Hole In One

Who doesn't love a round of mini golf??!! Okay so it might not be for everyone, but as a former resident of Florida, it's expected that I've played a round of two of golf and/or putt putt.  My company has a social committee and once a month they put together a group activity- such as going to a Nats game,  a Halloween costume contest, or even a wine tasting.  So this month's activity was the annual putt putt tournament.  CURVE BALL- the team you are assigned to has to create their own hole. Of course, there's a competition for the most creative hole, so the pressure was on.

After about 10 minutes of brainstorming and only 20 minutes left to discuss options and logistics, my team came up with a Friends themed hole- as in the hit TV show.  Because who doesn't love that show?!?!?!  We decided as part of the course, we would create"road blocks" for each of the characters- a Bloomingdale's shopping bag for Rachel, Dinosaurs for Ross, etc.  Our hole was pretty simple, but creatively speaking it was definitely fun.  We even played the Friends theme song during the festivities.

Unfortunately, our hole did not make top 3 but that's okay for two reasons:
1. My colleagues did a really great job with this and were really creative
2. I still walked away a winner- my team tied for 1st place in terms of lowest score

Overall, the putt putt game was super fun- good food, good drinks, and good times

The entrance to our office hole

Our beautiful display! Loving the cut out faces!

Finish up at Central Perk- classic

This hole was called "Server Down"- representing the fact that we've had a lot of internal server errors recently

Cat theme- the challenge? To avoid the litter boxes

"Don't Spill the Beans"

One of my favs- Miley's Wrecking Ball theme

More Miley- even played Miley's greatest hits during it

This was quite the challenge..the theme was Hurricane, hence the fan

Another favorite- Hunger Games theme..the hole was a cornucopia!

Throwback- Welcome to the Jungle

It's hard to believe that this time last year I was on my way to Africa.  I am BEYOND lucky to have parents who believe in traveling and seeing the world - and there's no better way to do so then by taking a family trip! Last year my family and I left on Thanksgiving day and headed to South Africa for the trip of a lifetime. My mom's dream has always been to travel to Africa and explore the wild jungle- well actually it was my entire family's dream!  If I could recommend the trip to anyone, I gladly would- from riding elephants, to going on safari's, to watching an actual lion hunting for actual prey...these are things I will never forget- ever.

On this throwback Thursday, I am reminiscing on one of the greatest memories I have- riding on an elephant with my dad.  As you know from previous posts- I went to Bama and our mascot is an Elephant (Big Al to be exact- ROLL TIDE!)- so this activity was a must on my Africa to-do list. My parent's are my brother and I's biggest and greatest fans, so as much as I love Bama and elephants, I think my dad loves them even more! To be able to share this experience with him and my mom and brother brings tears to my eyes to this day.  I will never forget the good times like when dung beetles hit my in the face while driving on safari or the time my brother decided to work on his base tan...in the middle of the jungle...surrounded by wild animals.  I've been so blessed to travel to many different places, but even more blessed to be able to do so with my family.  If I'm 40 and still traveling with my parents- I'm completely fine with that!

Photo Cred- Drew Butera...what up Kitty

Gentle Giants (the elephant and I)

Bundle Up Dolls

The temperature is dropping!  And that means it's time to bust out the winter jackets!!! As a Floridian who only went skiing once a year, I never really owned a lot of winter gear because we never really needed it.  When I go back home to parents house during the holidays, it's so warm I can often go for a run in a tank top and shorts. SO when I moved up North I became very excited to start shopping for winter gear.  Now it's safe to say I'm good to go when any blizzards or snow storms come my way!

If you are in need of a new jacket this season, then you're in luck because I've found quite a few cute options and they're reasonable  priced! Hey- you can NEVER have too many jackets and coats right??

This is a MUST when living up north-long puffer and trimmed in fur!

SO devastated to see that this coat is recently sold out :( Does it not look like Burberry??!

Adorable duffle coat- Loving the toggle closures

This looks soo warm and yet still so fashionable!

Does this coat not say Jackie O all over it?! I mean the color, the buttons, the length- gorg

Such a classic pea coat and LOVE that it comes in so many colors! Price it a little too high for my taste, but it's JCrew- it will last you!

