Fab Friday Faves 5.31.19

Happy last day of May, everyone! It's been another scorching, dry week in South Florida but, it hasn't been that bad, I think I'm getting used to it.  The pool is at the point where it is no longer refreshing, but it's still pretty lovely. I spent a few hours at the beach this morning, it is such a nice change from my normal morning walk, not to mention if I get to hot I just go for a swim.  We went to Chad and Chrissy's in Orlando on Sunday for a Memorial Day cookout and visit, we had a great time, but it was even hotter there!  It has been a short week so not much to report besides some great acupuncture, yard work and like I said, the heat. The last day of school here was Wednesday, so things are already a little crazier in the day, and I'm enjoying having all the kids around the neighborhood out and playing all day, it really makes everything seem happier.  Enjoy your weekend all!

My Plumeria are bluming again, nothing crazy, but one beautiful bunch.  Two winters ago I lost all of my Plumeria in a hard frost, and they are finally just coming back.  I'm so happy because these are my favorite.  I have also had some new ones come into my possession, so hoping next year I will have three or four new colors.

Some beach pictures from this morning at Honeymoon.

Smudge.

Thomas and Oreo. I am so happy I still have them but they are looking for their forever home still, even after all the interest in them a couple weeks ago at the adoption event. 

Sips by, a great custom curated tea box,  had a deal on to get your first box for $5 a few weeks ago, so I thought I would try it out, and I am SO happy with their selection for me.  I got tea bags as well as some loose leaf and they even sent disposable tea bags for the loose leaf.  I've tried a couple of the teas and I can't wait to try the rest. If you would like to try this box, use this Code to get $5 off your first box!

I got some eggs this week and I know it's weird but I just loved there colors together!

So I have had some good luck this week, I won this Scentsy warmer and melts from Leo Group Real Estate. I also won a raffle at the 81 Bay Brewing Market that we went to on Saturday, I have no idea what yet as I have not been able to go pick it up.  Then, last night I get an email from Bump Club and Beyond, and I won a Chicco NextFit Zip Max, top of the line carseat, a 369.99 value. I've had some great luck the last few months!

When Josh got back from Chicago last Friday, he brought me my Starbucks mug of course, love it!

National Burger week was this week, and I have to share a burger from one of my new favorite places (I've been wanting to go here for a year), Burger Culture Tampa. It's a permanent food truck in the parking lot of on of the Harley dealerships in Tampa. It has a super cute little seating area set up, and a ton of different, delicious burgers. This was the Breakfast Burger with an egg (my favorite burger topping), bacon, cheese and a hash brown, with just a little bit of honey. So Good!



We also went to 81 Bay Brewing in Tampa (where I won the unknown raffle prize). They have my favorite beer, and once a month they have an awesome market.  I had my favorites and also got a super cute dress at the market.

Today I'm linking up with:

/ A Little Bit of Everything / Bright On A Budget /  / Simply Sweet Home / Style Elixir / 

Fab Friday Faves 5.24.19

Happy Friday everyone!  We are going into this weekend more than likely breaking some heat records here. Some places may even hit 100F for the first time ever (not just Memorial Day weekend, like, ever ever) . We are going to Chad and Chrissy's in Orlando on Sunday for a Memorial Day cookout. We will probably hang out in the pool the rest of the weekend, too hot to do anything that doesn't involve AC! Everyone have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend, and thank you to everyone that has served to make this country safe. 

My giant cactus, (it's about 6 feet tall) has been growing blooms for a few weeks now, and this week, they decided to bloom.  Unfortunately, I didn't know that they bloom at night and close and wither by morning.  I missed the four that bloomed the first night, but I caught the last 2 and they were about 8 inches wide and so beautiful! 

On Saturday, Josh and I went to PetSmart in Brandon with the bunnies for an adoption event.  We got to meet a bunch more bunnies that are with the rescue as well as some cats and dogs that need homes.   If anyone reading this is interested in adopting, fostering or volunteering with Tampa Bay House Rabbit Rescue, look them up on Facebook or Petfinder.  All of these rabbits are house trained, fixed and very well socialized.

Chad and Chrissy came out for the day on Sunday, we went to the beach and then hung out in the pool for the afternoon. We had such a great time, it s so nice to have some friends close by now. 

I got my nails done this week, and got some simple diamond sparkle.  It is impossible to capture how pretty these actually are! 

On Saturday, Target released their collaboration with Vineyard Vines, and I managed to find some left when I went at 10 am.  I picked up some baby clothes, a nice dress for me and a few other little gifty things.  It is a great collection if you happen to find any of it left anywhere.

