Vacay Recap: Fun in the Sun!

Hubby and I are back from our sunny vacation and real life is back in full swing. We had an amazing time though and as much as we both loved it, we were very happy to come home to Milo and Jinx. Oh and our bed. The bed in Palm Springs wasn't great.

We spent three nights in Las Vegas (stayed at the Mirage for the first - and last - time) and then we drove to Palm Springs for another five nights. We always used to say that you need a vacation to recover from Vegas so that's exactly what we do now.

Here are some photos of our trip...

 

Bon voyage cocktails at the airport!

 

I love the fish tank at the Mirage front desk, obsessed every time I see it.

 



 

 

Finally at the room

 

 

Morning walk in the sun

 

Our view in Palm Springs!

 

 

A fun evening with this woman, my mentor, Prudence from Ruby Blues Winery

 



 

First golf game ever with my hubby (that is my MIL teeing off)

 



 

Mandatory golf selfie

 

These Canadian Geese were napping on the 18th hole, not a care in the world

 



 

 

Our transportation to the pool

Our favourite pool

 

I am obsessed with palm trees

 

 

 

A sunset ride

 

 

Obama decided to fly into Palm Springs the day we were leaving - we actually watched Air Force One fly by really low and slow as we enjoyed our last coffee on the patio - and thankfully the traffic getting into the hotel wasn't too bad and we got to see the plane, MASSIVE!

We need to plan another vacation soon so I have something to look forward to!

 

Linking up with:

Manic Monday | Monday Morning Gossip | Weekend Recap

 

 

 



The Best Show in Las Vegas

   

Absinthe.

I was blown away.  I was so captivated by the show that when my little bottle of bubbly ran out about 20 minutes in, I didn’t even want to get another from the bar and risk missing a second.  If you know me at all then you know this is big.  I sat clutching an empty glass and laughed so hard I cried… along with everyone else in the audience.

I have been describing the show as a Night Circus on steroids (it takes place at night in a circus tent) with Cirque du Soleil-type acrobatics combined with hilarious offside comedy. 

This is how Absinthe’s website describes it:

“Absinthe,” is the critically acclaimed acro-cabaret variety show. “Absinthe” is performed in the round with unobstructed sightlines and in intimate proximity of the world-class artists performing amazing feats of strength, balance, danger and unfathomable flexibility. The New York Times hails “You’re close enough to see the sweat and grimaces needed to produce graceful, gravity defying stunts,” and sums up the entire “Absinthe” experience as, “Imagine Cirque du Soleil as channeled through ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show.’”

Pretty much the same thing I said right?

 The pictures I took don’t do anything justice so you need to check the website to catch a glimpse of some of the performances.  The intimate setting is eclectic and awesome, the actors are amazing, I could go on and on but seriously it is something you have to see for yourself.  The next time you go to Vegas you must see Absinthe.



First (and only) drinks of the show... I was obsessed with the mini bottle, so cute!

 


My sister and her fiance

 


every chair as different and it was so. cool.

 


the teeny tiny stage

 


the crowd

 


my bubbly

  


me and my hubby

 


sister love

 


before the start of the show, just swinging above the crowd, men dressed like women





 

What is the best show you have ever seen?

 

Uber Rides Rock! (AND a Promo Code!)

I have woken up the past two days with the best intentions of writing a post, I even have the ideas formed and recipes ready to go, but it seems I am just too damn lazy to get anything written. There is no sense of urgency and it seems I am convinced that my readers will hang on and wait... Please hang on and wait! I am back to real life next week :)

I do want to give a shout out to Uber. We don't have the service at home yet but I have heard about it a bunch of times so I downloaded the app to try it out in Palm Springs. We used it our second night here to go to my in-laws place for dinner (accompanied by a lot of wine and beer) so it just made sense to ensure we could all enjoy the festivities. 

