Fun Adult Backpacks

I recently decided I needed a small backpack not only for traveling but also for the theme parks so I can fit a sweater, snacks, a water bottle and so on in there. Target came to the rescue! When I saw all the cute styles they had on the shelves I didn't know where to begin. It was tough choosing just one but I summed it down to three favorites based on the durability of the material and of course cuteness.

My favorite three are in the top row below but I wanted to share all the other backpack styles I was tossing up between. I eventually decided on "the one" and purchased it for 25% off during the President's Day sales over the week.

one  /  two  /  three

four  /  five  /  six

seven  /  eight  /  nine


Which one is your favorite?

30 Minute Dinners | Tuna Casserole

Growing up my mom always used to make tuna casserole and when I stumbled on this similar but much easier recipe, I knew I had to give it a whirl.

Ingredients:

12 oz. egg noodles

13 oz. bag of frozen sweet peas

12 oz. can of tuna in water (drained)

1 small yellow onion, chopped

10 slices of Muenster Cheese

10 oz. can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

3/4 cup chicken broth

Ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Spray or butter for the casserole dish

 Toppings:

1/4 cup shredded cheese

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

What To Do:

Boil the egg noodles for 7-8 minutes and drain

Return noodles to the pot and add the sweet peas so they can defrost and chopped onions to get softened.

Put the pot back on the stove on low and add the cheese slices, drained tuna, cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth and black pepper to taste. Stir until the cheese is melted and everything is well blended together.

Set the oven to preheat fro 350 degrees.

Grease the baking dish with cooking spray or butter and then add the contents from the pot. 

Top with shredded cheese and bread crumbs,

Bake for 15 minutes.

Let the casserole cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Weekend: Purple Hair Don't Care

The weekend was exactly what I wanted with lots of relaxing, some pampering, shopping the President's Day sales, and dinner with friends.

I mentioned last week that I went to Tampa on Thursday night for a work conference which was at a beautiful resort on the water.  My coworker and I grabbed a bite to eat and caught a beautiful sunset before the conference kicked off. I didn't get home until super late so I was too exhausted to do anything on Friday night.

On Saturday I had a hairdresser appointment to get my highlights touched up and added in some purple/lavender streaks to change things up a bit. I love how it turned out!

I got roped into the President's Day sales at Target and Kohl's and picked up a few goodies for myself!

Tassel Drop Earrings  /  Gold Layered Choker Necklace

"I Don't Do Mornings" Graphic Sweater

We had dinner reservations on Saturday night with our neighbor friends at a new tapas-style restaurant. The food was amazing and we really enjoyed their company. My neighbor guy especially is hilarious so I was laughing for most of the night with his funny comments and jokes.

 

Sunday was all about relaxing and being productive. I finished off a work project, got my blogging on, and did the usual food prep, laundry, and other adulting stuff one is required to do.

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Friday Favorites

It's been a busy week but I've been focusing on some fun projects so I'm not complaining. Yesterday I went to Tampa for a work event and didn't get home until almost midnight so today better go by quickly. A weekend of pure relaxation is in order!

Today I'm linking up with Amanda sharing some favorites and things I've been up to recently.

Watching
Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath

I already read and enjoyed her book Troublemaker since I knew very little about Scientology. The show sheds additional light on the church of Scientology from different ex-members and the stories are shocking.

Reading
The CEO of my company put the Hug Your Haters book on my desk and asked me to report back with an overview of how we can apply the strategies taught in this book to our company. It's not a bad read considering my marketing career and I feel like I've been getting some great insight on how to properly deal with customer complaints online and offline.

Planning 
Trips, trips, and more trips! I shared my 2017 Travel Plans earlier this week and I'm really excited that Europe is on the radar.

Cooking

K cooked up this Ribeye with Herb Butter recipe over the weekend except cooked it on the grill instead of pan searing and it was to die for.

Shopping
Well more like lusting at all the pretty home decor at Target on sale for 30% off.

That wraps up some of my favorites for this week.

Have a great weekend!

2017 Travel Planning

The only trip we have booked, signed, and sealed is Boston in May but otherwise K and I have just started planning our one big trip of the year and some smaller trips to cities around the US.

2016 was a year filled with lots of travel adventures from Jamaica to Nashville and Canada to the Bahamas plus a few other fun places in between (recaps one / two / three) so I plan to check off a few more of my bucket list travel destinations this year. These are the places on my radar for 2017...

Boston

The trip is booked and accommodations are confirmed but I've yet to start researching things to do or planning any sort of itinerary.

via

Ft Lauderdale Beach

This is not a new destination for us but we're thinking of returning to enjoy the beaches for our anniversary this summer.
Most recent trip to Ft Lauderdale.

Europe
This is a vague one because we're still figuring out what countries/cities to visit but the travel dates have been decided on so far.

Houston
One of my close girl friends is moving to Houston this year so I'm hoping to visit her but this is not a definite travel plan so far.
 

Chicago
Another city we've already been to but K wants to return for his birthday and to visit a friend.

Chicago 2014 Trip Recap
 

Austin

Austin is the other option for K's birthday which falls on a long weekend and is my personal preference since it's a new city to the both of us.

via

Charleston

I have my heart set on Charleston for my birthday weekend but this could change between now and December, although I highly doubt it will.

via

Happy Love Day

Just popping in today to say Happy Valentine's Day, Galentine's day, or Valium-Times Day as some like to call it!

It's a "school night" so we don't have any plans but K and I had a great time together on Saturday at Universal Studios.

On Sunday night, K cooked an amazing Rib-eye dinner for us paired with red wine.... so I think we inadvertently got the Valentine's celebrations out of the way before the crazy work week begins.

I'll be back tomorrow sharing some travel plans I have lined up for 2017!

xo Emily