Another amazing short puffer from Zara- mildly obsessed with fur

Old Navy Jacket! Can you believe?! And win, win since leopard is in

I picture myself wearing this jacket during a night out on town- the leather sleeves are just so fun

This S**T Is Yonanas

Yesterday I decided to take a trip to Target - one of my all-time favorite stores.  I went there because I needed two things- mascara and cream cheese. However, it is physically impossible to go to Target and not leave with more items than you actually need.  Per usual this time of year, I ended up in Christmas decorations aisle. I picked up a few cute things to decorate with and will eventually get a small tree and some more decorations.

Did anyone read the article recently about Loni Jane? She's an Australian designer/photographer and has recently been in the news for following the 80|10|10 way of life.  Basically, she eats a crap ton of fruits and veggies- following vegan ways. I have such an interest in health and have been reading a lot about how what you put into your body effects both your insides and outsides.  So for instance, if you eat like crap you are going to feel and look like crap.  My mom is a big follower of Kimberly Snyder- nutritionist to the stars and founder of GLOW in LA.  My mom even bought a Vitamix so that she can drink Kimberly's green juice every morning.  I might be crazy but I completely agree with what Kimberly and Loni say. Over the past couple of months, I started having really bad stomach cramps and an upset stomach and thought for sure it had to do with something I was eating.  I started cutting out Gluten to see if that's what was causing my stomach pains, but that did not really work. So then I read about how dairy can really effect the way we feel and how some people become lactose intolerant as they get older.  Most milk's and dairy products are genetically motified (partially because cow's milk is modified), so I decided I would try cutting out dairy products.  I've been drinking almond milk since I was in college, so that wasn't a problem, but cutting out cheese would be a struggle.  When I did though I felt 100 times better.  Two other instances happened, too: one night I made PR nachos, swearing to myself that I wouldn't eat any...well I did...the next day my stomach pains were back.  I also thought sharing a cup of coffee that PR already put half and half in would be okay since I wasn't drinking the whole thing...FALSE.  The same thing happened again the next day.

SOOO where am I going with this?? In during my research of Vitamix's and other products out there I came across Yonana's - basically a froyo machine...You put frozen fruit in the machine and out comes soft serve ice cream. WHAAAAAAA???? I had to do my research, so I looked at product reviews and watched YouTube tutorials- with everyone saying it was great (however they all say the machine is really loud when you turn it on). SO when I popped into target I decided to look for myself...AND THERE IT WAS....THE YONANAS MACHINE!!!!!  Did I get it? Nope...Christmas and my birthday are right around the corner, so you never know what Santa might bring. But for those of you looking for a new, healthier version of FroYo, go to Target and get the Yonanas machine...except don't go to the one that has them in stock in Fairfax...I want to make sure there's enough left for Santa :)

I want to lick the yogurt on the box

I love that it's not too big either..fits nicely on the counter

BTW, guess what else I saw there??????? MY BAR CART!!!!!!! Okay technically I can't call it my bar cart yet because I don't own it, but I feel like it's mine. AND it was already put together!!!!  It looked so pretty.  I stood staring at it for a while, but again Christmas is right around the corner and I still need to do my Christmas shopping for everyone else!

I love you bar cart

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday -- Hope everyone had a great weekend.  Mine went by WAY TOO FAST! Why do the weekends fly by and the weeks move at a snails pace? 

Friday was a lovely evening in.  Make fun of me all you want, but I LOVE eating dinner, drinking wine, and watching a Modern Family marathon on Friday nights.  After a long day of work, it's nice to just chill out sometimes.  After work, I stopped by Whole Foods and got a few things while PR got Z Burger again (a double this time knowing that I would snag a few bites)...their dipping sauce is seriously amazing- almost better than their milkshakes! I came home to find that I had a package from my best friend Caitlin.  When I opened it I discovered the cutest box.  Inside was a reusable cup that had an X marked through the custom box, my name on it, and "Will you be my bridesmaid?"  Obvi I start hysterically crying and was overwhelmed with joy.  My best friend of 23 years is marrying her high school sweet heart.  I've watched them grow as a couple since high school and can't think of two people more perfect for each other.  Congrats Cait and Ty - SO EXCITED to start the wedding festivities and share this special time with ya'll.

