Thankful & Grateful

We had a lovely Thanksgiving with family yesterday but unfortunately I'm back to work today. Luckily it's Friday so I'm sure the day will go quickly and the weekend will make her appearance soon. That being said it's time for some favorites and things to be thankful for.

Life Planner
I just bought my 2017 planner from Target and found they had such a cute selection of planners and stationary this year.  I'm one of those that won't remember to do anything without my good old fashioned planner and it doesn't need to be $50+ dollars. A planner is a planner.

Holiday Cards
I used Minted to order our Business Holiday cards and I loved the selection of designs they have for all types of customizable and photo holidays cards. I'm hoping I can get some photos of my family of 3 in time to send out cards this year.

Tasty Sips

I tasted one of the most delicious sangria's while visiting St. Augustine last weekend and immediately went on the hunt to find a similar recipe. This Tropical Pineapple Coconut Sangria recipe seems to have all the right ingredients to recreate the taste.

Ingredients

4 cups white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Riesling
2 cups pineapple juice
½ cup coconut rum
1 pineapple, cut into 1" chunks
1 orange, sliced
2 limes (one juiced and one sliced)
2 cups Pineapple Coconut seltzer

Work Style

My new job is a little bit more traditional from previous employers who had a semi-casual dress code. The one requirement is that our shirts have a collar and these Express Portofino Blouses are my favorite and I love that they keep coming out in different colors and patterns.They just went on sale so I snagged 3 new colors for work. 

 Gratitude

Yesterday I shared a Throwback Thursday post about when Lola came into our lives so go check it out if you missed it.

 Happy weekend my friends!

TBT For Thanksgiving

As I count my blessings this Thanksgiving Day, know that you are among them - my family, my friends, my husband and my Lola are my world and I'm definitely thankful for all the genuine friendships I've made through blogging!

I wanted to share one of my favorite Thanksgiving memories in sort of a Throwback Thursday style...

It began when Lola came into my life the week before Thanksgiving.

She was dropped off at my office in the pouring rain and my heart just melted. I hadn't owned a pet since living at home with my parents so there were a lot of uncertainties in my mind.  Probably explains why it took me more than 10 years to take the plunge.

 The right opportunity was dangled in front of me and I couldn't say no to this gorgeous bundle of wrinkles.

Since then Lola has grown into her full bully frame but has a heart of gold for children and other dogs of any size, She shows K and I never ending love and loyalty.... sometimes to the point where she can be a Stage 5 clinger but, Boy has she redeemed herself from the puppy and potty training days.

I don't have kids so my adoration goes to Lola and I'm so grateful and thankful for her companionship over the past few years.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family and fur-babies!

Birthday Celebrations & Beautiful Weekend

We've been having a small taste of Fall weather in Florida lately but this weekend was our first sweater and boots kind of weather. It was cold in the night but beautiful during the day and a perfect weekend to explore St. Augustine once again.

On Saturday morning K and I made the two hour drive north to celebrate a good friend's birthday. We checked into our hotel and gasped at the beautiful ocean view from our balcony before heading out to meet up with the birthday girl and the gang.



We walked around the cute downtown area which was bustling since the Light Up! Night Ceremony was happening that night. We finally settled at St. Augustine's famous restaurant, Columbia, for some dinner which is one our favorite restaurants in town.


 

For the Light Up! ceremony that night, St. Augustine turned on over 3 million white lights decorating the historic downtown to kick off the holidays. It was beautiful and this came as a pleasant surprise to us since we were unaware of this annual event.

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After an amazing dinner and some hilarious table banter, we went to Scarlett O'Hara's for a drink to cap off the night.

On Sunday, K and I were up and about early so we decided to enjoy the beautiful weather and explore. We walked around the riverfront and checked out several local shops downtown while waiting for another favorite restaurant to open so we could grab some lunch before heading home.

 

Joining the lovely Biana.

Never a Dull Moment: Family Vacation Edition

I was recently reminiscing about my cousin's wedding in Montego Bay and how much fun we had with the entire family vacationing together. And then I started remembering some of the mishaps and misfortunes that happened on this trip and couldn't help but laugh.

Have you ever been on a perfectly seamless vacation? I'm sure rosy glasses can make anything seem perfect but, when kids are involved, unexpected things are bound to happen.

Most of the extended family arrived a couple days before K and I since they opted for a longer vacation so we missed some of the initial incidences but here's what transpired on this family trip.

Day 1: Hour 1
The groom's sister and her family with three young girls all under the age of nine were one of the first to arrive. As soon as the parents checked into the hotel and got settled, Chloe, the 3-year old hightailed it for the pool and jumped right in even though she doesn't know how to swim. So we had a near death drowning experience upon arrival.

On day two, Chloe's 6-year older sister got stung by a jellyfish while swimming in the ocean. If you've ever been stung by a jelly fish, you'd know it's extremely painful especially for a child to endure.

