All-Time Fave Summer Treat

At last, my family and I are settled into our new apartment. We still have to unpack a couple of media mail boxes, finish hanging up wall art and buying a few things. Now I can start blogging again!



I enjoy indulging in sweets every once in a while but the truth is that there are some desserts that I could do without. Unless we're talking about premium frozen yogurt! I only recently came to savor this treat last summer (2009-mainly because there wasn't any type of premium frozen yogurt establishment in my native Caribbean island) and have been hooked ever since. Not only does it taste sinfully delicious but it's good for you!

Whether it be a cup from Pinkberry's in NYC, Blizz's original flavor in San Juan, or a self serve yogurt from Tutti Frutti's or Sweet Frog's I love them all!

I can't get enough! My flavor of choice is always the original one. I am a sucker for it's tart, tangy and sweet taste. I like to top my yogurt with any kind of fresh fruit, shredded coconut and a bit of white chocolate...so good!



I'm always on the lookout for a new yogurt shop. I think that was one of the first things I asked my husband about the place we were moving to.

What are your favorite flavors?

The Best Chips I ever Ate!

I’m not really a big fan of chips, mostly because they are one of the following: too salty, too greasy or too unhealthy.

All of that changed when I found these wonderful Baked Lentil Chips.  I can’t even begin explaining but I’ll give it my best!  These chips are made from a combination of different beans.  They are perfectly seasoned with a light hint of sea salt.  They have a low sodium content-compared to every other chip out there, so they don’t leave your mouth dry screaming for water.  These chips are not even lightly greasy.  They are all natural- and gluten free.  You can eat them straight from the bag or with dip.  The bag comes with a hummus recipe on the back.  The best thing of all is that these chips have 70% less fat than regular potato chips.

These chips are so good that if it weren’t for my husband I’d eat the whole bag myself!

We get our 4.5 oz bag of chips from Marshall’s for $2.99!

Have you ever tried them?

The best slider ever!

After having driven for what seemed a week but was really only two days my family and I arrived today to what will be our home for the next two years.   Our trek began yesterday morning (Sunday, July 18) and ended today in the evening ( Monday, July 19)

After settling into the hotel we went out for dinner.  We wanted something quick and not to expensive.  We went to a nearby mall looking for the food court but didn’t find anything appetizing.  As we exited the mall we spotted Red Robin.  I was exited to go in because I had never gone and had heard they had good hamburgers.

Here is what we had to eat:

 

Steak Sliders :   This is the first time that I have truly enjoyed eating a slider.  The meat was very tender and moist, the chipotle mayo gave it just the right complimentary burst of gentle spice and the onion rings were very thin and not overpowering.  The only downside was that I ordered the 2 slider meal instead of 3.  These sliders are DELICIOUS!!

 

My mother-in-law ordered the Just-In-Quesadilla®

My father-in-law ordered the Crispy Chicken Tender Salad

 

What is your favorite menu item from Red Robin?

Skincare: Zest Body Wash

I love getting into the shower and lathering up with as much body wash as I can.  Sometimes I use so much that the whole bathroom ends up smelling of vanilla cucumber and aloe just to name a few.  Because I use so much body wash, I run out rather quickly, so I’m always on the look for the next great wash. 

When I arrived to the parent-in-law’s house, I noticed that the guest bathroom was running low on body wash  so I immediately headed out to Rite Aid and there it was-Zest Hint of Honey Body Wash.

  It took me a while to find this gem because I can’t just pick the first product I see.  I’m the kind of girl that has to look at every single product and read each and every label.  I love sweet scents, so this was perfect for me.  This product is creamy and smooth,  lathers up with very little product and smells of sweet honey with vanilla.  It leaves my skin wonderfully soft and compared to other drugstore body washes is relatively cheap. My husband also enjoys it as well, although he is not a fan of body washes.  I would definitely repurchase this product.

Rainy Day

Rainy Day by emmakarolina featuring True Religion jeans

It's a light rainy day up here in Vermont so I was inspired to create this set.

What Bedrooms are made of

It's girly, romantic, whimsical and just draws you in to relax and be happy.

                           

Forever DENIM

I'll never get tired of denim.

