Tap tap... is this thing on? Every time I say I'll start showing up here regularly again life just happens. The holiday season was hectic (of course), then I lost a loved one unexpectantly which put my head space in a place that was anywhere but showing up here or on social media, and then life of course just picked up more steam again. I'm doing ok now, but needed some time without all the noise.
But there are lots of beautiful things happening, Lil' Miss leveled up in competitive gymnastics (our poor wallet!), and looking forward to fun travels. And right now... it's all things Olympics! What am I going to do once the closing ceremonies happen this weekend? Sigh.
Let's rewind back to Christmas morning, and always remember that al fresco dining in December and January will never ever get old.
Santa surprised Lil' Miss with the desk and the tv she was asking for (NOT the cell phone... she has no idea she's not getting one of those for a verrrrry long time). She also opened up the Barbie Game of Life which we enjoyed playing outside by the pool. I must note that we have paid for old man winter. He swooped in with a vengeance a few weeks ago and gave us lows in the 20's overnight for multiple days in a row, and it took us a while to crawl out of the lows in the 30's. A lot of people lost trees, landscaping, grass is brown everywhere etc... and most of us don't even own a proper winter coat anymore. I moved away from that mess for a reason. Ha!
A few days later, friends of ours threw a 6-7 themed holiday party which the kids LOVED. It was fun to catch up and we played a lot of games that got super serious! I broke out my shimmery maxi skirt which was made for all the holiday (and Valentine's/Galentine's Day fun).
New Year's Eve was quiet and cozy at home. I have absolutely zero interest in going to a big party anymore to ring in the new year, and would rather sit by the fire and watch movies.
Lots of fun campaigns in the books kicked off in January, starting with an amazing all you can eat brunch at Delaney's Tavern. Lil' Miss was there for the chocolate fountain and I was there for their lattes with house made vanilla syrup. Yum!
A few weeks later, we enjoyed the soft opening event for ND Wellness Center. A step and repeat, small bites, open bar, lots of healthy samples, and a tour of the beautiful new facility made for a fun evening while Lil' Miss was at practice.
I've also been enjoying some of the goodies in my Christmas stocking, and am loving the glow fromthis illuminating primerand am completely obsessed with the Sol de Janeiro body cream. I totally get the hype now. Clean ingredients, incredible scent, and yes I'm noticing results. YES please!
Day trips to Universal are always a good idea, including these pretzels and views of Hogwarts Castle. Our annual passes include the express lane after 4:00 p.m. so we always make a point to go for a spin on Hagrid's Motor Bike.
Another fun collab brought me to dinner at Corazón by Baires, and brought Emily as my dinner date. We enjoyed catching up, she loved the sushi bar, and we both loved the tableside Fettuccini a la Ruota. Chef's kiss!
More meals enjoyed al fresco in-between cold snaps were a must, and a burns so good campaign with the new Reform Fitness pilates studio. I felt that workout for a week! SO good!
Last weekend, Mardi Gras kicked off at Universal so we enjoyed the parade before Kaskade took the stage. We had seen him live back in 2015 at SunFest, so it was amazing to see him again and this time introduce him to Lil' Miss who was dancing her heart out.
Happy Halloween! I almost forgot to recap the magical birthday festivities for Lil' Miss at Universal last week. (A recap of her birthday party making bath bombs at Buff City Soap can be found here.) We finallyyyyyy reactivated our annual passes (they of course expired the week after I was laid off last year), and when we asked Lil' Miss what she wanted to do for her birthday she said "Have some Butterbeer and ride Hagrid's Motorbike". Who can argue with that?! If you're new here, I'm a huge Potterhead.
I threw on my favorite athletic dress sold by a local friend who started her own business selling the most buttery soft athleisure pieces. Next time you're shopping for activewear, send some love her way instead of to the major retailers. Small business owners do a happy dance every time an order comes in!
After a ride on The Mummy, we ran into Hashtag the Panda before getting on one of her other favorites: Jimmy Fallon's Race Through New York. Then it was time for a trip on the Hogwarts Express to disembark in Hogsmeade.