Today I'm linking up with:

/ Style Elixir / Bright On A Budget / 

/ Simply Sweet Home / A Little Bit of Everything/ 

*Recipe* The Best Basil Pesto

For years, I have been buying the big jars of Pesto From Costco, for about $8.  This is actually the best that I have found, and it is delicious, and so good on chicken, salads and other dishes. But, I had a huge amount of Basil on my basil plants and everything is better fresh and homemade right?  In this case, yes, the pesto is soooo good, and really easy to make.  The only downfall is, you really need a lot of Basil to make it.  Now I'm craving more and I will have to go buy some fresh basil to make it!

Ingredients

• 4oz Pine Nuts 
• 4 cups fresh basil (I did some research, only use the leaves and soft stems, not the flowers and hard stems)

my basil plants before I hacked them up

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese (I used a mix of fresh and the kid from the jar, but I don't think it matters)
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

• Add the pine nuts to a small skillet over medium heat and toast until golden brown, 2-3 minutes.
• In the bowl of a food processor, add half the pine nuts, 3 cups basil, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup cheese, and lemon zest. Process the ingredients for about 30 seconds, or until they are finely chopped.
• While it is still running, on slow speed, slowly drizzle in 3/4 cup olive oil and continue processing until a smooth paste begins to form. Stop and scrape down the sides. 
• Add the remaining pine nuts, basil, garlic and cheese. Pulse until it is finely chopped.  You want to still have some chunks in it! 
• Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• The pesto is best fresh but can be stored in the fridge for 5 days. 

Thanks to thesuburbansoapbox.com for the recipe

Fab Friday Faves 5.17.19

Hello Friday! Coming to you live from scorching hot Florida. We are on track to break some records next week.  Not super excited for it, but it is good excuse to stay home in the pool. Speaking of the pool, Sunday, we spent the day prepping and painting the pool deck and I continued to finish it up over the week (one coat was ruined with one of our famous unforcasted Florida showers). It turned out great.  Here are a couple pictures (not everything is back in place yet).

I also spent a day out at the beach this week, which was lovely.  I took the ferry out to Caladesi Island, which I only do a couple times as year.  We said goodbye to the Big Bang Theory last night... I'm pretty sad.  It has been one of my favorite shows for the last 12 years, and it was one of the first shows Josh and I ever watched together and have continued to watch together since we started dating. This weekend, we are having Chad and Chrissy and the kids over for some beach/pool time. They recently moved to Orlando so we are looking forward to spending lots of time with them.

Alright, everyone enjoy your weekend! Happy May Long to all my Canada people, be safe!

I also have to do a special goodbye, to one of the OG internet cats, and one of my favorites, Tardar Sauce aka Grumpy Cat.  You were just a baby and you will be missed.

My Desert Rose bloomed this week.  It is so beautiful! I have only had it a few months and it must really love its spot in the yard.

Last week, Jessica and I made plans to get all dressed up and go to the new Gen-X 80s/90s bar in Tampa.  When we were both already pretty much there, they posted on their Facebook that they were going to be closed most of the day.  SO we went to one of my favorite restaurants, Datz.  I got their new Steak and grits dish which was one of the best things I've ever eaten.  Jess got the donut burger that I got last time, and we shared the Mac and Cheese (I'm not a mac and cheese fan, but this was pretty much the best I've ever had).  When we were done we went and ogled the desert section. 

I got a Groupon for 9-10" canvasses for $35 a couple months ago and I realized the day before it expired that I better use it.  They actually turned out great. (They are still wrapped in plastic here). The top 6 are the six places we have lived together. (SK, Alaska, Peru, NY/NJ, Maryland and Florida).

I found this Cool Whip at Walmart the other day.  It is soooooo good!

I finished my puzzle, all by myself, in just over 2 weeks.  I love it and it was really fun puzzle to do.  It is Modge Podged and will be hung up somewhere in the house once I find a frame.

Yesterday was National Caesar Day in Canada.  A day to celebrate the best drink there is and mine was yummy (and my afternoon snack.)

I got my two beauty boxes in the mail today (I'm actually a little sad that thy came on the same day). The top one is my Sephora Play box and included my very favorite Bite Beauty lipstick in Chai and and my favorite Coola sunscreen.  Can't wait to try everything else too.

The bottom one is my FabFitFun box.  I usually only get one of these a year but it is my all time favorite.  I got a beautiful beach towel, Ahava foot cream, Murad eye cream, Lavido body lotion, a gorgeous opal necklace, cuticle cream, Tarte mascara and a cute little ceramic tray.

