8. Go to a Sharks Hockey Game
9. Celebrate Happily Ever Hatter's 9th Birthday
10. Watch the Super Bowl
11. Go Ice Skating 
12. Do Something Special for Valentine’s Day
13. Have a Winter Carnival with Our Neighborhood
14. Have a Snowball Fight
15. Make Snow Angels
16. Go to Ice Castles in New Hampshire
17. Celebrate Our Dating Anniversary on February 28th
18. Go to a Mariners Hockey Game
19. Blow Bubbles (Will they turn into ice?)
20. Go Somewhere with a Warmer Climate
21. Do a Winter Nature Walk
22. Have a Spa Day
23. Start Using a Planner
24. Do Something Fun on St. Patrick’s Day
25. Clean the House During our Quiet Months

As you can see, I've kept the formatting and separating my goals into sections.  It's been way easier to navigate and I'm so much more excited about each of my bucket lists now that they're organized.  There's no turning back now!

I think this is an ambitious list, but I'm pretty confident that we'll be able to get most of it done.  I picture a lot of cozy afternoons watching movies while I'm eating my lunch or working on a few projects!  Hopefully, we'll have an incredible winter!!!  °o°

Winter Solstice and Serenity

Happy Winter Solstice!

I originally had so many ideas for my blog post today.  I thought about doing a big thing for Elsa's Birthday (which is today, Anna's is the Spring Solstice).  I also thought about doing a winter wreath design for Wreath Wednesday.  Or even doing a winter craft...

In the end, the thing that called to me most was something simple.  There's a quiet peace that I'm soaking in today.  Sometimes, I just sit and work in silence throughout the afternoon.  I'm usually listening to music, or having a Hallmark movie playing in the background.  But the past few months, I've enjoyed the quiet.  Living in the countryside has benefits and one of them is the peace.  There's a beautiful serenity to it.

Things have still been pretty crazy personal life wise.  I still have to go back and write about the past few weeks.  But to put it simply, Mom, Dad and Nana were in a bad car accident two weeks ago on their way home from Portland.  They're all ok- for the most part anyways.  But I could be without parents right now.  So keeping things simple and appreciating the small things have been big in my wheelhouse the past two weeks.

So today, I'm working on a few last orders that Eliot and I want to get out before our "Christmas break" and trying to plug away at the blog posts I'm behind in.  (Still about 20 of them... but I'm not big on counting or worrying about them right now.)  I'll probably watch a Christmas movie during my (super late) lunch break in a few minutes, and I already watched a new Hallmark movie earlier while eating breakfast.

And I'll soak in the serenity and peace of the Winter Solstice.  Outside, it's cold and the sun will soon be setting on the shortest day of daylight in the year.  But the sunlight of the golden hour a few minutes ago was shining spectacularly through our front door windows as I paused for a split second to soak it in.  The snow is glistening.  And soon, our Christmas lights in the front yard will be twinkling away- brightening the darkness.

This day makes a lot of people bitter due to the lack of sun and daylight.  But for me, I choose to focus on the peace and serenity.  Happy Winter Solstice.  °o°

Winter 2022 Bucket List Results

Spring has been sneaking up on us the past few weeks.  While Maine is still 100% capable of having snow for another month or so, things are definitely leaning towards spring arriving.  It's hard to believe that tomorrow is the official First Day of Spring... and because of that, I think it's time that we check in on my Winter Bucket List.

I'm not going to sugar coat it; I didn't get most of this list done.  Ironically, the most "quiet" time of the year for us has been crazy busy this year.  I can't say that I was bored like I usually feel at this time of year.  Both of our businesses have been crazy busy.  I've also worked here and there helping out at the chiropractic office.  Plus, we spent 10 days in California.  So needless to say... the time I thought I'd have wasn't quite there.  But, I still feel like we were able to enjoy as much of winter as possible!  

Without further ado, let's dive in!

1.) Drink a Special Winter Hot Cocoa

I had visions of peppermint hot cocoa with a candy cane and sprinkles dancing in my head... or rich mocha with heart sprinkles.  (Maybe I'll get to make them next year!)  I did at least use my heart sprinkles on some ice cream though!  (See photo above.)

2.) Read a Winter Book

I really need to make time to read... I love books.

3.) Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I've been wanting to do this for a while.  I love chocolate covered strawberries... 

4.) Bake Something

Our oven is still out of commission.  I miss baking and I'm dying to make something!

5.) Have a Game Night with Eliot

We didn't have a game night this winter.  Too many Hallmark movies I guess!

6.) Make a Winter Craft

I just squeaked by with this one and my Mickey Mouse Winter Yarn Wreath that I made right before our trip to California.  But I did it and I think it's really cute!

