Hi! I'm Jelena Meisel

I'm a mom and wife based in the Rocky mountains. I love cooking, hiking and traveling.

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The Day After The Long Holiday Weekend

Jul 7, 2015

Welcome back from the long holiday weekend! Was it a good one?  Hope you enjoyed yours as much as we did ours. Life lately has been a bit crazy to say the least, so having a few weekends in a row with Kiki was a pure delight. And having a long weekend together, well, that was like a cherry on top!

I think the Fourth of July weekend is one of my very favorite holidays of the year. Ours was packed with quality time together and with friends! Actually this weekend was the epitome of what summers should be all about…Backyard BBQ’s, swimming, breakfast in bed, brunch, watermelons by the water, raspberry popsicles, movie nights…. I wish every weekend was like this! In between all the pooling, swimming, BBQing and Fourth of July parading, I did a little bit of reading and lounging around on the patio….it’s finally looking like the outdoor space I imagined it to be…pictures to come as soon as the table arrives and completes the space!

So to sum up our weekend in photos….this was our view pretty much the whole weekend!

Long Weekend Holiday

You probably won’t believe when I tell you this, but I am cutting down on coffee… I have replaced one cup of coffee with a cup of green tea and feeling great….but this ice-coffee was out of this world. If you find yourself in Oakland Park area, the Alchemist is a place to go…you won’t regret it!

ice-coffee

We entertained ourselves running through rainbows and jumping on our favorite colors…somehow all the colors were Kiki’s favorite!

jumping on our favorite colors

On Friday night, we ventured out to Miami Beach for a dinner party… My friend’s home was one of the coolest places I’ve been to, it was like walking onto “Something’s Gotta Give” movie set – an impeccable NYC meets Hamptons home with a view. And the food…oh my the food… simple, flavorful, refreshing and delicious! My hats off to the chef Ken!

Saturday, it was all about being patriotic! Kiki was very excited about the 4th of July especially after I explained to her that this holiday was America’s birthday and fireworks were the candles, she couldn’t get enough of it. If it was up to her, we would be still celebrating! And this was the first year she wasn’t scared of the fireworks and she thoroughly enjoyed it!

Our 4th of July evening with friends was so much fun. We have been getting together with the same families on the Fourth of July for 3 years now. It’s such a special tradition and one that we hope will continue for years to come.

These three ladies have known each other since they were only a few months old and suddenly they are looking so grown up. I know I am sounding like a cliche, but how is this possible?? Time is truly flying by!

Beautiful as always – my camera phone didn’t do it justice.

This photo sums up the weekend! Tanned skin, fireworks and waving an American flag. All signs of summer!


And this is pretty much how we spent the rest of our time…and I foresee this upcoming weekend with a bit of more of the same view! I don’t mind it, the least!

After indulging in the most amazing and abundant brunch in town on Sunday at Made in Italy Gourmet, we chatted and discussed the important topics – kangaroo costumes, monkey butts, giraffe’s long tongue, cheetah spots, etc….We left with our bellies and hearts full….Thankful for the friends whom I can call family!

By the end of the weekend I was too exhausted to cook, but I knew a very long Monday was waiting for us, and we needed our veggies, protein and carbs to balance out all the sweets. Powered by laziness, I got a bit creative…a one pan wonder – honey garlic chicken and veggies.  Tender, juicy chicken breasts baked to perfection with potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli. All cooked on a single pan! EASY! and Kiki approved!

We were dragging this morning, though. But it was a good tired. The kind where you feel exhausted but thankful for such a fun time. I hope you’re like me and took in every minute of the time and enjoyed the long evenings and early mornings of each day this holiday weekend. And now begins another week! Hoping my productivity level skyrockets tomorrow! Cheers to a fulfilling weekend and productive week! let’s do it again!

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