A Relaxing & Productive Weekend at Home

After traveling and keeping busy for the past few weekends, this was the weekend to keep my butt at home and be easy on the wallet. I have a friend's destination wedding coming up & her bachelorette in New Orleans that I need to start saving for.

On Friday, I came home to this pretty flower from K...

We then went out for dinner & drinks at Carrabbas to use a gift card from Christmas.

On Saturday, I tried my hand at making a Gallery Wall. It didn't come out exactly as planned but still good enough considering the space I was working with.

And then found myself in the liquor store where I stumbled upon the best deal EVER...2 bottles of Cinnamon Roll vodka for $12 plus a $12 mail-in rebate. Got get yours now! (Cocktail recipes to follow this week on the blog).

Sunday was a wine and blogging kind of day.

I love my pretty redneck wine glass that I bought in Savannah as a souvenir.

It was the perfect weekend. Hope you had a great weekend too :-)

Every Girl Needs Some Lipstick, Nail Polish & Wine

One: I finally got a new case for my iPhone 5S from VS Pink for $14.50. I love the mint/turquoise color although it looks more white in the photo.

Two: I managed to paint my own nails without making a huge disaster. I really need to start doing more at-home manicures instead of paying someone every couple of weeks for pretty nails. The color (Play Koi) is quite bright for winter but I really liked how easy it was to apply.

* I received this Sally Hansen Triple Shine nail polish complimentary from Influenster to test.

Three: New Stila Color balm lipstick from Sephora. I have been looking around for a bright purple lipstick for a while now and finally found this color (Gemma) while browsing the Sephora in Vegas a couple weeks ago. It gives my lips that "pop" I was looking for.

Four: I'm loving the Cranberry Chutney Yankee Candle. It makes my house smell so good.

Five: Pinot Grigio and comfy socks last night for a chilly night at home.

Have a great weekend!

Joining Lauren for H54F and Darcie for Five on Friday.

Skin Cleansing Systems: Clarisonic Mia vs. Olay Pro-X

I had been using the Olay Pro-X for about 6 months until my lovely girl friends gifted me a surprise upgrade to the Clarisonic Mia for my birthday in December.

My routine has been to use the cleansing system with a gentle cleanser once per day, typically in the night to remove any extra makeup and oil/dirt on my skin.

The Mia was an upgrade indeed as you can see the brush head is much bigger than the Pro-X with a lot more density to provide a deeper clean for your skin. 

For the price difference, you would definitely hope for better results when you compare the Pro-X at $30 retail and the Mia at $125 retail.

I'm not by any means bashing the Pro-X as I really liked it up until I received the upgrade so I would still recommend it if you are looking for an inexpensive cleansing system. It works just fine but you get what you pay for ;-)

As for the Mia, I really like how it thoroughly cleans my skin and makes it feel super soft especially when used with the Clarisonic Gel Cleanser that came with it.

The other great thing about the Mia is that there are several brush head options you can purchase depending on your skin needs such as deep cleaning, sensitive skin, and acne cleansing. So far, I've stuck with the normal brush head and it works perfectly fine for me.

I'm curious to hear everyone recommendations or experience with skin cleansing systems.

Joining Jordan today for The Glam Series.

Fashion & Shopping Finds

Express manages to find their way into my life almost every month. With their ongoing sales and coupon codes sent via email and snail mail, it's hard not to take the plunge.

Express Mini Skirts · Express Leggings · Express Scarves & Wraps

This girl can never resist sparkly tops, cute accessories & their Stella skinny jeans...

Express has also become my go-to store for work pants and tops. This week you can also get an additional 40% off already reduced clearance at Express.com.

Even more so than Express, I think Ulta is my weakness and having hit Platinum status last year gives me all the more reason to shop there to increase my points and rewards. Also having an Ulta store almost a block away from the office doesn't help my case.

My most recent purchase was for my trip to Vegas a few weeks ago where I loaded up on some travel size hand lotion, lip balm, and a few other beauty buys.

Eos Hand Lotion | Nyx Butter Gloss | Maybelline Falsies Mascara |
Eos Smooth Sphere Lip Balm | ULTA Makeup Brush Cleaner

Asparagus & Provolone Stuffed Chicken

*This dish was made by my husband last week so below is the recipe he made up on his own. I love #menwhocook

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts, skinless & boneless

Provolone cheese slices (1 slice per chicken breast)

Asparagus (3-4 per chicken breast)

Salt/Pepper

2 Eggs (beaten)

Flour

Italian Bread Crumbs

Pam or Butter spray

Grated Parmesan cheese

Butter or Margarine 

Additional supplies:

Plastic Wrap

Mallet/Meat Pounder

Baking sheet

Foil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put foil on baking sheet and spray Pam on foil.