7.) Go Ice Skating

I love ice skating and I'd love to go again... whether it's inside or outside!

8.) Make a Heart Shaped Pizza (February 9th National Pizza Day)

Again, no oven equals no baking.  Blah... 

9.) Build a Snowman

I miss making snowmen!  I haven't done this in forever.  I need to next year!

10.) Make Waffles

Eliot and I did have waffles a few weekends ago.  I absolutely love waffles!

11.) Celebrate Happily Ever Hatter's 8th Birthday

We celebrated Happily Ever Hatter's 8th Birthday back in January!

12.) Watch the Super Bowl

Eliot and I watched the LA Rams win the Super Bowl.  And like many others, the songs from the Halftime Show were stuck in my head for days.

13.) Send Valentine's Day Cards

I'm a bit bummed out about this.  I had big plans... but there's always next year!

14.) Go Sledding

Eliot and I found a new local place to go sledding, but we weren't able to get over there due to the weather or our workload of orders.  It just didn't work out.

15.) Make a Valentine's Day Craft

I didn't have time to do this and I was honestly uninspired.  But that's ok!

16.) Read a Romance Novel

We love our Hallmark movies so much that I was hoping to read a book like one.

17.) Do A Puzzle

Eliot and I hope to do a puzzle sometime too.  Eliot loves putting puzzles together!

18.) Dress Up for National Polka Dot Day

I was able to dress up for National Polka Dot Day in true Minnie Style!

19.) Paint on my Easel

I haven't painted on a canvas in forever... I need to make time for this too.

20.) Make a Seasonal Wreath

Again, I was able to complete this with my Mickey Mouse Winter Yarn Wreath. 

While we didn't get many things done on this list, I still feel like Eliot and I enjoyed our winter.  We didn't do any "winter activities", but I'm ok with that for this year.  We have been crazy busy and I'm still trying to find balance in our lives.  Plus, this gives us a starting point for next year's bucket list!  In the meantime, I'm ready for spring!!!  °o°

DIY: Mickey Mouse Winter Yarn Wreath

How is February already almost over?!?  We're seven and a half weeks into 2022 and time is chugging on faster than it needs to be.  I've been wanting to work on something personal (for our house) for a few months now, but time hasn't been on my side.  After missing out on making crafts for the holiday season, I really wanted to start this year off right.  I've also been wanting to make this wreath project for a few months, and I finally decided to do it before winter slips by and fades into spring!

Back at the height of the holiday season in November and December, I saw so many people making these.  I'm in a Disney home decor group on Facebook and everyone was going crazy for these fuzzy Mickey Mouse yarn wreaths.  They are so easy to make and they're perfect for Christmas and the winter months!  

Want to make one of these cute Mickey yarn wreaths for yourself?  Here's how I did it!

Materials:

1 Large Wire Wreath Bases (I used a 18" wreath base)

2 Smaller Wire Wreath Bases (I used two 12" wreath bases)

White or Ivory Chunky Yarn (I used 1 full skein, plus a little bit of a second one)

Zip Ties

Scissors

Optional- Embellishments and Seasonal Decor (snowflakes, ribbon, floral picks, etc.)

1.) Attach the Ears to Your Large Wreath Base

The first thing I did was attach my two smaller wreath bases to the large one.  In order to keep them even, I used the cross wires on the large one to space the ears.  Then, I covered those with the cross wires on the smaller wreaths.  Once they were lined up, I used zip ties to attach them to each other.  (See photo below.)  On one side, I only needed two, while the other side needed three to keep the ears secure.  Cut the zip ties when you are happy with their placement.

2.) Wrap the Ears

Next, wrap the ears with yarn.  Tie the end of the yarn to one of the wires and then start wrapping it around the wreath form.  I quickly found out that the skein of yarn was too much to keep passing thorough the wreath, so I cut my yarn into smaller sections to make it easier.  When you reach the end of that yarn strand, you can tie it to the wreath, or you can tuck the ends under one of the other wraps on the back.  Start another strand and keep doing this until you've covered both ears.

3.) Wrap the Bottom Part of the Head

I used the same process as Step #2 to wrap the bottom part of the head.  I started below one ear and kept going until I reached the bottom of the other one.  You can tuck the ends of the yarn into the area where the ears and head meet.  (See photo below.)

4.) Wrap the Area Around the Ears and Top of the Head

The hardest part for me was wrapping the yarn around the area where the ears and the top of the head meet.  Thankfully, with the wire wreath bases you can wrap the yarn in multiple areas.  I looked at where I needed to fill the ears and then wove the yarn around that spot.  In some places, I was only covering part of the wreath form and going in between the wires.  While in other areas, I went from the head all the way through to the ear.  Just do what looks right and fills in that area so it looks clean.  Oh, and don't forget to make sure you cover the zip ties!  (See photo below.)

