Simply Thankful

This year has had it's ups and downs, but there is still SO much that I'm thankful for going into this week of giving thanks.

I'm thankful for.... 

Even though Lil' Miss had a scary fall earlier this year and reconstructive surgery on her right ear in September - she was a super brave girl and is doing really well. She's even back in the pool after a few months off from swim team and back in the gymnastics gym.

After 2 major health scares when both of my parents were hospitalized with cardiac issues while I was traveling for work which led to my dad's open heart surgery - they are both doing well. My mom's heart no longer shows any signs that she had a heart attack, and my dad is recovering well from his major surgery. 

I was laid off from the job that I loved for 6 and 1/2 years, but am fortunate to still have some freelance work and am slowly building my client list. I would be devastated if I was left without any work for the past several months. Not just financially devastating, but it would be hard for my brain not to be challenged and for my sense of self worth too. Looking forward to more positive opportunities to end out this year and to welcome in 2025.

I'm thankful to live in the sunshine state and enjoy year round outdoor living. Growing up in Connecticut was rough this time of year with how bone chilling cold it would get and all the leaves fallen off the trees. I've lived in Florida for 14 years and it truly never gets old to see lush palm trees and spend the weekends outside in the middle of winter.

Tank in Tennis Green | Boyfriend Jeans | Necklace

I'm thankful for these amazing friendships. Moving to a new state as an adult was not for the faint of heart when it came to re-building a social life. We are incredibly fortunate to have fallen into this group of friends that we consider framily. There's never any fighting, gossip, etc... just lots of laughs and strong bonds of always being there for each other as we navigate life. 

Happy Birthday to one of our bestest!

I'm thankful for the opportunities this little blog has presented me with. Most recently, I was invited to attend the preview event for the new Ashley Snell Collection store in the Florida Mall. I sipped and shopped my way through the store, and was swooning over the color coded layout of the store. I was really drawn to the two-toned sets, and in the end chose the Barbie pink (of course).

Always always thankful for my little family, and little things like spending the day with my mini. She LOVES to go shopping (no surprise), and tagged along on a recent trip to Ulta where I got my out of control eyebrows cleaned up at the Benefit Brow Bar and picked up some items I was influenced to buy on TikTok. Has anyone else been wanting to try the Tarte Concealer Paw Brush and Colored Clay CC Undereye Corrector after all the amazing videos on TikTok? Just me? Well, I went in looking for those 2 items, and ended up walking out with the Paw Brush (which is AMAZING) and Benefit's Boi-ing Bright On Brightening Undereye Concealer. One of the associates steered me away from the Colored Clay CC Undereye Corrector and toward the Benefit Boi-ing since she said it provides better coverage with less caking. I am happy to report she was right!

Lil' Miss pointed out almost everything in the store to put on her list for Santa, and was one happy little girl. She was also proud to see her new Caboodle that she got for her birthday and has already filled up with all her hair accessories and chapsticks. 

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Hello November

We are almost halfway into November, and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. I never came back for an update on how everything went with Hurricane Milton. Thankfully, we had minimal damage on our screen enclosure around the pool and lost power for 2 days. We were extremely lucky to say the least. 

Before the storm we finally indulged in the fall coffee flights at a local coffee shop, and checked out a new-to-us local brewery that has a DELISH food truck on-site. I don't typically order burgers, but when I do it needs to be worth every bite and the Irregular Smash Burgers totally hit the spot. YUM!

Tie-Front Top | Sunnies

After we weathered the storm, and got back into routine it was time to celebrate Lil' Miss' 8th birthday with tickets to see the Olympic gymnasts including the GOAT herself, Simone Biles at the Gold Over America Tour. 

We also celebrated the birthdays of our friends' twin daughters. Can't believe they are 7 and our sweet girl is now 8. Time needs to slooooooow down please and thank you.

Maxi Dress {30% off} | Sunnies

Lil' Miss chose tickets to the Gold Over America Tour this year instead of a party, so we celebrated at home with a made from scratch pumpkin spice cake, and she was VERY excited about her new Stanley cup to take to school. It was also flannel day on her birthday, so she didn't even have to wear her uniform.

That weekend we enjoyed some more local food trucks and a trunk-or-treat before the main event of trick-or-treating at her bestie's neighborhood. It was her first time trick-or-treating outside of our neighborhood and going with a friend. Precious!

