Disney Princess Half Marathon: Tinkerbell Costume

Skirt: Sparkle Athletic

Compression Shorts: Old Navy

Shirt: Amazon

Sleeves: Sparkle Athletic

Wings: Sparkle Athletic

Don't forget the shoes! Nike has a variety of styles and colors to choose from. My current shoe fave is New Balance. You can choose whatever suits your fancy!

Disney Princess Half Marathon: Aurora Costume

Skirt: Sparkle Athletic

Compression Shorts: Old Navy

Shirt: Amazon

Sleeves: Sparkle Athletic

Tiara: Claire's

Don't forget the shoes! Nike has a variety of styles and colors to choose from. My current shoe fave is New Balance. You can choose whatever suits your fancy!

Disney Princess Half Marathon: Ariel Costume

Skirt: Sparkle Athletic

Compression Shorts: Old Navy

Shirt: Amazon

Sleeves: Sparkle Athletic

Hair accessory: Etsy

Don't forget the shoes! Nike has a variety of styles and colors to choose from. My current shoe fave is New Balance. You can choose whatever suits your fancy!

Disney Princess Half Marathon: Minnie Mouse Costume

Skirt: Sparkle Athletic

Compression Shorts: Old Navy

Shirt: Amazon

Sleeves: Sparkle Athletic

Ears: Amazon

Don't forget the shoes! Nike has a variety of styles and colors to choose from. My current shoe fave is New Balance. You can choose whatever suits your fancy!

Disney Princess Half Marathon: Rapunzel Costume

Skirt: Sparkle Athletic

Compression Shorts: Old Navy

Shirt: Amazon

Sleeves: Sparkle Athletic

Flowers: Claire's

Don't forget the shoes! Nike has a variety of styles and colors to choose from. My current shoe fave is New Balance. You can choose whatever suits your fancy!

Disney Princess Half Marathon: Belle Costume

Skirt: Sparkle Athletic

Compression Shorts: Old Navy

Shirt: Amazon

Sleeves: Sparkle Athletic

Hair accessory: Claire's

Don't forget the shoes! Nike has a variety of styles and colors to choose from. My current shoe fave is New Balance. You can choose whatever suits your fancy!

Half Marathon Training Challenge

I really want to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon. Like, really. It is sold out for this year and has been for awhile, BUT there's always next year.

These next few months, I'm going to challenge myself to be "marathon ready." I need to try and push myself and motivate myself to get my body ready to run a marathon... It's 13.1 miles. It will be AMAZING if I can pull this off!

I also need to get my body bathing suit ready for the cruise this summer AND wedding dress ready for my wedding in the fall. ;)

A Doggie Birthday Party

This past November our oldest dog, Chrissie, turned eleven human years old. She's been pretty sick these past few years, with several bouts of pancreatitis, leaving her now suffering with diabetes. She's also become partially blind, and I suspect, slightly deaf (or maybe she's just playing dumb...).

I wanted to have a little party for her with her little sisters, Mela and Snickers. I made her a doggie cake, inspired by this recipe found on Pinterest.

Mine didn't turn out like the picture (most things I make don't...) but the dogs absolutely loved it.

It contained an peanut butter, vanilla, shredded carrots, an egg, oil, flour, and baking soda- real easy to make. We already had all the ingredients I needed.

It came out of the pan really crumbly; I think I baked it too long in too big of a pan. The dogs honestly didn't care. It smelled yummy, and they were going nuts.

Lacie and I put a candle in it and sang Happy Birthday to her. She was going crazy cause she could smell the delicious goodness.

We didn't actually light the candle for obvious reasons. Our dogs are a bit too hyper to be near fire.

The dogs all scarfed their plate of cake down. They ate almost the entire thing during the week to follow. Snickers (who is a very picky eater) LOVED it and actually wouldn't eat her dinner unless there was a little bit of cake sprinkled all over her kibble. They were very disappointed when there wasn't any cake left.

I need to make this again.

Walt Disney World's Boardwalk Resort

This fall, my mom and I stayed in one of the little cottages at the Boardwalk. They were absolutely gorgeous. I'd love to, one day, go there just me and Ean. It's so cozy, and you get to access the concierge lounge! My mom and I like staying at one of the "Epcot resorts" so we can walk to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios. It saves so much time!