5.) Fluff and Add Embellishments (Optional)

Once that entire area around and between the ears is covered in yarn, you're done!  I hung my wreath up and fluffed out of of the areas where the yarn was tight.  Once it's wrapped, you can gently move the yarn if it's too tight or too loose in areas.  

If you want, add embellishments and/or seasonal decor to give your wreath more of a pop!  I wanted to put buffalo plaid ribbon on mine but I couldn't find it.  (Hence why I used Eliot's buffalo plaid Snoopy blanket as a backdrop instead; I just love how it looks against buffalo plaid!)  Also, if you don't use hot glue to permanently attach your decorations, you could change it for the seasons.  I think you could use ribbon, glittery snowflakes, or floral picks and they would all look beautiful with this wreath.  It's such a simple and neutral design that you could do a lot with it!  It also looks great as is!

Isn't this Mickey Mouse Winter Yarn Wreath cute?!?!  It's really soft too.  I also love how the yarn I found has little specks of metallic silver in it!  It makes it a little bit shimmery.  I'm definitely going to make more of these Mickey wreaths for our house!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!  If you make one, please comment below, send me pictures over on Facebook or tag me in your photos on Instagram!  °o° 

2022 Winter Olympics

The 2022 Winter Olympics are almost over.  It's hard to believe that they've flown by so quickly!  Eliot and I have been so busy that I haven't had time to write about them until now.  However, being busy hasn't stopped us from watching as much as possible! 

Photo Source

Honestly, I missed the first few days of the games because we were so busy that I forgot that they had already started.  I also don't think I was as excited about them as I usually am because we just did this last summer.  I think Eliot and I finally turned on the television by Day 3 and from there we were completely drawn in.  The Winter Olympics have basically been the background noise at our house for the past two weeks.  No matter what sport is on, I can't help but get sucked in.

Photo Source

Eliot and I have watched snowboarding, skiing, ski jumping, speed skating, figure skating, bobsledding, freestyle skiing, biathlon, hockey, curling and alpine skiing.  I think we caught most of them over the two weeks.  We've been bouncing back and forth between NBC Primetime coverage and the all day coverage over on USA, so I don't think there was too much that we missed!

Photo Source

There have been so many wonderful moments that Eliot and I have witnessed during the 2022 Winter Olympics.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Eliot and I watched the US win it's first gold medal of these Olympics when Lindsey Jacobellis won the snowboard cross event.  I don't remember watching this event before, and it was really stressful, but I was so proud of how she fought and earned that medal.  It was also inspiring to see someone almost my age win a gold.  People talk as if 36 is old... way to show them that "old" can still win gold Lindsey!

Photo Source

Speaking of old winning gold... a few days later, we also watched as Lindsey Jacobellis and Nick Baumgartner won gold in the mixed snowboard cross event.  We didn't see Nick's run in the individual event, but it's clear that he was really upset afterwards.  I was so happy for him when Lindsey brought it home during that last stretch.  (I think I held my breath!)  It was such a moment of pure joy for both of them.  And since Nick is 40, their combined age is 76... proving again that age is just a number!

Photo Source

I think the most emotional I was during these games was watching Shaun White in his last Olympics.  I've watched him forever and seeing how emotional he was about it just crushed me.  Eliot and I were both shocked when he crashed on his last run.  (I think the entire US muttered a collective "ugh" at the same time.)  But it was what happened after that made me teary eyed.  He took off his helmet and slid down the rest of the way holding it up as a salute to everyone watching.  You could hear the cheer of the entire crowd.  Then the way his competitors, pretty much kids who grew up idolizing him, all took turns embracing him was a powerful statement.  It was his interview that finally broke me down.  The entire event and sendoff was really touching considering how much he's grown the sport and made it what it is today.

Photo Source

There were also moments of triumph in new sports.  I really enjoyed watching Kallie Humpheries & Elana Meyers Taylor finish in gold and silver in the first ever monobob event.  I've never really paid that much attention to the bobsledding events, but I enjoyed learning more about both women's stories and what it took for them to get where they are.  I'm so proud to have them represent the USA!

Photo Source

One of the events that Eliot and I were looking most forward to was women's ice hockey.  We watched at least one of the men's games, but we tried to watch most of the women's games.  Of course, it came down to USA vs Canada for the gold medal match.  In the end, the US took the silver, but our ladies fought for it until the very end.

Photo Source

I could write an entire post about the figure skating.  It's always my favorite winter sport to watch, similarly to how gymnastics is my favorite summer sport to watch.  I always make sure to watch as much of it as I can.  Unfortunately, due to my tuning into the games late, I missed watching the US win silver in the team event.  But after that, I made sure not to miss any of the other events!

