Patios and Pools: My Kinda Things

It might be Monday, but it's a very short work week for me so I think I can handle this one. Short work weeks in the summer are the best, especially when the reason is because it's one of my best friends bachelorette party! We got a big house on the lake for all the girls to stay in (actually close by to Billy's families cottage where we usually go) and plan to do a couple wine tastings, go to PIB, and a little booze cruise. Our place has a hot tub and a pool so I'm sure lots of time will be spent at these as well...Woo-hoo!

This weekend, though. Time to recap...

Friday // Date night...went out to dinner then just took it easy at home and watched We Bought A Zoo. I think I cried three times during it...the good kinda cry. This movie surprised me because I wasn't expecting it to be good, and then I ended up loving it. So cute. Who else was surprised by this movie?

Saturday // all about good food, the pool (FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR!), and fun with family. Exactly how a weekend should go, right? It was beautiful outside so we went to my favorite brunch spot, Katalina's Cafe, and Billy quickly became a fan of this place. It may have been the fact that his sandwich was the size of his head and absolutely delicious (pulled pork + egg + veggies!) and we got to eat outside on their cute patio...

Afterwards, it was all about the pool for the day at my girlfriends apartment complex. I can't tell you all how much I missed laying out at the pool...even though we went to Florida in February and spent time at the beach and pool, it still seemed like I hadn't felt the hot sun in way too long. Thank you, Ohio, for having some amazing weather lately (and please continue through this weekend.) We stayed as long as we could before it was time to head to my stepsisters house for her son Brady's birthday party!

 the birthday boy!

We played corn hole, ate good food, celebrated Brady's birthday, and got to congratulate the quintuplet girls on making the 8th grade cheer leading team! 8TH GRADE...holy cow, they are growing up so fast.

They recently had family pictures taken and I couldn't help but share a couple of them today...look how big they are. And Lindsey, too!

(Ben, Mary Kate, my stepbrother Mike, Lindsey, Emma, his wife Gina, Grace, and Alex!)

So stinkin cute. 

Straight from the party, I went and met up with my best girlfriends for a combined belated birthday dinner (for my best friend Lindsay and myself) at Bakersfield in the Short North! There was lots of drinking out of boots and margarita filled mason jars...

aka a really great night. Love that place and of course, love my girl nights.

Sunday // Gym and ran some errands to get some necessities for the bachelorette party. A penis cake may or may not be included in said necessities and in my baking future this week...stay tuned on instagram for that. I mean, if it turns out horribly at least you all can laugh at my attempt. 

Happy Monday! What did you do this weekend?!

Things That Make Me Do A Vicki "Woo-Hoo!"

1//that I get to celebrate my birthday with my parents tonight (a week later since we were gone last weekend!) I requested a taco bar and cherry pie for dessert. Cherry pie was just calling my name...anyone else love cherries this time of year?

2//my best friend Lindsay's birthday is tomorrow! aka more celebrations (happy early birthday Lindsay!) I love how close our birthdays are together...for as long as we've been friends, we typically combine them and have one big ole partay. :)

3//the PGA Memorial Tournament has been going on here and we got tickets to go to the final round on Sunday! Usually, it rains all week long every year (and I mean every year) for this tournament but not this year. I can hardly believe it...dry and 80's.

4//my new Kate Spade crossbody that I found on major sale the other week. This red...yes please.

(this one is similar but not on sale..super cute though)

5//still loving this foundation that I switched over to recently. the best! I use this brush with it!

6//did you know the Columbus zoo is rated one of the top in the country?! It's pretty awesome and they just added a new Africa region, called the Heart of Africa, that opened last week and we're going tomorrow to check it out! If I can't go to the real Africa right now (my dream trip), I might as well pretend to get a piece of it at the zoo. It'll do for now...you can feed giraffe's, get up close with lions, and go on a camel ride! (Yes, I'm way too excited about this!!)

7//going all out for breakfast. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I love trying different combinations of my favorite things...this is 2 egg whites, 1 egg, black beans, red peppers, and onions and of course a yummy english muffin, fruit, and green juice on the side.

 

8//this striped maxi dress

9//these Sambazon smoothie juices. I mentioned before I use the Sambazon acai frozen packets when making my favorite acai bowls (recipe here), but when I'm in a rush and need something on the go, these do the job! Very yummy!