Uber is so easy! I opened the app and it found our location, I pressed ok (or whatever the button said) and within 6 minutes our ride was at the door! I had registered the credit card and so when we got to our destination we just got out and said thank you. So freaking easy! The best part? Not having to call and talk to someone to get a taxi. No fumbling for cash and they email you a receipt, you can even split the cost with your friends! I love it. And we used it again last night to go for drinks.  We have taken it four times... three rides were in a Mecedes SUV and once in a Prius. Super clean and great cars!

I was in no way asked or compensated to write this review by the way, it was just such a great way to get us all where we were going safely and without someone having to suck it up and be the designated driver. There is plenty of time for that when I eventually get knocked up ;)

I can however get you your first Uber for FREE up to $30!! Use my promo code sarahp1386 when you request your first pickup. I will also get a free ride in return but it's totally win-win right?? Perfect timing for all the holiday parties that will be upon us oh so soon. So go download the app and get your drink on!

Enjoying some bubbly last night - this Prosecco is yummy!

I hope you all are having an amazing week!

Weekend Recap: Goodbye Las Vegas and Hello Palm Springs

That is quite the lengthly title but totally accurate as I sit here with sun streaming through the windows and palm trees surrounding the pool I will be heading too just as soon as I hit 'publish'.  Yesterday we left the colourful chaos that is Las Vegas and traveled west to Palm Springs.  The drive sucked big time (traffic jams the whole way) and took twice as long as it should have but I was a passenger with a fully charged iPad and my latest book club read so didn't really have any complaints.  It was a welcome break from walking (20,000+ steps on Saturday!!) and forced down time, perfect prep for relaxation.

Good morning from Palm Springs!

You know that feeling when you leave Las Vegas, the 'I need a vacation from my vacation' feeling? Well we got smart and nipped it in the bud.  We had three days and nights in Sin City, walked the strip up and down, watched the Mirage fire volcano show and Bellagion fountains dance, drank way too many drinks, discovered new table games (I'm not a big gambler but I did enjoy Let it Ride and even won $75) and saw the. best. show. ever.  Absinthe is described as an adult's circus but I describe it like a Cirque du Soleil show with offside comedy on steroids.  My laugh muscles got the best workout and I thought a couple of the acrobats were going to fall and die.  It was crazy awesome, I can't say enough about it and will never do it justice, just go see it (as long as you don't get offended easily!).

The best part about Vegas was... well there were actually two... my husband's face lighting up over and over (he LOVES it) and seeing my younger sister.  So fun.  And now we have five days of hanging out at the pool, lazy shopping, happy hours and tasty dinners.  I am just going to try and make sure it doesn't go too fast, and that I enjoy every moment.

But for now, here are a couple pictures of our trip so far...

Touchdown in Sin City!

First frosty cocktail at Dick's Bar

Reunited with my sister <3

Linking up with Bella and Lisa for the Weekend Recap, Biana, Monday Morning Gossip and Meg's Monday Mingle! 

 

#Blogtober14: (Unoriginal) Dream Vacation

Is it really only Tuesday??  I got home last night (at 6:30pm after dropping off some of my first ever batch of homemade turkey soup to my parents and my hubby’s grandparents) and thankfully had dinner waiting for me (without even being asked, thank you!) when I started a kind of cough.  Not a full on couch but a little tickle in the back of my throat so I drank a bunch of iced tea.  My little tickle grew into a full-fledged chest hacking by 9pm.  Ouch.  I took apple cinnamon flavoured Neo Citron and crawled into bed to watch 2 Broke Girls reruns.  I woke up this morning feel about the same and praying for the day to go by quickly so I can go right home after work and crawl into bed until hump day.  A screwed up back and now a chest cough… thankfully I am falling apart two weeks before our Las Vegas/Palm Springs Super Vacation!

What a perfect time to ponder my dream vacation…



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Hawaii.  I don’t even really care which island although I hear Maui is nice.   I know there are more adventurous places (like hiking the Inca Trail) and there are so many places I want to visit but I have always wanted to go to Hawaii.  One of the biggest draws?  Someone once told me that the smell is amazing.  I have no idea what it smells like but I know that I desperately want to smell it.  My husband went years ago when he was maybe 7 or 8 and although he doesn’t remember much, he remembers it being amazing.  So Hawaii is on our travel bucket list right at the top. 

