Categories
Things To Do

Fairchild Gardens Chocolate Festival Is This Weekend

chocolate If you are a chocolate lover, head over to the Fourth Annual Fairchild Chocolate Festival this Saturday  and Sunday.  The weather should be beautiful and the chocolate tasting mouthwatering.

Categories
Florida Life Miami Beach

South Beach Life Guard Huts – Another Reason I Love South Florida!

South Beach Lifeguard Hut
South Beach Lifeguard Hut

Categories
Coral Gables Restaurants South Miami Things To Do

Best Cupcakes Ever!

The Coral Gables/South Miami area is so lucky to have two great cupcake places to choose from.  Many of you have probably already heard of or tried Misha’s Cupcakes.  The red velvet cupcakes are amazing and her cakes made out of individual mini-cupcakes are works of art as well as being convenient for parties…no plates or wasted cake.

A couple of blocks away on Sunset Drive is Buttercream Cupcakes and Coffee.  Although they don’t make mini-cupcake cakes and their minis have to be special ordered, they have a larger variety of flavors.  Their chocolate peanut butter cupcakes are amazing.  Try both of these neighborhood places and let us know which one is your favorite.

Two Methods of Eating Cupcakes

Neat
Neat
Messy with wasted frosting
Messy with wasted frosting

Categories
Neighborhood News Pinecrest Things To Do

Arts Festival At Pinecrest Gardens

The 7th Annual Pinecrest Gardens Fine Arts Festival will take place this Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Take a stroll through the beautiful gardens while viewing a variety of artwork from nationally recognized artists.  There will also be food and music.

Attending this event counts as one the New Year Resolutions for South Floridians!

Categories
Coral Gables Neighborhood News Things To Do

Beaux Arts Festival Is This Weekend

The 59 Annual Beaux Arts Festival of Art is this Saturday on Sunday at the Lowe Art Museum on the University of Miami campus.

This event counts towards on of the New Year’s Resolutions For South Floridians.

Categories
Florida Life Things To Do

Healthy Eating Is Easy, Just Visit Your Local Farmer’s Market

If eating healthier is one of your new year’s resolutions, start out now!  Sundays are when most Farmer’s Markets occur.  In addition to supporting local farmers, you will get fresh fruits and vegetables.  The taste is so much better when they are fresh!

Peppers
Peppers

Categories
Things To Do

Healthy Eating Is Easy, Just Visit Your Local Farmer's Market

If eating healthier is one of your new year’s resolutions, start out now!  Sundays are when most Farmer’s Markets occur.  In addition to supporting local farmers, you will get fresh fruits and vegetables.  The taste is so much better when they are fresh!

Peppers
Peppers

Categories
Florida Life Things To Do

New Year's Resolutions For South Floridians

Okay, I know every year we make resolutions only to break them or not live up to them, but these are pretty easy and will help you get better acquainted or reacquainted with your own back yard.

  1. Get in shape!  This is South Florida, where the heat, beach, water activities and year-round outdoor lifestyle make this easy to do.   Gables Fitness has bootcamps, which take place in the beautiful outdoors, in Pinecrest, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne and Bayfront Park.  They also have personal training classes for men and women.  I started about a month and a half ago at the Pinecrest location and am having a great time while I am getting in shape.
  2. Visit one of our museums.  Many of the Miami museums have free events.  The Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science will take more than one visit to explore.  It has over 200 exhibits plus an IMAX theater.  The Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale is currently exhibiting the works of Norman Rockwell (through February 7, 2010)
  3. Go on one of the art walks.  In Miami:  Calle Ocho, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Design District, Miami Beach, Wynwood all have art walks on different days of the week.  Broward County has a twice yearly walk.
  4. Take a historical tour with Paul George.
  5. Volunteer at one of the many one-day volunteer activities such as Hands-On-Miami, Habitat For Humanity, Biscayne Bay Cleanup (Baynanza).
  6. Attend a performance at one of our many venues.
  7. Go to the horse races.
  8. Visit the Miami-Metro Zoo, Lion Country Safari, Butterfly Garden.
  9. Take a bike ride in the Everglades and/or Oleta State Park and/or Markham Park.
  10. Go to one of our local Farmer’s Markets, which are open through April, to purchase fresh local produce.
  11. Tour the Redland.
  12. Take a canoe or kayak ride.  Most of the State Parks have hourly rentals and tours.
  13. Go to a full moon outdoor concert.
  14. If you are remodeling or landscaping, include energy efficient and sustainable products and go native with your landscaping.

If you have completed any of these resolutions recently (2009), please add your comments and feedback on this post.  Do you have a resolution you would like to add to the list?

Categories
Florida Life Things To Do

New Year’s Resolutions For South Floridians

Okay, I know every year we make resolutions only to break them or not live up to them, but these are pretty easy and will help you get better acquainted or reacquainted with your own back yard.

  1. Get in shape!  This is South Florida, where the heat, beach, water activities and year-round outdoor lifestyle make this easy to do.   Gables Fitness has bootcamps, which take place in the beautiful outdoors, in Pinecrest, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne and Bayfront Park.  They also have personal training classes for men and women.  I started about a month and a half ago at the Pinecrest location and am having a great time while I am getting in shape.
  2. Visit one of our museums.  Many of the Miami museums have free events.  The Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science will take more than one visit to explore.  It has over 200 exhibits plus an IMAX theater.  The Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale is currently exhibiting the works of Norman Rockwell (through February 7, 2010)
  3. Go on one of the art walks.  In Miami:  Calle Ocho, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Design District, Miami Beach, Wynwood all have art walks on different days of the week.  Broward County has a twice yearly walk.
  4. Take a historical tour with Paul George.
  5. Volunteer at one of the many one-day volunteer activities such as Hands-On-Miami, Habitat For Humanity, Biscayne Bay Cleanup (Baynanza).
  6. Attend a performance at one of our many venues.
  7. Go to the horse races.
  8. Visit the Miami-Metro Zoo, Lion Country Safari, Butterfly Garden.
  9. Take a bike ride in the Everglades and/or Oleta State Park and/or Markham Park.
  10. Go to one of our local Farmer’s Markets, which are open through April, to purchase fresh local produce.
  11. Tour the Redland.
  12. Take a canoe or kayak ride.  Most of the State Parks have hourly rentals and tours.
  13. Go to a full moon outdoor concert.
  14. If you are remodeling or landscaping, include energy efficient and sustainable products and go native with your landscaping.

If you have completed any of these resolutions recently (2009), please add your comments and feedback on this post.  Do you have a resolution you would like to add to the list?

Categories
Florida Life

Hello 2010, Good Riddance 2009.

Not all of 2009 was bad, though you couldn’t tell from most of the news stories.  As we ended 2009, we started to hear a little more upbeat news about the housing market (sales are up due to low prices), the national unemployment rate (appears to be steadying in most places, though not in Florida), consumer confidence is higher, the stock market is up, interest rates remain low, though are starting to creep up.  Most economists are saying the recession is ending and, even though the future remains a bit bumpy, the overall economy is improving.

So as we enter 2010, let’s remember lessons learned in 2009, especially about bubbles, following the herd, and biting off more than we can chew (personally, professionally and financially).  Most importantly remember priorities: health, family and friendships is what carry us through rough times and make the good times better.  I know that sounds sooo corny, but it is true ;-)!