We squeezed in a quick date night at a new-to-us Mexican restaurant to try their margaritas and I of course got a rice bowl which was of course delish.

I had an overdue hair appointment to clean up my ends and cover up the grays (that feeling when your stylist is painting the hair dye on over the grays is the BEST feeling!), and I arrived to her festive studio. The tree was up and she even had 'Tis the Season burning while I got a fresh do.

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My Prime Big Deals

As we are preparing for Hurricane Milton, I'm also trying to see what deals I can secure before we possibly lose power for an indefinite amount of time. I'm of course hoping we don't lose power, but our area is expected to have widespread power outages. The generator will hopefully keep our fridge running so we don't waste any perishable food and our phones charged, and we'll use the grill to cook and have plenty of snacks and water. We are just praying there isn't any damage to our home, and of course for those who will be impacted the most over on the Gulf Coast. So heartbreaking. 

On that note - we were extremely fortunate that Hurricane Helene barely clipped us, but as Milton is continuing to build and barrel towards our beautiful state of Florida there is something different in the air this time. 

What is on sale on my Amazon Wish List

There is a lot of nitty gritty nooks and crannies around the house (I'm looking at you washing machine!) that need a deep cleaning beyond what good ol' fashioned elbow grease can accomplish, so I am finally springing for a handheld steam cleaner and love that it's a part of the sale. 

I'm a big Real Housewives fan (have been watching since RHOC debuted and started it all), and am a huge Teresa Guidice fan (love her and her dorters). If you follow her on social or her cooking YouTube channel you'll see how much she loves her vegetable chopper. I believe her chopper is from Pampered Chef, but I found a good dupe apart of the sale for only $21. Sold! Roll the flashback of when I got to meet her in Daytona Beach at a book signing circa 2013 and my blonde hair.

I've been swooning over this console table for years, and think it may be time to finally go for it. I'm thinking of using it as a vanity table. Thoughts?

I'm a stomach sleeper, and as much as I try to sleep on my side or my back I always feel the most comfortable on my stomach which leads to a lot of chronic neck and back pain. I'm hoping this pillow will at least help alleviate some of it. 

Some fashion pieces that have been on my wish list for a while are a part of the sale - this cutout dress is perfect for date night or to go in my suitcase for our next vacay and I have this romper in green and now want to scoop up the fun palm print as well. I'm also one of those moms that is in car line or running errands in athleisure, and sometimes it's so bad I'm happy to not get out of the car. I'd like to make a little more of an effort with tennis dresses like this. On certain days... ha! 

Lil' Miss and I enjoy lots of time together in the kitchen baking this time of year especially through the holidays, and these mixing bowls would be a great upgrade to our current ones. Love that they come with lids!

We go through a lot of cereal in our house for breakfast and snacking, and since I mostly buy organic cereal they tend to go stale quicker (no preservatives). These cereal containers should help them last a little longer. 

I'm looking forward to Lil' Miss being able to re-join her swim team (she hasn't been able to attend practice since her ear surgery last month, but should be cleared to go back soon), and she needs a pair of swimming fins as they practice laps. Of course she wants them in hot pink! 

Lil' Miss rarely orders lunch at school, and I usually pack her fresh lunches in her Bentgo box. I like knowing what she's eating, but of course don't mind her ordering pizza or chicken nuggets once in a while. Her Bentgo lunch bag is TIRED, and needs to be replaced. I picked this unicorn pattern with the dark purple colors so it won't get as dirty so quickly. And this reusable utensil set is perfect for her Bentgo box or with her thermos that I fill with leftovers sometimes. 

What are some sale items you're scooping up for Christmas gifts or simply to treat yourself?

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Hello October

October, is that you? Lots of happenings in September, and so much to look forward to this month as well. It's officially pumpkin season and birthday month for Lil' Miss. She has opted to skip a birthday party this year, and instead asked to go see Simone Biles in the Gold Over America tour. Who am I to say no to that? We can't wait to go see the GOAT herself, and her bestie and her sweet momma are going to be joining the fun. 