 

#Blogtober14: Best Vacation

My title is a bit misleading here because I'm not sure this was my best vacation ever but it was pretty amazing. In 1991 I hiked the Inca Trail with my parents to Machu Picchu.  It was incredible.
 



A brief back story for you: in 1989 my family moved to Peru. My dad was a mining engineer and had always wanted to move us abroad so when he got the opportunity to work at copper mine he couldn't be happier. Me and my two sisters? We were devastated. Horrified. Inconsolable. Until they promised us a shopping spree and then miraculously we were... less devastated.

Looking back it could not have been a more amazing place to live.

Seriously... Facebook is essentially a support group where the now grown expats share memories and blurry scans of old photos. We would all return in a heartbeat.

Back to the Inca Trail. In June of 1991 my parents took me on an amazing adventure.  There were twelve of us in the group (plus 1 dog, a great dane)  and we met in Cuzco, my all-time favorite city in Peru (we lived in mining camps so a trip to any city was exciting but Cuzco is especially beautiful), and the closest city to Machu Picchu. We were in Cuzco for a couple days and then we jumped on a packed train full of people and headed to the beginning of the trail.

 

Side note: at the train station I was left in charge of our bags, including my dad's daypack with his beloved Kodak camera. I have no idea how or when it happened but the pack disappeared. And wow was my dad pissed (I'm still sorry about that Dad). He got over it but as you can see we don't have the best photos.  And the he had an excuse to buy a fancy new camera that summer.

I also have to mention that we had two bodyguards, complete with guns and other weapons, hiking with us.  As a group of white foreigners that included the vice-president of the company and his wife during the height of the terrorist group Shining Path's existence, heightened protection was apparently a necessity.  But I never once felt like I was in any danger and actually got along really well with the guards (it probably helped that one of them carried my daypack so it was quite an enjoyable trek).

We hired locals to carry our packs and these tiny men would throw a pack on their back and set off, with a bag of coca leaves in their pockets to chew on for energy. I got altitude sickness one night so the packers boiled some of their leaves in water and gave it to me like a tea and it did the trick, I felt great for the rest of the trip.

 

A very young me hiking with my Dad behind me

Taking a break... love my outfit, especially the bandana around my neck...

MACHU PICCHU (and my Mom)



 

We hiked for four days, camped three nights, and on the fourth day I remember reaching The Doorway of the Sun and after stepping through, Machu Picchu in all its glory was in front of us.  For a kid it was pretty amazing.

I have so many memories from this trip (and other things I think are memories but need to check details with my mom) and it was honestly one of the coolest things I have ever done.  I am also glad that I made the trip back in 1991 because from what I hear know, the area has changed completely due to tourism.  I stood on train platform with a couple shacks and people selling glass bottles of pop (that you had to drink right there because they kept the bottle) and children selling crafts.  I think it has grown exponentially since I was there and while the change is good for the area and hopefully providing more income, I will always cherish what is was like when I was there first.  And yes, I do plan to go back one day and I'm sure I will love it, just in a different way.

 

Have you ever been an expat?  I love comparing stories!

 



 

Meal Plan Monday | Post-Vacation Blues

Oh hello again Monday.  The only thing worse than a regular Monday is the first one after a vacation.  Does anyone have any suggestions as to how make the transition back to work any easier?  If you do please send them my way asap because Sarah is in a deep post-vacation depression.
I did manage to get a meal plan for the week together and then I dragged myself out to get groceries.  Both hubby and I know that we need to clean out our bodies after all the drinks, wine, bread, cheese, fried food, etc. etc.  I would love to just have salads and flavoured water all week except for two things: 1) my hubby is constantly hungry and needs carbs every day and 2) I would end up devouring four cheeseburgers by lunch on Wednesday if I went cold turkey if I tried to subsist on salad and water.  So I just need to make smart choices.

