June Purchases

June Budget by lildesiqua featuring 3 wick candles

Bath & Body Works

3 Wick Candles: originally $22.50, on sale for $10 ea 

Foaming Sugar Scrub: originally $16.50, on sale for $8.25 

Malibu Smooth Body Scrub (no longer available): originally $16.50, on sale for $8.25 

Total: 56.50 - 20% off total purchase = $45.20

J Crew Factory Printed Boardwalk Pull-on Shorts: originally $54.50, on sale for $30, +50% off clearance items: $14.50

TJ Maxx 3-tired necklace: $25.00 

Home Depot Planter + Soil: $18.00

During my last budget check-in I stated that my clothing/beauty budget would be $250 quarterly/ $1,000 annual. I've gone over that quarterly budget, but since I didn't really buy anything other than shoes ($60) during the first quarter, I'm still below the $500 mark at the 6-month check-in. So I'm good! Woot! Also, I normally would never spend so much at BBW, but it's their semi-annual sale, and I've never seen those candles (my personal favorite) for such a low price before. AND they brought back my favorite scent, Bow Ties and Bourbon, so of course I needed 2 (one for me, one for Blue). And just a note, the BBW and J Crew Factory sales are still going on! :) 

Total Monthly Spending: $102.70

Total Quarter Spending: $322.20

Annual Budget Remaining: $617.80

Do you wait for sales or just buy when you need things?

Linking up with Franish for Budgeting Bloggers.

Book Challenges

Below are three book/reading challenges, one ending tomorrow, one starting July 1st, and one we're in the middle of, but I just joined. One of the goals on my 101 list is to read books I already own, so I've included as many of those that would fit the categories. Anything with a "*" is one I don't own. Of course, sometimes I need to be in a particular mood to read certain books, so these are more like suggestions rather than set in stone books, but I'm putting it out there anyway, especially to remind myself what I said I would read. You'll also see a lot of overlapping. I'm a slow reader and I'll be lucky if I even finish the challenges, but I'm going to try! 

Book Challenge by Erin 5.0 - General Rules

• First and foremost, have fun. Don't stress. No one is being judged, graded, or penalized. Even if you finish only one book the entire challenge, if you enjoy it and it's an accomplishment for you, then that's awesome.

• The challenge will run from JULY 1, 2016 to OCTOBER 31, 2016. No books that are started before 12 a.m. on July 1 or finished after 11:59 p.m. on October 31 will count. 

• Each book must be at least 200 pages long. Audio books are fine too.

• A book can only be used for one category, and each category can only be completed once. If you want to switch the category of a book, or change the book you originally chose, no worries. 

• You can read your books in any order you choose.

• Rereads can be used only once. If a book you love fits into a category, go ahead and visit it again. Read it in its entirety. But, only do this once for the challenge.

• There will be a photo album for each category with links to books chosen. Please comment on the photo for each of your books when you finish reading them. A comment can include a review, a rating, a recommendation…other readers want to hear what you thought of your choice. (if you need help with this, let me know…or there is a file attached to our group explaining what to do.)

• There will be 10 book categories with a possibility of earning 200 points. That’s 10 books in four months. For some of you, this will be a BIG challenge; for others it will be easy peasy. It’s all for fun, remember!

• The first three people who finish the challenge will be invited to contribute a category for the next challenge. The top 3 winners will get a small prize from me ((1st to complete 1st round; 2nd to complete 1st round; 1st to complete both rounds)! If the same person wins all categories, then I’ll move to the 2nd finisher, then 3rd, and so on. Plus, everyone who completes the challenge will gets all sorts of recognition and support!

5 points:  Freebie – Read a book that is at least 200 pages.

TBD :)

10 points: Read a book that starts with the letter “R.”

(The) Rejected Writer's Book Club- Suzanne Kelman (428 pages)

10 points: Read a book with five words in the title.

The Friday Night Knitting Club- Kate Jacobs (372 pages)

15 points: Read a book that has a (mostly) blue cover.

If You Only Knew- Kristan Higgins (412 pages)

Why Not Me?- Mindy Kaling (240 pages)

20 points: Read a book with twins as characters. 