THIS SAUCE!!! Pretty sure it's mayo and few other ingredients

Caitlin and I in our amaze uniforms! My sister from anotha mista

Saturday started out per usual.  After GTLing I stopped by Jiffy Lube to get an oil change.  This is always SO MUCH FUN!  Anything that has to do with my car annoys the heck out of me.  I don't want to complain, but taking care of some of these adult responsibilities can be quite challenging sometimes. After the car errands, I went home to shower and get ready for the football....What football game you ask?  Bama vs. LSU..only the biggest game of the year next to the Championship.  PR and I decided to go to this bar called Whitlow's in Clarendon.  In the summers they open their rooftop bar is actually nice and can be a lot of fun.  Downstairs it's not so bad either- they have a nice mix of tables for eating and seats at the bar for drinking. Oddly enough the bouncer at the door was wearing an Auburn hat and joked saying "he would kick me out of the bar later" when I asked if they were showing the Bama vs LSU game.  Um guy, when your team loses to my team the past couple of years and when you pale in comparison to Bama, your jokes just are not that funny.  How about I kick YOU out of the bar? 

Whitlow's Rooftop- Take me back to summer!

The bar- not the prettiest but filled with history...seriously though, the bar top is an old bowling lane and some of the "booths" are old church pews

PR and I sat at the bar, order a drink and also ordered some wings.  I proudly brought out my Bama koozie for all to see.  Naturally, I cheered and made comments throughout.  During the 1st quarter the bartender came by and gave PR and I two miller lites.  He said "I was told to say..... from the guy at down there"...I had absolutely no idea what he said and didnt know what ..... meant so I just raised my drink and said Roll Tide!  PR informed me that the guy was a Texas A&M fan and was probably cheering for Bama.  From then on, every time Bama scored a touchdown we bought each other drinks. Eventually, the Texas A&M fan and his girlfriend moved down and sat next to us.  Long story short, he went to a high school directly across the street from where I went to high school...What are the odds?  Saturday night was so much fun, and I'm so glad Bama kicked some Tiger booty.  Oh and shout out to the UCF Knights for also winning... Roll Knights?!

Did you guys see this?? Nick Saban has a soft side! Love a good hug after a great win

Sunday was filled with more car things...I had to get my tires rotated and then a new tire put on...why did that take almost 2 hours?? WHY SEARS??  PR was nice enough to join me because when it comes to cars I have no idea what's going on...they could have told me that I needed to buy a whole new car right then and there and I probably would have believed them.  SO I treated PR to a delicious lunch at Wendy's- JBC, nuggets and a large chocolate frosty...now that takes me back to my high school days.  Later in the day I decided to make some home made sauce and meatballs.  My grandma passed the recipe down to my mom and my mom taught me how to make it.  Does it taste like my mom's? Nope and it probably never will.  But I absolutely LOVE the smell of sauce and meatballs in the house.  Then I made Caramel-Pecan brownies.  The frosting is SO DELICIOUS, I wanted to eat it with a spoon.  The brownies turned out yummy, too- more on the fudgey side and I think I prefer the perfect mix of cake and fudgey brownies.  I ended up going to bed at 8:30pm last night and it felt AMAZING! I want to go to bed at 8:30 every night -- but then I will miss all of my shows :(

ANDDDD now I'm hungry

Hope you have a great week! Loving forward to next weekend, you guys!

Links I Love

Everyone has them – the blogs they frequent daily, browsing for the latest fashion tips and most delicious recipes.  I myself have a few I love and actually get excited to view each day.  My go to’s are mainly about the three F’s: fashion, food, and fitness.  

My love for following blogs actually started out with the always fabulous Atlantic-Pacific.  Blair Eadie, the creator of AP, posts the absolute best outfits pretty much daily.  She wears everything from Chanel to Old Navy and pulls off pretty much any trend.  I am so grateful to NG for introducing me to her page.  Oh and did I mention that her parents happen to be PR’s parents neighbor??  From time to time, whilst at Mr. and Mrs. R’s house, I often think about what I would say to AP if I accidently bumped into her on the street (every time the words “if you ever need to donate your handbags to someone I’M YOUR GIRL!” comes to mind). 

If you like to look through blogs but are unsure of which ones to visit, let me help you out by providing the links I love.  Obvi you should continue to check mine out, but here are some other really great ones.

  

FASHION

Atlantic-Pacific

Pink Peonies

Ivory Lane

What Courtney Wore

Devon Rachel (obsessed with her apartment that's featured on her blog!)

Food

Hungry-Girl

Skinny Taste

Sally’s Baking Addiction (One of my new favs!)

Sugar Plum Blog

Picky Palate

A Little Bit of Everything 

Cupcakes and Cashmere

Six Sisters’ Stuff (I mainly follow their recipes, but they post about other things, too)

Brenda Kovar (She is Guiliana Rancic’s hair stylist. I have no idea why I follow her, but I’m captivated by her day-to-day life; photo above is her lunch...so random!)