What about you?

Untitled by emmakarolina featuring GAP

To Sleep in Style

Beautiful Bedding by emmakarolina on Polyvore.com

In a week my family and I will head out on a road trip so we can move into our new place. I feel a little bit sad because I will be leaving my island but I am looking foward to buying furniture, decorating our new place, discovering new places and meet new people.

We have a gift certificate to Target so I thought it would be a good idea to get either our bedding or our son's bedding set there. Their sets are beautiful, modern looking, stylish and affordable. We have a 15 month old and he likes to play on our bed plus we only plan on staying in our apartment for 2 years.

Our last bedding set had hues of green, yellow and light reds. It was very reminiscent of fall. This time around I'm more inclined towards blacks and whites with a hint of a bright color for the accents as one of my bedding set options.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by emmakarolina featuring ASOS rings

ASOS Star Ring
$6.80 - asos.com
More ASOS rings »

Jessie's Black CZ & Enamel Rock Star Ring
$32 - fantasyjewelrybox.com
More rings »

Rhinestone Star Ring
$11 - windsorstore.com
More rings »

Marc by Marc Jacobs - Starlight Pave Star Ring (Black Size 8) -...
$70 - zappos.com
More Marc by Marc Jacobs rings »

I've been in love with stars since I was a teenager. I love them so much that I have purses, t-shirts and socks with star prints. I also have star pendants and a recently aqcuired pin. Just so you can fully understand how much I like stars I'll let you in on the fact that I have a star tattoo.

I was surprised when the other day I was quickly looking through the latest edition of Lucky magazine and saw a picture of a star ring. It had never struck me that I don't own any star rings. So, now I am on the search for the perfect star ring.

Beach Time

Beach Time by emmakarolina featuring Calvin Klein swimwear

BP. Double Scoop Neck Tank
$15 - nordstrom.com
More tops »

Calvin Klein Beaded halterneck swimsuit
$60 - theoutnet.com
More Calvin Klein swimwear »

Forever21.com - Shoes - Casual - 2078475354
$17 - forever21.com
More Forever21 sandals »

Women's AE Havaianas Slim Flip Flop (Black)
$18 - ae.com
More American Eagle Outfitters flip flops »

Seafolly Capri Tote Bag - Black and White Beach Accessories,Beach Bags...
19 GBP - simplybeach.com
More Seafolly tote bags »

Ray Ban Junior Wayfarers | Offical Ray-Ban Site
$59 - ray-ban.com
More Ray-Ban sunglasses »

3LAB 'Perfect' Sunscreen SPF 55 PA+++
$40 - nordstrom.com

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream for Face SPF 55 PA+++
$35 - nordstrom.com

Amazon.com: Black and White Stripe Beach Towel: Bedding & Bath
$46 - amazon.com

InStyle (1-year): Amazon.com: Magazines
$20 - amazon.com

Poland Spring Bottled Water, Office Pack, 24/Case | Staples®
$5.99 - staples.com

Gap Shorts Dark Blue Denim Patchwork Cuffed Short - StyleCaster
stylecaster.com
More GAP shorts »

The Skinny on The Skinny Cow

It’s been awhile since everyone and their brother has been coming out with 100 calories food snacks.  I’ve tried a lot of them out there and on numerous occasions I have not been a happy customer.  Usually these 100 calories snacks lack flavor or are ridiculously small in portions.

All this changed when I just recently discovered The Skinny Cow and let me say that I will never ever buy any other 100 calorie ice cream popsicle product other than this. 

Caramel Truffle popsicles are only 100 calories each.  Click on the image if you want to know more about the caloric content

The Caramel Truffle popsicle is ridiculously delicious.  It is creamy but not too overbearing.  It’s sweet but it doesn’t overwhelm you.  The popsicle is wrapped in a somewhat crunchy chocolate ribbon which helps give the popsicle texture.  In terms of size you will not be disappointed.

It seems that The Skinny Cow products have been out in the market for a while but I had never seen them in my native island.  What’s up with that?

