InstaFriday

Happy Friday! The first week of class is always crazy. Hopefully things starts to mellow on campus and I can get back into a groove of productivity. This week I taught 6 hours of Zumba, 6 hours of Pilates, had 6 hours of my own classes, 2 social events, worked, fit in a couple workouts, and ran correlations on my data for my thesis. I guess I did have a productive week. Here's a few photos I have to share:

1. Please welcome our house to the 21st century... we finally purchased a printer that is compatible with our computer we have had for 3 years... and it automatically prints double sided. This is a big deal around here.

2. I will do anything for shoes. Even cook. I love this apron.

3. Tiger Stadium looks great! Football season starts tomorrow so we will have to find somewhere to watch the LSU game.

4. And the most exciting news of the week: pumpkin spice is back at Starbucks! I know it is no where near fall in Louisiana but this is a fave of mine. I enjoyed some in my iced coffee is morning. I love that the PSL is having its 10th birthday this year.

Have a great long weekend! Other than watching football (LSU, Notre Dame & Saskatchewan), I will be looking for new pillows since they always seem to go on sale during long weekends, completing some homework, and cooking to prepare for another busy week ahead.

 

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a busy week

What a busy week it has been and it is not over! For the next few weeks B is teaching some ELOP students from China. On Tuesday night we attended the LSU soccer game with the students and Wednesday night was a welcome dinner. Although both events were scheduled last minute it was nice to spend some time talking to his students and enjoying some on campus events. The meal served on Wednesday night was jambalaya... because what else would you serve to visitors of south Louisiana?

This has been a wonderful opportunity for B to become involved with and it has been nice for me to have the opportunity to attend as well. B was thinking he wanted to bring something in for the students on the last day of class. We discussed getting a king cake... now I just need to find a king cake in September... which may not be an easy thing to do!

tomato soup

Do you eat your tomato soup from a can? Here's why you shouldn't: preservatives! We made my favorite tomato soup this weekend. It is so easy, delicious, and makes great weekday lunches!

ingredients:

1/4c evoo

2 yellow onions, roughly chopped

5 cloves of garlic

1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced

15-20 roma tomatoes, quartered

salt, pepper, basil, oregano, bay leaf & paprika

1/2c red wine

1/2 chopped cilantro

Combine evoo, onion, garlic, jalapeno, tomatoes, and herbs in a large pot. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes until all ingredients are soft. Remove bay leaves. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Add cilantro and red wine then continue to blend until smooth. Return to heat for about 5 minutes.

Serve with crackers... or guacamole grilled cheese sandwiches!

fall wishlist

These are all definitely wants... not needs. Yes, there is a difference. I may not buy any of these but it is always nice to have a wishlist! A list always adds intention to my purchases rather than allowing myself to buy things I do not need.

striped necklace tee: I love that weight of this tee, the added necklace, and I do not own anything with red stripes. Clearly I have three reasons why I need this shirt.

 merino pocket sweater: May be too heavy to wear right now as it is still really hot in the south.

red driving moccasins: Red moccasins would fit well in my closet. Yes, they would.

crepe henley tunic: This shirt is a great weight and length. I think it would be very versatile for me.

dot belt: Something fun & neutral to add to my closet.

black pixie pants: I say I am going to buy these every year. Will this be the year?

InstaFriday

Happy Friday! It's officially the last Friday before school starts. That break went by really quick. My day will be filled with running, a grad student meeting, yoga, and a department party! Here's a quick snippet of this past week:

1. I decided that navy and black now go together... only when paired with neon and leopard. This outfit is a new fave. 2. I love our new bedding from West Elm. Grey, stripes, more stripes, and chevron make everything more beautiful. 3. We made pork tenderloin with red wine au jus, peas and cheesy polenta. It was amazing... my amazing au jus completed the meal. I've got skills. 4. We celebrated wine Wednesday this week. It was a nice break from our busy week.

Have a great weekend!

 

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pass the veg

Fall semester starts next week. That means back to meal plans, busy weekdays, and planning ahead to keep healthy eating on track. We all know I love vegetables. Here as a couple recipes I found online that are jam packed with all of the nutrients I need to get me through a busy week:

zucchini pasta with avocado sauce - beet salad - BBQ cauliflower salad - pan seared brussels sprouts - polenta with roasted tomatoes - sweet potato oven omelet - shaved broccoli salad

Hopefully we can make one of these per week... that gives us 7 weeks of deliciousness!