Last week, I flew up to Connecticut to see my dad after his open heart surgery. I flew up there on JetBlue which meant flying out of Terminal C at the Orlando airport which is always a good idea. Beautiful brand new terminal (if you're familiar with this airport then you know how tired Terminals A and B are) and a Wine Bar George which I stopped by for a refreshing frosé.

I brought the cutest homemade card from Lil' Miss and a framed photo of our family together at a local orchard over the summer to bring some cheer to his hospital room. 

Aside from enjoying my coffee on the deck with views of the start of some fall foliage, I spent my trip in hospitals. Yes, hospitals plural. My mom needed an iron infusion while I was in town, and she is unable to drive afterwards. So, after visiting my dad one morning I brought her for her infusion and made sure she was settled back in at home while I helped with some cleaning (they're still planning on finally moving down here to Florida this coming winter) and we enjoyed dinner together while watching "Carl Winslow" cut a rug on Dancing with the Stars. 

On Thursday evening, I flew back home on Frontier (my first time trying this airline). The seats were comfortable, but it truly is a bare bones experience. I paid a little extra to have a carry on (never flew on an airline where it's not included) and to pick my seat, but even snacks and water are not complimentary. There is no seat back entertainment, no Wi-Fi, etc... and that was ok for a 2 and a 1/2 hour flight. I enjoyed reading the book I brought and playing solitaire on my phone. I was however surprised to be able to fly back without any delays or cancellations as Hurricane Helene was making her way up the Florida coast that evening. We were fortunate to make it back to Orlando not long before there was a ground stop due to the high winds moving through. To say I am thankful that our area was spared from the worst of the storm is an understatement. My heart is breaking hearing the stories of people in North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. 

Aside from wanting to beat the storm, the biggest reason I was determined to make it home that evening was because Lil' Miss had her Fun Run the next day at school. The weather ended up clearing overnight, and she had so much fun with her friends running laps to raise money. 

That evening was also parents night out at her gymnastics gym, so we checked out a new to us pizza place and the pop-up Halloween bar that got me in the mood for the season. 

Recap reel of the fun at Nightmare on Orange pop-up experience can be found here.

I was exhausted from my trip, and all the fun on Friday that I laid low the rest of the weekend watching football, doing laundry, and baking apple cider donuts (recipe found here - I now have this donut pan but used cupcake liners back when I wrote the blog post) with Lil' Miss. Next up on our fall baking menu will be candy corn white chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. 

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Stress, Pampering & Local Coffee

It's no secret that it's been incredibly stressful around here for the past several months. Health scares for both of my parents (they were both in the hospital while I was traveling for work in May), getting laid off from the job that I loved for 6 and 1/2 years, Lil' Miss getting rushed to the emergency room on the last day I was working, and her long awaited ear surgery which was last week. Now that we are on the other side of her surgery, I've been mentally preparing for my dad's upcoming open heart surgery which I'm flying up to Connecticut to be there for. Yeah, it's been a lot. 

But there's always goodness mixed in. We received amazing news from her doctor after her surgery, and she's been healing quicker than originally thought. My dad's surgery was originally scheduled for the same day which meant I wouldn't have been able to fly up and be with my family, and never mind the extra stress I would have had on that day. Woof. I've also been able to enjoy being treated by some local businesses including a custom HydraFacial at Relive Health and trying out the flavors of fall breakfast menu at Foxtail Coffee. Spoiler alert - everything was delish! 

I haven't been doing a lot of shopping lately due to being laid off, but loved this $20 dress so much in pink that I wore to the HydraFacial and to board our Southern Caribbean cruise last spring that I scooped it up in black as well for the fall months. Here in Florida I'll wear it as-is, but when flying up to Connecticut I'll throw a jacket over it and pair it with some sneakers. 

When I arrived at my appointment, I was greeted by esthetician and had photos taken to take a deeper look at my skincare needs before the main event - the customized HydraFacial. Every last second was pampering and relaxing, and I loved leaving with that beautiful glow.

Ruffle Tank Top {only $20, available in multiple colors} | Skirt

I pulled out the fall decor over the weekend, to get things decorated before I travel. I like to keep our USA and American flag decor from summer up through Patriot's Day on 9/11 so I decided to pull out all the leaves and pumpkins. Oh and of course the candles.

*The iced Amaretto Latte was DELISH*

Bodycon Midi Dress {available in 2 colors} | Sandals {20% off}

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