Today I'm linking up with:

/ Style Elixir / Bright On A Budget / 

/A Little Bit of Everything / Simply Sweet Home / 

*Recipe* Thai Chicken Coconut Curry

It seems I have a cooking theme lately... I'm loving the Thai dishes.  I love curry and the spice and the bold flavors and this dish is soooo easy.  This recipe is no different, and was a huge hit.  It is creamy with a great amount of spice and texture.  I think when I make it again I will add more curry paste and a bit more lime juice, maybe even some red pepper flakes for a bit more heat, but this is a great place to start if you aren't sure how much you can handle.  I served it over quinoa but rice would be just as good.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 1 Vidalia onion
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 13 oz (1 can) coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
• 1 bell pepper (red. orange, yellow)
• 3 tbsp red curry paste (or to taste)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 cups spinach leaves
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• rice, quinoa, naan for serving 

Directions

To a large skillet, add the oil and onion and sauté over medium high heat, until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken and cook about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir often!

Add the garlic, ginger, coriander and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. 

Add the coconut milk, carrots, bell pepper, Thai curry paste, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium and allow mixture to gently boil for about 5 minutes or until liquid volume has reduced to desired thickness. 

Add the spinach and lime juice and store to combine. Stir until spinach is wilted and tender, 1 to 2 minutes. 

Taste and if you want, add additional curry paste, salt, pepper etc. 

Evenly sprinkle with cilantro if desired and serve immediately. It is best fresh but can be kept in the fridge for a few days. 

Thank you to Averiecooks.com for the recipe.

Disney's Animal Kingdom 2019

I don't know how it could possibly be almost a month since I went to Disney World, for the second time with Lindsey, Dave and the kids, but it has been.  This year, I went on the day that they were going to Animal Kingdom, since I had never been there before.  I drove up the night before and stayed overnight at their timeshare with them and then stayed over the next night as well.

We were out first thing in the morning before the park even opened and were ready for our day of fun!

Of course, one of the first things you see when you walk into the park, is the Tree of Life.  Pictures do NOT do this tree justice, it is breathtaking.

I took the kids and went to Starbucks and then we checked out Africa.

And the Dinoland.

Our first Fastpass was Finding Nemo the Musical.  It was amazing, and was humans dressed up as all the sea creatures.  I wasn't supposed to take pictures but of course I did, but they really didn't turn out.

The backside of the tree of life.  From this angle you can see a whale, an owl, a crab and a lot more that I can't remember.

An actual Boabab tree (tree of life) growing through a store in Africa.

Dole Whip Floats are one of my favorite things about Disney World but Animal Kingdom has one that you can get with Coconut rum. Score! So good!

Our first meet and greet, with Mickey and Minnie.

Next, we went to see "Up- A Great Bird Adventure Show". We got to see Toucans, Frasier the Crane, a beautiful bald eagle, Gabby the parrot, singing "You Are My Sunshine", and Andean Condor, a Great Horned Owl, Peacocks and chickens, Plus Russell and Dug from Up.  It is a pretty cool show for the bird lovers.

Monkey Island.  You can see a few if you look closely. 

In Asia, with a beautiful view of Everest and Expedition Everest, the ride (Ava told us it was very scary!).

Coco and I on the spinny dinosaur ride in Dinoland. This was the scariest ride I went on.

We ran into Goofy and got a picture.

And then got ice cream  These Mickey Ice Creams are my second favorite disney snack.

We saw quite a few animals throughout the day, I think this is a Yak.

The illusive tiger.

Some antelope.

In the bird sanctuary. 

Monkey Island again, different view.

Another Tree of Life angle.

Our last fast pass was "It's Tough to be a Bug" the Bug's Life show which was definitely a favorite of the day.  Not only was it in a cave and air conditioned in the mid afternoon, it was just really cool.  It's a 3D show, complete with the glasses, and while you are watching, you not only get a 3D show, you get to experience different smells like a stinkbug, wind and water and at the end, a bunch of bugs crawling under your butt.

Baloo was on my list of characters to meet and I was lucky enough to run into him on the street.

We danced with Meeko.

And Kenai.

And Timon (no Pumba sadly).

Rafiki was on my list as well, yay!

Donald!

Chip and Dale dressed as dinosaurs! Love these two.

Pluto!

More animal spotting, an Okapi.

Blue Heron and a Hippo.

Meerkeet.

The Gorilla Encounter. Yes the one gorilla is playing in a bag.

The night was coming to an end and we got reservations at the Yak and Yeti.  Such a delicious restaurant.  We got a few dishes to share, including the best Ahi Tuna Nachos ever and the best Wagyu burger I've ever had.

Our last stop was the safari.  The line for this was about two hours all day, so we waited and went on the very last tour. It is as amazing as I imagined, and in the dark we still saw a lot of animals... Lions on Pride Rocks, Elephants, zebras, crocs etc.  But I would recommend going first thing in the morning! Since it was dark I couldn't get much for pictures but the ones below are some crocs and antelope.

And the finale, as we were leaving, the tree of life show, all lit up.  We didn't stay to watch it but it looked beautiful!  

Thanks again to Dave and Lindsey for the place to stay for two nights, I always have the best time with the kids.