Baby Doll- Hollie Overton (400 pages)

20 points: Read a book from this list of books made into movies.

Honestly, I don't like this category. Yes, there are 100 options to choose from, but I really don't like any of them. Out of those, 3 are John Steinbeck, and I detest his writing style. The ones I do like, I've already read. And some have been so talked about that I'm tired of seeing reviews for them (cough, Me Before You, cough).  I wish we could've chosen *any* books that have been or will be turned in to movies (like Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, which I already have but haven't seen the movie). I don't own any of these, which means I'll definitely be heading to the library. So I suppose I'll be choosing whichever one of these is readily available:

Beautiful Disaster- Jamie McGuire (319 pages)*
The Engagements- J. Courtney Sullivan (528 pages)*
Secret Daughter- Shilpi Somaya Gowda (358 pages)*
The Price of Salt- Patricia Highsmith (292 pages)*
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children- Ransom Riggs (382 pages)*

25 points: Read a book set in a country you have always wanted to visit.
This one also proved to be difficult because I like reading about places I've (very fortunately) already been to. My favorites are ones based in London/UK, France, Spain, and India. I love Chinese and Japanese culture, but I have no desire to go there, and I just finished a book based in Italy. But I do really, really want to go to Australia, and this one was on my TBR, so I'm *finally* going for it.

The Husband's Secret- Liane Moriarty (396 pages)*

30 points: Read a historical fiction.

Honololu- Alan Brennet (431 pages)

30 points: Read a music related book. 

The Girl From the Paradise Ballroom (Italian singer)- Allison Love (384 pages)

35 points: Read a book originally published over 100 years ago.

Little Women- Louisa May Alcott (647 pages...whaaaa?!)

General rules:

• The challenge will run from June 1, 2016, to August 31, 2016. No books that are started before 12 a.m. on June 1 or finished after 11:59 p.m. on August 31 will count.

• Each book must be at least 150 pages long. Audiobooks and large-print books are fine, as long as the regular print version meets the length requirement.

• A book can only be used for one category, and each category can only be completed once.

• The highest possible total is 200 points, and the first five people who finish the challenge will be invited to contribute a category for the winter 2016 challenge.

5 points: Freebie! Read any book that is at least 150 pages long.

Only in Naples: Lessons in Food and Famiglia from my Italian Mother-in-Law- Katherine Wilson  (306 pages)

10 points: Read a collection of short stories or essays. 

Why Not Me? -Mindy Kaling  (240 pages)

10 points: Read an adult fiction book written by an author who normally writes books for children. Examples: J. K. Rowling, Judy Blume, Suzanne Collins, Rick Riordan, etc.

Summer Sisters- Judy Blume (416 pages)*

15 points: Read a book set in Appalachia. 

Velva Jean Learns to Drive- Jennifer Niven (404 pages)*

15 points: Don’t judge a book by its cover! Read a book with a cover you personally find unappealing.

If You Only Knew- Kristan Higgins (412 pages)

20 points: Read a book that you have previously only seen the film (movie) of. 

Memoirs of a Geisha- Arthur Golden

25 points: Read a book with a punny title. 

Things I Would Say: Essays, Etc. - Alyssa Ammirato

30 points: Read a microhistory. 

Modern Romance- Aziz Ansari (288 pages)*

Labor of Love: The Invention of Dating- Moira Weigel (304 pages)*

30 points: Read one book with a good word in the title, and one with a bad word.

Good: TBD.
Bad: The Rejected Writer's Book Club- Suzanne Kelman (428 pages)

40 points: Read two books that contain the same word in the title, but once in the singular and once in the plural. 

All The Missing Girls- Megan Miranda (384 pages)

The Girl from the Paradise Ballroom- Alison Love (338 pages)

And let's not forget...