 

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favorite vacation outfit

I loved this outfit on vacation. Luckily, we went to three different places so no one saw me repeat the outfit... except B. Houston: travelling, shopping, and dinner. Clearwater: post beach day baseball game. Orlando: post pool mini golf!

tunic - necklace - bermudas (rolled to the perfect length for me)

smoothie

Now that we are back home we have been making smoothies like crazy to get us back on track with healthy eating. Going on vacation and eating at restaurants always seem to take a toll on our healthy eating. Here's our most recent fave:

per smoothie (we always make 2 at once):

1c diced frozen mango

1/2c spinach

1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder

1/2T peanut butter

lululemon love

It is no secret that I an obsessed with Lululemon. During our trip to Florida I went to the outlet (which was a disappointment) and the store in the Mall at Millenia. I tried to stick to a budget but a few pieces I really liked were on sale and other I just had to have. Here is what came home with me:

run swiftly short sleeve t - in the flow crop - gingham cool racerback - free to be bra

Oh and some new Nike runners too!

Now I am officially ready to start teaching again next week... I will be teaching 6 hours of Zumba and 6 hours of pilates per week!

InstaFriday

We're home! After a fun vacation we are back to reality... class, meetings, teaching. Here's a recap of our week in Orlando via InstaGram:

1. We made it! I dropped B off every day but did not go to any of the theme parks. It was nice to see a different side of Orlando. 2. We loved the Omni at Championsgate. The hotel was amazing and only 15 minutes from most Disney parks. I highly recommend it... and with the summer promotion is was only $95/ night! 3. I was so excited for the Lululemon outlet... but it was very picked over. Instead I went to a regular store and shopped till I dropped. More about that next week! 4. We found a cute little bistro by our hotel called Paris Express. We expected Americanized french food. Instead we got an authentic french meal. Yum!

5. The Whole Foods in Orlando has a fresh juice bar. My green juice that was made of kale, spinach, broccoli, and pineapple was amazing. I cannot wait to recreate it at home. 6. At Downtown Disney I enjoyed a yummy drink that was 1/2 sangria & 1/2 margarita. It was exactly what I needed... something to quench my thirst. 7. At Downtown Disney we also went to Babycakes! I had the blondie with chocolate chips and chocolate frosting. It was refined sugar-free, gluten-free, wheat free, soy-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan and kosher. I have no clue what was in it, but I loved every crumb! 8. I was due for some new shoes from the Nike outlet. I did not end up buying any of the shoes in the photo... I got these ones instead.

 9. This dress is the best for traveling. It does not show wrinkles even after it has been in the bottom of a suitcase for 2 weeks, it is light for humid southern nights, and it appropriate for almost all restaurants. 10. Last night in Orlando = amazing mini golf. 11. Then we got home in time to watch the season premiere of Duck Dynasty! 12. On the drive home I made this scarf. A friend asked for one in green months ago. I finally found the perfect yarn and made it on the drive home. I love knitting on road trips. Of course I had to try it on for a photo!

Have a great weekend. We will be getting ready for the semester to start, picking up some much needed groceries and getting a few things done around the house. I did some organizing earlier today and made a huge dent in my to-do list.

fantasia fairways

Have you ever been to Fantasia Fairways at Disney World? The online description says it is:

"Resembling a traditional golf course built on a miniature scale, this course emphasizes skill over chance. Sand traps, bunkers, water hazards and sloping greens make the Fantasia Fairways Miniature Golf Course an exciting challenge, where par-3 and par-5 holes range in length from 63 to 109 feet long."

B and I decided we had to try it out... and after a rain delay and a walk because of lightning in the area we finally made it on the course. It was amazing! It really was like a mini version of a large golf course... but fun and easy enough that I did not get frustrated. I even got a few birdies! I ended up 2 over par... not too shabby for a self proclaimed terrible golfer. But we decided its not about skill, it's about having fun. My own personal cheerleader... aka B... aka Mr. Most Sportsmanlike Player is great to play with. We may have found a new favorite activity!

Hey Fantasia Fairways... we will be back!

Are you sick of vacation photos yet? I hope not! I still have shopping finds, pool photos (p.s. we got freezes by the pool yesterday), more delicious eats, and a couple beach photos.

 

 

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a yarn adventure

I love to find amazing yarn shops. I did some research prior to coming to Orlando and knew I wanted to find time to go to Four Purls. I hit the road...

lost my 3G for a while... found some cute places on the way...

then found it in Winter Haven, FL!

After picking up an iced coffee, I found my way back to my favorite place:

the pool! I finally found the perfect green yarn for a seed stitch cowl that was requested in January! I bet I will have it done soon since we have a 10 hour drive home on Thursday. Almost back to reality.

