Happy Throwback Thursday! Today we'll be traveling back to two separate Disney World trips to visit Port Orleans Resort - Riverside and Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter. Since they are sister resorts you can use the amenities at both as long as you're staying at one - aka the pools! It's also easy to walk between the resorts to enjoy different dining options. They are both "Moderate" resorts meaning they are slightly fancier than the cheapest options but still fairly affordable if you are able to use an offer or split the cost with a group (of up to 4 people for normal rooms)
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| Royal Guest Room |
Riverside was actually the first Walt Disney World resort I stayed at! Previously, my friends and I would stay at Universal and Uber over to Disney but for this trip my best friend, sister and I decided to "splurge" on a Royal Guest Room. We paid around $420 each, $1,326 total with Passholder discount, for 5 nights in December 2017. Christian and I stayed at French Quarter for two nights in May 2020 for $630 with Passholder discount.
Christian and I are not huge on Valentine's Day, but we do buy cute cards and make sure to have a delicious meal to celebrate. When Valentine's Day is during the week that usually means I make one of our favorite meals or we grab takeout. I'm always up for trying new things, so this year we're including some delicious treats from Wildgrain.
Wildgrain offers an artisanal bread subscription box ($89 + free shipping) for you to liven up meals at home. They are the first bake-from-frozen delivery service for breads, pastries and pasta! And the best part? Everything is made by small-batch bakers and pasta makers across the country so you'll be supporting small businesses. Each month you'll get a delicious selection of goodies to keep in your freezer until you are ready to enjoy them.
One of our usual date night spots is a fancy Italian restaurant so I decided to recreate that experience at home with help from the items in our Wildgrain box. I started by baking the sourdough spelt loaf right out of the freezer - it only took 24 minutes. This was my first time having spelt bread and it was very good. I couldn't see a huge different between regular flour, but it definitely had the sourdough flavor. I had only recently heard of spelt, thanks to the Great British Bake Off. Spelt is an ancient grain that was one of the first species of wheat used to make bread. Wildgrain bakers also use wild yeast meaning making these crusty loaves can take days from start-to-finish. A labor of love that you can see, feel and taste! We enjoyed the bread with butter and pesto, yum!
Our main course used fresh tonnarelli pasta. Since it's a special occasion I decided to make shrimp scampi, such a simple dish but feels very fancy. Or is that just me? Anyway, I made a sauce with butter, olive oil, garlic and chicken broth before adding in the shrimp, some red pepper flakes and finishing it off with lemon juice and parsley. Delish!
Our meal ended with two ooey gooey giant chocolate chunk cookies. They were loooooaded with chocolate, my favorite kind of cookie. I under-baked them just a little so they were nice and soft and full of chocolate flavor.
We can't wait to try the rest of our box! There's still a plain sourdough loaf, fettuccine, 4 croissants, 2 more cookies and a cranberry-pecan loaf (so excited for this!) Plus we still have 2 more portions of tonnarelli pasta in the freezer. So much food!
Wildgrain is a great way to get homemade sourdough without all the effort. I love making bread, but I am far too lazy for sourdough. There is so much that goes into the process that I don't have the patience for. I also haven't mastered shaping my non-sourdough doughs yet. Maybe one day I'll get the hang of it! But for now, I have Wildgrain to provide tasty, crusty, delicious bread that I just have to pull out of the freezer and bake!
February boxes can include a sourdough loaf, rosemary garlic sourdough loaf (YUM!,) fettuccine pasta, english muffins, cherry pie bites and more! The Mixed Wildgrain Box includes sourdough bread, hand-cut pasta, and artisanal pastries. The Bakery Box includes breakfast baked goods, sourdough bread, and artisanal pastries. The subscription works much like other meal delivery service. You order your box, it's delivered for free each month and you can pause, adjust frequency or cancel at any time. Rescheduling your delivery is also possible if you'll be away. They even warn you 4 days before you will be charged in case you forget to skip a month. Right now you can receive four free croissants with each box (for the life of your membership.)
We all know I love a brand that gives back, and for every new Wildgrain member, 6 meals are donated to The Greater Boston Food Bank. Over 120,000 meals have been donated so far! If you'd like to try out Wildgrain, use code MEGB10OFF for $10 off your first box!
*This post was made in partnership with Apogee Agency. All opinions on the product are my own and have not been influenced by this sponsorship. Thank you for supporting brands I feature* #WildgrainFebruary #sponsored
My first wardrobe update of 2023, wild! This year I'm not planning on buying much, but I do have some cash in my clothing savings account and some ad money leftover from last year so I'm sure there will be a few things added to the closet at some point. Nothing new this month!
THE (modified) RULES
- Be mindful of purchases
- Quality over quantity
- Basics are best
MY PROGRESS
Clothes:
- None yet
Basics:
- None yet
Shoes:
- None yet
Handbags:
- None yet
Accessories:
- None yet
Activewear/Swimwear:
- None yet
Gifted from Brands:
- None yet
Spent in January: $0
Spent in 2023: $0
Spent in 2023 - counting ad money: $0
This roundup includes some treats I made for Christmas as well as some cookies I made with a Christmas gift. So even though we're well into the New Year, we're going back to the holidays a bit! Also a "healthy" treat for breakfast and an old standby cookie.
Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
I made these for our Christmas Eve celebrations and they didn't disappoint. I probably could have added more caramel based on the recipe photos but I did the amount it called for, haha. Maybe the cookies in the photo are larger for better visual effect?
Orange Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze
We made this last Christmas and Christian wanted to make it again this year. We also had a request for it because my sister in law loooooved it last year. I wasn't going to include this in today's roundup since it's a pretty unique thing and I've made it already, but that just shows how tasty it is!
(Customized) Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
One of my Christmas gifts this year was Tessa of Handle the Heat's "Perfect Cookie Kit." It comes with 2 spatulas, 3 cookie scoops, a 6-piece cookie cutter set, cookie "adventure booklet" and access to her Perfect Cookie Course! (I love the cute sprinkle print on the spatulas and cookie cutters.) I decided to follow her adventure booklet for my first bake using the set and customized her bakery style cookie recipe to make them "extra soft" and swapped out some chocolate chip cookies for mini candy coated chips. They came it SOOOO GOOD. Christian said top 1 or 2 cookie I've ever made. Keep in mind, I've made the plain Bakery Style cookies before and those also came out amazing, but there's just something about this kit that made them more magical, haha! Or maybe it's because I've had more practice making cookies, you decide ;)
Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
Christian wants to try some "healthier" treats this year with less refined sugar so I tested out this blueberry muffin recipe that uses honey as the sweetening. You could definitely tell there was no sugar, but they were tasty and a nice easy breakfast or snack. I added oats to the top of some (as per the recipe,) left a few plain and added some dark brown sugar to a few.
Blossom Cookies
If you can believe it, this was my first time making kiss cookies! We had some Grinch milk chocolate kisses that I mainly bought for decor (I don't like milk chocolate) so it seemed like a perfect way to actually use them as intended - for food! Ha ha. I did a half batch and made 2 of the 4 variations in the recipe. Chocolate and Peanut Butter! The recipe also has a Gingerbread and Sugar Cookie variation. They were so fun to make and it was very satisfying pushing the kisses into the warm cookies.
Funfetti Crumble Cake
One of my cousins was visiting from out of state recently and we had a family get together to finally meet her almost 1 year old. I figured I should make something a little festive and this funfetti crumble cake was the perfect choice. The crumble was a little weirdly flavored for everyone, probably because it was dark brown sugar, and was a little too sweet. I probably won't make it again but it was fun to try!
Right on the heels of my new Burberry coat I got this gorgeous Greylin coat for Christmas. I have had it on my wish list since I saw it in an email blast so it was a nice surprise to see it on Christmas morning (I put it on my list but didn't expect it because it was a bit pricey.) It looks thin but is deceivingly warm and I love how roomy it is.
I accidentally had my purse on backwards for half the photos but, hey, that's real life, ha ha! This hat is one of my best vacation buys ever. I bought it in the Kensignton Palace gift shop when I went to London to ring in 2017. So whenever I wear it it's a reminder of that amazing trip! Sadly it was the last time I went to London, I miss it so much! Definitely working on getting Christian on board for a trip there soon.
Purple Coat: Greylin Longline Shirt Jacket in purple (Anthropologie)
High Waisted Jeans: J Brand 'Maria' High Rise in Supreme
Boots: Vince Camuto 'Davilla' (Marshalls/eBay, I have 2 pairs)
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Hat: Kensington Palace gift shop
Starting the new year off right, with pretty jewelry! Everyone could use a bit of sparkle during these long cold Winter days and Aurate New York has great options from necklaces and delicate huggie earrings to rings and bracelets. In my years of working with Aurate I have amassed quite the collection of beautiful pieces I continue to reach for when I'm accessorizing.
I wore this outfit for Christmas Eve with the family. I decided to wear a dress I haven't worn since Christmas 2015 - wowza! It's a knit silver and gold dress so I decided to accessorize mixing silver and gold. The silver came in with my sandals and the gold was all my jewelry! I also used the new Melie Bianco bag I won from Marijane Boutique last month! It's such a fun piece and is very similar to the new cult favorite Bottega Veneta Jodie bag but at a much lower price point. The woven (vegan) leather creates such a beautiful texture and makes the bag feel very fancy and the black makes it a classic that will never go out of style. But we all know that my crazy colorful bags also never go out of style, I'll wear them with anything!
I've only worn these sandals three other times since I bought them in 2017 (for my
cousin's wedding,) but I keep them around in case I want something very shiny, like I did here! They're the perfect splash of fun for the holidays. This sweater dress was a holiday staple for a couple years before it was basically retired for newer things. I wore it for various Thanksgivings and Christmases in the mid-2010s. I'm glad I was able to give it a new life when Lydia was done enjoying it and now bringing it back out again after 7 years, crazy!
I haven't taken the huggie earrings off since Christmas Eve, they're so comfortable and I don't even notice they're there. I like how close they are to my ear so I'm not afraid of them getting ripped off. I also wore two gold station necklaces from Aurate. One is Rose Quartz and the other Lavender Jade. The lavender gemstones I got were more blue than purple, but still pretty! I also got a pearl station necklace in rose gold that I can't wait to wear!
