Birthday Trip to New York (to see Hamilton!!!!)

It's no secret that we love New York. We go at least once a year, and even spent a month there last summer (home exchange, FTW!)

Something you may or may not know about me, is that I absolutely LOVE going to the theater. Love it. I've seen a lot of shows on Broadway, London's West End, and a few traveling shows (and even one in Vegas) and they were all incredible! I love musicals, but I truly just love the way the theater makes everything so magical. They make everything so vivid, even without elaborate set changes and only a small number of people to play dozens of roles! How do they do it?!

About 18 months ago, I (along with most of America) became OBSESSED with the Hamilton soundtrack. It's one of the most innovative things I've ever listened to in my entire life. I knew I had to see it live. With our month in NYC approaching, I knew I could try for the lottery, but it was unlikely I'd win. So in June, I took matters into my own hands and bought tickets --- for March 2017. Yes, a solid 9 months in advance. So I knew we'd have an NYC trip for my 31st birthday!

SO yes, that's the entire reason we booked this trip. We had a home exchange we needed to use up anyway, so it was the perfect time. And if you have the chance to buy Hamilton tickets, do it. One of the best I've seen!

View from the Highline. I love those long, straight avenues :) 

The view from our 41st floor TriBeCa apartment was incredible! I've never had such a great view of the city.

New favorite brunch place - Maman TriBeCa. Such an inventive menu. The decor was very French Country but done so beautifully.

I love Lower Manhattan. 

More of our view - we could see the sunrise over Brooklyn. Amazing!

Other new favorite brunch - Bubby's. Apparently this place has been here a long time, and there's a reason. Get the pancakes. You won't regret it! (because I regret not getting them) Their huevos rancheros was also one of the best I've had!

An old man offered to take our picture on the Highline - he took 4 pictures, and the other 3 had his finger in front of the camera completely :) 

AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

We had dinner at VBar Seaport and it was delicious. They had a great mezze plate and pasta, it was perfect for a rainy, cold night. 

Our final brunch was at the Butcher's Daughter in NOLITA. It was fresh and vegetarian, perfect for me! :) 

Our trip was awesome. The weather wasn't my favorite (40 and rainy), but that's "spring" for you. I did all of my favorite New York things - saw a show, got my nails done, had bubble tea, wandered downtown, had pizza by the slice, saw friends, and ate and drank a lot of great stuff! 

Then, after 3 days, we hopped on a plane to LONDON! To be continued....
xo

This Week in Travel: Vol. 37

• It will become more difficult to visit Cinque Terre - here's why.
• A cool new walking tour app (I'm seriously going to download this!)
• How to get two passports (legally)
• Most hated airline on social media - and nobody is surprised.
• A selfie for your passport photo?!
• Delta had some press pros & cons lately. 
• You're missing the point of family vacation.
• Unlimited flights for a cool $2,000 a month.
• Places you're probably pronouncing wrong. I'm personally guilty of saying "Louie's-ville" until I was about 21 -- YIKES.
• The passport with the least amount of visa restrictions.
• Why turbulence is hard to detect.
• We all know you can't smoke on a plane, but e-cigs are also a no-no.

After months of anticipation.... I think SPRING IS HERE! Has it arrived for you, yet? 

Growing up in Florida, I never understood the obsession with spring – we went straight from a handful of cool days to boiling hot for 8 months. But now! The trees! The flowers! The longer days! Usually I find it hard to pick a favorite anything – but spring wins in the list of seasons by a long shot.

We've had a few quiet months around here. No big trips planned, nothing major going on (except the construction of our garage!) and it's been pretty nice. I'm turning 30 in just a few weeks and I LOVE BIRTHDAYS! I think it's such a fun excuse to get friends together, don't you? And like any other March baby I know, we have no problem making sure our birthdays are extra celebrated ;) Do you know any March birthdays who are celebration-obsessed?

The sunshine is calling my name, daylight savings time is around the corner, and life feels like it's back to normal again. I have beach trips on the brain as well – do you have any great warm trips planned?

Hope your week is going well!

xo

This Week in Travel Vol.20

There are so many travel blogs & publications I read on a daily basis! Wanted to share some of my favorite links, articles, info graphics and tips from around the web this week.

