Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival

Hey lovelies! 

We meet again on this Monday morning and I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend.

On Saturday, we headed to Tampa for Busch Garden's Food & Wine Festival. It was a hot day in Florida but we lasted a solid eight hours. I have to say Busch Gardens definitely outdoes Disney when it comes to crazy/scary rides and I didn't go on one of them. Not one of the scary ones. (I plan to do a full recap of the park later this week). 

In a nutshell, I saw some beautiful animals such as this cute gorilla.

Went on the Congo River Rapids and got soaked!

Saw the Iceploration ice skating show.

Then ventured on to the Food & Wine Festival

Tried several small plates of amazing food...

And a beer flight with the husband...

While watching Daughtry in concert.

After the show K went on a couple scary rides while I relaxed my aching feet (old age is a bitch) and took photos. 

We checked into our hotel on Saturday night which turned out to be in the ghetto (I'm not even going to get started on that). Tampa is an interesting place....

On Sunday morning, we went to Ella's American Folk Art Cafe for some brunch/lunch which I was told was a must-do while in Tampa. The food and drinks were amazing and then we hit the road to head back home and call it a weekend. 

Another fun weekend for the books!

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup. 

Friday's Favorites

Happy Friday loves! So glad the weekend is here...

This week was fairly uneventful with my regular work routine. No afternoon happy hours or celebratory lunches/dinners but that's okay with me. Quiet and routine was nice for a change.

~ K and I started a 10-day herbal cleanse earlier this week. I've been interested in trying one but I didn't seek it out. K is friendly with a Rep from Advocare who somehow convinced him to buy us the cleanse kits. Ta da! Today is day 4 and I feel fine and it's really not hard to keep up with. Nothing crazy otherwise to report. I will let you know if it made any difference after 10 days. 

~ Buddha's quote "Be where you are. Otherwise, you will miss your life" sits on my desk at work with his smiling statue. It's something to think about especially with the distraction of technology and social media. Sometimes we must enjoy the moment instead. It's something I always need to remind myself especially as a blogger.

~ Afternoon walks with Lola around the neighborhood and apparently rest breaks too. 

~ Our low-carb dinner meal plan for the week was a success. My favorite is making a Mexican chicken fiesta salad, which reminds me of Chipotle's salad but with lighter ingredients (the sour cream and dressing). So good! 

Now on to some more favorites and joining the lovely Amanda for her weekly linkup.

Favorite Fashion Find:

Cute Maxi Dresses for the spring.

Favorite Recipe:

Jessica's Mahi Tacos with Chipotle Mayo look delish!

Favorite Fashion Quote: 
Wouldn't it be nice to have it all at the same time...

Finally, don't forget to enter our giveaway for a chance to win $200 big ones to Lululemon!

A Little Glitter | On the Daily Express | Deborah Yanni | My Borrowed Heaven | As the Wine Cork Turns | The Sequin Notebook | Medicine & Manicures | Cheshire Kat | The Kay Times | Martinis & Bikinis | Green Fashionista | Coffee & Glitter | Make Me Up Mia | Pink and Fabulous Kids and Cabernet | Dream Big and Buy the Shoes |

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Have a fabulous weekend!

Chewy.com - Lola Gives The Paws Up

I was contacted by a representative from Chewy.com Online Pet Shop asking if I'd be interested in trying out some of their dog treats. Of course I said yes because Lola loves treats and I'm still figuring out what ingredients and flavors work best for a growing English Bulldog. Seeing that bulldogs typically have so many food allergies, I really have to study the ingredients to make sure it will work for her.

They had a ton of different treat options but I picked out the Canidae Grain-Free Biscuits with Salmon & Sweet Potato because I thought they sounded healthy and tasty at the same time. Lola has been eating these dog treats every evening for the past couple weeks and she loves them. I'm so glad they sent me a good size bag to last a while. To my pleasant surprise they also included a Multipet Plush Dog Toy in the package which Lola quickly ran off with and has been entertained with since she received it.

I only recently discovered Chewy via Steph and some other bloggers so I've been browsing through their website to find other treats and doggie accessories (such as a new collar). Lola is a growing pup so she's been outgrowing her things and even needs to move on from small dog treats.

Now that I'm familiar with their online pet store, some things that stand out to me is the quality of their dog treats (healthy and nutritious ingredients), the reasonable prices on things like leashes and collars, and a big one is their free 1-2 day shipping on orders over $49. 

Their customer service is also second to none and my interaction with their representative over the past few weeks has been exceptional. She's been very helpful and also genuinely interested in learning more about Lola to recommend products that would work best for her.

I'm so happy to find an online pet store I can use moving forward cause the Big Guy above knows I'd never enter another store if I didn't have to. Online shopping is really a time saver with my busy work and personal life schedule.

Disclosure: The above two products were provided by Chewy.com complimentary for testing purposes but the review provided is solely mine (and Lola's) own and honest opinion.

Spring Training $200 Lululemon Giveaway

I'm excited to team up with some of my favorite ladies and fellow bloggers to offer you a special treat for the Spring! Who doesn't love replenishing their workout gear and accessories? This girl does for one but now it's your chance to get $200 worth of goodies from Lululemon. 

A Little Glitter | On the Daily Express | Deborah Yanni | My Borrowed Heaven | As the Wine Cork Turns | The Sequin Notebook | Medicine & Manicures | Cheshire Kat | The Kay Times | Martinis & Bikinis | Green Fashionista | Coffee & Glitter | Make Me Up Mia | Pink and Fabulous Kids and Cabernet | Dream Big and Buy the Shoes |

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Cajun Grilled Shrimp & Veggie Medley

Ingredients:

1 lb. large uncooked white shrimp

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp butter, melted

Creole seasoning (to taste)

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 zucchinis

1 can chick peas

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

Spiral Vegetable Slicer

There's a few parts to this recipe but overall it's an easy and fairly quick meal to piece together. A second hand would be useful to take care of the grilling while the veggies are being prepped and cooked. 