Everyone trucked along enjoying our vacation in paradise and had a blast at all the events leading up to the wedding.

With all the swimming and water activities during the day, my cousin's sweet 2-year old Zoe developed a terrible ear infection which had her screaming in pain by the time the wedding ceremony came around. With no access to proper medication, Zoe's mom felt helpless with the little supplies she had packed for the trip.

Meanwhile, Zoe's adorable baby brother was the center of attention with all the Jamaican mosquitos and ended up sporting red polka dots on his soft baby skin.

Dominic, my 3-year old nephew, got bitten by a stray cat on the resort so my mom, being the nurse in the family, rushed him and his parents off to the local hospital. I don't know all the details from the waiting room but it took them over 8 hours to return and Dom's parents spent hours trying to get in contact with their family doctor and sort things out with their insurance company back at home.

I'll round this up with my teenage niece who was a also a bridesmaid in the wedding. She got sunburnt so badly in the first couple days leaving her with a florescent pink tan and in pain for the rest of the trip, even though she said she applied sunblock over and over. Oh teenagers!

With all misfortunes aside, I love my family and it was still an extremely fun and memorable vacation. There's never a dull moment when you have a big family and especially when kids are involved!

Maybe I'll create a Never A Dull Moment series and talk about all that goes wrong with adults or in the workplace or life happenings in general...

Housewarming Weekend

The weather was perfect this weekend for some outdoor entertaining at our new home. We hosted a BBQ for about 30 friends and their kids. K was the grill master and we had a huge spread along with an ice cream station for dessert.

I should name this weekend the one when I forgot to take pictures. Luckily a couple friends including Kate happened to snap some and shared them with me.

It was a fun night catching up with everyone! We have SO much leftover food, I could easily host another party for 50 people.

Sunday was cleanup day and the realization that our fridge is bursting at the seams. We even donated some beer to our neighbors since it all couldn't fit in our fridge. 

Joining the lovely Biana for some weekend whereabouts.

Aussie Hair & Yoga Gear

 Who else agrees this week was one hell of a ride? Almost everyone I spoke to on Wednesday was exhausted from staying up way too late watching the election. I made it to midnight and couldn't hang any longer. 

That being said, on Fridays we celebrate with some favorites and inevitably a cold glass of wine in the evening.

Reading
I started Wildflower by Drew Barrymore this week and I'm enjoying the recap of random happenings throughout her life. I've been intrigued with her as an actress since my teen years so, when a few of you ladies recommended her book, it was immediately added to my book list.

Wearing
Two workout gems from Target: This strappy back sports bra and the most comfortable workout capris. I'd buy them in every color but unfortunately they don't come in a variety of colors.




 
Cooking
We're hosting our first party at the new home this weekend and we have lots of classics on the menu but I'm most looking forward to trying this new-to-me Pulled Pork Sliders with Garlic Aioli recipe.

Testing
Influenster sent me 3 full size products from Aussie for testing purposes and it made me remember how much I love the smell from when I used this back in college. The triple moisture conditioner has always been a favorite of mine.

Mega Moist Shampoo  /  Mega Moist Conditioner  /  Heat Protecting Shine Spray 

Loving
My sweet Lola all day everyday, even though she hogs the bed.

Hope you have a fab weekend!

Weekend Whereabouts

I didn't get around to blogging on Friday so I'll start with a quick recap of Halloween. We bought tons of candy to give out to the neighborhood kids but it was a fairly slow night leaving us with a dangerous amount of leftovers. I made a tutu for Lola's costume which was sparkly and cute but malfunctioned horribly the entire night so that was a major flop on my behalf. Either way the neighborhood kids loved Ballerina Bulldog.

 Friday night was a quiet one at home. We watched Neighbors 2 and relaxed. Most of Saturday was spent furniture shopping to pick up the final pieces for our house. K and I got our cars detailed and then settled for some dinner and drinks before heading home. Nothing fantastically exciting to report.

On Sunday, I enjoyed the time change and used that as an excuse to get a little extra sleep. Once we were up and about, we decided it was the perfect day for some brunch and bubbles. My pineapple mimosa and eggs benedict were just what the doctor ordered! 

This week is going to be a crazy busy one at work and party planning for next weekend.

Joining the lovely Biana.

Favorite Brunch Spots in the US

When we travel for quick weekend trips within the US, I usually pick a must-try brunch spot ahead of time so we can eat and experience brunch in new settings. I'm sure the list of excellent brunch spots within the US is very lengthy but these are my favorite gems that offered an amazing experience. Titles are clickable if you want to read my reviews.

Bridge House Tavern - Chicago
 

Mr. B's Bistro - New Orleans

Pinewood Social - Nashville

Ophelia's Electric Soapbox - Denver

Maxine's on Shine - Orlando

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Ok now I'm craving brunch. Is it the weekend yet?