This was our house number.

The outside of the cottage.

Right inside the door to the left.

Down that hallway was a closet on the end and a little bathroom.

Right inside the door to the right.

Looking down the staircase.

The upstairs hallway. The bathroom was on the right.

Our bed.

The sink and tub area. The shower and toilet were in a room to the left.

Kouzzina for breakfast at the Boardwalk Resort, Walt Disney World

Kouzzina is a fairly new restaurant in Disney (and by new I mean, it opened within the past five years). My parents dined here during their anniversary trip in the summer. My mom really wanted to take me here for breakfast because she said it was one of the best breakfasts she'd ever had.

Boy, was she right!

My mom and I stayed at the Boardwalk resort this fall when we came for the Food & Wine Festival. We got up one morning at a decent time and walked over to Kouzzina. Little did we know it would be absolutely packed and that we'd have to wait an hour to get in! We did some shopping while we waited. She kept reassuring me that the wait would be worth it- this was going to be the best breakfast ever.

I successfully remained patient while we waited. We had already decided what we wanted while waiting outside.

Kouzzina is a Greek restaurant with foods such as greek yogurt, eggs scrambled with feta, and kalamata olive toast for breakfast.

I chose to go with the Spinach, Tomato, and Feta Scrambled Eggs. We had made our own home version for Father's Day after they got home from their trip. I wanted to see how the "real" version compared to ours at home.
I have never eaten something so delicious in my life.
Well, I can't say never because I actually say that sentence a lot... but STILL! It was fantastic (another thing I say a lot when describing food...) I pretty much ate the entire plate. I'm not even a fan of feta cheese, but I LOVED this.

My mom got the Greek Yogurt, which came with berries and granola. I had a bite of hers and it was really good! The greek yogurt isn't like the Oikos or Chobani- it is much thicker and tastes very good. If you're not a fan of the grocery store greek yogurt, you probably wouldn't like this. But, if you are a fan, I think you'll find this quite exquisite.

We also got a pot of the press pot coffee. It's a little bit more expensive but totally worth it in my opinion. It's some of the best coffee I've ever tasted (and I don't say that about every coffee, haha!)

Butterfinger Cupcake from Starring Rolls Cafe, Disney World

Just take a moment to soak in all the delicious-ness of these photos.

The Starring Rolls Cafe is located right inside Disney's Hollywood Studios. Walk straight in towards the magic hat, but hang a right. It is on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard. They offer a variety of foods for breakfast and lunch, and are closed in the evening. The inside is very small but packed with a large selection of foods and treats. When we went, it was still during breakfast time, so they had lots of pastries and muffins. They also, of course, had a selection of large cupcakes. We went in for coffee, but spotted this gorgeous cupcake and just had to try one. We had to split it, it was so big! Even then, it was really difficult for me to eat half of it. It was super good, super delicious, and kudos to Disney for making me gain 5 lbs after eating it.

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Scotland

We skipped Hawai'i and the last one in line, Craft Beers.
However, we did go to the one right in between them- last but not least: Scotland.

Scotland was another new one this year. I loved it! I really wanted to eat everything they had. We settled for two of the three menu options (partly because my mom doesn't like salmon and I didn't want to use stomach room for an entire dish to myself).

Vegetarian Haggis with Neeps & Tatties (Griddled Vegetable Cake with Rutabaga & Mashed Potatoes)
Scottish Banoffee Tart with Bananas, Scotch Whisky Toffee, Walkers Shortbread Crumbles & Sweet Cream

Both of these were vegetarian friendly dishes and they were definitely delicious! Normally haggis is made with heart, liver, and lungs from a sheep all cooked in its belly. So all I can say is THANK GOODNESS this one was vegetarian! The potatoes and rutabaga were both really good, too. I loved the banoffee tart. I'm very happy I got it. I was going to either get the tart or the chocolate dessert from Ireland. To save time I decided to get this tart, and I believe I made a wise choice.

