As I predicted, I was unable to find time to post “Things I’m Loving” throughout the holiday season. Sorry, but family time won out (as it should). No worries, it is back in full force again this month!

As much of the nation was hunkered down during the Polar Vortex, I still had to go to work. Snowdays mean that Nannies (and parents for that matter) are working double time. As wind chills neared -30F, schools closed making winter break extended. We all had cabin fever! But what would normally be humidity gathering on the front window actually froze to the window. That’s right, it was so cold that we had ice inside the house. Also, the kids noted that’ “it’s so cold that your boogers freeze inside your nose!” And we used this method to make our own snow!

O turned 2! We didn’t throw an actual party this year like we did last year. Instead we had a birthday brunch with my family, a birthday dinner with Hubby’s family and a good old fashioned Elmo cake with some friends. Wilton makes and Elmo cake mold that works with boxed cake recipes. And yes, we trade candles in for sparklers at our house!

After we thought that darn Polar Vortex was over, we got snow. And then more snow. The kids’ school has run out of calamity days! I was glad to see snow… I feel like if its going to be so frigid out then it should at least snow so the cold is worth it to me.

These are “work in progress” shot of a pair of Donkey and Diddy Kong for a little boy’s room. The finished product was poster here.

Hubby and I enjoyed another fantastic date night. And we’ve resolved to do more of them! This time we saw “Her” and enjoyed dinner and drinks at one of our favorite casual joints. New twist: We’ve started going to the movie first and then dinner afterward. The movies are less crowded, sometimes it is still matinee pricing, dinner is more relaxed and we aren’t hurried out to get to the movie on time.

During the blistering cold we came up with some fun ways to pass the time inside like this pretty cool (if I do say so myself) fort.

O and I spend my “day off” in our PJs for a while. This week she kept running to the couch and climbing up asking, “Daddy coming?” to which I’d tell her, “Not yet” and she asks “Why?” which now is the formula for most of our conversations.

I’ve now been in the world’s tiniest bathroom. Our friends hosted a hilarious Ugly Sweater Party (where we won the best couple “Margot and Todd Chester” prize). They live in an old house with the tiniest powder room ever. Like so tiny it fits under the steps. To get a sense of scale, notice that the sink has a soap pump on it… tiny sink, the toilet is in the angled part of the steps so if you stand up too quickly you will hit your head. Its one of those fun things everyone at the party says, “Have you been in the tiny bathroom yet?” Just more old house character that I can gawk at and miss (our old house was built in 1904 and our current home was built in 1979).

Things I’m loving from around the internet:

Purple your Twitter of Facebook Profile for Cancer! For every profile “purpled” through World Cancer Day on February 4th, Chevrolet will give $1 to The American Cancer Society.

I always wanted a pencil bed when I was a kid. Apparently all I had to do was become Jimmy Fallon. You don’t want to miss this.

We all know the Super Bowl has the best commercials. I’ve linked to a few of my favorites (some are already airing)… I’m such a sap for a good commercial. If you haven’t heard Derrick Coleman’s story, come out from under your rock and bring your tissues. If you don’t like puppies and beer we might need to revaluate our friendship.

I’m craving new yoga pants and a pair of monogrammed rainboots… they even have some for O!

I kind of want to get one of these to add to a current necklace I have to make a little cluster of meaningful letters.