Friday's Favorites, Food & Funnies

My parents left on Monday and Crystal, my best friend from childhood, arrived last night so my 3-day weekend starts today to take her wedding shopping and spend some time together. She was the maid of honor in my wedding and I'm going to be her MOH in February so off we go to get started on her wedding shopping.

I came home from work on Monday to find these roses from K. He said they were for my parents leaving? I told him thanks but a bottle of wine would better do the job right now.

Skyh's birthday would've been this week and we received this gift in the mail from her vet clinic. She passed away two months ago for those new to this space. I had no clue they took her paw print.

My weekly meal plan typically runs from Monday to Thursday night and we eat out on the weekends. Last night we went out for dinner since Crystal was in town but otherwise stuck to the plan.

Monday: Chicken & veggie stirfry

Tuesday: Pork chops w/ veggie medley (aspragus, carrots & mushrooms)

Wednesday: Mexican fiesta salad with chicken

I did some pampering on my lunch break to get a long overdue pedi with some awesome iced coffee from Dunkin. The past two weeks have been exceptionally crazy at work and then trying to stay afloat in the blog world, it feels like I work all day, everyday. I needed this one hour to just unplug and relax.

All day conference and training yesterday was painful but at least they provided a good breakfast and lunch as well as coffee to keep my eyes open. Thought this BlaBlaBla artwork right outside the conference room was cute.

Favorite Funnies:

Catch you next week and happy weekend!

Joining Amanda and Lauren today for their weekly Friday linkups.

Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

 

The two cleaning tools I use for makeup brushes are a professional liquid cleaner and a scrubbing glove specifically made for makeup brushes.

I've been using this ULTA professional brush and sponge cleaner. It's not the most high-tech cleaner on the market but I like it and it leaves my brushes feeling clean and soft. You can literally see the "dirty" water washing away all the makeup.

 

Sigma Brush Cleaning Glove

I use this to deep clean my brushes to make sure all makeup and bacteria are removed.

How do you clean your makeup brushes?

Affordable Shopping Finds

It's finally starting to cool off here in Florida so I'm excited to whip out the cute sweaters and scarves!

Some fashion finds that I'm loving from Old Navy:

I already wrote about these Pixie pants last week (perfect for work) that I scored for $25 each and this comfy black peplum top.

And shopping finds that I'm loving from Kohl's:

My recent haul from Kohl's last weekend (my mother made me do it!) plus cute bow sweater from Lauren Conrad.

Where do you shop for affordable fall clothing?

My Twist to Cajun Jambalaya

I've never cooked Jambalaya before and found an amazing recipe to experiment with - Cajun Jambalaya. The flavors were rich and I definitely recommend it if you like spicy food with a lot of flavor. The New Orleans andouille sausage really gives it that added flavor along with the Cajun spices. 

 

I followed most of the original recipe but also made several changes. I used regular vegetable oil and minute rice because lazy that's what I had in the pantry. I also added some shrimp and left out the file powder because I have no idea what that is. Other things I left out were salt, celery and the chicken broth (which was needed to cook regular rice).  These are the ingredients I used.

Ingredients:

28 oz. crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pack New Orleans andouille sausage, cooked

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 cups cooked shrimp

4 cups cooked rice

3 cloves garlic, whole

1 green bell pepper

1 onion

So happy I experimented with this delish recipe so I can now make my own jambalaya instead of driving all of over town looking for a Cajun restaurant. 

Enjoy!

 

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Treasure Island Weekend Vacay

I'm grateful for the relaxing weekend spent beach-side with K and my parents and thankful that the rainy weather forecast turned out to be sunny and clear skies for the most part.

On Friday we drove out to Treasure Island, FL and stayed at a 2-bedroom condo with a beautiful view of the beach. My parents really wanted to check out Florida's west coast since we did a beach trip on the east coast last year.

 

On Friday night, we went out for some seafood dinner at Oyster Shuckers on St Pete Beach which was really good. The rest of the night was spent hanging out and relaxing at the condo.

Saturday was spent lounging at the pool. My in-laws also drove to spend the day with us so the 4 parents hung out and we all had lunch together at the resort. 

 

My MIL brought us some gifts which I'm sure will be put to good use. She knows us too well ;-)

 On Saturday night, we watched the sun go down from our balcony and then headed out to dinner at Sloppy Joe's restaurant on the beach to catch the end of the sunset. We loved the location of this restaurant and their seafood was really good. (We did not order sloppy joe's for dinner although they do have some on the menu).

On Sunday morning we had some coffee and breakfast with a beautiful view of the Gulf and then packed up to make the 2 hour drive back home.

It was the perfect little getaway and great way to end my parents trip to Florida. They leave today and back to reality for me.

Joining Biana for Weekending and Leeann for Monday Morning Gossip. 

Friday Favorites & Weekly Recap

Happy Friday!

I was a busy, busy bumblebee this week at work and then taking care of the sick parents at home. All is good and I'm only working half day today so we can hit the road and drive over to Florida's west coast for a quick beach vacay.

Favorite Shopping Finds:
These Pixie pants from Old Navy for $25 a piece. They come in a variety of colors/patterns and are perfect for work or going out and about. They also come in ankle length or full length.

Favorite Recipe:

This butternut squash soup made by Chels @ Red Velvet Rooster looks amazing!

Favorite Celebrity: 

Boo - the cutest Pomeranian ever. I've been following his page on Facebook for a while now and can't get enough of photos like this one. Yup this is my definition of a celebrity. I mean he has almost 16 million followers on Facebook.