Other foods and drinks we did not try:
Seared Scottish Salmon with Cauliflower Puree, Watercress & Malt Vinaigrette
Innis & Gunn Original
Loch Lomond ft. Glenfiddich 12 year
Glenfiddich Scotch Flight

And so this concludes our eating around the world adventure. I need to do this again sometime. Definitely not this year, unless I can find a time in September to go. Even then, it may be pushing it due to limited time before the wedding with all the last minute details needing to be put into order. Maybe Ean and I can save up enough money to go for a 1 year anniversary treat, though we may have to just wait until our 5 year anniversary, haha.

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Desserts & Champagne

Next up: Desserts & Champagne

Desserts & Champagne was introduced in 2000 and is a personal favorite of mine. Well, I did only have one thing from this kiosk, but it was one of my top favorite items.

Frozen S'mores
Seagram's Orange Citrus

This s'mores drink was excellent! My mom and I were really excited to get it. We got it on the first day, haha. I absolutely loved it. It wasn't real thick or creamy like it may look. It was actually not even too filling! I felt a little bit better about drinking it than I would have if it was more of a milkshake type drink. The marshmallows and graham cracker on top were very tasty. We also got one of the Seagram's drinks while we were at this kiosk because it looked tasty and we like sparkling water. You can get these at pretty much all of the kiosks. We kinda got it as a "champagne replacement" since we were having the alcoholic beverage from Brazil at the same time.

Other foods and drinks we did not try:
Guylian Belgian Chocolate Seashell Truffles
Chocolate Orange Cupcake
Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake
Morello Cherry Pistachio Mousse
Pyramid Weiss Cream Beer
Möet & Chandon Ice Impérial
Möet & Chandon Impérial
Möet & Chandon Nectar Impérial
Nicolas Feuillatte Rosé

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Refreshment Port

Destination 26: Refreshment Port

The Refreshment Port is a new one this year. Most of their items featured pineapples or oranges, which are of course very refreshing fruits.

Orange Dole Whip with Créme de Cacao White

It was just a wee bit hard to get a picture of this one since we had it in the evening. This orange dole whip is a spin on the classic pineapple dole whip dessert/drink you can get in the Magic Kingdom. You can also order this as non-alcoholic, without the creme de cacao white. With the creme de cacao white, it is quite strong. Very strong actually. I could only take a few sips! I had to have my mom drink away some of the alcohol so that I could enjoy the orange ice cream, haha. She even thought it was a bit strong. Maybe next time I'll try it regular.

Other foods and drinks we did not try:
Dole Pineapple Fritters
Fried Shrimp with Dole Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce
Fried Chicken Chunks with Dole Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce
Orange Dole Whip
Frozen Dragon Berry Colada ft. Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Greece

The 25th Destination: Greece

Greece, introduced in 1996, is one of my personal favorites. I have had the spanakopita before and LOVED it. So, this time we decided to try something very new and interesting.

Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios & Honey

When I first saw this on the menu, I though, "alright, this is going to be quite interesting..." Then I saw it and thought "well, it looks good enough..." Then I tried it and my life is forever changed. Who would think that cheese covered in pistachios and honey would be SO good?!?! I do admit that I was slightly nervous about trying this, but when I did, I fell in love. This is one of my top dishes, I must say. The saltiness of the cheese blends perfectly with the sweet honey to create the most perfect flavor for your palate. Mmmm. I really want some of this right now...

Other foods and drinks we did not try:
Taste of Greece: Grilled & Marinated Calamari, Htipiti, Eggplant Dip, Olives, & Pita Bread
Chicken Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce
Spanakopita (had this several times before, though)
Dannon Oikos Blueberry Greek Nonfat Yogurt Cup (have this on a regular basis at home)
Domaine Skouras Moscofilero
Domaine Sigalas Assyriko/Athiri
Ouzo by Metaxa

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Canada

I am sad we didn't get a chance to stop at destination #23, Ireland. I was hoping to have a chance to try the warm chocolate pudding. BUT, there's always next time!

So, next stop: Canada

Canada's kiosk has been around since the beginning, 1996. They have a permanent place in Epcot, but their kiosk features some outstanding foods.

Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup

I was really hoping this didn't have any bacon in it, though I had a feeling it did. And of course, it did. I think it tasted pretty good, even with the bacon. I would have loved it a million times more if it didn't contain bacon, but I enjoyed it just the same. I liked how creamy it was (even with the bacon).

Other foods and drinks we did not try:
Seared Rainbow Trout with Bacon, Frisee & Maple Minus 8 Vinaigrette
"Le Cellier" Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce
Moosehead Kager
La Face Neige Apple Ice Wine
La Face Neige Sparkling
Mission Hill Family Estate Syrah

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Belgium and France

Morocco and New Zealand were another two we had to, unfortunately, skip (though I was hoping to have time to try some of that Baklava at Morocco...).

So for the next two, we had them at the same time, and I took their photo together: Belgium and France

Belgium is a more recent addition to the festival. It was introduced in 2010. I wish it had been there longer because these waffles are excellent. I would have loved them when I was younger and visiting. France, on the other hand, has been here since 1996. I have actually never tried anything from this kiosk, though, which I find surprising because I love creme brulee! 

Belgian Waffle with Driscoll's Berry Compote & Whipped Cream (Belgium)

Créme Brûlée au Chocolat au Lait (France)

Sparkling Pomegranate Kir (France)

 We were really looking forward to trying the Belgian waffle and the pomegranate kir. We actually had that one several times cause it was very delicious.

This was the first one we had and I realized I hadn't snapped a picture when I was halfway through it! But anyway, the waffle was excellent. We had it the last night and I wish we had eaten one every single day. The berries were an excellent addition. I also really loved the creme brulee. It had a wonderful flavor and texture. I LOVE the caramelized sugar on top. And of course, the pomegranate kir was phenomenal. I'm a huge pomegranate fan so this was a definite yes for me!

Other foods and drinks we did not try:

Belgium:

Belgian Waffle with Warm Chocolate Ganache & Whipped Cream

Potato & Leek Waffle with Braised Beef

Chilled Coffee ft. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

Hoegaarden

Stella Artois

Leffe Blonde

Leffe Brune

France:

Escargots Persillade en Brioche (garlic and parsley snails in brioche)

Boeuf Bourguingnon (braised short ribs in cabernet with mashed potatoes)

Chardonnay, Macon-Villages, La Côte Blanche

Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Château Bonnet

Beer Kronenbourg Blanc

Eiffel Sour Cosmo Slush

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Japan

Next in the line of kiosks we have: Japan

Japan is a 1996 festival classic. I'd never actually eaten anything from here before which is surprising. They have some good looking food. I guess it's because they have mostly sushi and I have only recently started liking sushi. It's amazing what happens when you broaden your horizons and try new foods.

Youki Tofu topped with Miso sauce, Edamame & served with Grilled Vegetables

Yes, this photo was taken at an odd angle... I'm a tofu fan, so I really enjoyed this dish. The miso sauce was very tasty, and the tofu was actually quite flavorful. Tofu is one of those foods that can be created into anything because it has virtually no taste. I enjoyed what the Japan kiosk created with this one. The vegetables were delicious as well. Not too soggy, but also not crunchy. This is a must-have.

Other foods and drinks we did not try:
California Roll
Spicy Hand Roll
Teriyaki Chicken Hand Roll
Sapporo Draft Beer
Sake: Junmai Ginjo Yuki "Snow"
Green Tea Colada

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Florida Local

Destination #17: Florida Local

Florida Local is very new, introduced in 2012. We only got a wine here, and unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of it. They did have some good looking food, so this one is on my list of must-try's for whenever I am able to go back.

Florida Orange Groves, Key Limen, Key Lime Wine

This was probably my favorite wine, of all the ones we tried during this trip. It had an excellent flavor and was very sweet. I think I prefer sweet wines, haha. It had just the slightest hint of lime which made it wonderful. My mom bought a couple of bottles to bring back home, we loved it so much!

Other foods and drinks we did not try:
Florida Grass Fed Beef Slider with Monterey Jack and Sweet & Hot Pickles
Florida Shrimp Ceviche with Fire Roasted Vegetables & Micro Cilantro
Cigar City Brewing, Florida Cracker Belgian-style White Ale
Orlando Brewing, Sun Shade Organic Pale Ale
Florida Orange Groves, Hurricane Class 5, Florida White Sangria

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Hops & Barley

We had to skip both Italy and the American Adventure Coffee Cart due to limited time and stomach space. I guess I'll just have to go back and try them another year. Ohhh darn.

