Still basking in my favorite time of year, and will be by the water and rocking sundresses until further notice. Am I the only one who doesn't even bother checking the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale anymore? It's been very underwhelming for years, and the same ol' items that I do not need. Especially considering most of the pieces are for cooler weather that won't reach here for another 4-5 months. Which of course I am not upset about. I did however get excited about Target Deal Days, Prime Day(s), and shopped Kenny Flower's 4th' of July sale to stock up for a summer trip and back to school for Lil' Miss.
We celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary (how was 2010 fifteen years ago?!) down by the beach with Lil' Miss in tow. A pre-dinner cocktail (mocktail for Lil' Miss) at Outriggers Tiki Bar and dinner at The Garlic in New Smyrna Beach. Everything was DELISH, and I loved the indoor/outdoor ambiance.
The next day, I headed over to a local influencer event at Kaleidoscope in Thornton Park, Orlando. Such a cute spot with homemade bites, popsicles, and lots of board games with a cozy neighborhood vibe. Then it was time to catch up with framily over some grilling and pool time. Always good for the soul.
Lil' Miss and I also flew to Connecticut for the week of the 4th of July. We stayed with family, and she squeezed in alllll the cousin time and dinners with both sets of grandparents. I also introduced her to New Haven pizza which she immediately gave 2 thumbs up to. Full recap coming soon!
Between all stress (low points) and all the travel (high points) in recent months, we've managed to squeeze in some fun at home too including trips to the beach, ice cream dates (yum!), and trying out new to us recipes at home.
On Father's Day weekend, we headed out to the beach to break in our new beach shade. It only took a few minutes to set up, and it worked with the wind to provide shade and UPF 50+ sun protection. I was sweating while we were setting it up, but perfectly comfortable once I was settled into a chair in the shade and enjoying the sea breeze.
Everyone walking on the beach stopped to check out this poor puffer fish that had washed up onto land. He freaked me out at first, but then I found him fascinating.
After the beach, we headed over to our favorite post-beach restaurant on the intracoastal for an early dinner and pelican watching in the marina.
Hello birthday week! It's a milestone this week which I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it. I'm feeling much better about it than I was earlier this year, but let's just say it. 4-0 we are here folks. I'm incredibly grateful for entering a new decade, surrounded by so many loved ones, and am just plain ol' happy. Daily stressors aside, life is good.
The weekend before school started, we were hosted at the most darling glamping site. If you are visiting Central Florida or are local to the area, definitely check out Temple and Glamping for a night or two. You can choose to sleep in the air conditioned tent or the adjacent one bedroom temple that also has a full bathroom and a kitchen. There's also lots of outdoor seating, a grill, a hammock, and a hot tub to take a dip in.
Upon walking in, we found so many sweet surprises from a charcuterie board, bottle of bubbles, balloons, flowers a pickleball set, a cake in the fridge from a local vendor and lots of notes of encouragement everywhere. The owner truly takes the time to make sure your stay is amazing and no detail is left unturned.
Before we knew it, it was already time for "Meet the Teacher" and the first day of school. Where did summer break go? I feel like we were just going to the end of the school year celebrations and jetting off to Colorado to celebrate H's 40th birthday (Colorado trip recap found here). Lil' Miss is very excited for 1st grade and to be reunited with some of her kindergarten friends. I especially enjoyed the coffee and mini donut trucks outside which were a nice treat.
Last weekend, we were able to get out for a quick date night and we decided to check out a new speakeasy called Crown Alley. You enter through a phone booth in the back of the building with a code you dial in, and are greeted to the beautiful hidden space. We enjoyed their handcrafted cocktails and the chef's selection charcuterie board.
We spent the rest of the weekend in the pool (hello heat index of 107 degrees!) and went out for Cobb Salads and for me - mimosas. I broke out my new sparkly cuff bracelet that I used my 50% off birthday discount at Kendra Scott for, and couldn't stop swooning. Isn't she so pretty?!
I am still talking about how we all lucked out with the perfect day over the weekend for a Pedal Pub Cruise with Sail Cocoa Beach. I was excited to break out my new twist front bodysuit (it's available in 5 different colors) as we were experiencing warmer than usual weather for mid-January. We've had a lot of cold fronts and some rainy days, so when the date that worked for all of our schedules ended up being partly cloudy and upper 70's/low 80's we were thrilled.
If you're in Central Florida, or fly in a day early to take a cruise out of Port Canaveral (right near Cocoa Beach) I highly recommend booking a pedal pub cruise with Sail Cocoa Beach. The boat featured 12 pedaling seats around a sunken bar with coolers stocked with ice, water, soda and branded cups. You can bring your own canned beer or wine and of course snacks. The driver was knowledgeable, and gave us a lot of history as we went down the river and also played music for us. And there's even a bathroom on board that was super clean (always a win!)
We had the perfect day, and the pedaling seats were enjoyed by both the adults and kiddos alike. Lil' Miss could barely reach the pedals, but she was proud to "help" drive the boat. She was also excited when we came out into the port area, and saw all the cruise ships ready to head out for the week. Countdown to vacation is officially on!
Excuse me November, but may I ask where you went SO fast?! Lil' Miss had three birthday parties to go to, we went to a local free beer festival (admission and samples were all free - yes please!), enjoyed Thanksgiving with friends and celebrated one of our best over a fun dinner in Winter Park. Lots to be thankful for.
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