Showing posts with label Beach. Show all posts

Things I'm Looking Forward to in April


Oh hey April Fool's Day! You could have fooled me that it's already April but I'm looking forward to Spring Things and some of the simple pleasures in life this month...

Weekend Whereabouts


I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Mine was a fairly quiet one since K was traveling for work so I enjoyed lots of "me time" and tried to sleep in but early-bird Lola woke me up at 6 am on both Saturday and Sunday morning.

On Friday night I did a whole lot of nothing other than relaxing at home catching up on some shows.


On Saturday I had a hairdresser appointment which is always a process but I love how my hair looks after getting a trim and some fresh highlights. After the salon, I went to Pier 1 to browse some of their gorgeous mirrored furniture. I talked about some of my current home obsessions on Friday and a pretty mirrored nightstand was on the list - These are the two I have my eye on - one  / two

Kate and I met up on Saturday evening at Brio Tuscan Grille to catch up over some delish Italian dinner and wine. The sweet potato and chicken risotto was amazing even though it looks like mushy baby food in the photo (ha!). The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at home watching the movie Sisters with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler which had some funny parts but altogether not a highly rated movie.


Bright and early on Sunday the bestie and I drove out to Cocoa Beach for some sunshine and fun. We stopped at Ron Jon Surf Shop first to do some shopping and I bought my first floppy beach hat.

 It's so lightweight and comfortable which is perfect for the Florida heat!


Once we got to the beach, we went to Coconuts for some much needed frozen cocktails to sip on while we relaxed on the beach for a few hours. After getting some sun we went to Jazzy's Mainely Lobster & Seafood Company for some local seafood dinner and then made the drive back home.

The weekend was capped off with some food prep and house staging on Sunday night to prepare for the week ahead.

Joining the lovely Biana for her weekending linkup.

Weekend Whereabouts


Good morning lovelies!
I hope this Monday treats you well.

I thoroughly enjoyed the break over the weekend to mentally and physically rest from work. On Friday evening, K and I went to Nona Blue for dinner to get my favorite Ahi Tuna Salad and a Moscow Mule for "dessert". We cook healthy dinners during the week so Friday nights I prefer to go out for dinner so somebody else can cook and do the dishes.


On Saturday I had an appointment to get approved for TSA Pre-check so we don't have to wait in the horrific security lines at the airport. K recently got his mainly for work trips so I wanted to have it as well so we can bump ahead of the line for our personal trips. After that appointment we headed to Graffiti Junktion for some lunch and a couple cold beverages. Our server was a trip and had us cracking up the whole time.



On Sunday it was time to meet up with my bestie for some sunshine at the beach. The weather was perfect! Sunny and cool, not 100+ degrees like it gets in the summer. The ocean was very rough so we just basked in the sun for a few hours (of course with lots of SPF) chatting, laughing and catching up on our life's happenings. We ended the day with a nice seafood dinner at a restaurant on the water.





 How was your weekend?

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Orlando Beyond Disney


I'm aware that most visitors come to Orlando to visit Disney but there's so much more to do in Central Florida for people with all different interests from food to sports, attractions, festivals, and entertainment. The locals know the secret to enjoying Orlando and avoiding the crowded Disney area.

Downtown Orlando
Orlando has a really fun downtown where the locals go to enjoy some amazing Sunday brunch restaurants along with the bar hopping nightlife and the dog-friendly restaurants in Thornton Park.





 


There's also a local farmer's market every Sunday around Lake Eola where you can purchase produce, food, and art from local vendors. Several festivals are hosted around Lake Eola such as Paws in the Park which is an annual pet festival coming up in February.



iFly Orlando
This Indoor Skydiving place gives you the opportunity to experience the skydiving experience in a safe environment. I, personally, am afraid of heights so will never do the real thing but I had no hesitation to try indoor skydiving.


Orlando City Soccer Club
Our Major League Soccer team is a fairly new addition to Orlando's sports teams but the fan base caught on quickly and everyone here can enjoy an inexpensive evening watching some soccer at the family-friendly Citrus Bowl.



