euro trip!!

happy tuesday everyone!

i'm very excited today because i just received our updated hotel itinerary for our big vacation next summer...we're going to europe!

i talked about the possibility of a euro trip a little bit in an earlier post but we just finalized our hotel reservations so it feels real now!

we're going to be leaving from charlotte on may 31st next year and flying to london where we'll stay for 3 nights. our main goal for the london leg of the trip is to go tour a soccer stadium. there are several in london so we have to see at least one for my soccer-loving husband. go westham! (did i get that right?)

our beautiful london hotel!

after that we'll head to paris for 3 nights. i haven't been to paris before so of course i want to see the eiffel tower and the louvre. my best friend studied abroad in france in high school and already sent me a list of things to see and do in paris....i can't wait!

glad that our hotel is labeled with "hotel"...i might never find it otherwise

the last part of the trip will be spent in italy: 2 nights in venice and 2 nights in rome. all i want to do is eat! and ride in a gondola of course.

can you get more venetian than the aqua palace?
i don't think so.

we might feel a little out of place in rome :)

does anyone have any travel tips for our 4 stops? i've been to london before and i'm pretty familiar with it but never to the other 3! the countdown is on...

summer to-do list

has anyone else already had a mini panic attack caused by the realization that june is almost over?? i always feel like my summers pass by way too quickly and i don't take advantage of everything there is to do in warm weather.

several blogs that i read have posted summer to-do lists, which i think is a great idea and mayyyyybe will help me take advantage of this summer that is already 1/3 over.

• go see a drive-in movie. there's a drive-in theater in belmont which is close to where we live and i'm so sad i've never been!
• have a picnic in the backyard
• hike crowder's mountain early in the morning
• float down the dan river
• spend a whole week at the beach (this one is definitely happening thanks to a family vacation in august...it just makes me excited to see it on my list!)
• spend an afternoon in downtown greenville sc
• go rafting at the whitewater center
• hit up davidson's farmer's market
• go to the local dog bar and let loki be a doggie socialite like he loves to be

i would also really love to buy a retro bathing suit, get michael in a speedo, and recreate this super cool old black and white tandem bike photo. probably not gonna happen. :)

do any of you have a summertime to do list? any suggestions for summer activities in charlotte?

bathing suit season

the rain finally cleared out and it feels like summer!! thankfully we've already been able to squeeze in a few beach and pool days, and we headed to the beach this past weekend to celebrate father's day and get in some major sun time.

along with the sun comes an itch for new bathing suits. every year i pick up a few new ones at target and old navy (trusty favorites) but i online window shopped last week and found a few potential buys :)

wildfox rainbow bikini - asos

seahorse bikini - j. crew

slashed beach tee - asos

l space audrey fringe bikini - nordstrom

homemade black bean burgers

black bean burgers are very high on my list of favorite foods. if i had to choose a last meal, a chickfila #1 combo would be my first choice, but the black bean pita burger from killington's (a local restaurant) would probably be a close 2nd.

i've never actually made a black bean burger before, so i went looking for a recipe and found what appeared to be a good one on mensfitness.com. i modified it a little based on what i had on hand and what i know i like. this recipe should serve at least 4 people.

• 1/2 green pepper, finely diced (could also use onion)
• olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp hot sauce
• flour
• lawry's seasoning salt (or any other seasoning blend of your choice)
• avocado, sliced

1. saute green pepper in olive oil until soft/browning. add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.

2. in a bowl, mash beans with the back of a fork until smooth. stir in pepper mixture, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, and hot sauce. mix well. *i will do this step in a food processor next time. my hand gave out and i had to call in reinforcements (my wonderful bean-mashing husband). you want a fairly smooth consistency with most of the beans broken up but not pureed.

3. shape into patties and dust each side with flour and seasoning salt.

4. cook patties until golden on both sides. i used a grill pan but you could also just use a skillet.

5. top with sliced avocado

these were really easy to make but i had a bit of a hard time keeping some of the patties together. i think adding maybe one more egg white would help. men's fitness also recommends letting the patties sit/cool for 10 minutes after you mix everything together.

enjoy!!

june birchbox

time for another birchbox!

june's theme was "wanderlust", focused on summer travels and products from various places. as if i needed any more motivation to take a vacation!

 here's the breakdown:

• mirenesse in "perfect kiss": i just got this box on saturday and i've already used the mirenesse lip balm/lip stain 3 times. you can also use it on your cheeks as blush. it's the perfect combo of moisturization and color...love it!
• sukiface lemongrass & sugar exfoliating cleanser: my favorite thing in the box by far! the lemon smell is amazing and perfect for summer
• color club nail polish: i always like a good nail polish but i just got almost this exact same color a month or 2 ago. i wonder if birchbox keeps track of the colors it sends...
• klorane dry shampoo: i'm lukewarm on this one. it's a pretty good dry shampoo but i still prefer the cheap drugstore suave. :)
• 100% pure vanilla bean and coconut body creams: the smell of these 2 lotions is ridiculously good. only problem is they were so small i had to use them both at the same time. i'd really consider buying these in a larger size though!

and for fun, birchbox threw in some global-themed postcards. cute, but weird.

so happy it's june! now all i need is for the rain to go away!!

white cheddar, spinach & chicken burgers

i dont know about yall, but to me, warm weather = burger weather. i don't eat typical beef cheeseburgers very often, but i love finding recipes that use ground turkey or ground chicken to lighten things up a bit. i'm also trying a new black bean burger recipe tonight...i hope it's good!

one burger recipe that i know is good is the one i found on cookin with super pickle for white cheddar, spinach & chicken burgers. i modified a few things about the recipe to make it easier and to fit what i had on hand. these are so good, fresh and easy!

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1 lb. ground chicken
2 oz fresh spinach (i used about 5 ounces)
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp fresh parsley
3 oz shredded aged white cheddar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup bread crumbs
salt & pepper

1. slice onion and sautee in olive oil until caramelized.
2. put onion, garlic, parsley and spinach in a food processor and pulse until fine.
3. add mixture to a big bowl along with all remaining ingredients.
4. form into patties and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
5. broil on high for 7-9 minutes on each side.
6. serve on a bun (or not!)