Today I got to have brunch at The Birchwood! I’ve been wanting to check out the hotel, but had not yet had the chance to. Luckily, today I had an event to go to at the hotel and got to finally try some of their food. The options were limited because it was an event, but I settled on the Eggs Benedict. I’m not much for champagne, but since the mimosas were free flowing I figured, hey! When in Rome, right? Oh, and I got to sample the monkey bread. I confess it was much sweeter than the monkey bread I make at home. Still, it was tasty enough to enjoy a couple of bites. (p.s. normally the bread is served with the nuts on it, but a member of the group I was with had a nut allergy so the restaurant served them in a bowl on the side. And, the big bowl of white cream you see in the image below is yogurt. I didn’t try that because I wasn’t in the mood, but several people said it was pretty good with the fruit platter.)
The Eggs Benedict was good, but not great. I must say the bread in the dish was quite rough. It was almost stale and then toasted making it extra rock like. Or so it seemed. Over all though the meal was pretty decent. I would like to try something else the next time I visit and I hope that when I do visit again I get to stay long enough to walk around and see the various parts of the hotel. Today it was pretty rainy and I rode with people so sadly, walking around wasn’t possible. Next time!
Here are a few other images from the brunch event…drooling yet?
I’ve been fooling around on the internet for quite some time now and slowly but surely I’m learning a thing or two. Slowly, but surely, I’m still working to move all of my projects here so that people can see what I’m up to and follow along on my “get internet famous” experiment. My goal? To be a financially independent writer and photographer on my terms. How will this goal play out? Time will tell…stay tuned as I add all the awesomeness I possibly can fit on this website!
Hey guys! Scotties Tissues reached out to me because of something awesome they’ve got brewing with kitty and cat adoptions. Of course, because I love me some kitties they got my attention. Check out what they sent me below and get your adoptions on this June, you could also take a look at all the advice and products available on www.catbeep.com for looking after your new kitty! I would totes adopt one if my apartment complex didn’t charge rent for it. Oh and if I didn’t have this pesky kitty allergy! Why God WHY?!?
Scotties Facial Tissues announced today that in honor of National Cat Adoption Month (June) they will be sponsoring cat and kitten adoptions. With it being the season for cats in heat, there are a lot of moms and kittens in need of good homes. In partnership with the Humane Society of Tampa during the month of June all adoption fees for select felines at that location will be waived up to $5,000 in order to place them in loving homes. Adopting a cat can be a rewarding experience for anyone who wants to bring a little extra love into their homes. However, before you adopt, you might want to make sure that you have everything a pet might need, such as suitable housing, extra income for healthy food and accessories as well as pet insurance cover for your new family member should they need a visit to the vet.
“There is so much good that we hope to do in 2015 for cats and kittens in need of a
good home,” said John Robertson, Scotties Marketing Director. “Whether it’s inviting a new kitten into a forever home or bringing home a box of tissues to a sick child – these are the moments of softness and compassion that should be praised and supported.”
This non-profit partnership is a key focus for Scotties in 2015 and in addition to their efforts in Florida they are also making $5,000 donations to animal protection organizations in Boston, MA and Raleigh, NC.
What: Scotties Cat & Kitten Sponsored Adoption
With The Humane Society of Tampa
Where: Humane Society of Tampa
3607 N. Armenia Avenue
Tmpa, FL 33607
Phone:
(813) 876-7138
When: The entire month of June
“When a cat or kitten is ‘boxed up’ to be taken home to a loving family, there is no better feeling in the world,” said Sherry Silk, CEO of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. “We know the compassion and love that these bundles of softness receive will be reciprocated 10 fold to their owners. We hope that more potential adoptive parents will open their home to a cat or kitten.”
The need still remains strong to help find cats and kittens alike loving homes. Each year, approximately 8-12 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide and on average 5-9 million are euthanized.
Scotties hopes to rally support for this cause and to put approximately 100 – 150 cats and kittens into their forever homes.
Social Media: Support the Scotties “Bring Home A Box of Softness” campaign by sharing photos of your rescue pet or other pets available for adoption in your area using the hashtag
#bringhomeabox
About Scotties Facial Tissues: Considered one of the top facial tissue manufacturers in the United States, Scotties Facial Tissues is owned by Irving Tissue, Inc. a Canadian-based and family owned company committed to managing its operations in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible manner. For more information about Scotties Facial Tissues please visit www.scottiesfacial.com.
