LV GIVEAWAY & Spring Ice Cream Tour Part B/New York City

New York City Amazing!!

Ok so let\’s talk about our stop in New York City, for the next part of this year\’s Ice Cream Tour. Since we were in the midst of a pandemic flying was not the first choice, so we put our Florida ice-cream tour on the back burner until things get a little more normal, or we get vaccinated. (which at this point I\’m happy to say we finally are) Putting everything into perspective we decided to make it a road trip, so this is why we chose New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Now I know New York was part of our last tour, but think about it, New York has always been the hub of amazing eats, no matter how many times I go and how long I stay, I always leave feeling like I wasn\’t able to even touch on the many amazing places available. That way we would still be able to go to tons of new places, only visiting the favorites a second time. We arrived in New York on a Monday at just after 10am, hoping to avoid the weekend rush. I had no idea that it would be a quarter the normal amount of people. Usually the streets are packed with bustling people, on their way here and there, and the streets jam packed with cars. Not this time, it was definitely a different vibe because of the COVID situation, to be honest I can\’t say it was horrible because it made it so much easier to get around and see everything. When we arrived we checked into our hotel StayPineapple, it\’s the only place we stay when we go to New York.

(For 15% off your StayPineapple stay use the code \”Dana\”)

All of the employees are always so welcoming and helpful, not to mention it\’s super comfy, clean, and pet friendly as heck. They provide dog beds, bows, and pet accommodations as well as human. The hotel also has a colorful and artsy vibe, with a pineapple theme all throughout that will make you smile from ear to ear. It\’s the one hotel where we feel completely at home whilst away from home. The New York location is on 36th street, which is so convenient and in walking distance of Time Square. It\’s also in close proximity to so many restaurants, stores, and fun entertainment spots. They also have other locations all over the US. Which is why whenever we are traveling I look to see if there is a Stay Pineapple in the area, because they are literally our first choice.

(For 15% off your StayPineapple stay use the code \”Dana\”)

Once we unpacked, were rested and showered, we headed out to find a late lunch and scope the general area, which led us to The Sugar Factory. Another fun spot, with amazing freakshakes, and colorful food. They have rainbow sliders and rainbow pancakes, as well as plenty of candy, which is what they are known for. Since we weren\’t super hungry and planned to eat dinner later, we ordered a turkey club to split, which came sided with fries. Can I say that turkey club was delicious, along with the huge order of fries, it was more than enough for both Rob and I. Once we finished eating our sandwich, we ordered a few freakshakes to shoot and share with you guys.

The first one is the Princess Make A Wish (the pink one), it\’s a delicious white chocolate dipped milkshake glass, that has been covered in pink sprinkles. The shake itself is made up of vanilla ice-cream, blended with vanilla sauce and rainbow sprinkles, then it\’s topped with whipped cream, a marshmallow wheel, a white chocolate Kitkat and a pink frosted cupcake with a birthday candle. The other shake is the Giggles Snickers. It\’s a chocolate dipped milkshake glass, covered with snickers and pieces of rainbow sprinkles. The shake itself is made up of cookies and cream ice-cream, blended with toasted peanuts, then topped with a caramel waffle, whipped cream, and sprinkles.

Which one would you choose?

In the shot below we have the Cookie Monster Make a Wish. It\’s a chocolate dipped milkshake glass, covered in chocolate chip cookie chunks. Then the shake itself is made up of cookies and cream ice-cream, blended with vanilla sauce, then topped with whipped cream, a blue glazed donut, chocolate chip cookie and a blue frosting cupcake, with a birthday candle. Aren\’t they gorgeous? I just love the presentation of The Sugar Factory freakshakes.

Next up is the Campfire S\’mores. It\’s a dark chocolate dipped milkshake glass, that has been dusted with graham cracker crumbles and covered in Hershey bar chunks. The shake is made up of chocolate and coffee ice-cream, blended with espresso, toasted marshmallow, Virginia Black Wiskey, then topped with a 7 layer S\’mores cookie. It\’s super dramatic and over-the-top like all of their milkshakes, which is what I love about The Sugar Factory. You can get all of their milkshakes with or without alcohol, to make it a Boozy Milkshake!

After we finished eating a shooting it was almost 3pm, so we decided to go back to the room for a couple hours until dinner. I would say it was about 8pm when we decided to head back out for for some amazing food from Thep Thai, one of my favorites. There is such a classy vibe, from all the sleek decor, and matching serving dishes. I also can\’t forget to include the bar, which is where they make the best cocktails, oh.my.goodness they are more than beautiful by the way. Each one is garnished with a flower, fruit or both, and they are mixed to perfection. Not overly-strop and bitter but refreshing and tasty, theres noting better than a cocktail you can\’t get enough of.

Whenever we are in the area we stop in for dinner, and it\’s always good. The Wonton Soup and Pineapple Fried Rice are divine, the fried rice comes served in a fresh half pineapple, that they hollow and make into a bowl. We also love to order the Chicken Satay, which is very flavorful and tender, it also comes with some amazing peanut sauce. As always the meal was perfect from start to finish, we left very full and happy as we made our way back to the hotel for a good night\’s sleep. The next morning we woke up pretty early to get a head start on the day, we wanted to shoot a couple style shots with the walls we found. The first was a fun, pink, floral piece, that worked perfectly for the new Adidas, bomber jacket, that I had scored especially for the trip.

Shop this look here -> \”DanaStargazerTruitt\”

Once we were finished with the style shoot, we headed to Surreal Creamery, what a cool spot that was. All of the items they put out have a fun and playful twist. They pair all kinds of amazing flavors and treats, like soft serve ice cream and bubble tea. The shot below is (left) Brown Sugar Bubble Tea with Earl Grey Vanilla Soft Serve, garnished with a couple chocolate wafer straws. Then the other one (right) is Taro Bubble tea with a Matcha/Taro Swirl Soft Serve, garnished with a butter wafer cookie. They were both not only beautiful, but amazing flavor-wise.

Then there was the Strawberry/Almond Swirl, garnished with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, marshmallows, two butter cookies and teddy graham cookies. Talk about amazing, each one I tasted was better than the other. This is another MUST-TRY spot!!

They have a few locations in New York, we stopped into the 2nd avenue location which happened to be right up the street from Tipsy Scoop, which is known for their amazing liquor infused frozen treats. Now I have to be honest, I thought the ice-cream would taste bitter like the liquor. but wow I was so so wrong, you literally couldn\’t tell because it tasted amazing. This is such a cool spot, and they also have more than one location in NYC. They also have sorbets, which were also outta this world delish. Even Rob was eating away and he\’s not a sweets person like me. He rarely does more than takes a taste, so I was pretty surprised to see he ate almost the whole cup.

Shop this look here -> \”DanaStargazerTruitt\”

After we left Tipsy Scoop we started wandering around looking for some lunch. As always there are a million and one places to eat, so we just decided to grab a slice of pizza, then head back to the room and relax for a few. The sky was clear with zero clouds and the temp got up to 75 degrees so needless to say we got some sunburn, mix that with a day of walking and we were exhausted. We spent the rest of the evening in the hotel, aside for coming out for dinner. The next morning started off much like the one before, early morning style shoots, then around 11am we headed to Black Tap to grab and shoot a couple of Crazyshakes. They were a tad messy but delicious as always.