Favorite Seasonal Beer (of the week):

Wilhelm Scream from Magic Hat Brewing Company. I admit I've been going a bit overboard with pumpkin flavored food and drinks recently but it's honestly one of my favorite seasons for both.

And speaking of pumpkin food...I bought these from Trader Joe's for my mom but had to steal a bite. Yumm!

Favorite Funnies/Cute Stuff:

Hey, Halloween is coming up. Why not find a cute costume for your fur child? 

Favorite Quotes & Inspiration:

Praying for sunny days this weekend because most of the week looked like this...

Before I get yelled at: I was at a full stop waiting at a flooded intersection so not guilty of texting taking photos while driving ;-)

Any plans for the weekend? 

Joining Amanda and Lauren today for their weekly Friday linkups.

Q&A About Me

Yesterday I posted Steph's Q&A so I figured I'd answer the same questions about myself today to share with all you out there. Just in case you wanted to know!

Birthplace:
Trinidad, West Indies (Caribbean)

Current location:
Central Florida (moved to Florida when I was 18)

I don't live in San Fran as my profile photo above may suggest. Just love traveling and exploring different places. 

Profession:
Online Marketing/Account Manager for a Tech company.

Favorite mentor/idol of the past or present: 
My late grandmother (granny) for showing our family unconditional love and always being supportive of me. I've also always loved Bob Marley, Mother Theresa and Mahatma Ghandi for their inspirational lives and the marks they left on history for different reasons. 

Quote that represent your mentality:
To keep things simple and a quote I've always turned to many times throughout my life: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

What's your dream vacation if you were loaded?
My travel bucket list is never-ending but I'd love either a busy city trip exploring all the major cities/countries in Europe or going across the Pacific Ocean to the luxurious islands of Bora Bora in Tahiti and relaxing in paradise.

Image via French Seams 
Image via Tahiti Vacations

Husband ~ likes & quirks:
K is a very sincere and kind hearted person who wears his heart on his shoulder (which can also be a quirk when it comes to football season and his team is losing). 

Favorite season:
We don't go real seasons here but I love warm, sunny weather however Florida in the summer can be uncomfortably hot so leaning toward Fall when it cools off a bit but still warm enough to be outdoors.

What does your name mean?
I never looked this up before but Emily means to strive or excel, which makes sense and is something I find important in my personal and professional life. 

What items do you own that hold sentimental value to you?
My late grandmother's earrings along with some of her crystal and silverware that I inherited when she passed. I also have my baby book and several photo albums from throughout the years that hold a lot of memories.

What do you wish for when you blow out your birthday candles or does it change every year?
Every year I wish for another year of health and happiness and often also wish for success in my career path.

Thanks for reading through some facts about me. More random info about yours truly can be found on my About Me page.

Is it the weekend yet?

Q&A With Steph

I had the pleasure of casually "interviewing" Steph from Life According to Steph recently to learn more about her background and what makes her tick. I've grown to love reading her blog on a daily basis and enjoy her witty tips for everyday life along with her no-bullshit personality and sense of humor. I answered the same questions and will post my Q&A tomorrow if you wish to know more about me.

Meet Steph:

Birthplace:

Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania

Current location:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Profession:

Marketing Communications Manager

Favorite mentor/idol of the past or present:

I come from a long line of strong women who were doers both in their personal and professional lives: hard workers, great cooks, good housekeepers, outspoken women. I've benefited from all of  that greatly.

Quotes you love:

What's your dream vacation if you were loaded?

I'm up for almost anything, and being loaded would grant me the luxury of limitless travel since I wouldn't have to worry about days off. I'd make my way through every US state in chauffeured RV and bring the dogs along. I'd tick off everywhere in the world after that and I'd take ocean liners so my dogs could come without flying because I'm a crazy dog lady.

Years married:

Four years on September 25th. Last month 12 years together too.

Husband ~ likes and quirks:

MFD is the mayor, he'll talk to anyone and make friends wherever we go.

Favorite season:

I love something about every season, but overall I love the fall the best. Great skies, changing leaves, crisp weather.

What does your name mean?

Stephanie - Crowned in victory.

What items do you own that hold sentimental value to you?

Clothes my Mom Mom made me when I was little, my wedding cake topper, spaghetti glasses from my Grandmom.

What do you wish for when you blow our your birthday candles or does it change every year?

I can't divulge my secret birthday wishes.

---------------------------

Check back tomorrow to read my Q&A and definitely hop over to Steph's blog to read some useful tips and show her some love!

Thanks Steph for taking the time to answer these questions and it was fun getting to know you better.

Turkey & Veggie Stuffed Peppers (No Rice)

 

I was looking for a healthy/low-carb recipe for stuffed peppers and found this recipe from AllRecipes.com that replaces rice with a bunch of veggies and just tweaked it a bit. 

Ingredients:

4 green bell peppers, tops and insides removed

1 lb lean ground turkey

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 zucchini, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 cups fresh spinach

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

garlic powder to taste

Italian seasoning to taste

S&P to taste

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Wrap each green bell pepper in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes and then remove from oven.

3. In a skillet, cook the turkey with 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat until no longer pink and set aside. 

4. Heat olive oil in the skillet and cook chopped onion, mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and spinach until tender. Return turkey to the skillet. Mix in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste and then season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

5. Stuff the green peppers with the turkey mixture and wrap each pepper back in foil.

6. Return peppers to the oven and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

 

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