How I spent my Thanksgiving (mini) Vacation

Thanksgiving weekend was so much fun.  It was filled with family,  new friends, adventures and lots of food (I really mean cake).  Between eating cake on the way to the Thanksgiving dinner and our mini Bob's Burger marathon, we went on a few adventures.

Instead of heading out for the sales,  Eric and I headed to the Manasquan reservoir on Friday afternoon to enjoy the warm November weather.  It was the perfect day to take it the sunshine and be outside. The reservoir was filled with runners, people walking, bike riders and photographers.  The views were spectacular and it was the perfect day to be outside. 

We then headed out for a few errands then after a much needed nap, we got ready to go to Asbury Park for the Status Green show at the Stone Pony. I was eager to see Asbury Park- I've lived in New Jersey my whole life and I have never been there. We parked by the Stone Pony and we decided to explore the boardwalk area before the show. We saw the Wonder Bar, Convention Hall and the shops on the boardwalk. We found this arcade that had vintage pinball machines, Foosball tables, skee ball and other arcade games. We played (and intensely competed) with skee ball, Foosball, this funny basketball game and pin ball. We had so much fun. Its a definitely must see. Check it out HERE. The night was gorgeous; perfect for walking around and so unseasonably warm for November. The waves crashing over the ocean and the full moon was perfect.

After our mini adventure in the Arcade, it was just about time to head to the Stone Pony for the Status Green's Reunion Show. Status Green, a hometown legend from Howell happens to be one of Eric's favorite bands. It wasn't just any show, they had taken a break from playing, this was their first show in 3 years. 

Eric told me about them a few weeks ago and I started listening to their music on Spotify so I was familiar with them before the concert. The show lived up to the hype. Status Green brings such an amazing energy to the stage and their fans match it, song after song. The whole atmosphere and experience had a relaxed, chill vibe. You could tell that everybody was there to have a good time. Like friends you hadn't seen for while, the crowd and the band, picked up where the left off, 3 years earlier. (thanks to Eric for helping me write about Status Green!)  

Eric and I had a wonderful time BUT for us, it was a late night. We didn't get home until 1AM!  The nap earlier in the day was much appreciated at this hour because it let us stay up late and watch one of my favorite shows (bobs burgers) and snack on some cake.

 This has to be one of my favorite photos from the weekend

The whole weekend was so much fun. It made me excited for the whole holiday season. I cannot wait to see what adventures are ahead for us. 

Did you have a fun holiday weekend? Did you score any good deals on Black Friday? 

Gobble Gobble

I cannot believe its already Thanksgiving. This year has brought me a lot to be thankful for. The ups, the downs and everything in between has made me who I am today and I am very grateful and thankful for that. I was looking at my “On this day” section on Facebook the other day and 4 years ago I posted this:

I fell like this rings especially true each year but even more so this year. I think in this season of my life, I am very grateful for everything in my life and thankful for everything that has happened. 

These are some of the things I am thankful for: 

 

I am so thankful for what I have gone through because it has shown me that I am stronger than I think, I am braver than I seem and I can accomplish more than I can even imagine.

I am thankful for my parents who are my rocks- my support, my friends, my teachers, the go to people for any problem big or small, complicated or easy, messy or organized. They are always there for me no matter what.

I am thankful for my health and being able to actually enjoy the holidays this year. Last year, I was in no condition to celebrate or even care that it was the holiday season. I am so excited to actually take part in all the festivities for the holiday season.

I am thankful for my career, my coworkers and all the hands on experience I have obtained over the years. My career has immersed me in a lot of different parts of the courts system and I truly enjoy each and every part of it. Some days are crazy, some days are slow- I will take what comes each day and smile.

I am thankful for my basic necessities because lets face it- not everyone is privileged enough to have food, running water, a roof over their heads. It’s terrible to think that in 2015, there is so much poverty all around and especially in your own town. Take time this Thanksgiving to donate your time, extra food or money to local families that are not as fortunate.

My parents and I always write down what we are grateful for each day after dinner (You can see the post about that HERE) We kept the gratitude going all year long and I think its really special to see the jar fill up throughout the month.

 
How do you show gratitude and thankfulness all year round?