About The Humane Society of Tampa Bay: For more than 100 years, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay has been dedicated to ending animal homelessness and providing care and comfort for companion animals in need. Named a Four-Star Charity by Charity Navigator for six years running, and accredited by AAHA, the standard in veterinary excellence, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay is dedicated to the highest standards in animal sheltering and veterinary care. Our adoption programs, Animal Health Center services, community outreach
efforts and volunteer opportunities are essential to the health and well being
of animals across Tampa Bay. The Humane Society of Tampa Bay is leading the way because every life counts. http://www.humanesocietytampa.org/
#FWCon @foodandwineconf Holy cow people! 10 weeks from today is the 2015 Food and Wine Conference!!!!!!!!!! Next week we’ll be in the single digits, then it will be less than a handful of days and then it will be here and if you didn’t get your tickets you won’t get to hang out with all the cool kids that are going!!! What are you waiting for? Buy your tickets now! You can still get $50 off your admission with code FWC15grana!!!! Get your tickets to the conference at foodandwineconference.com.!
Seriously, this is going to be THEE event of the summer and if you are a blogger, a foodie, wineo or just a frikkin fan of cool people that like to get together and chat about any of the above you seriously need to get on down to this event guys and gals.
In honor of this week being 10 weeks til the conference I made the Honey Almond Salmon from the Family Foodie Blog! Get the recipe HERE! This stuff was amazingly yummy!!! We paired it with a Ramen Noodle dish that proved we didn’t know how gourmet Ramen could taste. Check out how to make Ramen Cacio e Pepe HERE!
By the way, for those following this blog I totally missed week 11’s post about the conference, I’m sorry. I’ll do some kind of two-fer post before the conference to make up for it. I promise. In the meantime, go get your tickets for the conference now!
Today marks exactly 10 weeks until the 2015 Food and Wine Conference!!!!
Get $50 off your admission with code FWC15grana foodandwineconference.com.
Alrighty. I’m off for another fun-filled weekend. I’m leaving to go camping tonight and tomorrow and there are definitely some exciting things planned for the camping trip. Then, Sunday I’m going to spend the evening doing summer ready crafts with my mom for Mother’s Day. I’ll post about those awesome camping activities and Sunday crafts later. Are you doing anything fun this weekend? Leave a comment and
tell me about it 🙂 See you cool cats later!
Do you have a recipe you want me to try or a product you want me to review?
Contact me HERE! I’m PR friendly 😉
This post contains links to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.
I’m on a boat…err I mean I’m featured on a blog about being on a boat! How cool is that?!? A couple of weeks ago I was super honored to be asked by Imperial Cruise & Travel if I would write a guest post about my amazeballs honeymoon with Carnival Cruise Line. Of course I accepted! Here’s the post that was live on their website:
Honeymooning with Carnival Cruise Line
This following is a guest post by “Famous Ashley Grant”. Ashley is a writer and photographer based in Tampa, Fla. I recently caught up with Ashley to find out what her thoughts were on cruises for honeymoons and it just so happens that she went on a cruise for her honeymoon. Here’s what she had to say:
When my husband and I were considering options for our honeymoon we were honestly quite overwhelmed with all of the destinations to consider. We knew that our ultimate goals were to have a honeymoon that wasn’t outrageously expensive, would allow us to see more than one place, would get us out of the country, would include some entertainment, and wouldn’t require a lot of extra money for food. I guess you could say we were looking for an all-inclusive vacation, but since we wanted to see more than one place traveling to just one resort for a week’s stay was out of the question.
After hearing about some of our friends going on cruises and how much fun they had we realized that a cruise would give us everything we wanted for our honeymoon and more. We live in Tampa and there are several cruises that depart from the terminal here so our hunt for a cruise began where we live. After looking at all the cruises departing from here around our wedding date we settled on a Carnival cruise that happened to be leaving the day after our wedding for a seven day, six night Western Caribbean adventure with stops in Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize and Grand Cayman.