I purchased this Spiralizer thanks to Steph's recommendation and it's very effortless to use. It took only a couple minutes to spiralize the zucchinis, which was easier than I expected. 

What To Do:

1. Toss uncooked shrimp in creole seasoning and set aside. Melt the butter in the microwave and mix together with garlic powder (for basting the shrimp). Heat up the grill and then set to low to cook the shrimp. 

2. Spiralize the zucchinis. 

3. Melt coconut oil in a deep pan on medium heat and then add chopped red peppers and green peppers. Cook for 5 minutes. Add zucchini spirals and cook for an additional 3 minutes. 

4. Add chick peas to the pot and cook on low for 5 minutes. 

5. While the veggies are cooking on low. Place cajun seasoned shrimp on the grill (temperature set to low), baste with garlic butter and cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip the shrimp, baste with remainder of garlic butter and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. 

6. Serve the cooked veggie medley topped with shrimp. 

Enjoy!

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

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Weekending: Charity, Live Music & Good Friends

Morning loves! Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend! 

On Friday Kerri and I went to a charity event to support sexual assault victims in Central Florida. But first, we stopped for a cold one at The Brass Tap to cap off the busy work week and let the rainstorm pass. 

We then headed over to the Mennello Museum of American Art for a night of live music, silent auctions, good wine, and some amazing live art. 

This artist was amazing and I wish I could remember his name but he does an awesome performance while painting to the music of the artist he creates.

On Saturday a group of us headed to Epcot to celebrate a friend's 34th birthday and to see Jon Secada live in concert.

The Flower and Garden Festival was also going on so there were lots of pretty Disney character displays. 

And Jon Secada rocked the house!

The day was capped off with some grub in Mexico and viewing of some of the pretty flower displays as well as a walk through of the butterfly garden. 

What a fun weekend with great friends! Now back to the grind...

Happy Monday!

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup. 

Friday's Favorites

Happy Friday! 

I rarely ever say this but this week was great! I felt revived after a relaxing weekend and the week seemed to breeze by. I also got decent sleep and wasn't overwhelmed at work or with any other personal/blogging obligations. All very rare occasions!

So this week:
~ I dropped off several bags of stuff (from my spring cleaning purge over the weekend) to donate to Goodwill.
~ Stuck to our meal plan and had healthy, low-carb dinners every night.
~ Booked our hotel in Tampa to visit Busch Gardens this month (we got the park tickets for Christmas so it's about time).
~ Went out for an awesome lunch with coworkers at The Strand.
~ Didn't watch any TV shows except about 30 minutes before bed every night. Instead spent time with Lola, did some blogging and prepped lunches for work.
~ Got 8 hours of sleep mostly every night.

Now onto some of my fave things...

Favorite Recipe:
This Grilled Turmeric Chicken recipe looks amazing. I'm always looking for new ways to cook chicken and other meats on our grill.

Favorite Fashion Find:
I bought my first Bow Back Top in San Francisco and I'm loving this comfy yet girly look.

Favorite Accessory Lust:
These Spring Street Fan Drop Earrings are on my wishlist for sure.

Current Wanderlust:

Can't wait to be here next weekend but OMG I'm such a chicken when it comes to roller-coasters and Busch Gardens has some crazy ones!

Favorite App:
My commute to work can be horrendous. I take 3 different highways and one is now under construction for the next 6 years! Talk about ridiculous but anyways I've become dependent on navigation apps to find the quickest and safest route to and from work. Waze has been a lifesaver! It gives real-time traffic and accident information, along with gas prices, police presence, and lots of other useful info for commuters. I definitely recommend it for the drivers out there that live in busy areas.

Favorite Quote: 
I have a few scary ones...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Joining Amanda for Friday Favorites. 

Brunch Cocktail Ideas

Brunch is probably my favorite cheat meal. I've always been a breakfast person and then you add in some cocktails and that just makes it a fun occasion to meet up with friends to catch up and cap off the weekend in style on a Sunday. I have a handful of favorite brunch spots that we frequent but it would be nice to host a brunch one of these days at home for the ladies. I found some fun cocktail recipes that would be perfect to serve. 

Pomegranate Prosecco

Blood Orange Bellini

Kiwi Blueberry Mojito

Old Bay Bloody Mary

Strawberry Smash Cocktail

Pink Lemonade Moscato

And a Mimosa Bar is always fun so your guests can customize their own drinks. This is also a cute idea for bridal showers, engagement parties and jewelry/nail parties.

What's your favorite brunch cocktail?

Easy Chicken Spring Salad

As a side note, I'm not so impressed my brand new Nikon DSLR took a dump on me while on vacation so I'm back to grainy photos until they return a working camera.

Now back to the point of this post... I love finding recipes that are easy to whip together because after working a long day, the last thing I want to do is spend any length of time in the kitchen. This recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prepare so it's perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:

1 5 oz. bag of Spring salad mix

1 bag of Perdue carved chicken breasts

2 tomatoes, sliced

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing

Serving size: 4

What To Do:

1. Cook chicken according to the directions on the package.

2. Toss all ingredients together with dressing and it's ready to serve. 

3. Enjoy!

1. Follow Kate and myself via GFC and Bloglovin.

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

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