The Read My Books Challenge with me and Erin! Once again, here's some things to know to help with any confusion or questions you may have:

• Challenge is June 1st, 2016 - June 30, 2016 (tomorrow!)
• Link-up to report how you did in the challenge is the second Thursday of July, the 14th
• Your link-up post can be anything related to the challenge (i.e. reviews of the books you read, why you "collect" so many books that go unread, a book that surprised you once you read it for the challenge, where you get all those books/ebooks/audio books that end up neglected, pictures of your bookshelves, etc.) 
• Read ONLY books (audio books, ebooks included) that you currently own (or have downloaded already; and yes, NetGalley counts!). This means no library books, no buying new books, no downloading or borrowing new books.
• You are not required to read ALL the books you own, and this isn't a competition for how many books you read, just some encouragement to read a book on your shelves! 
• Two Amazon gift cards will be given to two randomly selected lucky winners; a raffle for the Amazon $ will be posted in the link-up.

Any other questions, just ask! 

Are you participating in any reading challenges this summer?

Summer Bucket List/ Spring Goals Revisited

For full explanations of these goals, you can see the original post here.

Closet. Cleanout: Complete!
I was able to donate 5 bags of clothing/stuffs to the vets, and made ~$40 from ThredUp (that is my referral link- you get $10 and so do I if you sign up and spend it). Woot woot! 

Download Microsoft Word/Office/Whatever: Complete!
I wanted to do this because I realized that my laptop didn't have it, and I wanted to update my resume. I've since realized that I can do so with Google docs, so no need to get a new program. 

Send in my passport registration: Complete!
Sent it in and got it back- ready to plan my next (international) vacation!

Get back in the habit of meal planning at least once a month: Fail
Um, I don't think I even attempted this one. Oops. 

Try a new recipe once a month: Complete! 
20-Minute Tuscan Chicken with Pasta
Crockpot shredded chicken (for tacos)
Some broccoli/pasta dish. Sorry, I can't find the recipe and forgot to take a pic of finished product.

Finish the craft I started 3 (4?) months ago: Complete! 

Fix Screen Door: Fail.
I just didn't make this a priority. Maybe I'll get to it this summer.

Spring Shearing: Complete! 
Chopped off about 10" and loving my shorter 'do!

Pay Off One Student Loan: Complete! 
This was the one I was most excited about. I finally bit the bullet and took an offer from the company handling my loan to make a (highly reduced) payment to get rid of one of my pesky student loans.

Administrative Crap: Complete! 
I had to finish cleaning up accounts after I lost my debit card,... and then my Groupon account was hacked, so I had to do it all over again. Fun times. But I think I've cleared everything up now and reconnected my auto-payments with my new card.

Summer Bucket List

Go Camping

Go to the beach at least 3 times

Attend at least 3 concerts (tickets purchased!)

visit the Highline

See an outdoor movie

attend the Meadowlands State Fair

Visit a new winery

Visit somewhere new// go on a road trip

Binge on OITNB (STARTING TODAY-YAY!)

Start (and finish) at least one craft or DIY

Attend a Phillies game

Attend at least one food festival

Go to the Central Park  or Bronx Zoo

Watch fireworks

Go to the Renaissance Faire (it's tradition!)

Did I miss anything? What's on your summer bucket list? 

A Father's Day Gift

Disclaimer: This post isn't very organized; it's more of a stream of consciousness. But it's been a long time coming, so please bear with me.

Around this time every year, I see bloggers posting about "What it Means to be a Father," Things My Dad Taught Me," "Ten Things I Love About My Dad" in honor of Father's Day. Sometimes I read them, but mostly I don't because I just can't relate. I never learned anything  or wanted anything from my father. That whole idea of him walking me down the aisle in my "someday wedding" never occurred to me. Fishing and/or camping trips were done with my mom. I learned how to play baseball by the volunteer coaches in our town's recreation center and went to basketball games and other sporting events with my church group. I never felt like I was missing out by him not being around when I was growing up, except for those Father/Daughter school dances (which my mom also subbed in for). 

