We love celebrating the holidays with our family and friends and we love #PEEPS! As you gather to celebrate Easter, we have two drinks that will have you hopping with joy! And, more festive cocktail ideas to check out thanks to @alywalansky and Tara's Toddies! 

Coffee with @PEEPSBrand @Indelight #PEEPS Creamer
I am in LOVE with the International Delight Limited Edition PEEPS creamer! All you PEEPS loving fans will love this creamer with your coffee. So cute for your Easter brunch! And, for everyday! Epic!

Recipe: Coffee and International Delight PEEPS creamer! You'll be hopping with excitement over this PEEPS cup of joy! 

PEEPS Raspberry Lemonade Mimosas!
I love a festive holiday cocktail and we made this fun PEEPS raspberry lemonade mimosa for Easter a few years ago! Huge thanks to my niece Molly for helping me make all the PEEPS mimosas and for her cocktail expertise!

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​Recipe:
PEEPS
Pink sugar
Simply Lemonade with Raspberry
La Marca Prosecco

Dampen the rim of the glass and then dip the glass in the pink sugar. Fill glass about 1/4 full with Simply Lemonade with Raspberry. Fill with La Marca Prosecco. Cut a small slit in the PEEP and place on rim of glass. Add a cute straw. Enjoy!

Whimsical Cocktails
Wondering how people will be toasting with family and friends around the country over Easter break? What would be cool drinks to server this Easter weekend? Aly Walansky @alywalansky a NY-based lifestyles writer knows and shared some very fun cocktail ideas in Forbes. The "What's Up, Doc" is calling my name! Hop on over and read her festive article: These Easter-Themed Cocktails Are A Fun, Whimsical Way To Hop Into Spring @forbes

Tara's Toddies
Check out Tara's Toddies on Facebook! Tara Rand makes great cocktails on Facebook Live and recently made cottontail margaritas! They look so good and so fun for Easter! Love the coconut around the rim. I always love watching Tara share her latest cocktail creations!  She is so creative and gives funny commentary about the drinks as well as great cocktail making tips! Follow Tara today and let me know if you try the cottontail margarita!

Happy Easter
As I shared, I love getting together with family and friends during the holidays. I hope you enjoy the festive drink ideas and may you have a few minutes to relax with your family and friends and toast your many blessings. I know I will. Happy Easter and thanks for reading. Cheers!

Meg

Kim and I loved checking out ALDI for the Grand Re-Opening in Joliet! Here are our  6 favorite things!

1. No Quarter Needed!
Kim and I went to get a cart and all the carts already had quarters in them! Such a nice touch for the ALDI Grand Re-Opening!

2. We love the avocados and fresh produce!
In Kim's blog post about ALDI she talked about how she loves buying avocados at ALDI! The avocados are so good and the price is great! We love the fresh produce at ALDI's and the great prices. Our friends saw our ALDI Facebook and Twitter videos and were texting us about our ALDI adventures. Amy shared that she had not been to ALDI in about 16 years. We told her she needs to check out ALDI again and see the great deals on fresh produce! Eating healthy can be expensive and ALDI helps us try to be healthier without breaking the bank!

3. We love the ALDI weekly special aisle!
We love the ALDI weekly special aisle! You never know what you will find and so many great treasures to buy at a great price. In her blog post Kim talked about buying a  weed wacker and the gardening supplies were out on this trip too! Watch our video as we talk about this fun aisle and the ALDI Grand Re-Opening. On a side note, people thought we were a bit funny filming videos in ALDI! We were highly entertained with our own antics.

4. We love the alcohol section!
Kim and I were hunting for the pineapple presecco but they were sold out so we picked up a bottle of bellinis. Kim talked about the great deals on alcohol in her blog post so we had to do some pictures in this section! As we were taking some pictures a lady shared that this beer is her son's favorite! So try this beer! We're going to try the Wild Range IPA! 

