Weekend Happenings

I love when the season of pumpkin everything and fall colors rolls around even though the weather takes a while to get the memo in Florida. This weekend was actually quite low key with no major happenings since I was recovering from a nagging cold and didn't have a ton of energy.

Last week was a mad rush preparing for a seminar we hosted on Thursday and Friday so by the time 5 o'clock on Friday hit, I was exhausted and ready to relax. All the hard work paid off as we got really great feedback from our attendees and speakers!

My newest pumpkin candle burned throughout the house over the weekend. This is one of Bath & Body Works newer scents so I wanted to try it. While I love the scent of berries, it doesn't blend perfectly well with Pumpkin so it's not my favorite but it's not terrible either.

Most of Saturday was spent cleaning around the house and doing laundry before some of K's friends came over to hang out. We grilled up some Bratwurst hotdogs for lunch and they watched football while I tried to get some blogging done.

On Saturday night we had Magical Dining reservations with some friends but unfortunately had to cancel because I still wasn't feeling too great.  I'm not sure if other cities run this type of special but every year Orlando has magical dining month where several popular restaurants offer prix fixe dinners (usually 3-6 course meals) for $33/person. Unfortunately this was the last weekend to take advantage of the special so I'll just have to wait until next year.

On Sunday morning, we relaxed at home and K put on Saturday Night Live's skit of the Presidential Debate which is absolutely hilarious.

I got to catch up with a couple friends from back home over the phone and then ventured out of the house for the first time to do some shopping and a grocery store run. The rest of Sunday was spent blogging, food prepping and more laundry! So not the most exciting weekend but I welcomed all the relaxing before some busier weekends ahead with travel plans and my SIL's wedding.


Joining the lovely Biana.

10 Girlfriend Getaways

We all know adult life gets busy but one thing that makes me ecstatic is spending time with my closest girls. The whole process of planning a trip is exciting and then all that anticipation leading up to it. I just love it.

The bestie and I recently took a long weekend trip to Cocoa Beach where we just relaxed and spent time catching up. While we were lounging on the beach, we started chatting about doing a couples trip to Europe where we would explore a few countries and then take a cruise through the Greek Islands. This is a dream trip for the both of us and something we hope to make happen when finances and the time is right.

Until then, long weekend getaways and smaller trips are still in the cards so I was researching some destinations that would be fun to visit with your best friend or even a group of girls - whether it may be to relax & unwind, explore the food scene, or take in some good old nature.

San Juan, PR

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Savannah, GA

   
Nassau, Bahamas 

Sonoma Wine Country, CA

 
Treasure Island, FL

Bonus Road Trip to Tampa: 
Tampa is only a short drive away from Treasure Island so if you happen to visit in late January hop over to check out their annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival. This is one of my favorite street festivals in Florida and Tampa goes above and beyond to put on a fun show.

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Charleston, SC

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New Orleans, LA

New York City

Orlando/Disney

San Francisco, CA

I'd love to hear your recommendations for fun/relaxing girl friend getaways!

I can't end this post without saying:

Happy birthday Kate!
2016 is going to be an extra EXCITING year for you and I'm looking forward to celebrating your birthday when I return from my trip this weekend! xo

The Good-to-be-Home Weekend

Wow, I can't believe it's August already! This year has been zipping by but I guess time flies when you're having fun although we really need to slow down the clock for getting older!

I had a pretty low key weekend which was perfect after returning home from our family vacation in Jamaica last week. Other than catching up on some sleep, my days were spent unpacking, doing tons of laundry, and getting things organized around the house.

We ventured out on Saturday night to celebrate my good friend's birthday at Tapa Toro for dinner, which is a new Spanish Tapas restaurant right below the Orlando Eye. The food was delicious and the company was even better. We stayed out for a few hours to celebrate the birthday girl and then called it a night. 

On Sunday K and I made spent the morning relaxing at home and giving Lola all the attention. We missed her while on vacation.

We went out to grab some groceries and lunch and can I just say my new favorite guilty pleasure are Brie Bites. I may have to try making a baked version of these at home since I'm a huge fan of brie cheese.

