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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #102

Hello everyone!

A happy Friday to you! I hope you are having a great week as we make our way through July! I am looking forward to a busier weekend between seeing some friends, a big picnic and hopefully some time outside. Let’s just hope the weather cooperates. Fingers crossed! It’s been a busy week, so I am looking forward to the weekend.

Everything is in full bloom and I am one happy gal!

It’s Friday which means it’s time for another Friday Favorites as I share some highlights from the past week with you as I link up with Erika and Andrea.

This is a mixed bag of food, sunshine and products! Let’s dive right in!

Family Walks– Family walks have been a favorite for myself and my family over the past few weeks. We have been trying to take advantage of the warm weather and walking at different parks and trails throughout the area. Whether it’s a long walk in the woods or a short walk on pavement, it’s been a fun way to get in some exercise, spend time together and get outdoors. It’s also been fun to explore the area and different parks too.

One of the spots we have walked

Happy Place Series Announced– Emily Henry is one of my favorite authors. I have read all her books and one of my favorites is Happy Place. It was released last summer and it was announced a few weeks ago that there’s talks about making it into a series through Netflix with Jennifer Lopez at the helm. You can find the article here. I’m really excited to learn more about the project. Although only a few details have been released, I’m itching to see how it compares to the book. I have mixed feelings about making books into tv series or movies, but this one I’m very excited about!

Such a fun, summer read!

Brunch with Babs Cookbook– I am really proud by keeping up with my new year’s goal of trying to cook one new meal a week. I get ideas from Pinterest, Cookbooks and blogs. I have really been having success with Celebrate with Babs cookbook. It’s from the online account, Brunch with Babs, which is all about lifestyle and homemaking hacks.

Here are some of the recipes I have tried and had success with.

Apricot ham and broccoli salad
Strawberry Salad with Grilled Chicken

New Car Scent– I did a recent car cleaning and decided it was time for a new car scent. I try to swap out scents every six to eight weeks. Since we are in full on summer mode here, I decided Tiki Beach was the perfect summer scent. It’s not too overwhelming or overpowering, but it does leave your car smelling fresher and like a pina colada. Yum! Thank you, Bath and Body Works!

Cocoa Oatmeal Treats– Another food related item for you this week. I am a big lover of Hershey’s and saw this recipe on their website for their cocoa oatmeal treats. They are super easy to make and would be perfect for a summer picnic. They are no-bake cookies and only contain a few ingredients like oats, milk, sugar, cocoa powder, and peanut butter. I thoroughly enjoyed them for a “healthier” treat.

That’s a quick roundup of what I am loving this week. Some snacks, new releases, and products. How has your July been treating you? Any fun plans? Let me know if the comments below!

Have a great weekend!

Categories
Travel

Canada Day Trip

Hello hello!

Happy Wednesday! I hope you had a great week so far! We are halfway to the weekend and I couldn’t be more ready for it.

I love to travel and visit new places, whether they are cities, state parks or the suburbs! This summer I have done a lot more traveling than in year’s past, mostly due to Covid. It’s been fun to return to old places or go someplace new. My boyfriend and I love taking day trips together, since our work schedules don’t line up whenever we take a day off for one another we try to really capitalize on it. So far this summer we have gone to Columbus, New York City and Toronto and the Canadian Falls to name a few spots. 

Our trip to Canada was our most recent trip at the beginning of August. We had such a good time and packed a lot in. Here’s what we did and how we did Canada in a day!

We left around 4:30 and made our way up north. We drove to Burlington, Canada and from there took a train into the city of Toronto.

Making our way across the border

We arrived around 8:30 to Union Station with all the commuters for the day.

Union Station

 Our first stop was Tim Hortons for some fuel, even through we have them at home, we knew we had to take advantage of the Canadian staple. 

Fuel for the day!
The city in the morning!

We walked around downtown for a bit and checked out some of the tourist spots, like the CN Tower and the big Toronto sign and then City Hall. We also saw the Rogers Arena where the Maple Leafs play! 

The CN Tower
The iconic Toronto sign
City Hall behind the sign
Home of the Maple Leafs

After taking in the downtown we took a ferry to Centre Island which was so fun! From the boat, you got a whole new perspective of the city and it was beautiful to be out on the water.

The city from the ferry
On the ferry!

On the island, there are trails to walk and bike, a beach, lots of food stands, a little amusement park and lots of green space along with boating clubs.