My earliest memory of my father is of him walking out, promising to come back soon, and bring me back something. I tried to stayed up waiting, but I fell asleep deeply disappointed. Months passed, and I don't remember a lot of yelling or anything, but then again I was only about 4 or 5. And then one weekend... an iron crashing... and a lot of commotion. The cops showing up at my front door. It was my friend's dad, and I didn't know why he was there until he took my father away. That's when I got scared, because I hadn't actually see or hear anything wrong.

happier days

A long and ugly divorce and custody battle ensued, complete with visitations, restraining orders, and a slew of psychologists, though I only really remember two of them. One was kind of okay, mostly because he let me color instead of talk in our sessions. The other one had a weeping willow tree, and I somehow memorized the route so I knew when we were going there. I DESPISED him because he made my mom cry. But that's not really the point here.

From the time I was about 3, I'd been taking dance classes. Ballet, tap, jazz- I did it all. When I was about 6, my dance instructor pulled my mom aside and told her I could be/do more, at a higher level, competitively. I actually had talent! And I loved to dance. But I couldn't do it, because the visitations with my father were on weekends (when the competitions were), and he wouldn't be flexible about that at all. I was heartbroken. I quit dancing soon after. I resented him because I felt that he had single-handedly ruined my dream. Even if I hadn't been completely successful, I felt that he took away any opportunity for me to even try, and that was the worst part.

circa 1989

Around this same time, he had to work during one of my weekend visitations, so he brought me with him. He was an independent contractor and this job was in a huge office building. I wanted an ice cream sandwich, so he gave me money and sent me on my way. Obviously, I got lost and wandered around aimlessly for God knows how long. Since it was a Saturday, the place was a ghost town. Then some lady found me, and helped me find him, and then he married her. I remember receiving an invitation asking if I'd like to be a flower girl in the wedding. I threw it out. I was pissed off; first he left, then he crushed my dreams, and now he was remarrying and I was the reason they even met! Also, I haven't been able to eat an ice cream sandwich since. 

There were other things through the years... learning that he had another daughter/that I had a half -sister (when she was already 8 and I was graduating high school), spelling my name wrong on Christmas cards, missing my birthdays, the crap he put my mom through with the delayed/missing child support payments, but for me, the worst was not allowing me to pursue dance. 

I guess the point of all of this is that though it's taken me over 25 years, I've finally forgiven him. And I'm forgiving myself for feeling guilty about not wanting in my life, and for holding onto such anger and resentment for so long. I know where he lives, though I haven't seen or heard from him and I don't have any plans to reach out to him or my half-sister. But I've forgiven him for not being around, for not being totally honest, and for being stubborn about wanting to see me regardless of what I wanted or what may have been best for me. Despite the fact that he didn't provide much of a positive example, I've seen a lot of my friends become wonderful husbands and fathers. And although I never experienced having a father like those kids have, I'm still grateful that these good men can and do exist. 

What are you giving your father this Father's Day? 

Linking up here and here.

Scenes From The Weekend

My head is too full of all the news lately, and I haven't finished any of the 4 books I've recently started so I can't linkup with Steph and Jana, so today I'm going to share some weekend things.

Friday kicked off with a trip to the craft beer store to prep for the weekend, and then home for our traditional Friday pizza night. We checked out Ali Wong Baby Cobra, a comedy special on Netflix which was just kinda okay, not hysterical, before ending up in Stars Hollow.

Saturday morning we were up and out early for a friend's wedding in Central Park. What we didn't know was that actually getting there would be damn near impossible due to road closures for a NY marathon. Because the wedding was so small, they actually waited for us at the park entrance before we made our way over to "the spot." It was a lovely, intimate affair, and though I was mildly annoyed at waking up so early on a Saturday, I'm really glad we went.

If you're wondering why the bride is holding an iPad, it's because her daughter is a Marine currently stationed in Okinawa, but through the power of technology, she was able to watch the entire wedding!

After the wedding, we had to drive back to NJ because our other friend had to be back. We hit up Kafe Neo, a local creperie, where I had a STELLAR sriracha and smokey turkey omelet. Oh and on Sunday, I tried avocado toast for the very first time. I'm not sure what took me so long, but it was just as fantastic as everyone else in the world has reported.

On Saturday night, we headed over to our friend's house to help him drink down his liquor stash. This guy is super serious about his drinks- all top shelf/aged/limited edition stuffs, and he makes his own bourbon soaked cherries and tonic. But he's planning to move to Singapore soon for a job opportunity, so he needed some help getting rid of these things, and we were more than happy to oblige. We also watched Stripes (my first time) and the original Ghostbusters. 