• Just learned about the CityPASS. Worth checking into if you're visiting a major city and plan to see several sites! 
• What do you think about this road trip plan?
• The world's most-visited tourist attractions. I've been to 24! One was just last week, and next week I'll add one more, making my grand total 25. How many have you been to?
• Your guide to turbulence. 
• The airlines with the best economy seats. Unfortunately, none of them are US based. 
• Great tips for less stressful travel. 
• Bad news for Delta frequent flyer miles users. 
• Good advice for renting through VRBO or AirBNB.
• Reasons you should travel alone on weekends while studying abroad. Can't say I'd agree, but I *do* agree with traveling in smaller groups (2-4 people rather than 10).
• Some tips for saving money when you travel around Europe (I'm not bringing a coffee pot with me, but otherwise pretty good ideas)
• Really excited to be in the friendliest city in the world soon! :)

a little throwback to 2011 - we hosted a murder mystery party. Hawaiian themed!

Special shout out to this girl, who turns 29 this week! She just so happens to be one of my best friends, and my birthday twin as well ;) We always had a blast making our birthday a big celebration, and it's always a little sad to celebrate without her! Happy birthday, E!  Love you!

I hope everyone got a little spring this week, I know some of you still had snow on the ground and that is a BUMMER. Hoping for warmer things this week :) I'm making my way through this bucket list as we get ready for NEW ZEALAND! 

Any last minute tips for me?
xo

Gifts Ideas for Him

I'm sure I can't be the only one around here who has a husband I find difficult to shop for.

First of all, he's extremely practical (unless it comes to cars and motorcycles!).
He's picky.
And if he wanted it, he probably bought it for himself already!

Not to mention.... our anniversary, his birthday, and Christmas are all within a microscopic six-week window.

What's a girl to do?

I've been scouring the internet trying to find some ideas of what to get my hard-to-gift guy, and this is what i've come up with.

The Gift of Drink

Whisky Stones - $20

buy here

These little stones keep your whisky cool without watering it down. An excellent invention.

-OR-

IPA Beer Making Kit - $45

buy here

Williams-Sonoma knew what they were doing - now tempting your guy in for a cooking class won't be so hard if he knows they sell Beer Making Kits! Perfect for a guy who loves to do it himself or try new things, who also likes beer. Win-win.

The Gift of Travel Accessories

Patagonia Fuego Backpack - $89

buy here

This 32L backpack is great for hiking, a weekend trip, or a good carry on. The size is great for the price, as a lot of more technical backpacks are north of $150. This is a steal.

-OR-

Everlane's Reverse Denim Weekender Bag - $95

buy here

This bag is beautifully crafted, and is the perfect carry on size for a weekend tote. The best part about this bag (in my opinion) is that you can steal it from time to time and use as your own weekend tote! I'm particularly fond of the reverse denim, it looks so sleek and unisex.

The Gift of Technology 

iPod Nano Watch Set - $24 (Would make sense if he already has a Nano)

buy here

This is one of the most practical gifts for guys! Perfect for a traveler or a runner. The wrist band attaches perfectly to your iPod Nano and appears to be a normal watch... until you're ready to listen to music! There are many varieties of color and style. This leather one sticks out to me because it can easily go from guys night, to an important meeting, to date night with you. Matt particularly is a watch fanatic, so this invention might save me!

-OR-

Roku Streaming Device - $49

buy here

Roku is a great little device for those of us that have Nexflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime but don't have an XBOX to stream them through our TV. Roku changes all that. Simply hook up to your TV and choose your 'channels', and you're good to go! A common misconception is that you pay for a Roku subscription, and that isn't true. You only pay for the services you want (Hulu, Netflix, etc). Bonus, you can rent movies on Amazon (from a computer) and then view them from your TV as well. Goodbye expensive iTunes rentals and sifting through awful Redbox options! Who need cable, after all?

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Beer of the Month Club - $24/month

buy here

New craft beers get delivered every month. He will of course love you forever, and probably start checking the mail daily.

