Savannah Weekend with Besties

I want to slow time down and go back to this weekend. We met up with two of my besties and their men in Savannah for a weekend stay in a historic house all together. 

I absolutely love seeing them and the last time we were together was in December for Mallory's wedding. (on the left) I love planning and going on trips with these two, and this time it was even more fun because the men were along for the ride. 

 They were definitely a good time!

The boys dodged rain showers to play golf, while we went to a Pure Barre class, shopped, and found dainty macarons.

It was a fabulous but too-short weekend, and we're already planning our next trip. 

Linking up with Shami and LeeAnn

Clothing Sale

If you're like me, I've been looking for great deals on spring outfits. What better way than to search through your favorite blogger's closets?

Next Wednesday, May 8th Ashley and I will be hosting a blogger clothing sale link-up. 

The Link-up: 

This is a great opportunity to clean out your closet and sell gently used or new women's clothes, jewelry, shoes, or accessories. Simply take photos of your items and write a blog post to link-up with us. 

How you sell your items (whether you use PayPal or another form), it is up to you. If you're interested in swapping with someone else for items, that is again up to you! Just be sure to note in the post whether or not shipping is included. 

So, get your closets ready for Wednesday, May 8th!

Ashley and I aren't responsible for any sales conducted through other blog posts.  

Weekend Update

We had a whirlwind of a weekend filled with fun. I worked on Friday night, napped on Saturday and then was ready to see friends all weekend. 

Saturday night, we met friends at a new restaurant, The Cowfish in North Hills. The concept of a sushi and burger fusion sounds extremely strange but the food and company was excellent. 

We ordered a little bit of everything and brought lots of leftovers home. For an appetizer, we all shared the blackened ahi tuna nachos, the thundering herd bison burger, a southern style burgushi roll called the Deliverance (top photo), and a shrimp and mango tempora roll. 

We cannot wait to go back and try more of their extensive menu.

Sunday, we overslept but made it in time to meet some of our favorite friends at another new spot: City Kitchen in Chapel Hill for brunch with bottomless mimosas. 

The food was tasty but the company was excellent. I'm so thankful that I met Allison on our first day of hospital orientation last year. And in three weeks she is going to be the most beautiful bride and marry her love.

Weekends and fun go by way too fast! 

Linking up with Shami and LeeAnn

high five for friday

Happy Friday! I'll be very happy when this Friday night shift is over, and I'll get to spend the weekend with the chef. We have a lot of fun things planned with friends this weekend, so I'm ready to get to work and get out. Is that how you're feeling today? 

1. In preparation for Europe and lots of walking, I bought my first pair of Toms. I've had a pair of the ballet flats but I think the regular ones are so much more comfortable. It's too bad that the flats aren't more comfy because lets be honest, they are cuter than these. But my feet will thank me that I bought these. 

2. My breakfast ..err...pre-shift meal of choice this week has been organic brown rice cakes (thanks for the IG photo Brooke) with almond butter, sliced bananas, and a drizzle of honey. 

3. I had the sweetest surprise last night while working at Pure Barre; my friend Kari made me a smoothie because I was working during supper time. It was a strawberries, peaches, pineapple, blueberries, and greek yogurt smoothie. Delicious and so sweet of her to think of me!

4. Aida got to go to Caribou with me for the first time this week and loved it. I loved it too because I love being outside but hate leaving her at home. She loved seeing all the people, and everyone commented on how sweet and pretty she is. I completely agree!

But I still can't wait for the day when we buy our first house and can have our own outdoor space.

5. My favorite snack this week has been these Energy Bites. I keep making them because the chef and I go through them pretty fast. I can't seem to stop at just one.

Hope you have a fabulous Friday! 

Linking up with Lauren, Ashlee, Emily, and Andrea

London Planning

We are only a few weeks away from jet setting across the pond to start our European vacation. I have researched historical sites, activities, and last on my list is restaurants (but I feel like we can wing this one, unless you have cannot-miss-it-recommendations).

We will be starting our vacation in London, so I thought I'd share our itinerary so far. We're fine with the plans changing, but we have so much to pack into a short time that I want to be extremely organized for this trip. 