 
10//these shorts

....all these signs point to an amazing weekend ahead. Bring.it.on.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend with fabulous weather!

LUSH Cosmetics

Leave it to Erica to inspire a blog post.

My mailbox is still smelling glorious from her birthday package she sent me! You know those girlfriends who never miss a birthday and are so thoughtful with their gifts? That's Erica. She is seriously the best gift giver I know!

She surprised me with a new Alex and Ani bangle that is my birthstone (love it!), Godiva birthday cake bark that has already been enjoyed by both me and Billy (you must try it-so good), and these LUSH bath bombs that smell out of this world amazing and fresh. It was then that I was instantly reminded about my love for LUSH products! (thank you friend :))

I think at some point in the past year I once had a post about LUSH products saved in my drafts, then completely dropped the ball on posting it. Have you heard or used LUSH products before? If not, now is your time! LUSH makes their products from organic fruits, vegetables, and oils and they only buy ingredients from companies who do not test on animals. They make all their products fresh by hand using little preservative or packaging. Two thumbs up!

I've used several of their products over the past couple years and wanted to share my favorites. Their face masks and cleansers (and of course these bath bombs!) are a part of my weekly routine and I swear by them. My skin feels amazing when I use them and the prices make them that much more appealing because they last so long. I'm talking several months for some of them.

Here are my favorites:
+Ocean Salt (their best selling salt scrub for a glowing complexion-my personal favorite! I use this not just on my face but all over my body in the shower as well)
+Mask of Magnaminty (my favorite deep cleansing face mask-fresh peppermint and clay pull from your pores to give a fresh tingly sensation. I love it because it's not harsh on my skin, but my skin feels so fresh and awake afterwards!)
+Tea Tree Water Toner (brightens up oily, tired skin and balances skin tone)
+Love Lettuce (balancing mask for all skin types-an almond mask that scoops up dirt, oil, and debris and softens your skin)

If you love baths, you will want to try their bath bombs too. Here's all your options. Love all the creative names for these products, too! Next on my list is trying their shaving creams.

PS: LUSH has no idea who I am, I just really love their products and wanted to share about them! 

Holiday Gift Guide: Pretty Little Things {For Your Girlfriends}

DETAILS: Anthropologie Limited Edition Mugs / Bobbi Brown Eye & Lip Palette / Quirky Colorblocked Mittens / Pave Initial Necklace (who wouldn't love this?) / Mr. and Mrs. Cocktail Glass Set / Kate Spade Idiom Bangle (read below! this is an amazing gift) / Sole Society Plaid Scarf / Bare Minerals Lipgloss Set (on sale for $25!) / C. Wonder Zip Top Pouch (many colors & practical) / Laura Mercier Hand Creme Set / Kiehl's Lip Balm Set (the best) / Kate Spade Bow Bangle / Marc Jacobs Rollerball Trio / Nest 'Birchwood Pine' Candle / Burgundy Bow Gloves / Bauble Bar Mini Pave Bracelet (one of my favorites)  / Kate Spade Monogram Cards / 'Mrs. Always Right' Pillow / Crystal Faye Monogram Koozie 

Today marks the first day in my gift guide series. When putting together this gift guide, I was inspired by my own girlfriends and honestly, myself. Chances are if you really want something, your girlfriends do too! And let me tell you, most of these items I really want. Feel free to spoil yourself or your girlfriends a bit with these, or to add them to the good ole wishlist and send to your other half. ;)

There is a gift in here at each price point, with most of them being extremely affordable so that you can get multiples for your closest girlfriends. My absolute favorite item in this bunch would be the Kate Spade Idiom Bangle. It has cute sayings like "sidekicks", "two peas in a pod", etc on it. My best friend Steph surprised me with this as a gift (one for her, one for me-#bffbracelets) and we are constantly asked where we got it.

If you have a friend who is engaged, or recently got married, then the Mrs. Always Right pillow and the Mr. and Mrs. Cocktail Glass set is perfect for them!

As for the rest of the items, you can never go wrong with giving your girlfriends a gorgeous lipgloss or hand creme set, a makeup bag (perfect for traveling), a scarf, or a warm pair of gloves.