I ordered two of them, and sadly because of COVID they were not in the usual milkshake glasses, they were being served in the plastic to-go cups. There is the (above) Cookies & Cream Supreme which is an Oreo milkshake, in a chocolate frosted rim covered in crushed Oreos, topped with a cookies and cream ice cream sandwich, crumbled Oreo, lots of whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle. Then there is the (below) Strawberry Shortcake, its a strawberry milkshake in a vanilla frosted rim, covered in crumbled cake. Topped with a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar, a pink and white twisty pop (or in my case pink rock candy), tons of whipped cream, strawberry drizzle, crumbled cake and a cherry on top.

Needless to say I made a serious mess on the sidewalk with the strawberry one, but oh well it was more than worth it, because as always the milkshake itself was just fantastic. After we left Black Tap and started heading back to the hotel, but along the way we stopped into Milk & Cream Cereal Bar which is one of my faves. They are always doing a fun collab of some kind, last year they were doing something with Care Bears. Wow were they some cute sundaes. What they are known for is mixing cereal into soft serve ice-cream, and wow is it good. This is another spot I stop into whenever I am in New York. Here is the Care Bear\’s one from last year\’s trip, soooooo cute right?

After eating dinner and returning to the hotel, we woke up early the next morning because we decided to stop into one last place before we headed off to Connecticut, it\’s a great spot called Stuffed Ice Cream, and wow did they blow me away by making an ice-cream cone with hella scoops on it as you can see below….lol! They have so many amazing flavors in every bright color you can think of. They also sell stuffed ice-cream donuts that will blow your mind.

It\’s always a ton of fun to find and explore new shake and ice-cream spots, especially in a new city. Since New York always has new spots popping up weekly, it’s always an overturning wealth of fun places. I have a huge mater list of all the great spots I have seen while gazing Instagram, I have a folder for each state, and even some countries. We will be leaving for Walt Disney World on the 16th of May, so I\’m more than excited to shoot all the Mickey themed treats for the 7 days we\’ll be there. I\’ve been compiling a list of everything I have found online and Instagram so far. Well there’s only New Jersey left, which I’ll be posting in the next couple weeks. Keep an eye out so you don’t miss the last leg of our Spring, 2021 Icecream tour!!

BEFORE YOU GOOOOOOO!!!

~Yes it’s time for another out of this world 🌎 giveaway!~

I have teamed up with my girl Candice of The Beauty Beay to give

one amazing and lucky winner a Louis Vuitton Mini Pochette!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

\”Piper, Candice & I want to wish you ALL GOOD LUCK because we love ya\’ll tons!!\”

⚠️PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU ENTER!⚠️
If you unfollow after the giveaway ends you will not be eligible for future giveaways ☺️ we will be running one month so make sure to turn on your notifications.
The giveaway will run for a month, from 5/10/21 7pm est to 6/18/21 at 12am est. To enter just click on the above rafflecopter form and complete the many different tasks to double and triple your chances of winning many times over.

You must be 18+ years of age and reside in the USA, AUS, or CANADA to win. This giveaway is VOID where prohibited. The winner will be notified within 24hrs of the giveaway closing and he or she will have 48hrs to respond, or a new winner will be selected.

Thanks so much for following and Good Luck 🍀 everyone!!

Also if you ever want to see unposted or unseen footage of all these amazing treats or trips just follow me on my Instagram or Pinterest at @DanaStargazerTruitt, both platforms have their own unique content.

To check out the last Ice Cream Tour just click here-> \”First Annual Ice Cream Tour\”

Spring Ice Cream Tour Part A/Connecticut

The Connecticut Portion of Our Trip!

I\’m so excited to share our Spring Ice-Cream Tour with you guys. It\’s a road trip that spanned many states and many amazing stops along the way. We stopped in Stamford, Connecticut for 3 days, then New York City for another 3 days, then New Jersey for another 2 days. I will be doing a blog post on each stop as not to make them too long, and for the first post we will be getting a view at our stop in Stamford Connecticut. There were two main spots we stopped in Stamford for, one is called Elm Street Diner, and the other is called Bona Bona. We arrived in Stamford around 2pm at which time we checked into our room at The Stamford Hotel. Our stay solidified the fact that it\’s the ONLY place to stay while in the area, and below you will see why.

The room and bed were both very comfy, clean, and more than roomy. There were also plenty of common areas, a full gym, a swimming pool area and then some. Not to mention the staff was super nice and helpful when we asked for local recommendations on food and shopping. Everything in downtown Stamford, such as restaurants, bars, and shopping, is a 5 to 8 minute drive from the hotel, which makes it super convenient. They are also pet friendly, so that means next time we come Piper will be able to accompany us.

Downstairs as you enter the hotel, there are several common areas that are really nice and roomy. I love the fun colorful vibe, I\’m even happy to say I found some fun purple stairs to match my new Under Armour outfit…loll! Once we got settled into the room and rested up for a few hours, we headed out to find some dinner and do some quick shopping. Originally the trip was supposed to be 6 days, but we stretched it out a bit more when we decided to stop in New Jersey for a couple extra days. Rob and I picked up a few things (one being a new CK dress that I\’ll show you below) and wandered around the mall for a bit.

We ate dinner at a cute little Greek spot not far from the hotel, I had a chicken and lemon orzo soup with a greek salad, Rob had the same. By the time we made it back to the hotel it was almost 10pm, and we were exhausted. After driving all day, some serious rest was needed. Plus we had to be up early the next day to check out Elm Street Diner, which was also right up the street from our hotel. I was more than excited because Elm Street had been in my mind for some time, they have the most amazing over-the-top milkshakes and desserts. We arrived there bright and early the next morning, after a VERY good nights sleep. We were greeted by John the owner, who graciously helped us to pick the most insane items for pictures.

Prepare to be blown away…!!

First up is the Nutella Kinder Donuts, this is a stack of donuts with Kinder Bueno, Peanut Butter Cups, and covered in Nutella and other divine sauces. It\’s nothing like you have ever seen or tasted, and wow so sinfully sweet. As you can see it definitely put a smile on my face, but wait this is nothing compared to what\’s coming.

There\’s so much more.

Next up is the Waffle Tower, yes I said waffle tower. It\’s basically an ice-cream sandwich made out of waffles, then piled high with more ice-cream, donuts, cake, cupcakes, chocolate bars, a chocolate chip cookie ice-cream sandwich, Nutella, an eclair bar and then some. Talk about a cheat day treat, I have never seen anything like it. I asked them to blow me away and they sure nailed it. I have to tell you Rob fell in love with the chocolate cake, he ate the whole piece by himself.

Ok next up is my favorite item because of the beautiful coloring, it\’s called the Cotton Candy French Toast. It\’s the most amazing french toast, topped with a delish vanilla ice-cream, cotton candy, rainbow sprinkles and the most amazing pink, blue, and white icing. When I say amazing french toast I mean it, wow was it good….definitely my favorite food item from this stop.

Ok so next up was the St Patrick\’s Day Freakshake, the day we stopped in was the Saturday before St Patty\’s Day. We were excited to get something themed for the holiday and WOW did they deliver. What you see below is a piece of 4 layer cake, topped with a donut, 2 cupcakes, a lollipop, a clover sugar cookie, rock candy, and lotsa pot of gold vibes. All piled high in a vanilla frosting rimmed glass, with chocolate coins and pearl candy sprinkles. Oh…My….Goodness was this by far the coolest St Patty\’s Day Shake I\’ve ever seen.