Oh, also when we were looking for parking for that wedding I mentioned, we spotted Jerry Seinfeld prepping for Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee! 

On Sunday, we slept in, tried avocado toast, drank some deck beers and read, had some naps, did some laundry, and Blue made sausage and pepper sammies for dinner before settling into GoT. Did you guys see it? I thought it was pretty lame, but hoping next week's will be better. They ahd to set the stage somehow, I guess. 

I also received my Target Beauty Box. So excited to try out some of these new products, particularly the Pixi eye shadows everyone has been talking about. I've never seen it in stores, but the colors are prefect for everyday wear (not that I wear makeup every day, I'm just saying). And the Revitalift, because I'm stubbornly holding out and acting like my face will not age. Ha. 

So, how was your weekend?

Friday Favorites

Today is my new boss's last day (my old boss resigned in February). She actually resigned last June, but then her new job fell through, so she stayed on here and was telecommuting from AZ for the past year, but we've just filled her position. I'm not exactly sad because we never really got along very well, but she's one of the few people who have been here almost as long as I have, and I don't like the revolving door this office has become. The new guy is starting on Monday. I'm not sure if I'll be reporting directly to him, or someone else, as there have been a lot of organizational changes up in here. Did I mention that my entire department is also being moved to a whole other building, off campus (I work at a college)? So August 1 there will be (literal) upheaval. The whole "not knowing" aspect coupled with the sheer amount of changes going on are making me incredibly anxious. I don't know who I report to, where we'll be moving TO, nor what exactly I'm even doing anymore. I think it's time to make my changes of my own.. I've already started working on my resume and sending it to friends for edits but soon after I'll be keeping my eyes and ears open for new opportunities. But before any of that, I'm kicking off the weekend with some faves from the week with Amanda.

Favorite Song: Corinne Bailey Rae came out with some music recently! This isn't it, but rather an older song that feels like spring, "Paris Nights, New York Mornings."

Favorite Recipe: Hoping to make this for breakfast on Sunday!

{via}

Favorite Video: Back in 2011, Mac Miller gained fame with his hit "Donald Trump." Now he's made a mash-up using Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign, and its' pretty spot on!

Favorite Quote: Re-post from Being Beth's IG.

Favorite Reads: 

• I haven't been able to put together my thoughts and feelings about the recent Stanford rape case in a logical, cohesive fashion, so I'm highlighting a few blogs that I whole heartedly agree with and have done a far better job expressing themselves than I could.
• Audrey from Life as Louise: Thoughts on Recent Events
• Erin from TexErin-in-Sydneyland: My two cents
• Lindsay from Bourbon, Lipstick, and Stilettos: It's Not Okay
• Stephanie from Life According to Steph: Thursday Thoughts: Burn It Down

• And now apparently Mr. Turner is getting out 3 MONTHS EARLIER. I cannot begin to fully express my rage at this news.

• Moving on... Can someone in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas please try the "Whopperito" and tell me how it is? It's not being sold nation-wide :(

• All you bloggers are surely aware that it's Bath and Body Works semi-annual sale, amiright? But did you know that this weekend those coveted 3-wick candles are only $10?

• Also, Madison Square Eats pop-up food market is now open for the month in the plaza next to Madison Square Park in NYC. Can't wait to check out some of the newcomers!

Favorite Funnies:

Cheers to the freakin weekend! 

Wanderlust Wednesday: Islamorada, Key West, and Miami, Oh My!

1. I'm just going to preface this post by saying that it is REALLY picture heavy. And long. But I won't be offended if you just scroll through the pretty pictures :)
2. I bought Mopey Batman for Blue shortly before this trip, so he came with us and entertained us immensely. Ok, now for the deets!

If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you'll know that I love planning, lists, and travel, and especially making itineraries and finding the best deals for activities. So I was SUPER excited planning this vacation, particularly because I got to include three different locations.