 5. Join the ALDI Nerd Community Facebook Group!
So Kim found and joined the ALDI Nerd Community Facebook Group and it is so fun! I joined too! These ALDI super fans talk about products to try, share ALDI shopping tips and recipes, and seem to know all the best deals! We love this group! Kim said that the ALDI group said that the TOP THE TATER is amazing so we picked it up! You should too! The TOP THE TATER looks amazing and we are so excited to try it! Check out the TOP THE TATER Facebook group for recipe ideas!

6. Fun with Friends
Grocery shopping, budgets, meal planning, etc. can wear you down but when you're with your friends it can be so much fun. As Kim and I have talked about grocery shopping, it has been way more fun trading tips together. Going to the ALDI Grand Re-Opening was a great energizer in the middle of a hectic week. We loved the free carts, the huge free re-useable ALDI shopping bags, and checking out all the deals. Most of all we loved having fun together. We were cracking up as we did Facebook Live, Twitter Live, took pictures and made videos. We had fun chatting with other customers and the local ALDI team was so nice. It was fun bantering about what we should buy or not buy. We know life is messy and so super busy. When you are feeling weary from the long list of "to dos" grab your girlfriend and head over to ALDI. You'll shop "differentli", will find some healthy deals, lots of treasures, great alcohol, and some laughs in the aisles. Look for Kim and me - we'll be by the avocados or alcohol! 

In the comments below tell us about your favorite items at ALDI! Thanks for reading!

​Meg 

Never in my wildest dreams did I think the Grand Re-Opening of ALDI could give me something to look forward too! But, here I am patiently waiting for my favorite ALDI store to re-open on April 11th in Joliet, IL.  I have spent so many Saturday mornings at the ALDI at 3080 Hennepin Drive through the years that these last few weekends I have been off kilter! I drive by and see the construction in progress and am excited to see the remodeled store. But, I want to go shopping at ALDI now!

​When I walk down the aisles of ALDI, I reminisce to the days of a toddler in the seat of the cart and one in the basket in her baby carrier, and yet another toddler running ahead of me.  My shopping trips have changed from diapers, fruit snacks, and juice boxes to avocados, Almond Milk and wine!

​To say an ALDI store brings me peace may sound crazy, but it is true.  My husband waits patiently to see what goodies I am going to bring home from ALDI.  He likes to tell the story of when I ran over to ALDI to get the staple items of bread, milk, and eggs.  When I made my way into the house with those items and a grin on my face, he knew there was more.  He was speechless when I opened the trunk to reveal a weed whacker, towels and new top for me! I love the ALDI weekly specials section of the store!

​With all three of the above mentioned girls now away at college, my trips have changed.  My Saturday mornings start a little later, and they are a lot quieter (which I hate)!  I no longer am stocking up on fruit snacks, granola bars, and cereal.  It saddens me but I guess it is the circle of life! 

My shopping now consists of looking at labels and buying “healthy snacks” that I have to talk myself into eating! ALDI knows that big changes start small. I'm starting small one snack at a time! Avocados are always good at ALDI and I definitely stock up on those. I have also converted to Almond Milk and I promise no one else sells it for less and it is GOOD! ALDI is helping me shop "differentli" and I love it!

​ But, if I am going to be honest my life changed a few years back when ALDI started carrying alcohol!!  I just might be that middle age woman in the checkout next to you with a few bottles of wine. I see you younger moms with screaming kids and a cart full of snacks and diapers looking at me with envy.  What you don’t realize is I envy you, enjoy your time with those little munchkins, they will be grown before you know it!   

​I have to make a confession…. fruit snacks are still in my cart every time I check out. Fruit snacks pair perfectly with a nice bottle of chardonnay and bring me back to the years of being overscheduled and stressed. It also reminds me to enjoy every moment because life is always evolving! 

ALDI is evolving too and is inspiring us all to live "differentli." So, join me and come on out to the Grand Re-Opening of the ALDI at 3080 Hennepin Drive in Joliet on April 11th! I'll meet you by the avocados or the wine!