A few nights later Lil' Miss had her Halloween party at her gymnastics gym, so we got a quick date night in. I didn't take many pictures including my outfit (what kind of blogger/creator am I?!), but I did snap a quick pic of this beautiful (and delish) drink at Chayote Barrio Kitchen which I had been wanting to try for a few years now. Such a pretty spot!
Then on Sunday, it was off to a Fall Festival with a bunch of her school friends. Several trips down the big slide, a hayride, the bounce pillow, and local food trucks completed the weekend.
Anyone else hear Tyrese singing with the title "Lately"? Just me - the elder millennial? Ok. Man, where do I start? I am usually pretty private on Facebook, but shared an update of all that's been going on the past several weeks. My mom had a heart attack and has been hospitalized three times, my dad who we have also been concerned about was hospitalized during her 3rd visit and they were 2 floors apart as she was quarantined with the flu. And this all happened while I was traveling for work. Yep.
Oh yeah work... I was let go out of no where from the job I love and have been thriving at for over 6 years. No one knows why, and my boss has been fighting for me and showing why it was such an awful decision but the new owner just won't budge. No one understands it, and it just is what it is. Things had gotten incredibly toxic, I was incredibly burnt out and not fully present with my family - so it's definitely for the best as hard as it is to accept.
Then to top it all off, we experienced a big scare with Lil' Miss accompanied by an ambulance ride and an emergency room visit on her last day of school for the year. To say I am stressed out is an understatement. I am incredibly thankful for the friends and family who have rallied around to support and pray for us as we deal with a lot all at once.
But let's rewind and talk about the past few weeks first shall we? Trips to Universal (of course) and preparing for an upcoming vacation. Could it BE here any sooner? Kind of need it right now...
I was excited to be invited to experience the new Face Foundrie location in Orlando, and was treated to a Cryo Queen facial. I was nervous at first thinking it would be freezing, but everything was luxuriously comfortable. Oh and that glow - yes please!
Lil' Miss had three "half days" (I say "half days" because they're not truly half days when they get out at 11:15 - crazy!) before the end of the school year. So, we had a mommy-daughter date at Universal's Volcano Bay where we finally got to ride the aqua coaster Krakatau which was AMAZING! Lots of fun in the sun, and quality time with my best girl after being so busy for the longest time.
And then on Friday we celebrated the last day of 1st grade, and headed to her end of the year school wide celebration at the park. I used to be THAT helicopter parent at the playground watching her every move, and standing below her to help as she would climb. And the past few years, I've tried to let her be more adventurous on her own, and we had the biggest scare not long after arriving. She was running around with some of her classmates, and then we both noticed we hadn't heard her squealing down the slide for a few minutes and went to go look for her. There was a crowd gathered around someone lying face down on the ground. Queue immediate tears from me and hyperventilating (which I haven't done since I found out my cousin had passed away). I was ushered away by some of the moms as they tried to help me catch my breath, and drink some water. The ambulance arrived, and I boarded it with her while my husband drove our car down to the pediatric hospital to meet us. Everything is a total blur, and I was a mess crying while calling my mom and letting her know what was going on. I tickled her legs and feet to see if she would move, and she did as she giggled. Which helped me calm down immensely.
She was upbeat at the hospital, especially once they took her off the board so she could move around and then took her for some x-rays. The x-rays came back clear, and the results were bruising on her mid-back and a possible mild concussion from the impact of her falling from so high. I am incredibly relieved, however still watching her like a hawk as we want her head to heal from the possible concussion.
The next day was H's birthday, and we went to dinner to celebrate with friends. Lil' Miss brought a pillow for her back (so sweet!) and was silly with our friend's twin girls throughout dinner. It felt great to be with framily, and see her acting mostly like herself minus the pillow brought to dinner.
We laid low at the house for the rest of the holiday weekend for some pool and grill time, as we continued to be over protective of our sweet girl. She is still sore, but definitely still holding on to her big personality and alllll the sass! I can't begin to describe how thankful I am that she's ok, as I watch other parents go through so much worse. Hug those kiddos tight - children, nieces, nephews, friend's kiddos - everyone! They are a precious gift, and can get hurt or sick at the blink of an eye.
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