Ok we have one more ….Last and certainly not least is the Strawberry Shortcake Freakshake, and WOW will it freak your tastebuds. This shake is also piled high with lots of yummies like a slice of cheesecake, a cupcake, rock candy, cherries, a strawberry, a strawberry shortcake ice-cream pop, all piled high atop a yummy strawberry milkshake, in a vanilla frosting, chocolate chip and rainbow sprinkle rimmed glass.

As they say save the best for last, I absolutely love anything strawberry related especially when it involves ice-cream. I would love to know in the comments which one you would pick. If you guys keep an eye on my Instagram -> (@DanaStargazerTruitt) you will see the video views of each item shown above, which always makes them look so sooooo much better. Also what do you think of the cute new Calvin Klein dress? This is one of the new items I picked up from the Macy\’s in Stamford Mall. The colors were to perfect, I couldn\’t help myself. I also got a beautiful blazer to match, which you will see in the next blog post, on our stop in New Jersey. Then the third and final blog post on the trip will be our time in New York City, which will by far be the biggest. By the time we ate breakfast and finished shooting Elm Street Diner it was around 4pm, so we headed back to the room to relax for a few hours. I caught the most beautiful sunset from our window that overlooked most of Stamford. It was the best end to the day.

The next morning, after another great night of sleep, we went out for breakfast at a cute little diner, again right down the street from the hotel. After we ate breakfast, we headed back to the hotel to pack up, check out and head onto the next stop, which was a spot called Bona Bona. It\’s located on our way out of Connecticut, so it worked out perfectly. They have the coolest unique flavor that I wish I could get here in Baltimore. What they do is add a house-made custard to the tops of their cones and scoops, then they char it like you would a marshmallow. It tastes soooooo good. It tastes kinda like marshmallow, but the consistency isn\’t gooey like marshmallow, it\’s literally like a fluffy custard. I wish I could email you guys one, because you would love it.

Ok so here just above is the Bona Bona waffle cone, now keep in mind they make their own ice cream, with some of the best unique flavor combos. They also have trucks where they sell as well as doing events. Hint…Hint…Come to Baltimore Bona Bona!! The ice-cream I tried that I absolutely loved was the frosted animal cracker ice-cream, with some of the custard on top, it\’s shown below. That was one that I completely finished all on my own, because it was just too good to stop eating until it was allllllll gone…lol! TRY IT, I promise it\’s an amazing flavor combo.

They also have some really good milkshakes, I tried the Over The Rainbow and The Italian Campfire. Both shown below.

I really loved the smoothness and flavor of their ice-cream, which was perfect for a milkshake. I had them top the bottom one with the custard, instead of the usual whipped cream. I think it tasted amazing and looks fabulous. I really enjoyed their store, it\’s super fun and colorful inside. There is one room with rainbow sprinkles all over the walls, then the outer room has pink walls on one side, and rainbow on another. It\’s the perfect atmosphere for such delish treats. If you live in the area look them up, it\’s a must try spot.

Well that\’s all for the Connecticut portion of our trip, make sure you keep an eye out for the New Jersey post coming soon.

Before you go don\’t forget to enter the GIVEAWAY below.

~Yes it’s time for another out of this world 🌎 giveaway!~

I have teamed up with some other epic bloggers to give

one amazing and lucky reader $500 in PayPal Cash for the holidays!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

\”Piper & I want to wish you ALL GOOD LUCK because we love ya\’ll tons!!\”

⚠️PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU ENTER!⚠️
If you unfollow after the giveaway ends you will not be eligible for future giveaways ☺️ we will be running one month so make sure to turn on your notifications.
The giveaway will run for a month, from 3/23/21 7pm est to 4/28/21 at 12am est. To enter just click on the above rafflecopter form and complete the many different tasks to double and triple your chances of winning many times over.

Thanks so much for following and Good Luck 🍀 everyone!!

$500 Giveaway & Williamsburg, Virginia Getaway!

Greater Williamsburg Getaway!!

Last week we made the decision to get away somehwere that would make it a.) easy to social distance and b.) be able to take Piper with us. After plenty or research and planning we packed up, got in the car and headed to Williamsburg, Virgina. It\’s a facinating place due to the rich history and tons of fun activities available. There are plenty of shops, resturants, museums, tours, not to mention all of the beautiful holiday decor that lines the streets. As you will see in the images below it was beautiful day and night. The Williamsburg Inn (as shown above) was especially lit up and stunning in the evening. We stayed at the Williamsburg Lodge, which is a cute hotel right in the center of Williamsburg and a short walk to just about everything you can think of. The room and lobby had a very comfy and cozy feel and were very clean, they also kept up with all current COVID regulations, so we felt very safe. The best part is that Piper was just as welcomed as we were, and this is very important to us because whenever we go away we take Piper with us. She is a member of our family after all. It\’s refreshing to see such a wonderful welcome.

We arrived around noon on Saturday, and by the time we checked into the hotel, got settled and headed back out to start exploring, it was around 1pm. So we made our way to Colonial Williamsburg and Merchants Square. This was one of our over all favorite spots, there were so many great little shops, bakeries, restaurants and even a cute little skating ring. We spent hours window shopping and wandering around from shop to shop. Looking at the many beautiful items. We also enjoyed sampling all of the delicious treats we came across. One was a spot called Retro\’s Good Eats, they had the best orange soda and frozen custard floats.

After sharing our delicious float we decided to check out the Williamsburg Christmas Market for live entertainment, hot chocolate and lots of cool vendors. Before we knew it the sun started going down so we looked for a fun spot to grab a drink and warm up. We found the coolest spot called The Corner Barkery. You can go in and order a beer or a bite to eat with your dog, they even have plenty of pup items you can order for your sidekick. We hung out there to have a root beer, along with a Bowser Beer and cookie for Piper.

Then we headed back to the hotel to wind down before going to dinner, which we made reservations for around 7pm at Casa Pearl. It\’s a fun spot that mixes oysters and tacos, which made for a cool and interesting combo. We had the Iceberg Stack as an app, and wow it was just as delish as it was pretty. I ordered a fruity pink cocktail called the \”Pinkity Drinkity\”, along with some fried chicken tacos for my entree. Rob ordered mahi-mahi fish tacos. Finally, to finish off the meal, we ordered the key lime and tiramisu desserts. Everything was right on the mark and the resturant itself has a really chill vibe.

After dinner we headed back to the room for the night to get some rest. The next morning we had plans to visit Historic Yorktown and The Christmas Market on Main. The weather called for a sunny day, so I was looking forward to exploring more of Williamsburg. We www able to check out the Watermen\’s Museum, Riverwalk Landing shopping and eateries, Yorktown Beach and Cornwallis Cave located just next to the Archer Cottage. It was really interesting reading the plaques of information. These particular locations have history that dates all the way back to before the revolution. It\’s amazing to think what those walls or beaches have seen in their time. Piper and I really enjoyed the boardwalk and pier along the beach on Water Street.

We stopped into Yorktown Pub for lunch. They have a great seafood and drink selection. Rob and I are not big early morning eaters, so we just decided to skip breakfast, then wait and eat an early lunch. So, by the time we arrived, both of us were more than hungry. We ordered a little bit of everything, along with two of thier beautiful cocktails, which looked fabulous backed by the sun and sand. Foodwise we got some raw oysters, steamed shrimp, nachos, a burger, and some crab soup.