 

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seasons 52

Have you heard of Seasons 52? This is exactly what we needed for a healthy vacation dinner. Everything on the menu is under 475 calories and there is no butter, frying or bread basket! We decided to go early since we were hungry and we wanted to partake in the happy hour special: a wine flight + a full pour of your favorite and a flatbread... all for $15! Healthy, delicious, and a great price!

For my wine I decided on the red flight and the merlot for my full pour.

My flatbread (on the left) had prosciutto, goat cheese, arugula, and real figs!

We have already decided we will be going back to Seasons 52 for our last night in Orlando.

 

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black palms

We found a hidden gem in St. Petersburg Beach. It's called The Black Palms. It was highly rated on Urbanspoon and we felt like Mediterranean food. We called for a reservations then his the road... on the scenic route, of course! Although it took a while to get to, it was definitely worth the drive. Our service team was excellent. When trying B's food they actually tried to bring me my own spoon... I was too quick but it did become a game by the end of the evening. B had the gazpacho to start. For our entree we shared the paella for 2. It was filled with saffron orzo and as many types of gulf seafood as you could think of: shrimp, mini scallops, large scallops, octopus, clams, mussels, and fish. It was absolutely amazing! We also shared a few desserts around the table for dessert. It was nice to try a few without having to eat an entire dessert! Here a a few photos to entire you to try this restaurant next time you are in the area!

 

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InstaFriday

Happy Friday! We are on vacation right now so everyday feels like Friday. We spent the last 4 days in Clearwater, FL with family. Here's a recap of our vacay via Instagram... incase you do not follow me.

1. We were so excited when we made it to Florida! Then we had to drive for 7 more hours to Clearwater... a very long 7 hours.

2. We timed it perfectly that we ended up in Tallahassee at 2pm to use our treat receipts at Starbucks. Affagato style frappuccinos for both of us!

3. We only have gourmet snacks in the car: paprika salami, basil, and mozzarella!

4. We made it!

5. Sangria at Frenchy's? Yes please! I love that they brought the pitcher and three full glasses.

6. There was a great park with a walking path near the house so we walked every morning. It was hot but it felt good to start our day with exercise.

7. Another stop at Starbucks! I needed to use the Internet so we stopped at Starbucks for about an hour. This location was beautiful, had ample seating, and tons of plug ins for everyone who stopped by to get some work done. This location had a Clover. I had never heard of the machine so the baristas explained that it is like a personalized French press from a machine. They made me an iced coffee and it was AMAZING! We need a Clover machine in Baton Rouge. My coffee was caramelly and sweet. If you see one of these you need to try it. The downtown Clearwater was offering the specialty Cover drinks at the same price as brewed coffee so it was very affordable.

8. The Clearwater Threshers were in town so we decided to take in a game. We were a little too close to the field for my liking! Luckily, we were able to spend some time before the game at Frenchy's tiki bar in left field. Ladies drinks free during happy hour... plus it was yappy hour so lots of people brought their dog to the game! The game was not busy so they only had the basic food stands open but it looked as though they have a taco bar and a german sausage stand that opens during spring training. A rain delay made it a late night but we really enjoyed the experience.

9. Beach day! We walked, we ate a picnic lunch, and we swam. It was perfect.

10. Accessorize much? The 2 sunglasses were a bit excess but B decided it was a great place to store his shades.

11. Speaking of shades... B got new ones! We are calling them nerdy as he is too scared to be considered hip. I will take nerdy because this is a great nerdy.

12. Sneak peek! B's brother is very talented with his camera. After dinner the last night we were in Clearwater we jumped out of the car along the beach. The sun was setting so we figured we could get some amazing photos for our Christmas cards. Hopefully one turns out!

Happy Friday again! We are in Orlando this next week but I have lots to talk about so I hope to post everyday... after working out and shopping of course!

 

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Houston faves

We love going to Houston! It's only 4 hours away, we always discover new places as well as go back all of our faves. We never go to a place we have at home while on vacation and Houston makes it very easy... it is the 3rd largest city in the country!

Some of our faves include:

The Oceanaire Seafood Room... specifically happy hour in the lounge. The food and prices are amazing! This time we enjoyed blackened fish tacos along with shrimp and grits. Yum!

Sprinkles Cupcakes!

The Tasting Room... we love the food and wine selection.

Central Market! We are obsessed with this grocery store! What is not to love about this place. This time we purchased in house roasted lamb and hatch chili turkey for sandwiches, olive bread, paprika salami, and my favorite parchment paper baking cups!

Oh, we also bought new bedding at West Elm. I love the style of this store, it definitely fits my vision for home decor. I would love one of everything.

We are not sure when we will be going to Houston next but I cannot wait to try more new places!

 

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