​Kim

Spring is here and I'm working on my "to do" list! The girls will be out of school before I know it and I need to get things done! I had put off an eye check up for far too long and recently went to see Dr. Chad Kuhar. Watch my video and see 5 reasons why you should visit Dr. Kuhar and his amazing team at Kuhar Vision. Huge thanks to Claudette Kuhar for helping me pick out such stylish glasses! I've know Dr. Kuhar and his wife Claudette since we were in grade school and they are amazing people with strong values. Dr. Kuhar is fantastic with patients of all ages, he was so patient and wonderful with the twins! Watch now to hear more about the exceptional service at Kuhar Vision, how they are providing jobs, and how they give back to the community! Schedule your visit today!

Kuhar Vision Care
4970 West Theodore
Plainfield, IL 60586
(Located on the southwest side of Route 59 and Theodore)
Phone (815) 577-0020
Fax (815) 577-3884
http://www.kuharvision.com
​

Over the past week the International Women's Day hashtag has been all over social media and there have been powerful commercials on TV. This inspired me to think about who has impacted me and who has helped me be a better leader, teammate, and friend. 

I immediately thought of June Holmes and she is my #internationalwomensday2019 hero! June is the Chief Operation Officer for the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, formerly PCI. I had the opportunity to work for June and she has been a mentor to me for more than 10 years! Following are 3 key lessons I learned from June.

1. People First
June demonstrated that people always come first. She instilled in me the importance of putting people at the center of your work. As a membership trade association, June built meaningful relationships with the executives of the member companies that have spanned her career. Her strong relationships helped the association be in tune with what mattered most to the members, to have insights on what kept them up at night, and knowledge of what resources the companies needed to succeed. June invested in cultivating relationships which made members feel valued. She genuinely cares about the members, their companies and also their personal lives. It is inspiring to see June in action with the members and the solid friendships inspire me to make time to build strong relationships with others. 

June also showed me the importance of keeping employees front and center in our daily work. June constantly thought through how initiatives, projects, and changes would impact employees. She had the short view, as well as the long view on how any company actions could play out and impact employees. She taught me the importance of viewing impact on employees from so many different angles. When I worked at PCI, June's insights were critical for strong employee relations and engagement. ​

2. Power in the Details
With multiple board meetings, many conferences, and countless political engagement events, the days flew by at the trade association. The amount of content generated could feel like an avalanche. June is a master of creating plans and execution to ensure outstanding products and services are delivered to incredibly busy executives. June taught me so much about keeping the trains running while also creating valuable content. Her ability to organize strategic plans and activate the team to produce results inspired me and taught me valuable skills. She also taught me the importance of working the details, staying focused, and remaining calm despite any fire drill. 

3. Pursue Your Passions Everywhere 
June encouraged me to pursue my passions at work such as encouraging insurance companies to embrace social media and working on talent challenges with the Insurance Careers Movement. When I had my sweet twin girls, Sophia and Stella, June taught me so much about pursuing your passions with your family while having a demanding career. As a working mom, June taught me about the importance of weaving in time to go to things like a music class with the girls or popping home for lunch with the twins. I learned from June on how to juggle work and home and how to have a meaningful impact in both places. June is an amazing role model on how to pursue your passions and make in impact in every aspect of your life.

#IWD2019
As I celebrate #IWD2019 and think about Stella and Sophia's future, I hope to inspire them like June Holmes inspires me. I'm grateful for the tremendous impact June has had on my life, both professionally and personally. June is my International Women's Day hero! 

We LOVE Charlotte from Henry Danger on @Nickelodeon and she is our superhero! As we celebrate Black History Month, we wanted to share some love with Charlotte Page who is played by the highly talented Riele Downs! 

My almost seven year-old twins, Stella and Sophia love watching Charlotte and her friends on Henry Danger! We are superfans of Charlotte and watch Henry Danger all time! The girls count down to the new episodes and love going back and watching shows from the previous seasons. I can look at a picture and know the episode immediately.