-OR-

Birchbox for Men - $20/month

buy here

I personally LOVE getting my Birchbox every month (confession: i'm a beauty product addict!), all of the samples are so fun. And they lead me to new products i've been missing out on! The boy-box is similar, but they actually get less product and more 'stuff'. Friends have received sunglasses, journals, wallets and more. It's a steal at $20 a month.

Do you have a hard to shop for spouse or boyfriend? I'm open to any ideas!

xo

Numbers.

Ok - so i realize that i haven't blogged in a while.

I am aware that the majority of my posts prior to my sabbatical were regarding growing up and getting old. But i realized some crazy numbers this past week... and that time is flying by very quickly!

Let's also note: it is my little sister's birthday. She's turning 23. Here is a picture of when she was 3.

Look at those babies!!

Annette on the left. Two Helman girls in the middle. Me on the right.

Everyone in jellies except Liv : )

Guess she's not so little anymore : (

So if this doesn't make me feel old enough.... the past 4 years have flown by.

It's been.....

ONE YEAR SINCE: the Coffee Bar has been open! It's not my baby anymore! I still remember the first month we were open.... i practically lived behind that counter. My my my how it has changed.

completely bare!

More signage, borders, flavors and over things than you could imagine.

TWO YEARS SINCE: i've lived in Fort Myers and worked at Hillgate. two years! me, the girl who REFUSED to sign a two year contract... and wanted something more in the six-month range.

during my first month at Hillgate

THREE YEARS SINCE: i graduated from college. May 3, 2008. How have three years managed to pass by without living in the same city/state as my best friends. Part of me is still waiting for summer to be over so that we can all move back into our house together....

my girls. being all graduated and stuff. it was a great four years together and i love this photo :)

FOUR YEARS SINCE: i moved to Nashville! The city that still has half of my heart. and almost 4 years since i studied abroad in London. the city where i left the rest of it.

a favorite coffee shop in Nash :)

my street in London. covered in snow :)

Ah. Life is moving quick. I need to make that bucket list soon.

Birthday Sangria!

I turned 25. and survived :)

Sunday, my actual birthday, was the perfect day. However, i didn't really take any pictures. but here are a couple from Saturday.

Birthday girls by the pool on Saturday. Where i spent the majority of the weekend.

Pink Champagne in my Birthday Girl wine glass that Ang got me for my 24th, and pink champagne cupcakes to go with :)

The entire weekend was great. It consisted of numerous meals with friends and family, and spent most of my time at the pool. Oh, i forgot to mention i made red and white sangria? (i'll put my recipe down below). Amazing. Not to mention, after a long pool day, the boys pick up stuff for dinner and we enjoyed dinner and a movie at my house. Can every Sunday be like this?

So yeah, i am a pretty happy girl at 25 so far.

But onto the Sangria. I make up a different recipe every time. You can't really go wrong. But here is what i made this time.

Red Sangria:

• 2 bottles of Sweet Red Table Wine
• a little more than 1 liter of ginger ale
• 2 oranges, cut in 1/8ths.
• 1 lime, quartered.
• 1 bag of frozen mix berry fruit (strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry)

White Sangria:

• 1 bottle of Pino Grigio
• less than 1 liter of ginger ale
• 1 orange, cut in 1/8ths
• 1 lime, quartered
• 1/2 bag frozen peaches
• 1/4 bag frozen mangos
• 1/4 bag frozen blackberries

Cut the oranges, squeeze them in the pitcher, then put the entire fruit in there too. Same with the lime. Then add the frozen fruit, wine, and stir. Let sit for a few minutes and then add ginger ale. Stir well. Chill overnight for best result! The longer it sits, the more it all marinates together. But you can drink it right away if you can't help yourself :)

The reason i use frozen fruit is two fold; one is price. It's way cheaper when you're making a bunch. And two, the frozen fruit is very juicy when it melts. Where as a peach might not be as ripe as you'd like it to be, once these frozen pieces melt they are so yummy! And the just saturate the sangria so well.

If you want it to look a little prettier, you can take out the chunks of squeezed orange/lime and put in pretty thin slices of orange, lemon, and lime. This works great if you're doing a large punch bowl style.