Photo Source

We enjoyed watching Nathan Chen nail his routine and win gold in the men's event!  I love how he skated to Elton John's "Rocket Man" and Elton tweeted about it!  I was so devastated for him after the 2018 Winter Games; I'm glad he's got his gold medal now!

Photo Source

I was happy Jason Brown went back to the Olympics.  He's not out there nailing quads like some of the other guys, but I love how artistic and beautiful his programs are!

Photo Source

Eliot and I really enjoyed watching the ice dance competition.  (About halfway through the first night, Eliot decided that was his favorite part of figure skating.)  We were so happy when Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue won the bronze medal.

Photo Source

I also really enjoyed watching Madison Chock and Evan Bates perform.  I've been watching them for years and I'm so glad that they had great routines even though they didn't medal in their event.  (They still medaled in the team event!)

Photo Source

We watched pairs figure skating- even though I missed part of the free skate.  I'm so glad the team from China won the gold at the Beijing games.  I can't imagine the pressure they were under!  I enjoyed watching the other countries teams perform as well as watching Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy Leduc from Team USA.

Photo Source

I really enjoyed watching pairs partners Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier.  (I have followed Alexa's skating since she and her husband Chris skated together.)

Photo Source

I think the most talked about event of the Winter Games was ladies figure skating.  I won't go into too many details since I'm sure you've already heard it all.  (To recap: ROC and potential doping, 15 year old is allowed to compete since she's a minor, immense pressure to perform, she falls a few times in her free skate routine, and complete chaos ensues at the end of the event.)  Honestly, that was really hard to watch.  I was so happy for the girl from Japan who won the bronze medal; she was thrilled!  The ROC silver medalist had a complete breakdown and it was broadcast for the whole world to see.  (I felt so bad for her.)  Then, the gold medalist from ROC couldn't even celebrate because her team abandoned her to comfort the other two.  In the end, the event felt like it was one big pot ready to boil over.  It was a hot mess.

Photo Source

There were some good moments though.  I enjoyed how two of the competitors used Disney music in their routines.  I loved cheering on our USA athletes even though I knew none of them were going to medal.  (We watched this event in primetime so I knew Team USA finished off the podium.)  I thought Karen Chen had a wonderful performance even though she didn't seem too pleased about it at the end.

Photo Source

Mariah Bell was completely glowing at the end of her free skate program.  I was so happy for her.  It sounds like she's tried to make the Olympic team many times before and I'm so thrilled that she had his incredible moment there on the world stage.  I love how she kneeled down to run her hands along the Olympic ice and then took a quick turn back around to soak it in before getting off of it.

Photo Source

I also love how supportive her coach Adam Rippon was.  (I enjoyed watching him compete a few years ago.)  He was so thrilled for her too!

Photo Source

I'm also thrilled for Alysa Liu and her free skate performance.  She was overcome with emotion afterwards and it was so refreshing to see how grateful she was for this experience.  You could tell that she was having a blast at the Olympics.

Photo Source

I think my favorite moment of the entire Winter Games was when Mariah Bell jumped out from behind the "backstage" area and gave Alysa Liu a giant hug in the kiss and cry area.  She probably wasn't supposed to do that, but she was so happy for Alysa and how well she skated that she had to go give her a hug.  This is what the Olympics are about.  I was so proud of the display of camaraderie and friendship that these Team USA women showed when the rest of the women's competition fell apart.

Photo Source

Aside from our favorite athletes, there was another person who was very popular at the Olympics this year.  The Beijing 2022 panda mascot, Bing Dwen Dwen, was incredibly popular.  Lines for mascot merchandise were longer than 4 hours at some points!  The round panda mascot was also seen at some of the sporting events.  Eliot and I actually spotted him dancing in the background of a few hockey games!

Photo Source

The United States of America had a great showing.  There were 2,900 athletes in the games and 91 countries represented.  225 of those athletes were from the USA.  We had 57 Team USA medalists- 39 females and 18 males.  Our youngest was 19 and our oldest was 40.  And 34 of them were first time medalists!

Photo Source

The United States was 5th in the medal count brining home 25 medals.  (We beat our 2018 total!)  Norway took away the most medals.  Germany dominated at the bobsled events winning gold in everything but the women monobob event.  Canada and the Russian Olympic Committee rounded out the top five.

Photo Source

Overall, I think it was a great event and we really enjoyed watching it!  There were so many other moments during these games that were special as well.  (The ones I wrote about were just the ones that Eliot and I were able to watch!)  I'm so proud of our Team USA athletes.  I was inspired to see so many Olympians break records and barriers!

Congratulations to all of the 2022 Winter Olympians!!!  °o°o°