Weekend Whereabouts & Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival

Hope everyone had a fun and relaxing weekend. Mine was a bit of both which was perfect before my trip today. I'll be unplugged from blogging and the computer for the next week or so but Kate and I's Tuesday Recipe Swap is still scheduled for tomorrow.

On Friday night, K and I went to a new location of Chuy's Tex Mex restaurant in our area which was SO good. Really great food and drinks for an affordable price plus a fun environment. 

On Saturday morning, I went to the hairdresser which took almost 3 hours to get highlights, a cut and style ugh! We then headed to Epcot for the Flower and Garden festival to celebrate a friend's birthday who was visiting from Philly.

Saturday was a sunny and hot day in Florida. We walked around Epcot with a group of friends and had some drinks in China, Africa, Mexico and England. The slushy margarita from Mexico was key to cool down from the heat!

On Sunday, I went to the spa for a mani and pedi and then packed for our vacation. You would think after all these years of traveling, I would have mastered the art of packing a suitcase. There's still no method to my madness and I always end up overpacking by a lot! At least it's easier packing for a tropical destination which requires less bulky clothes and shoes and lots of bikinis. 

On Sunday night, I finished up some blogging and hung out with our wrinkly girl before we leave her with the "sitters" for a week. That's become the toughest part of traveling now but she does love the place that we board her at and they take good care of her. 

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup. 

Friday's Favorites & Weekly Recap

Happy Friday!

So happy to be finally adjusted to the time change and, better yet, the weekend is here! I have some fun plans for tomorrow and I'm always looking forward to catching up on some sleep. This week consisted of:

~ adjusting to the "spring forward" BS time change

~ lunch date with a girl friend at our favorite Thai restaurant
~ planning out the schedule for my upcoming trip and, not to mention vacation, back to Trinidad

~ sticking to our meal plan and healthy dinners at home

~ the ongoing struggle to keep my head above water with the life/work/blogging/sleep balance
~ happy hour yesterday with Kerri for $5 martinis and small plates. So fun catching up!

I'm sure some of you are gearing up to celebrate St Patrick's day this weekend. I will be out of town next week and don't feel the need to drink my weight in guinness and harp. Don't get me wrong, I love a good St Patty's celebration (see here and here) but this year, there's just too much going on.

Joining the lovely Amanda for her Friday Favorites linkup. 

Fun Nails for St Patty's Day
Love this green color with the gold sparkly accent nail.

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Favorite Fashion Find:
This Kate Spade Gold Plated Cuff. Not to mention they have a 40% of sale on everything going on now with code EXTRA40.

Favorite Beauty Product:
Body Shop's Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash

St Patty's Recipes:
Loving this Irish Coffee recipe from ladies at The Sequin Notebook.

If you're looking for some party food ideas, I made this Spinach Crescent Bites recipe last year which was a party pleaser and perfect for St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

Favorite Funny:

Have a lovely weekend!

Places I Want to Visit: U.S. Cities

The travel bug lives within me. (Read this article about the Wanderlust Gene). Each year, I like planning one big trip (usually an international destination), a couple short trips to different US states/cities, and then we inevitably make a few road trips to different beaches/cities throughout Florida. With all of that, I usually get to cover a good amount of ground in the space of a year considering I have a full-time job to keep up with.

I have a few US cities on my radar to hopefully experience in the next few years. Some I've actually visited before in the past but didn't get to accomplish the things that I would like to see and do today. 

Wine Country, California

Hot air balloon or not, I'd just love to spend a day or two out there wine tasting and having a picnic with some beautiful views of the vineyards. 

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Austin, Texas

There's no specific reason for wanting to visit Austin other than that I've heard it's one of the cooler cities in Texas. I've never been to Texas so I think this is a good starting point to do some site-seeing and get some good BBQ.

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Charleston, South Carolina
I've heard so many great things about Charleston and how charming the city is. Considering it's about a 6 hour drive from home, I would love to escape for a long weekend to go experience the southern food and history of this city. 

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Key West, Florida
I visited Key West over 10 years ago for Spring Break in College. As you can imagine, it was far from relaxing and consisted of staying in a crappy hotel and going to the cheapest bars in town. I want a true Key West vacation to enjoy the beaches, walk around the town, and enjoy some good seafood.  

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Nashville, Tennesse
I'd like to absorb myself in the music scene and culture of Nashville and explore the liveliness of Music Row. I'm no country music buff but when in Nashville, that will be a must stop. I'm sure there's lots more to do but I haven't gotten that far in researching the main attractions.

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Boston, Massachusetts

Having already crossed New York, Chicago and San Francisco off my list, Boston is the next big city I would love to explore. I haven't done much research of must-see places but I know K would definitely request that we plan the trip around a ball game at Fenway Park. 

