Weekend Happenings

 
We made it back to Universal Studios this weekend to catch the Mardi Gras parade which is going on for the next few weeks.

I spent most of Saturday morning doing online courses to become Google AdWords certified for my job.

After hours of "work", it was time to have some fun for the weekend. We started off at Islands of Adventure to go on a few rides and then went over to the French Quarter patio at Universal Studios.

Universal really does a great job at recreating Mardi Gras with the street parade and countless strands of beads being thrown into the crowd. Check back tomorrow (Fat Tuesday) for more details and pictures of the parade.

On Sunday morning I spent another 4 hours doing some AdWords courses and passed the final Assessment. The last step to becoming certified is doing a 2 hour test so I'm saving that for next weekend.

The rest of Sunday was spent:
 ~ Having homemade Eggs Benedict topped with salmon for brunch
~ An hour long massage in the afternoon for my back pain
~ Scoring my favorite girl scout cookies
~ Painting my nails with Essie's "Watermelon" for the toes and 'Lady Like" for the fingers.


Joining Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Favorite Products & Purchases

After a super busy work week, I could definitely use a little downtime so my brain and body can relax.

The flowers in the photo above are from Valentine's day. I've said it before, I'm not a huge sucker for flowers but if you really want to give me flowers, carnations are my absolute favorite. They last long and are inexpensive. It's been almost two weeks and they look just as vibrant as in the photo.

On to some fashion, beauty, and home decor favorites...

The President's Day sales last weekend had me browsing and shopping around for good deals. I wasn't really in the market for new clothes but I picked up a few pieces for work and play at Kohl's.

one  /  two  /  three  / four

I was on the hunt for a cute yet smallish backpack for traveling and finally chose this one. Earlier this week I shared all the fun adult backpacks that Target has on the shelves (or online) so it was a tough decision choosing the right one.

I compare Formula 10.0.6 skincare products to the NYX brand in terms of great value for price. I've been using the skin toner for a couple years now and it's my absolute favorite...with a $6 price tag.

 The mattifying moisturizer works wonders with oil-control in the Florida heat/humidity (the only thing is it doesn't contain SPF.)

The newest product to me is the 3-in-1 Wash + Scrub + Mask which exfoliates and fights blackheads. I tried this mask for first time over the weekend and my face felt silky soft and so clean afterwards.

Happy Friday and I hope you have the best weekend!

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!