The entire week was bliss. All of our meals were included, we got to see a few fun shows on the ship, and we even had some money left over for a couple excursions. We did the cave tubing in Belize which I definitely recommend and we went snorkeling in Grand Cayman. I really wanted to stay at one of those grand cayman villas but we didn’t get to this time. In Cozumel we made our own fun by renting a jeep and driving around the island stopping at a couple of spots for pictures along the way.
My favorite part about our honeymoon is we didn’t have to worry about anything because the ship took care of it all. They even gave us a few perks because it was our honeymoon like a few free drinks and a table just for us at dinner. That vacation is by far the best one I’ve ever had and ever since we got back to dry land I’ve been anxiously awaiting the chance to go on our next cruise. If you’re looking for something all-inclusive for your honeymoon and want more than one destination in your itinerary I would highly recommend a cruise!
Are you ready to book your honeymoon cruise? Give Imperial Cruise & Travel a call at (844) 920-9310 today and let’s start planning your perfect romantic getaway!
Do you want me to write a kickASH guest post for your blog too? Holler! Or if you have a recipe you want me to try or a product you want me to review- Contact me HERE! I’m PR friendly 😉
I’m super excited about this week’s recipe because of how dang tasty it was! This week I’m featuring the Good Morning Smoothies from the Family Foodie Blog. Strawberries for fiber, yogurt for protein, sugar for sweetness- what more could you ask for to have a quick and yummy breakfast on the go! Head HERE for the recipe!
Alrighty, now that I’ve told you about my uber yummy recipe I’ve got to point out something big!!! There are just 12 weeks until the 2015 Food and Wine Conference! People that’s just a dozen weeks. Like, eggs dozen, like doughnuts dozen!!! Like what are you waiting on your tickets for dozen?!? This conference is totally, probably, I’m pretty sure going to sell out and you’re gonna feel really lame if you don’t get a doughnut, er I mean ticket!!! AND I’m still offering you lovely, sexy readers of this blog and my facebook peeps $50 off your admission with code FWC15grana!!!! Get your tickets to the conference at foodandwineconference.com.! Do it now! I’ll wait…
waiting…
waiting…
did you get them yet? If yes- awesome and I hope you used the discount code to save some green! Can’t wait to see you at the conference. If no….Ugh! Why not?!? Seriously peeps, go get your tickets right meow or you’ll totally be missing out on all kinds of yummy foods, wines, and who knows- maybe even doughnuts!!!
Today marks exactly 12 weeks until the 2015 Food and Wine Conference!!!!
Welp, I’m off to get ready for my weekend. I’m planning on some serious quality time with my hubby, lunch out at Urban Cantina, hopefully some fun times at the pool and if I get my way a trip to a park for a sunset picnic. Are you doing anything fun this weekend? Leave a comment and tell me about it 🙂 See you cool cats later! Now, I really want a doughnut…
Do you have a recipe you want me to try or a product you want me to review? Contact me HERE! I’m PR friendly 😉
#FWCon
Today marks 13 weeks until the 2015 food and wine conference and my post to celebrate it was inspired by the Chicken Fajita Bowls on the Family Foodie Blog. As usual I took a lot of shortcuts with this dish because I’m a lazy cook. I used yellow rice and just threw in some shredded cooked chicken that was cooked in taco seasonings and added to it peppers, salsa, cheese and sour cream. It was a great quick meal that was ready in thirty minutes. Perfect for my busy week! Check out the original recipe HERE!
#Foodies will LOVE the 2015 Food & Wine Conference! Use code FWC15grana for $50 off admission at foodandwineconference.com.!
Do you have a recipe you want me to try or a product you want me to review?
This week I’m showcasing the steak and eggs from the Family Foodie blog. Isabel’s steak was more rare than mine- I reckon I like mine more on the done side. LOL. Also- instead of broccoli I just went with a medley of colorful chopped raw peppers. This dish was so yummy you guys! I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for something different for your next brunch! Get the recipe HERE! Wishing I had another plate of this now!!
Today marks exactly 14 weeks until the 2015 Food and Wine Conference!!!!
Get $50 off your admission with code FWC15grana foodandwineconference.com.
om nom nom! This stuff was soooo good ya’ll!Soooooo?!? Have you bought your tickets for the 2015 Food and Wine Conference yet? If not you totally should because ALL of the cool kids are going!!!! Join us and when you buy your ticket use code FWC15grana for $50 off admission! Get your tickets at foodandwineconference.com
Do you have a recipe you want me to try or a product you want me to review?