If you're looking to go low cal you can swap out ginger ale for diet Sprite. If you want a bit more of a zing, you can add rum (either a Mango Malibu or just a Clear Captain), or go old school and buy orange liqueur. But in my opinion, you don't need it! this stuff tastes good just the way it is :)

Experiment! I love peaches and white grapes in white sangria, but i've been dying to try cherries in it. I also love citrus and berries in red, but really want to throw pomegranate in next time. My main conclusion is, you really cannot go wrong with wine and fruit.

And i'm open to anyone elses recipes - sangria is my favorite!!

Birthdays

I love birthdays. I don't know when exactly this birthday fasination started... But I love them. And i'm lucky, i get to share mine with one of my best friends! Which means we've gotten to make a big deal of our birthdays since we started celebrating together... when we were 19. Which is the only year i don't have a picture of us.

we turned 20

and 21

and 22

and 23....

And finally, 24 :)

I think we've gotten better looking over the years, don't you? : )

And nothing about that has changed - But this year, we turn (dun dun dunnnnnn!!!)
25.

Whew. It's scary to say outloud. 

I like 24. It says I'm young, but old enough to be responsible And stuff... sometimes :)

Plus I just like the number 24... It's pretty. And even. And just my favorite. So I'm not really looking forward to leaving my beautiful 24 in the dust, trading it for ugly, not divisible by 2, odd, closer to 30 than 20, stupid 25.

And most annoyingly - there are no (that i can find - i'd love to be shown otherwise) songs about being 25.

But I guess God didn't design me to be 24 forever, unfortunately. So 1 week until d day.

24 brought a lot of great things with it though, and will be remembered a a great year. Here is a little of what this year had to offer.


A New Home:
I moved into riverwalk with my lovely roommate Ashlee. I just knew we were destined to live together. And i love her! And i love my purple wall :)

The year of the wedding:
I got to see a number of my great and one of my best friends get married. These girls allset the standard pretty high for looking perfect on your wedding day. I have to say, it was a fun summer of love, getting to travel around and see these girls get their happily ever after :)

Dossly! (now Ashley Swetnam) in Ohio

Jessie Vega (now LaTorre!) in Fort Myers

Brynn :) in Fort Myers, FL

Coffee obsessed:
The year I woke up thinking "I NEED coffee" - not for the caffeine, but forthe simple fact of having a warm beverge in my hands - and I owe it all to spending the majority of my life at the coffee bar. As much stress and semi heart attacks the coffee bar has provided over this past year, i have learned so much from the experience and when it comes down to it, i absolutely love it. The business side and the coffee drinking side.

Oh, and did i mention i got to hire all of my friends? :)

New and old travels:
Went to see friends a number of places. Some places I've been to, some I haven't...

Chicago (a couple of times)

Ohio

Indiana

South Lake Tahoe, CA / Reno, NV

I got to drive down most of the state of California, and end up in...

LA, CA :)

Atlantic City, NJ

Chattanooga, TN 

London, England.

Is it weird that i feel like it's not that many? I should probably mention that i went to Orlando and West Palm Beach a few times each, plus Fort Lauderdale, and Gainesville.  Ok, now i feel better :)


Music:
I saw a TON of concerts this year. a. ton.

Copeland - final show!!!

Neulore - House Show in WPB.

The Ataris - they were my favorite band when i was 15. I owed it to myself :)

Kings of Leon + the Black Keys. WPB, FL.

Phoenix, HOB, Orlando.

States. Revolution, Orlando.

My Boys - The Gallery!! In Orlando.

American Idol Live - we got free tickets :)

And last but not least... JIMMY EAT WORLD. The musical cherry on top of this year

And did i mention i got to have my first White Christmas?!?! :) :) :)

Christmas with my family in Tennessee :)

This post was most certainly for me more so than for you. Sometimes i need to be reminded that i still have adventures and do fun, exciting things, even though i'm not traveling the world or am in college. It's truly been a great year, and now i'm up for the challenge of making 25 as good as 24 :) I'm doing my best to invite 25 in with open arms.... and not cringe when someone asks me how old i am.

And for anyone who needs me on my birthday? I'll be by the pool with a sangria. Cheers!