PS: Don't forget to enter this giveaway to win a $50 Gift Card. That could get you many of the above goodies! :)

Happy shopping and be on the lookout for more of my gift guides!

The Blowout

Do you enjoy getting your hair done?
Do you like to get pampered with your girlfriends?
Do you like to drink mimosas or wine while getting pampered?

If you answered yes to any of the above, I have the perfect solution for you...

Columbus' first blowout bar, The Blowout Bar, conveniently located in Grandview (right by Matt the Millers!), just opened up last month. I am escastic to finally have a local blow out bar after hearing all the hype in bigger cities about them! If you haven't heard of a blow out yet, let me break it down for you. It's basically a salon that skips the cut and color but gives you a beautiful style (after washing your hair!) to rock for a few days. You can pick between a sleek and straight style, messy beach waves, loose curls, or big curls with lots of volume (all you Southern girls!). It gives you a much needed break from blow drying your own hair, and to me, not much can beat that because I hate blow drying my hair.

I took my girlfriend Leslie for our first visit on Saturday and was so impressed by all of it. The salon was so modern, clean, and everyone was so friendly. The Blowout Bar was founded by two sisters, Kaitlin and Kailen, who are both super sweet and after talking to them on Saturday we realized that Kristin also went to college at BGSU where both me and Leslie went. Such a small world!

Our experience was relaxing and so much fun. We had an appointment, but they do walk-ins as well. You receive one complimentary mimosa or wine with your blow out {cheers!} and they had Sex In The City playing on the TV's, which was just an added bonus. All of the stylists were very professional and knew how to achieve that perfect blow out that us girls want. Leslie got "The Hurricane" blow out and I got "The Bahama Mama" (see the menu here). We both walked out with beautiful, soft locks and already talked about how we want to plan a trip back.

When we were there I kept thinking about how awesome gifting a blow out to girlfriends would be. Think about it...birthdays, Christmas, for their bachelorette party (every girl wants perfect hair for this!), for a bridal shower gift, etc. The options are endless! I see many blow outs in my future...

Today, many different cities have them or are opening them, so I would recommend checking online to see if you have one in your city! It's such a special treat and experience that us women deserve from time to time. Right? Columbus gals, you can book your appointment, or read more about it, here! :)

And just because his locks were looking extra fluffy this weekend, his momma decided to put him in bow tie and then had her heart melted over and over....

Rocky meet bow tie. Bow tie meet Rocky. I think they're a perfect match, don't you? 

Have you been to a blowout bar before?

Hope you all had a great weekend!
{follow me on instagram for more snaps that I took}

IF LAUREN CONRAD LOVES IT.... {MALIBU!}

than most girls do too, right? Isn't that how it works?
{also there may or may not be an awesome giveaway below...}

I wanted to be best friends with LC back in the days of The Hills (maybe still do..) and now I think she is such a good role model and business woman. Well, I noticed via her twitter that we have something else in common besides loving fashion and thinking Brody Jenner is cute (at one point): she is also a big fan of Malibu Island Spiced cocktails!

The other weekend, I had three of my girlfriends over for a Friday evening happy hour after work. I love trying different lighter calorie drink options and Malibu Island Spiced is only 70 calories (+ made with Truvia!®) that I knew would go perfectly with our favorite mixers, so I decided they had to be on the menu.

I picked up some cheese and crackers, limes, and as for the mixers I went with soda and diet cola. It wasn't a huge spread by any means, but it was perfect for what we needed!

Come join us for a moment, would you..?

As for the drinks we made?

We did a couple different combinations with the Malibu Island Spiced. None of us had tried the Spiced Rum before, and we were pleasantly surprised by the taste. First, we saw on the bottle that Truvia®, the all-natural sweetener, is used in it which already gives the drink major bonus points (so much better for you!).

Also, the girls and I all noticed hints of coconut, vanilla, and a little bit of cinnamon in the rum. It wasn't too sweet but had just enough flavor to make the drink enjoyable and tasty! These were our favorite combos that you should try for the summer...