Here are four reasons we love Charlotte! ​

2. Super Friend
Charlotte is a super friend to Henry, Ray, Jasper, Piper and Schwoz. No matter the villains, no matter the crazy situations, no matter the funny outfits, Charlotte is a super friend to the entire gang. She helps her friends when they are in trouble (every episode), cheers them up when they are down (Bianca), and is willing to do just about anything to help them out (spelling bee and wearing Jasper's retainer).

​I have been friends with the incredible Rhonda Houston for more than twenty years and it is important for me to have the girls see friendships that look like Rhonda and I on TV. To help create positive change kids need to see people of all colors being friends on TV. Nickelodeon is doing an awesome job with Charlotte, Henry, Ray, Jasper, Piper and Schwoz and the rest of the gang. We love that Piper and Charlotte are close pals too.

I am a better person because of my long, amazing friendship with Rhonda. She has taught me so much, inspires me, and is an incredible friend. Thank you Charlotte and Nickelodeon for showing my girls meaningful and fun friendships on Henry Danger. 

3. Super Plan
I love that Charlotte is always asking Captain Man and Kid Danger, "What is the plan?" She is the voice of reason among the constant, funny chaos. As Ray, Henry, Schwoz, and Jasper go back and forth, Charlotte figures out the plan. It could as simple as pulling the plug to prevent the end of Swellview to using the computers to figure out the riddles, she makes a plan. I love that my girls get to see a strong girl make a plan and take action to help save the day. 

4. Super Fashion
We love Charlotte's clothes. Charlotte is a bit edgy and my girls love that. Stella and Sophia think Charlotte looks cool! Stella took a hip hop class last summer and that is more her vibe. No pink in their closets! The girls like to check out what Charlotte is wearing on each show. And, they love Piper's outfits too!

Thank You Charlotte, Riele, & Nickelodeon
Thank you Charlotte, Riele, and Nickelodeon for inspiring Sophia, Stella and I! You all are our superheroes! We are celebrating Black History Month and are cheering Charlotte's amazing talents, wonderful friendships and work to help save the day. Thank you Riele for giving Charlotte such passion, wit, and inspiration! You are teaching my girls wonderful, lifelong lessons. And, thank you Nickelodeon for leading the way with such an awesome show that is filled with strong values! We are your superfans and can't wait for more Henry Danger adventures with Charlotte, Henry, Ray, Piper, Jasper, and Schwoz and the rest of the team.  

Brewers fans - I get it. Change can be hard. Change in Major League Baseball can be hard and when it comes to things the fans care deeply about, like beer and naming rights, it can be very hard. In this social media era, Twitter can tell you immediately just how hard it can be. I know firsthand and I would like to ask you to give @AmFamJack Jack Salzwedel and American Family a chance at the plate. I had the opportunity to work for the Texas Rangers for almost five years and it was amazing. I now work in insurance and it is amazing, seriously.

​I started as an usher for the Texas Rangers in 1995 and joined the Front Office at the end of the season. This was back in the day when Doug Melvin was our General Manager and Pudge Rodriguez was leading the team to big wins. The same strong values of the Brewers and Doug Melvin can be found in the American Family team. I’m passionate about America’s pastime and appreciate the deep loyalty of fans to their teams. I had the opportunity to work on Nolan Ryan’s induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. When you walk the streets of Cooperstown and are in the presence of baseball giants, it is an awe inspiring time. Every detail matters in baseball. From the players to the uniforms, from the beer to the hot dogs, to the name of a ballpark to fan promotions. Every detail is interwoven into the fabric of a team and their fans. So, I get it that it might be difficult to imagine Miller Park with a different name but I know you love the Brewers and I want to share why I want you to give the Brewers and the American Family partnership a chance at the plate.
 
Through my work in insurance I have had the opportunity to work with Jack and the American Family team for almost 10 years and they are awesome.