That means, the next one in line that we tried: Hops & Barley.

Hops & Barley was introduced to the festival in 2005. I've never been, but the food we got this time was a sure treat!

Craisin Bread Pudding with Grand Marnier Anglaise

I like bread pudding. A lot of members of my family do not. Lucky for me, my mom likes it too. This was probably one of the best bread puddings I've had. I think the grand marnier glaze was really the icing on the cake, so to speak. It was incredible. My mom and I got to sit on a shaded bench (probably like the only time that happened) and we people-watched while we munched on this delicious treat. It was nice and cool and a good, relaxing fifteen minutes.

Other foods and drinks we did not try:

Griddled Lobster Tail with Garlic Herb Butter

Lobster Roll with Lemon Herb Mayonnaise

New England Clam Chowder with a side of Tabasco

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat

Rogue Chocolate Stout

Iron Horse Fairy Tale Cuvée

La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Poland

Continuing around the world, next in line: Poland

Poland is also a 1996 festival classic. It does not have too many options, but they do have some very tasty (and very tasty looking) options.

Kielbasa & Potato Pierogi with Caramelized Onions

Can I just tell you how much I LOVE this dish?? That pierogi was SO GOOD. Of course, I'm not a meat-eater, but the kielbasa was not bad either. I seriously wanted to go back and ask for a plate of like ten pierogis. It was delicious. Pretty much everything at this kiosk looked good, so I'll have to save up and go back to the festival ASAP so I can try the rest!

Other food and drinks we did not try:

Zapiekanki (toasted mushroom, caramelized onion & cheese bread with house-made ketchup)

Okocim Brewery, Okocim O.K. Beer

Temptation Zinfandel

Frozen Szarlotka (apple pie) ft. Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Germany

I didn't really technically have anything from the Brewer's Collection, which is next in line, but I did have a beer from Germany that they have there. So I guess I sort of did? Anyway, next stop: Germany/(Brewer's Collection)

At the Brewer's Collection, they have a nice, large selection of beers. I'm not a beer fan, so I wasn't flocking to that kiosk. The Brewer's Collection was introduced in 2003. You can get a small taste of beer, or larger glasses. You can also get a beer flight, which is a selection of beer samplings.

I, however, got my Brewer's Collection beer at Germany. And I drank it all.

Germany is a festival classic, introduced in 1996. It has a good selection of some classic German foods. When I think of German food, I think of bratwurst, pretzels, strudel, and good beer. This kiosk has it all.

Apple Strudel with Werther's Original Karamel & Vanilla Sauce

Altenmünster Oktoberfest

I wanted to come here on our very first evening, because I was itching to try a German beer. I don't like beer, but I wanted to get one and send pictures to Ean! I can honestly say, though, that this beer was quite tasty. I drank the whole thing! The apple strudel was very warm and sweet. I like apple pie a lot, and this was even better than that. I'm really glad I chose the Oktoberfest beer because I did end up liking this one. I am very satisfied with this Germany kiosk. It exceeded my expectations.

Other foods and drinks we did not try:

Schinkennudeln (Pasta Gratin with Ham & Cheese)

Roast Bratwurst in a Pretzel Roll

BraufactuM Darkon

J&H Selbach Bernkasteler Kurfürstlay Riesling Kabinett

J&H Selbach Bernkasteler Kurfürstlay Riesling Auslese

Selbach-Oster Mosel Riesling Spätlese

Weingut Pitthan Dornfelder Dry Barrique Style

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Cheese

The next kiosk: Cheese

Cheese is a fairly new kiosk. It was introduced in 2010, so I'd never been to it.

We didn't actually try any of the cheeses, but we did get a nice wine. They had the Once Upon A Vine collection of wines, and I really wanted to try them because it's kinda like Once Upon A Time. Haha.

