Friday Faves

I lost my blogging mojo the past few days. Honestly my energy was spent helping a friend in need and that's all I could handle on top of work and life in general. I almost didn't post anything today but the crisis has been averted, so to speak. Having said that my Friday Faves are going to be short and sweet. I do hope each and every one of you have a fabulous weekend!

I thought this photo was cute but I'm neither here or there about April Fool's day. Probably because I usually forget it's approaching and don't care about freaking people out.

Some things I do love and happenings from this week:

Autism Awareness
Today we're wearing blue at work in honor of World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD). WAAD was started by the United Nations in 2007 to shed a light on autism as a growing global health priority. This photo is from last year.

Favorite Beauty Purchase
I can't say enough good things about Too Faced's Better Than Sex Mascara. It does wonders for volumizing and lengthening eyelashes. I actually don't wear it to work because it works too well and I prefer natural looking eyelashes for everyday wear.

Healthy Recipe Alternative
I haven't had lasagna in ages but I'm determined to try out this delicious looking Zucchini Lasagna recipe from Skinny Taste.
 

Good To Know
After the holidays and then Easter tacked on to that, I found this article really helpful to get back on track and cut out some food and drinks that may cause bloating.

Favorite Photo
Only a year late but I finally got my hands on this photo of us taken on the Orlando Magic basketball court. I'm looking forward to going to another game this month even though they absolutely suck. I'll still show my face to support my city even if it's only once.



I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend!

Don't forget to link up your travel related posts for our Wanderlust Wednesday linkup next week. It can be anything from a quick day trip to a winery/national park/museum to national and international travels. We love learning about your travel adventures!

Linking up with Amanda from Meet at the Barre.

Easter Entertaining & Favorite Recipes

On Sunday I hosted our annual Easter party for friends who don't have family in the area to come and enjoy a nice meal plus it gives me an excuse to dust off my entertaining ware that never gets used. K likes to cook a turkey in the oil-free turkey fryer we got as a wedding gift and I bake a ham which both take around 2 hours to cook each.



I usually try to host Easter dinner on a Saturday so we have Sunday to clean up and relax but since we already had plans to go to St. Augustine, we had no choice to host it on Sunday but luckily a few friends were able to make it while many others already had plans.

Since it was a small group I kept the appetizers minimal and served mini chicken pot pies from Trader Joe's and Andrea's amazing Slow Cooker Island Kielbasa recipe, which is so easy to whip together with only 4 ingredients (I used pineapple juice but not the chunks). Everyone raved about how good the kielbasa was!

For Easter decorations, I kept it simple and put together some Pinterest-inspired mason jar flower arrangements and added slices of lemon to the water.

Easter Dinner Menu:

Cajun injected roasted turkey

Cranberry orange relish

Maple glazed ham with pineapple & cherries

Pan-seared brussels sprouts

Cheesy corn casserole

Garlic mashed potatoes 

Turkey Gravy

Garlic mashed potatoes and gravy were pre-made from the store because I was worried about not having enough time to cook all of this on Sunday morning so decided to take a couple shortcuts.

For dessert, Kate made some amazing Pistachio cupcakes and another friend made some S'mores Rice Krispies Treats Pinwheels. Both desserts were incredible and we have tons leftover which is slightly dangerous. 

Finally, K concocted some Moscow Mules for a refreshing evening cocktail.

I'd say the Easter dinner party was a success this year spent with good friends and a delicious spread. Lola also enjoyed all of the attention!

Easter Weekend Getaway

So Monday may not be my best friend but recapping a fun-filled weekend definitely makes up for it. K and I had a lovely yet short getaway spent in St. Augustine, Florida. It's an enchanting little city with lots of history and sites to see. It kind of reminds me of Savannah, GA but with it's own different appeal which comes in the form of antique shopping, cute restaurants, and the Castillo de San Marcos fort which is the oldest American fort built in the 17th century.

K and I both had Good Friday off of work so we headed north to St Augustine after dropping Lola off at Kate's who kindly agreed to puppy sit. We arrived around lunchtime which was perfect to grab some Spanish/Cuban style cuisine at the famous Columbia Restaurant. Their Mojitos are on point and the 1905 Salad is a must!
 

 

I plan to recap all the wonderful things St. Augustine has to offer for our Wanderlust Wednesday travel link on April 13th. Don't forget to join Kate, Kerri and myself with your favorite travel adventures whether it may be new or old.
 

We spent all of Friday walking around and exploring the historic district. It was an overcast and rainy day but we didn't let that ruin our fun.

 

For dinner we settled at Harry's Seafood Bar & Grill for some amazing New Orleans style food. This place is a must if you're ever in St Augustine.
 

After dinner we capped the night off with a dirty martini from the Tini Martini bar and had a relaxing night after that.
 

Saturday morning came too soon but we started the day with some amazing Brunch from Casablanca Inn after checking out of our hotel. We walked off the food by exploring the bay front and some other historic sites.
 

On Saturday evening we picked up Lola from Kate's house and we all headed out for an early dinner at 4th Street Bar & Grill. I didn't manage to get many photos but it was fun catching up with Kate and her hubby.

