Earlier this week, I spent 48 hours in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to this trip, I’d never been. Things I’ve heard over the years about Minneapolis:
This past weekend, I was invited to experience a sampling of what MarketStreet, one of the largest open-air marketplaces in the Greater Boston area, has to offer.
Living just south of Boston, Lynnfield (on the North Shore) just isn’t a place that I frequent often. It’s about a 45 minute drive. But when I was offered the opportunity to join some fellow Boston bloggers, to “stroll the street”, I was all in. We spent the day “retail hopping” from one shop to another where we learned about some of the outdoor mall’s newest boutiques and foodie hot spots.
First stop! Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse for brunch. It was Sunday after all, and can you really call Sunday a good Sunday without brunch!? I think not…
As promised, a quick review of one of the iced tea flavors from David’s Tea. I ended up getting the Grapefruit Granita flavor instead of the Rainbow Sherbet, by the way, and given the taste of the Grapefruit, Sherbet is next on my list! What an incredible fresh, tangy flavor. YUM! Again…I’m not a tea person, but I really, really liked this one!
That said, at what point do I throw in the towel, and admit that maybe I am a tea person? Or rather, maybe I’m becoming one? Hmm, I don’t know if I can go THAT far just yet, but it’s clear that I’m certainly on my way! Who knew!?
A special thanks goes to MarketStreet in Lynnfield for putting on this awesome tour, and to the participating retailers:
Truly mean this when I say, if you haven’t yet been to MarketStreet, or any of the above retailers, do yourself a favor and go check them out. There’s something for everyone!
Happy strolling!
The weather in Boston has been all over the place lately. I blogged a couple months ago about how excited I was that spring was almost here, and then just days later we got hit with freezing temps once again (spoke too soon, I guess!). Just this past weekend it was 82 one day and 52 the next. Mother Nature – what is up!?
Having lived in Boston for the past seven years, this is actually something that I’ve become accustomed to. Though let me be clear, it doesn’t get any easier. Thing is, you just have to make the best of it. Which I did! I packed up, and headed down South, where it was sunny and warm. Key West was the destination. What started off as a quick cold-weather escape, turned into an unforgettable getaway that spawned a yearly tradition.
I’ve been to Key West twice before. Once when I was 20. Me and a couple friends went down for Spring Break. Since I was underage, the experience was a bit different, but make no mistake, I still managed get into the bars! 😉 The second time was during a cruise. We stopped there for a day, so not much time to do much of anything. Both times, I didn’t fly straight into Key West, but rather in another form (drove from Miami the first, and cruised in the second). But this time, we flew directly into Key West, and the flight was unbelievable. Absolutely breathtaking. It took me by total surprise! Not sure why, given that it’s an island, guess I just wasn’t expecting to see the incredible colors of the sea so up close and personal!
My friends and I stayed at Parrot Key Resort, a quaint waterfront property equipped with four (!!) pools, a bar/restaurant, a strip of beach and hammocks for days. Upon arrival, our room wasn’t yet ready, but we were greeted with an ice cold glass of Sangria (winning!). We spent the next hour hanging by the pool, sipping our Sangria. We may or may not have (we definitely did…), ordered another drink after that.
We stayed in the cutest one bedroom Villa that overlooked the garden leading into the adult-only pool. We had a private porch, and little palm to mark our entrance.
The resort was truly beautiful, and the staff was so incredibly friendly. We loved seeing the same people every day – it was such a pleasure! (Shout out to Georgi and our shuttle driver who we called “Brian” because we didn’t get a chance to ask, and we thought he looked like a Brian.)
The on-site restaurant, Cafe Blue, was clutch. They served breakfast, lunch and dinner, and had a kick-ass happy hour. Two for one drinks! For those that don’t know, Boston doesn’t have happy hour. It’s illegal to discount alcoholic beverages in Massachusetts for things like happy hour. So, sadly, we don’t get to enjoy what I consider, one of the “little things” in life.
These fish tacos were everything. In fact, they were so good that we ate them three times during our four night stay (ha!). You’d think we would have gotten sick of them, but no. Never. I mean, just look at them!! And the tots were the cherry on top of the proverbial sundae.
While we could have easily stayed within the resort the entire vacation, and been happy that we did, we did venture out a few times.
Duval Street, Key West’s “downtown”, is filled with shops, bars, restaurants and boutiques. Given that you can walk around outside with an “open container”, it’s only fitting that you bar hop. Which is exactly what we did.
A couple faves: Irish Kevins, The Lazy Gecko (shout out to Karri Daley who has ridiculous pipes, and absolutely kills it on the guitar!) and Rick’s Bar (go upstairs for one of the best roof decks in KW!).
After our first night out, we stayed poolside all day. But the following day, we were up bright and early, and ready to hit the beach.
