Airplane Food Diaries: Japan Airlines

December 11, 2015December 17, 20151 Comment

When traveling abroad, one of the best experiences of going somewhere new is getting to try the food. While airplane food may not be at the top of that list, it is a chance to try flavors you might not otherwise. Usually, on a 5+ hour flight you have 4 options: 1) try to sleep; 2) bring your own non-perishable items; 3) take a chance on a random meal; or 4) starve. While options #1 and 2 seem the most practical, they are usually pretty hard to accomplish, especially when the hot food carts roll by and the heavy aromas meet your nose.

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Airplane food is, well, airplane food. It can sometimes be overheated, weird, or just not what your taste buds prefer. The meals during my Japan Airlines flights were… interesting. For someone not used to Japanese flavors, the foods were unique. The flavor palate was a combination of sweet, spicy, and sour. I was truely excited to try the meals. The packaging was so unique!

I was a little surprised at how each item was compartmentalized. My initial thought was on the level of detail that went into the presentation of the meal itself. It was kind of fun to unpack each item! Especially since I had no idea what I was uncovering. 😜

Here is a peek at my meals on two Japan Airlines flights; lunch and dinner. These are the meals they serve in regular class seating. They include a rice chip snack, entree with various sides, baked good, drink, and ice cream.

Enjoy!

Urth Caffe | Breakfast in Southern California

December 6, 2015December 8, 20153 Comments

You can never go wrong with a Southern Californian breakfast. A nice big cup of coffee, fresh eggs, fruit, and bread make for the perfect comfort meal. Urth Caffe is a great place to indulge for breakfast. The cafe offers a great variety of coffee, entrees, and baked goods. Everything is fresh, made-to-order, and simple.

The spinach and feta omelette is my favorite. It is a three egg omelette with sautéed spinach, red onions, and imported feta cheese. The dish is served with a spring salad and a side of bread. A simple combination which compliments the omelettes very well. When it comes to choosing a beverage, the coffee and tea options can be overwhelming. There are hot, cold, and blended, caffeinated and non-caffeinated varieties. Out of all of the delicious coffee options, my favorite has to be the honey vanilla latte. The combination of vanilla and honey makes this choice just the right amount of sweet – no sugar needed.

Currently, the Urth Caffe has four locations throughout Southern California. Each cafe’s architecture is unique. I love the Pasadena locale for it’s laid-back ambiance and Spanish colonial design. All locations offer outdoor seating, which is a must in Southern California, and great for people watching.

Here is a peek of some of the different items from the menu. If you are ever in the area, make sure to check them out!

Enjoy!

DIY Project: Updating a Front Tie Top

November 29, 2015November 29, 20153 Comments

Do you have an attention to detail? Like the type of attention where if you see a simple shirt with pearl buttons lining the back, you have to have that shirt because of the button detail. Don’t worry, you are not alone. Here’s a super easy DIY for adding detail and updating a front tie shirt to help with your addiction. 🙂

I recently purchased this cold shoulder 70s style shirt by Jolt with an awesome wooden bead detail on the front ties. So I was pretty bummed to loose beading on one side after just a few wears. I had to fix this detail issue asap!

I went to Micheal’s and purchased jewelry beads with bead holes large enough to string through the front ties and small angel wing charms to sew on to the ends. The beauty with updating your clothes is that you get a chance to add a bit of your personality and to be as creative as you want.

DIY: UPDATING YOUR FRONT TIE SHIRT

What you need

Front Tie Shirt
Jewelry Beads
Crochet Hook
Optional: Small Charms, Sewing Needle, and Thread

How to

Organize your beads in the order you want them displayed before starting.
Add the beads from top order to bottom on to each tie, utilizing the crochet hook to push the tie through.
Double knot the ends to secure the beading in place.
Optional: Sew on charms to the ends for added security.

Tips

If your shirt is machine washable, pick beading that won’t easily damage with a wash. Wooden charms would actually work best, but for added care hand wash and hang or lay flat to dry.

If you add glass pieces, throw your shirt in a pillow case when putting in the wash. The pillow case will add protection to minimize damage to the beads.