Everything on the table was amazing and fresh as can be, plus it was nice to see the beach and the water while we were eating. Such a great vibe!! After eating until our hearts were content (…or stomachs, shall I say…lol!!) We made our way to one of my faves, Ben & Jerry\’s, for a couple scoops of icecream. Rob and I shared two scoops of strawberry icecream topped with peppermint dust, all piled high in a

chocolate-dipped waffle cone, garnished with more peppermint dust. One of my holiday favorites is peppermint in and on everything, especially hot chocolate and ice cream.

Needless to say we made that icecream disappear pretty quickly, and then we were back off to the hotel to wind down for a bit. We had plans at 5pm to go to the Busch Gardens Williamsburg Christmas Celebration, which I\’ll admit I was pretty psyched about. If you\’ve never been for this particular event, I definitely recommend it. The whole park is lit up and absolutely gorgeous. The park is set up to feature different countries., and we saw England, Scottland, France and Germany. Germany was definitely my favorite, as I really enjoyed the decorations and fun details. I also think it\’s because I\’m a bit partial as I was born in Germany..lol! While in there we stopped into Festhaus to grab some dinner. Rob and I both had a salad, along with a sliced turkey and gravy entree, which came with mixed veggies and mashed potatoes. Once we finished eating we started looking for something sweet. So we stopped into Three River Inn, located in the New France section, for Gingerbread Spiced Funnel cakes. Oh my goodness talk about amazing. They were soft, warm, and delicious, plus I\’m a huge fan of gingerbread.

Once we finished our funnel cakes we proceeded through the rest of the park by getting on the train. It\’s a great way to go from section to section since the park is a good distance from end to end. After exploring, eating, and having fun, we left the park and headed back to the hotel for a very good night\’s sleep. I have to say the beds at the hotel were super comfy. The next morning we headed out to Billsburg Brewery to get a drink and order some food from The Hungry Pug Food Truck, located right there at the brewery. I was excited to order the pink beer, a Cherry Raspberry Berliner. The cherry and raspberry gives it the beautiful color. It was delish with the Ruben sandwich and soft pretzels with beer cheese, which happens to be one of my absolute faves.

We hung out and at the brewery for a couple hours, then headed to Williamsburg General Store to check out a great little ice cream spot called Bubba\’s Ice Cream Shop. They have all kinds of shakes and sundaes; I ordered the Dulce De Leche sundae, and WOW! Every bite tasted just an Dulce Leche cake. There was also caramel and fresh banana on top, and I can tell you that Rob and I ate the entire thing. I definitely need to get that recipe, because it was that good.

After ice-cream at Bubba\’s we went to Williamsburg Premium Outlets to check out the shopping scene. There were so many great stores to choose from, not to mention the amazing prices. I also thought it would be a good time to pick up a couple holiday gifts for friends and family. I got a couple sweaters from Express and some workout gear (hoodie and matching leggings) from Reebok. I got everything at 50% off so you know I was happy as can be. I saved so much money on gifts for my parents and friends.

That night, we had dinner at Berret\’s Seafood Resturant full of fresh fruit and cheeses. For entrees, I ordered the mushroom risotto and Rob got the salmon. Both were amazing, especially with the cocktails that our waitress recommended. She was very and nice and answered all of our questions. There\’s nothing better than helpful staff when it\’s your first time to a particular place. Barret\’s Seafood Resturant will forever be my first choice when visiting Williamsburg. Did I mention they also have amazing desserts? You guys know I\’m a sucker for sweets and cakes, so I ordered the ice-cream, caramel topped, bread pudding for us to split. Usually, I\’ll get my own but we had been eating all day so splitting one seemed like the smarter choice, plus their helpings are massive as you can see in the image below

After sufficiently stuffing ourselves we headed back to the hotel for our last night in Williamsburg. First thing in the morning we spend a couple hours at Historic Jamestown. It\’s the first permanent English Settlement in the United States. There are so many things too see, including the beautiful shorelines and an award-winning archelogical dig museum. Their many exhibits are full of the neatest items that have been found all over the island. I feel like three days wasn\’t enough time to see everything, I\’m definitely making a trip back to Williamsburg. We genuinely had a great time and can\’t wait to return!!

WAIT DON\’T GO YET!!!

IT\’S GIVEAWAY TIME

~Yes it’s time for another out of this world 🌎 giveaway!~

I have teamed up with some other epic bloggers to give

one amazing and lucky reader $500 in PayPal Cash for the holidays!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

\”Piper & I want to wish you ALL GOOD LUCK because we love ya\’ll tons!!\”

Thanks so much for following and Good Luck 🍀 everyone!!

Halloween Antics!

Happy Halloween

This years costume was pretty simple, you guys know for me that crazy color is the main goal for sure, and this new painted wall in Baltimore City completely did the job. Because it was fresh, the colors were bright as can be. I also love the way that the pink and red worked so well together!! I had a costume for Piper which you will see in a couple of the pictures, we had to take it off because she kept shaking at which time it would shift around to being on backwards. We were the Queen and Pup of Hearts, as I said nothing to in depth just fun, cute and colorful.

The entire costume came from Party City, it consisted of the dress, gloves, headband and stockings. All together with tax it was just over $52. I just added a pair of Guess ankle boots that I had in my closet, along with some heavy pink and red blush, eyeshadow and lipstick. I wanted to wear my OTK boots but didn\’t want to cover the hearts on the legs. so ankle boots it was. Also keep in mind I had to return the original costume, due to stains on the dress where you could see it was obviously wore at some point. The costume in this picture was the second one I had purchased. I think someone returned the first one and they put it right back on the shelf where your girl then bought it. I just feel had they actually looked at it, they would have seen the disgusting stains. So naturally I drove up to return it on the day of, since I didn\’t see the stains until last minute. Naturally they didn\’t have anymore my size on Halloween afternoon, so I drove to another store in Towson where I luckily found another one that was actually new. My point being check the costume before you pay for it, especially with the current virus issues. I\’m sure you agree that it\’s gross to buy something someone else has wore, especially with intimate items like stockings. I got lucky that the Towson store had one or I may have ended up with NADA. But come on, you figure when you buy something it\’s not used right? Yikes was that a mess…lol!! I\’m just relived I was able to get everything sorted so I could catch these colorful fun shots!!

Oh before I forget Piper did a fun growling lion impression on her Instagram page with some yummy Krispy Kreme donuts, you guys gotta see this… it\’s way to cute (CLICK HERE) to check it out. Please give her a follow and comment on what you think, she\’s just to precious in this look. I would also love to know what you or your pups or kids dressed up as this year? I know 2020 was odd as was Halloween due to our current world situations, but we have to remember to keep the spirit of any holiday in our hearts and it can be just as amazing no matter what!!

Love You Guys & Merry Christmas to those that celebrate!!

"The Brunch of Queens!"

The Best Brunch EVER!!

Found an amazing brunch spot today hidden in Columbia MD called The Turn House, it\’s tucked away on the grounds of Hobbit\’s Glen Golf Course, at: 11130 Willow Bottom Dr., which I never knew existed. The decor is modern and classy with clean lines, as you walk in there\’s a sleek fireplace surrounded by a cool vibe with lots of gray hues. Since the weather was absolutely gorgeous we chose to sit out back where you get an amazing view of the gold course. It was very chill and relaxing, definitely an atmosphere that you guys will more than enjoy, I know I did. To start I ordered a watermelon margarita and Rob got on of their house made lemonades, both were super good. They also have great mimosas which are only $7 or $20 for bottomless. My watermelon margarita was full of flavor and had just the right amount of sweet and salty, hence the old bay and salt mixture rimmed glass.