1. Malibu Spiced and Diet Cola:

 {1 1/2 parts Malibu Island Spiced, 3 parts diet cola, ice, lime wedge}

 

2. Sparkling Spiced: My favorite option!

 {1 1/2 parts Malibu Island Spiced, 3 parts soda, ice, lime/orange wedge}

My girlfriend thought of a good idea with this one-add in some mint! Yum!

 

3. Spiced on Ice:

 {1 1/2 parts Malibu Island Spiced - serve over ice with an orange twist}

For this, since we don't normally drink rum on the rocks (lightweight over here!), highly recommend squeezing some orange into the drink, too.

 

There are so many other awesome recipes you can see on Malibu's website (like a cranberry option!), so if none of these sound good to you, go check them out. Yum yum.

...then of course, the only thing left to do is cheers each other and enjoy!

Which one of these cocktails would you like to try?

Answer in the comments section below for your chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card!

Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winner  will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 6/13/13 – 6/30/13.

Visit Malibu Island Spiced Rum on Facebook to get more drink recipes and join the brighter side of spiced rum!
And be sure to visit the Malibu Island Spiced brand page on BlogHer.com to read other bloggers’ posts!

SIP EASY. ENJOY MALIBU RESPONSIBLY.
MALIBU ® Caribbean Rum with Coconut Liqueur & Natural Spices, with Truvia® Sweetener. 30% Alc./Vol. (60 Proof) ©2013 Imported by Pernod Ricard USA, Purchase, NY
Truvia® and the Truvia®  logo are registered trademarks of the Truvia Company LLC.
PER 1.5 FL. OZ. SERVING. AVERAGE ANALYSIS: CALORIES 70; CARBOHYDRATES less than 1 gram; PROTEIN 0 grams; FAT 0 grams.
*when mixed with your favorite zero calorie mixer. Limes and other garnishes may add calories

 

 

Nashville Pt. 3

Happy friday!

I've absolutely loved recapping this trip with you all and am kinda sad to be done with it. 

It kinda felt like I was still there singing and dancing away to some good jams...kinda.

On Saturday, a few of us woke up and went shopping around town for the early afternoon. I bought Billy a beer mug and we just toured more of downtown until everyone was done getting ready for the day.

 We did the whole Bachelorette "guess who bought you these lingerie" game and celebrated Jen getting married in the hotel and had some drinks before heading back out

the beautiful bachelorette and her sisters...

this was the view from the suite...pretty, right?

This time, we decided to go to Rock Bottom's rooftop patio to have drinks because it was so beautiful out. It was pretty much perfection up there, I'm telling you.

Afterwards, you can probably guess what we did the rest of the night:

Bar hopped...Singed...Danced. 

Had an amazing time. All night long.

We even went back to Paradise Park (for the second night in a row) because a few of us really enjoyed the band playing there. We were total groupies...

Oh, and there might have even be a late night stop at a hot dog stand AND at the restaurant Taste of Italy, where we all got AMAZING pasta dishes. That happened. Two late night food stops.

Our last and final morning, I KNEW (thanks to all your suggestions!!) that we had to go to.....

The Pancake Pantry

The Pancake Pantry has been featured on Dives, Drive Ins and Diners and is a Nashville hot spot! I had been telling the girls the whole trip, "we MUST go! we HAVE to go! please please please" and finally...we went and it didn't disappoint.

Between the four of us we ordered half the menu. haha. Sugar and spice pancakes x 2, chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, grits, bacon, and my personal favorite...the hash browns. Oh my goodness...the hash browns were the best thing I've ever had. I'm still thinking about them. ;) 

 

tip if you plan on going here: the earlier you get here, the better.

We got there at 9 and had a 25 minute wait (didn't think that was too bad), but we saw when we left the line was double the size. It did seem like the line went pretty fast so if you want to eat here, don't be threatened by it! Try it-it's worth it. 

I have so many fun memories with these girls on this trip! 

You really just have to go to Nashville to know what I'm talking about.

Then, you too, will fall in love :) 

If I were you, I'd try and convince your girlfriends to have their bacherlorette party here! I've been a lot of places and this place by far is PERFECT for it. Just sayin'. 

 *Thank you to those who offered up suggestions-they helped tremendously and are much appreciated! Blogging rocks. The end.

Be back next week with some cool things to throw your way!