We are back!

And I think my post-vacation blues have hit an all-time low. We have decided that from now on, we will be booking AT LEAST a full 7 days on any future vacations as 4 is just not enough time to completely relax and let go of life's stresses.

Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not complaining as Mexico was gorgeous as always ... fantastic weather, super tasty food and lot's of relaxation, however, coming back mid-week .... WHAT was I thinking?!?!

I have posted a few pics below of the hotel we stayed at (Hotel Secreto):

* Ferry ride over to the Island

* The waters here are UNBELIEVABLE people!

* Isla Mujeres from the Ferry

After driving past our hotel several times, Mags FINALLY spotted the nondescript signage on the front of the gates. I knew it was a hidden hotel, but not this hidden! What was behind those gates though was a little slice of heaven ...

* Only 12 rooms makes for great service

* View of pool/hot tub from our balcony

* Breakfast was served each morning on either our balcony or by the pool

* Beach in front of the hotel was a bit rocky, however,

Playa Norte (North Beach) was literally a 5 minute walk away

In the mornings, usually before breakfast, Hubs and I tried to get in a good walk for a little exercise before vegging out for the day.  We discovered a cliff walk that followed along the water for a ways and took advantage of the moody morning clouds and scenery ...

All in all, the trip was awesome! We really do feel a special bond with this island ... the locals are over-the-top friendly and accomodating, the atmosphere is really chill and the landscape/views are so serene. We will definitely be headed back next year for round 4.

* The Ferry ride back to Cancun.... looks like I traded in my husband for a local ;) 



T - 2 days ...

The weekend has finally come to head down to Mexico for a few days to get some proper rest and relaxation in before this baby arrives at the end of June.  I cannot wait to just do this for a few days ...

*Insert smoothie into the photo ...

The above picture is from the French car excursion with the Hubs and my MIL a couple years ago, but you get the picture! 

While in Isla Mujeres, we normally stay at Casa Ixchel, which we have loved the past few visits. However, this year we are going out on a limb and trying something new.... Hotel Secreto. It has been consistently getting rave reviews from magazines and travelers and it was finally time to see what all the fuss is about! It is a very small boutique hotel, only 12 rooms, and the pool looks AMAZING. They also have a gym and a continental breakfast of sorts delivered to your room every morning to eat out on the private balcony. Sounds good to me! The rates, I should add, are very reasonable which is also a big plus.

We will be sure to take tons of photos to share with everyone here on the blog once we are back.

Easter Weekend ...

Went by in a flash I tell ya! One minute we were driving upstate to my parents house and the next we were headed back home to BK. We did manage to get in a TON of productive items around the UpstateHaven though.

First thing Saturday morning, we headed to Home Depot in Oneonta to purchase 10 Green Emerald Arborvitae for our "Operation Backyard Privacy!" We had measured for 19 trees to run along the fence on the left-hand side of our backyard, however, we agreed that starting with half as many would be a good idea to see how they look first.

* Choices, choices .... matured trees or younger trees ....

We ended up purchasing the more juvenile trees because A. they were much cheaper than the more matured and B. we are in no rush to fully block out the neighbors view of our yard. We thought blocking them out slowly and steadily would be less of a shock to their systems haha.

These trees may seem really small now, but in a few years they will reach 12-15 feet in height and will be the perfect divider!

We are also toying with the idea of putting in alternating mature trees in order to give us SOME privacy while we wait for the smaller trees to grow. Decisions ... decisions ....

In addition to all the Arborvitae excitement going on in the backyard, I also assembled a new lamp for the Living Room and assisted my Uncle in installing a new toilet seat for our new downstairs bathroom toilet. Good times! Pictures to follow later this week of both of those new items. We also received a West Elm package with some new pillows I have been obsessing over for quite some time ...

* Mongolian Lamb Pillows from West Elm

They give our couch just the right touch of "girly" and "modern" without going overboard!

To round out our Easter weekend, we had a relaxing dinner at home on Saturday with my parents after some fast and furious Target shopping in the afternoon. Then on Sunday we went to Easter Brunch with my Mom's side of the family (minus Grandma and my Aunt and Uncle as they were on vacation in Louisiana and Florida, respectively). It was a lovely weekend full of good food and endless amounts of sunshine. Too bad the wind was out of control and made things a little more cold than I would have liked.

This weekend we are off to Isla Mujeres, Mexico for 5 days of sun and relaxation as well as a wedding. Cannot wait to have a full report for you!

Thought of the day ...

I envy anyone who works in a non-traditional office or from home just for the shear fact they can get away with wearing normal, everyday clothing during their pregnancy that they actually WANT to buy!  The whole "office appropriate" clothing is a real pain in the you-know-what. Don't get me wrong, the stores offer a huge selection in terms of maternity pants ... that is, IF you are a middle-aged woman or would like to dress like one (no offense to middle-aged women of course!). They just don't make maternity work attire for a younger crowd. What gives people? I think I know what my next career will be ...

This past weekend ...

I had high hopes of being productive around the apt... maybe cleaning out the guest room (soon-to-be-nursery) closet, sorting through some junk in the guest room and cleaning up the master, however, in true Jinnie form ... I really did nothing more than vacuum, dishes and some couch surfing ;)

Hubby and I had a socially productive weekend on the other hand... Hubs - bachelor party ALL day Saturday (and by ALL day, I mean almost 24 hours ...), ME - bridal brunch on Saturday and then brunch on Sunday with girlfriends. After Sunday brunch we headed to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens to enjoy some of the early blooming Cherry Blossoms.

My favorite Cherry Blossom tree (below) ... I wish I could have captured the beauty in a painting for UpstateHaven!



Speaking of beautiful things (TOTALLY kidding.... kind of), our toilet for the downstairs bathroom has been delivered AND installed. Picture below:

* Kohler Memoirs round seat toilet via Amazon

She's a beaut! Too bad they fail to mention in the description that you will ALSO need to purchase a toilet seat. You would think if you order a toilet, a seat would be included, call me crazy. I mean how else would you use the toilet if you had no seat? Something to think about .... especially the ladies haha