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Vegas

We went to Vegas for our anniversary back in July with our good friend John and his son TK. It was the first time I had been to Vegas since 1993. To say I was excited to go would be a gross understatement. First of all, I love to travel and I feel like I’ve gone nowhere this year. Secondly, I love being able to get dressed up and enjoy a night out. Lastly, I was excited to see how Vegas had changed since my last visit in the early 90s. I also packed eight dresses since I relished the opportunity to get dressed up.

As expected, the weather in Vegas was hot. Fortunately, it wasn’t terrible since we come from south Florida where it’s always hot. We also missed some severe weather that hit earlier in the week. I don’t love the dry heat. To be more accurate, my skin, lips, sinuses and hair do not love the dry heat. My lips were chapped and my hands were so dry. I opted to not blow dry my hair to avoid damaging it. So if you go and you’re not from an arid climate, make sure you bring lotion, saline nasal spray, and chapstick.

There are plenty of hotel options on the Strip. We had a beautiful suite at the Cosmopolitan with a wrap-around balcony. The room and the views were absolutely stunning. In fact, the guys really enjoyed the nice views of the pool club that was beneath our balcony. If you’re booking a room at the Cosmopolitan and like your quiet, you’ll need to ask for a room away from the day club/nightclubs. Otherwise, the sweet driving base of a club anthem will put you to sleep or keep you up.

Our friend stayed at the Palazzo so that we would walk over there in the morning. Naturally, we’d grab our Dunkin’ coffee on the way. Be aware that a Dunkin’ coffee will set you back $8 on the Strip. It was too far to walk back at night in heels so we would take a cab. Each cab ride set us back $25-$30 per ride. The cab costs definitely rack up quickly. I will say that the cab and Uber drivers in the city were consummate professionals and pleasant.

While I thought the cost of breakfast was ridiculous, the cost of our fancy meals (be it dinner or lunch) was completely reasonable. By reasonable, I mean they’re in par with what you’d expect to pay at a similar restaurant in South Florida. These meals were next level in every way. My favorite was Mizumi at the Wynn. The level of service they provide was second to none, as was the food. In fact, I desperately needed a Band-Aid due to blisters that had developed on my feet. The hostess got several from security, which was so appreciated.

The next night, we ate at Cut, which is located in the Palazzo. Luke and I enjoyed a Wagyu steak, which was so good. The appetizers, including a seafood tower, were extraordinary. Again, the level of service provided was second to none. The next day, we ate at Bouchon for lunch. I cannot wait to go back for dinner. We ate a Delilah that night, which is such a cool place. When you walk into it, you feel like you’ve walked into The Great Gatsby. Again, the food and service were incredible.

The last day we had lunch at China Poblano in the Cosmopolitan. I really enjoyed it. For dinner, we ate at Sushi Samba, which is a Brazilian, Peruvian, and Japanese fusion restaurant. I really enjoyed Sushi Samba. Like Mizum,i you share the dishes, so the portions are not ridiculously huge. It was the perfect way to end our Vegas trip. Needless to say, it will take no manipulation to get me back to Vegas.

I know what you’re thinking. Your Vegas blog is all about food. It is, but it can’t be helped. You can’t miss the culinary scene in Vegas. We didn’t have one bad meal or bad service anywhere. When we weren’t eating, we were playing the slots at the casino or sleeping off the lunch mimosas in the sauna. I did quite enjoy my time at the Canyon Ranch Spa and would highly recommend you visit it if you have the chance.

2025 Goal Tracker:

  • Run a 5K: still training, signed up for a 5k on 9/20!
  • Complete Kayla Itsines program: finishing 2.0 this week!
  • No afternoon Starbucks (except for travel/vacations): I made it into September and haven’t buckled!
  • Top performer at work: on it!
  • Travel: went to Vegas, but lots of work to do here.
  • Eat to lower inflammation: in progress
  • Read daily: in progress. I’m reading The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins as part of my summer of re-reads.
  • Get out of debt: in progress, but still poor
  • Financial independence: in progress, but still poor

What does your ideal home look like?

My ideal home looks like the one I live in now, only cleaner and with a pool, sauna, and all my kids home. I don’t need a lot, but I do need my family and dogs.

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Long Weekend

I made the most of my long weekend and I hope you did as well. It was our first Labor Day in well over a decade that hasn’t revolved around a hockey tournament. Admittedly, I felt a bit lost going into the weekend without the hectic run up to the season’s first tournament. I got my fill by following the Mayor’s coaches teams. Nevertheless, it was nice to be home and relaxing instead of running around Orlando.

So true

Saturday we just chilled around the house. I was exhausted from a busy week and not sleeping well due to the prednisone. I did manage to bake a rustic French apple tart to take to the Kennedy’s for dessert. We enjoyed some yummy food courtesy of Sicilian Oven for dinner, followed by a nice swim in the pool. After our swim, we had dessert and played games with Ava. In what must be one of life’s greatest mysteries, the game Hi Ho Cherry-o that features cherry shaped fruit (down to the stem) is an apple picking game. Maybe I was just too sober to play it.

Sunday I made a rum cake and was going to make short ribs, but I was way too tired for it. The rum cake, however, was mighty tasty. It was my first time making a Bundt cake, which was fun. I was worried that cake was going to get to stuck, but it came out beautifully. The rum flavor was apparent, but not overpowering. I used rum I bought in the Turks and Caicos. The rum was beautifully fragrant as I cooked the syrup. I binged season 1 of White Lotus while I baked. We also spoke to all three boys, which was nice. All three are doing great.

Yesterday I binged the Flight Attendant season one while I worked on purging my closet. The preponderance of stuff in said closet, I no longer use. I still, however, am finding it difficult to part with my old work clothes. There could come a time when I need clothes for work that don’t come from Fabletics. I really enjoyed the Flight Attendant. It’s a well written and well acted show. We started season two last night as I baked the short ribs. Prior to starting dinner, I bought some new running shoes! After dinner, I could have used a whatchamacallits or some other chocolate to satisfy my sweet tooth.

What does your ideal home look like?

My ideal home is the one in which I currently live. The only difference is it would be super clean, cleaned by anyone other than me preferably, and full of doggos. I love our current house and wouldn’t want to move out anytime soon. Now that the boys have moved out, we can start fixing it up and making it ours.