Sunday Lately: Planning, Loving, Reading, Wishing, Feeling

Yeah, I've missed some Sunday Lately posts...  but I'm back!  Truthfully, I'm under the weather and wallowing on the sofa.  But since I'm a couch potato, the laptop is out and I'm working on blog posts.

PLANNING...
Lately, I've enjoyed planning our dinners out with Plated (see my review here).  I sound like they're sponsoring my blog or something, but honestly it's just something I'm really enjoying!  I've never cooked so many Instagram-worthy meals in my life.  Yes, I'm paying an upcharge to have ingredients and recipes delivered to me... but I get to spend 30-60 minutes trying out a new recipe, while enjoying myself listening to podcasts or whatever.  I've found that it's less of a chore than meal planning and grocery shopping, which I really like.

LOVING...
This birthday bouquet that my friend Lindsey sent me.  Isn't it unique?  I put it in a vase so I could look at it for days.

READING...
This cookbook my cousin SP sent me for my birthday.  I'm on a kind of cultural heritage journey right now, learning Korean and eating more Korean foods.  Now, I have recipes, in an English-centric cookbook!  It's hard to find a good Korean cookbook out there in the English measurement system and with great pictures and English instructions.  This blogger, Maangchi, nailed it!

WISHING...
I wish that weekends were 3-4 days long and that there were more hours in the day.

FEELING...
Sick.  And guilty.  Dan and I both came down with bad colds, just in time for the weekend.  We cancelled our plans to go visit my parents, and I feel really bad about it.  I know they were excited to see us, and now it'll be about a month before we see them.  I miss them.  Sigh.  I've been wallowing on the sofa pretty much all weekend, drinking water and taking cold meds.

What are you up to this Sunday?

Sunday Lately is a weekly linkup hosted by the Blogger Tribe. We e-hang out every Sunday, sharing a small glimpse into the last week of life in our own worlds. 

Budgeting Bloggers: March 2016

If I had to pick a theme for this month's shopping, I think I'd say preppy!  Or fancy.  It was 100% LOFT and Kate Spade this month, with a trip to some outlets in Orlando.

1. LOFT Cardigan in black and coral (originally $44.99 each, paid $22.50 each on BOGO) I needed to replace a black one that I'd ruined in the wash, and these were on BOGO at the outlets when I was in Orlando for work.
2. kate spade Tock Flats in black (originally $178, paid $107):  I have a newfound love for flats that have elastic edges around them for comfort.  I don't normally splurge on shoes (most of mine are from Payless) but these were calling my name on sale at the outlets.  I've already worn them a handful of times!
3. kate spade Bow Keychain in red (originally $38, paid $23):  Because it was red and the Hoosiers were going to play Kentucky that weekend and I needed a change.  No real reason other than that.
4. kate spade Lolly Wristlet and Phone Case (originally $88 and $53, paid $40 and $24):  Because it was cute and matchy.  Impulsive, and I already use them.

$252 spent -  $20 sold/earned = $232 total spent in March

$159.50 savings
Quarter Budget: $258 left - $232 in March  = +$26

So, overall, I did well with my $500 quarterly budget!  I consistently either didn't overshop or I sold items I don't wear anymore.  I also got a nice raincoat for my birthday from Dan, which didn't count against my budget either.

Birthday Gift

MICHAEL Michael Kors Belted Zip Front Coat in black (originally $240, on sale for $72, exact, similar):  Confession, my friend has this coat, or something very similar, in another color, and I was staring into my coat closet the other day realizing that I just don't wear some of the jackets and coats that I'd purchased before, because of the color most likely.  I wear a lot of black, and this felt suitable for chilly and rainy days, dressed up or down.  So I snagged it for a relative song!  I'm listing the ones I don't wear on Poshmark.

What did you buy this month?

Check out the rest of the Franish Budgeting Bloggers here!

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• cmesko
• affableolive
• jyih
• vbattjes

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Shop more of my closet on Poshmark

Disney Springs & La Nouba

My coworker ML and I had one free night during our work trip to Orlando, so we headed to Disney Springs (the new rebranding of Downtown Disney) after hours for dinner and a show.  We got there a bit before 6pm or so on St. Patrick's Day, and it wasn't too crowded yet.  Since we had a little while before our dinner reservation, we decided to visit Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar.

The nice thing about this bar is that there aren't a lot of kids all over the place, like most of Disney.  Not that we dislike kids, but it's cool to find little spots that are more aimed at adults.  The bar is decorated like a dive bar set in an old airplane hangar, with the theme around Indiana Jones' sidekick/pilot Jock Lindsey.

While pricey compared to most bars I frequent, it was par for the course for Disney pricing, so we didn't mind.  The menu is organized kind of like a world map of drinks.  ML had a super delicious cocktail called Anything Goes, which had byejoe dragon fire spirit, fresh lime, passionfruit, and pineapple juice.  I had a pineapple hard cider.  Both were refreshing, and our bartender was super.  Service was fast and good, so we couldn't complain!  There's indoor and outdoor seating.

After our drinks, we headed to dinner at Paradiso 37, Taste of the Americas.  I definitely overdid it on tasty food there!  We did the dip trio, which was definitely good for 2-3 people.

Then, for my main course, I had Bacon & Pineapple Burger with truffle fries.  Um, delicious.  I couldn't stop eating it.  You must get the fries at this place.  Again, very typical Disney pricing (more than you'd pay off Disney property) but I really liked how the new Disney Springs revival has brought more shopping and restaurants to a place that doesn't require a park ticket.  They've changed traffic flow so that it's easier to get in and out, and it gets pretty packed in the evenings for sure.

After dinner, we wandered around Disney Springs killing time.  They had a DJ in one area, so we did some good people-watching.  Then, we headed to the edge of Disney Springs for our main event: Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba!  We had purchased the cheapest tickets available (~$60 each), but the view and seats were still great.  The theatre is a semi-circle, and the performers come up into the stands some too, so I really enjoyed it.  It was impressive and family-friendly, right up there with the other Cirque shows I've seen.

Overall, it was a great way to spend time at Disney, outside of the parks!