V-Day -- I dig it.

Chris told me to be ready by 9am Saturday morning. We were celebrating the holiday a few days early (which is a good thing, because he was sick as a dog and home in bed cuddled up with a bottle of Theraflu Monday!)

I love surprises, but I usually try to figure them out. And 9 times outta 10, I succeed. This time I decided not to try. Besides, what in the world runs from 10-11 on a Saturday morning, and involves jeans and a hoodie?!

As we were driving along he reached in the backseat and pulled out a set of gardening tools & a bucket with spots for all your tools and said it was part 1 of my surprise. Maybe it makes me a geek that I was excited, but I have a just shy of a half an acre of yard... I cannot WAIT to plant flowers and maybe even (I'm getting ambitious now) a small garden!?

After about 20 minutes of driving we pulled up to here

The conservatory at Garfield Park. I didn't even know this place existed!

We did a short little class on gardening, and which vegetable seeds can be planted now, and then we helped the conservatory plant their spinach and broccoli. Then we took a stroll around to see all the tropical plants. There were cocoa trees, mango trees, pomegranate trees, tons of tropical flowers and an abundance of palm trees! It was like being on vacation (as long as you didn't look outside ha!)

My favorite -It's the Calliandra haematocephala - Red Powderpuff Bush. The little puff balls were so soft, and about the size of a fist. It looked like it belonged in a Dr. Suess movie!

We followed the conservatory with stir fry, and then wandered around Barnes & Noble. Chris had his very first caramel macchiato! Hah!! He is slowly becoming a coffee drinker.

It was something fun and different! Chris & I have been trying really hard to do different things instead of the same ol dinner & a movie dates... I think he succeeded with planning this one!!