Once Upon A Vine's A Charming Pinot

I didn't take a picture of our actual drink, but I did snap one of the bottle inside the Festival shop. They have pretty bottles. My mom, a wine enthusiast, did not care for the taste of this wine. I thought it was alright for a wine. I was the one who wanted to try it, but I only had like two sips. Wine just isn't my thing.

Other foods and drinks we did not try:
Almond Crusted Blue Cheese Soufflé with Fig Jam
Artisan Cheese Selection
Once Upon A Vine's The Lost Slipper Sauvignon Blanc
Once Upon A Vine's The Fairest Chardonnay
Once Upon A Vine's The Big Bad Red Blend

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Africa

Destination #9: Africa

Africa was first introduced to the festival in 1997 as South Africa. It is now just called Africa. Their food looks really interesting, but let me tell you, the food we tried was absolutely delicious. I'd go back here in a heartbeat.

Spinach & Paneer Cheese Pocket

We went to the Africa kiosk at the same time as we went to the South Korea one. We walked around forever trying to find a place to at least stand and eat these dishes. It was right during lunch time on a hot Friday afternoon. They were closing off the bridge so they could bring a boat of fireworks through, which caused a large crowd hold-up of people. The pocket was about to burn my hand off before we found a spot! When I was finally able to eat it, it was delicious. Still very hot, but not too extremely scorching. It had a good spicy flavor. I absolutely enjoyed this one. The outside crust was crispy and very flavorful. Mmmm!

Other foods and drinks we did not try:

Berbere Style Beef with Onions, Jalapeños, Tomato, Okra & Pap
MAN Vintners Chenin Blanc
Porcupine Ridge Syrah
The Wolftrap Red

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: South Korea

Next up: South Korea

South Korea is a newer kiosk, introduced in 2010. This was another one that surprised me. I didn't expect to like the food as much as I did. Thanks, Disney, for ruining my vegetarianism, haha! ;)

Kimchi Dog with Spicy Mustard Sauce

Bohae Black Raspberry Wine- Bokbunjajoo

First off, I really didn't like the wine all that much. I'm not a wine drinker. My mom loved it. It had a nice flavor, but it just wasn't for me. As for the Kimchi dog.... that was really actually very good. My mom was really wanting to try it and she talked me into having a bite. So good. I love the slaw and sauce they put on top. I'd actually like to just eat that with the bread, no hotdog haha! The hotdog was very good, though.

Other foods and drinks we did not try:

Lettuce Wrap with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw

Soju Fruit Slushy ft. Jinro Chamisul Soju

Jinro Chamisul Soju

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: China

We skipped stop #6, Singapore, and went on to the next one in line: China. Funny story though, we did get in the line at Singapore cause we thought it was China only to get all the way up there and realize we weren't at the correct place. How we managed that one, I'll never know.

China is another festival classic from 1996. It is also another one of my favorites because of the one thing we got there- the silk ice cream.

Silk Ice Cream Ribbon (strawberry)

I waited like the entire trip to get this. We got it on our very last day there and I was so happy. The ice cream looks very funny, but tastes so good. It wasn't extremely filling like most ice creams. It was silky yet creamy, and had an excellent flavor. It didn't leave a milky taste in my mouth. It was very light and extremely heavenly. Yes, heavenly. I could definitely go for one of these right now.

Other foods and drinks we did not try:
Mongolian Beef in a Steamed Bun
Black Pepper Shrimp with Sichuan Noodles
Chicken Potstickers
Tsintao Beer
Francis Ford Coppola Su Yuen Riesling
Francis Ford Coppola Su Yuen Syrah
Kung Fu Punch with Vodka
Happy Lychee with Vodka
Lychee Aerated Water

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Mexico

We did not stop by Argentina or Australia, which were the next two kiosks as you travel around the world showcase.

We did stop at the next one in line: Mexico.

Mexico is another festival classic, introduced in 1996. They have some really great food options and some delicious looking beverages. We didn't bet to try any of the beverages this time, unfortunately.

Shrimp Taco with Purple Cabbage

Can you say delicious?! This shrimp taco was so good. Haha, as you can see, a little strip of beef from the other taco you can get has made its way onto my plate... The shrimp was very delicious, though. My mom even liked it and she is not a fan of seafood. Squeezing the little lime slice all over really brings out the unique flavors of this taco. It really enhances the taste. I like this taco because it didn't taste too Mexican-American like every taco at any restaurant does.

