Relaxing Girlfriend Time

 

  After a whirlwind summer, start to fall and fresh jet lag from Italy, my good friend and I wanted to hang out and catch up, but also craved something low key and def needed some relaxation. 
So... what did we do?
First, we started out with massages at Massage Heights, where I got my first ever hot stone massage - and it was wonderful!  The heat from the stones help muscles to relax, releasing muscular tension while also helping to increase circulation through the blood vessels and the lymphatic system, getting rid of your body's toxins.  But the TLDR version is: It felt so good, especially for sore and extra tense areas. I carry my stress in my shoulders, upper back and neck - so they were able to concentrate in that vicinity, which was amazing.

We almost did a couples massage, but decided to save the chit chat for a dinner following and went to our own rooms. But Massage Heights has both single and couples rooms with locations all over to find one convenient for you and your situation.

After coming out of our hour of bliss, we pulled ourselves back together and headed to Houlihan's in Fairway to try out their new seasonal menu.  I really enjoy Houlihan's in general, definitely their happy hour, but their seasonal menus always have some delicious and surprising items that I love to try!  
The current menu might be my fav yet - and good news, if you fall in love with something, like I usually do, there is a good chance they'll move it to the main menu (which they do for popular items).  The grilled chicken nachos and the ding dong martini were my two favs from this season (and I've already had that martini again since).
And yes, that is a real Hostess Ding Dong on that drink! Talk about a fun(ny) surprise and delight! And tasty. Not sure I've had one of these since 6th grade, but I'm not mad about reintroducing myself to this little delight in my 30s!

(bonus for left overs!)
So, do yourself a favor, grab a girlfriend (or many), and plan a date to relax, catch up and enjoy - especially during this crazy holiday season! 
Outfit details (for those that have asked about these shoes on IG - they are also VERY comfortable and holding up great! Love them):

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Welcome to Kansas City, True Food Kitchen!

  Opening TOMORROW on Tuesday, March 27th, True Food Kitchen on the Country Club Plaza at Ward Parkway and Pennsylvania, where Plaza III used to be. And you are going to loooooove it! I got to be a part of the soft opening with a full blown meal last Friday, and I was blown away. 
First, by the space... it is beautiful and I can't even figure out how it was ever Plaza III. It's like night and day. I love the bright, airy. open concept with a fresh color scheme balanced with neutrals. I see this spot being a great brunch, lunch and dinner environment - whether on a date, with friends or colleagues during work.
Second, and probably more importantly... the food could not be better (check out their menu). It's interesting, healthy and tasty with a wide variety to suit everyone's diet preferences and flavor cravings (ones you didn't even know you had!). Their philosophy is about food making people feel good (not worse) without giving up flavor or satisfaction. Part of their core team includes a doctor of integrative medicine, who believes delicious dining and conscious nutrition can go hand in hand (read more about it). 
I'm so glad this now exists in Kansas City. They've been around - are in lots of other places, too (check their locations out) - so make sure to give them a try!

It's not just their food that is amazing, their drinks are incredible! They have a wide variety of freshly juiced and concocted non-alcoholic beverages, as well as cocktails.  I got the hangover Rx juice, and my friend got the Juniper Rose cocktail.  Both we so tasty, and came adorned with fresh plants.

After getting our drinks, we started with some appetizers - which is one of my favorite parts of any menu because I love to taste a lot of things and snack. We decided on their kale guacamole (includes cilantro, grapefruit, and per the name - kale) and charred cauliflower (which includes a surprise of dates!).

I was blown away straight from the get go. YUM basically sums it up. I wasn't sure how'd I like the gauc, as I've tasted other restaurant's versions mixed with fruit, but this was subtle and added interest I loved. The cauliflower dish can't be missed. It was so good at every bite. I was surprised by the sweet inclusion of the dates with one bite and then pistachios the next, loving every bite.

Our main dishes were perfection. I had the turkey burger - which very well might be my favorite version ever had, - with sweet potato hash while my friend had spaghetti squash, tomato and mozzarella dish (it was like a pizza bowl). We were both very happy! :)

I wasn't sure how I was going to eat another bite by the time dessert came... but somehow I managed. Really the first sniff of the flourless chocolate cake with non-dairy ice cream did it for me. And the key lime pie moose atop crushed almonds and topped with strawberries were very refreshing.  I will dream about that cake though...

The entire staff was so friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming, and I'm in love with the entire philosophy of True Food Kitchen. Even from the very beginning, walking in entering past the growing herbs at the front. You already get a sense for what you are about to experience before you even open the door.  The menu is very easy to understand what you can/can't eat based on your diet with tons of gluten free (most of the items!), vegan and vegetarian options. 

Big thanks to True Food Kitchen for having us out to be part of your opening. We are SO glad you are here, and I look forward to bringing my family and more friends again.

