A Spectacular Snow Day Indeed.

This is a sponsored post with Wayfair.  All opinions are my own.  Thank you for supporting our blog! 

As a kid growing up in a suburb of Cleveland, snow days were almost a given during the winter season.  Nothing beat hearing your mom or dad say, “No school today guys!” in the morning.  Even better, when the weather was so bad that you knew an entire day in advance that school was cancelled.  Snow days meant an entire day at home, to bug your siblings and do whatever your little heart desired – which usually consisted of playing Sega or coloring.  Fancy, I know.

We haven’t been so lucky since moving out into our new town.  Lake effect snow is not a phrase our ears perk up to anymore, and the snow belt is long gone.  So, we’ve been waiting.  Oh so patiently to get pounded by mother nature, just for the sheer thrill of seeing the boys faces when they realize there is no need to rush out of pj’s at all!

Just because mother nature has not unleashed her beast on us just yet does not mean we can not make up an entire day of “snow day” fun! Seeing as January is coming to a close, and we’ve seen our grass 90% of the time this winter, we figured it was time to shake things up and just go with it.

With a bit of snow on the ground over the weekend, and freezing temps we decided it was the perfect day to show the kiddos the ice rink our park put in.  A huge selling point for this house was the proximity to schools, downtown Hudson and the park right around the corner.  It has walking trails, canoes to rent, fishing, playgrounds … you guys, it’s amazing.

We surprised Brody right after picking him up for school, with his hockey bag packed with the boys skates and we were off!

The perfect way to enjoy a pretend snow day? Outside, ice skating, with no one around.  It was pure magic.

Ready for picture overload? Here ya go 🙂

It was SO cold, far too cold to enjoy the rink for more than 15 minutes.  So we blasted the heat in the car and instantly found our bellies growling for dinner.

This past fall we bought an amazing panini press from Wayfair – definitely one of my favorite purchases made in 2015.

You can buy it here 

This panini press by Hamilton Beach is what a sandwich-lovers dreams are made of.  We have made so many paninis these past few months, it has become my favorite go-to for dinner.  The kids love every sandwich it makes, I mean, you cannot go wrong with cheesy-goodness! If I was Oprah, this would be my moment to share with you “You get a panini press! You get a panini press!” I would give one to each of you.

Instead, buy one, stat.  You will not regret it! Super easy to clean too, which is such a plus! I love when we have family over and utilize this kitchen essential.  I line up all of the sandwiches on a baking sheet, prepped and ready to go when it’s time to eat.  It’s impressive and delicious and will leave your loved ones feeling spoiled.

We made a ridiculously indulgent panini to warm us up.  Bacon, sriracha mayo, provolone and tomato slices …. OoO BABY, it was GOOD!

It was like a jacked up BLT without the lettuce, because vegetables are over-rated.

Close this beauty shut and within minutes you are left with a sandwich that will leave your taste buds singing.  We’ve done all different versions, simple caprese panini with pesto, philly cheese steak and bbq chicken with pineapple.  The options are endless.

So whether you are hit with a snow day or not, do not let the winter days slip away without enjoying some seasonal fun with your family.  Even a freeze baby like myself can brave the outdoors for a bit if it means there is a warm delicious dinner waiting to be made when I get home.