Other foods and drinks we did not try:

Taco de Rib-Eye with Salsa de Chipotle

Rice Pudding

Dos Equis Beer

Sangria

Tequila Flight

Mango-Habanero Margarita

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Brazil

Destination #2: Brazil

Brazil was introduced to the festival in 1996.

There was nothing vegetarian at this kiosk, but there was some seafood. We did not get around to trying it, though.

What we did have was surprisingly good! I was very nervous to try it at first, but I enjoyed it.

Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Onions, Avocado & Cilantro

Frozen Caipirinha ft. LeBlon Cachaça

The words "pork" and "belly" put together sound extremely scary to me. I don't like pork, much less from its belly. I was a good sport and tried it, though. I actually found it quite tasty. It's got kind of a different texture (maybe that's because I don't often eat meat?... I still think the texture was weird, regardless). The beans and the topping were both really good. I ate a lot of those beans. I looove black beans. I'd say the pork belly tasted a lot like some bacon. The frozen caipirinha was extremely delicious. I couldn't stop drinking it! There's nothing like a good frozen beverage before noon ;) It is apparently a Brazilian specialty. Kudos to the Brazilians!

Other food and drinks we did not try:

Seared Scallop with Ragout of Tomatoes, Peppers & Hearts of Palm

Kaiser Brewery, Xingu Black Beer

Carnaval Moscato Sparkling White Wine (why didn't we try this??)

Epcot Food & Wine Festival 2013: Terra

This past fall, my mother and I went to Disney World for a few days with one goal in mind: to eat as much as we possibly could.

It has been years since I've been to WDW in the fall. The last time we went during festival time, I was 17 and couldn't drink. Now that I'm of age, I wanted to experience the festival as "an adult." That's the only thing I wanted to do while we were there.

We successfully visited 19 of the 30 stands. We got the cute little passport books, and we tried SO hard to collect all the stamps. We just didn't have enough time or stomach room to get everything.

First stop: Terra.

Terra is the new vegan kiosk. It was introduced in 2012, and every bit of food and drink that they serve is 100% vegan. Honestly, it was my absolute favorite kiosk of them all. Being vegetarian, it is always hard to find things to eat. I did try some of the other foods my mom wanted to get at the other stands, but I devoured everything we got at Terra (the multiple times we went).

Trick'n Chick'n Curry with Basmati Rice ft. Gardien Chick'n Breast

The chick'n had a really good texture and tasted better than actual chicken in my opinion. Of course, chicken is the only meat I have not had a single bite of since I decided to be a vegetarian back in 2012, so my opinion may not matter on that one. However, it was VERY good. It was cooked perfectly with the perfect amount of spice in the curry. It didn't overshadow the flavor of the chick'n, but rather enhanced it. The rice was delicious- I'm a big fan of rice.

Chili Colorado with House-made Chips and Cashew Cheese ft. Gardien Beefless Tips
Fresh Watermelon Juice

This dish was my absolute favorite. This is the very first thing we got when we entered the park on the first day. We got it several more times after that. I'm am absolutely in love with the beefless tips. They have an amazing texture and taste way better than real beef tips (and I have actually had beef one or two times since being vegetarian). The chili has the perfect amount of spice and flavor, the cashew cheese is delicious, and the chips were incredible. The watermelon juice is more refreshing than water. We got it every single day, sometimes more than one cup. It was so incredibly hot while we were there and the juice completely restored our energy.

The Vegan Vine Chardonnay
This was the only vegan wine we tried. I thought it tasted pretty good. It was a little bitter, but then again, I think most wines are. My mom (a big wine lover) didn't like it at all. So if you're an expert at wine, definitely don't try this. If you are an occasional drinker (like me) you might like it. I would definitely try something else, though.

Other foods and drinks we did not try:
Chocolate Cake with Coconut Mousse & Passion Fruit Sauce
Napa Smith Organic IPA
The Vegan Vine Red Blend

New Year's Eve- 1980s style.

Leggings? Check.
Oversized sweatshirts? Check.
Bright colored makeup? Check.