For the entrees I ordered the brisket hash, and Rob the signature burger, fries and summer salad. Mine came in a cute little skillet filled with cubed brisket, white and sweet potato hash, with two over medium eggs on top, all smothered with an amazing cheese sauce. Rob\’s was a brisket burger with cheese on a super soft bun, I didn\’t have any of the burger but I did eat a few of the fries …(which were perfectly cooked). Let\’s just say he was more than pleased as he told me 2 or 3 times, which I can\’t laugh at because I found myself saying much of the same.

For dessert I ordered the cheesecake smothered with a berry compote, topped with two scoops of vanilla ice-cream and Rob the mint chocolate mousse, lets just say by the time we left we could barely move. My cheesecake was so rich and creamy, the vanilla ice-cream paired perfectly with the berry sauce. Everything was soooooo good that you just couldn\’t.. not eat every bite. I had to run 5 miles instead of the usual 3 to feel better about all of the calories I happily ate. If you are ever in the area I completely recommend The Turn House for Brunch, it\’s the best I have had in a long time. Now keep in mind it\’s a bit pricey, this meal was just over $100 so it\’s not an everyday spot, but for once in a while as a treat yasss!! It\’s for sure worth every penny, I can\’t wait to go back and try the dinner menu.

The Ice-Cream Tour 2019

So Much Fun!

Of all the trips we have been on this was by far the most fun because it included the ice Cream Tour and you guys know just how much I love ice-cream. To start off we drove into New York City on the way to the Jersey Shore, which was our final destination. When it comes to amazing ice-cream and milk shake treats there is no better place then New York City where all the fantastic spots reside. One of my absolute faves and the first spot we hit was Black Tap NY, they\’re known all over for their amazing Crazyshakes and burgers so we decided to stop in for lunch. Now mind you the night before we left for our trip I came down with thee worst flu and was more than sick, by the time we arrived in downtown Manhattan I was feeling a little bit better but still a little nauseous which was not the best, especially considering I was about to invoke on the most awesome food and ice-cream trip EVER!! It was really hard to get into it with the normal magical excitement that I usually have, hence my many prayers to feel better asap. When we arrived at Black Tap I couldn\’t wait to get started, so naturally we ordered the shakes first.

The location we went to on 35th Street has a milkshake bar where you can watch them make your shake, so we just couldn\’t help ourselves. First up was the Pumpkin Pie Shake, it was themed for Thanksgiving and topped with a piece of pumpkin pie, a yummy turkey lollipop, plenty of whipped cream and a cherry all piled atop a pumpkin pie shake, in a mini marshmallow and vanilla frosting rimmed glass. The shake tastes like a big bite of pumpkin pie, wow was it delish and right on point.

Then was the birthday cake shake, a piece of birthday cake, plenty of whipped cream with a cherry on top, all piled atop a cake batter milkshake, in a rainbow sprinkle and vanilla frosting rimmed glass. The vanilla shake is perfect because it balances the sweetness of the cake and brings it to the perfect level of yummy!

Then is the cotton candy shake for the absolute sweet-tooth diva, its a tuft of cotton candy, a lollipop, rock candy and whipped cream all piled high atop a strawberry milkshake, in a pink and pearl chocolate and vanilla frosting rimmed glass. This is the one that will give you a major sugar rush and it\’s so worth it!!

Next up is the Churro Choco Taco, another amazing concoction as I\’m a big fan of churros especially when caramel is involved…..yah feel me?…LOL!!

It\’s a Choco Taco ice-cream with two extra crunchy churros, whipped cream and a dulce de leech drizzle all piled atop a cinnamon toast crunch milkshake in a cinnamon toast crunch and vanilla frosting rimmed glass. OMG my favorite by far, and I love that they give you plenty of whipped cream. definitely not stingy!!

The 5th and final shake we got was the Cookie Shake which is topped with a chocolate chip cookie ice-cream sandwich, crumbled cookies, whipped cream and chocolate drizzle, all piled atop a vanilla cookie milkshake, in a cookie crumble and vanilla frosting rimmed glass.

If you are a lover of chocolate chip cookies like Rob, then this is the shake for you.

Finally after we finished shooting the shakes we ordered lunch…lol! Yeah a little backwards but this is The Ice-Cream Tour so the ice-cream is first!! I ordered the Black Tap Impossible burger because to be honest I have been very curious see what they taste like with all the recent craze. Rob ordered the Miso Salmon Salad with a side order of onion rings.

Let\’s just put it this way the burger tasted like a regular burger and a good one at that, I was more than blown away. I was watching Rob lick his fingers while I was eating so the salmon and onion rings must have been great too. As yucky as I felt being sick the food was too good not to enjoy, and I\’m happy to say by the end of our visit to Black Tap NYC I was feeling much better. After hours of crazy shakes and filling our bellies we headed over to a spot that I have had my eye on for some time via Instagram called The Stackery, it\’s located in The Lodge at Bryant Park during the colder months of the year. They have some amazing chimney cakes filled with all types of amazing fillings and hot drinks.

I ordered the Yule Want S\’more (seen right) which is filled with Nutella, a graham cracker cheesecake whip, and topped with bruleed marshmallow, graham cracker and hershey chocolate. Sounds amazing right? With me it\’s always s\’mores for the win!! Rob ordered the Santa\’s Strudel (seen left) and that is filled with a honey crisp and fuji apple house made strudel, topped with \”Schlagsahne\” cream, apple crumble and caramel. Sounds amazing as well right? They both were to die for, and just like Black Tap are aways coming up with fun holiday themed items. I recommend you follow both @BlackTapNYC & @TheStackery on Instagram for some grammable and mouthwatering shots, I know I do!!

Our next stop was at Besfren Cafe, which was not far from Time Square on 5th Ave. We were up for a little matcha and taro yumminess in a cone, that comes complete with orchids. Yes I said orchids, it\’s not often your cone comes with flowers and it makes for a great picture. Normally matcha isn\’t my favorite but we decided to give it another try and to my surprise it was quite delicious at Besfren Cafe. I really like the taste of the taro with it, I guess for my taste buds that\’s the secret.

Well by the time we were finished at the cafe it was starting to get dark and we still had the drive from NYC to the Jersey Shore so we headed back to the garage to get the car and headed out for the hotel. i think I had forgotten just how insane New York City traffic was until we were leaving the city at rush hour, on a Friday night. It took us 3 hours to get to New Jersey…yikes! Either way it was all made second fiddle, the relief of reaching the hotel because once the sun went down I started feeling nauseous again, which was not a welcomed feeling. I had been feeling better the good part of the day and was not happy to have that sick feeling return. We stayed at the Ocean Place Resort right on the boardwalk, in Long Branch New Jersey. What a relief it was to check in and be able to take a shower and relax, the best part about our suite was the bedroom being surrounded with views of the beach and boardwalk. We also had a huge balcony that would make thee absolute perfect chill spot in the summer months as it looked right down onto the beach as well.

I loved that it was clean, roomy and super nice. It\’s hard for me to relax anywhere but home but Ocean Place was so comfy it really wasn\’t hard to settle in and enjoy, which I thought I was going to do but my stomach had other plans. It wasn\’t long after 8pm that I started getting sick all over again, trust me it wasn\’t pretty. Thank goodness for the huge hot shower which helped a great deal. I wasn\’t able to get to sleep until 4am but as soon as I woke up I started feeling much better which made me look forward to the rest of our trip and hoping I was done with whatever bug I had.