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New Orleans, Louisiana

I went to NOLA last year for a bachelorette party. Having said that, nothing was accomplished other than Bourbon Street and lots of bar hopping. I now feel the need to go back to learn more about the history, culture and actually try some good Cajun food, beignets, and all that jazz.

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St Augustine, Florida

I visited St. Augustine several years ago for a friend's wedding but only had a few hours to spare to have lunch at the famous Columbia Restaurant and a quick walk through of the town. I'd love to return to explore more of the historic district, learn about some of the monuments, and spend some time at the beach. The drive is less than two hours for us so I'd like to knock this one off my list in the upcoming months.

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Easy Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

1 12 oz bag fresh broccoli florets

1/2 of a red onion, chopped

1 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup turkey bacon bits

2 tbsp white vinegar

2-3 tbsp white sugar (not pictured below)

What To Do:
1. Mix light mayonnaise, white vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Use a whisk to blend well.
2. In a large bowl, mix broccoli, red onion, sunflower seeds, and turkey bacon bits.

3. Pour mayonnaise mixture over broccoli mixture and stir well with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are blended well. 

4. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours so the flavors blend in well. 

5. Serve cold and enjoy!

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Spring Wedding & Weekend Fun

With us losing an hour over the weekend, I can't say today is my favorite Monday of the year. I blame that on not being a morning person but it's officially Spring and I think that's exciting enough. 

Friday night was relaxing. We watched Horrible Bosses 2 at home with a glass of wine to unwind from the hectic work week.

Of course Lola loved all the attention and snuggles on the couch.

On Saturday, we headed two hours south to K's hometown for a friend's wedding. The ceremony was at an old historical church built in 1887 which was quaint and beautiful.

 The wedding reception was at the South Florida Museum which is also the home to the Snooty the manatee. It was a beautiful outdoor setting in the middle of the museum.

And here's Snooty who I've actually been wanting to meet for a few years now.

Some photobooth fun was also had...

On Sunday, it was time to hit the road to head back home.

Once we got back into Orlando, we stopped at Sea Dog Brewing Company for some lunch. I have to admit, I had a hangover from hell and it was much needed. Their buffalo chicken dip is delish!

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Friday's Favorites

Happy Friday! The weekend is finally here...phew!

This life of mine never seems to quiet down and there's always an event I have to attend on the weekends. I guess my travel bug also doesn't really help the situation. I will make tonight relaxing though. Just my PJs and a quiet night with my little family.

I think Bath & Body Works 3-wick candles always sweeten the deal!

I was excited to find out that a blogger's event is finally coming to Central Florida hosted by The Blogger Meetup so figured I'd help spread the word. I'm actually not 100% sure I will be able to attend but I'm definitely gonna try since these are few and far between.

Joining the lovely Amanda for her Friday Favorites Link Up.

Pretty Nail Color:
I went with OPI's I Lost My Bikini purple gel color since I have a wedding to attend on Saturday (yes, another wedding!)

Favorite Recipe:

These Spiralized Sweet Potato Fries made by Lisa look so good! I just ordered this Spiral Vegetable Slicer from Amazon recommended by Steph so I'm looking forward to experimenting with some new recipes for our Recipe Swap linkup.

Favorite Shopping Find:
These tan wedges for the Spring and Summer. 

Favorite Vitamin Supplement:
I went to a Nutritionist last year who told me that my B-12 levels were low. Basically, I don't retain B-12 from food so need to use supplements. I've tried a few different types of liquid B-12 and the NOW Foods B-12 is my favorite tasting and I think it gives me a nice boost to start the morning.

Favorite Funnies:

Have a fabulous weekend!

Spring Things

This weekend we spring forward on Sunday and I'm looking forward to many things but mainly the change in weather. I know us Floridians don't experience brutal winters like many of you but we do get the sweltering heat of Summer so Spring brings comfortable yet sunny temperatures to enjoy more activities outdoors. Of course, losing that extra hour of sleep on Monday morning is the toughest part but once we recover from that, there's so much to enjoy.

My Spring Favorites: 

Reaping the benefits of strawberry season and trying some refreshing cocktails such as this Strawberry Basil Margarita recipe.

Colorful nails and Easter-themed designs.

Hosting our annual Easter dinner party for friends. I finally get to dust off and make use of all those serving dishes and the turkey carving set we got as wedding gifts.

Cadbury Mini Eggs have always been my Easter candy guilty pleasure. So glad they only come around once a year.

Spring cleaning and Easter decorating. I particularly love fresh tulips and Easter lilies to decorate at home.

I'm always excited to bring out cuter outfits that don't require layering with heavy sweaters and jackets.

                   

What's your favorite thing about Spring?