We had no plans for NYE, so I figured we would stay home with the girls and have a nice home-cooked meal. But then I saw a giveaway on Instagram hosted by ChicagoGoodLife and Eataly that looked like it would be perfect for us: a family-friendly NYE dinner at Eataly for four (two adults, two children). I won! We were able to have a lovely last meal of 2019 by spending a part of New Year's Eve at ... Read more
Phoenix Eats: Flower Child, Delux, Chompie’s
Besides seeing my friends and family, I make sure to eat from as many local restaurants as I can when I visit Phoenix. I am so thankful to have been able to revisit old favorites on our January trip to Arizona. Planning a trip to Phoenix? I'm sharing my meals at three spots, plus linking older posts about local restaurants. Hope it inspires you to visit one of these places and gives you an idea ... Read more
D.C./Virginia Eats | Vegetarian and Pescatarian Options
After more than a year of not seeing my best friend Charlsy, I visited her in Alexandria, Va., for a short girls weekend with lots of D.C. and Virginia eats and catching up. I try to frequent only local eateries when I travel and we did plenty of that! Today I'm sharing my favorite D.C. and Alexandria area restaurants and what I ordered at each. Most of these restaurants are vegetarian ... Read more
Chicago Eats: Oyster Bah, The Hampton Social and Firecakes Donuts
It's been too long since I shared some of the delicious meals I've had lately in Chicago. My friend's visit for the Lady Gaga concert at Wrigley Field gave me the opportunity to try a couple of new (to me) places, and I recently met up with Jessie (of Just Jessie blog) to catch up at another great place. Oyster Bah, Lincoln Park I was drawn to Oyster Bah by an Instagram photo. Yep. While the ... Read more
Chicago Eats: Midnight Mac and Cheeserie, XO Marshmallow and Hutch
It's been a minute since I've shared some of the meals I've had recently in Chicago. I like to write these posts regularly for those of you who appreciate a good meal as much as I do. Whether you live in Chicago or you plan to visit, you might consider browsing these posts to see if you want to add any of these restaurants to your Chicago dining list. Midnight Mac and Cheeserie, Rogers ... Read more
Date Night Idea: Murder Mystery Dinner Show
** The Murder Mystery Co. provided complimentary tickets for this post. All opinions are my own. Graham and don't get to go on date nights often enough, so when The Murder Mystery Co. reached out to invite us to a dinner show, I was so excited! We had originally planned to attend a show in June, but our babysitter decided to not show up and not tell us. That's another story, though. This time ... Read more
Chicago Eats: The Dawson and Tuco & Blondie
Brunch is my middle name. Among my talents is an ability to pick great brunch places. It's a gift! I recently tried two Chicago eateries I hadn't visited yet: The Dawson and Tuco & Blondie. I loved both for different reasons. The Dawson, West Town I caught up with friends recently at the Dawson on the most gorgeous 65-degree day. We sipped on Bellinis ($11) as we waited for a table on the ... Read more
A Few Hours in Savannah, Georgia
I recently had a chance to either have lunch in Atlanta or Savannah during a road trip, and I jumped at the chance to see the latter, even if only for a little while. I knew we didn't have much time, so I wanted to explore whatever we could. We headed toward what seemed to be a cluster of restaurants listed on Yelp. That took us to East Bay Street. We parked next to Emmet Park for $4 and then ... Read more
Ways to Save Money for Travel
** This post contains referral links that I could receive compensation for. It helps me pay for travel! In 2007, I decided I wanted to travel to a new place every year. I was inspired by the Dalai Lama quote you often see on Pinterest: “Once a year, go some place you’ve never been before.” Back then I had student loan and credit card debt, and I was living paycheck to paycheck. I worked at a ... Read more
Stay at the Islander Resort | Islamorada, Florida Keys
When searching for an affordable, beachfront hotel option in the upper Florida Keys, I came across the Guy Harvey Outpost Islander Resort. The photos caught my eye, and the resort had decent reviews on Booking.com. I booked a three-night stay for us to explore the Keys during our recent trip. (If you'd like to try Booking.com, consider using my link.) When we drove up to the resort, an ... Read more