Hi there! Happy Tuesday! I apologize for such a late post today. I’m a little bit off schedule this week since I didn’t get home from Florida until last night. I had a great few days visiting with some of my best girlfriends so I am excited to recap our weekend for you today.
FRIDAY | I landed in Orlando around 5:30 PM and headed straight to the rental car counter to pick up my reservation. My friend Mandy’s flight didn’t get in until after midnight so I hung out in Orlando until her flight arrived. While I waited for Mandy I drove around Orlando, hit up Chick-Fil-A for dinner, and went to see the move Get Hard which was actually really funny! At least I laughed a lot…
Our friend Jacki, who we were visiting, lives in Melbourne which is about an hour from Orlando so we didn’t get to her house until around 2 AM. We pretty much went straight to bed as soon as we arrived in Melbourne since it was so late.
SATURDAY | As soon as we all woke up we began catching up with each other while getting ready for the day. It felt just like our college days when we all lived together! We headed out for breakfast at a Melbourne staple – The Blueberry Muffin which as the name suggests has the best blueberry muffins! You can get a muffin as a side to your breakfast in place of toast which is awesome!
After breakfast we spent some time walking around downtown Melbourne popping in and out of little boutiques. We even stopped in a local olive oil and balsamic vinegar store to do some sampling. Afterwards we went back to Jacki’s house and sat outside in her backyard for some more girl talk. We even busted out the selfie stick for a quick photo session. 🙂
Later that afternoon Jacki’s husband, Dan, joined us for our adventure to Port Canaveral. Our first stop was Florida Beer Company which recently opened their new brewery location. Since I don’t like beer I did not partake, but the other three each got flights and sampled several of their different beers.
Afterwards we headed over to the port and watched the cruise ships depart which was really neat. We sat outside at one of the restaurants while listening to some live music and doing some quality people watching. Old drunk men with short shorts and leather skin for the win!
Later that evening we drove back to Melbourne and had dinner at The Mansion which is a cool restaurant located in a historic old house. We were even able to sit outside on their rooftop which was nice! I can’t wait for outdoor dining season in Chicago!
I ordered some quality steak nachos for dinner that had the best queso! PS – Diets don’t exist on vacation! 😉
After dinner we headed back to Jacki and Dan’s and spent the rest of the evening watching the Notre Dame/Kentucky basketball game. Thank goodness Kentucky pulled out the win for my bracket’s sake!
SUNDAY | We spent a lazy morning at home before driving to The Avenue at Viera for some shopping! First we stopped at Pizza Gallery and Grill for lunch where we ate pizza and these delicious garlic knots!
With full stomachs we spent much of the afternoon shopping and were able to find some good deals including the 40% off sale at Loft.
On our way home we stopped at the Crowne Plaza on Melbourne Beach for a little happy hour.
We decided to pick up sandwiches from Publix for dinner and headed home for a nice little family dinner on the patio while watching the end of the Duke/Gonzaga game.
We spent the rest of the night in #cozemode (an original hashtag by Jacki) while watching the I Heart Radio Music Awards and sending ridiculous Snap Chats.
MONDAY | Sadly Jacki and Dan had to go back to work and I was returning home to Chicago. Mandy and I spent the morning getting sucked into a Real Housewives of New York marathon before hitting the road back to the airport. We first stopped at Moe’s for lunch. This was only my third time eating at Moe’s (Chipotle loyal) and I really liked it! The pineapple cucumber salsa was amazing!
Despite a cold front coming through and the temperatures only reaching the upper 60s, we still had a great time and I loved spending a few days with my girlfriends! Thanks to Jacki and Dan for hosting us! And to their dog, Clyde, the most special dog in the world! We’re pretty much BFFs after this weekend.
Side note: Today is my one year blogging anniversary! I can’t believe I have been writing this for an entire year! Thank you to all of my faithful readers – you guys are the best! Stay tuned on Friday for an awesome giveaway! 🙂
Sara @ Lake Shore Runner says
Happy 1 Year Anniversary! Mine is coming up too. Timeflies…
Paige says
Thanks, Sara! It is crazy how fast this first year has gone by!
xo Paige
Caroline says
I’m glad that you had a nice trip and that you enjoyed your time with your friends. I’m with you on the outdoor dining thing too!! I can’t wait for that!! Same goes for having a drink outside too!! 🙂
Paige says
Thanks, Caroline! Can’t wait for patio dining this summer!!
xo Paige
Brenda @ Chatting Over Chocolate says
What a fun & delicious weekend you enjoyed!! Happy Blogiversary!!!! Such a fun milestone! 🙂
Paige says
Thanks, Brenda! I can’t believe it’s already been one year!
xo Paige
Sam @ Grapefruit & Granola says
Happy blogaversary!!
Paige says
Thanks, Sam! 🙂
xo Paige
Katie @ Live Half Full says
Happy Blogiversary!
Paige says
Thanks, Katie! 🙂
xo Paige