Dress: London Times metallic stripe dress (from Lydia)
Belt: Kenneth Cole Reaction (Marshalls)
Bag: Melie Bianco 'Drew' (Marijane Boutique giveaway)
Sandals: New Look Metallic Block Heel sandal (ASOS)
Jewelry: Endless Gemstone Station Necklaces, Skinny Gold Hinged Huggie Earrings c/o Aurate
Continuing on with our Throwback Thursday Disney hotel overviews! Today we've got another Disney Vacation Club stay. For our anniversary we finally stayed at one of my top bucket list hotels - Animal Kingdom Lodge! We rented DVC points and stayed in a Deluxe Studio Villa with a Savanna View at Jambo House (you can also stay at Kidani Village, a DVC section of the resort that's a short walk from the main building.)
Can't believe it's my last wardrobe update of 2022, wow! I did buy a couple things this month. One cheap, one not so much...
Christian and I took a walk through Marshalls while visiting his family in Missouri (I needed a taste of home, ha ha) and we each got a new Christmas sweater. They're both men's sweaters because I didn't like any of the women's options. Luckily they had a small for me! I wanted the same sweater as Christian, but they only had mediums.
I also finally visited Marijane Boutique in Guilford and splurged on a Burberry Brit coat. Earlier in the month I won an Instagram giveaway they held for a
vegan leather bag by Melie Bianco. It's a dead ringer for the Bottega Veneta Jodie bag that retails for $2650. (I had them ship it to me because I didn't know when I'd be able to get up there, turns out pretty soon, haha! Whoops.) Lydia works there so I've been meaning to stop by for a loooooong time! Christian and I were "just going to look" but of course I spotted this bright red coat and instantly had flashbacks of writing a dream outfit blog post in 2011 for going to the Christmas tree farm. It featured a Stella McCartney sweater (which I bought 2 years later on sale) and a coat very similar to this one. I'm also pretty sure when this coat originally was for sale I had it on various wish lists, but never bought it because of the price tag, even on sale. The 2022 version of the outfit came out pretty good!
Got a couple clothing gifts for Christmas too. A sweater to (hopefully) replace a super thin sweater I like to toss in my bag on Disney trips and other Summer destinations and a super fun coat from Anthropologie I've had on my wish list for over a year.
THE (modified) RULES
- Be mindful of purchases
- Quality over quantity
- Basics are best
MY PROGRESS
Clothes:
- Marc by Marc Jacobs cropped sweater ($12.50, retail $298, used ad money)
- J Brand Maria High Rise in Purple Velvet ($7.50, retail $228, used ad money)
- Current/Elliott "The Muscle" leopard print tank ($8, retail $75?, used ad money)
- *NEW!* Aspen Christmas Sweater in green via Marshalls ($7, retail $19.99 - similar sweater)
- *NEW!* Greylin Longline Shirt Jacket in purple via Anthropologie (Christmas gift, retail $178)
Basics:
- mīere the label "Frankie" knit sweater in Faded Black ($56.92, $32.15 if we omit shipping)
- Madewell Whisper Cotton V-Neck Tee in Spiced Plum ($2, retail $19.50, used ad money)
- Madewell Whisper Cotton V-Neck Tee in Sahara Sand ($2, retail $19.50, used ad money)
- *NEW!* Burberry Brit Wool Minstead Duffle Coat In Military Red via Marijane Boutique ($230, retail $995, used ad money)
- *NEW!* Everlane The Featherweight Alpaca Cardigan in Taupe Grey (Christmas gift, retail $80)
Shoes:
- Ancient Greek Sandals Kore of Berlin ($365, Shopbop gift cards + ad money + 15% off)
Handbags:
- *NEW!* Melie Bianco Drew Woven Bag in black via Marijane Boutique ($110 retail, giveaway win!)
Accessories:
- None yet
Activewear/Swimwear:
- Ryka "Belong" Walking Shoe in Plum Red/Burgundy via DSW ($26.58, $79.99 retail)
Gifted from Brands:
- Pearl and Gold Bar Duo Stud Earring - Rose Gold c/o Aurate
- Gold Bar Stud Earrings - Rose Gold c/o Aurate
- Gold Bar Stud Earrings - Yellow Gold c/o Aurate
- Janey Sport Sandal - Pewter c/o Aetrex
- Active Biker Short in Jungle c/o Dona Jo
- Adjustable Bra in Jungle c/o Dona Jo
- Urban Tank in Pitanga c/o Dona Jo
- Destination Aura Beaded Necklace in Marrakech c/o Aurate
- Endless Gemstone Station Necklace in Rose Quartz c/o Aurate
- Libby Comfort Clog - Tobacco c/o Aetrex
- Skinny Gold Hinged Huggie Earrings in yellow gold c/o Aurate
- Endless Pearl Station Necklace in rose gold c/o Aurate
- Lavender Jade Endless Gemstone Station Necklace in yellow gold c/o Aurate
Spent in December: $7
Spent in 2022: $90.50
Spent in 2022 - counting ad money: $717.42