This year for our new year's eve bash, we decided it would be fun to do it 80s style- complete with classic 80s pop music, vintage clothing, big hair, and bright colors.

My outfit of the night award is a tie. It goes to both my mom and my aunt Terrie.

My mother looked literally exactly like she did when she graduated high school back in 1988 (I think!). She had on her old college sweatshirt, leggings, and her hair was styled to look almost exactly like it did back in the late 80s. My aunt Terrie had on an old Led Zepplin t-shirt (her favorite band then and now), some jeans, big hair, and lots of black eyeshadow.

Pictures will come, if I can snatch some up!

I also quite enjoyed Ean's attire. He came dressed as an 80s nerd, complete with big red suspenders. He looked quite similar to Steve Urkel.

We had a homemade photo booth set up. Allie bought all these animal masks at Urban Outfitters that morning and then set up a red backdrop. She had a camera set on timer mode so we could take the photo ourselves. It was fun. Photo booths usually are.

I'm thinking next year we need to do Disney characters or something else really fun. Having a theme this year was really great!

New Year, New You.

The new year always brings about resolutions- people wanting to lose weight, be nicer, give more. Everyone makes resolutions, but we rarely stick to them for more than a month. Some people think that making resolutions is a waste of time and stupid because they'll never keep them anyway.

In my opinion, the new year is actually the best time to become a "new you." Sure, making resolutions might seem pointless to some, but it really shouldn't be. The year changes, why shouldn't we? It's obviously going to be a slow process, and it won't happen overnight. However, why can't we take this time when the year becomes new to think of the other ways our life can be new?

We always have things we need to work on and improve, myself included. I've been thinking of ten little things I can improve on, regardless of if I start this month or next. I don't need to stress out if I don't accomplish every little thing every single day, but I do need to keep them in mind and close to my heart as I go through my life this year. I need to focus on a "new me" one little step at a time.

10. Have patience.
I'm literally one of the most impatient people in the world. I run on my own schedule. If I'm waiting on someone and they're "taking too long" in my book, I get super frustrated. I need to improve on my patience so my stress level won't be out the roof.

9. Trust others.
I have terrible trust issues. I want to do everything myself because I don't trust anyone else to do it my way. I need to understand that people won't intentionally screw something up for me. I need to trust that they know what they're doing and they won't purposely let me down.

8. Be more carefree.
I always get uptight and stressed out over the little things. I need to see the beauty in a moment and live it. I have trouble letting myself go, and I need to improve on that.

7. Do something spontaneous.
I literally have every second of every day planned out almost to a T. I need to let myself go and do something completely crazy, something that totally ruins my schedule. And I need to be okay with it.

6. Love my body.

I often times hate my body. And I've made it the way it is! Every weak muscle and bit of fat- it's all been my choice. I have chosen to not eat right. I've chosen to not exercise. I need to give my body more love and care- the kind it deserves.

5. Eat better.
I'm vegetarian, or pescetarian really. Sometimes I use that as an excuse to eat bad things. This restaurant doesn't really have anything to eat so I just eat lots of fries and ice cream. Bad, bad, bad. I need to focus more on my health and my body. There are plenty of good foods out there that I can fix and eat- I just need to not be so lazy about my eating habits!

4. Learn to cook.

I'm not TERRIBLE in the kitchen. I know one or two basics. I just need to make cooking more of a habit and priority. I can't live off fast food and eating out. I can't rely on my parents to make me food forever. I need to focus on this simple necessity of life.

3. Forgive often.

Humans are human, obviously. We all make mistakes. None of us are perfect, no matter how much everyone thinks they are. People have quirks and flaws, and I need to learn to forgive people of those mistakes they make.

2. Improve my relationships.

My relationship with my family, my friends, my fiancé, my Savior- all of those need more focus, care, and attention. I can't be so focused on myself and making myself happy. I need to focus on the needs of those around me, those that love me, and show them the respect and love they deserve.

1. Love more.

I need to love people, love myself, and love God. My live will be absolutely miserable if I can not bring love into my heart.

I don't expect any of this to happen this month. I don't even expect to see full results in 6 months! I just want to focus myself a little at a time and become a new me.