Our first stop was Islamorada. After flying into Miami and driving down, we were ready for lunch. The Amara Cay Resort where we were staying had a wonderful tiki bar with food and drinks right next to the beach. We were planning to rest for a bit, get changed, and then go out to dinner, but after a few too many rum runners, that was no longer an option. After an unfortunate incident with a hammock (where I didn't exactly "stick the landing"), we headed in and it was lights out.

view from out room/lounging tiki style

The hammock incident before/after
I scraped up my arm pretty good. Obviously, I thought this was hilarious.

The next day we were up bright and early to drive the two hours to Key West for a day trip. Everything you may have heard about how beautiful the drive through the Keys is is absolutely correct. Being that we were only in town for the day, I wanted to hit up the Southernmost Point early before the long lines and heat took over.

For some reason I thought there would be a lot of Cuban places, but I was wrong. We stopped and had possibly the best iced coffee I have ever had at the Cuban Coffee Queen. I wanted to try one of the sandwiches, but there was nowhere to sit. It's just a stand in a parking lot. Sigh. 

We took some silly pictures in and around Mallory Square, the main area besides Duval Street where a lot of the restaurants and shops are, located right on the waterfront. We stopped for lunch at Hog's Breath Saloon, where they made their own hot sauces and beer, and I had the best fish tacos ever. It was still overly hot when we were done, and we had to stay in town for our sunset cruise, so we took a ride on the Old Town Trolley to cool off a bit. It was actually pretty awesome; the guide was funny and informative, ad we got to see parts of Key West that we would've missed otherwise.

props/a mechanical chicken much like The Blogess' "Beyonce"/
The Original Spongeman

Mallory Square/ giant statues/ Kermit's Key Lime Shoppe

Hog's Breath Saloon/ the best fish tacos ever

Mopey Batman comes along for the ride

After the trolley tour, we had to stop in at Sloppy Joe's Bar, probably the most famous bar in the area. This is not the original which was rumored to have been a favorite of Ernest Hemingway, but we did stop in front of that one (Capt Tony's Saloon) so I could take a pic. We didn't go in though because it was full of shady characters, but of course we grabbed a beer at the "new" one.

Sloppy Joe's Bar, and the "Original" located across the street

We still had time to kill,  so we tried a flight at Waterfront Brewery. The views were amazing; the beers were sub par. As in, we had a hard time finishing the shared flight; none of them were very good. Oh well. The brewery itself was cool though; floor to ceiling windows/doors that opened onto the harbor, tons of board games, and lots of seating.

skies/harbor/flight

Finally, it was time for our sunset cruise. I booked a cruise because I heard that the crowds get ridiculous on Mallory Square and the sunsets were not to be missed. Boy, were they right! I booked through Floridays because they had superb reviews (one said it was cloudy and this crew got up and around the clouds while other sail companies missed the sunset) and only took a small group out to sail. There were maybe 10 of us total. The all-female crew of two were so accommodating, making sure we were comfortable, hydrated, and happy. I would recommend them over and over again. This was definitely a highlight of the trip, and these pics just do not do the sunset justice. I brought  a "real" camera along too though!

craft beers/ before the sunset

sunset/Captain Alex with Mopey Batman :)

On the third day, we rested. (And yes, I actually scheduled in "down time" at Blue's request.) One thing I was surprised to learn about the Keys is that there are no beaches because of the coral reef about 30 ft out from shore; the waves break on them, thereby not getting to the shore and "creating" a beach. I picked our hotel because they had a man-made beach, which was awesome when I wasn't falling off of hammocks on it.

After soaking up some rays, we headed to Islamorada Fish Company, which was half fishery and half restaurant, directly on the water. Pretty much everything is "directly on the water," but that is neither here nor there. They had a huge outdoor seating area adjacent to a dock where you could walk out and basically look at your dinner. Blue said that I couldn't finish my (amazingly fresh) fish sandwich, so I had to prove her wrong. (Also, I don't think I've eaten so much fish than I did on this trip. The people in the Keys REALLY like their fish, which I'm A-OK with.) 

Boom.

