Good morning! Here’s hoping you had a great weekend filled with relaxing and exciting things.
So… about that time change. How did losing the hour of sleep work out for you? While I thoroughly appreciated the extra hour of daylight last night, waking up to a black sky this morning was a little rough. We’re slowly adjusting.
Scott and I had a busy weekend, but it was a good one. His nephew, Connor, is currently in town for a visit, so we are looking forward to spending the next couple of days showing him the ins and outs of our new “home” city in Metro Detroit.
We haven’t been able to do too much exploring yet, but we are anxious to get out there today and enjoy the warmer and sunnier weather. It’s been too long!
But first, let’s talk Weekend Highlights…
Saturday
My official weekend started out on a wonderful note. Scott was super booked and busy with Pistons events, so he took Connor with him for the day, and I had the morning and afternoon to myself to catch up on life. It was fabulous.
I spent a good amount of time going through what has been shoved into our guest room closet for the past couple of years. That was fun. Slash not-so fun.
I took a break mid-afternoon when I realized how beautiful and sunny it was outside! Any chunk of free time I have home alone on the weekends always calls for a run outside with Roadie… if it’s nice enough out. That it was!
It got a little cloudy by the time I got outdoors, but we were still ecstatic to be running without twenty layers on. We passed several runners on our loop, and completed an easy-paced four miles around (not through) the trails.
I had a couple more hours to kill before the boys returned home, so I did my best to clean out the fridge and found lunch. For the first time in a long while, I plopped down on the couch and caught up on some of my recorded shows, solo. It was nice to unwind and relax.
Al Fresco chicken sausage over quinoa with feta cheese and a side of green beans.
The boys got home right before 5 p.m. and I was dressed and ready to go for a night out in Detroit. Well… after a day of working events and rushing around town, they were both pretty tired. We decided to forgo the night out and agreed that a quiet night in sounded just as great.
I wasn’t complaining! The highlights of our night included Netflix (we finally started House of Cards!), a trip to the grocery store, and baking (vegan) lemon-blueberry pound cake.
(Thanks for your suggestions on what to do with our supply of meyer lemons!)
I would share the recipe, but it’s one Scott randomly found online that we substituted to make vegan for a friend of ours. I’ll do my best to track it down and share it with you later because it was delicious!
The group of us dusted off Rock Band and spent the rest of our night playing into the early hours of the morning. Do any of you still own or play that game? I forgot how fun it is!
Sunday
Our Sunday started later than normal, but we were all okay with it. Scott had commitments at the arena before a home game, so I dropped him off right around lunch time and headed back home to get ready for the day.
Since Scott had to work, I took over tour guide duty and took the day to show Connor some of our favorite areas around town. Brunch in Birmingham was an obvious first stop.
I just love it there. With the sun out and weather in the mid-40s (!!!), it felt like we were finally getting a peak at what the rest of the U.S. has been experiencing the last couple of months. It was so nice to walk the streets and be outside again!
I chose a relatively new spot to the strip of shops, Mad Hatter Bistro, which Scott and I had only visited once before. It’s such a neat and well-decorated place to dine!
(Check out some of the pics in the links above if you’re intrigued.)
This time, I asked to see the afternoon tea menu and had a hard time choosing just one to try. They all sounded fantastic!
We ended up with an endless pot of Paris, a fruit blended black tea with vanilla and caramel flavors. Yum!
Connor ordered the Buttermilk Pancakes, and I got the White Rabbit’s Omelette that came with a side of their home fries. The eggs (packed with spinach, mushrooms and feta) were great, but the home fries (or what I like to call breakfast potatoes) were… ridiculous in the best way.
I will definitely be returning for more soon!
We had plans to attend the Pistons home game later that night, so we spent the rest of our afternoon walking around Birmingham (hello, sunshine!) and running errands. We made a stop into PetsMart since I needed to stock up on pet supplies, and Connor felt right at home in the reptile section.
Some of you might recall that I have a serious fear of snakes. Let’s just say that I get a million brownie points for standing close enough to him to snap this photo.
It was time to head out to the arena before long, and I wish I could say it was a smooth ride over. Right before our exit for The Palace, a car slammed right into the back of us. It was great. Luckily, everyone was okay and the damages remained on the back corner of my bumper. That will be a treat to claim and deal with today. Ahhh. Anyways.