There were so many green spaces
A look at the amusement park

We walked around by the piers and rented bikes as we took in the island, we could have stayed there all day!

It was beautiful on the island

In the future we want to go back with picnic and spend more time there. It was beautiful! 

The ferry coming back to the island (my boyfriend snapped this photo)

We took the ferry back and then made our way to St. Lawrence Market for lunch.

A look inside St. Lawrence’s Market

There were dozens of different vendors , from fresh produce, to breads, meats, fish, vegetables, bakery items, and speciality goods. We both settled on sandwiches for lunch.

Lunch time!

After our meals, we decided to take the train back to our car in Burlington and then head to Niagara Falls. We have both been to the American falls, but this was our first time heading to the Canadian falls together. 

The falls!

If you have never been before, the Canadian falls is very touristy, lots of gift shops, fast food places, amusement park rides and very Americanized. We found it to be a little overwhelming, so we quickly made our way past the chaos and just enjoyed the falls.

America or Canada? It was hard to tell with all the American chains.

We decided not to purchase tickets to any boats or activities since we arrived late in the day and just decided to take in the falls. 

Up close of the rushing waters
The falls-both of them!

It was beautiful to see both the American and Canadian falls next to each other. After seeing them from many different spots and taking lots of photos, we decided to call it a day and make our way back home.

A rainbow to end the day!

It was a packed full day and we were tired. 

We had such a great time that we have already begun to talk about what we want to do the next time we go. 

Goodbye falls!

Tell me, have you enjoyed any trips this summer and have you been to Toronto or Canada, if so, what are your must do’s? 

Let me know in the comments below!

See you back here on Friday for another edition of Friday Favorites!

Categories
Fabulous living

Inexpensive Date Ideas


Hello all! Happy Wednesday! I hope you are all staying warm and cozy as we make our way through January. Many people may make New Year’s Resolutions and goals and for some it may be to save money. I know after the holiday and shopping season, I’m looking to stay in and save more. 


Today, I’m sharing some fun and inexpensive date ideas. I still enjoy having fun and doing things with my boyfriend or best friends without breaking the bank. It can also be hard to find things to do in the dead of winter, so I hope these give you some inspiration for fun. So, without further ado, here’s some fun and inexpensive date ideas.

Walks: Head out to your favorite park or try a new destination for a walk. This FREE activity gets you outside and moving, it also shows you the beauty in your own backyard, and it lets you focus on conversations when you are getting to know someone or when you are catching up with friends. I love finding new parks and trails to try out with friends. It may seem daunting to do a winter walk if you aren’t a fan of the cold, but as long as you dress appropriately, you will be set.

No matter the season, walks are always a good idea

Movie and Board Game Day: This can be done at any point of the day, a Sunday morning, Saturday afternoon, or even a Wednesday night. Pick out some of your favorite board games or buy a new one to test out with your friends. If games aren’t up your alley, pick out a new movie that’s been on your list of things to watch, pop some popcorn and buy some candy and enjoy a movie night at home. This is a fun way to unwind and relax at home without breaking the bank.

Snacks and a movie are always a good idea.

Use the Gift Cards: Did you get gift cards for Christmas that are still sitting in your wallet? Use them! Whether it’s for a dinner out, a coffee, or even an activity, like a movie. Plan an event using that gift from someone else. Although, it’s fun to go to a favorite spot, if you got a gift card to someplace new, give it a try, who knows it may become a new favorite spot.

One of the times when we used a gift card to a favorite restaurant.

Take a Drive: This is a great idea for mild, winter days. Cue up a playlist, grab some fun snacks and hit the road, you can have a place in mind or just choose a direction and drive. In times like these, it’s more about the journey as opposed to the destination. Sometimes, there’s nothing better than the open road and having some good conversations. 

A beautiful day for a drive.

Spend Some Time in the Kitchen: Whether you love to cook or bake or it intimidates you, try out a new recipe, you may discover that you have found a new hobby. I have been testing out some new recipes and I have been loving the results. Here’s a pro-tip, besides looking up recipes online or on Pinterest, head to your local library and check out some cookbooks and try out some recipes from there. It can be scary to test out some recipes in the kitchen, but you may find that the results are better than you thought.

I spent a morning looking through some cookbooks to pick out new recipes and I can’t wait to try them.

That’s just a look into some inexpensive date ideas that can keep you busy and entertained without worrying about blowing your budget. Tell me: what are some of your favorite inexpensive date ideas.