Restaurants with Unique Themes

I'm not much of a foodie, but I do love trying new bars and restaurants. There's something about soaking up unfamiliar atmospheres and people that makes me feel like I've escaped everyday life. I suppose it's the equivalent of taking a mini-vacation, but without the required travel.

That's why I think this story from Hello Giggles is so cool. If you're a fan of pop culture or the unusual (hello, undersea dining!), it's not hard to see why these "themed" restaurants catch so much attention. How lucky are the people who live near these places?

You can view the complete list of restaurants here.

Giger Bar, Switzerland. Inspired by the movie, Alien.

The Way Station, New York. Fans of Dr. Who, eat your heart out!

Red Sea Star, Isreal. It's underwater!

A New Business Website

As some of you may know, several years ago I started a wedding flower business. Flower arrangements are one of my passions. I can't imagine not working with flowers, even if it's more of a hobby at this point than a source of income. It's a fantastic creative outlet and it's certainly provided me with great opportunities.

In an effort to continue bringing in those opportunities, I created a website for my business. Initially I used Wordpress to help me build what I wanted, but I found the interface to be too difficult to use. So recently, I made the switch to a website builder called Wix and I couldn't be happier with the results.

Here is the URL for my business, Big City Blooms - www.bigcityblooms.com. If you know anyone looking for a budget-friendly florist in the Pacific Northwest area, please send them my way!

Blending Baby Foods (or how to make homemade apple & pear sauces)

After purchasing baby food from the grocery store for the last month, I saw firsthand how quickly it can add up. Baby food is expensive! So I decided to experiment with homemade food using a Magic Bullet Blender. What a machine! It works wonders for fruits and vegetables and the clean-up is quick and easy. If you're in the market for a blender, I highly recommend checking it out.

Here are some of the blended concoctions I ended up giving to my boys. Nothing fancy here. Just simple, healthy stuff that goes a long way.

Vanilla Cinnamon Pear Purée (makes 8-10 ounces)

• 2 ripe pears, peeled and cut into cubes (if unripe, steam for 5 minutes)
• 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract

Put ingredients into blender for 30-60 seconds. Add water to reach desired consistency.

Carrot Applesauce (makes 8-10 ounces)

• 1 cup of baby carrots (steam for 5-7 minutes or until tender)
• 2 large Honeycrisp apples (peeled, cored and cut into slices)
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Fill a baking dish with enough water to coat the bottom (1/4" deep) and add apple slices. Bake for 25-30 minutes. When finished, drain the water and then combine carrots, cinnamon and apples in a blender.  Blend for 30-60 seconds or until smooth. Add water as needed to reach desired consistency.

Pears with cinnamon and vanilla. My boys couldn't get enough of this!

Friday Funny

Have a laugh! It's Friday!

Lost cat found next to its own "missing" poster.

Grilled Grilled Cheese

I'm not usually a fan of cooking shows (they just make me hungry), but I stumbled upon this Alton Brown video the other day and was blown away. Have you ever wondered what makes "grilled cheese" grilled? Alton asks the same question in this short video and the result looks so delicious. I will have to try this the next time my hubby gets the grill going. Enjoy!

Crayon Art Sculptures

An artist by the name of Hoang Tran takes Crayola crayons to a new level with her amazing pop culture sculptures. I can't believe she's able to get this much detail on the tip of a crayon. Incredible!
I LOVE the Game of Thrones set, but they're all equally impressive, don't you think?

Beauty and the Beast 

Game of Thrones sigils

Star Wars

Mixology Monday: Basil Blush Cocktail

Summer is just around the corner which means rosé wines will start popping up on menus all over the place. Personally, I drink rosé wine no matter what time of the year, but it's typically reserved for warmer weather. In preparation for upcoming warm days and nights, here's a fun little cocktail to keep in mind for yourself or for entertaining.

You will need:

• 2-3 fresh basil leaves
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 oz. citrus vodka
• 5 oz. rosé wine
• Simple syrup to taste
• Ice cubes

Muddle basil and lemon in a glass. Fill glass with ice then add wine and vodka. Use a swizzle stick to stir, adding the simple syrup as needed. For added flair, garnish with a lemon wedge or a basil leaf...or both!

(Hat tip: She Knows)

What Have We Been Up To?

Well hello everyone! Long time no post, right? Life has been crazy busy lately and I feel like I've treated the blog like a bit of a redheaded stepchild - it just hasn't been a huge priority compared to everything else going on in my life. What the heck has been going on, you might ask? Here's the rundown:

I've been working on decorating our master bedroom, which I'm ridiculously excited about. For the past two years the room has basically been a blank slate with zero personality so I'm looking forward to completing the transformation. I should probably share before and after photos, but I'd like to wait until I'm a bit farther along in the project.

We also ran our first 5k as a family. To be honest, the incentive for me was the free donut at the end of the race (Top Pot Donuts here in Seattle sponsored the event). Still, it felt good to complete something together and I'm sure there will be more races in our future, possibly even another marathon.

Let' see, what else... The boys turned 7 months old. I can hardly believe it! They are finally on solids as well. So far the only foods that trigger automatic gag reflexes for them are broccoli and blended meats. Can you blame them? Here they are enjoying squash puree. Mm... squishy mush.

I was also part of a friend's wedding in California back in April. Man did it feel good to have somebody throw me in a nice dress and then do my make-up and hair. After months of looking completely disheveled, which comes with the job of being a stay-at-home mom, I finally felt like I looked semi-presentable. Of course I bawled my eyes out through the entire wedding ceremony (it was beautiful) and quickly smeared away all of the make-up, but it was nice while it lasted. P.S. I'm convinced that tears flow much more freely after you've had kids, but that's a debate best saved for another time.

We also somehow ended up hosting one or two dinner events at our house PER WEEK during the month of April, which was insane, but also a lot of fun. Then there were trips to the zoo, birthday celebrations, and multiple twins club gatherings.

*Exhale*

Here's to getting back into the swing of things with the blog this week and sharing inspiring things once again with you all!