Friday Five {Oct. 25, 2019}

Happy Friday Everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying this busy fall season! Let’s get started with Friday Five!

One – Anniversary Celebration

Here is a photo of our room… we went with the suite and it had a lot of room, even the bathroom was really big! The bed was SO comfortable! We did put the ‘eye’ pillows on the floor when we went to bed… we didn’t want them staring at us. LOL.

For dinner, we decided to try out the Grand Tavern downstairs with Chef David Burke. The tables were a little small, but we snagged a booth the next morning for breakfast. It was quite a popular place for dinner, every table was full when we left!

The food was really good. They had flower pot bread and then we had emotional lobster dumplings for an appetizer. For my main meal I had scallops and Brian had lobster fried rice (10 oz of lobster tail!).

After dinner, we went upstairs to the sky lounge. Before you step outside, you’ll see the Chameleon Lamp that immerses you in a 360-degree video art experience.

The hotel has a great view from the rooftop – the St. Louis Arch! We got a view of the arch from our room as well.

The rooftop was really nice, we must have stayed up there for over an hour! They have private booths you can sit in, so we got to sit outside and enjoy the view… and, Brian got us both a $30 glass of champagne. Yes, $30 each! Oops! But, it was a lovely portion size and the view was worth it! They did have other drinks that cost less, but we were celebrating our anniversary and wanted to toast with champagne.

We wrapped up the next morning with breakfast at the Grand Tavern again. We both got the brioche french toast with caramelized apples. OH, so good!

And, when we checked out we waved goodbye in the blue mirror by the elevator! What a fun anniversary weekend! I’m excited, because I think I already know what I want to do next year for our anniversary. Can you tell? I’m a planner!!

So, most of you know that I LOVE the FASTer Way to Fat Loss and I’ve been with the program for a couple of years. This month’s challenge is a 21 Day Sugar Elimination! Yikes! No Starbucks during the fall? Nope! But, y’all… this was SO good for me! I needed to prove to myself that I didn’t need my beloved sugar filled drink from Starbucks a couple of times a week or that baked pumpkin muffin top from Panera. It feels SO good to be in charge of my body. And, a break from the sugar for 3 weeks leading up to Halloween is such a good thing! Sugar is an inflammatory, our bodies are better without it! Now, if only I could stay on a sugar detox 24/7. Ha!! Annnd, this program is so great in that they now provide a Weekly Meal Plan EACH week! I usually pull a few recipes from it each week, but look at these Pumpkin Protein Balls that they shared in it? And, during the sugar fast they shared a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Chia Pudding, with ZERO added sugar in it. YES, yes, yes!!!

Three – Fall Drink Love

I’ve been really enjoying hot tea lately. Usually I just drink Earl Gray without anything in it, but lately I’ve been loving Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend with a teaspoon of my new B Powered Superfood Honey and a Pumpkin Biscotti. It is a sweet treat in the evening and the tea is caffeine free and the honey and biscotti don’t add a lot of carbs or sugar. Of course, I had to skip the honey and biscotti during the sugar elimination challenge. 🙁

I picked up this Spiced Chai from Trader Joe’s and it is a really nice fall tea, too! It smells and tastes good… 

Jill from Doused on Pink recently shared a Pumpkin Spice Smoothie on her blog that is pretty darn healthy. Oh my gosh, it is SO good. I’ve made it twice now!

Four – iPhone 11 Pro Max

Brian took off work a few weeks ago, because we had to get an Auto Butler done on my car and they only do it during the week. The dealership that we bought my car at is a good 30+ minutes away from our house, so we decided to go to breakfast… then, somehow we landed up at the nearby mall in the Apple store and we purchased the new iPhone 11 Pro Max for both of us! My phone had been a little glitzy, so it couldn’t have come at a better time.

And, can you believe this photo was taken in a dark restaurant with it? The camera is SO amazing on it, especially for selfies! It has a light that flashes and the dark under eye circles that you typically will see in a dark or interior room are gone! And my brown eyes have some color and aren’t just dark holes! Lol! If you love using your iPhone for photos, you’ll LOVE the new iPhone!

I apply this on my face over my foundation and I love the sun kissed natural glow it gives me! The size is perfect for travel.

This spray helps keep your makeup put! You can also spray a little onto your eyeshadow brush before applying for extra stay power!

This face cream will plump up your skin for 26 hours! I’ve tried a few of their other products and love them!

I’ve used this lip balm before and I just love it! It gives a touch of color and makes your lips so soft. Plus, it has a SPF of 15!

I’ve been really enjoying the Briogeo products I’ve been sent in my Sephora Play! boxes. This one I took along on a weekend away with the husband and it made my hair so soft!