Today, we are going to pick things up right where I left off yesterday.

Ok, so maybe not RIGHT where I left off, but pretty darn close.  Amidst all the fun with the Rochfords leading up to Christmas, I made sure that I had plenty of time to prep everything necessary for these wonderful “sticky buns” from a Cook’s Illustrated recipe.

Early Christmas morning, Brian and I said our farewells to the Rochfords and hit the road for Fort Wayne.

Despite the blurry dog image in the picture, Bernie actually slept during the entire two hour drive.

Once we arrived, it was time for gift-giving, sticky bun eating, and having lots of fun.

After all the gifts were shared, and we had plenty of time to relax and enjoy Mom’s famous lasagna, we practiced taking selfies 🙂 (HA!) and headed out to see a movie at the movie theater.

All in all, it was an amazing Christmas day….but the fun was just getting started because we had a total of five days to hang out in Fort Wayne.

While growing up in Fort Wayne, I could have assured you that there was absolutely NOTHING to do I’ve come to prove myself wrong.  We had a blast exploring Fort Wayne, watching movies, hanging out and just relaxing.

We even got to enjoy the fireplace 🙂

Oh, and I made sure to make time to play with and carry my parent’s little baby dog all around.

Here are some highlights from our Fort Wayne visit.

• Fortezza Coffee

I’ll be completely honest in saying that I really love coffee, especially good almond milk lattes.  Like the kind that are really foamy and rich and have that slightly bitter coffee taste.  Not the “American” kind.  After living in Denver for just over a year now, Brian and I like to think that we are coffee aficionados.  In reality, we totally are NOT but we do love adorable, local coffee shops with delicious beverages and house-made eats.

I found Fortezza Coffee on instagram somehow and knew that when we visited home for the holidays I wanted to check it out.  One of our activities was exploring some shops in the downtown area, which landed us right in the neck of the woods of this quaint and cool coffee shop.

It was everything we expected and more.  I loved the relaxed and friendly vibe, and the coffee was delicious!! I had a peppermint mocha (made with coconut milk), Brian had a vanilla latte, and my mom had a seasonal latte made with honey and cinnamon.  Needless to say, we all slurped up our drinks pretty darn quick.

If you are looking for a cool place to study or get some computer work done outside of the house, or just want to meet up with friends for a tasty latte or cappuccino Fortezza is definitely the place to go.

• DeBrand Hot Cocoa

DeBrand is a local, Fort Wayne chocolate company that has a few shops in the Fort Wayne area.  While visiting an outdoor shopping center and trudging through the freezing cold rain, we decided to thaw out a bit while sipping some of this sweet stuff.

I enjoyed the dark chocolate hot cocoa and Brian enjoyed the java hot cocoa (it has a shot of espresso!).  Both were delicious (mine was better!) and totally hit the chocolate spot 🙂

By the way, that is the “petite” size we were enjoying!! Definitely more than enough!

• Visiting Shops in the Downtown Area

There are quite a few adorable shops in the downtown Fort Wayne area such as The City Exchange and Creative Women of the World.  Both of these had lots of items that would make great gifts.  Don’t worry, my gift thinking cap is always on!

While visiting the shops, Brian took a photo of me with my new Vera Bradley (Fort Wayne company!!) purse and wallet that I absolutely adore.  (I’m talking about the purse and wallet there…!) I love the contrast of the teal with the cognac.

• Country Heritage Winery

One afternoon, our outing was to visit the local and adorable winery, Country Heritage.

We started with a wine tasting and then enjoyed healthfully poured glasses of wine while chatting with Mom.  It was perfect!

• Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island

This was another pit stop on our little tour of Downtown Fort Wayne.  Coney Island makes the “coney dog” which essentially a chili dog in a steamed bun.  I’m sure I’m not giving the hotdogs justice, but I’ll be honest in saying I’ve never had one!  Brian and my mom thoroughly enjoyed their coney dog treats though.  This place has been around practically forever and is kind of a Fort Wayne “must see” so if you haven’t ever been there, I’d recommend at least stopping in to say hello.  The little restaurant is always busy and is pretty cute.

• Visiting with High School Friends and their Babies

On our last night in Fort Wayne, we were lucky enough to get together with two good friends from high school and their adorable babies 🙂

It was so fun chatting with them and catching up.  I love being able to make time for that when we are visiting Fort Wayne!

• Getting My Hair Cut

You’ve probably noticed my shorter hair in a few pictures, so I guess I should say it…I got a hair cut!

It was a little spur of the moment, but I just felt like a needed a change so my sister (a hair stylist) gave me my new style.  I really love it!

It has been really fun to look back on all of my holiday pictures with family and friends.  I am so thankful that Brian and I were able to go home for such a long time, but I am ready to get back on schedule and settle into “normal” life again.

I hope your holidays were wonderful too!

Question of the Day:

• Share something about your holiday week/weeks with me!