Spring is almost here, and I'm excited for more light in the evenings, upcoming travel, and of course spring and summer fashion. I'll take a sundress and sandals any day over bulky sweaters and boots.
My nails are also ready for all things spring - St. Patrick's Day (hello green!), groundbreaking spring florals, a spring break trip, and of course Easter. I've raved about this press on brand as they are the only ones that not only apply easily (no glue, just peel and press), but last for weeks. Yes, you read that correctly - weeks! My Christmas nails lasted all throughout December, and my Valentine's nails lasted most of February. This set will be perfect for the next several weeks.
With the impending arrival of spring comes all the travel and fun new fashion finds. My absolute favorite thing - travel! The insatiable desire to see as much of this beautiful world as possible is not fun when you're experiencing discomfort on a long haul flight, but SO worth it once you arrive at the destination. My perfect balance? A leg rest in premium economy and ankle support socks for targeted compression and support. And when premium economy is way over the budget, then the ankle support socks are the real MVP as the perfect remedy for basic economy. Arrive in comfort!
What else is going in my suitcase for all the fun spring and summer travel? Fun, bold colors like this hot pink midi dress that I wore for a belated Galentine's Dinner at one of our favorite restaurants Sixty Vines for bites and bubbles.
That weekend, H and I headed out for a quick date night which ended up being our last outing before Flu A hit our home and we've been hunkered down ever since. Some delish TexMex at a new-to-us restaurant called Superica and a nightcap at the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar were on deck. The island vibes were in the glass only due to it being a super chilly night (for Florida).
I am officially hooked on playing pickleball! Lil' Miss and I checked out a new outdoor complex nearby, and I was recently invited to check out a new indoor facility down by Disney World called Crush Yard Orlando. It still has that brand new smell and is such a pretty spot! 10 indoor courts so you can play rain or shine (and in the air conditioning!), a full bar, arcade, self service taps, and an impressive food menu to keep you fueled during or after playing.
We also had a pizza date to try out Detroit style pizza for the first time at SoDough Square. Let me just say YUM! I am hear for the cheesy and crispy edges. We started off with salad and crispy wings, and every last bite was amazing. I was also here for the ricotta whips on top of the pizza!
If you've been around these parts for a while you know I'm not a big Valentine's Day person, but love making a big deal for Lil' Miss. She and I decorated a mailbox for her valentines at her classroom party, I made cheese fondue for dinner, and picked up an order from our favorite local ice cream shop of their Valentine's ice cream cupcakes for dessert.
Over the weekend, we met up with friends to catch up at a local brewery and I was beyond excited to see my favorite food truck out front and quickly grabbed one of their incredible Amish Pretzels. SO good! I promise we do more than just eat, but all of the deliciousness in this post was worth documenting.
Lots to love going into this week. The Florida we know and love is back after trying to be cute and pretend to have winter. Lil' Miss has been back in the pool for swim practice, and we've been enjoying outdoor time for the not too hot and not too cold weather. Patio mimosas? Yes please!
Lil' Miss still hasn't made a final decision between gymnastics team or swim team. She seems to be gravitating more towards swimming which is surprising because before her trial for gymnastics team she was leaning heavily towards dropping swim and continuing with gymnastics. Hopefully by the time this post goes live she will have made her final decision. I'm so nervous because it's going to be hard to say goodbye to either, but the commitment for team sports is much more than for recreational and she just can't do both.
Even if you're not into Valentine's Day, don't forget to celebrate the women in your life on Galentine's Day. I'll be heading to an event with my favorite girls, and scooped up this hot pink number that I'll pair with my sparkly Kate Spade heels that like to come out when I'm feeling "extra".
I have officially been influenced by a Facebook ad. Who am I? I barely spend time on that app to begin with, and am usually just on there for work related stuff (oh how I loathe Meta Business Suite). However, I kept getting served ads for this skirt and she was worth the click through! Not only is she perfect for Galentine's get togethers or date night for Valentine's Day, but for all the holiday fun next winter too.