That's all I have for today! I hope this week treats you well...I'm praying the heat in Florida eases up for us soon since it's been unbearably sauna-like hot. The weather was much more comfortable in Jamaica!


Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

More Love. Less Hate.

Happy Friday friends, I've missed you.

I'm hoping to get back on a regular blogging schedule as soon as life quiets down a bit. I started the new job on Monday and was in training for the first half of the week. Since then I've been getting settled into my new office. I love it so far. Everyone is so nice and I have some awesome team members full of jokes. I've already worked some 12 hour days this week but you know what, I love it. I'm so happy for this breath of fresh air and to feel valued again. This new journey excites me beyond words.

  

That's a quick update on life lately but the point of this post has nothing to do with me. There's so much hurt and pain happening right here in Orlando it can't be ignored. Orlando has been my home for 14 years so it holds a special place in my heart. Over the years I've built a large network of friends, business acquaintances, and mentors in all walks of life. Some of my favorite people are in the LGBT community, who were the target of this terrorist attack. That breaks my heart. I know this is a nationwide tragedy but it's so close to home for us here in Central Florida. Friends of friends were victims. Friends of friends were there and got away luckily but now struggle with PTSD. As I've said before, there are just no words....

 What is so incredibly heartwarming in the midst of this tragedy is to see the outpouring of support from our local community and even nationwide. So many people showed up to donate blood this week that people had to be turned away.  We've had countless vigils in different parts of Orlando with thousands of people showing up to pay respect and show their support. Doctors, mental health professionals, and victim services are offering free treatment for the victims and their families.

I know we're resilient people but how does one bounce back from this? 

I think the abundance of community support will help us try to live happily again in the place we once called "The City Beautiful". It's my home and I'll protect and serve my community with all the means I have. I will not let terrorists dull the spirit of our city and all that Orlando has to offer. It's a happy place for residents and visitors from around the world.

Our spark may be dimmed but we will learn to shine again, never forgetting the victims of this senseless attack.

Best Happy Hour Spots in Orlando

From traveling around to different cities, I've realized that Orlando has some of the best deals for happy hour during the week to unwind after work. Other than people that work for the big amusement parks in Orlando a large portion of young professionals work downtown and the surrounding areas so there's lots of fun places to meet up after work for a quick drink and/or bite with friends. Here are a few of my personal favorite spots although there are TONS of other great happy hour deals in Orlando!

Restaurant titles are clickable if you want to visit the website to get more information or view the menu.

Carmel Cafe & Wine Bar

Carmel Cafe has happy hour 7 days a week from 4-7pm which includes $5 large glasses of wine, $5 small plates, $2 off liquor drinks and $1 off beer. We also love going on Thursday nights which is $5 martini night. Nothing gets me more excited than that!

Aku Aku Tiki Bar
Aku Aku has a different special everyday on their Hawaiian style drinks. Insider tip: The Tiger Fucker cocktail pictured below is a must-try but only have one because they are very strong and a very large size cocktail!

 

The Gnarly Barley

Daily specials: Taco Tuesday, Wine Wednesday, Tin Thursday (craft beers) and $1 off drafts on Tues-Fri from 4-7pm.

Vanbarry's Public House

Daily drink specials and live music on the patio from 12-3pm. Vanbarry's has a really nice outside patio and allows dogs which is perfect for us for happy hour, lunch or brunch!

The Parkview

Graffiti Junktion
Graffiti Junktion has happy hour all week long M-F which includes $1 off draft beers; $3 house wine; $4 well drinks & margaritas.

Hammered Lamb

The Brass Tap
Happy hour is Monday to Friday from 4-7 pm and includes $4 pint beers, $4 house wines, and $6 small plates.

The Porch
The Porch has a nice, relaxed atmosphere with different food and drink specials during the week: Craft beer specials and 1/2 price burgers on Tuesdays. Kids eat free on Wednesdays. All you can eat wings on Thursdays.
 

So now I'm ready for some happy hour. Is it Friday yet?