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Girls Weekend Guide to Dallas, Texas

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

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I had the chance last month to getaway for a weekend with a girlfriend.  It was my first weekend away without my husband or kids in three years.  I was so excited to be heading to Dallas, Texas!

There are so many incredible things to do in Dallas that it was really hard to decide what we should do while visiting.  Of course, we knew brunch and shopping were at the top of our list.  Here is exactly how we spent our weekend; where we ate, shopped, drank and what we wore!

 BRUNCH

You can't have a girls weekend without brunch.  Prior to my visit to Dallas, I had the chance to go to Top Golf in Tampa, FL.  It was a lot of fun and we decided we wanted to do that since we had never tried their brunch menu.  Golf, Bloody Mary's and the most amazing brunch. You can't go wrong.  I highly recommend going there if you are looking for something fun to do while brunching.


Related Post: Top Golf Brunch + The Comfiest Floral Top

SHOPPING

We had a lot of fun shopping at North Park Mall and walking off all the food we ate at Top Golf.  This mall has everything you would ever want and need.  We made out with some new makeup and my newest obsession, Lush bath bombs. 

We also made a trip to Trader Joe's so my friend could grab some goodies before heading back to Louisiana.  I love Trader Joe's!

COFFEE AND MIDDAY DESSERT 

Y'all.  The Bird Bakery is where it's at.  I wish there something like it near me.  I would want to go there every day.  It was the perfect midday coffee and dessert stop and the most adorable atmosphere.  Girly, cozy and delicious.  If you go anywhere in Dallas, it has to be here.  We tried the chewy pecan square, fudgy walnut brownie and the lemon bar...none of them disappointed.  It's also surrounded by some amazing shops like Draper James, so you can grab your coffee and do some more shopping!



PEDICURES 

We ended up at Venetian Nail Spa to relax, have a glass of wine and get pedicures.  It was located close to our hotel and had great reviews.  As soon as we walked in, we knew why.  This place is beautiful and the service was more than expected.  Everyone was friendly and it was extremely clean.  I recommend the Pearl Pedicure!

BLOW DRY BAR 

Probably one of our favorite parts of our girls weekend was getting to go to Blo Blow Dry Bar to have our hair washed and styled before going out for dinner and drinks.  It was definitely a treat and something every girl should do for herself every once in a while (or more).  Champagne while getting pampered? Yes, please!  Everyone at Blo was amazing and so nice!




 DINNER

Javier's Gourmet Mexicano wasn't far from the salon and recommended to us.  One thing I love about visiting Texas is the Mexican food.  This place was unlike any place I've been to before.  It had a cozy atmosphere (not much lighting) and the food was really good.  They served butter with their chips and salsa, which I had never seen before and I'm hooked!  I sounds weird, but tastes amazing.  It's the perfect place for dinner and yummy drinks for any girls night or even date night in Dallas.

Now, if it's a really late night and your needing dinner, you should definitely go to In-N-Out Burger.  My flight was delayed my first night in Dallas, so that called for delicious and quick burgers and gas station wine at 11pm!  Seriously, that happened and it was amazing.  We drove all over the place trying to find somewhere to get wine. LOL! 7 Eleven for the win!

 NIGHTLIFE

 After our dinner at Javier's, we went back to our hotel, called an Uber driver and headed to Pete's Dueling Piano Bar.  So. Much. Fun.  Maybe a little too much fun for this momma.  Ha!  We sang, had some cocktails, made fools of ourselves (or maybe that was just me) and had the best time.  This place is full of life, great music and a wonderful way to unwind.  It was the perfect way to end our evening. 




What is your favorite thing to do in Dallas?

Floral Top c/0 // White Shorts // Sandals // Necklace // Tassel Necklace // Jumpsuit (similar) // Lipstick
Thank you to Blo Blow Dry Bar for hosting us!
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Nap Time Struggles

Friday, June 9, 2017

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A few days ago I put my youngest down for her morning nap (she still takes two), I got my oldest one situated with a coloring book and finally sat down for a little quiet time for myself and to get some work done.  Not even five minutes later, I heard little footsteps heading my way and right in front of me, with her baby doll and blanket in hand, stood the same little girl I had just put down for a nap.

 I couldn't help but chuckle and in my head think, "Oh, no.  She has learned to climb out of her crib".  How was that even possible?  She's so little.  I picked her up, put her back in her crib and stood by the door for a few minutes to see if she would do it again.  She tried, unsuccessful, and went to sleep without a fuss.

It had to be a fluke.  She got lucky and I didn't think she would do it again. Naive much?  

Fast forward to this morning at 630am, when I hear those same little footsteps from across our house on their way to our room.  I was greeted with the sweetest smile and a little girl who knew exactly what she had done and was so proud of herself for doing so.  I was in for trouble.

Nap time today was a struggle and she desperately needed one.  She climbed out.  Twice.   Unsure of what to do, I googled ways to keep your toddler from "escaping" their crib.  I decided to turn her crib around and it worked!  However, there should have been a disclaimer when suggesting this method that reads, "If you do this, your toddler will scream like they are being murdered."  Seriously y'all, it was torture.  I tried to let her cry it out, something she has never really done before because she's always been a pretty good sleeper...and I couldn't.  

I caved. 

I grabbed my girl, held her close and rocked her in my arms as she tried to catch her breath from all the crying and slowly drifted off.

 To be honest with you, it was the last thing I wanted to be doing.  As awful as that sounds, I had a house to clean, a grocery list to make and I needed to squeeze in a shower.