Place chicken in between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound to a 1/4" thickness.

Next, lay chicken's smooth-side on back of plastic wrap.  Place 1 slice of provolone cheese on chicken, then place 3 pieces of asparagus (clean and cut) on provolone cheese.  Roll the bottom of the chicken breast tightly into the cheese and asparagus, and then continue the process.  Use the plastic wrap to tighten and keep in place.

Put chicken on baking sheet and repeat steps on next chicken breast.

Once you have completed this process, melt butter in microwave and put into the flour.  Unwrap chicken (keep in place) and coat with beaten egg, then coat with flour/butter mixture, and finally coat with breadcrumbs.  Place chicken on baking sheet.  Add salt and pepper on top for seasoning, repeat steps for the second chicken breast.

Bake chicken in the oven for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and add the grated Parmesan on the top of chicken.
Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

ENJOY!

Weekend Food, Music & Friends

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

I got to catch up on some much-need sleep and hang around town after the craziness of the holidays and traveling for the past few weeks.

Also, enjoyed some lunch with the husband...

Live music at a local bar...

Jumbo mimosas...

And brunch on Sunday with friends

How was your weekend?

Working For The Weekend

I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things after returning from Vegas on Tuesday.  Soo happy the weekend is finally here to catch up on sleep and regain my sanity.

One: MGM Grand Las Vegas was home for 4 nights. Loved this hotel, the location and the price was very affordable. They also gave us a $25 resort credit/day which you could use toward anything in the hotel (except gambling).

Two: I've never been a big gambler but I did enjoy playing the slots while my husband and coworkers preferred the tables.

Three: My big winnings! Kidding. I did cash out on a few slots but forgot to get pictures of those vouchers. These vouchers are just some souvenirs I have leftover from the trip.

Four: Dinner at Tao Japanese restaurant in the Venetian.

Five: The convention after-party flier hosted by Flavor Flav. 

Six: Touring Vegas at night.

Came back home to pretty sunsets in my neighborhood this week.

And dinners made by the husband...

I'll post this recipe for Asparagus & Provolone Stuffed Chicken Breasts soon on the blog.  

Have a great weekend!

Joining Lauren for H54F and Darci for Five on Friday.

What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas, Except Your Hangover

Oh yes, the hangover returned with me. I got home last night from a whirlwind trip to Vegas. We flew in two days early so we could do some site-seeing and touristy stuff before work began on Sunday.

Vegas is in fact the city that never sleeps and, when in Vegas, you must join the rest of crazies. This includes drinking from sunset to sunrise, touring the strip & casinos, gambling, eating like a fat kid at buffets, clubbing at night...You get the picture. 

My motto has always been work hard and play harder. So that I did. And the hangover from 4 days of downing bud light, shots and random cocktails has returned home with me. But no regrets. Vegas was amazing and luckily I remembered to snap some photos to recap the trip.

The view from the plane

The Eiffel tower at Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

 

The view of the strip from the top of the Eiffel Tower

The Sex in the City slot machine: Just because

Hulk Hogan appearance at the convention

Beautiful hotels & casinos

The Food: Dinner at Tao in the Venetian for sushi and Japanese tapas.

Clubbing: The work convention threw several after-parties at clubs and we got see performances from Cypress Hill, Too Short, Warren G and Tone Loc.

Flavor Flav also hosted one of our after-parties. That was interesting to say the least.

So glad to finally cross Vegas off my bucket list!

I've also been MIA from the bloggy world so I'm happy to get back into the swing of things...Almost Friday!

And I'm Off To Vegas

Happy Friday everyone!

 I'm on a flight heading over to Vegas for the few days. I'm going for a work convention but I'll have some time to play and tour the strip. I got some great advice from friends on must dos and must sees.

Here's some things on my list:

• The rollercoaster at New York, NY
• The Eiffel tower at Paris hotel
• The ice rink at Caesar's Palace
• The wildlife atrium at the Flamingo hotel
• The Volcano at the Mirage
• The fountains at Bellagio
• Tour Freemont St
• Eat at one buffet
• See one show

 Am I missing anything??

A friend also recommended that we check out the Tix4Tonight.com booths on the strip that sell discounted and 1/2 price show tickets on the day of the event. So we plan to got to a show on Sat night but it depends what's available. Tickets for everything in Vegas are so pricey so we're hoping to score a good deal on either a comedy, magic or production show.

Hope you have a great weekend!

What I'm Loving: Shopping Finds

I only just landed back into reality on Friday from my vacation in Trinidad & Tobago and I'm off again to Vegas this weekend for a work convention. This is my first time going to Vegas so I'm super excited to finally cross this off my bucket list!