They also have indoor and outdoor pools, a full spa, a hot tub and sauna, a gym, room service and a in house restaurant. We really enjoyed a couple games of pool while we were in the lobby game room. Not to mention there is a great little shopping center with all kinds of great restaurants and shops that is about a 5 minute walk from the hotel\’s front doors. The next morning bright and early we want down and had breakfast in the hotel restaurant and headed out to explore the area, coincidentally our last two stops on the tour were in that particular shopping center. The two spots are Coney Waffle, home of the Show Stopper Freakshake and yes it\’s definitely a show stopper, along with Stewart\’s home of the REAL ice-cream soda.

We stopped in Stewart\’s first, there\’s something nostalgic about an ice-cream soda for me, I guess it\’s ice-cream in general really…it invokes or reminds me of those good childhood memories, when life was good and you didn\’t have a care or worry in the world. You also didn\’t have to stress about any of the things we do as an adult like paying bills, meeting deadlines and much much more. Shoot stress didn\’t exist for me at that age. Stewart\’s has a special soft serve, it just has an amazing vanilla flavor that goes perfect with an orange soda. I sure wish there was one in my area, and check out the fun decor it\’s insanely cute.

After Stewart\’s we had lunch at a great little Greek spot across the street, I was only able to eat a lentil soup because of my stomach which did help me to feel a bit better. It was looking like a pattern was starting to form, and not a good one at least not when the sun went down. it seemed now for 3 days I was feeling better in the morning and sick at night, it was looking like I had the flu. I\’m happy to report though that for the first time in days I was back to normal and finally got a good nights sleep, only after all of my Ice-cream tour stops were finished…go figure!!

Anyway after lunch we finally got to stop into Coney Waffle where we met Jason who made us thee coolest freakshake EVER!!

It\’s called the showstopper and wow was it piled high with everything. I picked a cotton candy ice-cream for the milkshake, then piled on top was an ice-cream cone complete with a scoop of icecream, an ice-cream sandwich, a waffle cone with 2 scoops of ice-cream, a wall of cotton candy complete with a lollipop, chocolate bar, and lots of gummy and sour candy. Note I didn\’t eat this shake I gave it away to a table of 6 kids that made it disappear in a matter of seconds…lol!! It was more fun to watch them devour it by far, then we ordered a churro ice-cream sandwich followed by a showstopper cone.

As you can see everything is super colorful and amazing, plus Jason was super helpful and creative which is the coolest when you\’re an influencer. I love working with people that enjoy being extra as F with the ice-cream concoctions!! If you\’re ever in New Jersey I definitely recommend them, they have a few locations in the state and an amazing Instagram account as well, check it out along with all of their amazing creations. Did I mention their ice-cream is Kosher? Yup so you know it\’s the best of the best.

After we ate and shot immeasurable amounts of ice-cream we headed back to the hotel to settle in for the night and enjoy the many amenities of Ocean Place Resort. I took advantage of then hot tub as well as the room service, we had a reservation to eat at the hotel restaurant the next day which was Thanksgiving. In the meantime we schmyed around the hotel and relaxed until the next morning when we ate breakfast and walked the beach for a few hours. I saw so many people walking their dog and it was at that time I really started missing Piper. I wanted to bring her but she doesn\’t do well in New York City, she get\’s really stressed around all those people so we decided against bringing her. By the time dinner came I was feeling really hungry and feeling much better so I was more than happy for Thanksgiving dinner, the hotel restaurant had an amazing buffet with carving stations and all the trimmings. Let\’s just say we were more than stuffed by the time we were done ….we waddled our way back to the room for a very cozy nights sleep. All in all our trip was amazing and the stay at Ocean Place was amazing, Rob and I were talking about how we would love to see it in full swing so we will be going back in spring or early summer. We are more than excited due to the great experience we had this time, I was almost sad to go home. Then I remembered it was time to get Piper which made the drive home seem soooooooo long. The roadways were packed with people driving home from their Thanksgiving travels, so it took us 6 hours to get home when it should have been 3 or 4.

We made it just in time to pick Piper up from Debondale before they closed and headed home. Have you guys ever noticed that no matter where you go, no matter for how long, that there\’s no place like home?

Happy New Year Everyone, I hope you enjoyed my recap of The Ice Cream tour, we will be doing many more in the future. I\’m looking forward to sharing more with you in 2020!!

Staying healthy with Piper and Freshpet

Thank you for sponsoring this post Freshpet, all experiences and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Let\’s Get Fit!!

Ever since my birthday last year I have been making a serious effort to get and remain healthy, by making better choices for Piper and I, such as exercising on a daily basis, eating better, higher quality, healthier foods. Avoiding heavily processed foods and sodium are on the list as well. All of the garbage that\’s bad for our bodies I have been avoiding as much as possible.
The first and most important part of our daily routine would be exercise, this get\’s the heart pumping and which is very important to keep it strong and functioning properly. I live right up the street from a a huge 1/4 mile track at Randallstown High School high school, we go there 3 days a week and walk 2 miles. On top of this in the morning and evening I take walks with Piper in our neighborhood. My friend and neighbor along with her dog walk with us and because of this I\’ve learned something very important about daily exercise, when you have a partner to do it with, you are much more successful at it because you have someone else to keep you company and to talk to. This keeps me from getting bored which is the number one reason I would stop my daily routines in the past. We usually meet up in the warmer months of the year bright and early at 6am (to beat the heat), and we walk for around one hour. Then when the colder months set in, let\’s say from November until April my friend and her pup go to Florida, so with my (talking) walking partner gone and the cold weather as a deterrent I have to really get my determination on point. It\’s at this point that Piper being my only walking partner becomes much more important. I know how much she loves her walks and when she\’s happy I\’m happy, so that keeps me from missing days. I wait until the sun is fully up around 8 or 9 am we get bundle up and get moving. Plus I do much better when it\’s just her and I because we walk faster, she always pushes me to keep it moving due to her literally being the energizer bunny. She walks super fast and never runs out of energy, so it\’s also very important that I feed her the best quality food with the right ingredients to fuel her little active self.

What a task that was because Piper can be really picky when it comes to her food. I had a real task of finding not only something that was made of quality ingredients to give her the energy she needs, it also had to taste good enough to where she would eat it. After doing some research I came across Freshpet dog food, I love it because it\’s made with all natural ingredients, no preservatives or additives, and it\’s refrigerator stored so it\’s fresh and full of protein. I know I\’m very particular about what I put in my body and I\’m the same with what Piper\’s is eating as well, even better she absolutely loves it. Her favorite is the multi-protein complete meal, it\’s full of chicken, beef, egg, salmon and veggies. They have all types of different recipes and choices for you to choose from, that way you can get the food that\’s right for your dog or cat. Yup that\’s right they make both dog and cat food. Check out their website \”Freshpet\” for more info on this amazing brand, if your pup is anything like Piper he or she will absolutely love it because it\’s real food, not some dried up ingredients that have been sitting on the shelf for who knows how long. Freshpet is just what Piper needs to stay fueled up for our more than active lifestyle. It\’s the changes that I have made for us both that will keep us healthy and living long and happy lives together. I\’ve given up soda and sugary candy, in tandem with the daily activity I have lost 30 pounds which is for sure a win-win because being overweight is super unhealthy for both of us because in older age it will open you up to a lot more ominous and not so good ailments. I also read that by adding a vigorous fifteen minute walk to your daily routine can add years to your life, in the grand scheme of things that\’s a small price to pay.