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Travel with easily with Verizon!

  On Monday evening, I had so much fun attending a happy hour hosted by Verizon to show off some of the new (and really freaking awesome) gadgets that are going to make travel so much more fun (and memorable).  This is the perfect time for me to be exploring these new tech products, as I have a few awesome trips planned for the rest of the year, and I'm all about capturing those memories and finding easy ways to take my life with me when I'm on the road.
The event was hosted at The Monarch Bar on the west side of the Plaza - this space is so beautiful, and the back private room was especially cool, decorated with different textures of black. My friend, Tiffany of My So Called Vegetarian Life, and I were obsessed with their mint-cucumber cocktail, the Viceroy Revisited.
Some of my favorite highlights from the event:
 I totally want the Lifeprint 2x3 Portable Photo & Video Printer - a great way to print pics on the go (hello instant gratification). And I like this gadget over some other instant pics, because you can print from your favorite picture from your phone, after you've been able to edit accordingly, too.
A product that I actually got from the event, is the Google Clip. It's a hand-free camera that captures motion and still photos and sends them straight to your phone.  Great for adventure experiences or when you're looking to be handsfree!
Verizon also offers total mobile protection, so no matter where you are, if something goes wrong with your phone (like a cracked screen or stolen phone), you are covered with fast repairs and even phone replacement.  And I especially like the one-tap access to tech experts for everything else.

 This blog post is in partnership with Verizon Wireless, but all content are my own opinions!

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A Frozen Easter & Cozy Brunch!

  Our Easter was filled with sleet/ice and COLD.  Not very Easter like, but we got in church and brunch with my family at (one of my quickly becoming favorite brunch spots) American Slang Modern Brasserie, located within the Intercontinental Hotel just off the Plaza.  It's always so bright and cherry in there, despite the grey outside, with a great view of the Plaza - and wonderful food and drinks! What more could you want?  You can see my last visits here and here.
You can also see a pretty dramatic difference in Liam from the last post - just a few days prior to Easter morning. He got a major haircut the day before (just in the nick of time) - and we let him have total creative freedom. It had been way too long, so I was just glad to tone down that puff ball, and now he looks SO old!
Nora has become obsessed with drinking her (kid-friendly) drinks out of my old coffee cups and calling it her coffee - so they were really sweet to give the kids their chocolate milk in to-go coffee cups.   She thought she was pretty cool. ;)
We ended up not making it to my larger-family gathering later that evening, as the weather really picked up and we were seeing lots of accidents on the roads. We decided not to risk it, and I ended up cleaning out both kids closets and dressers! So I call that a win, plus we had a wonderful morning with my parents (just missed my sister!).  Hope you all had wonderful Easters!
Our Easter Outfits:

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Kansas City Treat: Waffle Bar

  KC has a (semi) new sweet pop up shop up right now.  The Waffle Bar is the perfect mix of savory and sweet and is located on the east side of the Plaza, at Central and Ward Parkway (behind the Apple store).  They have all kinds of mixtures and options - you can add ice cream to your waffle, lots of different toppings to choose from and even eat it off a stick.  The waffles are airy and fluffy, so depending on what you get on top, it actually didn't feel super heavy.
We went over the holiday break (so a couple months ago now), but I'm looking forward to going back when the weather is a bit warmer. It's a super tiny spot, so only fits about one group, with only one table - so keep that in mind!
Whether you need a break from your healthy New Years resolutions or to get your kids out of the house for a special treat - it's worth checking out!  I know my kids thought it was super cool - and they loved picking out their toppings.  Here are a few pics of our adventure and treats:

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Sweet Baby Sprinkle

 

  One of my dear friends, Bre, is having her second baby girl any day now!  Last month we gathered and my current favorite brunch/lunch spot, American Slang Modern Brasserie, to celebrate!  You can see my last visit for more pics on the bright space here.  I love hosting a brunch or lunch at a pretty space for any kind of get together, but especially celebrations, like showers/sprinkles. It's a nice way to celebrate without all the stress that comes with hosting at my own home.  We kept it simple so that we could enjoy this time together with the girls chatting and eating. 
My friend Tiff (who has a vegetarian blog here), and co-planner, brought these beautiful flowers from the Little Flower Shop that added the perfect decor to the table for the occasion - and we kept the decoration at that since the space was also already so bright and pretty.  I love all the gifts she got - when it's your second, especially the second of the same gender, you get things that are just fun and sweet, vs items you need!  One of the gifts she got is this book, the Daring Book for Girls, which is now on my list for Nora.
If you haven't checked out American Slang yet, you definitely should! It's a great new spot!  Here are some pics from the day:

{this coat is SO cozy (similar option here) - wearing here, too.  and these flats add a fun pop!}

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