On Monday, April, 6, 2015 I visited the University of Tampa for an event called Today’s Entrepreneurial Women featuring Charlotte Baker of Digital Hands. During the sit down Dr. Rebecca White of the Sykes College of Business emceed a Q&A about how Charlotte got her start in business and the obstacles she faced along the way. Here are 5 things I learned from the talk:
Hire to your weaknesses, not to your strengths– Now, I’m nowhere near ready to hire help, but when I do I fully intend on hiring assistants that are smarter than me. This way I am constantly learning from the people that work for me.
Things don’t always work out the way you think it will- When Digital Hands was just an idea Charlotte and her team raised a lot of capital with the intent of building the company one way and when the deal went south they launched the company privately- their way.
Efforts don’t count, results do- I personally loved this quote. In a world where we give our kids As for effort and trophies for showing up it was a breath of fresh air for someone to tell it like it is in the real world.
Mentors are a great way to soak up knowledge- I’ve been searching for a mentor that lives the life I want to lead and I just signed up to take a course by a woman who is the embodiment of where I want to be in my life and in my business- here’s hoping she will grow into the mentor I have been seeking!
Ask for help when you need it- you can’t do it all- I love that Charlotte spoke about outsourcing tasks she can’t get to. I definitely hope to expand my business to the point that I hire on virtual assistants to handle the tasks I don’t particularly enjoy.
Now, in truth- I kind of felt like this event spoke more to the corporate entrepreneurial spirit than the small business owner, but nonetheless I enjoyed attending. The people I sat with were great fun to hang out with and the free wine didn’t hurt. LOL
Two of the gals I sat with are small business owners and I totally think ya’ll should look them up.
Nicole Carver
Do you ever wish you had a clone or at least someone to help you take a
few things off your plate? If so then allow me to virtually introduce
you to Nicole Carver of Carver Concierge. She helps busy people by customizing personal assistance services to meet their lifestyle needs. Check her out here-> http://www.carverconcierge.com/
Carrie Stiles
Carrie has the low down on how to heal your skin. Check out her awesome website for a world of knowledge at -> http://www.theskinlifecoach.com
This weekend was filled with making yummy desserts, meals and drink recipes from the Family Foodie blog to celebrate me being a brand ambassador for the 2015 Food and Wine Conference! (Buy your tickets and use code FWC15grana for $50 off admission! Get your tickets at foodandwineconference.com) I also took time to stop by the Food Truck Festival and the Pet Expo at the Florida State Fairground on Saturday March, 28, 2015. Those two events were so much fun! The Pet Expo definitely proved how much my hubby and I want to get a pet of our own! We know for sure now that we want a small to medium sized dog with pointy not floppy ears. And because of a silly inside joke he and I have had since we have been married we will name is Cesar Rawr! LOL!
The funniest thing we saw at the Pet Expo was basically this:
Okay, so this isn’t the EXACT one we saw, but like a fool I forgot to take a video of the indoor one. Basically, it’s a lure that is tied to a wire that is placed on a track and runs around your yard for your dog to chase it as you push a remote that makes it go back and forth around the track. Who needs to play a game of fetch when you can sit on your fanny and watch the dog do all the work for you. The company is called Swift Paws. Check them out here.
Back to the Food Truck Festival. We had a blast. My husband had a hot dog and I had a personal pizza from Light My Fire Mobile Pizza Company. It was pretty good and the drink I enjoyed from the Gasolina booth was perfect to wash it down! The best one was the Sangria, but I also sampled the Original and the Rum Punch which were both pretty good. I definitely want to get some of the Gasolina drink pouches for my next party or event. They are ready to drink pouches that the reps called “adult Capri Suns” Perfect description and they tasted sooooo good.
Needless to say all that walking and all that sun wore me out so as soon as I got home I attempted a Skype call with my sis-in-law who is in Japan right now, but instead I quickly crashed and didn’t wake up until Sunday afternoon. Since waking up today I’ve been baking and cooking and blogging and having a really fun time. Can’t wait until next weekend to make more meals and treats for the blog!!! Of course, until then I have a fun filled week of work ahead of me. I’ll post more soon. Until next time, have a great week bloggy friends.