​The Team
Jack and American Family are a team with strong values and a passion for building strong relationships. I’m not surprised that American Family was on a list of potential partners for the Brewers. I appreciate that the Brewers were looking for a company to join their crew that would positively impact the team and the larger community. American Family Insurance is the fourth largest Wisconsin-based company. The American Family group of companies has 12,000 people on their team including 4,375 in Wisconsin. And, they sell their products in Wisconsin through 300 independent contractor agents. The American Family team works hard to help people dream fearlessly which is what every baseball team is all about. I especially love dreaming fearlessly on opening day. Everything is possible in that moment! The American Family team is committed to being innovative, caring, agile, trustworthy, transparent, and passionate. Brewers fans, I just want to highlight how in this naming rights moment you can see the AmFam transparency in action. I worked for Tom Schieffer, the president of the Texas Rangers and one day during a bad losing streak I asked Tom if he was going down to the dugout to talk with the press. He said that you have to show up not only on the good days, but the tough days. Jack has shown up on Twitter to answer questions about the new partnership and to talk about why they are excited to support the Brewers and the Milwaukee community. These are the kind of people you want on the field with you. 

​The Resources
From being an usher to working in the front office, I had an opportunity to see behind the scenes on what it takes to run a major league team. I’m sure costs have continued to soar for baseball teams over the years and now there is such an enormous competition for how people spend their time and money. From player salaries to maintaining the ballpark to seasonal employees to insurance to promotions and a million other line items, major league baseball is expensive. In this highly competitive era, partnerships are critical in helping ensure a club can field the best team possible while providing the best fan experience possible. For more than 90 years American Family has helped inspire, protect, and restore people’s dreams. With their financial strength, in 2017 American Family also helped local communities with $11.7 million total combined philanthropic giving. This is major league giving and with their growing footprint I am sure they are already helping in your communities as well. In the Brewers and American Family announcement, they shared that together they would also support community projects and would help refurbish youth and high school baseball fields. This is a win for the team, American Family, the fans, and the community. American Family is stepping up to the plate with a 15-year partnership with the Brewers which will help the team succeed on and off the field.
 
Brewers fans, I know the beer will still be cold on every opening day. And while the name may change, the dream to win the World Series will remain the same. I hope you will give AmFam Jack and the American Family team a chance a plate. I know they will hit it out of the park. 

Sears made headlines again last week when it survived through a bankruptcy action. Eddie Lampert, the chairman and largest shareholder of Sears saved the company with his $5.2 billion takeover bid. Under his proposal, Eddie will keep about 400 stores open nationwide and will save as many as 45,000 jobs. I was glad to hear this iconic 126 year-old company would remain in business, at least for now.

I was so sad last August when Carson Pirie Scott closed its final stores after 160 years in operation. Carson’s had begun liquidating its 212 stores last April after it couldn’t find a buyer. Over the summer I was a frequent shopper at Carson's and picked up many great liquidation deals. While I was glad to save money, I was incredibly sad each time I saw the enormous going out of business signs.

I get it, the retail landscape is radically changing and as an Amazon Prime member I’ve been quick to order online. The disappearing stores and retail jobs are staggering. In 2017 there was a record high of nearly 7,000 retail stores closed and it appears that in 2018 nearly 5,000 bigger stores closed. My kids and I were so sad when Toys-R-Us shuttered last year.

But the Carson’s closing, as well as the closings of other iconic bricks and mortar stores is about more than just losing another place to shop. It’s about people and jobs and leadership and opportunities. I know that tech and innovation are creating those things in other ways but I just can’t lose sight of the enormous value that takes place in physical stores across the nation. 

More than 20,000 people nationwide lost their jobs with the closings of the Bon-Ton chain including the Carson's stores. National retail job losses are staggering and apparently more than 66,000 retail jobs vanished in 2017. According to retail reports, these job losses tend to hit the young, elderly, women and minorities the hardest.