Florida is finally feeling like the sunshine state again, so Lil' Miss has been back at swim practice. As I mentioned last week, she also made the gymnastics team and has her trial this week so we can see if it'll be a good fit. We have no idea what she's going to pick, and I'd hate to see her let go of either sport but it's just too much to be on both teams.
I was so impressed by the longevity of the press on nails I wore throughout December (lasted 4 weeks without a single one popping off!) with Christmas designs that I immediately picked up their Valentine's Day design for February. You'll want to add these to your next drive up order!
It has been a chilly one in the sunshine state folks. I moved here from Connecticut over 14 years ago for a reason, and to be cold wasn't it. Thankfully, Mr. Sun has made a return and the temps are getting back to normal.
We had a quick date night over the weekend, and checked out a new wine bar before grabbing dinner at one of the hot spots in Winter Park that we had yet to try out. Every last sip and bite was DELISH and worth the wait.
I'm still dealing with daily job applications and rejections. This job market is ROUGH guys. I never imagined being out of work this long when I was laid off last May. I am extremely thankful to have some contract work, but am craving more. If you know of anyone who needs help with their social media marketing please send them my way! I'm super passionate about brand awareness and helping people grow their businesses online.
And for some good news - Lil' Miss did make the gymnastics team. So, now we have a decision to make since she's already on a swim team. They both require a big time commitment so we cannot do both, and she loves both. She's back in the pool this week now that it's warmed up outside, and has a trial week next week in the gym for the gymnastics team. Hoping for clarity on which she'll thrive in more. I hate to see her let go of either.
Wow the holidays were already a few weeks ago, and all the Christmas cheer has been put away. I thought I'd bring back some sparkle to recap the rest of my December and first days of 2025 including a visit to the St. Augustine Night of Lights, a holiday party with framily, a gingerbread house making party, seeing Moana 2 at the movies, playing pickleball for the first time, and catching a hockey game rink side for a fun girls night.
We ventured up the coast to St. Augustine for Night of Lights which never disappoints. We always like to walk around in the afternoon, pop into a restaurant for dinner and festive drinks along the way before taking in the lights and dancing to live music before heading home. Definitely a newish tradition for us and on the agenda each year.
The next day we were invited to Lil' Miss' bestie's house for a gingerbread house making brunch. Lots of sugary fun, and Lil' Miss was very proud of her finished pink and glitter filled house.
The pup joined us for some more Christmas light peeping, and we enjoyed a beautiful silent night on Christmas Eve before Santa arrived for Lil' Miss. She was living her best life on Christmas morning as we FaceTimed lots of family up north. She's very excited about her big girl bike without training wheels. She's already riding well on straight aways, but still needs to brush up turning. We've got this!
After Christmas, we went to go see Moana 2 complete with a bucket of popcorn of course. I think I actually enjoyed it better than the original. And then.... peppermint ice cream from our favorite local spot.
The weather has been much chillier than usual (for Florida) this time of year but we have had some beautiful days which called for some pickleball. I love how much Lil' Miss is into it, and she was rockin' it on the court.
Obsessed with my new sneakers that Santa delivered - they're SO comfy, and I've been wearing them with everything. Dresses, skirts, pants, shorts, etc...
I always love a good excuse to get dressed up, and be a bit "extra". Enter this two-piece sequin dress that I wore last year on a cruise to dinner and couldn't wait to break back out again. She has been officially named my mermaid dress.
It was so much fun to reunite with framily for a holiday party. Back in the day, we used to host one every year in early December and as much as I miss it I don't miss all the work (and cost) leading up to it. (If you've been reading here for a while, I have several recaps dating back to 2011 - 2018) So, I was super excited when our friends wanted to bring back the tradition. Yummy food, an always interesting White Elephant gift exchange, and of course lots of laughs.
An invite to the local hockey team on a school night where the tickets are rink side? Count me in! We had such a fun girls night catching up and dancing to all of our elder-millennial hits. The private bathrooms and all-inclusive food and drinks were a sweet addition too. Officially spoiled.
We were there for the wine and the cookies too! Can't even count how many cookies we all destroyed. SO good! I also broke back out my favorite sneakers again which were super comfy for all the walking around the arena.
