Paris / Girl's Trip

Robert and I went to Paris the Christmas of 2013. We had such a blast together but we didn't quite fall in love with the city. Crazy right?? Maybe it was due to my cry sesh on Christmas Eve or because I spent our last night there puking my guts out due to way too many macaroons. And now every time I think of those little monsters, I get naseous inside. Or maybe becasue of the dirty look the man gave me when I hit him with my umbrella in the pouring rain ( I am just a little bit sensitive). Or maybe because it was our first European trip and we just didn't plan very well? We instead did the good ole' "wing it" and we are not the "wing it" kind of people...at all. Needless to say, it was quite the experience;)

Looking back? We totally enjoyed seeing a new city together and being together...I mean I was traveling with my husband and that is one of my favorite things in the whole world. And there are plenty of good times to talk about from that trip (proof here). But the circumstances just weren't in our favor to fall madly for this city like so many people do.

So when we decided to end our Girl's Trip in Paris, I had very low expectations. But this time around, oh man it was different. I fell hard for this city. Robert and I kept on saying maybe Paris is one of those places you fall in love with if you get to return? Go more than once. And for me it could not have been more true. This time around I was able to soak in the french culture and the immense beauty Paris has to offer. Much moreso than before when I was focused more on just the main touristy sites. This city amazed me, I was finally able to see what a beauty it is and how amazingly beautiful it's culture is.

So let's get started on our recap! Warning: Full 4 day recap, so lots of pictures. Prepare yourselves!

Day 1

After we got settled into our hotel and grabbed a bite to eat, we headed to my favorite neighborhood...St. Germain. We enjoyed gelato at the cutest little shop and just relaxed and enjoyed the culture around us.

We then made the long and scenic route to the Eiffel Tower. Paris at night is just beautiful and the Eiffel Tower at night? Magical. We found the perfect little bench by the side of the tower and got there just in time to see it sparkle, in all it's glory. It was the perfect start to our time in Paris.

Day 2 

The next day, Lauren and Holli made their way to Versailles. Since I had been previously with Roberto, I decided to stay back and explore a little on my own. I went up to the Montmartre neighborhood and just explored the cutest area. I stopped at this brunch place and enjoyed tea, fresh squeezed orange juice and pastries. So simple, so delicious and such a sweet time. It was so nice to just sit for a couple of hours, enjoy and people watch out the window in front of me. I think this was the morning Paris really drew me in.

Once the girls returned, we enjoyed savory crepes for a late lunch and then shopped down whatever (super cute) streets we stumbled upon, on our way to Notre Dame.

We then walked some more, enjoying the beautiful night. We ended up in front of Hotel de Ville eating warm churros followed by a glass of wine and good conversation at the cutest restaurant. Girl's time is so good for the soul (and churros).

Day 3

The next morning we made our way to the Arc de Triomphe and decided to go to the top. It was pretty foggy, but still such a magnificent view of the city. After, we made our way down Champs Elysees. We shopped in our favorite, Longchamp, stopped for Laduree macaroons (well I passed, remember the nauseous feeling?;)) and then ended our walk with Croque Monsieur at a quaint little cafe.

Later after a quick stop outside of the Louvre, we ended our night on the steps of Sacre Coeur and soaked in another beautiful view of this charming city.

Day 4

Our last day, was spent on the lawn of the Eiffel Tower taking way too many pictures and eating nutella crepes. A pretty wonderful morning in our books. After we made our way to beautiful Luxembourg Gardens and then to Love Locke Bridge, which sadly was all boarded up besides a few areas on the sides.

Paris, you sure showed us a beautiful and magnificent time. A girl's trip was just what I needed and it was so wonderful spending quality time with my best friends. We were all so, so grateful for this trip!

Check out the start of our Girl's Trip here...

London- The Main Sites

London- Three Musts
London- A Different View

Linking up with Annie, Natalie and Joey

Roasted Almond and Orange Toss Salad

My mom, aunts and grandma have made this salad for as long as I can remember. It is the perfect salad to pair with almost any meal. It is great for date night, for the family or for a party and is always a crowd favorite.

Robert and I paired it with our steak and baked potatoes on Valentines and it made the meal. I love this family favorite and cannot get enough!

Ingredients

Salad:

1 Large Bag of Salad

1 cup sliced almonds

2-3 tablespoons of sugar

1 can of mandarin oranges

Dressing:

2 TBS sugar

2 TBS white balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

dash of Louisiana hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Roast almonds and sugar in pan on low heat until golden. In a small bowl (I always use a coffee cup), whisk all ingredients together for the dressing. Add salad, roasted almonds and oranges to your salad bowl. When ready to serve, make sure dressing is well mixed and pour over salad, toss and serve.

During the summer, my mom will sometimes add strawberries as well and it makes it even better! 

Enjoy!

Linking up with Kate, Mary, Susan and Kristen

Weekend: Valentines 2015

I think this is the first time Rob and I have celebrated the actual day of Valentines together. This was our fifth valentines to be together, but on the day of we have always either been in different cities or it has been game day for Roberto. So to celebrate Valentines on the actual day together was pretty fun and such a treat!

On Friday, we went to the movies and saw Into the Woods, it was ok but definitely not our favorite. Then on Saturday, Rob had practice, I worked out and then we came home for a nap (priorities first) and then to celebrate!