My mom, Bev Murer went back to work when I was in junior high. I was so excited that she was working at Carson Pirie Scott in Joliet and thought it was so cool to go visit her in the men's department when she was working. My siblings, Sergie, Missy and Matt and I would dash about the store and loved to check everything out. Throughout my career I have reflected many times on my mom's career at Carson's and have tried to emulate her leadership, teamwork, resourcefulness, and positive attitude. When Carson's closed last August I kept thinking about 3 specific lessons I learned from my mom. As the future of big box stores and potential store closing continue to be hot topics I wanted to share my favorite lessons from my mom and her working in retail. 

1. Work Hard At Every Job and Have A Positive Attitude
From the day my mom joined Carson Pirie Scott until the day she retired 24 years later, she gave 120% towards everything she did. My mom started in the Men's department and I learned how to work hard and hustle from her. I learned retail can be chaos and my mom worked hard to bring order and exceptional service. My mom would share stories about work with us kids and she would talk about the importance of working hard and doing a good job at every task. 

From the home front my siblings and I only added to the chaos. My dad was also working hard at his job but we never bothered him at work. We would call my mom at Carson's and would all be fighting and screaming at each other. I look back now and am mortified at our behavior. I do not know how she did not throttle us when she got home. We were horrible and she would address our issues over the phone with a pleasant, crisp voice. My mom is a saint.

My mom enjoyed working with the customers and the employees as well as the operations of retail. She worked very hard, continued to learn and develop her talents. She embraced career opportunities and was promoted throughout her career at Carson's. Mom become the Human Resources Manager in Joliet and then at Lincoln Mall in Matteson. Retail provided a career path for my mom as it does for countless others. 

2. Be A Problem Solver
As the manager of HR my mom had a red carnation attached to her name tag. When she walked the floor this helped identify her and the other managers as problem solvers. When we were in high school we would stop in the store to say hi to my mom when we were out shopping. I loved going into her office and loved seeing her interact with the other Carson's employees. I thought it was so interesting to listen to them talk about schedules, upcoming sales, and events going on the store. I could see their collaboration and attention to detail. Sometimes I would go walk the floors with my mom. I loved this. My mom would talk with the other employees and was quick to help resolve problems for customers. I loved watching her defuse a situation and help take care of the customers. Retail can be crazy but my mom never seemed to be flustered by any situation. She would work through the problem, would help the employee, and would send away a happy customer. At Christmas time it would be super crazy and my mom would still be calmly focused on the problem and helping improve the situation. I learned so much from watching my mom in action. And if you are wondering, I think housewares is the craziest department and has the most issues! Retail provides opportunities for people to develop critical skills and help the company succeed.

3. Treat Every Person Exceptionally Well
There is such a focus on diversity and inclusion and treating people well right now but my mom has always been doing this! I've watched my mom work in the departments, interact with the management team, and help customers and no matter the person, no matter the situation my mom has always treated every person exceptionally well. She is kind, thoughtful, and inclusive in her work and I have always tried to follow her lead. I could tell others appreciated how much she valued each person as we walked the floors. Other employees were quick to chat with my mom and she always asked about their families and lives. Each person was important. I could tell in how they responded to her that they appreciated my mom too. My mom led the Sunshine Committee for years and always tried to brighten the work experience for the employees. I loved hearing her stories about the latest Sunshine Committee events. I tried to do similar things in my jobs too. My mom wanted people to enjoy their work experience, to find value in their contributions and to provide outstanding service. She led through example and it made a difference at Carson's. In retail you have an opportunity to interact with so many different people and it is so important to treat everyone exceptionally well.

Next time you need to shop...
I'm grateful for Carson's and other physical stores for the opportunities they provide for people to work hard, to develop their skills and to grow their careers. It's also an opportunity to interact with others and treat each other well. And, it's an opportunity to earn money and provide for your family. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to see my mom in action at Carson's and I learned so much from her at work. 

So, next time you need to do some shopping I hope you'll do a mix of physical stores and on-line. And, go into Sears, I know 45,000 people that would appreciate it.