We followed up lunch with another local brewery, Florida Keys Brewing Company. I liked the set-up and the vibe; very laid-back, kinda artsy, started by a couple guys who just wanted to make great beer in their garage. (Literally, it was a garage with a tasting room off to the side.) They had so many options and it was all delicious! The place was tiny, but well worth the little detour. 

signage/the bottle cap mirror in the bathroom/ flight

We ended our time in Islamorada with dinner at the "award-winning" restaurant right next to our hotel, Lazy Days Restaurant. It was just "eh," nothing to write home about. This was the first fish sandwich I didn't like, the drinks were watered down, and the wait staff wasn't very nice or accommodating, but the view was amazing. Oh, and of course I tried key lime pie for the first time! I didn't like it, but then again I'm not surprised since I don't like custard textures or sour tastes.

The next morning we had breakfast at The Green Turtle Inn because I saw a sign that it was featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." The food was exceptional, and it was the first decent cup of joe I'd had since Key West. Then we hit the road and headed back to Miami since that's the airport we were flying from, and hey, why not? I'd never been to Miami. The #1 I wanted to see was the Wynwood Walls, a "graffiti park" full of amazing murals, and it did not disappoint! I only wish we could have stayed there longer, but it was just too damn hot.

After the quick detour, we found our hotel in the heart of South Beach. Can I just say that this was possibly the best hotel I've ever stayed at? Don't get me wrong, the rooms were TINY, but we were only sleeping there one night so I didn't mind that much. It was the amenities that drew me to this hotel. They had a pool (not common of many of the hotels in the area), with free cabanas (I've never gotten a cabana before- and all to ourselves too!) and pool floats, complimentary drinks upon arrival, and- the kicker- it's own beer garden, complete with life-size Jenga and Connect Four, corn hole, ping pong tables, loungers/picnic tables, and a gorgeous tree in the middle that lit up with little lights at night. I was in heaven.

enjoying our cabana/ funny ads coming in to Miami (it says "and fit")

planning my next move/ponging it up/dranks (with fresh ginger)

I thought there'd be a lot of authentic Cuban food in Miami, since it has been referred to as Little Havana, but we couldn't find it. Luckily the guys at the hotel hooked us up with a fabulous Cuban restaurant right outside of the beirgarten called Havana 1957. We ordered a pitcher of sangria, rope vieja (my litmus test for Cuban fare) and churrasco with a side of plantains. Everything was cooked to perfection, and they didn't rush is, which is always a plus in my book.

We meandered down one of the side streets and settled in to an outdoor hookah lounge. It was Blue's first time so I got to teach her how to do it correctly (don't inhale!). The people watching was also on point- a cyclist with a lemur popping out of his handlebar basket? Wish I'd gotten a pic!

The last day we got a late checkout and headed over to the Coconut Grove section of Miami on a recommendation from a coworker. The whole area was so... Not typical Miami. It was a suburban area with lots of shops and eateries, filled with families coming back from soccer games and all just very quaint. We grabbed brunch at Lulu on the Grove- an industrial styled restaurant with delicious food and inventive drinks though I stuck to a blood orange mimosa. 

We walked around the shops, stopped at a bar, but then retreated into the movies because it got too hot. All around it was the perfect vacation, and Islamorada is one of the few places I'd want to visit again! 

huevos rancheros/ the space/ a "Royal Canadian" and "After Sunrise"

turtles at the Hyatt Resort Hotel in Key West/Blue as shark bait/
one of the MANY roosters in Key West

Islamorada

To stay: Amara Cay Resort

To eat: Islamorada Fish Company - fish sandwich

To see/do: Florida Keys Brewing Company

Key West

To stay: Hyatt Resort Hotel & Marina Key West

To eat: Hog's Breath Saloon - fish tacos

To see/do: Floridays sunset cruise

Miami/South Beach

To stay: The Hall, South Beach

To eat: Havana 1957

To see/do: Wynwood Walls

Unfortunately this is the last ever Wanderlust Wednesday link-up! I will truly miss it because it was one of my favorites. Thank you ladies for putting this together and letting us share our adventures with you every month! 

Are you a planner like me? 

What do you look for most out of your vacations?