The chef found an amazing flight from Raleigh where we'll fly through the day and get there around 8pm which is so much better than arriving at 9am and trying to stay up all day. 

We'll spend our first day meeting up with the chef's friend, Peter who lives outside of London. We can't wait to go to a British pub and just enjoy the whole experience. And knowing both of these guys, we'll probably end up doing a pub crawl. And of course, I'll try fish and chips. I'm thinking I'll only like the chips, but I'll try anything (or almost anything). 

Our second day, Peter recommended we do the very touristy thing and go on the red double decker bus tour. It apparently gives you a great taste of the city before walking and seeing all of the sites. The pass allows you to hop on and off the buses all day and includes a River cruise of the Thames River. We'll hopefully pack the river cruise into this day as well. Just fyi, if you're booking this pass, it's cheaper to book online than to wait purchase in person. 

source

Our hotel pick for London is the Marriott at Grosvenor Square, which will be very convenient for our sightseeing.

For the third day, we're purchasing the London Pass with the public transportation included option. The pass gives you access to numerous sites such as Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Winsor Castle and so many more. If there is time, we might even start the pass on day two in order to see the sites. The other huge plus of this pass is that it allows you to skip the lines for different sites, which is a great time saver. 

Westminster Abbey

During the evening on one of these days, we are planning on seeing a show. We're leaning towards Wicked just because we love it so much and know it would be beyond fabulous in London. 

source

The fourth day, we have a late morning flight booked to Vienna. Good-bye London, hello home! I'm excited for every city but probably the most excited to go back to where I grew up.

So, do you have any recommendations of restaurants or any other cannot-miss-it sites while we're in London? I love recommendations and bloggers always have the best ones! 

Energy Bites

I found these amazing energy bites on Pinterest and couldn't help sharing them for Taste of Tuesday. The chef and I have been hitting up a new workout place called Burn and have been looking for new pre or post workout snacks. These bites are packed full of protein, and I love that I know every single ingredient of my new "bars". Plus, they are cheaper than buying other all natural bars, and you can modify the add-ins for different batches each time. 

These Energy Bites have quickly become my new favorite snack before work, the gym, or during a long shift at work. You should definitely try them. 

Recipe from Riches to Rags with a few modifications

1 cup dry old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup toasted coconut flakes

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup dried blueberries

handful of sunflower seeds or almonds slivers 

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all the ingredients, chill for 30mins and then roll into bite sizes. Store in your refrigerator for up to a week.

Linking up with Jessica and Ashley

Planning for Europe

There is so much planning that goes into traveling, especially a European vacation. There are so many sites to see and foods to eat while in these amazing historic cities.

How did we decide where to go? 

Well, I have always wanted to go back home, which is Vienna, Austria, and experience it with my husband. I want to show him my favorite places in the city and relive my childhood. 

Schonbrun Palace Gardens - taken on my last visit home

One of my good friends from college got married the summer after graduating and soon moved with her pilot husband to Germany. They have been there for almost two years, and I've been dying to visit her in Europe. Originally, we were going to visit them but now the plan has changed and we're meeting  her in Salzburg, Austria. Salzburg is a stunningly beautiful city that I visited in high school but cannot wait to experience as an adult. 

One of Jeff's childhood friends is British and currently lives in London. He has visited us a few times and even came to our destination wedding in the Dominican. We couldn't pass up seeing him and visiting London. 

Lastly, we chose Paris because it's so romantic and how could we not go when we're so close? I cannot wait to see the sites, taste the delicious food, and sip on a coffee in a cafe. 

We chose May because it won't be too hot yet and hopefully before lots of tourists arrive, and all of the gardens will be in bloom like the one shown above. 

So you might be thinking that we're missing out on Italy, Spain, and Greece, we are on this trip, but we're hoping in the future to do a Mediterranean vacation. Maybe if I can overcome my motion sickness, we'll even try a cruise! 

Next week, I'll tell you what we have planned for London. Do you have any questions I can help answer about planning a European vacation?