This year, we decided it would be great to celebrate by cooking dinner together. And it was wonderful. We listened to Michael Buble radio and cooked the night away. We made steaks (using this recipe), baked potatoes, the best salad ever and homemade biscuits...and it was all so good, we were pretty dang proud of ourselves!

 Here in Poland, there is no such thing as canned biscuits. So when the husband's only request was biscuits, I knew it had to be homemade. And? They were so, so easy and so, so good. Recipe here.

We followed dinner with a V-Day must-chocolate covered strawberries made by the husband and my all time favorite... Dirty Dancing. What better day to ask the hubby to watch the most and best girly movie ever? He's a keeper!

I am a firm believer in spreading the love all year around. Striving to love others daily, the way God loves each of us...with such a great, indescribable and even undeserving love. But I also love Valentines. I think it is fun, whether your are celebrating with your significant other, your gal pals or your family. It is the perfect way to focus on loving those around you just a little extra...making them feel extra special.

And this man sure makes me feel special. My love for him just contiues to grow. He amazes me daily with the way he loves and lives. I am just so grateful to be his wife.

So basically? It was a great V-day! Then on Sunday we ate way too much of our leftover chocolate and binged on Parenthood (which I am currently way too obsessed with).

It was a great weekend celebrating with my love! How was your weekend?

Linking up with Bella, Carly, Biana and Ashley

Five on Friday / 2.6.15

O N E
This hunk has a game tonight! Send all the cheers and good thoughts you've got this way ;)

 via

T W O
Roberto and I celebrated the Superbowl last weekend with a Nacho Bar and only the most amazing White Chocolate Covered Popcorn (check out the recipe here). Much less food than we planned (yours truly got a little lazy) but still delicious! We also saw two more Oscar nominations....The Theory of Everything and Grand Budapest Hotel. Both very good and very opposite. P.S. all movies here are in English (except animated) and have Polish subtitles! Which makes us so happy...we love a good date to the movies.

T H R E E
Have you heard of The Influence Conference? It is a christian conference for women hosted once a year and it sounds so neat. One day, I hope to go! Through a little research I found a podcast led by woman involved with the conference and it has been wonderful so far. Sometimes geared more so to mamas, but I have still gotten so much out of it, very inspiring. They interview different women (bloggers, business owners, etc) and pick their brains. It has been the perfect thing to listen to while I workout and very encouraging...I highly recommend it! Search the Influence Podcast in I tunes if you are interested.

F O U R
I shared more of our Girl's Trip this week! So many pictures and so much love for the city of London. Check it out here.

F I V E
Man, I just love Jimmy Fallon. He comes out with some of the greatest stuff. If you have not yet, you have got to check out his karaoke sequence with Will Ferrell and (drum roll please)...his skit with the Saved by the Bell Cast! It totally took me down memory lane and I loved it.

So glad you stopped by today and I hope you each have a fabulous weekend! Our few plans include...basketball, a little couple workout (i'll keep you updated ;)), a movie night and plenty of relaxation!

Happy Friday, friends!

Linking up with Oh Hey Friday, Meet at the Barre, Five on Friday, and Jennie.

London / A Different View

London is one of those places you could spend months and months in and never get bored. There is so much to see and do and so many areas to enjoy. I firmly believe that it would be such a fun place to live, at least for a year or two. Think I can convince the husband?;)

On our girl's trip we wanted to explore as much of London as we could. We saw the main sites, enjoyed afternoon tea and a show and the on our last full day (before our Harry Potter Tour) we got lost in Harrods (name the movie!) and enjoyed a boat ride to see London from a different view.

It was a such beautiful day to be on the water. The tour allowed us to see and learn about areas of London we had yet to discover.

We decided to purchase the one way ticket which ended at the amazing Tower Bridge and The Tower of London. Due to time, we did not visit the Tower of London...that just means I will have to return one day. Fine by me!

After we admired the Bridge and made a wifi stop in Starbucks, we stopped and ate at the cutest French restaurant on the water. French food in London? Yes and so good. But you are going to France the next day, right? Yes but we couldn't help ourselves, it was so cute and did I mention, delicious?? Next week, I am going to share all of our London tips, including this can't miss restaurant.

Please, if you find yourself in London visit the beautiful Tower Bridge and maybe even a boat ride. Also, I can't forget Harrods, we would recommended an hour enjoying it's loveliness as well...

After Harrods, make the short walk to Hyde Park and explore your little heart out. We only saw a tiny portion of it so once again an excuse to go back (woo!). Next time London, next time.

This place, well I just cannot say enough good things. It is one of those cities were you are filled with awe the entire time you are there. You are able to explore a new culture that is much like your own and yet so different. It is bustling, packed with places to enjoy and is filled with the perfect mixture of beautiful scenery and city lights. And you are surrounded by the sweetest accents...it is quite the experience.

Remember, I have still yet to list all the restaurants you must eat at (I am still dreaming about the most amazing cookie),  jaw-dropping neighborhoods and much more. Us girls put together a list for all of you future London travelers. Come back next week for our tips and we sure have a lot you don't want to miss!

For the rest of our London Trip...

The Main Sites

Three London Musts

Check out my full list of Travel Adventures here!

 Linking up with Annie, Natalie and Joey