XOXO

EPCOT: How to drink around the [Disney] World | Orlando, Florida

November 25, 2015July 13, 20165 Comments

When you think about Disney World, drinking around the world is probably not one of the first things that pops into mind, but this has been something that’s been on my bucket list for a while. It seemed like serendipity when I had a conference scheduled in Orlando just right after my birthday. After a bit of convincing, one of my besties and I decided to tackle on the challenge! Based on our experience, I’ve put together a list a tips and tricks on how to survive your first Epcot bar crawl.

So if you are over the age of 21, here’s a guide on “How to drink around the world at Epcot”. Let me know how it goes!

Cucumber Margarita – Tequila, orange liqueur, caramel iced pineapple juice, fresh basil, cucumber and agave nectar, served on the rocks.

How to drink around the world at Epcot

Do your research

Do your research and get a feel for the different drink options and prices. Drinking around the world is not an easy task. We’re talking about 11 countries where you have the option to stop and drink (more if you go during the food and wine festival). Doing your research ahead of time will help you to better prepare your liver and your wallet. Also, don’t forget to research the park hours. Park hours are seasonal and vary by day. This challenge is a full day event so you will want to pick a day with longer park hours (maybe even extra magic hours) to fully take advantage of the time.

Be prepared to pay

Prepare your wallet! Admission to the park is currently set at $97 USD/per person (plus taxes) and drinks run an average of around $12 USD /per drink. These are average drink prices in California, but they may not be typical prices where you are from! Don’t forget that even though this is a bar crawl, it is a full day event so you need to eat throughout the day. So make sure to prepare for the various expenses in addition to extra spending money for snacks and souvenirs.

Map out your game plan

Map out your game plan taking into consideration the park hours and how many countries you plan to visit. The most important decision will be where to start your day. Some people like to start outside the park, while others suggest starting at the Tequila Cavern in Mexico. I found this article from Thrillist to be very helpful when mapping out our strategy: Epcot Bar Crawl. We pretty much started in Mexico, and skipped every other country, doing two full loops from there.

Team Gear

I am telling you, people do not take this challenge lightly. The only reason I became aware of the bar crawl at Epcot, was from observing groups of people wearing team shirts referencing the challenge. Depending on the size of your group, you may either want to coordinate outfits or order custom shirts. Since it was just myself and the bestie, we opted for coordinating shirts. That seemed to suffice. 🙂

#squadgoals

Day of Gear

Pack a hat, sunscreen, snack bars, camera, and most importantly a water bottle. A small messenger bag or backpack is perfect for carrying all of your essentials plus any souvenirs you may buy.

Celebratory Button

Don’t forget to pick up your celebratory button when you arrive at the park! Birthday Button, Anniversary, Celebration, whatever the occasion, celebratory buttons are an easy conversation piece.

Have fun!

Just remember to pace yourself and have fun. Don’t feel pressured to complete the 11 country challenge. Eleven countries is a daunting task, especially if you are not used to drinking that much. Just go with a plan in mind and an objection of having fun. When else are you going to have an opportunity to drink in more that one country on the same day?

Have you ever taken on the challenge?

XOXO

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OOTD: Endless Summer Pastels

November 22, 20151 Comment

Slightly shy of Thanksgiving, smack in the middle of November, that California endless summer, neither fall nor winter in sight.

This weekend was a beautiful 85* by the beach. Days like these remind me of why I don’t miss winters in New York. Like many of you can relate, I spend the majority of my week stuck indoors in an office. Yes, I am by a window, but often times find myself so busy I don’t even remember to look outside. I live for the weekend. These are the few days I get to relax and do whatever I want, go wherever I want, wear whatever I want. Be F R E E. So the most important thing for me is to spend that time outside. Especially in days like these. Where summer continues to defy fall and the ocean breeze brings about a sense of peace. That endless summer.

Palm Trees, Ocean Breeze, Salty Air, Sun Kissed Hair. That Endless Summer, Take Me There.

Here is the outfit that I wore to catch the Newport sunset. It felt strange picking out shorts when just days before it felt like fall was approaching. But the weather was undeniable. I went with pastels – pink and lavender – and a large statement necklace in the same color palette.