 

Sunday: sushi... I had a packed day so I picked up sushi around 3pm and that with some random leftovers was on the menu.

 

Monday: my sister-in-law tells me that pork chops baked in hoisin sauce are easy and delicious so I'm going to try it out.  I will let you know how it feels.

 

Tuesday: we have chicken breasts, mushrooms, pasta and sauce and it's hubby's night to cook.

 

Wednesday: chicken caesar salad... I bought a bag of caesar salad and will throw chicken in, how much easier can it get?

 

Thursday: homemade beef hamburger patties on these awesome little naan breads that I found, they make the perfect skinny bun.

Friday: I have book club and we are ordering sushi in, not too sure what the hubby will be eating but I'm pretty sure it will be of the delivery variety.

 

Today will definitely be a multiple cup of coffee kind of day...

 

Is it Friday yet??  

Wine Wednesday: The Naramata Bench

Yes you read that correctly - Wine Wednesday.  Because I wrote an awesome post Tuesday night and clicked "save" like fifteen times and then when I went to post it this morning, couldn't find it!  Nothing.  Nowhere.  My words were just gone... and I was so pissed.  I wrote an awesome post!
So... here we go again.  And if it's lame I apologize but it's hard to duplicate awesomeness ;)

Saturday was actually quite cloudy so we decided it would be the perfect time to go wine tasting. Hubby, my mother-in-law and I climbed into K's car (bless that woman!) and headed out to a couple of our favourites.  Now I may be slightly biased because these wineries are a 5-10 drive from the cabin, but they have done very well for me over the years and I will forever be a loyal follower.

The first stop was Lang Vineyards, a winery that wowed us during our first visit in 2009 and then devastated us when we returned to find it closed in 2010.  Thankfully for us it reopened last summer and is still one of our top choices.  Our Lang favourite is the 2012 Farm Reserve Riesling and we were thrilled that they still have some in stock, both for tasting and for purchase... I just hope the next vintage is just as good, if not better!



Our first tasting of 2014!



 



A bit higher up the hill, Lang has the most amazing view and next time I need to bring my DSLR!



Our second stop was Ruby Blues Winery.  If you have read my blog since the beginning you have likely seen this name before.  I met the owners a few years ago and they are the most amazing people. Prudence Maher is the mastermind behind Ruby Blues and in addition to making my favourite wine on the planet, she has created a funky little boutique in the wine shop.  Of course I forgot to take pictures of all the fun trinkets (of which I have purchased my fair share) because it's always a flurry of excitement as we cram the wine tasting and a brief hello into about 10 minutes so we can make room everyone else.  It's always busy there which I know is good for them but it really hinders my socializing.

 

Ruby Blues is a special place for us because the White Stiletto was one of our wedding wines and the coordinating Red was the other, and we took advantage of the invitation to take our wedding photos among their grapevines. 

 

 


The perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine and take in the view



The new outdoor tasting area complete with gigantic mural and the classics, White Stiletto to the left
and Red Stiletto to the right



The last place we visited (on this short trip) was La Frenz Winery. A favourite among our friends, we visit La Frenz every year as a group and I wanted to drop in to pick up a bottle for a couple that are having their housewarming this coming weekend.  And we were there so we obviously had to do the tasting, it just makes sense right?  We were underwhelmed and ready to leave with the gift bottle when the taste hostess asked if we wanted to taste another wine that wasn't being offered but was open, and again, as if I would say no to free wine.  She proceeded to pour the Alexandria and as I drank, a new wine proceeded to find a place in my liver heart.  It was so delicious!  We bought a couple bottles and I didn't even get a photo - my in-laws loved it as much as we did and it was the perfect choice for our tasty dinner.  We will be stocking up in August :)



La Frenz Winery

 

Wine tasting always makes you smile!



That about sums up the wine portion of our long weekend... now counting down the weeks (3!!) until we return for a week.  We can't wait!!!

What is your favourite winery?