I have also been wanting to work some type of gym routine in to perhaps tone up my body after loosing the weight. I have also been swapping out snacks like cookies and junk food for things like apples, granola bars and fresh veggies with some light dressing. When it comes to Piper\’s snack I did the same thing, I found out that Freshet has fresh meat treats and chews of all kinds and there are many different flavors. Piper loves the Dog Joy Wood Smoked Turkey Bacon, she literally does a little dance when she sees me with the bag. Nothing makes me smile more than seeing her so thrilled about what she\’s eating, especially because I know it\’s not full of a bunch of junk like the other brands. Did I mention they have an amazing price point as well, yeah it doesn\’t get any better then Freshpet. They are also conveniently located in many stores, just check out the \”Store Locater\” on their website to find a store near you that sells Freshpet.

Trust me your pup will definitely thank you for the deliciousness.

Birthday Weekend Getaway!

\”Epic Birthday Getaway!\”

(Me enjoying the lobby common area of The Melrose Georgetown)

Hello Luvs, I\’m super excited to be sharing my Birthday weekend getaway to DC with you all, we had so much fun exploring Georgetown DC. I also can’t wait to tell and show you all about the luxury boutique hotel we stayed in called The Melrose Georgetown, located at 2430 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC 20037. WOW where can I start? We arrived at the Melrose on a Friday around noon, and we were more than pleased to find out that the hotel was just an 8-10 minute walk from the center of Georgetown, right where all the great shops and restaurants are. Once we left our car with valet we checked in and headed up to our suite, wow was the entrance and common area more than grand. It’s covered in all types of classy decor covered in marble and granite, as I told Rob if this is an indicator of how amazing the suite will be I think we are really going to love our time here.

(Front lobby entrance and bar)

(Lobby common room in the Melrose)

(Grand entrance and front desk)

Boy was I right, the suite was beautiful. Just as you walk in the door the is a cute little office with a desk just off to the left. I really enjoyed how they themed the cedar around the constitution, perfect touch for DC. The as you proceed straight ahead you walk into the living room area complete with a cozy couch and coffee table to the right, an arm chair and ottoman to the left, right next to the dresser and big screen television. Then there was a huge picture window with a great view of of the area, and finally down the hall to the left was a bedroom with a queen sized bed and another big screen television. A little further down the hall to the left was the bathroom, all decked out in marble tiles in a law and white color combo. It was more than enough room for Rob and I to spend the next couple days, and OMG the bed was super comfy with crisp clean bedding and pillows. I’m one of those people that finds it very difficult to feel at home in hotel beds, at the Melrose I had no problem relaxing in and sleeping soundly. Once we got settled in and hung up our clothes we got dressed and walked down to the Georgetown waterfront to look for dinner.

(Office)

(Bedroom)

(Living room)

(Bathroom)

The weather was absolutely perfect and because it was a Friday night there were so many different people, all scattered about and walking around just enjoying all the many restaurants to choose from. There where yachts docked on the peer and the sun was just setting so e sat down at some outdoor tables and just enjoyed the scenery. Nothing is more fun than eating a good meal and doing a bit of people watching…lol! After we finished eating we stopped into a gelato shop that we saw on the walk up… for a couple scoops of course. Then we headed back to the hotel to relax and rest up for a day of birthday fun, we had plans to do a couple shoots and go out for dinner. When we made it back to the room we enjoyed some fruit, cheese and a glass of wine before turning in and because we slept both cozy and comfortably, we were able to get up bright and early the next morning.

(Fruit, cheese and wine at The Melrose before bed)

We made sure to stop into the hotel restaurant on our way out and boy was it good. I had an egg white omelette and Rob had the waffles topped with fruit… both were amazing. Needless to say we ate breakfast there the next morning as well, it was that good. Once we filled our bellies we set out for Main St in the heart of Georgetown, there is a great little spot up there called Greenworks Florist, it has pink floral walls that are beautiful and I was very eager to take some pictures there. On the way back we stopped into several stores and shops to look around and explore though I have to say I didn\’t buy anything but an ice-cream cone. We did stop into Kate Spade where I saw thee single cutest little french bulldog bag, only bummer was to small, I could barley fit my wallet so that was a no go. We also came across some cute walls, so you know we had to stop and shoot a couple pictures. By the time we got back to the hotel it was almost 4pm and we were exhausted, so we settled in and relaxed until 7pm when we had a reservation at Jardenea the hotel restaurant.

(The old Greenworks Florist in Georgetown)

(Cute alley mural we came across in Georgetown)

(Blind Whino Painter Church)

Wow that was a dinner to remember, everything from start to finish was delicious. First I ordered the barley and lentil soup and Rob ordered a fall and mixed greens salad, as well as some cheese brioche’ dinner rolls. For our entrees I got the fillet and Rob ordered the blackened rainbow trout, both meals were seasoned just right and cooked to perfection. It\’s very rare that we both love everything about our meals, and eat everything on our plates…or in this case everything they put on the table. The dinner rolls were sooooo good with their cheesy centers. Finally for dessert I got the southern pecan pie and ice-cream, Rob got the vanilla cheesecake and chocolate ganach. My pecan pie was so good and perfectly paired with the vanilla icecream because it was still warm. Let’s just say by the time we left the restaurant we were stuffed and more than ready for bed, plus we had to get up early the next morning for breakfast and start heading back home.

(Soup and salad appetizers at Jardenea)

(Filet at Jardenea)

(Pecan pie and ice-cream dessert at Jardenea)

It was a bummer the weekend was over so fast, but as they say time flies when you’re having fun. I just had to make one pit-stop before we checked out at noon, you guys know I don’t go anywhere without finding the amazing sweet treats that the area has to offer so I can share it with you. I did some area searches and realized that not one but two spots I had my eye on for some time were not that far away from our hotel. I was more than excited!! The first one is a place called The Salt Line, they have some amazing desserts and freak shakes that I had been reading about for a minute. Not only are they delish they are also super decked out with all kinds of yummy toppings like donuts, candy, marshmallows and then some. Plus they aren\’t just a sweet shop they\’re also a full serve restaurant and bar with fresh seafood.

(The Salt Line Freakshake)

(Marion Berry from IceCream Jubilee)

I also stopped into Ice Cream Jubilee which is about 2 or 3 blocks away, you know I had to stop into both. I got a double dip of Marion Berry at Jubilee, it was all piled high in a fresh rainbow sprinkle waffle cone, OMG you guys it was amazing. The flavor profile is epic…a yummy berry flavored ribbon, mixed with graham cracker and super fresh vanilla. If they sold it in gallons I would have bought 5, that\’s how yummy and rich it was. They make their icecream fresh daily and are always combining so many unique and amazing flavors that all work together, like a harmonious song that make your tastebuds straight up want to sing. These are 2 great spots I whole heartily recommend to you guys if you are in DC, trust me your tummy will thank you. Well after our icecream escapades we headed back to the hotel to pack and set out for home, back to Baltimore. On the way Rob and I made plans to make it a yearly tradition to get away on our birthdays, to basically take some time to ourselves to just relax and recharge. I have been learning to pay more attention to self care, it\’s always important to take time for you, especially when you have hectic on-the-go busy lifestyle like we do. I know one thing, we will definitely be going back to The Melrose. I plan to see what other locations they have in the US because I’m excited about the adventures and possibilities ahead. For more info on The Melrose Georgetown check out their website at: www.melrosehoteldc.com, see if there is a location near you.

