Weekend Happenings

The quiet weekends after the holidays were short-lived for me and some busy weekends are here to stay for a while...

 On Friday night, we went to the Magic vs Lakers game and got some nice seats pretty close to the court courtesy of my job and surprisingly the Magic got a win.

After the game we stopped at Church Street Tavern for some dinner and cold beverages before calling it a night.

On Saturday we took Lola to her 5th training class (she graduates next weekend) and then stopped off at a pet-friendly restaurant for some lunch.

On Saturday night, Kerri hosted a blogger's night at her place. Kate, Kerri & I had such a fun time watching chick flicks, drinking wine and playing Cards Against Humanity. We hung out and chit-chatted for a few hours before heading out...

We headed to The Brass Tap bar for some craft beers and live music. Such a fun night with these two pretty ladies and fellow bloggers!

On Sunday, K and I went to the mall, which is a miracle in itself to get him to go shopping with me. It happens about once a year but this was my "gift" after he spent last weekend in Vegas for a bachelor party. We picked up a couple things before heading for a quick bite to eat at The Gnarly Barley craft beer and sandwich shop.

What a fun weekend!

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup every Monday.

$150 Valentine's Giveaway + Friday Favorites

We meet again on this fabulous Friday and today this group of lovely ladies & myself have teamed up to offer you a fun giveaway! How perfect will it be to win $150 smackaroos to spend at Victoria's Secret just in time for Valentine's day?

Hosted by: The Sequin Notebook, Jessi's Design, Martinis and Bikinis, A Little Glitter, Martin Manifesto, The Kari Diaries, Pink and Fabulous, Make Me Up Mia, Green Fashionista and Meet @ the Barre

a Rafflecopter giveaway 
This giveaway runs from today (Feb 6th) until Feb 13th at 6am EST and the winner will be chosen at random. 

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Joining the lovely Amanda for Friday's Favorites.

Favorite Shopping Find:
The Heart Back Cut-Out Fit And Flare Dress from Express is sexy and sleek for Valentine's celebrations next weekend or any fun occasion.

Favorite Accessories: 
My Alex & Ani collection is almost complete. I think I've raved enough about A&A here on the blog but my most recent addition is this Tinkerbell bangle from Magic Kingdom. I still have a gift card from Christmas to purchase one more but I really need to slow my roll after that.

Favorite Recipe: 

Kerry from Till Then Smile Often always come up with such fun and creative recipes. Her Buffalo Spinach Hummus recipe posted earlier this week looks like the perfect snack if you're looking for something healthy, delicious and paleo-friendly.

Favorite Funny:
Have you heard of #FloridaMan? If you don't already know, Florida is full of crazies and it seems like most news stories coming from our wacky southern state sound something like this:

"Florida man caught with active meth lab in his pants"
"Florida man offers police officer $3 and chicken dinner for sex"
"Florida man arrested for smoking pot in hospital maternity ward"

There's now a documentary out called Florida Man that solidifies my theory/observation and something I've actually been meaning to post about because the stories are just that unbelievable and sometimes downright funny.

Of course, I love living in Florida but how can one not poke fun at these ridiculous stories that make it to the news? I really need to start posting more about these absurdities as they arise (which I've been meaning to do). Hopefully, one day, people around here won't be so coo coo for cocoa puffs.

 I leave you on that note...

Enjoy the weekend! Stay warm, safe and avoid the crazies out there!

Skin Solutions: Pore Minimizing & Full Coverage Makeup

The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimizer - I'm not 100% sold on this product being an effective pore minimizer but I love the tingly and refreshing feeling of tea tree on my face so I use this more of a night cream as opposed to a pore primer.

Smashbox High Definition Liquid Concealer - This is the best full coverage concealer in my opinion and that small, skinny tube surprisingly goes a long way! I'm not prone to acne but I do get an irritable bastard here and there, which is when this concealer comes to the rescue. I also use it to even out my skin tone since I tend to get redness in certain areas of my face so I place a tiny amount on a sponge and blend it well into my skin.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation -  If you're looking for full coverage on your face, Tarte Amazonian foundation has you covered, literally! I use it sparingly and it still provides full coverage that will last all day. Once again, I use foundation to even out my skin color and mask any redness.

Benefit the POREfessional Pore Minimizing Makeup Primer - This is the pore minimizer that I recommend over Body Shop's tea tree one mentioned above. It applies smoothly and creates a very light layer on your skin to cover up yout pores. I apply after using moisturizer and before applying concealer and/or foundation.  I mainly use on my cheeks and T-zone and haven't found anything that does the trick better.

Benefit the POREfessional Zero Agent Shine - Other than Clean & Clear blotting paper, this sheer powder works great to control shiny skin. I don't use it daily but when I do, I apply it after moisturizer and before foundation. The powder is very light so won't leave any residue on your face. You can also apply later in the day as your facial oils build up to reduce shine.

Slow Cooked Pulled Jerk Chicken

This recipe is for the spicy food lovers. Jamaican jerk is a seasoning used to kick up chicken, fish, and pork dishes (but not limited to that).

Serving size: 6 

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp (mild) Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning
1 cup orange juice
5 carrots, chopped (optional)
 

What To Do:

1.  Place chicken breasts at the bottom of your crock pot and top with chopped carrots.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together garlic, orange juice, and jerk seasoning. Pour over chicken and carrots in crock pot. 

3. Cook on low for 6 hours. (Add 1/2 cup water if the consistency is too dry for your Shred chicken with two forks by pulling chicken in opposite directions with the forks. 

