Around Our House Lately...

Erica Diaz October 2, 2013

As I sit here on this rainy Wednesday afternoon, I have a list of house chores pending... but to tell you the truth, cuddling with Gari and a cup of tea sounds way more enjoyable. These are the little moments you look back on and remember- not cleaning the windows, right? ;) There's always a later on.

Things have been pretty calm around here lately, which is a great thing! Last week I was sent to a Franklin Covey training in Orlando which was absolutely amazing (will share more later this week). When I got home, hubby was feeling pretty under the weather so we spent the weekend relaxing and trying catch up on things.

I did attempt cuban chicken noodle soup from scratch, which was pretty easy and very delicious. The recipe made so much that we ate it for days after! I am looking forward to wrapping up this work week and enjoying the weekend at our favorite pumpkin patch and sipping some coffee at our favorite spot.

Our First Marriage Retreat

Erica Diaz September 25, 2013

Last weekend, Gabriel and I attended our first marriage retreat at the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida. The event was put on by our church and had many guest speakers.

The weekend was a lovely get-a-way, packed with tons of information on how to be a better spouse. My favorite part of the weekend was the fact that we actually got down time to spend quality time with our other half. These are the times when the awesome conversations about dreams really unfold... and for us, it was heaven on earth spending time together because Gabriel has been traveling for work a whole lot this month.

Have you ever attended a marriage retreat? I would definitely recommend it to any couple.

Main points covered:
Communication
Where we come from and how that can effect us
Our dreams
The importance of having heros & mentors
Letting God become the third strand of our chord
....

Oh yeah, and we had to bring Gari because he hasn't had all of his shots yet. Hooray for a successful first family trip!

After A Short Trip To The Mall

Erica Diaz September 18, 2013

Is anyone else dying for some fall weather? It's sort of funny to even be mentioning this - living in Miami and all, but I am way ready! Yesterday, I may or may not have worn a scarf to work in 90 degree weather.

Nevertheless, fall is my favorite season to shop for. Like the outfit below, for example. I went into the mall to "run an errand" and came out with this, along with some preppy, suede loafers. Are you the loafers type? I wasn't. But I want to be. So I bought them. I'll let you know how it goes.

Want a similar look?
Sweater
Pants
Leather Flats
Loafers

Happy fall shopping!

How To Throw A Football Birthday Party

Erica Diaz September 17, 2013

Last week, we celebrated my husband's birthday several days in a row. When my birthday comes around, I really enjoy celebrating it for at least a week (maybe month), and wanted to do the same for his.

How to host a successful football party you may ask? Simple. Provide lots of food, seating and football!

On the weekend before his big day, I invited over close family & friends to enjoy some warm chili, homemade salsas and Football Sunday. We are actually big college football fans and wanted to host the party on Saturday, but it happened to fall on the week of the UM vs. UF game here in Miami, so we figured nobody would join since they were all at the stadium rooting for the Canes! We understood.

So Sunday it was.... which actually worked out splendid - I was able to dedicate Saturday to cooking/baking and house decorating.

.......

Welcome to our party!

Menu:
Tomatillo Salsa
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Guacamole & Taqitos
Chili with Topping Station

Dessert:
Chocolate Covered Oreos/Cherries
Carvel Ice Cream Cake

Thanks for taking a peek into the party! If you would like any recipes from this party, ask away! They were definitely crowd pleasers!