Cocoa Beach
This is not technically Orlando but it is the closest beach that most locals frequent during the warmer months. Port Canaveral also has some amazing waterfront seafood restaurants that we like to grab dinner at after spending hours at the beach.




Wekiva Island is an amazing facility to visit on the weekend to enjoy some kayaking and canoeing along with lunch and drinks at the onsite restaurant. It's great place to relax along the river and get some Vitamin D plus it's pet-friendly so everyone brings their dog to enjoy the outdoors.



This 400-foot observation wheel located on International Drive was built in 2015 and is one of Orlando's newest attractions that allows you to enjoy breathtaking views of Central Florida. We went on it in December at sunset and enjoyed seeing the sun go down along Orlando's skyline.




Amway Center
The Amway arena is the home of the Orlando Magic basketball team but they also host most of the big concerts such as Taylor Swift who I saw perform a couple years ago.




Winter Park
Park Avenue in Winter Park has a historic strip of boutique shopping and restaurants. It's a great place to walk around and go for lunch or some happy hour with friends. They also host an Art Festival that features work from local artists for sale.





Universal City Walk
You can enjoy family fun here with a variety of restaurants, entertainment and shopping. My two favorites are Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville and Bob Marley's for some live reggae music and Jamaican cuisine. The nightlife is always hopping here so it's a fun place to go to celebrate a birthday or bachelorette party.



Orlando Improv
 Everyone loves a good laugh. Lots of great comedians come to Orlando Improv to perform. It's a nice venue that serves food and drinks while you enjoy a funny comedy show.


Orlando is dubbed "The City Beautiful" and I couldn't agree more. There's so much to do here that makes living here never a dull moment.


Summer Weekends in Florida

How was everyone's weekend?

I had all intentions of having a low-key and I accomplished that for the most part. On Friday night, a friend who was in town visiting came over bearing steaks for dinner so we grilled out and had fun catching up.

Saturday was beautiful and the perfect day to hit the beach. It was also friend's birthday so a group of us met out at Cocoa Beach to soak up some sun and celebrate the birthday girl.

Of course shots were had at Coconuts beach bar for H's birthday.



After the beach a few of us headed to Rusty's Seafood restaurant at Port Canaveral for some dinner. We had a nice view of the ocean by the cruise ship port and saw some dolphins swimming by.


On Sunday, K and I cooked up some eggs benedict for brunch, caught up on a few shows, and then went out to get some shopping done for our upcoming trip to Vegas. Our wedding anniversary is tomorrow but we're going to wait until Vegas to celebrate so we wanted to get a few outfits for the trip.


The rest of the day was spent blogging, food prepping, laundry and just relaxing before the arrival of Monday.

If you like Indian food, I recommend Trader Joe's Masala Simmer Sauce (cooked with chicken breast chunks, chopped onions and green peppers) and TJ's Garlic Naan to make a quick and easy dinner.


Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Siesta Key, Florida

I couldn't be more excited to finally make it out to one of my favorite beaches in the world this coming weekend. The sand at Siesta Key feels like white powder, the water is crystal clear, and the overall vibe is soothing.


If you've never heard of Siesta Key Beach, it's located on Florida's west coast close to the city of Sarasota, which is where K grew up and my in-laws live so we try to make it out to the beach when we're in town visiting family. 


Ever since Siesta Key was ranked #1 beach in the US by Trip Advisor (in 2011), it's popularity has grown quite a bit causing certain weekends to be crowded and making parking a stalking game but once I'm settled on a beach chair near to the water it's literally my definition of heaven on earth. 




Things you may or may not see at Siesta Key beach:
~ tons of colorful beach umbrellas and tents. (guaranteed)
~ lots of beach activities including volleyball, ladderball, casual football and lots more.
~ NYC's famous Naked Cowboy and his female sidekick (yes that did happen)
~ Policemen on horses patrolling through the crowds (maybe)


After laying out in the sun for a few hours and taking a dip in the ocean, we always head over to the Siesta Key Village for a cold daiquiri at Daiquiri Deck and some seafood lunch at Siesta Key Oyster Deck (SKOB).