Despite the setback, we arrived at the arena with just enough time to find our seats before player intros.
It was Connor’s first time attending a professional NBA game, so I was excited to be there with him for the experience.
Right before the close of the first half, HOOPER’s assistant pulled us down to some pretty amazing seats right behind the player’s basket. He was pumped! I sent a video of the halftime performance (80’s legend, Stevie B!) to my sister, who appreciates music from that decade more than anyone I know. She loved it!
We hung around the court after the game ended, and I got to catch up with some familiar faces!
Connor was having a blast hanging with the Flight Crew, and after a little convincing, I joined the party on the court for a couple of photos.
(Yes, HOOPER is in a cropped tee with baggy printed pants. It was 8o’s night. There are no other explanations.)
We eventually made it out to our car and couldn’t find food fast enough. In true post-Sunday game fashion, we took Connor to one of our favorite spots in Lake Orion, Sagebrush Cantina.
Instead of sharing pictures of my food (which you can see here, here, here, or here), I thought I would leave you with a picture that sums up our time with Scott’s nephew so far.
A couple of flannel peas in a pod those two are!
I’d say our time with Connor has been pretty scheduled thus far. Today, Scott is taking him to lunch and around Detroit while I work at the gym for a couple of hours. I’m looking forward to joining them later this afternoon, and hope to check in with you guys before then with my latest Stitch Fix breakdown.
Have a great Monday!
» Linking up my Weekend Snapshots with Katie and Erin.
Questions of the Morning
• What was one highlight of your weekend?
• Are you one to order breakfast/brunch at 2 p.m.?
It’s becoming a bit of a habit these days. Please tell me that I’m not the only one!

There is absolutely nothing better than brunch at 2pm! I’m with you there! Looks like a fantastic weekend with family. Hope you have a fantastic week, as well 😀
Woo hoo! I agree <3
Wow, your running trail is absolutely beautiful in the snow. Looks like such a fun weekend with going to the game and getting pulled down for those awesome seats!
And I had a veggie omelet for dinner last night, so I think 2 pm makes even more sense! And hmm…one of my weekend highlights was doing lots of cooking & baking 🙂
Breakfast for dinner is the best! I will never say no to that any time it’s offered as an option 😉
Breakfast foods are always a good idea! I’m all for brunch and brinner, and yours looks delicious! 🙂
Brinner…. love it!! 🙂
Haha! When I saw that picture of Connor holding the snake I just could feel your goosebumps down your spine. Kudos to you for taking the pic! Brunch is always good at anytime, specially when the potatoes are just…. ridiculous! 😉
Haha, that’s pretty accurate. On both snake and potato accounts.Thanks! 😉
You had a busy weekend! This weekend flew by for me, but I did enjoy the sunshine for a bit…so glad it is warming up! I totally order brunch when the opportunity arises. I love breakfast and don’t feel like I get to order it often enough…so I take advantage when I can!
Sunshine equals happiness. <3
I love that you ended up making a pound cake with your lemons! Looks like you had a very fun weened 🙂
I mentioned the idea to Scott and he was really into it. I don’t think I really had another choice once that was on the table, lol. It turned out great!!
I’d never get that close to the snake. I actually scrolled down immediately when I saw the photo since I didn’t have to look at it.
Haha oh man. Looks like I’m not alone in that phobia 😉
I just got my StitchFix box on Thursday! It is like Christmas every time it comes! 🙂
I know, I feel the same way! I meant to get around to posting my fix today… but it looks like it will be up tomorrow instead. Hope you like yours!
Brunch is really good for any meal! 🙂 Sounds like you had a relaxing and productive weekend! The Mad Hatter restaurant looks adorable.
I love that there is now some light when I leave the office, but I had totally forgot that Daylight Savings was this weekend! And there is no shame in brunching at 2:00, I just did it on Sunday 🙂
What is Scott’s job? Is he Hooper?
Hi Alina! Actually, he is an Entertainment Director. He oversees a lot of HOOPER’s events, is the coach of the Flight Crew dunk team, and helps with halftimes and time outs. Basically… he’s there to help with everything on the court that isn’t basketball. 😉