 

New Find: J.Jill

Ever since having had my son 15 months ago I’ve found that my style has changed a bit. Long gone are the days of fabulous high heels, gorgeous party dresses, cute little skirts, amazing earrings & necklaces and long nights out partying with friends & the hubby. All of these memories of the past have been exchanged for cute flats, stud earrings and comfortable, cute, simple pieces that can stand the test of time.

When I go shopping I prefer stores along the lines of The Gap and Loft so I was surprised when the other day I discovered J. Jill. I happened to eye through their catalog and I was simply blown away. All of the pieces are simple, ageless with a hint of modern. If I could I would get all of the pieces from their July 2010 catalog. The funny thing is that there is a J,Jill store over at Burlington Town Center Mall and I had never gone in it because I thought they sold clothes for older women.

I checked out their webpage and saw that there clothes are more geared towards women 35 and older but I loved their clothes and I’m still in my 20’s.

Summer Affair

My husband wasn’t too hungry when it came time for lunch so we decided to eat something light.  I decided to take everything that I could find in the fridge that would be viable for a wrap.  Here’s what I came up with.

 

{sauté in a pan: mushrooms, low sodium honey ham, chicken strips, red onions, raspberries, carrots & when everything is said and done add some fat free cheddar cheese and allow to melt}

 {take everything from the pan and spoon it on to a whole wheat wrap along with your favorite greens}

 

 {final result: summer affair whole wheat wrap with cranberry salsa on the side along with a glass of Calimocho- diet coke & red wine}

Let’s Throw Something on the Grill

Summertime certainly invites you to break out the grill and throw some meat on it. At least that's what we do.

grilled peppercorn steak, heirloom tomato, baby cap mushrooms & onions, pasta salad (mandarin oranges, julienne carrots, cucumbers, red onions, red peppers, black beans, part light mayo, part light italian dressing)

Bon appetite!

Ring a Ding Ding

I love bows! I love them on my flats and hairbands so why not have a bow on my finger. When it comes to rings I like things that will draw attention and that's what this ring did for me. This is something that I'll definitely be wearing for night's out with the hubby. I had never heard of Fashion Bug before so I'm glad I went in although the one in my area is going out of business.

Cute to "Boot"

My obsession with finding the perfect all year round low ankle boots started a while back. I am originally from the Caribbean so the opportunity to wear any type of boots are slim. But now that my family and I are moving to the continental U.S.A. the opportunities will be endless {insert sly, smily face}

Two weeks ago, I found the perfect pair of boots. It was as if I had heard them call my name. After rummaging through all of the boxes there was only one size 10 pair of boots. Not only was I able to get my hands on the only size 10 left but they were flat. I was in a car accident a few months back and completely fractured my femur. High heels are not an option for me, at least for the time being.

I can see myself wearing these boots with dresses, shorts and skinny jeans.





Now that I have my year round boots, I just need to get myself some ankle western inspired boots similar to the one's that are showcased in Lucky Magazine's August edition.

If I were able to wear high heeled western inspired boots, some of these would definitely go well with me. They not only look good but feel good in terms of price.

Seafood Galore

My family and I are visiting the hubby’s parents’ before we make our move to our new home.  Today we wanted to take advantage that my in-laws were off from work and do something fun as a family (July 5th,2010). We went up to Shelburne Farm and afterwards to dinner.

If you are ever in the Downtown Burlington area (Vermont) and you are into seafood then you should definitely checkout Shanty On the Shore.  The food is excellent and it’s not too pricey.

 

Their menu offers a wide variety of locally, caught fresh seafood, local meat and wonderful sides.

 

  All dinners come with on order of spicy cole slaw and a warm roll with some Cabot butter.

 

 

My husband ordered a small lobster with a side of baked potato and sour cream.

I enjoyed a yummy, scrumptious crab cake dinner with a side of deliciously baked macaroni and cheese-best I’ve ever had. $16.99

 

Afterwards we went to get our son’s stroller from the car so we could go for a stroll.  Here’s the view of the seaport from the parking lot.

 

    Here is a picture of the view as we strolled down the boardwalk.

 

The area also has a cool playground area for young ones.  My son has only been recently introduced to playgrounds but, he was wiped out after our afternoon/evening family time and dinner.

 

What’s your favorite seafood restaurant? 

What kind of seafood do you enjoy?