The past week was spent in a cabin at the lake with my hubby and kids…and hubby’s entire family and a few of our friends.

After a week sharing our cabin with 8 other people, I’m happy to be home.   Really I’m just happy to be home sharing our bathroom with just my hubby and boys.   I’d rather not know everyones business or have everyone know my business.  I think the phrase I heard most this week was “who’s in the bathroom?”    Depending who it was sometimes the house cleared out.

It was a great week though.   Seven days at Houghton Lake.    I’m about seven pounds heavier but I guess that is the sign of a good vacation.   One thing we did well was eat.   The girls planned a delicious meal every night.   With 15+ people, it made it easy only cooking one meal instead of each cabin figuring out their own meal.   Three times a day the girls would take over the kitchen and the guys would fire up the grills.  In no time was dinner cooked, ate, and cleaned up.   Then we were back to having fun and relaxing.   Thats the way to do it.

This is for all the Michigan people out there.   Since we had such a great time and since it doesn’t have a website, I have to put a good word in for Buster’s Resort Houghton Lake, MI.   The guy who runs it “Buster” was nice and didn’t bother us one bit.  I guess it helped having the entire three cabins rented out.   It is a great little place.  It is on the north side of Houghton Lake.   That side of the lake doesn’t have a beach but once in the water you can walk out 100 yards.   Its only up to your knees.   It is great for anyone with kids.

The resort comes complete with two docks.  He even had a boat hoist which made it easy getting on and off the pontoon we rented from Spicer’s.    Buster’s offers a small fishing boat to rent for $15 a day.

All three cabins are lake front which gives you a large grassy area looking out on Houghton lake.    Each cabin has a picnic table and barbeque.   Their are two wooden swings to relax on.  There is even a sand box for the kids.   We picked up a bag of sand from the local Walmart to keep my two kids busy for the week.   Bring your favorite lawn games and a radio.  Then life is good.   At night build a campfire in the pit, and relax under the stars.

The main cabin is very room.   A screened in porch on the lake side.   A full size kitchen with a table for four sits right next to a bar with two stools.  The living room has a large sectional sofa, recliner, wood burning stove, and a large TV with Direct TV.   Three small bedrooms are available with full size beds and chest of drawers.   This cabin has a new shower and jacuzzi tub.

The other two cabins are small with two small bedrooms.   Each bedroom has a full size bed.   The living/kitchen area has a futon and  a table for four.   The bathroom is small but its a cabin so what do you expect.

It is a dog friendly resort.   Buster asks that you keep the dogs on the porch if you use the main cabin (new carpet).   Also watch out for the lady next door if your dog likes to chase ducks.   She has the DNR on speed dial.

There are plenty of family friendly things to do in Houghton Lake.  A quick 10 minute ride around the lake for putt putt golfing, go carts, bumper boats, etc.

And the fishing is not bad either.

We had such a great time we’ve booked it for next year.

For the next week, I am going to be here:

4 hours away from home in Houghton Lake, Michigan.

My hubby’s family and friends have rented 3 cottages at the lake.

So I will be busy swimming, boating, fishing, and not thinking about my computer.

What!!!  Not thinking about my computer? Yeah right! Who could actually do that?

I’ll be checking up from the browser on my cell phone but thats it.

Otherwise I will be on a mission to take some great photos with my camera, have fun with my kids, and relax with my hubby.

See you in a week!

So I decided to take the summer semester off from school.  When the semester is only 6 weeks long, I don’t think the instructor appreciates when you will be gone for a week.

I can say is that I am actually missing school.  Not the homework and boring stuff, but the artistic stuff.  I miss putting my ideas on paper.   I can actually say its kind of therapeutic.   Its calming to focus on one thing and putting everything you have into it.    Sometimes you are unsure but once you give into the artistic process its amazing what comes out.

So I now need to seek out some inspiration for the next couple weeks.  Here is the plan of attack:

Tomorrow I am going to visit the Wyandotte Street Art Fair.   My hometown hosts one of the largest art fairs in Michigan.  Second only to Ann Arbor.   I will have my two punks with me but hopefully I will enjoy myself.

Next week, my family is going to Houghton Lake.   It will be difficult to not have a computer for a whole week.  But I will have my camera.  I’m hoping to get some great shots of the kids in the lake.

Then in August its back to Lake Michigan to experience beautiful sunsets like these again.

I’m from Michigan.  Born and raised!   I spent my summers as a kid at Higgins Lake (the neighbor to Houghton Lake).   I climbed the sand dunes.   We went to Mackinac, ate fudge, and took horse drawn carriage rides.   We went to Traverse City for the Cherry Fest.   Recently, I can also say I’ve been to the National Asparagus Festival.

I’ve lived outside Detroit my whole life – Wyandotte to be exact.   Its a small city but it has the states 2nd largest art fair I hear.    I’ve fished in the Detroit River (never ate the catch though).   I’ve been on the Boblo Boat.   I’ve danced on the field at the old Tiger Stadium and cheered them on at Comerica Park.   I’m proud to say I’m from Hockey Town.   I laugh on how we all watch the Lions play even when they loose almost religiously.

So what am I getting to in this post?   Michigan has many great things to offer.

I recently came across an email titled “Made In Michigan”.    To sum it up it said that if Michigan residents spend $10 a week on Michigan Products it would bring $36 million into the Michigan economy.   Its even better if you are shopping at a Michigan owned grocery store such as Spartan Stores, Meijer, Randazzo’s or Westborn.

Attached to this email was a list of Michigan products.   Most of you are probably already buying Michigan products.   Ever heard of Kellogg’s or Keebler.  Most of you probably grew up on Faygo Moon Mist or Rock and Rye.  Don’t forget Vernors.   Each Halloween, I counted up all the bags of Better Made potato chips.

I thought this was a great idea and easy to do.   So check out this list of Made in Michigan products and be sure to do your part for the Michigan economy.

http://www.iuoelocal547.com/PDFs/Stores_and_Products.pdf

I’ve recently read a number of blog posts regarding mom blogs being taken over by reviews and contest.   As a blog reader I have to agree.   On my reader, probably 8 out of 10 posts are reviews or giveaways.   It was great in the beginning I was entering contests left and right.  Now I’m kind of over it.   Maybe its that I’m home now and my kids don’t give me much time at the computer.   Or I just not that interested.

But in the beginning I thought “oh wow this is great!  I want to get free stuff too!”.   In the mom blog world, there is enormous pressure to have to best products to review and the best contests to offer.   I felt the pressure but never really gave in.   I guess it helps that I’m not a salesperson or fundraiser at heart.  I don’t just ask for free stuff.   Its not in my nature.

So I’ve decided that I’m going to stick with the reason, I started my blog – a place to voice my thoughts.   I’m not going to give into reviews.   If something great comes along that I want to tell everyone about, I will.   But I’m just going to keep this about my thoughts.    If it takes me that much longer to build a community, so be it.  If I never get a community, so be it.   This is me and this is who I am.

Its my blog and I’ll blog when I want to.