Have any fun Vegas tips or recommendations for me?

Anyways, here's some of my favorite finds for the year so far:

Victoria's Secret Sweats & Hoodies · MICHAEL Michael Kors Tech Accessories · Hot Tools Hair Styling Tools

Stella & Dot iPad case 

Thierry Mugler Angel Perfume 

I've loved this scent since college but decided to ask for Marc Jacobs instead for Christmas. My recent trip to Ulta reminded me how awesome it smells but the bottle is just a bit pricey. 

Hot Tools curling iron

LOFT furry scarf
I love furry scarves and throw blankets. Not to mention, I'd love to finally own a pair of boots wit da fur. (haha!) 

Michael Kors iPhone case

JLO booties

Love the color and style of these booties at an affordable price. 

Candies baby blue dress

For when it finally warms up. 

Victoria Secret's hoodie 

The VS semi annual sale is going on now. I just bought a similar one for $34.99 marked down from $68. 

Not Your Mother's Clean Freak dry shampoo

 I use dry shampoo on a regular basis to prolong the "clean" look of my hair. I simply don't have the time to wash my hair everyday so this is the perfect product for people with busy schedules and also for those that work out. I haven't had much luck finding a dry shampoo sent that I like but NYM's Clean Freak dry shampoo smells great and you can go wrong for only $2.99 at Ulta.

 This dry shampoo can was sent to me complimentary by Influenster to test. All opinions are based on my experience with the product.

What are you loving today?

Tasty Recipes: Turkey & Spinach Lasagna

I tried my hand at making lasagna over the weekend using a few healthier options than the traditional Italian lasagna - lean ground turkey, wheat pasta, veggies and low-fat cheeses.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground turkey

 Whole wheat lasagna pasta

1/2 white onion, chopped

5 cups fresh spinach

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped

3-4 cups tomato/pasta sauce

2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese 

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (low-fat)

1/2 grated Parmesan
2 eggs

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the lasagna noodles for approx 10 minutes. Wash noodles off in cool water.

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add onion & garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground turkey and use your spoon or spatula to break turkey into smaller pieces. Cook for approx 6 minutes until no loner pink. 

Pour the tomato sauce into the pan, along with mushrooms and seasonings. Simmer for about 3 minutes.

Beat eggs and mix with Ricotta, Parmesan cheese & 1 cup Mozzarella cheese in a bowl.

 

 Assemble:

Spread 1/4 turkey & sauce mixture at the bottom of the baking dish and then layer with lasagna noodles lengthwise. Top with another 1/4 sauce mixture, then 1/3 ricotta cheese mixture & layer with spinach leaves. Top with lasagna noodles, sauce, ricotta mixture, spinach. Repeat ending with turkey mixture on top.

Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and add the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese to the top layer and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Joining Ashley and Jessica for Taste of Tuesday.

 

Enjoy!

Back To Reality: Travel Adventures for the Holidays

I'm home! I'm back! Hi everyone!

It's always sad when your vacation comes to an end but I was happy to be back home on Friday and had the weekend to relax and catch up on my blogs before going back to work today.

K and I traveled to Trinidad & Tobago for a week to visit family & friends for a late Christmas and to ring in 2014 in the sunny Caribbean.  We spent the first 3 days in Trinidad.

~ Ocean view from my grandmother's backyard
~ K and I drinking coconut water
~ Quality time with my sister and cousins
~ View of Port of Spain (the capital of Trinidad) from a lookout
 ~  Dinner & drinks with the girls
~ Ziplining the next morning with my cousins and family
~ My cousin returning on the zipline
~ K and I enjoying some Carib beer on the way to the beach
~ Beautiful Maracas beach

We then flew to Tobago with my parents and sister and spent 3 days enjoying the beautiful beaches, touring the island, seeing friends and ringing in the new year.

View from the plane leaving Trinidad and landing in Tobago.

Tobago Adventures...

~ View from our hotel in Tobago

~ K and I enjoying the beautiful weather and views

~ We went to a casino one night and K won some money on the black jack table

~ drinking Caribbean Rum Punch at lunch

~ View of Blue Waters Bay 

~ Met up with some girl friends on the beach

~ Fireworks on NYE night

~ Local food - curry conch and dumplings

~ New Year's day was spent relaxing on this beautiful beach

We flew back to Trinidad and went out with my girls for one last hurrah before catching our flight the next day back to Florida. I'm seriously going to miss my family and besties until we visit again.

Happy New Year everyone and thank you to the lovely ladies that guest posted for me while I was gone!

How did you ring in 2014?

Joining Bella and Lisa for the Weekend Recap Linkup.