Smathers Beach is one of the only beaches in Key West. The island is surrounded by water, but has very little sand. Thankfully, Smathers is beautiful, so there isn’t really a need for another.
Of course, while in paradise…an impromptu photo shoot is a must.
The towel that I’m so professionally modeling (haha!) is from Sand Cloud. If you don’t know about these guys yet, you should! They’re on a mission to save marine life, and they’re doing it one stunningly beautiful towel at a time. 10% of all proceeds from each purchase go towards saving the fishies. If you want one, use my code COURTNEYOSG25 for 25% off!
Though the views from the beach were incredible, we were interested in seeing a slightly different view…
The crew at Sunset Water Sports hooked us up, and took us out on a private boat to go Parasailing. The views were AMAZING. Highly recommend.
All in all, the trip was nothing short of incredible. Once again, a reminder that it’s okay to take time off to relax, and do something for yourself. Every time I have the opportunity to unplug, I do. And I always come back to work feeling refreshed and bright-eyed. That’s a tell-tale sign if I’ve ever seen one!
On that note…
Key West…we’ll see you next year!
Subscription boxes are all the rage right now. And for good reason! They’re convenient, they allow you to try multiple items at one time, and what’s in the box is always a surprise. (Who doesn’t like those!?)
You can pretty much get a box for just about anything. For the fashionista: Stitch Fix. For the beauty junkie: Birchbox. For the foodie: Hello Fresh. And then…there’s FabFitFun.
Unlike most boxes, the FabFitFun box has a mix of everything. Well, not everything, but a lot of stuff! I’ve been eyeing this box for some time, but I hadn’t pulled the trigger. Frankly, I wasn’t sure the box would be worth it. (It’s $49.99 per box – pst, discount below!) But after a friend gushed about how amazing her recent box was (shout out to LJ!), I had to check it out for myself.
Before you can get your box, you’re asked to fill out a quick style profile. This is so that the stylists at FFF can get an idea of your personal likes and dislikes so that down the line, they can customize your box. It took me just a few minutes to fill out my profile and my first box was on its way!
About a week later…I had the most gorgeous package waiting for me on the porch.
Alright, let’s get to it. So, what’s in the box?
Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray by Briogeo
This leave-in treatment is super light-weight and is fortified with rosehip, argan and coconut oils to keep your locks hydrated and soft. Smells lovely, too!
Deep Nude Lip Kit by RealHer
This kit comes with a lip liner, plumping gloss and a liquid matte lipstick. This alone is worth what I paid for the box! I love the nude color, too. I have a hard time finding nude shades that I like, but this one is awesome. It’s the perfect “everyday” shade.
Microdermabrasion Age Defying Exfoliator by Dr. Brandt
It’s recommended that you only exfoliate 1-2 times a week, when using a microderm formula, so I’ve only used it once so far, but my skin has never felt so smooth and looked so bright! This specific formula contains aluminum oxide crystals and smoothing botanicals to polish away dead cells.
“Joshua Tree” Cage Bracelet by Emerald Duv
This cuff is so chic and simple, the perfect addition to any outfit.
Roundie by Gypsy 05
This beautiful piece of art can be used at the beach, a picnic, or hung as a tapestry. My choice: beach. Definitely. And, it’s HUGE, so there’s definitely room for two. Or three!
Zip Pouch by Milly
Speaking of the beach, this little pouch is the perfect bag to toss all your essentials into when hitting the sand. Sometimes I don’t want a huge beach bag, but of course I need my phone and lip gloss – that’s where this guy comes in.
Hydrating+ Face Mask by Karuna
This deep-conditioning mask is packed full of nourishing ingredients for the ultimate hydration. It’s made of 100% natural wood-pulp fiber (so cool!), so it allows your pores to absorb every drop!
Nail Polish Set by Deborah Lippmann
This set is spring in a bottle. The white color is called “Like a Virgin” (fitting), and the soft pink is called “Shape of My Heart”. The duo make for a perfect #ManiMonday.
Hair, Skin and Nails Gummies by Nature’s Bounty
Packed with Biotin (the stuff that makes your hair and nails tough!), these Strawberry-flavored gummies are too good. Seriously. They’re like Pringles! Once you pop, you just can’t stop! But you must. They’re a vitamin, not a candy. (A reminder to myself!)
So there you have it! That’s the Spring 2017 FabFitFun box. The way that this subscription service works is on a seasonal basis, so the next box will be the Summer 2017 box. *Though the Spring box is still available now – for a limited time!
If you’re interested in checking out FabFitFun, you can get $10 off your first box, making it only $39.99! Seriously, it’s a total steal (see above). Want in? Use this link to get the deal, and reap the rewards!
In the marketing world, there are two main types of consumers – the early adopters and the main streamers.