How I'm Feeling This Week

I think we all have these kind of weeks right?  When you have no energy or desire to exercise - you just want to go home put on comfy pants or PJs and watch TV all night long.  My excuses for this week: it's now getting dark outside at 4:30 p.m. and I recently tweaked my knee causing a lot of pain during pretty much any exercise.  So cheers to a big bowl of Ben and Jerry's and that marathon of Modern Family you've been wanting to catch!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

This weekend was filled with a whole lot of nothing.  I had a really busy work week last week and I’m pretty sure I had the flu so I slept through about half of the weekend.  I hate doing that because I hate wasting away my free time, but I definitely think I needed it.

Friday night was made up of Z Burger, some champagne, and a marathon of Modern Family.  Z Burger is a relatively new fast food restaurant that obviously serves burgers, fries, milkshakes, etc.  The burgers aren’t bad – pretty standard if you ask me – as well as their fries.  Their milkshakes are so great and they have a wall full of options from strawberry cheesecake to PB&J.  If you want a quick burger meal that’s better than McDonald’s, this is the spot for you.

On Saturday I attended the morning spin and stretching class.  I like going out on Fridays, but I think I love waking up on Saturday energized and ready to go a little bit more.  That morning I received an email from Ann Taylor (and you know I am recently loving) stating that everything in the store is 50% off, SOOOO since Ann Taylor is pretty much next door to the gym, I decided to pop over just to take a little looksy.  Now, as I previously mentioned, I had a long week of work so I felt like I needed to buy myself a little treat in order to boost my spirits, but when the sales associate told me that I could get an extra 30% off by opening an Ann Taylor rewards card I went a little cray.  BUT I left that store on a high – never felt better!  Some people turn to drugs or alcohol to boost their moods, I turn to shopping. (okay extreme statement I know, but it justifies my purchases)

The rest of the afternoon was made up of watching football, eating an entire jar of salsa, candy corn and leftover candy and then ordering pizza (it was half off so we had to)!  I fell asleep on the couch three different times during everything – only waking up because I was hungry again.  Oddly enough, one time I woke up asking PR if Panera won the game.  Clearly the only thing on my mind was food. 

Sunday was a pretty active day for me – at least compared to Saturday.  I watched the NYC Marathon – the girl that won ran it in 2 ½ hours…THAT’S INSANE,  but she inspired me, so I decided to go for a little jog myself.  After7 miles, I was dead and started to drag my leg because my knee hurt so badly.  I enjoy running but some people are just not made to run long distances!  After the run I headed to the store to pick up some groceries for the week.  I am that person that packs her lunch every day, so I like to prepare everything on Sunday’s.  I also went into cleaning mode – vacuumed, whipped down the cabinets, cleaned the inside of the fridge and the microwave, swiffered the kitchen, etc.  I love the smell of a clean apartment, especially when it’s chilly outside.  

After cleaning, I decided to make dinner and some treats.  For dinner I made sweet potato shepherd’s pie.  Shepherd’s pie is basically veggies and ground meat layerd at the bottom of a casserole dish and then you add mashed regular or sweet potatoes on top.  The recipe I found called for mashed sweet potatoes.  The recipe calls for just veggies, but I decided to add Boca ground crumbles to it.  I also added other veggies that I like to bulk it up a little more.  I often feel bad for PR because most of my girlfriends are great cooks and make their boyfriends delicious and hearty meals – I starve PR by serving him a vegetarian casserole filled with fake meat. Thankfully there was leftover pizza in the fridge!

My treats on the other hand were not low fat or lacking in flavor! One blog I’m in love with is Sally’s Baking Addiction.  She recently posted a recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins.  The recipe looked amazing and her pictures made my mouth water.  I’ve wanted to try these, so this weekend I finally did.  They turned out really great and I would definitely recommend them.  I took photos using my IPhone, so the quality is not great.  If you want to see what they really look like, head over to Sally’s Baking Addiction and see for yourself!

Picture of Sally's Muffins

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients- Please note the mixing bowl...It's actually a Nationals Popcorn bowl :)

 

Wet Ingredients

Whip Its

 

Cheesecake Filling

1st Layer- pumpkin batter, 2nd layer- cheesecake filling, 3rd layer- more pumpkin batter, 4th layer- crumb topping

About to go in the oven :)

So hard for me to wait to let them cool before eating