I hosted Easter dinner yesterday for close friends and will post the details and yummy recipes tomorrow.

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Friday Faves

Today happens to be a company holiday so K and I decided to take a little road trip to St. Augustine, FL to explore the historic city and get a change of scenery. The one and only time I went to St. Augustine was for a wedding so it was a quick trip. In the little free time that we had, we did manage to explore most of the historic district, the Castillo De San Marcos National Monument and finally had some amazing Spanish/Cuban cuisine at the famous Columbia Restaurant. We'll definitely be returning to Columbia on this trip!

Before I get into some Friday Faves, I have to say that I was so infuriated on Monday to realize that someone left a hefty scratch on my brand new car from a shopping cart at Publix. The car is not even 2 weeks old! I'm still slightly upset but choosing to focus on some brighter & better things linking up with Amanda.

Fave Recipe
I'm a big fan of Chipotle so when I saw this Fiesta Chicken Burrito Bowl recipe I knew I had to try it. I've recreated Chipotle's salads at home many times but haven't tried my hand at a burrito bowel.

Fashion Fave
Rocksbox sent me this Kendra Scott Jamie Bracelet in Platinum Drusy and I decided to purchase it even tough I wasn't really in the market for another bracelet. It's so shimmery and goes so well with my watch so it's been on major repeat this week.

Wedding Favor Ideas
For all the brides-to-be, I recently attended a wedding and received this wedding favor saying they made a donation to the Children's Cancer Center on our behalf. I love this for a unique and thoughtful wedding favor for charitable donations. 

Funny Photos
My mom actually sent this article to me but I thought it was too funny not to share! Check out some of these photos showing dogs with no understanding of personal space.

Sushi.
Enough said right? The day job decided they were going to spoil us with some sushi on Tuesday for lunch. Of course I enjoyed all the sushi possible and had a fun time chatting with coworkers over lunch.

Enjoy the weekend and have a fabulous Easter however (and if) you plan to celebrate it!

Silky Hair & Stylish Gear

Healthy hair and cute yet comfortable clothing and shoes are a continuous improvement battle in my life. I often buy things that just don't work so I tend to stick with products for a lifetime when I do find something that works 100%.

A big part of the battle is finding products that are actually effective for my hair type which is naturally very thick and wavy. I blow-dry my hair after washing to get the straight look that I typically rock on a daily basis. On top of being thick, it can be very frizzy in the Florida humidity so hot tools and hair serum are a necessity for me!

I shared my torturous hair drying routine two years ago in this post but since then it became significantly easier when I discovered the Revlon Hair Brush Dryer. Having explained my hair type, I have to say all three of these products provided to me by Influenster couldn't be more perfect!

I received a VoxBox of goodies from L'Oreal Paris' new Extraordinary Oil product line and I was immediately shocked they sent full size bottles. I was excited to try them but honestly a little hesitant because the name of these products led me to believe they have a very oily consistency. That was definitely not the case.

L'Oréal® Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner 

I'll start by saying that all of these products contain lightweight oils which are nourishing for dry or damaged hair but not noticeable. The shampoo lathers up so well which is great for thick hair and I love how the conditioner left my hair feeling super soft and silky. I will definitely purchase again!

L'Oréal® Lusturous Oil Serum

This serum has ultra-light oils and absorbs very quickly in my hair to fix the frizz without leaving an oily look. I absolutely love this serum and use it after blow-drying to soften and style my hair.

Outfit Details:

Off Shoulder Top (similar) * AEO Denim Skirt (similar)
Tory Burch Sunglasses * Kate Spade Glitter Stud Earrings
Alex & Ani Bangles  *  Tory Burch Thora Metallic Sandals 

L'Oreal Paris provided these products for review purposes via Influenster. This review is my true and honest opinion based on actual product use.

Grilled Mexican Street Corn

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I made this delish recipe a while ago but didn't manage to snap many good photos. The original recipe has much more enticing photos if you want to check it out. This was my first time trying Mexican Street Corn and I really love how it turned out. I left out one or two ingredients that I didn't think were necessary and adjusted the cooking method slightly so here's my version of the recipe.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serving size: 4

Ingredients:

For the Spread

4 ears fresh corn, husked
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 tbsp. light sour cream
1/4 tsp. garlic salt

For the Topping

1/4 cup grated Cotija cheese
1 teaspoon paprika

Chopped cilantro

What To Do:

1. Soak 4 wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes. 
2. Pierce a skewer halfway into the end of each corn cob.

3. Preheat the grill to medium heat (about 400 degrees F).
4. Combine the spread ingredients in a bowl and the topping ingredients in a separate bowl. 
5. Smear the spread over each cob and sprinkle on the topping mixture.
6. Wrap each corn individually in a piece of aluminum foil securing it so the toppings don't fall out.
7. Place the foil wrapped corn directly on the grill, cover at let cook for a total of 20 minutes, turning often until the kernels are tender.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Here are a few other Mexican Street Corn recipes I found if you want to experiment with different/healthier ingredients and cooking methods.  

Recipe links: 1 * 2 * 3