(Me relaxing in the Melrose Lobby)

(The view from our suite)

(Breakfast at the Melrose)

(Me enjoying the cherry on top)

Blogger Babe Tees with Custom Ink

This post is sponsored by Custom Ink and all opinions and experiences are mine and mine alone.

\”The DMV Blogger Brunch!\”

I’m so excited to be putting this post together, as most of you know we love putting together fun blogger events, that way I can hang out with some other ladies in the area so we can bounce ideas off of one another. This helps me to be the best blogger I can be, as well as getting to know my peers. We recently had a little DMV Blogger Babes Brunch in DC this past weekend and I thought what could be more fun then to make DMV Blogger Babe Tee’s. So I started my search for a good spot, that’s when I came across Custom Ink in Bethesda. They are fantastic because they make the process so easy and their employees couldn’t be more helpful. All I had to do was go online to their website and make and appointment to stop in.

They have the coolest atmosphere where you sit down and work with your designer to create a cute logo or design. They have amazing in depth programs on their computers that include every niche’ you can think of and in every color. It doesn’t take long and if you aren’t quite sure what you want no worries, they can more than help you with ideas to create something that puts a smile on your face. Then they deliver it right to your front door for an unbeatable price. I was surprised at how patient they were because you know I take Piper everywhere with me and this particular day she was being more than obnoxious. Add Rob running around with the camera taking pictures, then moving things about and you have a real circus.

They have much more than t-shirts too, Custom Ink can put your fab new personalized design on just above anything. Jackets, cell phone cases, water bottles, bags, hats and much much more. The t-shirts I got were an absolute hit because they were so soft and luxe feeling, not to mention the fantastic logo we came up with made everyone make that cute ahhhhh sound when they saw them. I was definitely going for something I knew everyone would want to wear on a regular basis, something that would match just about anything. I realized that you can’t go wrong with light pink and a v-neck when you have a group of female bloggers. In fact Custom Ink made the process so enjoyable that I’m already thinking up ideas for the next Blogger Babe get together. I can say I more then recommend them for all of your customizing needs.

I think for the next meeting I may have some phone cases and zip up hoodies made for the cold season. They had some amazing Under Armour and Nike hoodies that looked and felt super soft and warm, I know the girls would absolutely love those. Sound off below and tell me what you would make if you could, and give your girl some good ideas. With all the different choices they have, I just don’t know if I can decide. I was thinking perhaps a brunch picture, like a little mimosa or Bloody Mary design/logo, that may be super cute and fun.

Well Piper and I have to get packed, we will be staying in Washington DC for the next 3 days so I better get going. In the meantime definitely keep Custom Ink in your memory for your future needs, you definitely won’t find better. Just check out their website to find a location near you, because there are many stores.

Have a wonderful day luvs!

Our Stay in Ocean City with Aloft!!

(This post is sponsored by Aloft Ocean City, all opinions and experiences are mine and mine alone.)

\”Our Aloft Weekend Getaway!!\”

There’s nothing like a good weekend getaway to refresh you and make you feel like new again. I’ve had some craziness the last couple months and Our little weekend getaway was just what the doctor ordered. There is nothing like fresh ocean air, sand under your feet, hanging out poolside and just enjoying the sun on your skin. Everyone knows that your trip is just as good as the hotel you stay at which is why we’re more than happy we stayed at Aloft Ocean City. Because the staff greet you like family the atmosphere is fantastic and we felt super comfortable, plus they’re very pet friendly which is a big think with us because Piper always joins us. The rooms were beautiful with a sleek modern decor, I really loved the colorful rugs and wall hangings. You guys know how I love a good splash of

color, plus they even provided a bed and bag of goodies for Piper. It had cookies and toys, which automatically made her feel right at home as well. The rooms have little refrigerators, a safe, WiFi, smart TV’s, boy I could go on and on. Our balcony looked over the back of the property which was a stunning view, especially in the evening when the sun set you could see the beautiful colors over the water. There was also a view of the bay and swimming pool area, as well as their private beach where you could do some paddle boarding and kayaking from.

After we settled into the room and unpacked we then put on out swimsuits and headed for the pool, there’s a great little bar out back where you can order food and drinks, as well as swim and lay out. They also have live music at different points during the day and it was great!! I definitely recommend the Bavarian soft pretzels, omg so so good. There is also a little food counter in the hotel where you can order breakfast lunch or dinner, along with some great snacks and drinks. Everything Rob and I ordered we enjoyed so I’m gathering it probably all was. I saw this yummy corned beef hash selection on the breakfast menu, but due to my recent stomach issues wasn’t able to get it but Rob did and wow did he love it. After we ate dinner we took a walk to the beach and checked out a few stores, then after a long day of driving we retreated back to the hotel and turned in early to rest up for the next day.

We woke up at 7am and started showering and getting dressed, we ate breakfast and headed out to the Boardwalk for a little early morning walk with the dog. Then we hopped in the car and headed to Rohoboth Beach so I could check out Mug & Spoon, a fantastic little freakshake spot. We had thee funnest shoot, the shakes were so colorful and absolutely amazing. They had 4 or 5 different shake choices and all types of amazing and unique icecream flavors, coffees and cookies. If you are ever on Rohoboth definitely stop in, your tastebuds will thank you. After lunch, milkshakes, alot of boardwalk and beach walking we retreated back to the Aloft hotel for some poolside rest and relaxation. Piper sat on the sun chair with me while I ordered some soft pretzels and together we enjoyed them and the amazing weather. To be honest this is what we did most of the trip, the hotel was so relaxing we really didn’t want to leave, at least I know I didn’t. There are so many amazing amenities and comfy common areas, they also have pool and game tables for adults and kids alike.

By the time the day came to an end I had a nice tan and was more than recharged, sometimes you just need to get away for a couple days. The daily stresses of life in general can be exhausting, so I was more than sad we had to go home the next afternoon. We did get up early so we wouldn’t miss a single minute, and we were also meeting my mom for breakfast. She lives about 20 minutes outside of Ocean City, so every time we go to the beach we have this little thing where we always meet up for breakfast. I always love seeing my mom, I sure wish she still lived right down the street from me. It’s tough with her living 3 hours away because I don’t get to see her much any more.

You guys know no matter where I go that I always find you the best of the best when it comes to icecream and shakes, so after breakfast I wanted to make sure I got a shoot in with my all time Ocean City favorite… Kohr Brothers, they have thee most amazing frozen custard. Their cones are covered in chocolate and sprinkles, then to add an extra pop of color I added a delish Boardwalk lollipop 🍭and wow was it cute. After our little photo shoot we had a little lunch and Doughroller and started back for the hotel to pack up and check out. I was sad to leave Aloft, it was so nice and will definitely be the only place we stay from now on when we go to the beach. I for sure recommend it to all, you will more than love your time there.

All in all our beach trip was amazing, all three of us had an amazing time. It’s something that we do every year because like I said above it really helps to just get away for a few days and refresh yourself. I definitely think we will more than love Paris, I’m more than excited to be going in September. I also think we will be taking a little DC staycation between now and then, something fun to mix it up!! Well here’s to a wonderful weekend, enjoy the weather and stay cool.