Friday Favorites

Happy Friday lovelies!

I'm looking forward to a fairly low-key weekend and hopefully lots of sleep. This work week was crazy busy so I wasn't able to keep up with reading blogs as much as I usually do BUT the weekend is here and hopefully that will all change...

So let's talk about Cinco de Mayo on Tuesday. Honestly, my days are over for heavy drinking on a work night but I did make it a point to go for lunch with coworkers at one of my favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants. Their fajitas are to die for and Cinco de Mayo was the perfect excuse for a calorie splurge.

Now on to sharing some of my weekly faves and joining Amanda for Fridays Favorites.

Favorite Spring Nail Color:
These are not my nails but I love this color and would to find out what the name of the color is.

Favorite Purchase:

Is this City Triangles Blouson Dress not perfect for a night out in Vegas?
I'm counting down the days for our trip out there for 4th of July weekend. I don't dress up often (other than for weddings) but I figured I would need one nice "night-out" dress and keep the rest of the trip pretty casual. 

Favorite Recipe:
Found this Pesto Grilled Shrimp recipe on Pinterest and looks like a must try especially since we love cooking with pesto.

Favorite Article:
I definitely condone splurging on special occasions (like I did for Cinco de Mayo) but I like to make my overall eating habits healthy. This article is a good guide to figure out how to create healthy cooking and eating patterns.

Have a fabulous weekend and don't forget to enter our giveaway to win a $125 Amazon gift card!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Mother's Day Gift Guide

When you think about it, who are the mothers out there? My mom fits one demographic while there are also so many mothers out there around my age (give or take 10+ years). My point is that finding a gift for "Mom" is not a one-size-fits-all deal. This guide is probably more geared toward younger mothers but I know my mom would love a few things on the list so I guess it really depends on her interests. Everything is under $100 and I've also included a few more fun activities and ideas to make your mom feel special. 

Fitbit Flex Wristband // Personalized Expandable Wire Bangle // Philosophy Melon Daiquiri 3-in-1 Shampoo, Bubble Bath and Shower Gel // Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum by Jimmy Choo // Tervis Mommy's Sippy Cup Wine Goblet // Kindle Fire HD 6 // Women's Satin Wrap Robe (similar Very Sexy Silk Kimono)

Other Fun Ideas for Mother's Day:

~ Shopping/walking around your local Farmer's Market
~ A group painting or cooking class

~ Girls day out for manis & pedis

~ Brunch with the immediate family

~ Gift card for a massage or full day at the spa

~ 1-year subscription to something she loves (Amazon Prime, her favorite magazine, a beauty box)

~ Helping out with a home project while she relaxes

~ Going out for lunch and then a movie of her choice 

~ A box of macaroons or chocolate covered strawberries

Here's to all the fabulous Moms out there and hoping you enjoy your day this coming Sunday! 

$125 Amazon Giftcard Giveaway

Happy hump day! We're half way there ladies and I have to say this week is going so much better than last week.

I've teamed up with an awesome group of ladies to offer you a $125 Amazon gift card to celebrate The Sequin Notebook's 2nd Blogiversary! Enter the Rafflecopter below anytime from now until May 12th for a chance to win some extra Amazon cash!

I have a slight addiction to shopping on Amazon with my Prime membership because the possibilities are endless and well *free 2-day shipping*. Anywho, good luck lovelies!

B & M from The Sequin Notebook // Pamela from A Little Glitter // Marie from Twin Living

Tif from Bright on a Budget // Amanda from Kids & Cabernet // Meghan from Champagne + Suburbs

Carissa from Carissa Jaded // Christina from The New Mrs. // Emily from Martinis and Bikinis

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7-Layer Mexican Dip

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Kate and I have discontinued our recipe swap on a weekly basis (it will now be every other week) but I had a recipe ready for today's Mexican holiday.

The ladies over at The Sequin Notebook made a similar recipe a while back and I decided to try it out for a party I recently went to. 

Ingredients:

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1 jar of mild salsa

1 small can mild Rotel diced tomatoes

1.5 lb. lean ground beef

1 tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. Mexican blend cheese

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 package taco seasoning

1 can refried beans

2 cups of light sour cream

Hot sauce, to taste

What To Do:

1. Mix cream cheese with 1/2 of the package of taco seasoning and layer onto the bottom of a greased baking dish.

2. Sautee onions in olive oil and add ground beef and the remaining of the taco seasoning. Add a dash of hot sauce and then cook well until the meat is no longer pink. Layer the beef mixture on top of the cream cheese layer. 

3. Heat up refried beans in microwave for 2 minutes and then layer beans on top of the beef layer. 

4. Top refried beans with salsa and then layer salsa with sour cream. The final step is to layer sour cream with shredded cheese and then sprinkle diced tomatoes on top of the cheese.

5. Bake on 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted. 

Enjoy!

Weekend Recharge

Thank you everyone for the well wishes on Friday! I really appreciate the sweet messages and positive energy sent my way. Times like this make you realize how amazing the blogging community is. This weekend was the perfect break to relax and recharge. 

K and I went downtown after work to have some patio drinks with a beautiful view of the lake. It was the perfect place to clear my mind and just breathe.  

After hanging out by the lake, we went for dinner at my favorite sushi spot downtown (Shari Sushi Lounge) which has $4.25 rolls everyday from 5-7pm. Dinner consisted of garlic edamame, tuna sashimi and a few different sushi rolls. It was the perfect date night and way to spend Friday night!

On Saturday morning I headed to the hairdresser for some pampering and then did some quick shopping at Petco, Total Wine and a few other errands. 

It was a beautiful, sunny day so we took Lola for a walk around the neighborhood and had a relaxing rest of the day at home. We watched the Kentucky Derby and I got to catch up on some blogging and more importantly R&R after a stressful week. 

On Sunday, we cooked up some brunch at home. On the menu was Eggs Benedict and pineapple mimosas.

Also got to spend lots of QT with my honey who now thinks she's an acrobat.

And then headed to our neighborhood pool to catch some rays and take a dip in the pool.

I feel recharged and I'm ready to take on this new week. Things are looking up! 

How was your weekend?

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.