What I realized today though, is that I need to slow down and that being a mom means having patience and taking things in as they come.  I need to be enjoying the little moments like snuggling and the accomplishments like learning something new. Even if it isn't what I want at that moment. 

Nap time struggles today meant extra cuddles and rocking my baby to sleep.  A little girl who has never needed me to rock her to sleep.  There won't always be days like this, so today I will be grateful.  Grateful, that my baby learned something new and still needed me. 

 
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Rainy Day Baking | Lemon Blueberry Bread

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

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It's been raining here in Florida the last few days and as much as I love the rain, my girls haven't enjoyed being stuck inside.  Emma loves to help me bake, so I thought we would whip up some Lemon Blueberry bread to help pass the time indoors.

 Nothing says Summer to me like lemons and blueberries; and this easy recipe isn't short on either of those things.  It's got just enough lemon to balance out the sweetness and it's packed full of blueberries!  I can't wait to have this for breakfast!

What is your favorite Summer recipe?


print recipe

Lemon Blueberry Bread

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Salt
1/3 cup Unsalted Butter; melted
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1-2 Tablespoons Fresh Grated Lemon Zest
1 Large Lemon Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Milk
1 cup Fresh Blueberries (can use frozen)
1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350*F and line a 9"x 5" loaf pan with parchment paper (or lightly grease with butter).In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.With an electric mixer, blend together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix until well combined.On low speed, add flour mixture and milk, alternating (some flour, then some milk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk). Stop mixing as soon as it's just combined.In a small bowl toss the blueberries and 1 tbsp of flour. This will help prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of your loaf while baking.Add the flour coated berries to the batter and gently but quickly stir, by hand, to combine.Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in the pan for about 30 minutes, then move to a wire cooling rack with a baking sheet below.For the Lemon Glaze: 2 Tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 cup powdered sugar 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractPrepare glaze by whisking together melted butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla, then pour glaze over the loaf. Give it a few minutes to set.Enjoy with a refreshing homemade lemonade :)

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How I'm Protecting my Kids from the Sun this Summer

Monday, June 5, 2017

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Growing up, I don't really remember learning about the importance of protecting my skin.  I was someone who tanned easily coming from a Hispanic background and never thought much about sunscreen.  As a teen, I was actually one who would put tanning oil on to enhance my already naturally tan skin.  Looking back, I wish I had realized how much damage I was causing and the unnecessary exposure to risks like skin cancer.

 Honestly, it wasn't until I moved to Florida in my early 20s and going to the beach more that I realized I needed to throw the oil away and slather on the highest SPF I could find.  Now that I am a mother of two girls, I do my best to make sure they are protected daily from all harm, including sun exposure.

 Here are some ways that I am protecting my girls' skin this Summer (and really, all year long).

 1. Sun Protective Clothing

Finding the right clothing when heading out is important.  I am obsessed with our Swimzip Swimsuits and Rash Guards.  I highly recommend looking into these if you go swimming a lot or if you're heading to the beach this Summer.  I want them in every print and color for the girls!  These swimsuits are an extra layer of protection that my girls need when being outside all day and they love being outside.  The material is made of UPF 50+ and I feel good about my girls swimming in them.  You can read more about Betsy (the creator behind Swimzip) here and why she started her company.   Swimzip offers a range of sun protective clothing from women to men and even sunhats.  

2. Sunscreen

My favorite kind of days are overcast.  I love being outdoors on days like that, but I still make sure my girls are covered.  Just because you can't see the sun, doesn't mean that it isn't causing harm.  Putting sunscreen on my girls is one of the first things we do before stepping outdoors.   Did you know that kids receive 3 times more UV exposure than adults?  That's insane and even more of a reason to protect them.  The sunscreen we currently use is Babyganics.  It is paraben free, gentle on sensitive skin (like my littlest one's) and easy to use.  You can also get it in a stick version, which makes it easier to apply to their face.  

3. Sunglasses

 I'm personally partial to Babiators.  Not only do my girls look ridiculously cute in them, but they are comfortable and durable.  Not to mention, 100% UV protection.  It's so important to protect their little eyes as they are more susceptible to sun damage  Babiators have a lost and found guarantee and will replace any registered sunglasses that have been lost or broken within a year.  This is great if you have kids! 

4. Hydration

 I make sure that I am constantly giving my girls water.  I want to keep them and their skin hydrated to reduce the chance of any burning and overheating.  This sounds like it would be the obvious thing to do, but it can easily be forgotten when you are running around and splashing in water all day. 

5. Outdoor Umbrellas and Tents 

When my girls aren't in the water or running around, I like to make sure they are covered in other ways.  We love outdoor tents and umbrellas.  I have talked about this beach umbrella before and still think it's great to have in your backyard or heading to the beach.  We also just added a large patio umbrella to cover the girls when they are playing with their water table.  You can never have too much protection from the sun. 


Related Post: Beach Bag Essentials | Toddler Edition    

6. Plan Ahead - Limit Outdoor activity to Morning and Evening

 The best times to go outside and play are before 10am and after 4pm.  This is when the Sun's rays are at their harshest.  For us, it's always easier to go out first thing in the morning anyhow and then I know my girls will take a good afternoon nap.  Then, if it's not too hot, letting them go back outside and play before bath time means an easier bed time!  


How do you keep your little babes protected?  Anything I missed?


Thank you to Swimzip for partnering with us!  This post contains affiliate links.  As always, all opinions are 100% honest and my own. 

 
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