Love you mom!

​Meg 

* You may see the Carson's brand on-line. The company name was purchased in the fall of 2018. 

Where did the Messy Mommies go for the last six months? Well, sometimes life is messy and the "to do" lists run long! There are so many things I didn't cross off my lists the last few months! Good thing 2019 is right around the corner and it's time for New Year's resolutions! More blogging for sure!

My messy Christmas cards are the perfect example of what life has been like lately. Tony, Sophia, Stella and I moved from Chicago to Joliet in August and are so glad to be back home. I knew I needed to do my Christmas cards early so we could share our new address and ordered them on Shutterfly in early December. I also ordered from Shutterfly presents including photo Christmas ornaments, photo water bottles and a photo puzzle. Once ordered I didn't give the orders much thought. I few days before Christmas my Messy Mommies partner-in-crime, Holly and I were talking about Christmas cards and I realized my order had not yet arrived. Holly asked if I was sure I had sent my order to the right address. Oh no, I immediately thought and quickly jumped on the computer. Sure enough, I had sent everything to the old house. I tracked down the new owners and dashed off a pleading, cheery email to see  if I could pick up the packages. Thank goodness they still had my packages. Tony was a champ of a husband and drove up to the old house to pick up the items. I had our cute photo gifts just in time for Christmas. Hooray! But most of the Christmas cards are still on my kitchen counter! Life is messy! Dear friends, our Christmas cards will be late! LOL!

So this is how my messy life has been over the past six months! I way, way, way, way underestimated how much was involved with building a new house, selling a house, packing, moving, saying good-bye to awesome friends, starting a new school, making new friends at school, unpacking, and the holidays. It's not just messy - it's chaos! The messiness is all worth it and I'm thankful that we moved back home and are now closer to Tony's parents, my parents and so many life-long friends.

So many times I thought about sitting down for a few minutes and blogging. I had so many things I wanted to write about but every moment just flew by! Here are a few things I wanted to write about and you just might see these posts in 2019:

• Building a new house with M/I Homes (awesome experience)
• Selling a family home, so many special memories 
• Saying good-bye to wonderful friends, tearful
• How sad I was at the closing of the Carson's stores and leadership lessons I learned from my mom, my mom inspires every day
• Starting a new school for my twins and being the new mom in the pickup line, so nervous
• Baking Christmas cookies with Sophia and Stella, so fun and so messy
• My #LoveActually video for insurance on LinkedIn, so crazy with over 8,800 views

And so many more thoughts. Hopefully more writing in 2019! In the meantime, we hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying the holidays! Thank you for reading our blog and being a part of our messy lives! Happy New Year and we look forward to connecting with you in 2019!

​Meg
 

Calling all #4thofJuly #hotdog fans! Come on out to @MistwoodGolf Course on the 4th of July at 2:00 pm to help Mistwood Golf Course and @ViennaBeef break the Guinness Book of World Record for the longest line of hot dogs! Help bring the title back to America on #IndependenceDay and enjoy some free hot dogs! #ViennaBeef hot dogs will be lined up from tee to green! We love the Mistwood Golf Course and the @McWethysTavern! Come be a part of history and see what 2,000 hot dogs line up on a gorgeous golf course look like on the 4th of July! What a great way to help @ViennaBeef celebrate 125 years of amazing hot dogs!

The record currently stands at 1,157 feet and is held by Nakakyushu Kubota of Japan. This awesome event is free and open to the public! 

Come on out friends in #Joliet #Bolingbrook #Romeoville #Shorewood #Naperville #Chicagoland area! What a great way to celebrate the 4th of July and be a part of a #GWR! 

P.S. we love #ViennaBeef hot dogs so much that we wrote about @ViennaBeef last 4th of July. You can check out that post here ​http://www.messymommiesinthecity.com/home/why-you-should-have-a-viennabeef-hotdog-this-4th-of-july