4. Put crock pot on 'keep warm' setting and let shredded chicken marinate in the sauce for an additional 30 minutes.

5. Serve over rice, in a sandwich or it's perfectly good by itself if you are limiting carbs. 

Jamaican jerk seasoning can be found in the Ethnic aisle at most grocery stores. I bought the 'hot & spicy' one but I recommend you start off with the mild which is still spicy or use only 1.5 tbsp of the hot & spicy.

Enjoy!

 

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2. Link up your favorite recipes or food-related posts.

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Weekending: Rest, Relax, Repeat

Not a very eventful weekend to talk about but I did manage to be productive and enjoyed catching up on some rest and girl time with Lola.

On Friday, K and I went for Italian dinner and wine and then had a relaxing night at home before he flew to Vegas super early Saturday morning for a bachelor party & the Super Bowl. 

On Saturday, I took Lola to her 4th training class and then did some shopping and errands before heading over to a friend's house to finally meet her baby born on Christmas eve. I went bearing wine, dinner and some gifts for the baby.

On Sunday, I decided against going to any Super Bowl parties and stuck around the house to finish up some cleaning, food prep and, blogging which typically consumes my Sundays. I have some busy weekends coming up so it was nice to have a free weekend to go wherever the wind took me.

Lola and I had a nice girls weekend!

How was your weekend/Super Bowl Sunday?

Joining the lovely Biana for Weekending.

Friday's Favorites

Happy Friday lovelies!
As usual, I'm excited the weekend is here to relax and unwind. This week was pretty routine with work but other than that, I...

~ Settled into my new office and got some cute coffee mugs #muglife
~ Worked on Lola's training at home before we go to her 4th class tomorrow
~ Trader Joe's Pumpkin soup = yumm (also the butternut squash soup)

~ Made smoothies on Wednesday night for the hubs and I to take to work for breakfast on the run. Left my smoothie at home on the kitchen counter Thursday morning #fail + *sad face* for wasting food.

~ Bought a bunch of random stuff from Amazon Prime while I'm on the free trial. Mostly everything is for Lola...except the space heater for my desk since I swear it's 45 degrees in the new office space and we have no control over the temperature. I've been wearing a sweater, boots, scarf AND peacoat at my desk just to stay functional. That's not cool for this island girl!

Favorite Recipe: 

This 7-Layer Taco Dip from the lovely ladies at The Sequin Notebook is perfect for the Super Bowl this Sunday. If you're looking for dish/appetizer ideas for this weekend, I posted some fun recipes earlier this week here and last year here for the Super Bowl.

Fashion Favorites: 
Aztec Print!
I recently bought this Aztec Wool-Blended Cardigan from Kohl's which is super comfy.

Favorite Quote:

Only a few days left to enter Steph's giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Joining the lovely Amanda for Friday's Favorite and Tif for High Five For Friday.

The Perfect Jewelry Holder + $50 Amazon Giveaway

I want to thank the lovely ladies over at The Sequin Notebook for introducing me to this wall-mounted jewelry rack and organizer. They posted about it a couple weeks ago and I knew right away it was the perfect solution to my problem. 

I've collected so many pieces of fashion jewelry over the years and simply have no good place to store them. My bed-side table drawer has been the storage spot for the past few years but I've always felt guilty for just shoving my pretty pieces in there. This jewelry holder is the perfect solution to help me organize and display my statement necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. 

This is the one I bought from Amazon for $16.99:

Black 13.5" Wall Mount Jewelry & Accessory Storage Rack Organizer Shelf

The top of the jewelry rack can also be used as a shelf to display perfume and other decorations.

Last weekend I had K help me install the jewelry rack in our master bedroom above my armoire where I keep my smaller and more dainty pieces of jewelry.

Giveaway Time!

Enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card hosted by the lovely Steph from Life According to Steph.
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

The Super Bowl Food Table

The big game is this weekend and it's always fun getting together with friends to eat, drink and root for your favorite teams. I made pizza dip last year and have been searching for some new ideas to make for a friend's Super Bowl get-together on Sunday.

Image credit

Spicy tortilla rollups via Vegan in the Freezer

7 Layer Dip Cups via Spend with Pennies

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots by Katie Elizabeth

Football Deviled Eggs via My Mommy Style

Pizza Dip via me

Easy Guacamole via Stovetop Story

Muffaletta Skewers via Magnolia Days

You can check out some more Super Bowl appetizers and desserts I posted last year.

What's your favorite dips and dishes for the Big Game?

Slow Cooker Ribs with Sweet Potatoes

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2. Link up your favorite recipes or food-related posts.

3. Grab our Recipe Swap button and link back to our blogs.

Weekending: Relax & Refresh

 

 

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I can't say I was entirely productive but I did get some much-needed rest as well as some fun out of the house with friends.

Friday night was perfectly relaxing spent at home. We made some dirty martinis, watched movies, and hung out with the wrinkly girl.

On Saturday night we went to Kings Bowling on International Drive to celebrate two birthdays. They rented a private section of the bowling alley with two lanes and we had dinner & drinks to celebrate. I suck at bowling but it was a fun time nevertheless.

Don't mind the guy in the middle. haha

After bowling we continued the festivities at a new bar called Tin Roof for some live music and drinks. I really liked the atmosphere of this bar and the music was awesome!

Of course, shots were lined up for the two birthday boys.

What a fun night out!

On Sunday we relaxed at home before heading out to the movies to finally see American Sniper. Excellent movie yet sad and surreal. I definitely recommend it if you haven't seen it yet. 

 Image credit

Oh and here's Lola...she hopes you have a great Monday!

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.